Wildlife

 Last week the Montana Wildlife Federation submitted these comments to the Fish and Wildlife Commission on the proposed 2020-21 elk shoulder seasons. Hunters want to see the Commission honor the agreement made five years ago when these performance-based seasons were started, and scale back these seasons in areas where they’re not meeting the criteria. Download our comments and take the MWF elk management survey.

Read our comments below.

Dear Chairman Colton and commissioners, The Montana Wildlife Federation is our state’s oldest and largest state-based wildlife conservation and sporting organization, with 84 years of work on key wildlife, habitat and access issues. We work to solve the complex issues surrounding our public trust wildlife resources and have decades of achievement in finding practical solutions to these complex issues.

MWF thanks the Commission for making significant changes to the proposed 2020-21 elk hunting seasons as proposed by FWP staff. However, the performance based “shoulder seasons” that began in 2015 as a pilot project have grown to 58 districts and have a mixed record of achieving the intended results as laid out in the performance criteria.

Those criteria were an agreement between FWP and the hunters of Montana to measure the actual effectiveness of these hunts. They stress throughout that they’re not meant to be permanent, and not meant to replace general season harvest, which should be the primary management tool we use for wildlife. That’s essential for numerous reasons, including the ethics of when we hunt animals, the effectiveness of spreading out wildlife across the landscape to have equal opportunity, and the need to get our elk harvest when the most hunte­­­rs are in the field. That’s a lesson we learned decades ago, and yet it appears FWP staff was moving back toward a reliance on late seasons to address elk herds in areas where the vast majority of hunters have little access during the general rifle season.

One of the fundamental objectives of shoulder seasons was to reduce exclusive access to elk and to see a corresponding increase in general season harvest. In some areas that has worked out, but in other areas exclusive access to elk has increased. FWP’s analysis shows that an increase of more than 1 million acres of exclusive access to elk has occurred since 2015. Increased harvest limits and longer seasons are not solutions if the primary problem of exclusive access is not addressed. The department needs to increase its efforts in working with landowners to find a solution to the access issue before continuing or proposing elk shoulder seasons.

In areas where the shoulder seasons are meeting the criteria, MWF will support their continuation. But it’s essential that these do not become the season structure of choice in perpetuity. Shoulder seasons are just one tool that can be used to get elk populations to objective. In the areas where the shoulder seasons are not meeting the criteria, they need to be discontinued and FWP needs to try something else. We are encouraged by the move made by the Commission to try a license/permit type that is valid in the general season and for the month of December in those districts.

We offer the following shoulder season comments by FWP region:

In Region 1, those districts represent some small land ownership, and do not appear to be facilitating exclusive use of elk. We do not oppose their continuation.

In Region 2, we commend FWP for making considerable changes in the proposed tentative seasons in an effort to get away from the late shoulder seasons in most districts. Three of the districts still proposed to hold shoulder seasons represent small land ownership, and we again recognize the difficulty in managing elk there. The other two, in the Blackfoot Valley, appear to be meeting the harvest criteria.

However, FWP is still proposing shoulder seasons in districts at or even below objective. That does not meet the original intent and we do not support their continuation. We would propose a potential license or permit type to address game damage in areas before the general season, as well as a revamp of the game damage hunt structure to allow biologists to get hunters on the ground quickly and effectively to push elk out of hayfields and prevent damage.

Region 3 has largely stayed away from shoulder seasons, and continued with its management and damage hunts. That is a model for the rest of the state.

Regions 4 and 5 have the most widespread use of shoulder seasons and access to elk is extremely difficult. Exclusive access to bull elk hunting has increased by more than a half million acres and exclusive access to cow elk hunting by more than 400 thousand acres since 2015. Many of these districts were not meeting the criteria and we are supportive of the department’s move to end those shoulder seasons in search of something else. The LPT proposed is another attempt to try a different season structure that helps address elk populations, but as usual will only work if landowners work with the department and hunters to craft access programs that help not only kill more elk, but also redistribute them back onto public lands where hunters have more access to them. We suspect that landowner tolerance has changed substantially since population objectives were established and we encourage the Department to engage with the large landowners where exclusive access to elk hunting occurs to find more equitable means of access to the public elk.

MWF supports continuation of the shoulder season in Hunting District 445, the Devil’s Kitchen, until that time that population objectives are meet. This area is a model of a collaborative effort between FWP, landowners, outfitters and hunters to craft a season structure that focuses on a strong general season harvest. We would, however, propose a modification to the shoulder season that would end the season on Dec. 31. Additional harvest of cow elk after that point would be covered under a revamped game damage hunt structure that would allow biologists to get hunters on the ground quickly, less than 24 hours.

Region 6 has been more limited in its use of shoulder seasons as well, and we are glad to see some moves to dial them back. Again, we would like to see any districts not meeting the harvest criteria try something different.

The 2005 Elk Plan established population objectives for elk herds throughout Montana. It was presupposed that the Adaptive Harvest Management approach would provide the tools necessary to accomplish those objectives. One of the realities in attempting to manage toward objective is the fact that de facto refuges exist in many hunting districts. In these cases, the 2005 Elk Plan states, “Elk occupying these refuges may be counted separately and sub-objectives established that could be operative if access negotiations are successful.” Further, the Elk Plan established a process to amend those objectives (page 59). The ongoing Elk Plan rewrite should include that process to separate manageable elk from elk that are largely unavailable for management.

Finally, we would like to point out that the use of an antlerless-only hunting season on the general elk license is often referred to as a radical proposal. In fact, FWP is already utilizing this structure, with limited bull elk permits, in HD 217. Such a structure in other areas that are grossly over the objective is worth consideration, at least for one or two seasons.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. We are encouraged that the Commission continues to look for ways to meet their public trust responsibilities through increasing public hunting opportunity of our elk during the general season while addressing landowner concerns.

 

Sincerely,

Tom Puchlerz

MWF President

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is holding season setting meetings throughout the state to hear from hunters as we set the hunting seasons for the next two years. 

The biannual season setting meetings is the chance for hunters to hear from their area wildlife biologists on all the proposed seasons for big game. Montana FWP sets the seasons every other year, then adjusts the quota based on game populations. 

Hunters are particularly interested in the elk “shoulder seasons” that run for up to six months in many areas of the state. They started in 2015 and grew dramatically to run in more than 55 districts throughout the state. 

The Montana Wildlife Federation and our affiliates had strong concerns with shoulder seasons because they had the potential to replace general season harvest. We need that strong general season harvest across the entire landscape of private and public lands to effectively manage large elk numbers while providing the most public hunting opportunity. 

Make your voice heard by attending one of the season setting meetings in your area. Comments can also be submitted electronically to fwpwld@mt.gov. Details on the hunting season proposals can be viewed at http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/, and going to “Opportunity for Public Comment.”

And be sure to take the elk survey by going to www.montanaelksurvey.com to speak up for your elk, their management and the future of your public hunting opportunities. 

The seasons will be held throughout the state in these locations and times: 

Region 1 

Kalispell – Friday, January 3, FWP Region 1 Headquarters, 490 N. Meridian, 6:00 PM 

Trout Creek – Wednesday, January 8, Lakeside Motel and Resort, 2955 MT 200, 6:00 PM 

Libby – Friday, January 10, Maki Theater (Libby Little Theater), 724 Louisiana Av., 6:00 PM 

Eureka – Thursday, January 16, Lincoln Electric, 312 Osloski Rd., 7:00 PM 

Region 2

Missoula – Tuesday, January 7, Doubletree Inn, 7:00 PM

Lincoln – Wednesday, January 8, Lambkins Café, 6:00 PM 

Hamilton – Thursday, January 9, Bitterroot River Inn, 6:00 PM

Superior – Monday, January 13, High School Multi-purpose Room, 7:00 PM 

Drummond – Monday, January 13, Community Hall, 6:00

Philipsburg – Tuesday, January 14, Granite County Museum, 6:00 PM 

Ovando – Wednesday, January 15, School Gym, 6:00 PM

Anaconda – Thursday, January 16, Metcalf Center, 6:00 PM

Deer Lodge – Monday, January 20, Community Center, 6:00 PM

Region 3 

Helena – Tuesday, January 7, Montana Wild, 6-8 PM

Whitehall – Wednesday, January 8, Whitehall High School, 6-8 PM 

Dillon – Thursday, January 9, Beaverhead Search and Rescue building, 6-8 PM

Butte – Tuesday, January 14, Butte Brewing Company, 6-8 PM 

Livingston – Wednesday, January 15, Elks Club, 6-8 PM

Bozeman – Thursday, January 16, FWP HQ, 6-8 PM 

Region 4

White Sulphur Springs – Monday, January 6, Meagher Co. Sportsman’s Assn. Shooting range off Jackson Ln, 7 PM 

Chester – Monday, January 6, High School Auditorium, 511 Main Street, 7 PM 

Winnett – Monday, January 6, United Methodist Church, 114 Milsap St.

Conrad – Tuesday, January 7, Community Center, 311 S. Vaughn, 7 PM 

Fairfield – Wednesday, January 8, Ambulance Station, 13 1st Street South

Stanford – Thursday, January 9, Judith Basin CO Courthouse, 91 3rd Street North, 7 PM 

Cut Bank – Monday, January 13, Glacier Electric Bldg., 410 E Main St. 

Wolf Creek – Tuesday, January 14, Wolf Creek School, 7 PM 

Lewistown – Tuesday, January 14, BLM Lewistown Field Office, 920 NE Main St., 7 PM 

Fort Benton – Wednesday, January 15, Ambulance Barn, 810 15th St., 7 PM 

Great Falls – Thursday, January 16, Paris Gibson Ed. Center, 2400 Central Ave., 7 PM 

Region 5 

Roundup – Thursday, January 9, Musselshell County Central Commons, 7-9 PM 

Billings – Tuesday, January 14, FWP Headquarters, 7-9 PM

Red Lodge – Wednesday, January 15, Mountain View School Cafeteria, 7-9 PM 

Big Timber – Thursday, January 16, Big Timber Public Library, 7-9 PM 

Region 6 

Havre – Thursday, January 9, 6:30, Hill County Electric, 6-8 PM 

Malta – Tuesday, January 14, Malta High School Cafeteria, 6-8 PM 

Plentywood – Wednesday, January 15, Jubilee Room Sheridan CO Courthouse, 6-8 PM 

Glasgow – Thursday, January 16, Cottonwood Inn, 6-8 PM 

Region 7 

Glendive – Wednesday, January 8, Dawson Comm. College Ullman Cntr Rm 102, 7-9 PM 

Miles City – Thursday, January 9, Miles Community College Room 106, 7-9 PM

The beginning of the process to set our big game seasons has started, and hunters must be engaged to stand up for the future of our opportunities. 

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission heard the tentative proposals Dec. 5 at its regular meeting in Helena. The season package included the continuation of nearly all the extended rifle elk “shoulder seasons,” which started in 2015 on a pilot basis and have grown to include 58 districts throughout the state. Commissioners ordered FWP staff to come back with some other options. 

Shoulder seasons are elk rifle seasons in the regulations that can run from Aug. 15 to Feb. 15. They were passed with criteria that include measures to ensure they don’t replace the general season harvest. It was important because FWP, landowners, and hunters learned years ago that late seasons that just move elk from one ranch to another, or from private land to public land, were ineffective at controlling elk herds. 

The seasons require that at a minimum half of the harvest of newly recruited elk is reached during the general rifle season, which runs from late October through November. That is when the greatest amount of hunters are in the field, and when we should ethically be killing elk so we don’t stress them in winter. 

If hunters want to see more elk on public lands, we must hold FWP accountable to the criteria. We need broad harvest across the landscape to effectively manage elk, not only in numbers but where they’re found. 

Hunters need to look at the season proposals in their area and comment on what they’d like to see. See the season proposals by the district,  to send comments to FWP, go to and  fwpwld@mt.gov.

When commenting, hunters can make specific comments on the districts they know best. But they can also talk about the broad principles of sticking to the criteria in the shoulder seasons and working to build hunting opportunities for everyone. 

As hunters, we want to see more of our public elk on public lands, as well as on accessible private lands. We need better elk management that benefits hunters, landowners, and FWP. Make your voice heard now, and speak up for your sporting heritage. 

Finally, go to www.montanaelksurvey.com to help us make our collective voice heard on elk management. 

Over the last few years, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and his political allies have been working to halt on-the-ground efforts to protect habitat for the greater sage-grouse. To that end, the Senate version of the Fiscal Year 2020 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 3052/H.R. 3055/S. 2580) aims to limit conservation actions that protect the sage-grouse.  The House-passed bill includes no provision

Specifically, the language in the Senate-passed 2020 appropriations bill states “None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used by the Secretary of the Interior to write or issue pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973”. This simple “rider” tucked on page 65 of the bill prohibits the Interior Department from moving forward on listing determination for the species under the Endangered Species Act – thereby kicking the legs out from any efforts to prevent the species from actually becoming endangered.

In response to this unnecessary and malicious rider, the Montana Wildlife Federation joined our partner organizations in Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, Nevada, and Washington to call on Congress to drop the political games and focus on full implementation of the 2015 sage-grouse conservation plans instead of working to stop further protections for the bird. The 2015 plans were successfully made with cooperation among stakeholders from opposite ends of the table and should be brought back in full force. 

The population of the greater sage-grouse is declining and its habitat – which also supports hundreds of other species – is in rough shape as well. With detrimental impacts from oil and gas development, fire, and climate change we need to do everything we can to help protect the bird and its habitat. MWF and our partners across the West will keep speaking up to do just that.

Take a look at the submitted letter and see what organizations signed on!

Wildlife Federation’s Sage Grouse FY 2020 Approps Letter