Possible Montana Regulation Changes for 2020.
Four public meetings are scheduled in Montana to discuss potential changes to hunting regulations and seasons for the next two years. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists will be present to hear comments on proposed changes for the 2020 and 2021 hunting seasons.
Update (Feb. 29, 2020)
Montana updates their hunting regulations every two years. In this podcast, we talk with Quentin Kujala of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Quentin is the Wildlife Bureau Coordinator, and he shares with us some of the major changes in Montana. Including shoulder seasons for elk and possible changes to wolf hunting.
Here’s the schedule:
- Roundup – Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020 at the Musselshell County Central Commons, 610 2nd
- Billings – Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, at FWP regional headquarters, 2300 Lake Elmo Dr.
- Red Lodge – Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020, at Mountain View School cafeteria.
- Big Timber, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, at the Carnegie Public Library downstairs meeting room, 314 McLeod Street.
You can review the proposed changes here if you plan to attend.
Those interested in attending should be ready to discuss Montana deer season and hunting district boundaries, elk season and regulations including license implementation, antelope regulations, moose hunting season and boundaries, and turkey/upland bird/migratory bird regulations and quotas. The full list of animals to be discussed at these meetings also includes mountain goat, wolf, mountain lion, black bear, and bison.
Two interesting points of discussion will be the chance to add a third elk tag for the Montana elk season. HB 497 is the bill that could allow a third elk tag.
The second is the proposed reduction of the wolf harvest quota in WMU 323 from 2 to 1 and in WMU 316 from 2 to 1. SB 200 pertains to the wolf bag limit reductions and will be given only 5 minutes of discussion.
You aren’t limited to just in-person attendance to have your voice heard. You can utilize one of these other methods by 5 p.m. on January 22, 2020 to help change the current Montana regulations:
- Verbally at the public meetings listed above
- Online at https://go.usa.gov/xpdvC
- Emailed to fwpwld@mt.gov
- In writing submitted during one of the public meetings.
- In writing mailed to FWP Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701
Are you planning to attend these meetings? Let us know if you are.
