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Email: timberwolfinfonetwork@gmail.com

Montana FWP taking comments on 2012, 2013 hunting seasons

By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian

Big-game hunters don’t get to strap on their orange vests for another 10 months, but they’ve got plenty to think about at the start of the new year.

A series of meetings throughout western Montana in the next two weeks will give hunters a chance to comment on proposed elk, deer and access regulations for the 2012-2013 rifle seasons. And they need to get their plans in order soon, because many special permit requests must be filed by March 15 instead of the traditional June 1 date.

“We’ll be doing more outreach as soon as applications become available,” Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 2 spokeswoman Vivica Crowser said. “We were handing out cards at check stations trying to get the word out, because we knew it’s going to be a big learning curve.”

One issue that’s not up for discussion is the state’s wolf hunt – but only because its season doesn’t finish until Feb. 15. Nevertheless, lots of hunters wanted to talk about it at earlier meetings in Superior and Helmville.

“In our (Hunting District) 202 area, our elk herd is almost wiped out and the wolf impact was the main thrust of the thing,” said Superior hunter Pat Donally. “We’ve got three main predators – bear, lion and wolves. The elk numbers are certainly down because of predation. Our question is, ‘What’s the FWP going to do about it?’ ”

That will have to wait until the full wolf season is finished and FWP can examine its success, according to FWP wildlife manager Mike Thompson. Meanwhile, three other topics have attracted particular attention.

They are when to start the 2013 two-day youth hunt; what to do about permits to hunt from vehicles; and how to tweak the region’s lion hunt to get a more consistent harvest.

Allowing kids 15 and younger a two-day head start on the general hunting season has been popular statewide, Thompson said. For the past two years, the hunt has coincided with the two-day statewide teachers’ union meeting, when public schools are closed.

But the two-day break in 2013 comes earlier than usual, and would overlap the last week of archery season. FWP has usually scheduled a weeklong break between the end of archery and the start of rifle seasons. (The overlap doesn’t occur in 2012, so there is no problem.)

“It seems a lot of people don’t see a problem, but we do hear from others – they don’t want to give up that two days of their archery season,” Thompson said. “And they certainly don’t want to wear that hunter-orange when they’re bowhunting.”

Also up for discussion is the state’s permit system for disabled hunters.

Montana hunters who have various disabilities can request a permit to hunt from a vehicle. When it was first made available in 2007, about 3,000 people applied. Now that number is closer to 9,000, and Thompson said there’s some evidence people are abusing the privilege.

“There’s nothing in the regulations that requires you to shoot from the vehicle,” Thompson said. “You can go walk, and the rules are loose enough that you can walk quite a ways. There are so many abuses we’re documenting, it’s closing some doors to disabled folks, on private and some public lands.”

Current permit holders are also allowed to shoot antlerless elk without drawing a special permit. Thompson said that opportunity was inserted in the rule before elk populations started crashing in several parts of the state. One proposed rule change would suspend the anterless elk permission.

While mountain lion hunting isn’t as popular as pursuit of deer and elk, lion populations have a serious effect on ungulate herds. That’s prompted reconsideration of a special permit drawing FWP imposed on lion hunters in 2008 for Region 2.

Lion hunting is limited by quota all over the state. But in Region 2, Thompson said hunters complained about the limit triggering an early season rush in December that lowered the hunting quality. The permit drawing reduced the number of hunters.

But it also reduced the number of lions taken. And along with bears and wolves, lions eat a lot of deer and elk. To bring more predictability to the lion harvest, FWP is considering allowing an open season in Region 2 after Feb. 1 for any unfilled quota areas.

While there aren’t many proposed changes to deer hunting regulations, Thompson said he was surprised how much deer conversation came up at the meetings so far.

“They want more bucks in the population, more hunting opportunities, but they understand populations are low and there’s only so much we can do,” Thompson said. “It’s a reminder you’ve got to do this. Your regulations and management are a heck of a lot better when you talk to people.”

Upcoming meetings include:

• Monday: Hamilton, Bitterroot River Inn.

• Tuesday: Deer Lodge, Community Center.

• Wednesday: Missoula, Double Tree Hotel.

• Thursday: Seeley Lake, Community Center.

• Monday, Jan. 16: Lincoln, Lambkins meeting room.

• Tuesday, Jan. 17: Darby High School.

• Wednesday, Jan. 18: Anaconda, AOH Hall.

• Thursday, Jan. 19: Potomac, Community Center.

All meetings are at 6:30 p.m. and are open to the general public.

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