Ending a chaotic public process lasting six months, the Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission voted in favor of several big changes to Montana’s elk and deer seasons, including limiting hunters to their first choice for elk bull permits.

On Friday, after the commission proposed amendments to FWP’s elk season proposal, a notable thing happened during public comment: Representatives of hunters, outfitters and rich landowners – normally adversaries when it comes to elk – all called for the commission to reject the proposed elk season, although each had a different reason. They said it would be better to reinstate the regulations used for the 2020-21 season and start over.

However, commissioners said too much work had gone into the proposals to reject them. After a few amendments, they passed the proposals for the next two years.

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