Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ recently released Elk Management Plan has drawn fire from sportsmen and landowner groups. Unveiled on Dec. 1 after three years of work, the new elk plan updates FWP’s previous guiding document that was enacted in 2005. Since then, elk populations have grown steadily with herds spreading into Eastern Montana. Likewise, hunter numbers have climbed. According to the new plan, “Between 2004 and 2021, the estimated number of hunters who actively hunted for elk ...

A proposed ballot initiative seeking to more broadly extend landowner hunting rights to private parcels in Montana — even for non-tribal members who own property on reservation lands — would trample the sovereign rights of Indigenous nations, erode a long-established cooperative agreement between the state and tribes and open a floodgate of litigation, according to critics of the measure who testified during a Dec. 6 public hearing. Despite those objections, which were raised by tribal ...

A ballot initiative seeking to allow landowners to hunt elk, deer and black bears on their property hit a setback Wednesday when the Environmental Quality Council voted not to support the measure. At issue is Initiative I-193, which aims to “increase landowner hunting opportunity.” It would allow a landowner to hunt for deer, elk and black bear on their property during the general hunting season so long as the landowner is licensed and follows “all hunting laws and regulations pertaining to ...

The fourth Annual Arizona Hunting for Sustainability (H4S) camp brought together new hunters, past participants, and mentors to chase quail, dove, and rabbits North of Tucson. Many of the new hunters harvested their first game while also learning about ethics, game processing, cooking, regulations, conservation, and advocacy. Several past participants attended and volunteered in the kitchen while also getting out in the field. Thanks to the many volunteers from BHA, Southern Arizona Quail ...

Today, Montana’s Environmental Quality Council held a hearing to discuss I-193, the proposed ballot initiative that would prevent landowners from being prohibited from hunting black bears, deer or elk on their property. Montana’s Attorney General Austin Knudsen (R) and the Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen (R) have both already signed off on this initiative, so today’s hearing was to give members of the EQC a chance to review and vote to - or not to - support this. No one from Montana Fish ...