PLEASE COMMENT NOW AND/OR ATTEND
Shoulder seasons are on the Dec. 5 FWP commission agenda, and FWP and the commission need to hear from us. It seems that most everyone has forgotten the purpose of shoulder seasons and the agreement that prompted this three-year experiment.
More than three years ago, the Dept. convened a group of biologists and game managers to come up with alternatives to bring elk numbers down in over-objective areas. The folks who took part in that meeting now say the plan has changed and barely resembles the original. So, who is caving in to commercialization?
Trust is fragile. FWP said it would monitor the effectiveness of shoulder seasons and report back with data. Elk counts are always provided, but landowner participation has not been forthcoming. We want to remind you of this because “success” can’t be measured without both categories of data. FWP laid out specific goals and gave assurances that any continued use of the seasons would have to meet those goals. To move forward simply based on anecdotal or impressionistic information is not acceptable. MSA is a science-driven organization, and management decisions made without the necessary data and information is contrary to the organization’s philosophy on managing the public’s wild resources.
Shoulder seasons were to be a last resort to allow FWP to help landowners who were willing to work with FWP. It was not intended to be a continuing saga of designer seasons for outfitters or help sessions for districts full of uncooperative landowners.
Sportsmen are not happy and rightfully so. If these seasons are to be continued, it is a huge step toward commercialization. Does this department want to use public wildlife to give a subsidy to private enterprises?
You stand on the cusp of change that could degrade the way sportsmen's resources are allocated. You need to seriously consider the consequences for our public trust resources. Montana has a long history of hunting by an active public and is one of the few states where it continues.
MSA membership wants FWP to defend the public trust and favor Montana resident sportsmen who are the foundation of FWP's funding. We want the commission to stand up for the same thing. No district should have a shoulder season without meeting the performance criteria. If a shoulder season does not bring rapid results, we should go to antlerless-only seasons until the numbers are in line with a five-week general season.
We want shoulder seasons to go away, especially in districts where landowners aren't meeting the standards set for the trial period. We want our elk to be harvested ethically. A six-month season is not ethical. We should not be hunting elk past Jan. 1 when they are highly stressed by winter and carrying calves.
This was sold by the department and approved by the commission as a three-year trial. The trial has failed in many districts. Go back to the drawing board. Shoulder seasons have limited
applicability and FWP needs to follow their own plan.
CWD and other diseases require we do everything we can to minimize harboring and large concentrations of game. Is the Commission and FWP going to ignore those facts? When disease becomes rampant, harborers and outfitters will be to blame but it's public hunters who will pay. When does disease spurred by unnatural concentrations of elk and other wildlife take precedence over profit?
In addition, the third license for elk is a move by landowners to minimize the number of hunters and maximize kill by a select few. MSA asks you to reject the request for a third tag so the goal can be to include as many ordinary hunters as possible.
Montana Sportsmen Alliance
Leadership Team
John Borgreen Great Falls
Don Thomas Lewistown
Steve Schindler Glasgow
Joe Perry Conrad
JW Westman Park City
Jeff Herbert Helena
Sam Milodragovich Butte
Laura Lundquist Missoula
Robert Wood Hamilton
Dale Tribby Miles City
Fish and Wildlife Commission to meet December 5
The Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission will meet Dec. 5 at FWP Headquarters in Helena. The meeting will be streamed live via video to all FWP regional offices. The meeting will also be audio streamed online at fwp.mt.gov. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m.
The commission will make final decisions on the following topics:
- Upper Missouri River Reservoir Fisheries Management Plan (R4)
- Holter Reservoir Fishing Regulation Changes (R4)
- Annual Rule Approved Commercial Bait Seining Waters
The commission will also look at endorsing the following:
- Upper Missouri River Reservoir Advisory Committee (R4)
- Flathead Lake Fishing Access Site near Dayton (R1)
The commission will hear the following presentations and proposals:
- White Sulphur Springs Mule Deer Action Plan
- 2020/2021 Deer Hunting Seasons and Hunting District Boundaries, Proposed
- 2020 Elk Shoulder Seasons, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Elk Hunting Seasons and Hunting District Boundaries, Proposed
- Elk Third License Implementation, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Antelope Hunting Seasons and Hunting District Boundaries, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Moose Hunting Seasons and Hunting District Boundaries, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Bighorn Sheep Hunting Seasons and Hunting District Boundaries, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Mountain Goat Hunting Seasons and Hunting District Boundaries, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Bison Hunting Seasons and Hunting District Boundaries, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Black Bear Hunting Seasons and Hunting District Boundaries, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Mountain Lion Hunting Seasons and Hunting District Boundaries, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Wolf Hunting Seasons and Hunting District Boundaries and SB200 Quota, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Biennial Quota Ranges, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Turkey/Upland Game Bird/Migratory Birds Regulations and Quotas, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Hunting District Boundaries, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Hunting Season Dates, Proposed
- 2020/2021 Game Damage/Management Season/Wildlife Health/Chronic Wasting Disease Hunts Quota Authorizations, Proposed
FWP ensures its meetings are fully accessible to those with special needs. To request arrangements, call FWP at 406-444-3186.
For the full agenda and background on the scheduled topics, go to the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov; under “Quick Links” click “Commission.”
FWP's website offers live streamed audio of each Fish & Wildlife Commission meeting. The public can also view a live television feed of the meeting at FWP regional offices. FWP Headquarters is located at 1420 E. 6th Avenue, Helena.
Please note: A few agenda items that were previously scheduled for the Dec. 5 commission meeting, including the hovercraft petition, have been rescheduled for the February commission meeting.
