For most of this year, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has been looking to the future, working on what hunting seasons will look like over the next few years. This week in Fish and Wildlife, MTN's Chet Layman takes a look at how we all can participate in this year’s season-setting effort.
BOZEMAN — The 2023 hunting season is in full swing. Rules and regulations for this season were set by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission a couple of years ago. Right now, FWP is looking to the future of those rules and regulations—and the public is involved.
“First of all, it’s the public’s wildlife and secondly, it impacts what hunting season can look like. So it could have everything to do from how many deer licenses we allocate in a certain hunting district, what are the season dates for a specific area, what should those hunting district boundaries look like, and what are the rules within those districts. All those things are critical parts of the puzzle when it comes to what hunting season looks like,” said Morgan Jacobsen with Montana FWP.
Jacobsen says FWP recognizes things change, whether it be land access or actual wildlife numbers. He says that's why it’s critical members of the public participate because hunters have a great feel for what's happening across the state each season.
“You know, this process is really important to the public because it determines how hunting season’s going to look over the next couple of years. So we highly encourage the public to take a look at these recommendations, these proposals, provide comments and feedback—you know, contact Fish, Wildlife and Parks with any questions,” said Jacobsen. “And then all that feedback and those proposals will then go to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission in December for final consideration.
FWP will be holding more meetings beginning this week across the state, and the public can join in person or via Zoom. Comments can also be made online at the FWP website.
