A light switched on for me recently. I’ve always loved the outdoors, but until the last few years, I couldn’t recognize almost any native perennials or tell a chickadee from a nuthatch. Since I’ve started learning about native gardening and paying attention to birds and other garden visitors, my life’s gotten brighter, especially during our long Montana winters.
Like many of MWF’s members, I fish and hunt and care about non-game species. I vote and sign petitions, hoping to make a large-scale difference. And I garden and participate in Cornell Lab’s citizen science Project FeederWatch to make a difference in my double lot in town that’s home.
Montana Wildlife Federation partners with the National Wildlife Federation to provide guidelines and a certification program called Garden for Wildlife. I got excited about gardening for pollinators and native species before I knew of the program, but now that I’ve seen the checklist, I realize I can certify too. I also have food for thought for how to make my garden even better next growing season.
I got a head start with my garden: my house was built in 1949. This means I have some mature native landscaping, including aspen, junipers, spruce, and a boxelder. My non-native cotoneasters, lilacs, Nanking cherries, and fruit trees provide habitat too. Still, now that I know it matters, and have a couple of good landscape nurseries nearby, I plant mostly native species.
I also provide a birdbath with a rock for perching, and a plastic saucer my husband and I keep free of ice. I hang suet, a nyjer sock, and a black oil sunflower seed feeder. My two feline friends appreciate the window hunting these provide, but don’t get to go outside to chase birds.
We’ve left dead aspen standing for insects and woodpeckers, and leave our healthy perennials uncut for winter cover, food, and interest. I stage my hunting binoculars near the glass doors, and my husband or I yell excitedly at each other to come to check out new visitors, like the blue jays frequenting the area this year, and the occasional brown creeper zipping up and down our trees.
When ice, frost or snow blanket our garden, or wind howls down from the Absarokas, I feel a flush of pleasure to see birds in the shelter of the thicket on the north side of the house. I like to sit on the couch in the sun and imagine bees and moths on our fall asters, and butterflies on our milkweed and goldenrod. I stare out the windows and wonder where we could reduce our lawn—my husband likes it, and I like my husband—and I’m thankful he cares about this stuff too.
Gardening for wildlife is a win for native species and for me: Like most people, I’m happiest when I’m contributing to something important. Try it at your place this year!
U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana) has introduced a bill affirming the water rights of the Fort Belknap Indian Community and returning lands taken from the tribes under duress in the early 1900s.
After closely examining the proposal, the Montana Wildlife Federation sent a letter of support to Senator Tester. In doing so, MWF joins several other Montana conservation organizations that have decided to support the bill. In addition to restoring culturally significant lands to the tribes, the bill will also protect wildlife habitat and water quality impacted by historic mining.
Dave Chadwick, executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation, said the following:
“In addition to bringing some overdue closure to the tribes’ claims, this proposal will benefit wildlife populations, habitat integrity, and water quality. We are grateful to tribal leaders and Senator Tester for their commitment to protecting hunting and fishing access by non-tribal citizens, and making this proposal a real win for all Montanans.”
For more information read the Montana Wildlife Federation’s full support letter or contact Melissa Petrich at (253) 861-3927 mpetrich@mtwf.org
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is holding season setting meetings throughout the state to hear from hunters as we set the hunting seasons for the next two years.
The biannual season setting meetings is the chance for hunters to hear from their area wildlife biologists on all the proposed seasons for big game. Montana FWP sets the seasons every other year, then adjusts the quota based on game populations.
Hunters are particularly interested in the elk “shoulder seasons” that run for up to six months in many areas of the state. They started in 2015 and grew dramatically to run in more than 55 districts throughout the state.
The Montana Wildlife Federation and our affiliates had strong concerns with shoulder seasons because they had the potential to replace general season harvest. We need that strong general season harvest across the entire landscape of private and public lands to effectively manage large elk numbers while providing the most public hunting opportunity.
Make your voice heard by attending one of the season setting meetings in your area. Comments can also be submitted electronically to fwpwld@mt.gov. Details on the hunting season proposals can be viewed at http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/, and going to “Opportunity for Public Comment.”
And be sure to take the elk survey by going to www.montanaelksurvey.com to speak up for your elk, their management and the future of your public hunting opportunities.
The seasons will be held throughout the state in these locations and times:
Region 1
Kalispell – Friday, January 3, FWP Region 1 Headquarters, 490 N. Meridian, 6:00 PM
Trout Creek – Wednesday, January 8, Lakeside Motel and Resort, 2955 MT 200, 6:00 PM
Libby – Friday, January 10, Maki Theater (Libby Little Theater), 724 Louisiana Av., 6:00 PM
Eureka – Thursday, January 16, Lincoln Electric, 312 Osloski Rd., 7:00 PM
Region 2
Missoula – Tuesday, January 7, Doubletree Inn, 7:00 PM
Lincoln – Wednesday, January 8, Lambkins Café, 6:00 PM
Hamilton – Thursday, January 9, Bitterroot River Inn, 6:00 PM
Superior – Monday, January 13, High School Multi-purpose Room, 7:00 PM
Drummond – Monday, January 13, Community Hall, 6:00
Philipsburg – Tuesday, January 14, Granite County Museum, 6:00 PM
Ovando – Wednesday, January 15, School Gym, 6:00 PM
Anaconda – Thursday, January 16, Metcalf Center, 6:00 PM
Deer Lodge – Monday, January 20, Community Center, 6:00 PM
Region 3
Helena – Tuesday, January 7, Montana Wild, 6-8 PM
Whitehall – Wednesday, January 8, Whitehall High School, 6-8 PM
Dillon – Thursday, January 9, Beaverhead Search and Rescue building, 6-8 PM
Butte – Tuesday, January 14, Butte Brewing Company, 6-8 PM
Livingston – Wednesday, January 15, Elks Club, 6-8 PM
Bozeman – Thursday, January 16, FWP HQ, 6-8 PM
Region 4
White Sulphur Springs – Monday, January 6, Meagher Co. Sportsman’s Assn. Shooting range off Jackson Ln, 7 PM
Chester – Monday, January 6, High School Auditorium, 511 Main Street, 7 PM
Winnett – Monday, January 6, United Methodist Church, 114 Milsap St.
Conrad – Tuesday, January 7, Community Center, 311 S. Vaughn, 7 PM
Fairfield – Wednesday, January 8, Ambulance Station, 13 1st Street South
Stanford – Thursday, January 9, Judith Basin CO Courthouse, 91 3rd Street North, 7 PM
Cut Bank – Monday, January 13, Glacier Electric Bldg., 410 E Main St.
Wolf Creek – Tuesday, January 14, Wolf Creek School, 7 PM
Lewistown – Tuesday, January 14, BLM Lewistown Field Office, 920 NE Main St., 7 PM
Fort Benton – Wednesday, January 15, Ambulance Barn, 810 15th St., 7 PM
Great Falls – Thursday, January 16, Paris Gibson Ed. Center, 2400 Central Ave., 7 PM
Region 5
Roundup – Thursday, January 9, Musselshell County Central Commons, 7-9 PM
Billings – Tuesday, January 14, FWP Headquarters, 7-9 PM
Red Lodge – Wednesday, January 15, Mountain View School Cafeteria, 7-9 PM
Big Timber – Thursday, January 16, Big Timber Public Library, 7-9 PM
Region 6
Havre – Thursday, January 9, 6:30, Hill County Electric, 6-8 PM
Malta – Tuesday, January 14, Malta High School Cafeteria, 6-8 PM
Plentywood – Wednesday, January 15, Jubilee Room Sheridan CO Courthouse, 6-8 PM
Glasgow – Thursday, January 16, Cottonwood Inn, 6-8 PM
Region 7
Glendive – Wednesday, January 8, Dawson Comm. College Ullman Cntr Rm 102, 7-9 PM
Miles City – Thursday, January 9, Miles Community College Room 106, 7-9 PM
Anglers and river recreationists need to speak up to lend their voice to the future management of the Madison River.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks are conducting a public survey to gauge support for implementing river recreation rules for the Madison River. The survey is in response to three petitions filed recently to push the Commission to begin the rulemaking process. Commissioners rejected all three petitions, which were filed by four sporting organizations, the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana, and the Madison River Foundation.
But the Commission did commit to crafting an agency proposal. The scoping and survey are the beginning of that process.
The issue has arisen because of gross crowding on the river in the summer months. The Madison is receiving more than 200,000 use-days of anglers per year. And much of that is concentrated from June 15 through Sept. 30.
In addition, outfitter days are not limited. Anglers report intense crowding of fishing access sites and a steady stream of boats that makes wade fishing difficult.
Officials experienced similar problems on the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers years ago and implemented some river recreation rules that put some caps on outfitter days and implemented a rest/rotation schedule that included “citizen days” on stretches of those rivers. It’s worked, and the Madison River could be no different.
The beginning of the process to set our big game seasons has started, and hunters must be engaged to stand up for the future of our opportunities.
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission heard the tentative proposals Dec. 5 at its regular meeting in Helena. The season package included the continuation of nearly all the extended rifle elk “shoulder seasons,” which started in 2015 on a pilot basis and have grown to include 58 districts throughout the state. Commissioners ordered FWP staff to come back with some other options.
Shoulder seasons are elk rifle seasons in the regulations that can run from Aug. 15 to Feb. 15. They were passed with criteria that include measures to ensure they don’t replace the general season harvest. It was important because FWP, landowners, and hunters learned years ago that late seasons that just move elk from one ranch to another, or from private land to public land, were ineffective at controlling elk herds.
The seasons require that at a minimum half of the harvest of newly recruited elk is reached during the general rifle season, which runs from late October through November. That is when the greatest amount of hunters are in the field, and when we should ethically be killing elk so we don’t stress them in winter.
If hunters want to see more elk on public lands, we must hold FWP accountable to the criteria. We need broad harvest across the landscape to effectively manage elk, not only in numbers but where they’re found.
When commenting, hunters can make specific comments on the districts they know best. But they can also talk about the broad principles of sticking to the criteria in the shoulder seasons and working to build hunting opportunities for everyone.
As hunters, we want to see more of our public elk on public lands, as well as on accessible private lands. We need better elk management that benefits hunters, landowners, and FWP. Make your voice heard now, and speak up for your sporting heritage.
Finally, go to www.montanaelksurvey.com to help us make our collective voice heard on elk management.
Jeff Lukas
Elk Campaign Manager
Jeff Lukas is a passionate conservationist who has been fishing and hunting his entire life. Whether it’s floating a small stream chasing trout, pursuing elk in the high country, or waiting in a blind for ducks to set their wings, Jeff is always trying to bring more people afield to show them what we are trying to protect. He loves being in the arena, and he will never shy away from conversations about the beautiful and unique corners of Big Sky country.
