BOZEMAN — Montana's hunting season is in full swing, but Fish, Wildlife & Parks is already planning what hunting will look like in the next two years. The agency is accepting public comments on proposed season changes until Sunday, November 23, before the Fish and Game Commission makes final decisions in December.
"Public comment really tremendously valuable because sometimes we miss things and if we see a trend in the comments or we identify things that weren't considered enough, you know that really is helpful to us as we bring proposals that take all of that into account and its also helpful to the commission as they make that decision," said Morgan Jacobsen from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
FWP is proposing changes to 2026-2027 hunting seasons based on new wildlife data. Your voice matters - comment by Nov. 23rd
The biennial season-setting process allows FWP and the Fish and Game Commission to incorporate new information about wildlife populations and make decisions.
One example of how new research influences hunting regulations involves elk in the Tobacco Roots area, where proposed boundary changes are based on collar data that provided insights into local herds.
"For example, the proposed boundary change that we have for elk in the Tobacco Roots is based on collared data that helped us learn something about the herds that are there," Jacobsen said.
While hunting serves as a key wildlife management tool, sometimes it works too effectively. That's the case with antelope in Region 3, where hunters have been so successful that FWP is proposing to remove the region from the 900 series archery hunt for 2026 and 2027.
"The proposal for antelope archery hunting is, I think, illustrates that. You know hunters have been very successful at harvesting antelope in Region 3 under that 900 series archery license, and that's great but we also have to be mindful of how antelope populations are doing," Jacobsen said.
Hunters and other interested parties can review the complete list of proposed changes and submit comments by visiting fwp.mt.gov. Comments should be directed to the December 4 commission meeting information section under "About FWP."
All public comments must be submitted by Sunday, November 23, to be considered in the commission's decision-making process.
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