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FWP News
Extended Daylight Saving Time Gives Hunters More Light
Hunters are acutely aware of when daylight saving time ends each fall—usually the end of October—because it affects authorized hunting hours. Hunting hours adopted by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission begin one-half hour before sunrise and end one-half hour after sunset each day. Waterfowl hunting hours begin one-half hour before sunrise and end at sunset. This year some hunters may be surprised to find that the Energy Policy Act of 2005 has affected the starting and ending dates of daylight saving time (DST). This year, daylight time began the second Sunday in March and will end the first Sunday in November rather than the last Sunday in October when we are accustomed to “falling back” an hour. The change in time is intended to allow the U.S. to use less energy in lighting homes by taking advantage of the longer and later daylight hours.
This year, DST ending November 4 allows an approximate total of seven additional hours of evening light during the 2007 deer and elk general hunting season. Montana’s deer and elk general hunting season opens Oct. 21 and closes Nov. 25. The seasons for some other species will also be affected by the change to varying degrees.
Hunters need to pay particular attention to the FWP sunrise/sunset tables published in the hunting regulations that show the daily time changes and time zones based on latitude and counties.
If you have trouble grasping the significance of an extra hour of light at night in exchange for an extra hour of dark in the morning, you aren’t alone. It is probably simplest to view it through the eyes of the individual—such as a Montana hunter who can take off work at 4 p.m. and still get in two hours of hunting.
Recreation Rules for State Land
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) would like to remind hunters and other recreationists about the rules associated with use of Montana’s 5.2 million acres of State lands.
Hunters and anglers 12 years of age and older must possess a valid FWP Conservation License to hunt or fish on State lands. For most other non-commercial or non-concentrated uses, a State Land Recreational Use permit is required. Permits are available from Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) license providers. Proceeds from each license sold provide financial support to Montana’s public schools.
Hunters and anglers are also responsible for the following:
- Know where state land boundaries lay. Maps showing State land tracts are available at local BLM offices. The recreationist is responsible for knowing the State land legal boundaries. Crossing the State land legal boundary onto private land is a trespass violation.
- Don’t trespass. State lands are legally accessible if they can be reached from adjacent public lands, public roads or public waterways. However, if you have to cross private property to reach state land, you must first get permission from the affected landowner.
- Watch where you drive. The only roads open for vehicle use are public roads, such as county roads and state highways, as well as a few other roads that DNRC has designated open. State land enrolled in the FWP Block Management program is to be used according to the rules specific to that ranch. Off-road use is strictly prohibited. Roads that are open for use will be shown on travel plan maps and/or will be posted with DNRC signs. If you’re unsure about the status of a particular road, contact the local DNRC office.
- Other recreational activities. Camping is generally restricted to a maximum of two days and one night. Camps must be located within 200 feet of the customary access point of the tract. In addition, open fires are prohibited outside of designated campgrounds.
Further information on these and other regulations is contained in the brochure, “Guide to Recreational Use of State Land,” available from DNRC and FWP. For more information, contact DNRC Recreational Use Coordinator: Dan Dobler at 444-9726 or visit the DNRC website.
OHV Rules for Hunting
Off-highway vehicles, including motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), quadricycles, dune buggies, amphibious vehicles and air cushion vehicles, have registration and use rules that are worth understanding before using them for ANY hunting activity. Improper or illegal use of OHVs is impacting wildlife and wildlife management, habitat, the quality hunting and ‘fair chase’ opportunities for non-OHV hunters, and is an increasing factor of whether a private landowner will allow public hunting or not.
Former US Forest Service Chief, Dale Bosworth stated in 2005 that illegal off-road travel is one of the top three threats to our national forests. According to the FWP 2005 Elk Management Plan, increasing pressure from ATVs has resulted in an over-harvest of mature bull elk in some areas.
On most public lands, OHVs are required to stay on designated routes determined by the land management agency responsible for those lands. It is also illegal to retrieve harvested wild game by going cross-country, or going off designated routes. A survey by FWP of OHV users statewide in 2006 showed that 58 percent of users always or sometimes traveled off legal routes to retrieve harvested game, even though such use is, with few exceptions, verbotin and can cause erosion and damage vegetation.
Operating motorized vehicles of any kind “cross country” also creates hunter and non-hunter conflicts, is contrary to ‘fair chase’ principles, disrupts game harvest objectives, and diminishes the image of hunters.
Private landowners may have additional restrictions or requirements of hunters with OHVs. Off-highway vehicles operating on public land must be registered at the County Treasurers’ office in the county where the owner resides and display a decal. This one-time registration is valid until the current owner sells the OHV.
A license plate is necessary for any ATV or motorcycle to be used on a two-track (4x4 roads) on National Forest lands.
OHVs that are properly registered in another state may operate in Montana for 30 consecutive days. Nonresidents with OHVs that are not registered may purchase a temporary use permit that is valid for the calendar year at FWP regional offices , by mailing in an application available from FWP’s Recreation web page, or by visiting one of the OHV vendor sites listed on the FWP web site. Permits are $5. Visit FWP online.
OHV users need to respect wildlife, habitats, private landowners and other hunters while afield and never travel off road or designated trail.
Whether you are a hunter or an OHV user — if you see a OHV violation try to acquire the license number and even if you don’t call 1-800-TIPMONT (1-800-847-6668) or report violations to a law enforcement agency.
Hunters Stop at Check Stations – It’s the Law!
Officials at biological checking stations gather information needed to manage the state’s wildlife resources. When hunters stop at biological checking stations, they may be asked a variety of questions including how many deer, elk or antelope they saw and in which drainages or general locations their hunting took place.
Hunters should remember that state law requires them to stop at all game checking stations on their routes of travel to and from hunting areas. Failure to stop at a checking station when personnel are on duty is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine.
While in the field, hunters can expect to encounter two basic types of checking stations – the biological stations and law enforcement stations—which may occur singly or together.
For the most part, officers at law enforcement stations will check to make sure that any animals taken are properly tagged and that all other laws and regulations governing the taking of that animal were observed.
This fall, thousands of hunters will provide this kind of useful information during the annual game checks, helping FWP manage game animal populations and future hunting opportunities.
Poaching - Enough is Enough!
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks toll-free hotline – tip-mont - for reporting wildlife poaching, property damage, and violations of fish and game laws is in operation 24 hours a day. TIP-MONT is the acronym for Turn In Poachers— Montana. Poachers take some of Montana’s biggest and best game specimens, robbing others of the opportunity to legally harvest those animals.
“There are cases where wealthy poachers pay great sums of money to be illegally guided to trophy animals and others where poachers simply have a total disregard for property or wildlife law,” said Jim Kropp, FWP Enforcement Division chief. Big money is also a big motivation. Kropp said a record-book deer or elk mount can sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
FWP game wardens have broken several major poaching rings in recent years. But with just 74 wardens each covering an average of 1,800 square miles (or a state the size of Delaware), they can’t put a major dent in poaching without sportsmen help.
Recent cases have included illegal outfitting in Seeley Lake, a man in south Missoula taking game with a .22 rifle modified to shoot an arrow up to 100 yards; a Maryland man illegally outfitting in Montana, and a large poaching case in the Lincoln area. There are also numerous cases of people illegally obtaining duplicate licenses or fraudulently claiming Montana residency.
Some obvious signs of poaching include:
- hunting out of season or at night using spotlights
- taking more than one’s legal limit
- nonresidents who purchase resident licenses
- professional and commercial poachers who illegally offer outfitter and guide services.
When it comes to poaching, Montanans are saying ‘enough is enough!’ If you witness or learn about any illegal or suspicious activities involving Montana’s fish, wildlife or state parks or that occur on USFS, BLM or other public lands, please call 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668). For more information, visit FWP’s poaching web page. Callers will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
