May 15th: Shed hunting on Montana's Wildlife Managment Areas

April brings easter egg hunts, but here in Montana May 1st & 15th are the days for a differenct kind of hunt for hidden treasures. These dates are when many of Montana's FWP managed Game Management Areas open to the public. These WMAs provide crucial winter range to many elk and deer through out the state. Given all of the wintering elk and deer, the shed hunting can be rather productive, so its no suprise to find many adults traipsing through these areas come their opening morning with and ear to ear grin found on a seven year old on Easter Sunday Morning.

It wasn't a productive day for me shed hunting, but wildlife, flowers and beauty abound. As I drove to the WMA, I encountered thick bank of fog. The fog started to lift soon after I started shed hunting. Not 20 minutes into hiking did I bump into these elk. I encountered three herds through out the day.

As usual I had Finn with me.

I took these shots to give folks a sense of the amazing winter range that has been set aside for wildlife.

This time of year grouse are in their mating mode. I spotted this male Blue Grouse and he put on a little show for me.

I didn't see as many wildflowers as I was expecting but found this nice Ballhead Waterleaf flower.

Me and Finn on a nice bench.

Some lovely bluebells

Great view from up high of the game range below.

Pasque flowers and elk poop. These are a few of my favorite things.

Finn cooling down.

Montana Big Game Regulations Posting Online Soon!

For those looking to get a jump on the 2009 big game season here in Montana, the Montana the FWP will be posting its big game regulations online hopefully tomorrow, or sometime this upcoming week. http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/regulations.html. Look for the booklet version of the regulations to be available in early April.

Help Protect Montana's Rocky Mountain Front

I saw this article on the Montana FWP's website and thought that I would post it here for others to read. The FWP is seeking comment on the proposed purchase of land along Montana's Rocky Mountain Front. I'm in favor of the FWP acquiring this land. The property abuts the "Sun River Wildlife Management Area", which provides winter range for one of the Nation's largest migratory elk herds. Montana's Rocky Mountain Front is a variable Serengeti, when it comes to wildlife, and is threatened by subdivision development and oil and gas leasing. Large blocks of undeveloped land along the Front provide excellent habitat, and important corridors for wild species, and help to improve the genetic diversity in one of the lower 48's last intact ecosystems.

Let the FWP know what you think.

Elk and brucellosis management in Montana

I just saw this article on the FWP's website. Recently that spotlight has been pointed towards elk in regards to brucellosis transmission in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Sportsmen and women must watch this management closely. Elk must be managed as a wild population, and brucellosis management applied to bison in the Park, could not and should not be applied to elk. With that being said it think that it is important to support the ranching communities effected by this issue. Ranching has a rich tradition in the West, and aside from being good stewards of the land, working ranches keep valuable property from being subdivided, or turned into amenity ranches which carry a whole different set of problems when it comes to managing wild elk populations.

Resolving this issue will not be easy and will take some time. Until then I think it is important to monitor the management of elk, by state and federal agencies.