Latest news with #FWP
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Condon landowner kills grizzly in self defense
A grizzly bear (Photo by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Program via FLICKR | Creative Commons license). A landowner in northwest Montana shot and killed a grizzly bear on June 3, after it reportedly charged at close range. According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks the landowners was not harmed during the encounter. On the night of June 3, a man heard noises outside his residence in the Swan Valley between Condon and Seeley Lake and disturbances with his dogs and livestock. The man went outside to check on his animals and a grizzly bear charged at him. The man shot and killed the bear. According to FWP's grizzly mortality dashboard, the bear was a male grizzly. It was the sixth known grizzly death in the state this year and first in Flathead County. In 2024, FWP reported 29 grizzly deaths from conflict management, self-defense, train or car accidents, poaching incidents or accidental take from mistaking a grizzly for a black bear. The dashboard was launched last year to help the agency increase transparency and educate Montanans on why grizzlies are killed or die when they are currently federally protected. Earlier this year, the federal government rejected petitions from Montana and Wyoming officials seeking to delist the species and return them to state management, a proposal that is likely to gain traction under the Trump administration. Montana is bear country. Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists could encounter them in more places each year. Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with conflicts. Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters: Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately. Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise, which can help alert bears to your presence. Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears. Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency. If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so. Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas. Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana. For more information and resources on bear safety, visit
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mushroom foragers kill grizzly bear near Choteau
A grizzly bear (Photo by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Program via FLICKR | Creative Commons license). Two Montana men foraging for mushrooms in the north-central part of the state shot and killed a grizzly bear on May 21, after it reportedly charged them at close range. According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the two men were not harmed during the encounter. The two local landowners were picking mushrooms about a mile north of Choteau on Wednesday evening when they came across the adult female grizzly bear, which charged them. The men shot and killed the bear at close range. 'I spoke to John and Justin shortly after the incident and they were both still shook up,' Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Christy Clark said in a press release. 'They told me their story and it was clear it was very traumatic. What's important here is they're OK.' FWP officials said the female grizzly killed had a cub of the year with her at the time of the encounter, and the agency is attempting to capture the cub. This is the fourth known grizzly bear mortality in 2025, according to FWP's grizzly mortality dashboard, and the second grizzly death in Teton County this spring. The other mortality in Teton County is listed as under investigation, but FWP at the time described it as self defense. The dashboard was launched last year to help the agency increase transparency and educate Montanans on why grizzlies are killed or die when they are currently federally protected. Earlier this year, the federal government rejected petitions from Montana and Wyoming officials seeking to delist the species and return them to state management, a proposal that is likely to gain traction under the Trump administration. Bears are active along the Rocky Mountain Front and in areas around towns like Choteau, Ulm and Cascade. If you are experiencing conflicts with bears, please call your local FWP bear specialist. You can locate their contact information here. As bears emerge from hibernation throughout the spring, FWP officials remind all Montanans heading into frontcountry or backcountry terrain to always carry bear spray, travel in groups, make noise, and keep garbage, food and other attractants in secure bins or buildings
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fines for aquatic invasive species violations increase under new law
Anyone transporting watercraft must stop at all open watercraft inspection stations they encounter in Montana. (FWP photo) When Tom Millett, a Republican state lawmaker from Marion, was working at a nuclear powerplant on Lake Michigan nearly 30 years ago, he routinely found himself face to face with zebra mussels. The small freshwater mollusks are not native to North America, but were introduced into many waterways east of the Mississippi River in the 1980s, including the Great Lakes and have spread prolifically, earning a moniker as one of the most dangerous invasive species on the continent. For Millett, zebra mussels would routinely coat parts of the power plant that connected to the freshwater lake. 'We had to go in there and we had to actually physically remove the zebra mussels all the time,' Millett said. 'And I can just tell you stories about zebra mussels, that we would take them out in big, huge dumpsters. By the dumpster load. That's how prolific these things are.' In an 2024 environmental review for the Palisades Nuclear Plant on Lake Michigan, it was reported that zebra mussels still coated parts of the intake system, an inch-and-a-half thick. To prevent a similar problematic infestation of Montana waterways, Millett carried House Bill 242 during the 2025 Legislative session, increasing the fines for anyone who knowingly or negligently introduces any aquatic invasive species into Montana or fails to stop at a watercraft check station. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill on May 5. Aquatic invasive species include plants, animals and pathogens that are not native to the state, and can harm the ecosystem and economy. Mussels are one of the common poster species for AIS prevention. Montana doesn't yet have a major problem with Zebra mussels, or the similarly invasive quagga mussel, but neighboring states do, and there have been several suspicious detections of mussels and their larvae in Montana waterways, including Canyon Ferry Reservoir and the Missouri River. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks runs a program to counteract aquatic invasive species, which includes a public information campaign and numerous AIS check stations that all boaters in Montana, including non-motorized ones such as canoes and stand-up paddleboards, are required to stop at for inspection. Out-of-state boaters must also obtain an inspection before launching on Montana waters. In 2024, FWP officials reported intercepting more than 47 mussel-fouled boats, and 800 transporting aquatic weeds. According to the state's AIS inspection dashboard, FWP reports that watercraft check stations have already intercepted 10 mussel-fouled boats in 2025. The new law essentially doubles the fine for a first negligent offense as well as subsequent offenses for introducing AIS or failing to stop at an inspection station— from $500 to $700 for a first offense and from $750 to $1400 for subsequent offenses. In addition, knowingly attempting to introduce an invasive species to Montana, a felony, now has a fine of as much as $25,000. 'Is that tough? It's absolutely tough, because we can't risk having AIS being introduced into Montana to hurt our fishing industry, our tourism industry, our hydro facilities, our water treatment plants or any of our industries that employ thousands of Montanans,' Millett said during a hearing on his bill in February. 'We need to send a message to everyone who wants to come to Montana that we are serious about keeping our waters clean now and for future generations.' Millett's bill was supported during legislative hearings by researchers with the Flathead Lake Biological Station, the Montana Association of Conservation Districts, Montana Audubon, The Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana, Trout Unlimited, and the Little Bitterroot Lake Association. The threat of AIS, specifically zebra and quagga mussels, comes with a drastic price tag. A 2019 study published by the University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station estimated that if mussels colonized all of Montana's water bodies, it could cost the state between $384.5 million to $731.4 million in mitigation costs, lost revenue and property value losses. Prevention efforts, by comparison, are cheap. Montana spent more than $3.6 million running its inspection and decontamination stations in 2018, and operates a grant program that disseminates more than a half million dollars for invasive species-related prevention. In 2024, the Fish, Wildlife and Parks and partners conducted more than 130,000 watercraft inspections across the state, resulting in 47 citations and 91 written warnings. Under the law signed last week, the increased fines leveraged against violators would be funneled into the state's general fund. FWP officials remind all Montanans that boaters and anglers must remember to clean, drain and dry their watercraft before leaving a water access site and are required to stop at all open watercraft inspection stations. Nonresidents and residents returning home must have their watercraft inspected before launching in Montana. Watercraft must also be drained of all water before transporting. For more information, visit or
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
FWP hosts workshops to get input for new mule deer management plan
May 9—Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is developing a new Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan and is looking for public feedback through a series of workshops that will give people a chance to ask questions of FWP staff and share their opinions on key mule deer management concepts. "One of our guiding principles is to maximize the opportunity for public input of all stakeholders and the workshops show our commitment to transparency of agency decisions and rationale," FWP Director Christy Clark said. "Simply said, the more input from the public, the better." In Northwest Montana, the workshop will be held Wednesday, May 14, 5:30-8 p.m. — Region 1 Headquarters Office, 490 North Meridian Road, Kalispell The new Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan will reflect public concerns FWP has heard over the past several years, as well as the latest science and research around mule deer numbers and management. The new plan will provide more comprehensive guidance for FWP as it manages mule deer and include strategies and information on management concepts that address hunting harvest, mule deer habitat conservation and herd health. FWP's goal is to manage for the long-term welfare of Montana's mule deer resource and provide hunting opportunities that reflect the dynamic nature of deer populations. Through these public workshops, FWP will get a clearer understanding of what the public wants to see in the Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan, which will help us achieve this goal. Mule deer population overview Over the past several years, mule deer populations in Montana have fluctuated, and in many areas declined. The three main drivers for mule deer populations are weather, habitat and disease. Declining and fluctuating mule deer numbers have concerned both hunters and FWP staff. Assessing the population statewide is complicated. Not every part of the state has the same set of challenges. However, persistent drought and the broadening impacts of chronic wasting disease seem to be widespread. Each workshop will have breakout group discussions led by FWP staff.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bighorn River waterfowl die-off linked to starvation
Waterfowl in flight. (Neil Mishler/USFWS) A high number dead waterfowl reported on the Bighorn River south of Hardin in February was due to starvation, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. According to a May 5 press release, FWP staff collected mallard, geese and shorebird carcasses along a stretch of the Bighorn River from Afterbay to about three miles downstream of the Bighorn Fishing Access Site following numerous reports of sick and dead waterfowl in the area. Staff initially suspected the mortality event was related to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, but extensive testing at the department's Wildlife Heath Lab in Bozeman showed no positive results for the disease. Additional testing was done by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center in Wisconsin, where specialists confirmed there was no evidence of infectious diseases. Instead, emaciation and starvation were the only ailments consistently found among the tested birds. According to the press release, FWP said that mid-winter waterfowl surveys done along the Bighorn River showed a higher than average concentration of birds, 'which likely led to more competition for the limited food in the area.' In addition, extreme cold temperatures and high snowfall in the region during early January likely contributed to limited availability of food.
