HELENA – The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider two amendments to the proposed 2024 Upland Game Bird Regulations and one to the Black Bear Regulations when it meets Feb. 16.

The proposed 2024 Upland Game Bird Regulations are currently out for public comment. The two amendments would adjust the regulations for nonresident bird hunters.

The first amendment would move the upland game bird season start date from Sept. 1 to Sept. 15 for nonresidents. The second amendment would adjust the bird dog training season start date for nonresidents from Aug. 15 to Sept. 1.

The amendments are sponsored by Commission Chair Lesley Robinson but were requested by FWP. The amendments reflect comments FWP has received on the regulations.

Black Bears

The commission will also consider an amendment from Commissioner Brian Cebull that would adjust statewide black bear regulations.

The amendment would have the spring season end June 15, subject to already established quotas and subquotas. The amendment would set the season in Bear Management Unit (BMU) 520 to May 1 to June 15. It would also set a female bear quota of 11 in the fall and 12 in the spring for BMU 580. The amendment would also establish that “any BMU without a quota or sub-quota … would close with regular public notice after May 31 if the cumulative spring harvest to that point exceeds 37 percent of female bears.”

Cebull’s amendment would also expand the pilot project in FWP Region 1 that allowed hunters to submit extracted teeth rather than presenting head and carcass to FWP. This would expand to FWP regions 2, 3, and 4 and would require hunters to submit two extracted molars rather than one.

The commission will take comment on the two amendments through Jan. 31. To comment on the amendments, please email FWPComm@mt.gov. Comment on the amendments can also be made during the Feb. 16 commission meeting.

To comment on other commission items, click here.

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