Fish and Wildlife Commission to meet December 10

If you’ve got opinions about deer and elk seasons, fishing access, or what happens on the Flathead Indian Reservation — and you should — December 10th is a date worth circling on your calendar.

HELENA — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is taking public comment on a handful of items headed before the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission at its next meeting on Dec. 10. It all kicks off at 8 a.m. at the Montana Heritage Center in Helena.

The agenda covers a lot of ground. We’re talking bass removal at Sacajawea Lagoon, the 2027–2028 commercial seine license waterbody list, nonmember fishing and bird hunting on the Flathead Indian Reservation, and how FWP defines management subunits during an Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease outbreak — which, after the EHD hits we’ve seen in recent years, is no small thing. There’s also a rulemaking petition on the Brazilian Smooth Snake (Hydrodynastes gigas), the Upper Thompson Conservation Easement Phase 2 up in Region 1, a land use license for Johnson Reservoir Fishing Access Site, and — probably the one most of you will care about most — proposed amendments to permits, quotas, quota ranges, season lengths, and open areas for deer, elk, and turkey for the 2027 seasons.

Honestly, that last one alone is reason enough to pay attention. Quota changes and season adjustments have a real ripple effect on where and how hard you can hunt, and these decisions don’t get made in a vacuum. They get made with or without your input. Full details on all agenda items are on the commission meeting webpage. Commissioners can also submit amendments to FWP proposals — if those come in before the meeting, they’ll be posted online for public review.

Want to weigh in? Here’s how.

The commission is accepting public comment through Nov. 11. You’ve got two ways to do it before the meeting:

• Online via SurveyMonkey — each agenda item has its own survey, and you can attach letters or supporting documents.
• By mail — send written comments to: Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, c/o FWP Liaison – Director’s Office, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.

Prefer to say your piece in person? Show up on Dec. 10 at the Montana Heritage Center in Helena, or head to your nearest FWP regional office — find locations here.

If you’d rather join by Zoom, that’s an option too — but you’ve got to register in advance. Registration opens Nov. 25 and closes at noon on Dec. 9. Keep in mind the commission chair can limit comment time at the meeting, so don’t wait until the last minute to make your voice heard.

Questions about the comment process? Reach executive assistant Jesse May at 406-444-7826.