State Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioners decided Tuesday to extend elk season in parts of regions 3 and 6. There are 18 affected hunting districts around Dillon and Bozeman, and two districts in the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.
The rest of the state's unsuccessful elk hunters had better work smarter and harder, because it's not getting any easier before the general big-game season ends Sunday. The western part of the state has been frustratingly snow-free, making big game harder to spot or track.
“The Blackfoot (Valley) has higher-than-average harvest, and is right in line with the five-year average,” FWP spokeswoman Vivaca Crowser said Tuesday. “Those are the districts where the elk population is at or above objective, so we don't really need to extend here to get any more harvest.”
Hunters in the Bitterroot Valley have had less luck, but the elk herds are smaller than FWP biologists want to see. So again, there's no reason to extend the season.
FWP communications administrator Ron Aasheim said commissioners consider two factors in addition to population levels when talking about season extensions. One is the weather forecast. The other is landowner access.
“Are we not getting elk because of the weather or because of a lack of access to state or private property?” Aasheim asked. “If the weather isn't going to change and there is access, we'll strongly consider extending the season. But if private individuals choose not to allow access in the regular season, they aren't going to do so in the extended season. They've given a signal they don't care to have hunters on their property.”
Aasheim said in his 33 years with the department, he's rarely seen season extensions like this one. More common are “management seasons” that give extra time to hunters in small areas with overpopulated elk herds, or game-damage hunts that target herds on specific landowner fields.
The extended season will run Dec. 1-21 in FWP Region 3 and Dec. 1-14 in FWP Region 6. The FWP Commission, however, can close any extended season in any hunting district on 24 hours' notice. Those closures would occur if the total elk harvest goal in those districts is achieved, or if the bull harvest gets to a level where a closure on bulls would be necessary.
In the Region 3 hunting districts, it's possible the bull quota could be reached but hunting could remain open for antlerless elk for the rest of the extended season.
Hunters who have already shot an elk in 2008 with their general elk license are not eligible to buy a second general elk license, but they can buy one of the available A9/B12 licenses available for two districts in Region 3.
Some Block Management Areas may not be open for the extended season. Hunters are urged to contact their regional FWP office to determine whether a BMA is open for hunting elk during the season extension.
Following is a summary of the hunting districts with extended seasons:
Open to hunters Dec. 1-21, with a valid general-elk license: 300, 302, 314, 315, 320, 322, 323 (outside the Wall Creek WMA), 324, 325, 326, 327, South of Dad Creek in 328, 330, 333, 360, 362, 390, 393.
The A9/B12 licenses in the Region 3 districts that were issued through the drawing will remain in effect during the extension. Hunters can still buy over-the-counter A9/B12 licenses valid for Hunting Districts 315 and 393. Hunters holding brow-tined bull/antlerless permits valid for the Wall Creek Wildlife Management Area in district 323-10 will continue to be the only hunters allowed to harvest elk there.
Open Dec. 1-14, antlerless elk only, and open to hunters with an elk permit valid for the specific district during the general rifle season in combination with a general elk license or an A9/B12 license valid for HD 622: 622, 631 (A9/B12 licenses valid in HD 622 are not valid on the CMR Refuge).
Reporter Rob Chaney can be reached at 523-5382 or at rchaney@missoulian.com.
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Geogre wrote on Dec 26, 2008 6:10 PM: