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Officials expect no change in hunting season -- yet
8/5/03
By BOB ANEZ, Associated Press Writer
HELENA -- State wildlife officials so far expect no changes in Montana's hunting seasons, quotas or regulations because of the hot, dry conditions that sparked a string of wildfires in July.
But all that could change, if the weather and rising fire danger do not.
"It's clearly a waiting game," said Dan Walker of Billings, chairman of the state Fish, Wildlife and Park Commission. "If we don't get some moisture, we won't start those seasons on time."
He said Monday the key will be whether state and federal agencies must resort to the drastic fire-prevention step of shutting down all public lands to public use as was done three years ago when about 1 million acres of Montana burned.
"I don't anticipate doing anything (to alter hunting seasons), absent any restriction put in place by other agencies," Walker said. "We're going to hold off as long as we can."
Jeff Herbert, assistant administrator for the wildlife division in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said the agency is recommending no changes in the elk, deer and antelope quotas facing final action by the commission Thursday.
The quotas reflect healthy game populations that benefited from a rainy spring producing good forage, he said.
But wildlife officials remain wary.
"We're concerned with what next month will bring with fires and rain," Herbert said. "We still have all of August to unfold. We're on thin ice."
Bob Harrington, state forester, predicted Monday that Montana will not see the kind of sweeping land closing that was ordered in 2000 and could jeopardize the hunting seasons. But some site-specific closures by an individual state or federal agency could be ordered, he added.
Wide-scale closures put a burden on private landowners, businesses dependent on tourists and law officers charged with enforcing the restrictions, Harrington said. Officials believe they can achieve an adequate level of fire prevention by broad use of less-severe fire restrictions, he said.
Walker said his fear is that the same wet spring that spawned forage for wildlife also created plenty of fuel for fires.
"It just makes a longer fuse," he said. "In years when we don't have grass, fire has trouble traveling from one patch of trees to another. But it doesn't when you have grass."
Herbert said the department has to review a lot of factors in deciding whether to recommend the commission consider any changes in the fall hunting seasons, which begin Sept. 6 for archery and Oct. 26 for general rifle.
"We need to get a general assessment of what things look like after those burns, get a sense of what it does to animal distribution," he said.
The kind of habitat burned and whether timely rains help restore the grass that will draw game back more quickly are other issues to be considered, Herbert said.
"The biggest concern right now is we'd like to see the weather pattern replaced with rain," he said. "This next month is critical for fires and game loss."
Hank Worsech, license bureau chief for the wildlife agency, said he has received only a few calls from outfitters concerned about their clients being able to get refunds in the aftermath of fires that burned about 132,000 acres of the Missouri Breaks area northwest of Jordan.
Those fires, finally contained last week, blackened habitat for upland game birds, mule deer and elk.
Worsech said the commission may be asked this week to modify the department's refund policy to allow refunds for sportsmen whose outfitters have lost their hunting areas to fire.
Ross Childers, a rancher and outfitter near Brusett, said about 8,000 acres of his outfitting area went up in smoke, but he has other land on which to take his customers. The lost acreage was more heavily timbered and better for bow hunting than what's left, he said.
The big effect may be felt in a few years when the local deer population begins to show signs of the loss many fawns to fire this summer, Childers said.
8/5/03
By BOB ANEZ, Associated Press Writer
HELENA -- State wildlife officials so far expect no changes in Montana's hunting seasons, quotas or regulations because of the hot, dry conditions that sparked a string of wildfires in July.
But all that could change, if the weather and rising fire danger do not.
"It's clearly a waiting game," said Dan Walker of Billings, chairman of the state Fish, Wildlife and Park Commission. "If we don't get some moisture, we won't start those seasons on time."
He said Monday the key will be whether state and federal agencies must resort to the drastic fire-prevention step of shutting down all public lands to public use as was done three years ago when about 1 million acres of Montana burned.
"I don't anticipate doing anything (to alter hunting seasons), absent any restriction put in place by other agencies," Walker said. "We're going to hold off as long as we can."
Jeff Herbert, assistant administrator for the wildlife division in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said the agency is recommending no changes in the elk, deer and antelope quotas facing final action by the commission Thursday.
The quotas reflect healthy game populations that benefited from a rainy spring producing good forage, he said.
But wildlife officials remain wary.
"We're concerned with what next month will bring with fires and rain," Herbert said. "We still have all of August to unfold. We're on thin ice."
Bob Harrington, state forester, predicted Monday that Montana will not see the kind of sweeping land closing that was ordered in 2000 and could jeopardize the hunting seasons. But some site-specific closures by an individual state or federal agency could be ordered, he added.
Wide-scale closures put a burden on private landowners, businesses dependent on tourists and law officers charged with enforcing the restrictions, Harrington said. Officials believe they can achieve an adequate level of fire prevention by broad use of less-severe fire restrictions, he said.
Walker said his fear is that the same wet spring that spawned forage for wildlife also created plenty of fuel for fires.
"It just makes a longer fuse," he said. "In years when we don't have grass, fire has trouble traveling from one patch of trees to another. But it doesn't when you have grass."
Herbert said the department has to review a lot of factors in deciding whether to recommend the commission consider any changes in the fall hunting seasons, which begin Sept. 6 for archery and Oct. 26 for general rifle.
"We need to get a general assessment of what things look like after those burns, get a sense of what it does to animal distribution," he said.
The kind of habitat burned and whether timely rains help restore the grass that will draw game back more quickly are other issues to be considered, Herbert said.
"The biggest concern right now is we'd like to see the weather pattern replaced with rain," he said. "This next month is critical for fires and game loss."
Hank Worsech, license bureau chief for the wildlife agency, said he has received only a few calls from outfitters concerned about their clients being able to get refunds in the aftermath of fires that burned about 132,000 acres of the Missouri Breaks area northwest of Jordan.
Those fires, finally contained last week, blackened habitat for upland game birds, mule deer and elk.
Worsech said the commission may be asked this week to modify the department's refund policy to allow refunds for sportsmen whose outfitters have lost their hunting areas to fire.
Ross Childers, a rancher and outfitter near Brusett, said about 8,000 acres of his outfitting area went up in smoke, but he has other land on which to take his customers. The lost acreage was more heavily timbered and better for bow hunting than what's left, he said.
The big effect may be felt in a few years when the local deer population begins to show signs of the loss many fawns to fire this summer, Childers said.
