Block management hunting Montana

Nameless Range · Aug 19, 2016

To the OP, the largest mule deer I've shot was on a type 1 BMA. I'd hunt BMA's the same way you'd hunt public land and take into consideration pressure and adjacent parcels and their ownership/management. Good luck hunting.

---- · Aug 19, 2016

The program definitely has it's warts and sour apples that give it a bad name, but overall it is an incredible program.

I couldn't even begin to count the days I've spent hunting on them, and by far the biggest elk I've encountered in the state have been on BMAs.

It blows my mind that some of these properties are enrolled in BMA, there are some very generous landowners in the state.

Ben Lamb · Aug 19, 2016

Randy11 said:
The program definitely has it's warts and sour apples that give it a bad name, but overall it is an incredible program.

I couldn't even begin to count the days I've spent hunting on them, and by far the biggest elk I've encountered in the state have been on BMAs.

It blows my mind that some of these properties are enrolled in BMA, there are some very generous landowners in the state.

Absolutely agree. Great investment from the agency and while not perfect, affords some incredible opportunities. Especially if you like to hunt big country for pronghorn, native grouse & mule deer.

pronghorn9 by Ben Lamb, on Flickr

DAVIDKERR · Aug 22, 2016

1more reason,as a non resident I don't hunt Montana.

mikieb · Aug 22, 2016

It's not a perfect system.... I'm willing to work with it as an option...

ShootsManyBullets · Aug 22, 2016

I tend to avoid them and just hunt public. I'm sure theres some good ones around the areas I hunt, but I seem to always see BM signs in the most desolate spots so I haven't researched it too hard.

There is plenty of room for improvement in the system, especially with the blocking access that happens so much. Wyoming's system seems like a better run system, but then the MT landowners would have a tougher time gaming the system so why would they want to change it?

schmalts · Aug 22, 2016

I called one landowner early this AM. They said the last 2 weeks of rifle was already filled with their landowner sponsored hunters. I am not clear on what that means, do any of you?

ShootsManyBullets · Aug 22, 2016

It means they closed it for the best part of the season to regular people like you. Someone on here will know if that's legit or just another of the examples that gets posted on here every year of the abusers of the system.

Walkathon · Aug 23, 2016

schmalts said:
I called one landowner early this AM. They said the last 2 weeks of rifle was already filled with their landowner sponsored hunters. I am not clear on what that means, do any of you?

I called on one block management area yesterday and was able to get on early in the season (Oct), but they were full for the last part of the season, during the rut. I called at about 7:30 am mountain time. Also spoke to a different block management ranch beforehand in the north part of region 7 and was told that the deer numbers are still way down and that they couldn't believe the Montana FWP gave out any doe tags for the area.

406LIFE · Aug 23, 2016

I much appreciate our BMA system. It's not perfect (I've had one tell me that they reserve the opening week of rifle for family only, which is NOT in their BMA agreement.) but it is very helpful. I may not hunt it specifically, but I'll use it as a backdoor to get to some other land I might want hunt. It can tend to concentrate hunters in Western Montana where access is already limited. That added pressure can make game scarce, hence the backdoor direction. I have killed some animals on BMAs, but mostly I like knowing about them just in case I glass a bull or something on one, I know that I can get access to it.

AvidIndoorsman · Aug 23, 2016

I have always had great experiences with BMA's... I put a call in yesterday to 2 BMAs chatted up the landowner for a bit and even had the guy offer to let me hunt his son's property a few miles away that isn't a BMA if I wasn't seeing anything.

You have to remember BMA's are private land, they are voluntary, and we are lucky to have great families in Montana that are allowing us to hunt their properties. You are not entitled to this access. Treat BMA's with respect, follow the rules and don't complain about landowners wanting to be able to hunt THEIR land with their friends for a few weeks out of the season. BMA's get paid based on acreage and number of hunter's per season, there is a breakdown on the FWP website, but basically in a Type II BMA it has to do with numbers of hunter and if a landowner wants to hunt opening weekend by himself and get paid less that's his prerogative.

Honestly the are a ton of BMAs that hardly get hunted because they are Type II and people don't want to put in the legal work of asking permission. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend hunting BMA's to anyone, especially in Eastern Montana.

JEL · Aug 23, 2016

I hunt a few type one block management areas. The couple I hunt look marginal at best from the signin boxes. Maps don't look a great deal better and it takes some hiking to get to some pockets of good habitat but I have had some nice success there. I have never seen another hunter back where I go in these areas.

406LIFE · Aug 23, 2016

I would also add that you can download inidividual maps that have details and sattelite imagery for each BMA. Under each region, there is a pdf link that links to all the BMA maps. Like this one:
http://fwp.mt.gov/export/sites/FwpPublic/gisResources/docs/hunterAccess/BMA/Region2Maps2016.pdf

brownbear932008 · Aug 23, 2016

I think the BMA program is great in MT. I hunt one or two almost every year. The bird hunting is excellent we saw at least 100 pheasants on one last trip in 3 days and some pretty darn nice whitetail to boot. It's a great program people don't bust it's balls it's not perfect and probably won't be. Be thankful you get to hunt these PRIVATE lands through this program that would otherwise be off limits to you and I.

JBS · Aug 24, 2016

I called the coordinator to specifically ask about hunting legally accessible state land that is with the BMA. They said that you have to have BMA permission.
http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/trust/.../rec-use-forms-and-permits/DNRCRecUseFAQs.pdf
the DNRC confirms that this is the case. "Additionally, recreational use of state lands that are enrolled in a Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks Block Management Area (BMA) or Wildlife Management Area (WMA) are subject to the rules of that BMA or WMA"
This really pisses me off as it seams like a situation that is ripe for abuse. Allowing private landowners to control state land and profit off of it through block management just seems wrong. I haven't utilized BMA's much in the last 10 years but utilized them a lot when I lived in Billings. The system has only frustrated me this year. Spending an hour calling FWP and not getting through seems ignorant. MT should have the BMA reservations completely automated online eliminating much of the abuse. Landowners could still require you to meet with them for final permission but the reservation system needs to be improved. While they are at it there should be a mandatory online or postcard hunt report required to be completed prior to getting the next years permits.

AvidIndoorsman · Aug 24, 2016

JBS said:
I called the coordinator to specifically ask about hunting legally accessible state land that is with the BMA. They said that you have to have BMA permission.
http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/trust/.../rec-use-forms-and-permits/DNRCRecUseFAQs.pdf
the DNRC confirms that this is the case. "Additionally, recreational use of state lands that are enrolled in a Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks Block Management Area (BMA) or Wildlife Management Area (WMA) are subject to the rules of that BMA or WMA"
This really pisses me off as it seams like a situation that is ripe for abuse. Allowing private landowners to control state land and profit off of it through block management just seems wrong. I haven't utilized BMA's much in the last 10 years but utilized them a lot when I lived in Billings. The system has only frustrated me this year. Spending an hour calling FWP and not getting through seems ignorant. MT should have the BMA reservations completely automated online eliminating much of the abuse. Landowners could still require you to meet with them for final permission but the reservation system needs to be improved. While they are at it there should be a mandatory online or postcard hunt report required to be completed prior to getting the next years permits.

Hey at least in Montana you get to use state land... most of the state land in Colorado is off limits to public use.

406LIFE · Aug 25, 2016

JBS said:
I called the coordinator to specifically ask about hunting legally accessible state land that is with the BMA. They said that you have to have BMA permission.
http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/trust/.../rec-use-forms-and-permits/DNRCRecUseFAQs.pdf
the DNRC confirms that this is the case. "Additionally, recreational use of state lands that are enrolled in a Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks Block Management Area (BMA) or Wildlife Management Area (WMA) are subject to the rules of that BMA or WMA"
This really pisses me off as it seams like a situation that is ripe for abuse. Allowing private landowners to control state land and profit off of it through block management just seems wrong. I haven't utilized BMA's much in the last 10 years but utilized them a lot when I lived in Billings. The system has only frustrated me this year. Spending an hour calling FWP and not getting through seems ignorant. MT should have the BMA reservations completely automated online eliminating much of the abuse. Landowners could still require you to meet with them for final permission but the reservation system needs to be improved. While they are at it there should be a mandatory online or postcard hunt report required to be completed prior to getting the next years permits.

FWIW, there have been measures attempted to legislate access to these very lands. Landlocked public land is an issue. In central Montana there is one particularly large elk heard that stays on public land, but one "entity" own all the land around it. From what I have heard, the only way in is by air. Stuff like this is not Montana's culture. I personally have no tolerance for it. These are not their elk, they are all of the citizens of MT. Pressing for access, via legislature or BMA negotiations I believe is paramount for us now and future generations of hunters.

Ben Lamb · Aug 25, 2016

JBS said:
I called the coordinator to specifically ask about hunting legally accessible state land that is with the BMA. They said that you have to have BMA permission.
http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/trust/.../rec-use-forms-and-permits/DNRCRecUseFAQs.pdf
the DNRC confirms that this is the case. "Additionally, recreational use of state lands that are enrolled in a Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks Block Management Area (BMA) or Wildlife Management Area (WMA) are subject to the rules of that BMA or WMA"
This really pisses me off as it seams like a situation that is ripe for abuse. Allowing private landowners to control state land and profit off of it through block management just seems wrong. I haven't utilized BMA's much in the last 10 years but utilized them a lot when I lived in Billings. The system has only frustrated me this year. Spending an hour calling FWP and not getting through seems ignorant. MT should have the BMA reservations completely automated online eliminating much of the abuse. Landowners could still require you to meet with them for final permission but the reservation system needs to be improved. While they are at it there should be a mandatory online or postcard hunt report required to be completed prior to getting the next years permits.

How is that any different than purchasing an access easement that allows for travel across private land to state? Max payment for Block Management is around $12K per year. That covered costs in 1990's, but is not an incentive for landowners today, especially those with Type 2 BMAs.

JBS · Aug 25, 2016

Ben I am not sure I completely understand your question? Requiring people to sign in and follow the rules of the BMA including daily limits of hunters to cross the landowners land I completely agree with. The part that I do not like is the ability for a landowner to limit and in some cases choose the people who can utilize state land that is legally accessible. A situation that comes to mind is a state section that has a county road through it that is enrolled in Block management via an adjacent landowner. The owner in block management chooses to only allow hunters on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday. The way FWP is explaining it to me nobody could hunt the legally accessible via county road state section on a weekend since they could not sign into the BMA on a weekend.

Ben Lamb · Aug 25, 2016

JBS said:
Ben I am not sure I completely understand your question? Requiring people to sign in and follow the rules of the BMA including daily limits of hunters to cross the landowners land I completely agree with. The part that I do not like is the ability for a landowner to limit and in some cases choose the people who can utilize state land that is legally accessible. A situation that comes to mind is a state section that has a county road through it that is enrolled in Block management via an adjacent landowner. The owner in block management chooses to only allow hunters on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday. The way FWP is explaining it to me nobody could hunt the legally accessible via county road state section on a weekend since they could not sign into the BMA on a weekend.

My comment was about landlocked state, my apologies. I didn't read as closely as I should of.

I just called FWP and asked about this and you are correct: Landowners can negotiate enrolling state land in their block management. The way it was described to me is that it is not used often, especially outside of Region 7, and that often times it's done to increase the amount of acreage enrolled in block mgt (one blue square versus several private squares). Since lessees are liable for the condition of state lands, they want to have a way to limit that liability and enrolling in Block is one way to do that.

It's not statute, but a rule promulgated in the 90's by DNRC & FWP. I can see both sides: If it's legally accessible state land, we should be able to access it, but from the landowner perspective, I can see why they would want to manage it as well.

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