FWP's budget is set by the Legislature. The pay plan is encompassed in HB 13, and includes other state employees in about every agency. HB 5 is the Long Range Planning Bill that funds habitat conservation funding and new purchases like aircraft, new buildings, etc. FWP is not in charge of their...
The issue of pay is a complicated one due to the way Montana's pay structure is designed within statute. This, along with the need for some uniformity, and legislative reluctance to increase positions or pay, has led to some issues with retention of quality people, and it makes recruitment of...
The driver behind the structure for mule deer is not antler size or age class but herd integrity. Varying age classes help that for sure but the proposal is striving to maintain ample opportunity for everyone to hunt and take a legal animal without dictating antler size or through permits. The...
From a process standpoint:
This proposal is for the 2026/2027 season setting process that FWP will initiate in spring of 2025, and be finalized in December of '25.
The only exception would be legislative pieces which would occur in the 25 session.
Not to pick on @EYJONAS! but since he brought it up. ;)
The hunter pressure curve doesn't curve nearly as much if that happens, so the pulse pressure of no hunting of elk on public from Oct 1-31 and only cows on private in the middle of the month would be largely negated.
Part of the idea is...
One guy not tagged who was also super helpful is Rob Arnaud. Rob isn't on HT but has done a ton of heavy lifting here as well.
Nice work, gents.
The proposal isn't a 1-stop management shop for all that ails wildlife. It's a rifle shot to help restore some better hunting on public land...
the Esashi Oiwake is a traditional folk song of Northern Japan that can be about the daily struggles of a fisherman, to a merchant slowly walking their goods to market with their donkey, all the way to the solemnity of the horse's footsteps as they chase after a murderer.
Either way, it ain't...