State announces turkey, black bear openers

Montana’s spring male turkey hunting season begins April 8 this year.

Turkey hunters can purchase a turkey license for a general area at FWP offices, license providers or online. The application deadline for western Montana’s spring gobbler season permits has passed.

The 2017 spring turkey regulations, with details on turkey hunting in the general area, are available at FWP offices and license providers and online at fwp.mt.gov.

Hunters should remember when transporting a spring turkey within the state of Montana, one leg and foot must be left naturally attached for evidence of sex. Montana law requires permission for all hunting on private land.

Montana’s spring black bear hunting season opens April 15.

Hunters may purchase black bear hunting licenses online at fwp.mt.gov, at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks license providers, or print a paper license application and mail it in to FWP. Licenses issued through the mail may take two weeks to process.

Spring black bear hunters should purchase their license by April 14. Black bear hunting licenses purchased after April 14 may not be used until 24 hours after purchase. Black bear hunters are limited to one black bear license a year.

All black bear hunters are reminded that they must successfully complete Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ bear identification test before purchasing a black bear license.

Take the bear identification test online at fwp.mt.gov; click the Education tab, then click “Bear Identification Program”. Complete the training and test, and then present the printed on-line certificate to purchase a license. The training and test can also be obtained on paper, with a mail-in answer card, at FWP regional offices.

The 2017 black bear regulations are available online on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov, at FWP region offices and license providers.

Montana’s special drawing deadlines to apply for special license drawings are May 1 for bison, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat; and June 1 for the elk B, deer B and antelope license drawings.

Resident hunters applying for moose, sheep and goat licenses need only submit a nonrefundable $10 application fee per license and then pay the full license fee of $125 if successful.

Applying for special big game hunting permits and licenses is a lot easier these days for hunters who apply early and online at fwp.mt.gov.