New year, new regulations

After last year's Legislative session, and the FWP commission meeting this spring, hunters can expect to see some changes to the regulations this year. Consult the newest edition of the regulations each year, as they may change annually or add clarification for specific rules.

The new license year began on March 1 so all anglers are now required to have their 2022 Fishing License. All regulations are available in print or at: fwp.mt.gov/hunt/regulations.

This spring, black bear hunters will be permitted to chase bears with hounds, the first time such hunting has been allowed in the state. Hound hunting and training is prohibited in occupied grizzly bear habitat, which includes Bear Management Units (BMU's) 280 and 290. Baiting is still unlawful for black bears, see the 2022 Black Bear Regulations Booklet for most current and up to date information. And new this year, all black bear hunters must report their harvest within 48 hours. With the exception of Region 1, hunters will still have 10 days to present their harvest to FWP for inspection, tagging, and tooth removal (for aging).

For the 2022 season, turkey regulations have been combined into the Upland Game Bird Regulations Booklet. The most notable change in these regulations is there is no longer a special drawing for Region 4 turkey licenses- hunters will use their general turkey license when hunting there.

Looking ahead to the upcoming big game seasons this fall, hunters may notice boundary changes across the region, and renumbering of some hunting districts across the state. This was done to reduce the overall number of hunting districts for simplification, especially in districts where the population quotas and objectives aligned.

For the Seeley Lake and Potomac areas, hunters will notice that HD 283 no longer exists. The former hunting district was combined into HD's 201 and 285, so HD 285 now extents past Blanchard Creek and has a westerly boundary of West Fork Gold Creek/Rattlesnake Wilderness Boundary. For legal description of the boundary, read the entry for Deer/Elk HD 285 in the 2022/23 Hunting District Legal Descriptions booklet, or online.

And finally, and perhaps the most major change, for the 2022 license year hunters and anglers will have the option to carry all their licenses on their mobile devices with the new MyFWP mobile app. The app provides a digital wallet to store and display licenses and digital carcass tags, now referred to as E-tags, that can be validated in the field- even without cell service! The app requires users to have a MyFWP login. For more information visit fwp.mt.gov/myfwpapp. And, if you prefer to have an application in your pocket instead...no problem. The app is just an option for those that prefer to store their license and tag information on their phone.

*Reminder! Application deadlines for permits are as follows:

- Bull Elk and Antlered Buck Deer permits: April 1

- Moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and bison: May 1

- Elk B and Deer B Licenses: June 1