Hoot owl instituted on area rivers

When water levels drop and stream temperatures rise, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks restricts fishing hours to protect the state's sport fisheries.

Hoot owl restrictions prohibiting fishing between 2 p.m. and 12 a.m. began July 13 in the Clark Fork River Basin including the Blackfoot, North Fork of Blackfoot, Clark Fork and Bitterroot rivers.

Additionally parts of the Big Hole, Gallatin, Jefferson, Madison, Ruby, Smith and Sun Rivers have restrictions. Yellowstone Park has closed the Madison, Firehole and parts of the Gibbon River.

On the Blackfoot River water levels on July 13 were 656 cubic feet per second at Bonner, 40% of the median of 1,610 cubic feet per second for this date. In addition, water temperatures have been over 73 degrees for four days in a row which is the cutoff temperature for hoot owl restrictions.

FWP recommends that anglers get fish into a net or hand quickly and keep fish in the water as much as possible while releasing them.

The term "hoot owl" was coined by loggers in the early 1900s.

When summer temperatures heated up and forests dried out, loggers went earlier and earlier into the forests to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and damper environments from dew. Working in these conditions helped prevent fires as sparks from equipment were less likely to trigger a flame. Loggers often heard owls hooting in the early morning. The calls of the owls created the name "hoot owl" for the morning work window.

Thus the term "hoot owl" has come to relate to drought conditions in the forest or on the river.

Please check FWP online to see specific closure areas.