HEADWATERS STATE PARK — The General Hunting season in Montana kicks off in a couple of weeks and Fish Wildlife and Parks want everyone to be ready.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Sgt. Matt Wemple says FWP recently changed some of the hunt district designations. He says all hunters should look at the regulations and make themselves familiar with them. He notes some districts are now numbered differently so familiarizing yourself with the regulations is a great idea.
Sgt. Wemple also says hunters need to be aware of the hours that it is legal to shoot. He says the last page of the regulations is a sunrise-sunset table for four regions of Montana. Wemple says for general hunting, it's only legal to shoot from one half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset. Any shooting outside those limits is illegal.
He also notes that for waterfowl the legal shooting hours end right at sunset - to help avoid losing shot game.
Sgt. Wemple also wants all hunters to remember good gun safety and to remember to wear hunter's orange while out in the field. He says it's also important to recognize the rights of private property owners. He noted that those owners are allowing hunters on their land. If hunters abuse that, hunting could go away. He says always get permission, and get it early. He also says to treat the land like it is your own.
Montana’s archery season is already underway, and the general hunting season opens on October 22nd.
