by Tanya Gates, Florence
Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) has released a detailed Elk Management Plan (EMP) that offers more than 600 pages of comprehensive insights. While there are areas where the EMP could be refined, the plan showcases the agency’s forward-thinking approach, and through recent season setting proposals.
Key strengths of the EMP include FWP’s commitment to revisiting its management strategy every five years, along with efforts to improve habitat on public and private lands. The agency also substantially increased objectives in many districts.
Another positive aspect of the plan is the increased call for working groups, such as the Elkhorn Working Group and Devil’s Kitchen. These collaborative groups reduce conflict, improve elk distribution, and increase hunter success and landowner satisfaction. The recognition that human pressure significantly affects problematic elk distribution is crucial in developing new season setting strategies designed to increase hunter success and reduce hunter pressure on public lands, while encouraging pressure on private lands. The call for enhanced hunter education programs is also laudable.
However, there are points of concern where the agency could improve. Specifically, the proposal to eliminate limited entry permits in favor of general hunting in over-objective areas. FWP itself acknowledges, on page 43 of the draft EMP, that such a move would surge hunter pressure and exacerbate the issue of problematic elk distribution. I urge FWP to exclude this proposal.
Another point of concern is a missing provision, referenced on page 55 of the current EMP, which allows for not counting elk on inaccessible private land. Though only used twice, it has led to increased harvest rates and reduced conflict when FWP has used this provision to move to cow-only hunting in certain districts.
Lastly, the EMP should incorporate recent research analyzing the impact of summer recreation on cow and calf elk. Addressing this gap is vital for informed decision making.