Hunting

Usually, no single individual, group, or organization, on their own, influences history. However, together and with focused leadership, wonderful accomplishments do occur. Helena Hunters and Anglers Association is proud to have stood on the shoulders of giants in our quest to preserve wildlands, wildlife, and our legacy of conservation – in our own “back yard.”

Our Impact: Hunting

HHAA engages regularly in the biennial hunting season setting process, encouraging season types that: 

  • Promote equity in hunting opportunity, 
  • Accommodate life-cycle needs of hunted species,
  • Encourage hunter participation in setting responsible hunting seasons by providing hunt-specific information to MFWP through data-driven hunter reporting,
  • Support the North American Model of Fish and Wildlife Conservation:
  • Seven Tenets of the North American Model:
    • Wildlife as Public Trust Resources
    • Elimination of Markets for Game
    • Allocation of Wildlife by Law
    • Wildlife Should Only be Killed for a Legitimate Purpose
    • Wildlife Are Considered an International Resource
    • Science is the Proper Tool for Discharge of Wildlife Policy
    • Democracy of Hunting

The Wildlife Society: North American Model of Wildlife Conservation:

https://web.archive.org/web/20120119010211/http://joomla.wildlife.org/index.php?id=171&option=com_content&task=view

Hunting Seasons

Montana’s biennial hunting seasons define how, when, where, and specific sex and age class of animals that may be harvested by hunters.   HHAA weighs in on many proposals issued by the MFWP Commission.  The basis for hunting in North America, is the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

See MFWP for Hunting information: http://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/default.html  

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Shoulder Seasons

Elk Shoulder Seasons were created in 2015 to reduce elk numbers on private lands where elk numbers were over Elk Plan objective. Such seasons were to be managed based on criteria that participating landowners would adhere to. HHAA has consistently commented that ethical hunting cannot be accomplished over a six month period, particularly when the season runs into late stages of elk pregnancy.

Elk Shoulder Seasons are a controversial topic.  Over the past five years, HHAA has consistently commented on this “experiment” that was to have taken three years.  See attached commentary detailing HHAA position.

Mandatory Reporting

HHAA feels strongly that data from mandatory hunter reporting can enhance our ability to manage Montana’s wildlife populations in a changing environment and time.  More comprehensive hunter and harvest data will help us to better understand hunter numbers, harvest rates and timing, means of hunting, and game population age structures and sex ratios.  Better data can also help us to depoliticize discussions between MFWP, hunters, landowners, land managers, outfitters, and other special interest groups.

Wildlife Reports/Information

From Antelope to Wolves, natural history information on a selection of wildlife can be found at http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/diseasesAndResearch/research/default.html

Check in to find the latest in wildlife research and issues of concern on species ranging from mountain goats to wolves and wolverine. Recent research and reports on various wildlife.