{"id":335,"date":"2024-03-27T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/?p=335"},"modified":"2024-04-09T17:22:23","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T17:22:23","slug":"montana-could-soon-open-waterfowl-hunting-on-a-closed-stretch-of-the-yellowstone-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/2024\/03\/27\/montana-could-soon-open-waterfowl-hunting-on-a-closed-stretch-of-the-yellowstone-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Montana Could Soon Open Waterfowl Hunting on a Closed Stretch of the Yellowstone River"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In Montana, waterfowlers are allowed to hunt most rivers up the high water mark. Adobe Photostock. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next month, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) will consider a measure that would open waterfowl hunting on an 87-mile stretch of the Yellowstone River in a part of the Big Sky State known for great goose hunting. The stretch of river in question has been closed to all waterfowl hunting since 1958, when duck and goose numbers were at all-time low. But local biologists say those populations have since rebounded. In Montana, waterfowlers are typically allowed to hunt any river or stream that has recreational potential<\/a>, so long as they remain below regular high water marks. <\/p>\n

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Learn how to subscribe to the new Field & Stream magazine here!<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The closed stretch flows roughly from Bighorn to Rosebud, Montana. According to an article in the Billings Gazette<\/em><\/a>, FWP found\u00a0only 546 geese along this stretch of the Yellowstone back in 1961. But a more recent study, conducted in 2013, counted a whopping 289 geese per river kilometer. That\u2019s more than 40,000 geese along the entire closed section, the Billings Gazette<\/em> reports. <\/p>\n

FWP has attempted to open certain sections of the 87-mile stretch to duck and goose hunters twice since the original 1958 closure. One of those attempts, in 1975, was shot down by a lawsuit brought by a group of homeowners with property along the the river. Another attempt, in 2009, never got a vote from FWP\u2019s Fish and Game Commission.<\/p>\n

As part of a Masters Thesis study at North Dakota State University in 2013, Steve Atwood\u2014now a biologist with FWP working out of Miles City\u2014surveyed local landowners about the long-standing closure. \u201cThis study<\/a> used a questionnaire to ascertain landowner attitudes towards the Yellowstone River waterfowl hunting closure,\u201d Atwood wrote in his thesis summary, \u201cand to determine the level of receptiveness toward changes to the waterfowl management policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Atwood\u2019s study found that 55 percent of surveyed landowners directly along the river were not supportive of lifting the closure. \u201cMuch of the opposition Inside landowners harbor towards a \u2026 policy change is rooted in fear of what might happen,\u201d he wrote. \u201cWhen people believe that something they value is being removed, fear is the natural reaction.\u201d <\/p>\n

Some of the respondents in Atwood\u2019s survey provided written feedback. \u201cWe do not need hunters in boats cruising this stretch hunting geese,\u201d one wrote. \u201c[The closure] gives me a little help controlling the city idiots that believe they have access to any land the river is near,\u201d reads another landowner response.<\/p>\n

Read Next: <\/strong>The Future of 28 Million Acres of Public Land in Alaska Hangs in the Balance<\/a><\/p>\n

Some local goose hunters are opposed<\/a> to lifting the closure as well. They say it has created a refuge for Canada geese, which flock to nearby agricultural fields in staggering numbers each fall. One hunter, writing in a Letter to the Editor of the Miles City Star<\/em>, said more waterfowl hunters on the river will push geese further south. According to the Billings Gazette<\/em> local outfitters have also expressed concerns\u2014but conservation groups like Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and Flathead Wildlife Inc. want FWP to grant hunters access. <\/p>\n

The matter will be taken up by the Fish & Game Commission at its regular meeting on April 17. If you\u2019d like to provide public comment, you can do so on the FWP website<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The post Montana Could Soon Open Waterfowl Hunting on a Closed Stretch of the Yellowstone River<\/a> appeared first on Field & Stream<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Montana, waterfowlers are allowed to hunt most rivers up the high water mark. Adobe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=335"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":340,"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335\/revisions\/340"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gelman.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}