HELENA – Anyone training bird dogs using game birds not raised in captivity needs to hold a bird dog training license, whether on private or public land. If you are training dogs with captive-reared birds, a license is not required.

The Fish and Wildlife Commission requires anyone purchasing a bird dog training license intending to train on public land to designate the number of dogs being trained.  

These licenses can be purchased online through the FWP Online License Service, any FWP regional office or any license provider. The license is $5 for residents ages 18 and over and $10 for nonresidents 18 and over. For residents and nonresidents ages 12 to 17, the license is free.

Bird dog training season with wild birds on public lands for residents runs from Aug. 1 to March 31, 2025; for nonresidents the season runs from Sept. 1 to March 31, 2025. 

For those commercially training bird dogs on state trust land, a special recreational use license (SRUL) is required from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.