BOZEMAN – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is advising anglers that portions of the Ruby and lower Big Hole rivers are closed to fishing daily from 2 p.m. to midnight, effective Friday, July 21.

The hoot-owl restrictions are issued for:

• The Big Hole River from its confluence with the Beaverhead River to Tony Schoonen Fishing Access Site
• The Ruby River from its confluence with the Beaverhead River to Duncan District Road

FWP's drought policy provides for angling restrictions when flows drop below critical levels for fish, when water quality is diminished or when maximum daily water temperatures reach at least 73 degrees for three consecutive days.

These restrictions will stay in effect until conditions improve.

Restrictions of this nature are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to disease and mortality when conditions like this exist. One short-term strategy to reduce catch-and-release mortality during times of warm water is to restrict angling to the coolest times of day. 

Anglers can help reduce stress and mortality for fish by following these practices when catching and releasing fish, though fish mortality may still occur: 

• Fish during the coolest times of day, where permitted. 
• Keep the fish in water as much as possible.  
• Let the fish recover before releasing it. 

If high temperatures and extremely low flows persist, anglers may want to consider fishing areas with less stressful conditions, such as larger lakes or reservoirs, or higher elevation waterbodies.

Similar restrictions are in place for other waterbodies. For a current list of restrictions and closures, click here.

On July 19th, 2023, at 9:22 am, Gallatin County dispatch received a call for an injured horseback rider on a trail near the 320 Guest Ranch. The patient fell from their horse and sustained a head injury. Ranch staff members radioed for help and began to provide care to the patient.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers from the Big Sky Section responded to the 320 Guest Ranch and deployed a hasty team up the trail. Ranch employees guided rescuers to the location of the patient. The rider was safely transported back to the trailhead with the use of a one-wheeled-litter and side by side. Ultimately the patient was transferred to a Big Sky Fire Department Ambulance and transported to Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center for further evaluation.

Sheriff Springer would like to commend the 320 Guest Ranch for being prepared with an emergency communication plan and for providing aid to the patient before help arrived.  Recreating in the backcountry can lead to several kinds of accidents, being prepared for what could happen helps both the responders and the patient.

Photo courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.

HELENA – While mule deer populations remain steady in portions of the state, spring green-up surveys conducted by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife biologists showed populations in some parts of the state remain lower than desired, and as a result, licenses available to hunters in those areas have been cut back.

Over the past few years, persistent drought, particularly in southeast Montana, has affected both survival and recruitment rates for mule deer. This drought has also, at times, been coupled with hard winters, making it especially difficult for fawns to survive to adulthood. The combination of these environmental factors has impacted mule deer herds in southeast Montana so much so that recent surveys indicate the population there is 48 percent below the long-term average.

“It’s really not been just one thing,” said Brett Dorak, FWP Region 7 wildlife manager. “Hard winters, dry summers – it all takes a toll on mule deer in particular. But that’s what our adaptive harvest management plan is designed to address – localized conditions that impact populations. By following the plan, we have adjusted our antlerless B license opportunity annually and over the past few years we have reduced those opportunities by 91 percent.”

Annually, wildlife managers around the state adjust mule deer B license numbers based on spring survey results. When it looks like the population is in decline in a hunting district, FWP reduces the number of mule deer B licenses available in order to keep more female deer in the herd, the very segment that drives the population. In central Montana, that has meant mule deer B licenses have fluctuated a bit during the past few years. In Region 7, mule deer B licenses have dropped from a high of 11,000 in 2020 to 1,000 this year.

In Region 6, or northeast Montana, numbers have been more variable. Generally, mule deer numbers are average to below average in southern districts of the region and average to above average in northern districts. Mule deer B license quotas have been adjusted accordingly.  

The prairie-breaks habitat of central Montana’s Region 4 has seen declining mule deer numbers, and much of the region had already changed to antlered buck-only regulations in response to severe winter conditions and summer drought of the past few years.

“We’ve been lowering our B license numbers for a few years,” said Cory Loecker, Region 4 wildlife manager. “But even with the favorable weather conditions this spring and the resiliency deer can exhibit, their numbers will take some time to rebound.”

This year also saw a few other changes to licenses. In June, the Fish and Wildlife Commission approved changes to the general deer license in several hunting districts that will shift licenses from either-sex mule deer to antlered buck mule deer only. The hunting districts affected by these changes are 301 in southwest Montana; 410, 411, 412, 417, 419, 426 and 471 in north-central Montana; 621 and 622 in northeast Montana; and 700, 701, 702, 703, 704 and 705 in southeast Montana. White-tailed deer opportunity will remain as either-sex in these hunting districts for 2023.

This means that during the archery, general and heritage muzzleloader seasons, the general license will not be valid for antlerless mule deer harvest in those districts.

These changes are reflected in the online hunting regulations, but not in the hardcopy version, which were printed in the spring prior to the changes made by the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

“It’s important for hunters to know how we’re responding to declines in mule deer numbers,” said FWP Director Dustin Temple. “We’ve heard for the last few years from landowners and hunters alike that they’re concerned about deer numbers. Staff’s application of our adaptive management plan to be more conservative with harvest really fits the situation on the ground.”

Good wildlife populations are always tied to good habitat conditions. Summer and autumn forage is important for deer, as the nutrition they get in the summer and fall will help them make it through the long Montana winters.

“We had some timely rains late last summer and autumn, which helped with some late vegetative production,” said Dorak. “Mule deer pregnancy and fetal rates are associated with forage quality in the fall, and those late rains we had may be the reason why we saw a small rebound in our recruitment rates this spring. Prairie mule deer populations are cyclical, and we have been in these low spots a few times over the past four decades, but these mule deer are also resilient. When environmental conditions are favorable, these populations can bounce back.”

“Thankfully the wet spring and summer seen in much of Montana may help give numbers a boost next year,” Dorak added.

But either way, FWP biologists will be paying close attention and adjusting B license numbers based on most recent surveys along with weather and habitat conditions.

HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is advising anglers that portions of the Beaverhead River, Bitterroot River and the entire Jefferson River are closed to all fishing daily from 2 p.m. to midnight, effective Wednesday, July 19. The restrictions will stay in effect until conditions improve.

The hoot-owl restrictions are issued for:

• Jefferson River – the entire river, from the Missouri River to the confluence of the Big Hole River and Beaverhead River
• Beaverhead River –from the confluence of the Big Hole River to Anderson Lane.
• Bitterroot River – from Veteran’s Bridge at Hamilton to the confluence of the East and West Forks Bitterroot River

FWP's drought policy provides for angling restrictions when flows drop below critical levels for fish, when water quality is diminished or when maximum daily water temperatures reach at least 73 degrees for three consecutive days. Water temperatures of 77 degrees or more can be lethal to trout. The upper Bitterroot restriction is based on criteria for cutthroat trout, which is temps reach or exceed 66 degrees for three consecutive days.

Restrictions of this nature are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to disease and mortality when conditions like this exist. FWP officials said one short-term strategy to address heat-induced stress in Montana's wild trout is to reduce catch-and-release mortality by alerting anglers to fish only in the morning. 

Anglers can reduce stress on fish at all times of the year by getting fish to net or hand quickly, keep them in the water, and revive them prior to releasing them back to river.  

In addition, anglers can also help reduce stress and mortality for fish by following these practices when catching and releasing fish, though fish mortality may still occur: 

• Fish during the coolest times of day, where permitted. 
• Keep the fish in water as much as possible.  
• Let the fish recover before releasing it. 

If high temperatures and extremely low flows persist, anglers may want to consider fishing areas with less stressful temperatures and conditions, such as larger lakes or reservoirs, or higher elevation waterbodies.

GALLATIN GATEWAY, Montana – Concerned citizens from the Gallatin Gateway area have joined forces to create the Gateway Conservation Alliance whose initial goal is to prevent the TMC Inc-Black-3462 open-pit mine application from being approved. Montana DEQ has planned a public meeting to review the application and accept public comments. The meeting is scheduled for 6:00 PM, July 25th at the Gallatin Gateway Community Center (145 Mill St, Gallatin Gateway, MT 59730).

The Gateway Conservation Alliance brings together a diverse group of stakeholders including environmental activists, conservation experts, local businesses, government representatives and especially, concerned citizens. By fostering open dialogue, promoting cooperation, and harnessing collective efforts, the GCA aims to tackle pressing environmental challenges and address the potential threats posed to our beloved Gallatin Gateway.

The initial focus of the GCA is to prevent the approval of the TMC Inc-Black-3462 open-pit mining application and encourages everyone to attend next Tuesday’s meeting. “This proposed mine is the latest in a series of developmental projects in the Gateway area that is vehemently opposed by affected neighbors. We need to make our voices heard and the GCA is our megaphone,” stated Tracie Gibbons, President of the Gateway Conservation Alliance. “That’s why it’s critical for everyone who’s ever travelled south on the 191 towards Big Sky and wants to preserve this end of the Gallatin valley, to turn out next week and support our cause.”

This open-pit mine application is especially damning because of the Opencut Act that should have all Montanans concerned about the future or our landscapes.

Those who can’t attend the meeting in person can join via Zoom: https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/83773474222?pwd=MklBTmpFb1A0dWFtUEVqRmVpSUx0QT09

More information on the can be found at https://gatewayconservationalliance.org .

Between March 28 and April 17, 2023, over 50 individuals reported becoming sick with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms after eating at Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman, MT. As previously reported, two of these individuals died and three were hospitalized.

The Gallatin City-County Health Department (GCCHD) and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) have continued the outbreak investigation in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This investigation has been a multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary undertaking. At this time, there is no further risk to the public for illness associated with this outbreak.

The public health departments have published a summary report to indicate the findings from this outbreak investigation. You can read that report here.

 
BIG SKY — After months of assembly at CWA in Switzerland, Big Sky Resort’s new Lone Peak Tram cabins are complete and en route to Big Sky.  

Two 75-passenger cabins, each weighing 6,615 pounds, have begun the more than 5,000-mile journey from Olten, Switzerland. 

The cabins departed from Olten to the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, where they were loaded on a cargo ship. The cabins will travel by ship through the Panama Canal before reaching Port Hueneme, California, where they will be loaded onto a truck to their final destination – Big Sky, Montana.  

The new cabins are expected to arrive in Big Sky in late August. 

BOZEMAN — Jumping out of a helicopter into water, navigating through the woods at night without a flashlight and completing a 20-mile road march carrying a 60-pound pack and rifle were a few of the challenges that Montana State University graduate Luke Ebeling completed on his way to recently winning what many call the "Olympics of the military."

Ebeling, graduate of MSU's ROTC program and a captain in the 3rd Ranger Battalion of the U.S. Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, took first place with his partner, Spc. Justin Rein, in the 2023 Army Best Ranger Competition in Georgia in April, winning a plethora of prizes and equipment from the event’s sponsors. A total of 56 teams competed in the nearly non-stop three-day event in which participants cover more than 100 miles during 30 events that test the limits of their physical and mental endurance.

"‘Olympics of the military’ is a pretty apt description. There's nothing else that really compares to it," said Ebeling, who earned his bachelor's in English writing from MSU in 2018 before entering the military to join one of the special operations infantry units called the Rangers. "I couldn't have done it without my partner. That definitely made the experience."

By the time Ebeling and Rein started the 20-mile road march that stretched into the first night of the competition, they had already put in almost 40 miles of drills that day, Ebeling recalled. Then, with scarcely a break, they had to jump into several hours of cognitively demanding tasks, such as taking apart and putting together weapons, nighttime reconnaissance and medical interventions on a simulated casualty. The second night featured the night navigation course, which they completed carrying 50-pound packs.

“It’s definitely super challenging fitness wise, but also mentally,” Ebeling said.

Ebeling, who spent months training for the competition after going through the Army’s elite Ranger School, also chalked up his success in part to the grit he learned while doing training drills in Montana winters while at MSU. As a cadet in MSU’s Army ROTC program, the ROTC leadership, or cadre, arranged an opportunity for him to shadow an active-duty special operations leader in Washington state, which was a formative experience, he said.

"Due to the ROTC cadre helping me out and making that connection, it was kind of always my goal to go on to a Ranger unit," Ebeling said. "That gave me the opportunity to go to Ranger School and ultimately to do this competition.”

“I've stayed in contact with a lot of mentors at MSU, who have been super helpful," he added.

Ebeling, who grew up in the Denver area, said he knew he wanted to go into the military and saw MSU's ROTC program as a good way to have his education paid for while knowing he would have a military career waiting for him.

ROTC is an educational program designed to provide the opportunity to become an officer in the U.S. armed forces while completing a bachelor’s degree. MSU students can enroll in ROTC as freshmen without any commitment to serve in the military. Cadets take ROTC classes and participate in weekly physical training in addition to their MSU courses. The majority of cadets earn some level of scholarship while in the program, and, upon graduation from MSU, most start active duty military careers.

"It offered me a lot of opportunities," Ebeling said of his MSU ROTC experience. "I got to go around world, do cool stuff and meet awesome people along the way.”

"Luke was the complete scholar, athlete, leader package that we are continually looking for," said Brent Reinhardt, scholarship and enrollment officer for MSU's Army ROTC. "He was, and obviously still is, an outstanding athlete, dedicated student and natural leader. I am super proud of him and his accomplishments thus far."

Although MSU's ROTC programs are housed in the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering and many ROTC cadets major in engineering or other STEM fields, cadets can choose any major at MSU. Ebeling started as a business major but quickly changed after discovering his passion in an English writing course. He served as a student instructor at MSU's Writing Center for two years and benefitted from MSU's curriculum, which emphasized being able to communicate across different disciplines, he said. "That's what I do now every day, writing emails and memos, working with infantry, engineers, logisticians."

When he started ROTC he wasn't fully aware of the range of opportunities it would open, he said. In addition to shadowing the special operations leader, he attended the Army's airborne school, where he learned how to parachute out of planes, and ROTC paid for a study abroad experience in Brussels, Belgium, during which he traveled Europe.

What he ended up valuing the most in his ROTC experience was the camaraderie, he said. "I was with a lot of people who were motivated to do well, whether in classes, leadership or physical fitness. To be around like-minded individuals was really helpful. The staff was also focused on helping us succeed."

"ROTC is what you make of it," Ebeling said. "The opportunities are endless."