FWP: Talking Turkey

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and participating land owners will open some Block Management Areas (BMAs) for spring turkey hunting along the Milk River and also one area south of Zortman.

Up to 11 BMAs could be open for the spring turkey season, beginning April 9, and running through May 15. Most of the properties are located along the Milk River between Hinsdale and Nashua. One additional property is located just south of Zortman in Goslin Flats, which is a portion of the Square Butte BMA.

“The BMA spring turkey hunt worked well for both landowners and hunters last year, and landowners are looking forward to opening their property again this spring,” said Tim Potter, Jr., Region 6 FWP Hunting Access Coordinator. “We are very pleased that we are able to provide this opportunity again. Just remember that many of these properties are in the middle of calving and other farming activities during the spring. Please be cautious and respectful around these properties as well with other landowners not in the program.”

Last year, there were 223 hunter days recorded on the nine participating BMAs. Normally, the BMA season runs from the beginning of September (opening of upland bird and archery) until January 1 (the closing of upland birds).

BMA access will be granted through a traditional sign-in box on the properties, and will be advertised by a green sign titled “2016 Spring Turkey.” Signing in will allow hunters access only for turkey hunting. Other activities such as shed hunting, fishing, or small game hunting are not allowed. Permission for such activities must be separately allowed by the landowner.

All BMA rules and expectations in place during the general season will still apply. These include, but are not limited to, leaving gates as they are found, areas of walk-in hunting only, parking in designated parking areas, using caution around livestock, taking care not to drive on muddy roads, and more. Hunters should refer to the individual rules associated with each BMA, found on the back of the BMA maps.

Property boundaries may not be well marked, so hunters need to be aware of their location. “For this opportunity to continue to move forward, we need hunters to respect both the landowner’s wishes and their property,” said Potter.

As a reminder, prospective turkey hunters can also hunt on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), such as the Hinsdale and Vandalia WMAs, other public land, and on other private land with permission. Hunters must also be aware that there are several BMAs that are not participating in this spring hunting opportunity, and permission would be needed to hunt on these properties.

A list of participating landowners and properties is available from FWP’s Region 6 headquarters in Glasgow, by calling the office at 406-228-3700, or by going to our regional webpage at fwp.mt.gov/regions/r6/.