Eighteen Block Management areas in Region 7 restrict access – for now

With the ongoing drought and fire danger, 18 Block Management Program cooperators in Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 7 have restricted or closed access to their land until fire conditions improve.

The most updated list is available below, or people may visit the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov to check for any possible additional closures or changes to existing restrictions. Click on Hunting, then Block Management, then under the various regions to track closures.

“You may experience additional restrictions as you venture into the field," said Region 7 Hunting Access Coordinator Travis Muscha. "Please be courteous and respect the restrictions put in place by landowners.”

FWP has no plans to close hunting seasons, leaving it up to landowners' discretion whether to allow access. The agency is monitoring its own sites but at present has no plans to restrict access.

There are hundreds of Block Management Areas in Region 7 offering access to more than two million acres, so even with the closures, plenty of opportunities on private and public lands remain. Block Management staff at FWP regional headquarters in Miles City are available to assist people seeking areas to hunt.

Hunters should be aware that all of Region 7 is under Stage 1 fire restrictions, which means that campfires in hunting camps are banned, and smoking is allowed only in a vehicle or in an area clear of vegetation. To check whether there are restrictions or closures in areas you may want to hunt, visit inciweb.nwcg.gov.

Muscha mentioned some things sportsmen and women can do to help alleviate the start of any wildfires:

• Park your vehicle on bare ground or ground completely void of tall grass

• Drive only on established roads

• Avoid driving through trails that may have tall grass

• After you leave an area, please wait for few minutes to make sure that a fire has not started where your vehicle was parked

• Bring along a fire extinguisher or water-filled weed sprayer, shovel or axe

• Check on any fire restrictions in place in the area where you are hunting

Have a safe and successful hunting season!