Below is a news release from the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission last week unanimously approved a chronic wasting disease management hunt for white-tailed deer in several hunting districts in southwest Montana.
From Dec. 15 through Feb. 15, unused 2020 general deer licenses will remain valid for either-sex white-tailed deer harvest, and unused 2020 003-00, 331-00 and 399-00 deer B licenses will remain valid for antlerless white-tailed deer harvest within the CWD management hunt area. Now that the general deer hunting season has ended, no additional licenses can be purchased, except the 003-00 deer B license, which will be sold until Jan. 15, 2021.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff proposed these adjustments for places where FWP’s surveillance efforts have found relatively high prevalence of CWD among white-tailed deer.
The primary goal of this CWD management hunt is to reduce densities of white-tailed deer in these areas in order to slow the spread of CWD among white-tailed deer and to mule deer, elk and moose. FWP also hopes to further improve understanding of CWD distribution and prevalence through continued testing of hunter-harvested deer.
The CWD management hunt will be in the following deer hunting districts and hunting district portions:
- HD320 – Those portions within the Jefferson River watershed. Those portions within the Madison River watershed are excluded.
- All of HD 322
- All of HD 324
- HD 325 – Those portions within the Blacktail Deer Creek watershed and north of Clark Canyon Creek. Those portions within the Beaverhead River watershed south of Clark Canyon Creek are excluded.
- All of HD 326
- All of HD 329
- HD 330 – Those portions within the Ruby River watershed. Those portions within the Madison River watershed are excluded.
- All of HD 331
- All of HD 340
As always, landowner permission is required before hunting.
(Photo source: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks)