MISSOULA — Hunters are getting ready to scour for shed antlers in the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area southeast of Seeley Lake.
Vehicle registration to drive in on opening day, May 15, isavailable online starting Tuesday, April 1.
The start of shed season in the Blackfoot-Clearwater is a big event.
But this year, for the second time, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is managing things a little bit differently. They are asking hunters who want to drive up when the range opens, at noon on May 15th, to register ahead of time.
FWP instituted the system last year, to help manage the large crowds looking to scoop up sheds.
"The reason behind the registration is to improve safety. In past years, we had vehicles and campers and horse trailers in some cases lining up for weeks along Highway 83, which borders the Wildlife Management Area,” said FWP spokeswoman Vivaca Crowser. “So, we moved to the registration just in an effort to move people off the road to help their safety and the vehicles that are driving by."
Registration is open online from 12 p.m. on April 1 until midnight on April 19. The registration system is aimed at reducing congestion right as the hunt kicks off. It does not cap the number of vehicles that can enter on opening day, it just helps manage entry between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on May 15.
“You just enter your information,” Crowser said. “Once it closes, then we randomize the list, so there's not a hurry to register. We take all the numbers and mix them up and then everybody gets emailed out their entry number, which will happen towards the end of this month.”
Watch related coverage: Shed hunting kicks off at Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area
These entry numbers will determine the order in which hunters drive into the range. FWP will send out information to those who register about when to show up.
“Everybody's in about 15 minutes. So, really, it's just a matter of are you number 10 in line or number 150?” Crowser said.
The registration system only applies to vehicles looking to get in right at the start. Those outside of vehicles or looking to come after 2 p.m. do not need to sign up.
“If you're not needing to drive in right at noon, if you're going to walk in or go on with horses or maybe pedal a bike in, you don't need to worry about the registration at all,” Crowser said. “You can do that without a number.”
Since kicking off registrations last year, FWP said the system has helped out on opening day. They are still working on the process and are open to feedback.
“I think, like anything, it's new and we learned some things and we heard feedback that helped us make some adjustments this year, but in general it really did help with safety,” Crowser said. “It helped also provide a little bit more equal opportunities so that if you don't have [the] schedule or the ability to get there early and line up, it kind of level the field that way.”
