Successful hunting in Montana often is possible thanks to private landowners who have allowed hunting on their land.
Montana is the fourth largest state in the union and but almost two-thirds of it is privately owned. That means Montana hunters rely on private landowners most of the time for a successful hunt.
“Reliant on a good relationship between landowners, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and public hunters, and that relationship is what helps facilitate that access into the future,” said FWP spokesman Morgan Jacobsen.
This year FWP has renewed an opportunity to thank those landowners who allow hunting. It’s as easy as going to the FWP website and jotting down a quick thank you note to one of those landowners. That simple recognition can go a long way to a long-lasting partnership.
“Offering that note of thanks really goes a long way I think because there's other options out there for Montana landowners, they don’t have to provide public access but when they do, it’s really a tremendous service that they offer for the public of Montana, especially the hunting public,” Jacobsen noted.
Jacobsen also says the best way to say thank you is to treat that private land like it was your own — leave no trace and do no harm.
“You know that's part of being a Montana hunter is making good, ethical responsible and safe decisions while you're in the field and being a good guest when you're on private land,” Jacobsen said. “So, just doing that and offering a note of thanks I think is really going to help preserve access opportunities around the state going into the future.
Right at the bottom of the main FWP website page is a tab you can click on to access the thank you portal. That two-minute effort this year could mean the difference between returning next year or having to go find somewhere else to hunt.
