Turkey hunting opportunities abound
<p>A group of tom turkeys lead the hens away near Whitefish Mountain Resort on Thursday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Hunters in Montana have no shortage of opportunities this year to bag a last-minute turkey before Thanksgiving — or as many as seven, if you’re willing to do some traveling.
The Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has opened up hunting regulations on the popular game birds this year in response to a recent surge in turkey populations.
In addition to a general tag, Region One hunters can pick up a region-specific turkey license, along with a beardless tag. Region-specific licenses are also available in Regions Two, Five and Seven.
Beardless turkey tags are also available in Region Two, but are limited to hunting within Missoula and Ravalli counties.
Wildlife managers created the additional hunting opportunities during the biannual regulation-setting earlier this year after receiving landowners’ complaints of private land overrun with wild turkeys.
Hunters should double-check their local hunting regulations before heading out into the field. Copies of the 2016 rules can be picked up at regional Fish, Wildlife and Parks offices, and can be viewed online at fwp.mt.gov/hunting/regulations.
For more information, contact the regional fish and game office in Kalispell at 406-752-5501.