Montana

This Week in Fish and Wildlife: It's license renewal season in Montana

Published

2 years ago

March 6, 2024

This Week in Fish and Wildlife: It's license renewal season in Montana

If you’re planning to hunt, fish, or recreate in Montana this year, it’s time to renew your licenses. MTN’s Chet Layman shares some reminders and tips for making that process easier than ever before.

BOZEMAN — It’s March, and that means it’s a new year in terms of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. It’s time to renew all those licenses for the coming year. If you like online, FWP has made it easier this year.

“Something new this year, if you are purchasing your licenses online is, and if you know that you want the same licenses that you got last year, there’s a very easy option to be able to select, you know, ‘Get me the same stuff that I had last year,’ and that quickens that process even further,” said Morgan Jacobsen, information and education manager for Montana FWP Region 3.

When it comes to hunting season, a little preparation goes a long way. There are deadlines for applications, and there might be changes to some hunting areas. Best advice? Go online and use the tools on the FWP website. Or you can visit your nearest FWP office Monday through Friday.

“There’s other resources available online to do that as well. There’s the hunt planner map, there’s video tutorials on how to go through that online licensing process, there’s maps, there’s regulations—all of those materials are available on our website,” Jacobsen said, “as well if you want to come in and talk to us here in our office, we’re always happy to help walk you through that process as well.”

Along with meeting application deadlines—for deer and elk: April 1; moose, sheep, and goat: May 1; bison, many B licenses, and antelope: June 1—there is also an important decision you must make.

“Another thing that folks should keep in mind or make a decision on, early on, is if they want e-tags or or paper tags. Again, because that’s a decision you can make once in a season. Once you decide, you know, ‘I want my general deer license to be an e-tag ,’ we can’t change that later on. So make sure that you just have an idea what you want to do with regards to e-tags as well,” Jacobsen said.

Don’t forget, if you’d rather use fly rod, bobber, and lures, or go old-fashioned bait to catch your Montana game, fishing licenses must be renewed for the new year now as well.

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Montana

Man dies in Highway 93 crash in Lake Co.

Published

3 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Man dies in Highway 93 crash in Lake Co.

RAVALLI, Mont. — A 35-year-old man is dead after a two vehicle crash on Highway 93 North near Ravalli on Sunday morning, according to Montana Highway Patrol.

The driver of a Honda Civic traveling northbound in the southbound lanes was declared dead on scene after colliding with a Ford F-150 that was traveling southbound.

The driver of the Ford F-150 was injured in the accident taken to St. Luke Community Healthcare in Ronan.

Montana Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

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Montana

Montana FWP seeking water rights for Rock Creek near Red Lodge

Published

15 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Montana FWP seeking water rights for Rock Creek near Red Lodge

CARBON COUNTY — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is working to acquire two senior water rights along the West Fork of Rock Creek near Red Lodge to address critically low water levels that are threatening the fish population.

The creek, which flows around the Red Lodge community, may appear full to casual observers, but wildlife officials say the flow is dangerously low for fish survival.

Watch FWP discuss the need for these water rights for Rock Creek:

Montana FWP seeking water rights for Rock Creek

“To have these water levels, it can have an impact on the fishery over there,” Chrissy Webb with Fish, Wildlife and Parks said. “Over the past few years, we’ve been seeing really low water levels for these trout, which is obviously a huge issue. Fish, of course, need water.”

The proposed solution involves purchasing two senior water rights that were previously used for irrigation and transferring them to remain in the stream for fishery protection.

“This would be water that was once diverted for irrigation. Those water rights would transfer to remain in the stream for the protection of this fishery,” Webb said.

Acquiring water rights is a complex process, but Webb emphasized the urgency of the situation. Without intervention, the fish population could decline quickly.

“We need water levels to be at a certain level for fish to survive. And we need water temperatures to be low enough for these trout to survive. And then, like I said, some places in Rock Creek have even experienced total dewatering of the stream bed,” Webb said.

FWP plans to purchase the water rights for $330,000. The process involves the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation

“They’re working with the owner of those water rights to transfer their purpose from irrigation to being in stream flows,” Webb said.

The DNRC will ultimately decide whether FWP has the authority to purchase the water rights. The access to water would come from Giant Springs in Great Falls.

Michael Downey with the DNRC said mid to low elevation areas are particularly lacking adequate stream levels, but is confident they will rise as the year continues.

“If you look at where snowpack is right now, even those places that are below normal, certainly that Rock Creek drainage is probably the one in the area that looks worse than most,” Downey said.

On Feb. 12, the DNRC will decide if the FWP has the authority to purchase those water rights.

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Montana

Indiana lands commitment from Montana State transfer cornerback Carson Williams

Published

1 day ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Indiana lands commitment from Montana State transfer cornerback Carson Williams

Indiana football continued its reload in the secondary on Sunday with the commitment of Montana State transfer cornerback Carson Williams.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, Williams made his commitment to head coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers after a weekend visit to Indiana. Williams has three years of eligibility remaining.

MORE: Transfer Portal Thread | Indiana football transfer portal tracker | Indiana football’s transfer portal wish list: A position-by-position breakdown of 2026 needs

Williams, who hails from Houston, Texas, amassed 46 total tackles, eight pass breakups and 2.5 tackles for loss in 2025 with the Bobcats. He also forced and recovered a fumble this past season.

The 2025 season was Williams’ second at the college level after he redshirted in 2024 as a true freshman.

Entering this portal cycle, cornerback was a large question mark for the Hoosiers. D’Angelo Ponds could potentially leave early for the NFL Draft and depth corner Amariyun Knighten has already entered the portal, but outside of those two, Indiana returns everyone else at cornerback.

Williams now joins a 2026 cornerback room that features returners Jamari Sharpe, Ryland Gandy and Jaylen Bell, while Ponds’ decision on his future is expected to come following Indiana’s run in the College Football Playoff.

Williams is rated as the No. 795 overall transfer and the No. 91-ranked cornerback in the portal.

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