Montana

Montana Ag: Pheasant Program at State Prison Creates Unique Opportunities

Published

4 months ago

November 23, 2025

Montana Ag: Pheasant Program at State Prison Creates Unique Opportunities

DEER LODGE — Just under a dozen inmates at the Montana State Prison spend their days working on the Pheasant Ranch, combining two Montana traditions: agriculture and hunting.

The program offers well-behaved inmates the opportunity to raise pheasants from hatchery to release, providing both valuable life skills and a sense of accomplishment that’s often missing behind bars.

(WATCH: Montana Ag: Pheasant Program at State Prison Creates Unique Opportunities)

Montana Ag: Pheasant Program at State Prison Creates Unique Opportunities

“Feels good to have done a hard day’s work and actually be able to feel like you’ve accomplished something instead of just sitting in a cell day long,” said Mark McGuire.

MTN News

Thousands of pheasants call these pens home each year as workers raise them through all stages of life.

The work provides more than just a daily routine. It offers a chance to contribute something meaningful to the community.

“Gives you a sense of pride, especially when you see the birds going out for other people to enjoy,” said Bill Dunmire.

The Montana Correctional Enterprises programs provide jobs like the ones in the pheasant operation. Other opportunities include range cattle, dairy and dairy processing, irrigation, and fire crew. Altogether, up to 85 inmates can work while serving time.

WEB STORY 4.jpg — Around 39,000 birds were raised and distributed in 2025 alone.

Nicholas McMaster, a ranch supervisor, said he finds it rewarding to watch the personal growth of the men in the program.

“Well, some of it is just learning how to get along with each other, you know? A lot of guys are here because maybe they couldn’t get along on the outside. I really try to work on them with that, and I’ve got a really good crew right now. They have fun and they work hard and they do what’s needed and then some,” McMaster said.

The inmates told MTN that prison can be a lonely place, but the pheasant program provides opportunities to care for the birds from the hatchery, all the way to their eventual release into Montana’s wild areas.

For some inmates, the experience is training them for goals beyond their sentence.

“For someone that aspires to open up his own dog rescue someday, it’s really been an experience on learning how to raise these animals,” McGuire said.

The pheasants are raised in collaboration with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in their “Roosters for Recruitment” initiative to provide hunting opportunities for hunters, especially youth hunters. Thousands were transported from the prison and released this fall to about 30 different sites across the Treasure State.

WEB STORY 1.jpg — A photo of workers handling pheasants at the ranch.

The prison ranch operates year-round, even after hunting season begins. Workers learn additional life skills, including maintenance, carpentry and welding.

National studies show a 7% reduction in recidivism for those who learn a new skill, and a 14% reduction when applying that skill to a job while in prison.

“It makes a world of difference to our morale and how we affect each other,” said Thomas Williams.

Strict biosecurity measures are in place to protect the flock from diseases like avian flu, limiting access to authorized personnel only.

Feeding, watering and preventing disease are among the daily requirements for maintaining a healthy pheasant flock. Some inmates had no prior knowledge of caring for the birds, but now they know better than just about anyone else in the state.

WEB STORY 6.jpg — Pheasants being handed over from the prison to Fish, Wildlife & Parks to be distributed across the state for hunters.

Since pheasants started hatching in Deer Lodge, there have been 85,000 birds released across the state, with an estimated 60,000 set to be released next year, along with the addition of the flight pens at Pine Hills

With the program continuing to expand each year, more opportunities for incarcerated individuals will be created, while also furthering support for Montana’s hunting community.

Inmates said they take satisfaction in knowing their work benefits others.

“When I hear about people hunting the pheasants we raise. It just puts joy into my heart,” Williams said.

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Related Topics:Agriculture Featured hunting inmate Joey Biancone life skills Montana State Prison PHEASANTS prisoner ranching

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Montana

9K residents without power in Flathead Co.

Published

10 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

9K residents without power in Flathead Co.

KALISPELL, Mont. — Flathead Electric reports more than 9,000 customers in Flathead County are currently without power.

Officials say the outage is due to a transmission service disruption from Bonneville Power Administration.

Their outage map currently shows 9,700 outages.

The BPA outage is also affecting Lincoln Electric customers Eureka, Rexford and Trego. Close to 6,000 outages are reported on their outage map.

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Montana

Montana finalizes 2026 primary candidate list

Published

22 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Montana finalizes 2026 primary candidate list

HELENA, Mont. — Montana’s 2026 primary election ballot is taking shape after a busy candidate filing period that drew hundreds of hopefuls.

Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana election team finalized the list of candidates after 380 total candidates filed between Feb. 17 and March 4. Of those candidates, 19 withdrew from their races.

Six independent candidates are still waiting to qualify via petition before being added to the general election ballot.

The following was sent out by the Office of the Montana Secretary of State:

Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana Election Team have completed ballot certification for Montana’s 2026 Primary Election, finalizing the list of candidates who will appear before voters on Tuesday, June 2.

Pursuant to Montana law, county election administrators certify local candidates for the primary ballot in their respective counties, while the Secretary of State’s Office certifies the names and designations of statewide and state district candidates, including candidates for federal, legislative, and certain judicial offices.

The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) notified the Secretary of State’s Office and the county election administrators of any candidate(s) whose name(s) may not appear on the ballot pursuant to Montana law.

“The ballot certification process is a key step in ensuring Montana’s elections are accurate, secure, and transparent,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “I’m grateful to our state election officials and the county election administrators and their teams across the state for their hard work preparing for the 2026 Primary Election.”

A total of 380 candidates filed with the Secretary of State’s Office during the candidate filing period (Tuesday, February 17 – Wednesday, March 4). Several candidates withdrew from their respective races, while Independent candidates are pending petition requirements to qualify for the general election ballot.

Filings with the Secretary of State’s Office included:

United States Senator: Twelve total candidates filed for the office, though one withdrew and one is pending petition requirements. Five Democrats, three Republicans, and two Libertarians will appear on Montanans’ Primary Election ballots. One Independent candidate must meet Montana’s petition requirements.
United States Representative: Sixteen total filings in the 1st and 2nd Congressional races.
1st Congressional (MT-01) Ten candidates submitted paperwork for the Congressional seat – four Democrats, four Republicans, and one Libertarian. One Independent candidate must meet petition requirements. The incumbent did not file for re-election.
2nd Congressional (MT-02) Six candidates submitted filing paperwork, including the incumbent, who is the lone Republican to file for the race. Three Democrats and one Libertarian filed, while one Independent also submitted their paperwork for the race and is pending petition requirements.
Public Service Commission: Seven candidates will appear on the ballot for the two PSC seats.
PSC District 1: Two Republicans and one Democrat will appear before voters for the open seat.
PSC District 5: The incumbent is one of three Republicans to file for the seat, while one Democrat also filed.
Supreme Court Justice: Two candidates filed for the Supreme Court Justice No. 4 race – Judge Dan Wilson was the first to file for Montana’s high court, and Judge Amy Eddy followed suit later the same day.
District Court Judge: Thirteen candidates submitted filings, including several judges currently on the bench.
Legislature: The majority of candidate filings were for Legislative seats, where 329 total filings were submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office, nearly 130 of which came on the opening day.
Montana State Senate: Sixty-six candidates qualified for the 2026 Primary Election, including more than 10 incumbents.
Montana State House: A total of 235 candidates qualified for the 2026 Primary Election. Three Independent candidates are pending petition requirements. Dozens of incumbents filed for re-election.