(Helena) – Two citizen-led petitions aimed at tightening Montana wildlife regulations have failed to move forward. After a nearly five-hour virtual meeting on Thursday, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to deny both proposals.
The first petition, backed by Footloose Montana and the Gallatin Wildlife Association, would have required traps on public lands to be checked every twenty-four hours. Commissioner Jeff Burrows stated the idea simply was not ready for primetime. The second petition would have mandated that hunters, trappers, and guides carry bear spray in grizzly habitats. State officials noted that while these specific petitions are dead, elements of them could still be considered during future routine regulation cycles.
Meanwhile, commissioners did vote unanimously to allow wildlife staff to draft a new predator management policy. Fish, Wildlife and Parks Director Christy Clark called the vote a fundamental first step, promising the public plenty of opportunities to voice their concerns as that policy develops.
