Briefs for June 6, 2018
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Women’s Fly Fishing Workshop in Kalispell on June 9
News from Montana FWP
Kalispell — The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program is sponsoring a fly fishing class in Kalispell on Saturday, June 9.
This class is for beginning anglers who want to learn or improve their fishing skills. At the class, attendees will learn how to select and set up fishing rods and reels, how to choose flies, and how to tie fishing knots.
Attendees will also learn about reading the water and the basics of fly casting, hooking and playing fish and being safe on the water. Lunch is provided and participants can borrow a fly fishing rod if they don’t have one. The class fee is $15 and registration is required.
For more information, contact Sara Smith at (406) 444-9948 or email sarsmith@mt.gov or Jim Vashro at (406) 270-9914 or email jsjvash@montanasky.us. Registration forms are available on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov under Education/Becoming an Outdoors-Woman.
FWP’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program is designed to introduce women to outdoor skills. Through a variety of programs across the state, the BOW program provides participants with information, encouragement and hands-on instruction in outdoor skills such as fishing, shooting, archery, survival and outdoor cooking.
Information sought on grizzly bear shooting north of Libby
News from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Kalispell — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are seeking information on the shooting death of a sub-adult male grizzly bear found dead on Forest Road 4859 in the Kootenai Forest, north of Libby in Northwest Montana.
Officials retrieved the carcass on Sunday, May 28. Investigators believe the grizzly bear was killed along the road on the evening of Sunday, May 20.
The USFWS and FWP are asking for anyone with possible information on this case, or anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the Barron/Bristow Creek area, to call the Service Special Agent at 406-329-3000 or 1-800-TIP-MONT. Callers do not have to identify themselves and a reward of up to $2,000 may be available for information leading to a conviction.
Leave newborn wildlife alone
News from CSKT Natural Resources Department
PABLO — Newborn wildlife is irresistible, and many well-meaning people are tempted to “help” when the best thing they can do is leave the young alone and observe wildlife from a distance.
Ninety percent of all ungulate babies are born in the last week of May or the first couple of weeks of June. This adaption of ungulates birthing at the same time is a survival strategy called predator swamping. When all of the wild ungulates give birth at the same time there is a greater likelihood of a larger number of survivors.
“Young wildlife are rarely helpless or abandoned, more often the mother is only gone temporarily or is intentionally staying a short distance away to avoid attracting attention to her young,” said Dale Becker, Tribal Wildlife Program Manager.
If you do discover an apparently abandoned wild animal newborn or animal baby just leave it alone. Just touching or picking them up may cause the mother to reject them because of the human scent. “Birds, however, cannot smell well, and fledglings may be carefully returned to their nest,” Becker said.
In some cases, the lure of having an unusual pet or the dream of taming a wild creature may be why a baby animal is taken from the wild. This is a bad choice for the human and for the baby animal.
According to Pablo Espinoza, Chief Tribal Conservation Officer, it is illegal to possess or remove from the wild any game animal, game bird, songbird, furbearer or bird of prey, and suspects may be prosecuted for such violations.
If you find young wildlife that is orphaned because the mother was killed contact, Pablo Espinoza or Stacy Courville at the Tribal Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation, and Conservation at 406-883-2888.
