Local food pantries across the state are preparing to receive donations from the Hunters Against Hunger program. The program, a partnership between FWP and the Montana Food Bank Network, allows hunters to donate a portion or all of their legally harvested big game animals to be processed free of charge. The meat is then provided directly to a local food pantry in the area.

Since its inception in 2014, over 130,000 pounds of meat has been donated through the program and distributed to Montanans struggling with food insecurity through 29 local food pantry sites. Meat is extremely expensive for food pantries to provide, yet a highly nutritious resource for their clients.

“We have never in my time here had this much game. Truly a huge gift,” said Jill Holder, operations manager at Gallatin Valley Food Bank, about the impact of the program.

Participation by local meat processors and hunters are the keys to success for this growing program. Big game donations (deer, elk, antelope, moose and wild buffalo) can only be accepted as part of the program by authorized participating meat processors set up around the state. Only legally harvested or confiscated big game animals can be donated. No road kill can be donated. A full list of authorized processors can be found at the Montana Food Bank Network website at mfbn.org/hunters-against-hunger

To offset the cost of processing, hunters purchasing a Montana hunting license are given the opportunity to make a monetary donation to this program. Additional donations to the program are being accepted by the Montana Food Bank Network.

​Optics are an instrumental tool to the avid hunter. Your day can hinge on your ability to find an animal on a distant mountain face. Or determine the size of the bull elk on the next ridge at first light. Or identify the rutting whitetail buck that’s chasing a doe your way across the cornfield. As you no doubt know, the scenarios are endless.

Introducing STYRKA, a new line of optics dedicated to providing hunters with outstanding products.WHY ENTER SUCH A CROWDED MARKET, YOU ASK?  We’ve learned a few things from over a century of experience in the optics industry and have applied this knowledge and experience to STYRKA products.

We also feel like there’s a place for a hunting optics company to illuminate the science of optics for the hunter. No spin or embellishment. Just the facts. That’s our ongoing goal. We also think it’s time for a hunting optics company to really stand behind their product. To make a commitment of excellence to you, the customer.

With Montana's bow hunting and upland game bird seasons opening Sept. 1, remember that slow moving, quiet or game-calling, scented and camouflaged hunters will soon be sharing the landscape with the state's even stealthier bears that may be stalking similar prey.

​It may not be an encounter one hopes for, but all hunters must be aware there is that potential.

Each spring, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks receives several calls from people who have picked up deer fawns or other wildlife. FWP no longer accepts, holds or rehabilitates ungulates like deer, moose and elk because the animals often die from the stress of captivity, and because of concerns with the spread of disease.

​There are many cases in which good intentions lead to dire consequences. One spring in Miles City, a person saw a fledgling bald eagle hopping around on the ground, which is normal behavior as they learn to fly. Thinking the bird was injured, the person threw a blanket over it and brought it to the FWP office. The eagle escaped and flew in the opposite direction of the nest, and it’s not known if it returned.
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In a more high-profile case in Yellowstone National Park two years ago, a bison calf was picked up and transported by tourists who believed it had been abandoned. The calf ultimately had to be euthanized because it couldn’t be reunited with the herd and continued to approach people and vehicles.

​All Proceeds Will Go To Kalispell Elks Charities
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