Several Region 6 areas open For 2020 Spring Turkey Season

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and participating landowners will open some Block Management Areas (BMAs) for spring turkey hunting along the Milk River and in one area south of Zortman.

Twelve areas will be open for the spring turkey season, beginning April 11, and running through May 17. Most of the properties are located along the Milk River between Hinsdale and Nashua. One additional property is located just south of Zortman in Goslin Flats, which is a portion of the Square Butte BMA.

All these BMAs will be accessed with sign-in boxes. However, with the social distancing and stay at home directives from Gov. Steve Bullock, it’s important that hunters consider how they may secure other lands to hunt. Hunters should look to gain permission through phone calls, rather than in-person requests. Also, hunters should try to hunt as close to home as possible, and even within their own county if required.

“The BMA spring turkey hunt worked well for both landowners and hunters the last few years, and landowners are looking forward to opening their property again this spring,” said Tim Potter, Jr., Region 6 FWP Hunting Access Coordinator. “We are very pleased that we are able to provide this opportunity again. Just remember that many of these properties are in the middle of calving and other farming activities during the spring.”

“There also may be flood waters and muddy areas from spring runoff along the Milk River and other drainages,” added Potter. “Please be cautious and respectful, especially with muddy roads, around these properties as well as with other landowners not in the program.”

BMA access will be granted through a traditional sign-in box on the properties and will be advertised by a green sign titled “Spring Turkey.” Signing in will allow hunters access only for turkey hunting. Other activities such as shed hunting, fishing, or small game hunting are not allowed. Permission for such activities must be separately allowed by the landowner.

All BMA rules and expectations in place during the general season will still apply. These include, but are not limited to, leaving gates as they are found, areas of walk-in hunting only, parking in designated parking areas, using caution around livestock, taking care not to drive off road or on muddy roads, and more. Hunters should refer to the individual rules associated with each BMA, found on the back of the BMA maps.

Property boundaries may not be well marked, so hunters need to be aware of their location. “For this opportunity to continue to move forward, we need hunters to respect both the landowner’s wishes and their property,” said Potter.

As a reminder, prospective turkey hunters can also hunt on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) that are open, such as the Hinsdale and Vandalia WMAs, other public land, and on other private land with permission. However, some facilities, like bathrooms, may be closed or not cleaned as frequently given a shortage of cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment. Hunters must also be aware that there are several BMAs that are not participating in this spring hunting opportunity, and permission would be needed to hunt on these properties through appropriate social-distancing means.

A list of participating landowners and properties is available from FWP’s Region 6 headquarters in Glasgow, by calling the office at 406-228-3700, or by going to the regional webpage at fwp.mt.gov/regions/r6/. Spring turkey opportunities will also be listed, and maps are available, on the Hunt Planner on the fwp.mt.gov website.