Missouri River Breaks Elk Working Group Meets May 15 in Malta, Montana
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 04.23.13
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Missouri River Breaks Elk Working Group will meet from 7-9 p.m. on May 15 in the upstairs meeting room at the First State Bank in Malta.
Malta-area FWP Biologist Scott Thompson said the meeting will include a presentation on the recently initiated elk research project that is looking at the effects of public access on fall elk distribution in Region 6 hunting districts in the Breaks. This fall’s elk license and permit quotas will also be discussed.
Fifty cow elk were captured this winter and fitted with store- on-board global positioning (GPS) units that will track their movements for two years. Elk movements already seen since the capture will be presented, as well as results from blood sampled during the capture.
“Especially important is finding that all of the elk tested seronegative for brucellosis,” Thompson said.
The working group is a mix of landowners, outfitters, hunters, ranchers and resource agency representatives. It was formed in the mid-1990s and meets on an as-needed basis to address a wide range of issues that affect elk management, hunting regulations and hunter distribution in the Breaks.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend the group’s meetings. For more information, please call 406-228-3700.
