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Last week the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved changes to the state’s elk management strategy following recommendations made by the Elk Management Plan Initial Guidance Citizen’s Group (EMPIGCG). The six changes, which are more like “guiding principles,” will help Montana develop new guidelines for managing elk, the Billings Gazette reports.
“We felt we need to maintain hunting as the primary tool for elk population management, that does not mean it has to be done exactly as it is done now,” said Ed Fryer, who is a member of the 14-person EMPIGCG. “We think there are some other scenarios that could be developed over time.”
Change is coming to elk hunting in Montana.
What form those changes may take and when they may be implemented are still uncertain, but a group of volunteers has outlined some guiding principles for developing new guidance. The six principles were presented for approval to the Fish and Wildlife Commission at its Thursday meeting.
âWe felt we need to maintain hunting as the primary tool for elk population management, that does not mean it has to be done exactly as it is done now,â Ed Fryer, one of 14 members of the Elk Management Plan Initial Guidance Citizenâs Group, told the commission. âWe think there are some other scenarios that could be developed over time.â