The Montana Trappers Association (MTA) will offer a trapper education course Saturday, March 6 in Missoula. This will be the only trapper education course held in west-central Montana this year.

The free course will run 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Missoula FWP office, 3201 Spurgin Road. To register, stop by the FWP office, or call 406-542-5500.

MTA instructors will emphasize trapper ethics, trapping heritage, and trap sets. Instructors will show actual trap sets and techniques.

People of all ages are invited to attend, but students under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. All participants should bring a lunch and note-taking materials. Students who complete the course receive a certification card. The course is not mandatory for trappers but strongly recommended.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks now offers hunter education on the Internet to anyone 18 years and older.

State law says everyone born after Jan. 1, 1985 must take hunter education before he, or she, can hunt in Montana. The course, which costs $15, is a chance for an adult to take the course at his or her convenience.

Though the coursework is completed online, students born after Jan. 1, 1985, must also take a short field course to receive their certification card. Students born before this date are not required to take the field course for certification.

At FWP’s Region 4 in Great Falls, there are several field course dates available this year for online students. Those dates are: Feb. 20, March 13, April 3, June 8, July 21, and Sept. 18. Other field days may be available elsewhere around the state.

Registration is only available on the Internet to those who successfully complete the online course, and space is limited. For more information on the online course and field course times and locations, go to the FWP website, www.fwp.mt.gov, and click on Education.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks now offers bowhunter education on the Internet to anyone 18 years and older.

State law says all first time bowhunters must take a bowhunter education course. The online course, which costs $20, is a chance for an adult to take the course at his, or her, convenience.

All students, whether taking the course in a classroom setting or online, must take a field course to receive their certification card.

For online students in FWP’s Region 4, three field days have been set: May 1, June 19 and July31.

Registration is only available on the Internet to those who successfully complete the online course, and space is limited. For more information on the online course and field course times and locations, go to the FWP website, www.fwp.mt.gov, and click on Education

Spring turkey season begins April 10. Residents must have a 2010 conservation and upland game bird license and nonresidents will need a conservation license to purchase a turkey license.

In addition to opportunities to hunt male turkey in most of eastern Montana’s general turkey hunting areas, spring male turkey permits are available through special drawings in areas of western Montana.

Details on spring turkey hunting in the general hunting areas and special permit areas and how to apply are available in the 2010 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations, found on the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov beginning Feb 24.

Montana’s spring black bear season doesn’t begin until April 15, but hunters will be able to access the 2010 black bear hunting regulations on the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Web site at fwp.mt.gov beginning Feb. 25.

Licenses purchased after April 15 may only be purchased over the counter at a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks office and can not be used for five days after the purchase.

Bear hunters must have successfully completed FWP’s bear ID training at least once in order to purchase a black bear license.

Black bear hunters are urged to annually refresh their bear identification skills, including the ability to distinguish a black bear from a grizzly. Grizzly bears, a federally protected, threatened species, are not hunted in Montana.

To take the bear ID test, go to http://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/bearID/default.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking comment on the proposed commercial fishing regulations for Lake Helena and Canyon Ferry Reservoir that provide for the harvest of carp and suckers using seines.

The proposed regulations, in effect through Dec. 31, specify the areas where these fish may be harvested and how to report these commercial operations to FWP before the fishing begins.

Special regulations on the Lake Helena harvest from Jan. 1—June 30 were established to protect nesting waterfowl, and special regulations on Canyon Ferry will help prevent conflict with recreational anglers.

The FWP Commission is authorized to approve one commercial fishing operation for each body of water and to establish specific regulations. Only one individual has applied for the 2010 commercial fishing permit to harvest carp from Canyon Ferry Reservoir and Lake Helena.

Comments must be received by March 12.

For details on the new commercial fishing regulations and to comment by email, visit the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov , click on Recent Public Notices and select Fisheries Management. Comment letters may be mailed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Fisheries Bureau, 1420 East Sixth Ave., P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT, 59620-070. For assistance, phone the FWP Helena Fisheries office: 406-444-2449.

Applications for grants from the Recreational Trails and Off-Highway Vehicle Programs administered by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are due July 1.

For information on how to apply for these grants, go to the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov on the Recreation page under Grants.

Applicants may also attend a grant-writing training session at one of the following dates and locations.

Great Falls – Tuesday, March 16 from 7-9 p.m. at FWP Headquarters, 4600 Giant Springs Road
Kalispell – Thursday, March 18 from 7-9 p.m. at FWP headquarters, 490 North Meridian Road
Missoula – Friday, March 19 from 7-9 p.m. at FWP Headquarters, 3201 Spurgin Road
Butte – Tuesday, March 23 from 7-9 p.m. at Perkins Restaurant, 2900 Harrison Ave.
Bozeman – Wednesday, March 24 from 7-9 p.m., FWP Headquarters at 1400 South 19th
For more information, contact: Steve Gilbert by phone: 406-444-7642, or email: sgilbert@mt.gov ; or Beth Shumate by phone: 406-444-4585, or email: bshumate@mt.gov .

Applications for these licenses and for the new Come Home To Hunt licenses, must be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on or before March 15 and addressed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Attn: Nonresident Big Game Drawing, 1420 East Sixth Ave., P.O. Box 8012, Helena, MT 59604-8012.

Applications for outfitter sponsored licenses must be filed in FWP’s Helena licensing bureau on or before March 15. Postmark dates are not taken into account for these licenses.

For more information, contact FWP at 406-444-2950.