Limited hunting proposed for Bad Rock Wildlife Management Area

By CHRIS PETERSON

Hungry Horse News

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission is expected to consider hunting regulations for the Bad Rock Canyon Wildlife Management Area near Columbia Falls.

FWP staff is proposing limited access permit only for hunting. Archery season would open Thursday through Sunday (or Monday if it is a holiday) to archery equipment for all legal species, limited to two individuals/week awarded by lottery. General hunting and spring turkey seasons would open to youth ages 10–15 and hunters with a permit to hunt from a vehicle for all legal species, limited to one party/day, also awarded by lottery.

The state recently came into ownership of the 772-acre parcel of land just east of the Flathead River.

The hunting regulations are based, in part, on public comments and previous agreements with the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. which sold the land to the state though a multi-pronged community effort spearheaded by the Flathead Land Trust.

Under CFAC ownership, the property was enrolled in the Block Management Program and also provided limited opportunity for apprentice and youth hunters.

The commissioners could also consider other alternatives, such as allowing just an open hunting season with no lottery limits on the land. It could also come up with a plan of its own, FWP staff note in a cover letter on the proposal.

The FWP staff plan comes from a public scoping and comment process hat was completed earlier this year.

While the property is rich with game, it also has an inholding with a private residence and there are homes or private land on three sides of the property.

If the youth hunt is approved, the area will close to public use except for hunters on Oct. 20. It will then remain closed until May 15 to protect wintering wildlife.

In other commission matters that affect the Flathead Valley, the commission is expected to vote on a petition for a no wake zone of Half Moon Slough on the Flathead River.

“We the land owners of said water way have been concerned with massive erosion on the western land banks over the last 10 to 15 years due to increased numbers of fishing and wake boats coming in and out from the river at high speeds.  These man‐made destructive wakes have eroded over 25 feet of bank, getting closer and closer to the Flathead County Road known as Siblerud Lane,” the petition notes.

In addition, the commission is expected to take up a proposal to acquire an easement for public viewing access and build an associated bird-viewing area on the property at the corner of North Somers Road and Manning Road in Kalispell. The proposed viewing area will be within the existing 34-acre Danford Pond Conservation Easement and will provide a safe viewing opportunity for the public to observe wildlife species within and adjacent to Reed’s Slough. The Easement for Public Viewing Access would be donated to FWP and does not require funding.

The construction of the viewing area will use funding from the Nongame Tax Check-off account. The Nongame Tax Check-off workplan identifies wildlife viewing projects that increase access as a priority. To mitigate traffic hazards, the department plans to construct a gravel parking area to accommodate wildlife viewing along North Somers Road. The parking area would be large enough to accommodate a school bus, so the viewing area would also provide a venue for school groups to learn about the migratory waterfowl of Montana. The planned viewing area would include a raised trail to a platform, an informational kiosk, signage, and permanent public-use binoculars.

The commission meets Oct. 20. For more information visit the FWP website and search for “commission.”