Hunting

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks offers free in-person hunter and bowhunter education classroom courses and field days across north-central Montana this spring. Students aged 12-17 can take online courses but must pass an in-person field day for certification. Anyone born after January 1, 1985, must complete a hunter education course to purchase a Montana hunting license.

The Wyoming Hunger Initiative, led by First Lady Jennie Gordon, is holding its annual raffle for a Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioner License, with proceeds supporting the Food From the Field initiative. Tickets are available through February 19, with the winner announced February 20, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase a Wyoming deer, antelope, or elk tag.

North Dakota's spring light goose conservation order runs February 21 through May 10. Residents and nonresidents need appropriate licenses and electronic waterfowl restoration stamps. The order applies only to light geese—snows, blues, and Ross's—with species identification important to avoid protected geese.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and North American Lead Free Partnership (NALP) are hosting three free lead-free ammunition demonstrations on February 22, April 11, and April 25 at Ben Avery Shooting Facility. Expert presentations will cover biological impacts of lead ammunition and ballistics performance, followed by demonstrations comparing copper and lead-based ammunition.

The 2026 spring wild turkey lottery has been held with more than 1,600 licenses remaining across 12 units in North Dakota. Remaining licenses will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis beginning February 25 at 8 a.m. Central time through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website.

The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission heard a presentation from License Supervisor Mike Chrisman on February 9 showing recreational annual license sales increased 9% in the first half of FY 2026. The License Modernization Act, effective July 1, 2024, contributed to gains in resident hunting licenses and fishing licenses, though nonresident hunting licenses declined 2%.

Bobcat hunting and trapping in North Dakota's Zone 2 has closed after reaching the predetermined harvest limit of eight. Zone 2 encompasses land east of U.S. Highway 83, while Zone 1 remains open through March 15 with no harvest limit.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department announced 11 winners of the 2026 Super Tag raffle, including James Richardson (Super Tag Trifecta), Phillip Kelley (Pronghorn), Jeremy Alberta (Deer), Craig Shavlik (Elk), and eight other winners across various species. Revenue from ticket sales supports conservation efforts including habitat management and wildlife-vehicle collision reduction.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds hunters that the deadline to update credit card information for 2026 pronghorn and elk hunt applications is 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17. This same deadline applies to purchasing PointGuard products and opting into Arizona E-Tag for electronic hunt permit-tags.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department opened public comment on February 6 for 2026 hunting season-setting regulations, proposing changes to chapters covering antelope, deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, upland game birds, migratory game birds, bison, and turkey hunting seasons. Public meetings are scheduled throughout Wyoming, with revised draft regulations available by March 18 and online comments accepted through April 1.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is hosting town hall-style meetings across the state where staff will review recently completed hunting and trapping seasons, discuss potential rule changes, and collect public feedback. Todd Bishop, chief of the Iowa DNR's Wildlife Bureau, encourages attendance to hear directly from staff and participate in the rules process.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks offers Hunter and Bowhunter Education in-person classes and field days at multiple south-central Montana locations this spring. Students can choose from in-person instructor-led courses, online with field day combinations, or online-only options depending on age. Registration is open at fwp.mt.gov/hunt/education.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department encourages new hunters to register for hunter education courses as big game applications open. Katie Simpson, the department's hunter education coordinator, notes that classes fill quickly and blended course options are available for those with scheduling constraints.

The Flat River Youth Hunt accommodated a record 54 youth hunters on January 17, coordinated by DNR Wildlife staff in partnership with Belding Sportsman's Club, Michigan Squirrel Dog Association, Triple H Sports, National Deer Association, and Christianity Outdoors. Youth hunters harvested over 30 squirrels and learned small game processing skills.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will offer a combined Hunter and Bowhunter Education field day for online students in Forsyth on Saturday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Forsyth Pronghorn Archery Range. Youths ages 12-17 can register for either course or become certified in both.

MassWildlife is holding two virtual public hearings on February 23 to gather feedback on proposed deer hunting regulation packages. The first hearing addresses making emergency regulations in Wildlife Management Zones 13 and 14 permanent, while the second covers proposed changes to statewide hunting and tagging regulations. Written comments are due by March 9, 2026.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department offers landowners an electronic posting system for the 2026-27 hunting season with flexible options: full season, through deer gun season, or deer gun season only. Landowners can manage postings through their My Account profile on gf.nd.gov, with a July 1 deadline for digital posting.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission has ordered the closure of bobcat hunting and trapping in Region 4 effective Wednesday, February 11th at midnight. Hunters can check current quota status on FWP's website.

Conservation First USA is offering 17 Arizona Special Big Game Tags through a raffle with $10 tickets and no purchase limit. Winners can hunt for 365 days, with all proceeds benefiting the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee for wildlife management projects.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is accepting applications from landowners for 2026 hunting access programs including Block Management, Elk Hunting Access Agreements, and Unlocking Public Lands. Landowners retain control over access rules and receive liability protection and potential compensation.