HELENA – Imagine you harvested an animal on private lands and you're packing it out on your back after a long day. You encounter a closed, wire gate – the last obstacle remaining between you and your truck. You open it, but it's so tight that you're having trouble getting it closed, especially while carrying a heavy pack. What is the best choice in this scenario?
- Leave it open.
- Close it partway – with the wire loop slightly over the gate post.
- Remove your pack and try to use your shoulder or a ratchet strap to close the gate.
- Call the landowner and tell them you left the gate open.
If you want to know the answer to this question or even if you already do and want to learn more about hunter ethics, check out Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' Hunter Landowner Stewardship Program. The program is a voluntary, online-only educational program that outlines responsible hunter behavior and seeks to build better hunter-landowner relations.
"The program isn't trying to point fingers at anyone," said Francis Reishus, FWP's outdoor skills program manager. "It's just a way for new hunters to learn about building strong landowner relations and for experienced hunters to continue their education. You can always keep learning."
It includes a series of five videos organized into broad themes:
- Safety
- Access programs and tools
- Personal responsibility
- Special considerations for hunting on private land
The series only takes about 20 minutes to watch.
"Why not watch the videos? You'd spend that time swiping anyway," Reishus said.
After each video, there is a short quiz. Once you finish all the quizzes and pass with a score of 85 percent or more, you can enter the Protect the Hunt raffle for gear and guided hunts.
"It's about doing what you know is right – it's called integrity," Reishus said.
P.S. The answer to the question above is: "Remove your pack and try to use your shoulder or a ratchet strap to close the gate."