“Without your participation in the Block Management Program, we would not have been able to get my daughter’s first buck. Thank you,” a hunter wrote to a landowner in south-central Montana. In Montana, where hunting is an integral part of life, hunting access is treasured.

The Block Management Program, a cooperative program between private landowners and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, provides free public hunting access on private and public land. Enrolled landowners receive help in managing hunting opportunities, including enforcement patrol, compensation for each hunter that accesses their property, and, occasionally, heartfelt notes of thanks. For the 2023 hunting season, hunters had access to 6.8 million acres of land in the Block Management Program across Montana.

Every year, FWP hosts appreciation banquets across the state for landowners enrolled in the Block Management Program. In south-central Montana, dinners were held in Harlowton, Roundup, Billings and Absarokee. Landowners receive plaques to commemorate longevity milestones in the Block Management Program. This year, 16 landowners in Region 5 were recognized for their longevity, with 3 landowners receiving 25 year awards.

At each dinner, Region 5 access manager Trenton Heisel presented on FWP’s outreach campaign to promote improved hunter ethics and landowner relations. The “It’s Up to Us” campaign reminds hunters to plan ahead for access, respect private property, practice safe hunting, turn in poachers and show gratitude for access. For more information on the “It’s Up to Us” campaign, visit: fwp.mt.gov/itsuptous.

To facilitate the communication of gratitude from hunter to landowner, FWP launched the online “Thank a Landowner” portal during the 2023 hunting season. Over 50 submissions were received for Region 5 landowners and were shared at this year’s dinners.

FWP is currently accepting applications from landowners who are interested in participating in the 2024 Block Management Program. Applications are due June 1. More information is available online: fwp.mt.gov/hunt/landownerprograms/block-management.

The following landowners were recognized for their years in the Block Management Program:

10 years

• Carla Eng, Ryegate

15 years

• Clay Olson, Two Dot
• Charlotte Van Oosten, Reed Point
• Robert Willems, Harlowton

20 years

• Randy Adams, Billings
• Mitchell Auer, Broadview
• Donald Cash, Broadview
• Denise Conover, Broadview
• Kent Hereim, Judith Gap
• Craig Martin, Two Dot
• Katherine Martin, Two Dot
• Atha Stagner, Harlowton
• Dan Walker, Billings

25 years

• Mike Grewell, Silesia
• John Lehfeldt, Lavina
• Evelyn Popelka, Molt