Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Block Management Program provides hunter management assistance, an impact payment, weed management bonus and a complimentary license benefit to offset the impacts from allowing free public hunting access on private lands.
Landowners in cooperation with FWP decide when, where and how they want to manage hunters on their property in accordance with program guidelines for the benefit of wildlife management and the residents and non-resident hunters of Montana.
To be eligible for Block Management, private landowners, or their tenant, must be willing to provide public hunting access on private lands under their control or provide access to public lands through an access corridor to public lands from September 1-January 1. In accordance with program guidelines, landowners may also offer hunting access through Block Management to any commission established hunting season.
Agreements will be between the private landowner or their representative and Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Agreement duration will initially be a minimum of one year with possibility of up to five years after the first five years of annual agreements.
Landowner in cooperation with FWP determines when, where, and how the public may access private land and landowners may restrict totalnumbers of hunters, as well as limit access during specific times and not allow hunting for specific wildlife speciesin accordance with program guidelines.
Fish, Wildlife & Parks will provide hunter management assistance dependent upon need, property rules and program availability. FWP will also provide and post signs and develop property maps with associated rules for each property enrolled in collaboration with the landowner.
Landowners are eligible for an enrollment payment of $1,000 and up to $17 per hunter day with an agreement maximum of $50,000 to offset impacts from allowing hunting access.
In addition, landowners are eligible for up to 5% of their contract total in a weed management bonus if they agree to use the funds for weed management activities on lands under their control.
Landowners are also offered a complimentary sportsman's license without bear or non-resident deer/elk big game combination license which they may designate to a family member or employee.
Landowners enrolled in Block Management are provided liability protection under state law through 70-16-302, Montana Code Annotated (MCA), as long as no fees for access/trespass are charged. Landowners are also possibly eligible for reimbursement through FWP's Livestock Loss Reimbursement Program.
FWP is currently accepting applications from landowners who are interested in participating in the 2024 Block Management Program.
Deadline: Applications are due June 1
Questions? For more information: Contact your local FWP office or the FWP Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division in Helena at 406-444-3750, LndSportRelations@mt.gov