Montana

Western Montana Chapter Spotlight

May/June 2009

By Tracy Watt

Several years ago, a hunter field check in Montana led to a license-fraud investigation that revealed a poaching ring had taken nearly100 trophy-class mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, antelope, moose, mountain lion, and black bear using spotlights and silencers. The poachers were ordered to pay thousands of dollars in state fines, they were sentenced to prison time, and they will never again legally possess firearms or archery equipment.

More recently, investigators in a Seeley Lake area poaching case documented over 86 illegally killed animals over the course of fifteen years. The ring leader is serving no prison time but will be on probation for five years. He must pay a $50,000 fine and has lost his hunting privileges for life.

Reports like these are becoming all too common as poachers are targeting Montana’s trophy wildlife for commercial profit. Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) poaching investigations have gone from just a handful in the 1990s to approximately 40 new cases each year.

It is no wonder that the Western Montana Chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation has made this a top priority. According to Chapter Chair, Ray Rugg, the local chapter has donated over $11,000 to the FWP since 2003 for saturation and airplane patrols in western Montana. He said the majority of money donated has gone toward helping enforce the hunting regulations of mule deer. Rugg went on to say that when the Western Montanan Chapter’s committee members discussed how best to spend their money to help support the Mule Deer Foundation mission, they decided that helping the FWP stop poaching was their best alternative. “We can’t do anything about the wolves, we can’t do anything about the weather, but we can help the fish and game enforce the hunting regulations,” he said.

During a saturation patrol, FWP personnel will inundate a targeted area, trying to close down every drainage and check every tag. FWP Game Warden, Mike Fegely, said, “We move a bunch of guys into one area on a weekend and really hit it hard.” He believes that doing a saturation patrol for just one weekend can make a lasting impression on hunters, letting them know the FWP is serious about enforcing hunting regulations. Fegely went on to say that airplane patrols are also a great way to put a stop to hunting violations, although very expensive. “They are a tool we probably could not afford if not for the help of the MDF.”

Fegely said the Western Montana Chapter assistance is starting to show dividends and the game wardens are prosecuting more cases against violators each year. He concluded, “The bottom line is the more tools we have and the more boots we can put on the ground, the more cases we can make.”

Other donations the Western Montana Chapter has made to the FWP include: mule deer decoys; decoy hide repair; motion cameras and remote trail cameras; computer and hardware used to compile and make cases against hunting violators; and metal detectors.

Additionally, the Chapter has helped with a Wilderness Outdoor Career School, they have donated money for interpretive signs about mule deer at the Heart Lake Trailhead in the Superior Ranger District, and they have put money toward weed control and management on Ryan Gulch and Mount Sentinel. A few years back, committee members purchased materials and furnished over 50 hours of labor to install fencing on Blue Mountain that restricts ATV use on mule deer habitat.

In 2007 the Western Montana Chapter decided to do something a little different and donated all of their Chapter Rewards and Conservation Partnership dollars to the Blackfoot Challenge. Almost $10,000 dollars were contributed to help with this multi-million dollar project to acquire 5,600 acres in the Blackfoot Valley to preserve habitat for mule deer and other wildlife.

Accomplishments in 2008 include the launching of the MDF Montana License Plate program. Committee Chair, Ray Rugg, and Committee Member, Jennifer Cote, initiated the project in 2004 and Montana State Chair, Dan Dellinger, saw the project to completion in early 2008. The plates are now available through all Montana registrar offices. Money raised from sales of the Montana plates will be used, in part, to fund habitat enhancements, as well as conservation research and education in the state.

Also in 2008 the Western Montana Chapter put still more money towards saturation patrols. They also started a Landowner Appreciation Award to honor landowners who have contributed significantly to advancing the mission of the Mule Deer Foundation.

The Western Montana Chapter committee members justly represent the passionate, hard-working people of the Big Sky state. Since the Chapter’s inception in 2003, they’ve logged over 280 direct hours on the ground to benefit mule deer. Every year during the Western Montana Chapter banquet, the crew auctions off a “work day,” whereby the committee members will work for a day – doing anything from building a deck, painting, digging ditches, burning slash, you name it!

This year’s banquet will be held on July 18th, 2009 at the Hole-in-the-Wall Ranch on the West Fork of Fish Creek. There is an Early Bird Drawing for a .22 Pistol for those registering by June 1, 2009. The Chapter is also offering raffle tickets for a rifle, scope and case for just $5 each or five for $20. The drawing will be held at the July 18th banquet. New games this year will include outdoor archery, horse shoes, golf, and much more.

If you are interested in becoming a part of this dedicated and ambitious group of volunteers or would like to attend the Hole-in-the-Wall banquet, please contact Ray Rugg at 406-822-4240 or visit the Chapter’s new Web site at www.mtmuledeer.org.

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