What Hunters Prefer and Value about Mule Deer Hunting in Montana

During Montana’s biennial process for establishing hunting seasons, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) listens to issues, advocacies, opinions and values brought forward by diverse mule deer hunters. In recent years, vocal constituency groups have advocated for season structures that provide more opportunity to harvest mature mule deer bucks, reflective of the recent direction of mule deer management in much of the west. In an effort to better quantify the views and preferences of the Montana hunting public in general, FWP conducted surveys of both resident and nonresident mule deer hunters. Results from the survey confirm that mule deer hunting is very important to Montana's hunters, consistent with the fact that deer hunting is by far the most popular hunting activity in Montana. Approximately two-thirds of the survey respondents prefer less restrictive mule deer hunting regulations compared to more restrictive regulations that increase the probability of harvesting mature bucks by limiting opportunity. Surprisingly, trophy hunting was the least important reason expressed by survey respondents for hunting mule deer in Montana. Many respondents did express concerns about a variety of access related issues. Despite these concerns, respondents reported being generally satisfied with overall mule deer hunting opportunities in Montana, and nearly half of the respondents rated opportunities to hunt large mule deer bucks in the state as being better than average. FWP intends to use results from this survey in the consideration of future management of this important game species that is so highly prized by Montana hunters

Application of Structured Decision Making to Elk Archery Regulation Decisions in Montana

Prior to 2008, 22 hunting districts (HDs) in Montana had limited-draw, either-sex rifle permits, while the archery season was open for either-sex hunting to anyone possessing a general elk license. In addition, an unlimited number of hunters could obtain an either-sex archery elk permit in the 7 Missouri River Breaks HDs, where rifle hunting of bull elk is also limited. In 2008 the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) Commission implemented limited-draw archery regulations in these districts. These regulations have been very controversial since they were implemented. Certain public sectors have argued fervently for changes to these limited regulations in every MFWP season-setting process since 2008, and legislation that would reverse these regulations was introduced and defeated in the last two legislative sessions. In response to the contentious debate on this topic, in 2011 MFWP staff and the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit facilitated a 10-citizen working group composed of landowners, public sporting interests and commercial/fee hunting perspectives. Using a Structured Decision Making (SDM) process, the working group developed a problem statement, fundamental objectives and assessed the performance of multiple archery season options relative to the fundamental objectives to arrive at an elk archery season proposal. In December of 2011 the MFWP Commission used these results as a basis for tentative season proposals that they distributed for wider public input and comment. Here we present the results of the SDM process and the working group proposal, as well as subsequent MFWP Commission action relative to the proposal

Brucellosis in Montana Elk: Factors that Influence Disease Prevalence and the Social And Political Influences and Issues Associated with Managing a Disease of Concern for Livestock in a Free-Ranging Elk Population

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that affects elk (Cervus elaphus), bison (Bison bison) and domestic cattle. Transmitted primarily through contact with birth tissues, the disease is a significant livestock disease resulting in significant costs to producers and is a USDA eradication program disease. Brucellosis was first documented in wildlife in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) in the early 1900s and was brought into the region by livestock producers. The disease has since been eradicated in livestock, but persists in elk and bison populations of the GYA. Recently the seroprevalence of brucellosis in free-ranging elk populations of Montana has increased and its range has likely expanded resulting in increased pressure on Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) to manage the disease in elk. We evaluated factors that potentially influence elk aggregation behaviors and the consequences of these factors on seroprevalence. We used a Bayesian spatial model to estimate seroprevalence across the designated surveillance area. This research approach allowed seroprevalence to be estimated for the first time in areas with limited surveillance data. The socio-political influences associated with managing wildlife potentially infected with a disease that threatens the cattle industry of Montana, the available tools for managing the disease in elk, and MFWP’s current strategy for managing brucellosis in one of Montana greatest public trusts is discussed

Evaluating Success for a Within-Mountain Range Transplant of Bighorn Sheep in Southwestern Montana

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) performed a bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) transplant within the Madison Mountains of southwest Montana February 2015.  Once with 5 distinct wintering ranges, the herd since endured, and recovered from, several all-age die-offs.    As of 2013, one historic wintering area was overpopulated (>250 bighorn), one sparsely populated (~30 bighorn), and three historic wintering areas were left unoccupied: Indian Creek, Wolf Creek, and the Henry’s Mountains.  MFWP evaluated habitat and proposed to reintroduce bighorn from the overpopulated wintering range to either Wolf Creek or Indian Creek.  After the EA and public process concluded, Wolf Creek was the selected release site.  MFWP captured 52 bighorn from the overpopulated winter range using a drop-net, and moved them via trailer to the release site.  Ten of the released bighorns were fitted with LOTEK Lifecycle GPS collars, providing satellite location data once daily for up to 4 years.  Transplant success was mixed, with three collared bighorns immediately returning to their former range, three collared bighorns wintering at the sparsely populated intermediate range, and four collared bighorns remaining through winter and into summer at the reintroduction site.  One bighorn died shortly after release.  The four collared bighorns remaining at the release site explored Indian Creek through summer, then in July, 3 returned to their original range and 1 remained in the transplant area.  Of the 52 bighorns transplanted, approximately 10-15 remain in the Wolf Creek transplant range.  Subsequent transplants are planned to enhance the restoration of bighorn sheep in the Madison Range

Adaptive Wolf Management: The Regulated Public Harvest Component

Montana’s wolf (Canis lupus) conservation and management plan is based on adaptive management principles and includes regulated public harvest as a population management tool. The need and opportunity to implement public harvest in 2008, 2009, and 2010 required Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) to develop a stepped down adaptive management framework specific to harvest. For 2008 and 2009, FWP set modest objectives: implement a harvest, maintain a recovered population, and begin the learning process to inform development of future hunting regulations and quotas. In 2010, FWP used a formal Structured Decision Making Process to more clearly define priorities and challenges of setting a wolf season, outline objectives of a successful season, and evaluate consequences and trade-offs between alternative management actions. For all years, FWP used a modeling process to simulate a wide range of harvest rates across three harvest units and to predict harvest effects on the minimum number of wolves, packs and breeding pairs. Model inputs were derived from minimum wolf numbers observed in the field. Modeling allowed consideration of a range of harvest quotas, predicted outcomes, and risk that harvest could drive the population below federally-required minimums. It also facilitated explicit consideration of how well a particular quota achieved objectives and how to adapt future regulations and quotas. Legal challenges to federal delisting restricted implementation of the first fair chase hunting season to 2009. Montana’s wolf population is securely recovered, despite the dynamic political and legal environments. Regardless, FWP remains committed to a scientific, data-driven approach to adaptive management

Winter habitat selection and habitat status of pine marten in southwest Montana /

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New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/‘proxy’ AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/‘proxy’ AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele