Fish and Wildlife Commission turns down two proposed requirements for hunters and trappers while advancing work on a broader predator-management policy
Montana hunters and trappers will not face two proposed new requirements after the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission unanimously rejected petitions calling for 24-hour trap checks on public land and mandatory possession of bear spray in grizzly country.
The Commission considered both proposals during a special virtual meeting on September 24. Neither petition advanced into the administrative rulemaking process, meaning the proposed requirements will not become part of Montana’s hunting and trapping regulations as a result of these petitions.
24-Hour Trap-Check Proposal Rejected
The first petition, submitted by Footloose Montana and the Gallatin Wildlife Association, sought to require traps and snares on public land to be checked every 24 hours.
The proposal generated considerable public interest, with more than 600 written and online comments submitted in addition to testimony during the nearly five-hour Commission meeting. The Commission ultimately voted unanimously against advancing the petition.
The vote does not eliminate Montana’s existing trap-check requirements. For example, wolf traps are subject to a 48-hour visual check requirement, and Montana also requires the capture of an animal that cannot legally be trapped, including a domestic animal, to be reported to FWP within 24 hours. Hunters and trappers should continue following the species- and area-specific requirements in the current regulations.
The rejected petition instead would have established a broader 24-hour requirement for traps on public lands.
Bear Spray Would Have Become Mandatory in Grizzly Country
The second petition would have required hunters, trappers and guides to carry bear spray while operating in grizzly bear habitat.
The proposal was submitted by the Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force on behalf of approximately 65 organizations and individuals and attracted more than 300 comments. Commissioners also unanimously declined to advance this petition.
As a result, the Commission’s action does not create a new legal requirement for hunters to carry bear spray in Montana grizzly habitat.
That distinction is important as Montana’s fall hunting seasons bring thousands of hunters into areas occupied by grizzly bears. Carrying bear spray remains an important safety practice hunters may choose to use, but the proposal to make possession mandatory did not advance.
Bigger Predator Policy Changes Could Still Be Coming
While commissioners rejected both petitions, they unanimously approved a separate action directing Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to begin developing a broader predator management policy.
This could ultimately be the more significant development for Montana hunters.
The policy is intended to provide a framework for future management decisions involving predators. FWP staff will now prepare a draft and bring it back before the Commission for additional review and public comment. If the Commission eventually chooses to move forward with formal administrative rules, those would go through additional public notice, comment and legislative oversight.
For now, therefore, the September vote itself does not establish new predator hunting or trapping regulations. Hunters should watch future Commission meetings as the draft policy develops.
What Montana Hunters and Trappers Should Know
The immediate takeaway from the September meeting is relatively simple: neither a statewide 24-hour public-land trap-check mandate nor a mandatory bear-spray requirement was adopted.
Existing trapping rules remain in place, including species-specific trap-check, harvest-reporting and tagging requirements. Montana’s 2026 regulations also contain changes involving wolf quotas and bag limits, bobcat and otter quotas, and trapping setbacks in Region 1.
Hunters and trappers can review the current regulations directly through Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ hunting regulations page and follow future Commission action through Montana FWP’s Commission page.
Keep Montana’s Hunting Seasons Straight with Hunterizer
Montana’s hunting and trapping rules can vary significantly by species, district, season and method of take—and regulatory changes can make planning even more complicated. Hunterizer helps hunters quickly see what they can legally hunt at their location and on a specific date, along with season dates, hunting districts, legal weapons, bag limits, shooting hours and other important regulations.
As Montana’s fall hunting seasons continue and the state considers additional predator-management changes, check Hunterizer before heading into the field and always confirm any applicable regulations for your hunt.
