The Wildlife Management Program of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes is charged with the protection, enhancement and management of terrestrial wildlife species and habitats to provide for viable populations of all wildlife species on the Flathead Indian Reservation for use by the generations of today and tomorrow. The Program’s staff of Wildlife Biologists serve the Tribal membership by monitoring and managing wildlife species utilized for food and other traditional uses, by engaging in planning of human development to protect Threatened and Endangered wildlife species, and researching culturally important species of the Salish, Pend d’Oreille and Kootenai Peoples.
Wildlife Program Manager: Kari Kingery
Phone: (406)-675-2700 ext. 7217
Hours: Mon-Thu 7:00am – 5:30pm
Living with Wildlife
Wildlife frequently find themselves in backyards and around homes, leading to conflict with homeowners. Animals referred to as nuisance, or problem animals, are often innocent. Conflict arises because an animal is following its natural instincts and is only doing what it needs to survive.
By understanding some general biology of these animals, homeowners can learn how to protect their property from unwanted visitors and reduce conflict between wildlife and people. The following brochures are guides to help residents understand different wildlife so that they can avoid unwanted encounters.
Big Game Depredation
The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribal Wildlife Management Program is interested in working with landowners to help manage big game conflicts and aims to be responsive in resolving conflicts with the most effective management tools for each situation. Because living with Wildlife often leads to conflicts, it is a priority of the Tribal Wildlife Management Program to prevent or minimize the damage caused by big game. To be successful, it is important that landowners and wildlife Managers communicate, cooperate, and work together to reduce damage to their property. The following tools are available on the FIR to landowners to reduce big game depredation:
- Exclusion fencing and electrified fencing can be used to keep big game out of certain areas.
- CSKT Wildlife Biologists can provide advice on methods for hazing wildlife away from green or stored crops.
- CSKT Wildlife Biologists may enroll a landowner into the Wildlife Management Program’s Big Game Depredation Hunting list and coordinate with Tribal members to harvest a certain number of animals.
- Tribal member hunters interested in hunting on private property experiencing big game depredation can sign-up to be on a Hunter’s Call list to be notified when special depredation hunts are needed.
Have a wildlife question?
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions!
Flathead Indian Reservation Hunting Regulations
Tribal members may hunt or take any species of wildlife within the Flathead Indian Reservation subject to the restrictions, limits and seasons as imposed by these annual hunting regulations. These regulations are appointed by Tribal Council each year. Members of the Tribes, pursuant to the Treaty of Hellgate, may engage in hunting, fishing and gathering activities on open and unclaimed lands in aboriginal territory off of the Reservation in accordance with applicable Tribal and Federal regulations. Tribal members engaged in off-Reservation hunting shall at all times have a current Tribal identification card in their possession.
To Non-Tribal Members, the entire Reservation is closed to hunting or taking, or attempting to hunt or take furbearers and any other species of animal other than fish, Gray (Hungarian) Partridge, pheasants, ducks, geese, mergansers and coots. If a Northern gray wolf, mountain lion, or black bear are caught in the act of pursuing, injuring or harassing livestock, pets or humans, they may be shot in defense of property or self. In the case of such actions that a gray wolf, mountain lion or black bear is shot, resident or landowner is required to report the take to the Tribal Fish and Game Conservation Program within 12 hours of the incident.
Non-Lethal Predator Control Kit Application
Using a wide variety of tools and practices to remove attractants from the landscape, or keep wild carnivores away from them, The Tribal Wildlife Program can prevent conflicts between carnivores and humans. The Program offers Non-Lethal Predator Control Kits for landowners to borrow; the kits provide an array of tools (including electrified fences) that can help identify and prevent carnivore conflicts. Please fill out this form to request a loaner kit.
Wildlife Management Staff
Bears and Carnivores
Carnivore specialists of the Tribal Wildlife Management Program work on the ground with private landowners, residents, and public land managers to predict carnivore movements and help prevent human and carnivore conflicts. This is often achieved by applying tools that either remove attractants from the landscape, or keep wild carnivores away from them. This prevents animals from learning bad behaviors and becoming ‘human-conditioned’. The success of preventing carnivore conflicts depends on landowners using these tools, so the Tribal Wildlife Program fosters communication and coordination with residents to identify and address carnivore concerns. The following are some tools that are often used to deter conflict:
Electrified Fencing / Fladry
Bears and other carnivores have a keen sense of smell. Garbage, small livestock, pet and bird food, and fruit trees are common causes of human-carnivore conflict that can easily be prevented by tools such as electric fencing. Chickens, goats, pigs, llamas, and miniature livestock should be secured in a night pen protected with bear-effective electric fence. Fruit trees and communal garbage areas are also effectively protected from conflict by using electrified fencing. A fence that is effective against livestock is not sufficient for keeping out bears; a fence needs certain specifications to be effective at keeping bears out. The Fencing Guide below provides detailed specifications on how to build a fence to protect against black and grizzly bears.
Motion Sensing Predator Deterrents
Deterrents with loud audial and visual stimulation can be a temporary solution to a conflict situation. Hang one on a chicken coop for a day or two to ward-off approaching predators until an electric fence is able to be installed.
Bear-resistant Garbage Cans
Garbage is the number one reason for bear conflicts on the Flathead Reservation, and is preventable in most cases. The use of bear-resistant garbage cans can immediately reduce conflicts with bears and garbage at a residence. The Tribal Wildlife Program has a Bear-Resistant Garbage Can Loaner Program available to residents who self-haul their garbage. Contact the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation office to check for availability (406-675-2700 ext. 7200).
Non-lethal Predator Control Loaner Kits
The Tribal Wildlife Program uses a limited supply of Non-Lethal Predator Control Kits available to the public that include these tools, and others, to help prevent conflicts with various carnivore species. All of the fencing items in the kits are listed in the flyer below that shows residents where all equipment can be purchased locally. This kit includes an electric fence, CritterGitter, boat horn, Radio, and bear Spray. Fladry kits are also available upon request.
Bear Spray Distribution Program
To learn more about carnivores in the Mission Valley, as well as how to prevent and report conflicts, please review the following handbook and materials:
Fruit Gleaning
Fruit trees in the Mission Valley are enjoyed by both bears and humans. This juicy treat can entice bears into close proximity to homes and yards when fruit is not harvested from trees and orchards near living structures. Be sure to remove, or glean, all fruit from trees to prevent attracting bears. If you are not planning to use the fruit, consider sharing your fruit trees on the Facebook Mission Valley Fruit Gleaning page to connect with a community member looking to harvest fruit.
Chronic Wasting Disease
- Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal disease found in elk, deer and moose. There is no known cure and the disease can be spread by animal to animal contact and through animal contact with an infected environment. CWD can directly reduce overall herd populations and pose a risk to food sovereignty, cultural and spiritual practices. Tribal peoples are at an increased risk of exposure to CWD due to traditional and cultural uses of animal parts.
- As of 2023, CWD is present in many off-reservation aboriginal treaty hunting areas. In 2019 it was identified less than 40 miles from the Flathead Reservation boarder. The threat of the disease is a pressing issue for the preservation of tribal food sovereignty. As such, the Tribal Wildlife Management Program has adopted a Surveillance and Emergency Response Plan for CWD on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The success of this plan relies strongly on Tribal member hunter participation in sampling harvested animals for CWD.
- The Tribal Wildlife Program will continue CWD surveillance on the Flathead Reservation, with an emphasis in collecting samples in the High Priority Areas identified in the following map:
- Carcass disposal requirements: Carcass parts, such as brain, eyes, spleen, lymph glands, and spinal cord material, should be left at the kill site when possible. If CWD is present in an area, it may be mandatory to leave the brain and spine in the field (as presented in the Surveillance and Management Plan). If the animal is transported, the brain and spinal tissue must be bagged and disposed of in a Class II landfill. Dumping carcasses is illegal, unethical, and can spread diseases, including chronic wasting disease.
- Sampling – Help the Tribal Wildlife Program monitor for Chronic Wasting Disease on the Flathead Reservation by providing a lymph node sample from a deer, elk or moose. A sample kit can be requested to collect a sample yourself or find a location to drop off a head at a designated drop-off location or CSKT hunter check stations, or have biologists take the sample for you.
- Request a Hunter Sample Kit
- Collect a sample – How to collect a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_-C1dk3rvs
- Submit a Sample
- Bring heads or carcass, or drop off frozen samples, to a designated drop-off location at the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation office in Polson at 408 6th Ave East, Polson
- Sample submission is voluntary, though any animal harvested in a Priority Surveillance Area should be tested to ensure CWD is not present in the meat, as well as help the Tribal Wildlife Program gather the sample data required in these areas to be able to detect CWD on the Flathead Reservation
- Report sick-looking deer, elk, or moose. If you shoot an animal that looks diseased or sick, report it immediately to the Tribal Wildlife Management Program for further instructions and limit handling it.
Public Comment
CSKT Hunting Regulations undergo an annual rulemaking process. Per Ordinance 86-B TAPO, Tribal members may request Draft regulations for review an submit public comment. The following form can be used to submit comment on any Draft Hunting Regulations:
Frequently Asked Questions
General Wildlife:
I have a beaver on my property causing damage / flooding. How do I resolve this conflict?
You can contact the Fish and Game Chief, or a Wildlife Biologist, to obtain a temporary nuisance animal take-permit to remove the animal. *Per requirement of the nuisance permit, any euthanized animal carcass must be submitted to the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation office, in its entirety. During certain times of the year, Wildlife Biologists may be able to live-trap an translocate beaver without lethal removal.
I found an abandoned bird chick / deer fawn on the ground, is there somewhere that rehabilitates them that I can bring them to?
If you care, Leave them There! Many well-meaning people are tempted to ‘help abandoned wildlife’, however the best thing you can do is to leave them alone and observe from a distance. Young wildlife are rarely helpless or abandoned, the mother is often only gone temporarily and is intentionally staying a short distance away to avoid attracting attention to her young. Touching or picking them up may cause the mother to reject them. Young raptors are often found on the ground once they leave the nest. They may not be able to fly yet, but the adults continue to feed them while on the ground. You can place a log / board against the nest tree to encourage the juvenile raptor to return to the nest, but they are evolved to survive on the ground during this time.
Due to disease transmission and Chronic Wasting Disease concerns, there are no wildlife rehabilitators in the State of Montana that accept deer. The Tribal Wildlife Management Program works closely with local raptor rehabilitator facilities when an injured raptor is reported (hawks, owl, eagles), however, there are no rehabilitator facilities that raise songbirds (robins, starlings, waxings, etc.). Tribal Fish & Game would like to remind all that handling, possessing and transporting wildlife is illegal; always call Tribal Fish and Game or the Tribal Wildlife Management Program to report injured wildlife.
What do I do if I find a bat on my house / porch? Does it mean it has rabies if it’s seen out during the day?
It is common for juvenile bats, born earlier in the year, to be out hunting late and caught in the open at sunrise (especially if there is an artificial light source attracting insects which will keep them out foraging longer). When this occurs, the young bats are not able to make it safely back to their roosting site before the sun comes up, and they will temporarily roost on houses / doors / porches / umbrellas / sheds for the day until nightfall. If left alone, they will most likely be gone by the morning. If bats are noticed in an area for multiple nights, check for artificial light sources that might be attracting bugs; if possible remove light source or limit its exposure before dawn to promote insect dispersal.
A bat seen during the daytime does not mean that it is sick or has rabies, less than 1% of bats carry rabies (fox/skunk/raccoons have a higher rate of rabies in their populations). However, a bat that is on the ground, or in the same position for multiple days may be presenting odd-behavior and should be reported.
I have a skunk / fox / porcupine / raccoon living under my house/shed, or a woodpecker / bat problem damaging my structures and would like guidance on how to prevent the issue.
Wildlife frequently find themselves in backyards and around homes, leading to conflict with homeowners. Animals referred to as nuisance, or problem animals, are often innocent. Conflict arises because an animal is following its natural instincts and is only doing what it needs to survive.
By understanding some general biology of these animals, homeowners can learn how to protect their property from unwanted visitors and reduce conflict between wildlife and people. Please visit the ‘Living with Wildlife’ page for species-specific information that will be helpful to understanding why wildlife is in your yard, and how to deter them / prevent conflicts.
If conflicts persist after preventative / exclusion measures are taken, the Fish and Game Chief, or a Wildlife Biologist, can be contacted to obtain a temporary nuisance animal take-permit to remove the animal. *Per requirement of the nuisance permit, any euthanized animal carcass must be submitted to the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation office, in its entirety.
Bear and Carnivore Conflicts:
What do I do if a bear is in my yard / on my porch / in my fruit tree?
If you see a bear in your community, remain calm. The bear is likely just passing through and, if it does not find food, will simply keep moving. If you have a bear frequenting your area in search of food, make sure all attractants are properly secured. The majority of bear calls revolve around bear attractants.
Immediately make the bear’s experience in your yard as unpleasant as possible by yelling from a window, banging pots and pans, or blowing an air horn to scare the bear away. Do not quietly take photos or videos of bears on the porch / in the yard as this will teach the bear to feel safe near human development and develop unwanted behaviors. Keep away from the bear and warn others to stay away; bring children and pets indoors. If the bear seems persistent or threatening after being hazed, call Tribal Game Wardens (406-275-2774).
How do I report bear conflict?
If you are experiencing bear problems and you would like assistance to identify and secure attractants, or if you are interested in the electric fence specifications, please feel free to contact Tribal Wildlife Management Program. Bears are naturally conditioned to remember easy sources of food. With their keen sense of smell, garbage may be easier to find than natural foods such as fish, berries, bugs, vegetation and wild meat. Bears remember where they have found a food source. Once fed unnatural food sources, a bear will return time after time, year after year. See the ‘Bears and Carnivores’ page for tools to help identify common attractants and prevent conflicts.
It is far easier to prevent problems from starting than to change a bear’s behavior afterward. You can contact us at 406-675-2700 ext. 7299 for more information on preventing bear conflicts. If you have secured / removed all attractants and are still experiencing bear conflicts, report the conflict to the Conflict Call Line (406)-275-2774.
How do I get a Bear-resistant garbage can or bear spray?
Garbage is the number one reason for bear conflicts on the Flathead Reservation, and is preventable in most cases. The use of bear-resistant garbage cans can immediately reduce conflicts with bears and garbage at a residence. The Tribal Wildlife Program has a Bear-Resistant Garbage Can Loaner Program available to residents who self-haul their garbage. Contact the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation office to check for availability (406-675-2700 ext. 7200).
The Tribal Wildlife Program is working to put bear spray in the hands of all outdoor recreationists. Bring any valid Reservation Conservation License or Tribal ID to the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation office (406 6th Ave East, Polson) and ask about getting a can of bear spray while supplies last.
How do I get help removing excess fruit from my trees?
Pick fruit as it becomes ripe and remove any fruit on the ground. Store all picked fruit inside a secure building, garage or shed. Electric fencing is very effective at keeping bears out of fruit trees until ripe and picked, if properly constructed.
Visit @MissionValleyFruitGleaning on Facebook to connect with members in the community looking for trees to pick fruit from. This is a great forum to advertise your available fruit and find people willing to come and glean your fruit.
Hunting and Trapping:
Where can I get the most current hunting regulations?
Current Tribal member hunting regulations and Non-member Bird Hunting regulations can be downloaded from this website’s ‘Flathead Indian Reservation Hunting Regulations’ Downloads page. Tribal members can also pick-up regulations at the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation office in Polson at 406 6th Ave. East, Polson.
Non-member Bird Hunting regulations are available anywhere CSKT Bird hunting licenses are available for purchase.
As a tribal member, how do I submit comments on regulation changes?
CSKT Hunting Regulations undergo an annual adoption process. A Draft is proposed to Tribal Council each year and is available for a 30 Public Comment period. The Public Comment period is announced in local media & newspapers, on the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation, Conservation Facebook page and are emailed to the CSKT Government list serve. Public can submit comments by filling out the Public Comment form above, by mail, email, or by attending a scheduled Public Hearing meeting.
How do I apply for a Ferry Basin Bull Elk / Little Money Bighorn Sheep permit?
Applications will be accepted each June – July by the Tribal Wildlife Management Program for Little Money (Camas) Bighorn Sheep and Ferry Basin Bull Elk Hunting Permits. Forms can be found by visiting this website’s Permit Downloads page, or by submitting an application at the Tribal Complex (Pablo), Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation office (Polson), or the Main street Natural Resources building (Polson). Drawings shall be held each year in August in accordance with quotas and regulations set by Tribal Council. Applicants for each hunting permit will accrue points each consecutive year that they may apply for a permit. These accrued points will increase the probability of the member’s application being drawn. All applications that have acquired a ram permit from any previous year’s hunt season will not be eligible for another ram permit until all current ram permit applications have obtained their first ram permit. There is no penalty for hunters who are drawn for a Little Money ewe permit, even if you have received a Bull Elk or Bighorn Ram permit. This applies when ewe permits are issued.
I am a Tribal Member, how do I obtain Eagle parts for traditional use and purposes?
The Tribal Wildlife Management Program holds an Eagle Remains for Tribal Use permit issued by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service that allows for the retention of deceased bald and golden eagles that have perished by natural causes. The Program permits and releases eagles found within the Flathead Reservation to the Selis-Qlispe Culture Committee and the Kootenai Culture Committee for dispersal to Tribal members. A Tribal member looking to acquire Eagle parts for traditional or ceremonial purposes should reach out to their respective Culture Committee to inquire about availability.
*Note that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak has limited the availability of eagles in this program at this time
Chronic Wasting Disease:
What is Chronic Wasting Disease and how do deer, elk, and moose catch it?
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) infects members of the deer family, including deer, elk, moose, and caribou. This disease is caused by infectious, miss-folded prion proteins (not a virus, bacteria, or fungus) which cause normal prion proteins throughout a healthy animal’s body to miss-fold, resulting in organ damage and eventual death. These prions are found throughout bodily tissues and secretions and are shed into the environment before and after death. When other animals come in contact with the prions, either from infected animals or from contaminated environments, they can be infected. The disease is slow acting, degenerative, and always fatal. The name comes from the appearance of symptomatic animals, which get very skinny and sick-looking before they die.
What is CSKT doing to manage CWD?
Where CWD is detected, the CSKT Wildlife Management Program will develop a herd management plan that will aim to keep prevalence of the disease at ≤5%in the affected population. Potential management tools include increasing harvest, especially of antlered animals; targeted removal in limited areas around CWD detections; minimizing large groupings of deer by removing or fencing attractants and through hazing or dispersal hunts; and carcass transport restrictions
How will CWD impact deer and elk herds of the Flathead Indian Reservation?
If CWD infects enough animals, it will probably reduce the herd in the long term. Other states have seen deer populations decline when CWD infects 20 to 40 percent of a herd. In Wyoming, heavily infected herds of mule deer declined 21 percent per year and whitetails declined by 10 percent. Colorado saw a 45 percent decline in infected mule deer herds over 20 years. Clearly, if left unchecked, CWD could result in large-scale population declines.
Because the distribution and intensity of CWD infections are variable across a broad landscape, the impacts across the landscape will also be variable. Keeping deer numbers down and dispersed, and reducing buck:doe ratios, may keep the prevalence low and manageable. CSKT Wildlife’s focus will be on managing CWD-infected areas for prevalence at 5 percent or lower and preventing spread. This may also mean keeping deer or elk numbers low in certain areas.
What are the rules for carcass transportation and disposal within the Flathead Indian Reservation?
Deer, elk and moose taken in the FIR may be transported to a camp, a private residence for processing, a taxidermist, a processor, or a CWD sample collection site, provided all portions of the spinal column remain at the site of the kill or such parts are disposed of in any Class II Landfill in Montana. The head with neck attached can be brought to the CSKT Wildlife Management Program (406 6th ave. East, Polson, Montana) for CWD testing.
How do I get my animals tested?
Help us monitor for Chronic Wasting Disease on the Flathead Reservation by providing a lymph node sample from your deer, elk or moose. You can request a sample kit to collect a sample yourself or find a location to drop off a head at a designated drop-off location or CSKT hunter check stations, or have biologists take the sample for you.
- Request a Hunter Sample Kit
- Collect a sample – How to collect a sample:
- Submit a Sample
- Bring heads or carcass, or drop off frozen samples, to a designated drop-off location at the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation office in Polson
- 408 6th Ave East, Polson
- Sample submission is voluntary, though any animal harvested in a Priority Surveillance Area should be tested to ensure CWD is not present in the meat, as well as help CSKT Wildlife Program gather the sample data required in these areas to be able to detect CWD on the Flathead Reservation
- Report sick-looking deer, elk, or moose. If you shoot an animal that looks diseased or sick, report it immediately to the CSKT Wildlife Management Program for further instructions and limit handling it.
Wildlife Photos
