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Revamped Hunter Landowner Stewardship Program launches
Pass the test, get 3 months of onX Hunt Elite, get entered to win prizes
HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has revamped the Hunter Landowner Stewardship Program for 2025, and hunters who pass the test this year can get three months of an onX Hunt Elite Membership and be entered to win a rifle from Vanguard Black Hills rifle from Weatherby or a Madison Tipi tent from VI AM Outdoors.
In Montana, maintaining positive relationships between hunters and landowners is a critical part of our culture and our heritage. To help promote hunter ethics and build awareness and knowledge about the importance of investing in hunter/landowner relationships, FWP has revamped the Hunter Landowners Stewardship Program to help hunters understand the importance of private land access and provide training on landowner expectations and hunter ethics.
“The relationships between hunters and landowners are an important part of the Montana tradition. We continue to look for ways to enhance those relationships and protect hunting access,” said Greg Lemon, communication and education division administrator for FWP. “With the amazing support of onX, Weatherby and VIAM Outdoors this program can reward hunters who take the initiative to educate themselves on what’s important to landowners and improving hunter ethics.”
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"At VIAM Outdoors, we believe that the essence of outdoor exploration lies in the connections we forge with nature and the communities around us. Initiatives that foster collaboration between outdoor enthusiasts and landowners are vital not just for access to pristine landscapes, but for cultivating a shared respect and stewardship of our natural heritage. We are proud to support efforts that promote responsible outdoor practices, ensuring that future generations can enjoy the great outdoors as we do today.”
-- Aaron Schmaus from VIAM Outdoors
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"At Weatherby, we recognize that the future of hunting depends on strong relationships between hunters and landowners. Programs like this not only help ensure access to private lands but also strengthen the trust and respect that are the foundation of our hunting heritage. Supporting FWP’s efforts to promote ethics in the field is something we’re proud to stand behind.”
--Tyler Grethen from Weatherby
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"Encouraging both access to and stewardship of the land is at the core of what we do at onX. Montana leads the nation with the most amount of private acres enrolled in public access programs, and strong hunter ethics is imperative to maintaining the success of these relationships. onX is proud to support Montana FWP’s Hunter Landowner Stewardship program to strengthen the trust that keeps access thriving in Montana.”
--Kevin Vine, Business Development Manager at onX
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The Hunter Landowner Stewardship Program teaches skills to help hunters behave appropriately when hunting private land and build an understanding about why their actions and ethics are important.
The program covers general safety, access programs, minimizing impacts to private land and landowners, and basic guidelines for things like noxious weeds, gates, and trash.
The new Hunter Landowner Stewardship Program is a central component of FWP’s It’s Up to Us campaign, which is an education and outreach effort to highlight the importance of good hunter behavior and the value of cultivating good relationships between hunters and landowners.
FWP and partnering organizations promote five key components for hunters to consider while in the field.
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Plan ahead for access
- Respect private property
- Practice safe hunting
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Turn in poachers
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Say thank you
Additionally, FWP will be hosting the “Thank a Landowner” web portal again this season, beginning in October. This is an easy way for hunters to pass on a note of thanks to landowners who have allowed them access. Hunters can also share a photo. FWP collects these submissions and mails letters and photos to all landowners who were identified. Last year nearly 600 hunters submitted a thank you note to private landowners through the portal.
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