Montana's 2001 big game hunting regulations booklet will be available in late March. Here is a summary of some changes adopted for deer, elk, mountain lion, black bear, bighorn sheep and upland game bird hunting seasons and regulations:

Deer

• General-season deer permits can be used by archers during the Archery-Only season.

• Applicants for game-damage rosters will be limited to three hunting districts only.

• Either-sex white-tailed deer hunting will be resumed in several western Montana hunting districts. Check the 2001 hunting regulations for details.

• Standard either-sex mule deer hunting will be allowed in Hunting Districts 446, 445, 590, 611, 630, 631, 632, 650, and 670.

• Antlerless, "Deer B," mule deer licenses and white-tailed deer licenses will be increased in an array of hunting districts throughout Montana. Check the 2001 hunting regulations for details.

• Specific 4-point deer antler restrictions for mule deer hunting in Hunting Districts 320 and 333 have been removed, making any antlered buck legal game during the districts' October 21 - November 15 hunting season.

• Nonresident antlerless mule deer licenses available through the special drawings in eastern Montana's Region 7 have been increased to 3,000 and 2,500 over-the-counter nonresident antlerless white-tailed deer licenses also will be issued.

Elk

• General-season elk permits can be use used by archers during the Archery-Only season in most hunting districts. There are several hunting districts where the permits cannot be used during the Archery-Only season. Check the 2001 hunting regulations for details.

•Antlerless elk permits have been increased in specific hunting districts in FWP Regions 2, 3, and 4. Check the 2001 hunting regulations for details.

• The boundary of Hunting District 313, north of Yellowstone National Park, has been adjusted to allow late-season elk hunting on nearby private land. Check the 2001 hunting regulations for details.

• Permit-only elk hunting has been adopted for the Wall Creek Wildlife Management Area in a portion of Hunting District 323 in the upper Madison Valley. Check the 2001 hunting regulations for details.

• Special drawing applicants for unlimited elk archery permits in the Missouri Breaks Hunting Districts 410 and 417 will be required to apply as a "first choice only."

Mountain Lions

• Reporting and tagging procedures have been revised. Check the 2001 hunting regulations for details.

• The hound-handler permit has been eliminated.

• A limited number of permits will be issued and permit-only hunting was adopted in Hunting Districts 100, 103, and 104. In addition, a subquota for male and female lions will be set in June. Houndsmen will still be allowed to chase lions from December 1 through April 14 in these districts.

Black Bears

• Reporting and tagging procedures have been revised. Check the 2001 hunting regulations for details.

• April 15 - May 15 has been established as the spring black bear hunting season throughout most of Region 1 in northwestern Montana; also a special validation-only spring season has been established for April 15 - May 31 in Bear Management Units 103, 106 and 107.

• A three-female black bear quota has been established and the fall hunting season will open on October 1 in Bear Management Unit 520.

Bighorn Sheep

• No unlimited bighorn sheep hunting permits will be issued for Hunting District 301.

Pheasants

• The first two days of the ring-necked pheasant hunting season — October 6 - 7 — was established for resident hunters only. On October 8, the pheasant season will open for residents and nonresidents. The season will close on December 15.

Spring Turkey

• Turkey hunters will be allowed to take up to two gobblers (males) in eastern Montana's Region 7 in the spring or one gobbler in the spring and another turkey of either sex in the fall. Check the 2001 hunting regulations for details.