Thirty-one years ago, 1,321 mule deer were shot by hunters in Hunting District 502 — a record high.

In 2021, the total mule deer harvest in HD 502 was 477. 

There are a number of hunting regulations being proposed for big game species in Montana that the Fish and Wildlife Commission has on its Dec. 14 meeting agenda.

Anyone interested in their hunting district or region should check out the online information to be informed about what is going on. Ideally, most hunters have already taken part in one of the many meetings offered around the state. 

In looking at the proposals before the commission, Billings Gazette outdoor editor Brett French noted one common theme popping up across the state, declining mule deer numbers.

Thirty-one years ago, 1,321 mule deer were shot by hunters in Hunting District 502 — a record high.
In 2021, the total mule deer harvest in HD 502 was 477. 
There are a number of hunting regulations being proposed for big game species in Montana that the Fish and Wildlife Commission has on its Dec. 14 meeting agenda.
Anyone interested in their hunting district or region should check out the online information to be informed about what is going on. Ideally, most hunters have already taken part in one of the many meetings offered around the state. 
In looking at the proposals before the commission, Billings Gazette outdoor editor Brett French noted one common theme popping up across the state, declining mule deer numbers.

Montana Untamed, hosted by Thom Bridge, covers the state's rugged landscape from hook and bullet to policy and science.

Montana Untamed, hosted by Thom Bridge, covers the state's rugged landscape from hook and bullet to policy and science.

Montana Untamed

Deer in decline: Why Montana is proposing big changes to hunting regulations

AI has come for the animals. 

When the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks unveiled its 43rd annual photo issue of Montana Outdoors on Jan. 1, the magazine carried an explanation on page 1: Magazine staff, editor Tom Dickson wrote the magazine had gone to great lengths to verify that photos submitted for the issue were, in fact, photos. 

Dickson's concern was that images produced by generative artificial intelligence — AI programs that create new material in response to a prompt — now often appear as realistic as actual photographs and could be submitted to the magazine for publication.

On today's episode, Joshua Murdock, natural resources reporter for the Missoulian newspaper, discusses his reporting on AI-generated wildlife imagery.

AI has come for the animals. 
When the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife &amp; Parks unveiled its 43rd annual photo issue of Montana Outdoors on Jan. 1, the magazine carried an explanation on page 1: Magazine staff, editor Tom Dickson wrote the magazine had gone to great lengths to verify that photos submitted for the issue were, in fact, photos. 
Dickson's concern was that images produced by generative artificial intelligence — AI programs that create new material in response to a prompt — now often appear as realistic as actual photographs and could be submitted to the magazine for publication.
On today's episode, Joshua Murdock, natural resources reporter for the Missoulian newspaper, discusses his reporting on AI-generated wildlife imagery.

Artificial animals: AI threatens photo competitions and conservation efforts

According to Dr. Matt Rinella, The grass-roots traditions that have defined hunting in America are being displaced by a hyper-commercialized pay-to-play model. 

In response, he has created an organization called Hunt Quietly, and what he calls a movement to combat this tainting of the principles of hunting. 

Through his writing and podcast he has stirred controversy and prompted plenty of debate in the hunting community.

Rinella, a research ecologist by day and lifelong hunter joins me on today's episode to explain his stance.

According to Dr. Matt Rinella, The grass-roots traditions that have defined hunting in America are being displaced by a hyper-commercialized pay-to-play model. 
In response, he has created an organization called Hunt Quietly, and what he calls a movement to combat this tainting of the principles of hunting. 
Through his writing and podcast he has stirred controversy and prompted plenty of debate in the hunting community.
Rinella, a research ecologist by day and lifelong hunter joins me on today's episode to explain his stance.

Hunt Quietly: Matt Rinella on the hyper-commercialization of hunting

As the year comes to a close I thought it would be a good time to gather our team of outdoors writers and put a bow on it.

I asked the reporters to send me some of their most important stories from 2023 so we could re-hash them for folks as the last episode of the year.

So with me today is Rob Chaney and Joshua Murdock, from the Missoulian, Brett French from the Billings Gazette, and Duncan Adams from the Montana Standard. All familiar voices if you’ve listened to the show in the past.

Some of these stories will also be familiar to habitual listeners. Topics we’ll discuss today will be E-Bikes in National Parks, Snowbowl ski area, tribal Bison hunting outside Yellowstone, and Anaconda’s urban mule deer.

As the year comes to a close I thought it would be a good time to gather our team of outdoors writers and put a bow on it.
I asked the reporters to send me some of their most important stories from 2023 so we could re-hash them for folks as the last episode of the year.
So with me today is Rob Chaney and Joshua Murdock, from the Missoulian, Brett French from the Billings Gazette, and Duncan Adams from the Montana Standard. All familiar voices if you’ve listened to the show in the past.
Some of these stories will also be familiar to habitual listeners. Topics we’ll discuss today will be E-Bikes in National Parks, Snowbowl ski area, tribal Bison hunting outside Yellowstone, and Anaconda’s urban mule deer.

Deer in decline: Why Montana is proposing big changes to hunting regulations

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