Montana BMA Question

Joined
Aug 17, 2015
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Iowa
Going over some maps in Montana, and I've always had the understanding that if there was public (BLM or State) land in a block management area that you could legally access, you did not need permission on the BMA, as long as you stayed on the public portions of the land only (and didn't corner cross).

In reading the BMA guide this year, I noticed several BMAs that state: "includes formally enrolled state lands - permission required!" and it goes on to say "Some legally accessible tracts of Department of Natural Resource Land (State School Trust Land) are formally enrolled in the Block Management Program. Formally enrolled State Lands must be posted with contact information for the method of obtaining permission".

Does that refer only to the STATE land within that BMA, or the BLM as well?
 

MThuntr

WKR
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Apr 10, 2015
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SW MT
If you have permission for the BMA and there is State within the area you have permission to hunt then yes you can access said state land. If the state land touches a road but you do not have permission on the BMA then you cannot access said state land.

The rules are a little different for federally managed lands. That's a tricky one and I'll say it depends. If you've been asked to stick to a particular pasture and BLM overflows into the next hunting area I'd say stay within the boundaries that you've been assigned. I'm not sure access via BMA gives you the ability to cross the fence into the BLM on the neighbor's place. I do know several small BMAs that butt against large chunks of FS and BLM that are specifically designed for access to Federal lands however. Your best bet is to talk to FWP specifically about the BMA in question
 
OP
cornfedkiller
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Aug 17, 2015
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Iowa
Your best bet is to talk to FWP specifically about the BMA in question

I will likely do that, but figured I'd check here first to see if anyone else knew (and potentially help someone else with the same question).

Basically I'm asking about what you referred to in your first paragraph, but its BLM land, not state. BLM touches the road but is part of a BMA. Curious if I need permission for that BMA to hunt on that BLM. I know I need permission for the state sections within that BMA, but wasnt sure if the same applied to BLM as well.
 
Joined
Apr 8, 2020
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My understanding is that if you can legally access BLM, FS, or other federal lands that are included in a BMA that you do not need to be signed up for that BMA. The same is not true for state lands, if they are included in the BMA then you have to be signed in. Years ago the FWP told me the state land was initially included as a way to sweeten the deal for landowners when the program was just starting. Since the state doesn’t own the federal land they can’t do the same thing with it.
 

Smurph

FNG
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Aug 20, 2020
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I thought state land were huntable if legally accessable. Is this a special application for only state land inside the Block Management program?
 
Joined
Apr 8, 2020
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305
Yes, state lands that you can access legally that aren’t in a BMA are open to hunting with maybe a handful of exceptions for special circumstances. It’s only the state lands in a BMA that you have to sign into a BMA to access.
 
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