I have a question for you guys from MT regarding legal access on the Lee Metcalf refuge. My girlfriend and I have been hunting the refuge trying to get her her first bow kill and the other morning had an unpleasant experience. We are hunting the northen part of the refuge and I was walking a road that runs next to a creek in the early morning not long after shooting light. Through some willows I could see what I thought looked like duck decoys and was bringing my binos up to check them out when all of a sudden a shot rings out and I hear pellets ripping through the willow brush. I hit the deck and started yelling and two more shots go off. Turns out theres a couple guys duck hunting the creek in an area I though was only open to archery hunting according to the map. The guys claim that since it is part of the bitterroot river system it can be legally hunted for waterfowl. I am curious if this is the case because if it is I am going to start wearing blaze orange as a precaution to try to prevent another experience like that. It was pretty scary there for a bit. If this is true that it can be hunted I am guessing they would have to be in the water the entire time and not crossing any of the refuge land while carrying firearms. If they are correct and this is legal I have no problem with it but will be wearing orange in the future. I do intend to call the refuge as well but they werent open on the weekend. Thanks for your input.
MT legal access question
- Thread starter PFUNK
- Start date
wingman1
New member
The boundry is well marked and does not change with water levels. Just call the refuge officials, they will take care of it.
jerrym
New member
There use to be an old oxbow by the tressel that the refuge never owned and I and many people duck hunted it, but the refuge bought it so there should be no duck hunting in the north end and their argument has no merit on National Refuge Land. You use to be able to duck hunt the BItterroot river in the picnic area years ago, you can't now.
Yep, there's an oxbow to the west of the tressel that had a bunch of ducks on it. These guys were to the east on the creek that forms the large island that makes up the northernmost part of the refuge. I'll give the refuge a ring tomorrow and let them know. These guys claimed they looked into it and were legal to be there but I'm doubting that now. Thanks for the information.
jerrym
New member
I know exactly where you are talking about, I use to work there summers in the 80s and anybody in that area that wasn't archery hunting was trespassing. In the summer we wrote a lot of tickets for guys on that slough. We had some local girls that like to jog back there and they got a warning, and then did it again and were ticketed. Glad you and your girlfriend weren't hurt.
