Mountain lion attacks are rare, but the recent attack and death Washington reminds how dangerous these predators can be.

A new survey by UM's Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone Initiative shows strong, and even increasing support for public lands in Montana, said a Crown spokesman.

"Some of the results over the years have been very consistent, in fact, if anything, they’ve been going up in favor of public lands," said Rick Graetz, a UM geology lecturer, in a Montana Public Radio interview. "And we’ve had some surprises since 2014, and we’ve seen a huge number of people who recognize the economic benefits of public lands."

Five hundred registered voters were surveyed, and 90 percent said public lands have a positive impact on maintaining what is best about Montana, up from 83 percent when the survey was last conducted in 2016.

Respondents also recognized the important of sportsmen in driving awareness of public officials and their positions on conservation issues. It's no surprise, but the survey shows that Montanans are far more likely to fish and hunt than the average American. A majority of Montanans participate in both: 52 percent hunt compared to a national average of 28 percent, and 55 percent fish compared to 29 percent nationally.

 

The survey also indicated Montanan's oppose efforts by Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte to remove Wilderness Study Area protection for 29 sites in the state. Fifty-seven percent said they supported maintaining the current status for the study areas.

The pair challenged the conclusions of the study, saying the survey question failed to describe current management on the lands, as well as how it would change if their legislation was approved.

In 2009 Gianforte sued Montana to close a public access site on the East Gallatin River, claiming users were damaging his adjacent property. Gianforte dropped the suit after FWP upgraded trails and fencing at the site.

Treasure State Gov. Steve Bullock declared a statewide flooding emergency Wednesday. With the state setting winter snow records, snowpack well above historic averages in every major Montana watershed, and spring temperatures climbing into the 70s, this can't come as a surprise to anyone.

Hopefully it won't get too warm too fast, and flooding won't be as severe as conditions suggest it could be.

FWP will hold a meeting on the Chronic Wasting Disease outbreak in south-central Montana in Bridger. The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 9, at the Bridger Civic Center.

Testing showed 10 of 400 deer killed in the Bridger area during a special winter hunt were infected with the fatal disease. CWD has spread to states and Canadian provinces on three sides of Montana.

One young male griz was killed after FWP determined it had killed four calves over a four-week period near Bynum.

Another bear, a three-year-old female, was relocated after killing several sheep on a ranch near Pendroy.

A 13-year study at Rocky Mountain Labs in Hamilton finds no CWD species jump to monkeys that are genetically similar to humans.

Hunters are still urged to use caution with game in areas where the disease has been detected in wild deer.

FWP and the state Department of Livestock are monitoring for brucellosis in Montana elk. The disease is carried by elk, bison and cattle. It can cause females to abort their calves. Controlling brucellosis is the main rationale offered for culling bison as the animals enter Montana as they migrate out of Yellowstone National Park.

Jim Posewitz, is a Treasure State treasure. If you haven't read "Beyond Fair Chase: The Ethic and Tradition of Hunting," you need to. His new memoir is titled "My Best Shot."

The FWP watercraft inspection station on I-90 near Anaconda. The cabin cruiser was being transported from Ohio to Puget Sound, according to this FWP press release.