Archives West Finding Aid

In March 1895, the Montana Legislature established the Board of Game and Fish Commissioners to oversee fish, game, licensing, and hunting practices in Montana. The Board was comprised of three commissioners, appointed by the Governor, and they were empowered to appoint a State Fish and Game Warden. The warden also served as secretary and business agent of the Board. The first warden was chosen in 1898. The Board was abolished in 1901 and replaced by a single state game and fish warden with five to eight deputies. In 1907, the State Fish Commission was established to operate a state fish hatchery and to supervise the disposition of the fish raised there. The State Game and Fish Warden served as a member of this Commission. The same legislature also created the Fish and Game Commission to regulate hunting and fishing.

In 1921, the two commissions, the State Fish Commission and the Fish and Game Commission, merged and they were empowered to establish fish and game districts and to close or open seasons on all game animals, birds, and fish. The administrative arm of the Commission gradually came to be referred to as the Fish and Game Department, although the Department was not legislatively formalized until 1972. It was renamed the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks in 1979.

As of 2024, the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has the following Divisions: Director’s Office, Communication and Education Division, Enforcement Division, Land and Water, Fisheries Division, Technology Services, Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division, Wildlife Division, and Design and Construction. The Fish and Wildlife Commission consists of seven members appointed by the Governor and is responsible for setting fish and wildlife regulations, approving property acquisitions, and approving certain rules and activities of the Department.