This week and next, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are holding meetings throughout the state to discuss a potential new automated licensing system that would be used both for Hunting licenses and camp site reservations. The system will also be geared to work with smart phones. FWP Communications and Education Administrator Greg Lemon explains.

“We really modernized the system in a way that would serve our customers really well,” Lemon said. “Imagine being able to go online and say I really want to hunt around white sulfur springs this year, what hunting districts are there, what tags do I need, where can I camp, those sorts of things and be able to do that all in one place.”

There are some hurdles to a new system, right now, camp-site reservations are handled by a third party that also works in conjunction with Idaho. Another hurdle is the price, Lemon says FWP will be asking for funds for the licensing system from the Montana Legislature this coming session.

“We won’t know what the system is going to cost until we go out for bid, which is going to come after the legislature approves it,” Lemon said. “We are still pulling together exactly what that ask is going to be. The system that we currently have cost $8 million to develop in 2001. It is not going to be cheap.”

If everything goes the way FWP hopes, a fully integrated system could be ready for hunting season by 2021.

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