On Thursday, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission spent all day going over sometimes controversial subjects, with what spokesman Ron Aasheim said was ' a lot of passion'.

"The headliner was the establishment for a framework for public comment on a potential grizzly bear hunting season in Montana," Aasheim said. "It's important to realizes that a plan is a requirement for the Fish and Wildlife Service as a part of the delisting rule, that we have to have a framework in place. It's just a part of the process."

Aasheim laid out the general principles within the state's proposed plan.

"It's some pretty simple stuff," he said. "There's to be seven grizzly bear management units basically north of Yellowstone Park, because this is only for what is called the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The rules are similar to hunting black bears. you couldn't takle a bear that had other bears with it. That's an attempt to protect females. The seasons would open early and open late again to protect females. The males tend to leave the dens earlier and go back in later. We're not sure there will even be a hunt, but wa have to be ready anyway."

Aasheim said the detailed plan is to make delisting of the grizzly bear more attractive to federal and state regulators.

The state's proposed hunting season regulations would charge $150 to residents and $1,000 to non-residents for what is expected to be fewer than 10 licenses per year, should the hunts be allowed.

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