HELENA — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks commissioners on Thursday eliminated the Gardiner late-season elk hunt because elk numbers there are below target levels due to wolves. They also backed off from a proposal to ban lead shot from all state wildlife management areas. Lead shot already is banned from federally managed areas such as Benton Lake north of Great Falls and Nine Pipes near Pablo because birds can ingest the toxic pellets.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100212/NEWS01/2120321/1002/FWP-commissioners-end-late-elk-hunts