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Hunting means big business for Montana. "Get yer elk yet?"

Brace yourself — Montana’s big-game hunting season begins Sunday and runs for five weeks.

Although antelope hunting began two weeks ago, Sunday’s opening of the deer and elk season is the grand opening of the sport for most hunters.

One Montanan in four is likely to take some time off work to get out in the field, which makes it hard to get a quorum at a meeting, to get a construction job finished or to find someone to answer a simple question, say those left behind.

"This is a long-standing tradition which is a big part of Montana’s culture," said Gary Hammond, management bureau chief for Fish, Wildlife and Parks in Helena.

About half of the tourists who make their way to Montana in the fall come bearing shotguns or rifles, and 15 percent of them hire an outfitter or guide, according to figures from the state Department of Commerce.

Hunters spend hundreds of millions of dollars on their pursuit of big game in Montana.

"When you look at guys who have two or three weeks (of) vacation and spend half of it hunting, you know how important this is," Hammond said.

"And people spend a lot of their expendable income on hunting," he said.

Two years ago, a FWP survey found that hunters spent an estimated $168 million on their pursuit of big game.

By ERIC NEWHOUSE
Tribune Projects Editor

Full Story: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051020/NEWS01/510200302/1002

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