Montana Closes LMU 121 to Hunting of All Female Mountain Lions

February 23, 2026
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Montana's Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission just dropped a bombshell on big cat hunters: Lion Management Unit (LMU) 121 is now off-limits to pursuing female mountain lions, effective half an hour after sunset on February 21, 2026. This isn't some minor tweak—it's a full closure on harvesting sows in a key hunting zone, with full quota details live on the FWP website for those tracking the numbers. While the move is framed as population management amid shifting lion numbers, it raises eyebrows in a state where mountain lion tags are hot commodities and predator control debates rage on. Digging deeper, this smells like classic wildlife bureaucracy responding to anti-hunting pressure groups who've been hammering Montana for years over cougar quotas. LMU 121, smack in lion country with its mix of rugged terrain and prey-rich valleys, has seen robust harvests, but now females get a pass—potentially skewing sex ratios and letting populations rebound unchecked. For 2A enthusiasts who overlap heavily with the hunting crowd, this hits close to home: it's a reminder that the same regulatory overreach threatening our gun rights can infiltrate game management. When unelected commissions wield unchecked power to shutter seasons on a whim, it erodes the self-reliant ethos of responsible predator hunting that keeps ecosystems balanced and rural communities safe from livestock raids or human-lion encounters. We've seen states like California go full no-hunt on cougars, leading to exploding populations and real risks—Montana's not there yet, but this is a slippery slope. The implications for the pro-2A community? Rally time. This closure underscores why hunters must flex their political muscle alongside their triggers—join FWP public comment periods, support orgs like Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and push for science-driven policies over emotional appeals. If we let wildlife boards micromanage like this without pushback, what's next: restricted bear tags or elk quotas tied to optics? Arm yourself with the data from FWP's site, hit the forums, and keep the pressure on. Montana's wild heart beats strong, but only if we defend it.

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Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission just dropped a bombshell on big cat hunters: Lion Management Unit (LMU) 121 is now off-limits to pursuing female mountain lions, effective half an hour after sunset on February 21, 2026. This isn’t some minor tweak—it’s a full closure on harvesting sows in a key hunting zone, with full quota details live on the FWP website for those tracking the numbers. While the move is framed as population management amid shifting lion numbers, it raises eyebrows in a state where mountain lion tags are hot commodities and predator control debates rage on.

Digging deeper, this smells like classic wildlife bureaucracy responding to anti-hunting pressure groups who’ve been hammering Montana for years over cougar quotas. LMU 121, smack in lion country with its mix of rugged terrain and prey-rich valleys, has seen robust harvests, but now females get a pass—potentially skewing sex ratios and letting populations rebound unchecked. For 2A enthusiasts who overlap heavily with the hunting crowd, this hits close to home: it’s a reminder that the same regulatory overreach threatening our gun rights can infiltrate game management. When unelected commissions wield unchecked power to shutter seasons on a whim, it erodes the self-reliant ethos of responsible predator hunting that keeps ecosystems balanced and rural communities safe from livestock raids or human-lion encounters. We’ve seen states like California go full no-hunt on cougars, leading to exploding populations and real risks—Montana’s not there yet, but this is a slippery slope.

The implications for the pro-2A community? Rally time. This closure underscores why hunters must flex their political muscle alongside their triggers—join FWP public comment periods, support orgs like Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and push for science-driven policies over emotional appeals. If we let wildlife boards micromanage like this without pushback, what’s next: restricted bear tags or elk quotas tied to optics? Arm yourself with the data from FWP’s site, hit the forums, and keep the pressure on. Montana’s wild heart beats strong, but only if we defend it.

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