Law Enforcement
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Federal Wildlife Officers regularly patrol the Charles M. Russell Wetland Management District and its satellite Refuges with the focus of visitor safety and resource protection. Officers enforce Federal Statutes and Regulations and all Montana State Laws associated with motor vehicles, hunting and fishing. You can expect to encounter a Federal Wildlife Officer anywhere you travel within the District, as they often patrol in vehicles and boats as well as by ATV, horseback and foot. Feel free to contact any officer, as they are often the best resource for on-the-ground information about road conditions and wildlife viewing opportunities.
Federal Wildlife Officers encounter a wide variety of violations on the District and Refuges that stem from violations of hunting and fishing laws to general public use regulations.
A comprehensive list of District regulations when visiting the WPAs is available in the "Visit Us > Rules and Regulations" tab on this site. For specific regulation questions, contact District Headquarters or any Federal Wildlife Officer. *Satellite Refuges within the District have specific regulations unique to each Refuge. As such, navigating to each Refuge website is recommended before visiting.
We ask that you please help make a difference and help protect District lands and your wildlife resources when visiting. Please report wildlife violations and suspicious activity any time you see them to an officer. Every set of eyes and tips are helpful to officers. To report a violation, please email NWR_TIPs@fws.gov 24 hours a day or call:
NWR Violation Reporting Hotline: 1-844-FWS-TIPS (397-8477)
State hunting and fishing violations: 1-800-TIP-MONT (847-6668)
In non-emergency events or for general law enforcement questions, contact the CMR Headquarters (406)-538-8706 and ask to be directed to the officer who works in the area where you have questions. Please be advised that our officers are usually in the field, so leaving messages in their direct voicemail is often the best way to get in touch with one.