Montana 'Hunting Companion' Provides Hunters with Online Hunt Planning Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2012
Contact: Sara Groves
(406) 444-5357
(HELENA)--The Montana State Library and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks have partnered to provide easy-to-access information to help hunters have a safe and successful hunting season. The "Hunting Companion" can be found at http://msl.mt.gov/hunting.
The "Hunting Companion" is a streamlined access point for the basic information every hunter needs for a successful hunt. The site was launched in response to librarians reporting an increased need from their patrons for assistance in finding relevant hunting information online.
"As librarians, our goal is to help people find the information they need easily and quickly," said Jennie Stapp, Montana State Librarian. "By sifting through all of the information that is available from many different sources, we are able to locate the best resources that provide accurate, reliable and easy-to-use information so that people can move forward with what they’re doing, whether that’s hunting, fishing, or something else entirely."
The "Hunting Companion" is designed to provide answers to four questions that hunters ask, including:
- What can I hunt?
- When can I hunt?
- Where can I hunt? and
- How do I hunt?
The "Hunting Companion" site has an easy-to-use interface and simplistic design and provides information from resources ranging from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the Montana GIS community, and the Montana State Library. Since the site launched in 2010, it has been one of the State Library’s most popular resources throughout the hunting season.
"The 'Hunting Companion' proved to be a valuable and popular resource for hunters the last few years," said Thomas Baumeister, Assistant Chief of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Communication and Education Division. "Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is pleased to be able to work with the Montana State Library to provide another access point to information about hunting in Montana."
The Hunting Companion is part of a large project by the Montana State Library that will condense all of Montana’s most important geographic and natural resources information and make it available in easy-to-access subject guides, such as hunting, fishing, mining, water resources, and farming and ranching. Information on these broad subjects is often found in multiple sources, including the web sites from multiple state and federal agencies. To date the State Library has launched the "Hunting Companion" and the "Fishing Companion."
For more information about the Hunting Companion, contact Sara Groves at (406) 444-5357 or via e-mail at: sgroves@mt.gov.
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About the Montana State Library
Through its statewide programs, the Montana State Library empowers Montanans; enhances learning in families and communities; builds 21st Century skills; and provides opportunities for civic participation. For more information about the Montana State Library, visit http://msl.mt.gov.
About Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks manages the state’s world-renowned fish, wildlife, and state parks for the enjoyment of Montana’s citizens and its visitors. For more information about Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, visit http://fwp.mt.gov.