On September 24, 2024, the Bozeman City Commission finally adopted Ordinance 2166 prohibiting trapping and snaring on City lands in the Bozeman Creek Watershed south of the main trailhead. Violations of the Ordinance may be subject to criminal penalties pursuant to 87-6-601, MCA which may include a fine not less than $50 or more than $1,000 or imprisonment in the Gallatin County Detention Center for not more than six months, or both. The penalty may also include forfeiture of any current hunting, fishing, or trapping license. Ordinance 2166 will be effective on October 24, 2024.

The Bozeman Creek Watershed is an important source of drinking water for the City. This Ordinance does not affect the City’s consent to allow the public to use these lands for recreation as long as the use is consistent with the primary purpose of these lands to provide a safe and reliable source of water for the City’s residents and businesses.

Not all lands in the Bozeman Creek Watershed are closed to trapping and snaring. Much of the watershed continues to be open for trapping. In 2013, the Custer Gallatin National Forest issued Order 01-11-00-13-05 prohibiting placing, or maintaining any mechanical device, snare, deadfall or pit or device capable of capturing any wildlife or domesticated animal within 500 feet of the main trail from the Bozeman Creek Trailhead to Mystic Lake. Forest Service lands outside of this 500 foot restriction may be open to trapping pursuant to Montana law.

For more information on Ordinance 2166, please contact the Bozeman City Manager’s Office at 406-582-2306.

For more information on Montana laws related to trapping, please contact the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

For more information on the management of Forest Service land in the Bozeman Creek Watershed, please contact the Bozeman Ranger District.