Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks recently honored the service of its northwest Montana hunter and bowhunter education instructors at an annual workshop in Kalispell.

Among the honorees are three Lincoln County residents.

Two Troy men, Paul Dalziel and Neil Newton, have been teaching for five years.

The third, Eureka's Megan Strom, has been teaching for 20 years. She was named the regional Instructor of the Year for 2022.

The annual workshop is an opportunity for FWP staff and instructors to review the education programs, discuss updates, and celebrate the volunteerism of the instructors.

The heart of Montana's hunter and bowhunter education programs is the corps of dedicated volunteer instructors. They keep Montana's hunting traditions strong by promoting safety, ethics and responsibility and by mentoring new hunters.

At the 2023 Region 1 workshop, several instructors were awarded for service milestones, ranging from five years to 30 years.

The latest honorees are listed below.

Monty Long of Kalispell has served as a hunter education instructor for 30 years and Bennie Rossetto of Kalispell has served as a bowhunter education instructor for 30 years.

JF Hewitt of Kalispell was named the Instructor of the Year for 2021 after the honor was delayed from last year.

“The men and women who volunteer to mentor new hunters are passionate and dedicated to Montana’s hunting tradition and to teaching firearm safety,” said Dillon Tabish, FWP regional communication and education program manager. “These instructors serve their communities in a very important way. They deserve a sincere ‘Thank you’ from all of us.”

If anyone is interested in the future of hunting, in improving sportsmanship and safety in the field, or teaching an appreciation for the vast hunting resources in Montana, FWP encourages them to sign up to become an instructor.

Visit fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter for more information.

In northwest Montana, call Dillon Tabish at (406) 751-4564.

Region 1 Honorees

5 Years of Service

Hunter Education

Paul Dalziel, Troy

Dan Murphy, Columbia Falls

Neil Newton, Troy

Rachel Schmidt, Whitefish

Isabella Schwegel, Kalispell

Andrew Smith, Kalispell

Rob Tameler, Arlee

Cody Voermans, Kalispell

10 Years of Service

Bowhunter Education

Zachary Butcher, Plains

Steve White, Kalispell

Hunter Education

Zachary Butcher, Plains

Cerria Swagger, Kalispell

15 Years of Service

Hunter and Bowhunter Education

Ronald Ream, Condon

20 Years of Service

Hunter Education

Dale Jorgenson, Bigfork

Janell Plummer, Somers

Megan Strom, Eureka

Walter Wilkinson, Kalispell

25 Years of Service

Bowhunter Education

Wes Plummer, Somers

Hunter Education

Wes Plummer, Somers

Steve White, Kalispell

30 Years of Service

Hunter Education

Monty Long, Kalispell

Bowhunter Education

Bennie Rossetto, Kalispell