On the 1,180-acre Donally Ranch Block Management Area #14, hunters this season found more than game-rich habitat. They found a landowner committed to safety, stewardship and the long-term future of public hunting access.

The Donally Ranch BMA, designated as Type 2, covers the north, west and east units of the ranch and offers opportunities for whitetail deer, mule deer (HD 202 buck permits required), elk, black bear, wolves, turkey and upland birds including ruffs and blue grouse. 

But the 2022 season brought major improvements that some longtime hunters resisted at first, yet ultimately highlight a landowner dedicated to doing things right. 

Hunters were required to obtain advanced verbal permission, schedule dates ahead of time and sign in daily at one of several registration boxes. Each hunter was also required to carry their daily permission slip, not leave it in a truck or ATV. Permission was limited, and hunters could either request a specific unit or be assigned one if quotas were filled. It was all part of Kevin Donally’s ongoing effort to prevent the overcrowding that once made portions of the ranch hazardous. 

“When dad was still alive and running things, it was sort of a free-for-all," he said. "Shawn (Heyer, a cousin of Kevin’s) and I almost got shot a couple of times. The North Unit would have about 20 people hunting and it was dangerous at times.” 

After taking over the operation, Donally and Heyer made a difficult but necessary decision.

“We cut it down to only six hunters down there, the North Unit, at a time,” he said. 

The changes weren’t universally popular, especially among hunters who had been coming for years, but the call was made with both present safety and future access in mind. 

“It’s safer for everybody, but the other thing is I don’t care how much insurance FWP has; if somebody were to get hurt or killed, they’ll come after the landowner, too,” he said. 

Montana’s block management system includes two general models. 

Type 1 is a hunter-administered permission. Generally, this does not limit hunter numbers or require reservations, though some may restrict the number of vehicles in designated parking areas. Hunters simply register at a sign-in box before they begin hunting. 

Type 2 is a landowner or FWP-issued permission. These areas require reservations, may manage hunter numbers or unit assignments, and include more structured oversight. Nearly all BMAs, regardless of type, require daily sign-ins. Landowners receive reimbursement based partly on hunter use. 

The Donally Ranch operates squarely in the Type 2 category, with systems designed to ensure safety and resource protection. Donally even implemented a practical new tool: requiring hunters to text him a photo of their vehicle and license plate, allowing him to verify attendance simply by driving past parking areas. Juggling hunters across three units every day took more time than he preferred, but they did it because it had to be done. 

Like most block management cooperators, the Donally Ranch makes its living from the land it shares with Montana hunters. It is working, productive ground and this year, hunters received a firsthand education in agriculture. 

Large portions of the property had been plowed, exposing a variety of vegetables, chewed liberally by local critters, left from a cover crop planted earlier in the year. Donally explained that rising fertilizer costs led him to plant a four-way nitrogen fixing. Berseem clover, peas, white radish, and turnips or rutabagas. 

Short, intense rains in late July and early August provided the moisture needed for germination, and when Donally plowed the cover crop under in October, it returned nutrients to the soil in preparation for next year’s wheat. 

“Minerals and essential nutrients I want for my wheat crop were ready to work,” he said. 

The Donally Ranch approach reflects the best of Montana’s Block Management partnership: responsible access, thoughtful stewardship, and a landowner who takes hunter safety seriously. While change can be uncomfortable, the results speak for themselves with healthier habitat, safer conditions and a sustainable program that keeps public hunting open for years to come. In an era when access is increasingly challenged, the Donally Ranch BMA stands as a reminder that good management takes commitment, and that good people still make a difference. 

    A successful hunter drags his buck across a recently plowed field on the Donally Ranch Block Management Area near Quartz. The cover crop was planted in the spring as fertilizer for next year’s wheat crop. (Courtesy photo)