BILLINGS, Mont. - Montana's wildlife commission gave final approval Thursday to a plan that will allow hunters to kill up to 50 bison that leave Yellowstone National Park and enter Montana. It will be the first such hunt of bison in Montana in 15 years.

The state Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission approved hunting over a three-month period, beginning Nov. 15, and agreed to require that hunters undergo a training course to prepare them for killing one of the animals and possible encounters with protesters and the media, among other things.

Two commissioners deemed the requirement offensive or unnecessary - Victor Workman of Whitefish called it "unreasonable, uncalled for and unwarranted" - but others saw it as key to ensuring the long-term viability of the controversial hunt.

"I want this hunt to be a success," chairman Steve Doherty said, adding that the mandatory orientation should not only increase the likelihood of that but also show respect both for the bison and the state's hunting tradition.

The hunt as planned would allow up to 25 bison to be killed during each of two sessions - one, running from Nov. 15-Jan. 15, and another from Jan. 16-Feb. 15. Of the 50 total either-sex licenses, 24 will still be up for grabs; 16 licenses are to be allocated to tribes in the state and 10 were issued previously for an abbreviated hunt that the commission canceled after the governor expressed about potential damage to Montana's reputation.

This new hunt, though, expands the hunting area to include land near Yellowstone's western boundary and cover a total of about 460,000 acres, said Pat Flowers, a regional supervisor for the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Bison and better hunting opportunities are likely to be found on about 60,000 acres, he said.

Wildlife officials have said the hunt will be nothing like hunts of the late 1980s that sparked protests, in part for the way in which they were carried out. Then, wardens helped lead hunters to bison that, in some cases, were shot at close range while grazing.

Dan Brister of the Buffalo Field Campaign, a bison advocacy group, said in a telephone interview Thursday that the hunt is sure to draw national attention, and apt to give Montana a "black eye." He said his group is exploring its legal options.

Yellowstone is home to thousands of bison, and it's common in the winter for some to leave the park and enter southern Montana in search of food. Ranchers and livestock officials worry about this, though, because some of the park's bison have brucellosis, and they fear the animals will transmit that to cattle.

Brucellosis is a disease that can cause cows to abort, and, under a federal-state management plan, bison that leave Yellowstone can be hazed or captured and tested for brucellosis. Bison testing positive are sent to slaughter.

Hazing and capture operations would be suspended in areas that are open to hunting during the seasons, except in cases involving such things as threats to public health and significant property damage.

Much of the debate during Thursday's meeting dealt with the agency-recommended hunter training course.

Tom Jones, senior game warden on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, where bison are hunted, spoke in favor of training, particularly when it comes to the types of weapons that should be used. "To see an animal shot and run off, that's hard on people," he said afterward.

Craig Sharpe, executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation, believes the hunt will draw heavy interest from hunters but that they will also be an "easy target" for those who oppose it. His group supports training and believes it's important particularly as bison hunting resumes. Hunts were halted by the state Legislature in 1991.

"I think we have to start some place, and this is a good first step," Sharpe said in an interview.