Anyone “Not” want to draw the Montana LE elk tag?

[John Henry1]

With the new regulation changes, was there anyone else who was up in the air about putting in for any LE units? I know in years past we could draw the tag, hunt the unit a few days and if things weren’t panning out, bounce to another area to chase bulls then come back if we wanted in hopes that the action was a little better. With the new changes, it forces you to stay in that unit if you are wanting to kill a bull. I know lots of residents that use to grab a 410 tag, hunt the first few days then leave to hunt better ground or wait for the pressure to die down and come back. That’s not happening with this new change. I just put in for the holy grail and hope things change back in a few years. Just curious.

 

[OpenCountry]

It never made sense that mule deer LE tags required the hunter to only hunt that species within the drawn area and the elk LE tag didn’t. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ran into somebody from a different part of the state that may only hunt it one weekend and not do the tag justice when a local person put in for it and didn’t draw. A lot of them only make the long drive once or have one bad experience in the mud and don’t return for the rest of the season. IMO you commit to the tag you put in for on the LE side. If you’re hunting a general tag, by all means bounce around until they dial that in.

If guys are upset with that change I can’t wait to see the reaction when the state finally realizes deer aren’t a renewable resource when compared to the hunting pressure currently experienced and have to give up their rifle rut hunt.

 

[Logan T]

I kind of felt that way as well….. unsure about putting in for a LE tag. But I think it is going to help out everyone in both the draw and otc tags…. Less applicants for most LE units and less otc hunters overall. I could see the top end units getting even more applications but overall I think it’s a step in the right direction. Better than all of these shoulder seasons. Guys who really want to hunt the LE areas “should“ have a better chance to draw and most general tag units need any kind of break they can get. And I’m one of the guys that took advantage of both the LE permit and general tag.

maybe I’m wrong, who knows. That said I did draw a LE permit and am going to miss bow hunting my general tag area.

 

[bsnedeker]

Yep, that's why I put for 380 this year with only 3 points. I've been successful in general units so if I'm going to have to stick to one unit it better be a damn good one.

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[5MilesBack]

Why would anyone put in for a LE unit and NOT want to hunt it? I thought that was "why" folks put in for a specific unit......to hunt that unit. Outside of OTC tags, that's the only system I've ever known......hunting the unit I draw. In fact, I had no idea that any states ever allowed folks to hunt any other units than the one they drew.

 

[bsnedeker]

Why would anyone put in for a LE unit and NOT want to hunt it? I thought that was "why" folks put in for a specific unit......to hunt that unit. Outside of OTC tags, that's the only system I've ever known......hunting the unit I draw. In fact, I had no idea that any states ever allowed folks to hunt any other units than the one they drew.

Let's say you have a week to hunt and draw a breaks tag. It ends up raining all week in the breaks. That will be the most miserable hunt of your life.

That said, I'm overall glad for the change. It needed to happen eventually.

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[John Henry1]

Why would anyone put in for a LE unit and NOT want to hunt it? I thought that was "why" folks put in for a specific unit......to hunt that unit. Outside of OTC tags, that's the only system I've ever known......hunting the unit I draw. In fact, I had no idea that any states ever allowed folks to hunt any other units than the one they drew.

I agree that it probably needed to happen as it should open up a lot more opportunity for better hunts in these areas. Example 2020 we pull a Breaks tag, find good bulls for the first few days and between the rain and internet hunters we couldn’t get it done. We leave to hunt a general area we know well, take 2 bulls out of there in 5 days, return to the Breaks after a lot of hunters gave up and managed to fill 2 more bull tags. If we didn’t have the ability to leave we may not have filled all the tags.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I haven't put in for one yet and won't in the future.

 

[5MilesBack]

Let's say you have a week to hunt and draw a breaks tag. It ends up raining all week in the breaks. That will be the most miserable hunt of your life.

If I only had one week to hunt, I wouldn't put in for a draw unit. You can't control the weather or the crowds. Let's say you draw a tag that you waited for for years, and then they have a fire in that unit and that congregates EVERYONE onto a much smaller section of the unit? That happens. One of the best archery elk seasons I've ever seen, it rained (and even hailed some days) every day for two weeks straight. There were times it came down so hard, I couldn't see past 30-40 yards. But I hunted every day of it, and it was awesome hunting. All that did was keep everyone else away. Ya, I know the Breaks gumbo too.

 

[cgasner1]

If I only had one week to hunt, I wouldn't put in for a draw unit. You can't control the weather or the crowds. Let's say you draw a tag that you waited for for years, and then they have a fire in that unit and that congregates EVERYONE onto a much smaller section of the unit? That happens. One of the best archery elk seasons I've ever seen, it rained (and even hailed some days) every day for two weeks straight. There were times it came down so hard, I couldn't see past 30-40 yards. But I hunted every day of it, and it was awesome hunting. All that did was keep everyone else away. Ya, I know the Breaks gumbo too.

Price of fuel and busy schedule also some of these guys drive 6-8 hours to hunt the other side of the state on the week vacation and just hunt in their back yard for all the other weekends on the general tag. That is no more it’s kind of a east vs west thing and the guys on the east got tired of the guys on the west drawing tags and not hunting it. So then we had to drive to the west side and hunt with them anyways


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[bigsky2]

I live in the east and I'd personally much rather have a bunch of hunters from western MT drawing tags over here and only coming and hunting for a few days, instead of locals getting the tags and being able to hunt nearly every week of the season. The less hunters in the field the better in my opinion.

 

[Rifleman86]

I haven't put in for one yet and won't in the future.

I’ve had damn good hunts in General units. Knowing the area is a huge advantage… I’d much rather hunt a general unit I know than a mediocre LE I am starting from scratch in.

 

[cgasner1]

I live in the east and I'd personally much rather have a bunch of hunters from western MT drawing tags over here and only coming and hunting for a few days, instead of locals getting the tags and being able to hunt nearly every week of the season. The less hunters in the field the better in my opinion.

Till you don’t have the tag


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[bigsky2]

Till you don’t have the tag


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We can get elk and deer tags over the counter. If I really wanted to hunt elk I’d just go hunt a general unit. Or I’d hunt deer or archery antelope. Not drawing a permit doesn’t prevent you from hunting elk. I’m to the point now that I’d rather have a permit every other year and have a quality hunt than get one every year and just take my bow for a walk with the masses. I’ve hunted elk in a couple other states and our limited entry archery elk permits are way overrated. This giving everyone a permit every year is catching up to us.

 

[cgasner1]

I 100% agree but we are rare people for wanting better quality when fwp wants everyone to have a participation trophy every year. Now let the name calling begin on how we are entitled and just wanna see bigger bulls from the pick up


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[bsnedeker]

I 100% agree but we are rare people for wanting better quality when fwp wants everyone to have a participation trophy every year. Now let the name calling begin on how we are entitled and just wanna see bigger bulls from the pick up


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You are a minority for sure. The majority of people in this state want opportunity over trophy quality and that is one reason the state manages the way they do.

You are free to lobby for change if it's important to you. Maybe you can convince people in this state that big antlers are more important than being able to hunt bugling bulls every year.

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[goathunter]

With the new regulation changes, was there anyone else who was up in the air about putting in for any LE units? I know in years past we could draw the tag, hunt the unit a few days and if things weren’t panning out, bounce to another area to chase bulls then come back if we wanted in hopes that the action was a little better. With the new changes, it forces you to stay in that unit if you are wanting to kill a bull. I know lots of residents that use to grab a 410 tag, hunt the first few days then leave to hunt better ground or wait for the pressure to die down and come back. That’s not happening with this new change. I just put in for the holy grail and hope things change back in a few years. Just curious.

I would say what you describe is exactly why they made this change. There's more opportunity to draw in some units now, and they are cutting down on some pressure by making you commit to only that unit. I'm the same way, in the past maybe you draw a decent tag but you've already planned an opener general hunt so you hunt that and then hunt the LE area after. It has made me reconsider how I apply, but I think this is one of the good changes to come out of all the bullshit this year.

 

[Dust Rider]

I would say what you describe is exactly why they made this change. There's more opportunity to draw in some units now, and they are cutting down on some pressure by making you commit to only that unit. I'm the same way, in the past maybe you draw a decent tag but you've already planned an opener general hunt so you hunt that and then hunt the LE area after. It has made me reconsider how I apply, but I think this is one of the good changes to come out of all the bullshit this year.

I agree with you, one of the better changes.
A article in the Missoula Current reported FWP having a 34% increase in tag sales in 2021. Prior to 4/1/2021, 45,000,000 tags had been sold. That is crazy.

 

[cgasner1]

You are a minority for sure. The majority of people in this state want opportunity over trophy quality and that is one reason the state manages the way they do.

You are free to lobby for change if it's important to you. Maybe you can convince people in this state that big antlers are more important than being able to hunt bugling bulls every year.

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I’m pretty happy with how this part of our hunting is set up I do wish they had put the rule of you have to hunt a valid permit and tried that before breaking up the 900 tag could of avoided a pile of confusion this year


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[missjordan]

The new rules really makes people commit to a district but it does have its positives and negatives. One negative that has effected me is putting in for archery tag in the breaks hunting it for a week or two and then the rest of the archery season hunting locally in western Montana. Don’t get that luxury anymore.

The positive that i can see is hopefully less pressure both on both sides. I opted to not put in for an archery draw this year.

Can’t have your cake and eat it too i suppose


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