Get Better Montana Mule Deer Hunting with Rokslide members

[S.Clancy]

We need mandatory reporting and E. vs. W. Montana should be managed with completely different approaches.

Deer are doing fine in Region 1 and the only NR I've seen in 5 years was myself in 2021 lol.

Well, if NR regional caps are put in place (as many think they should be, especially in the Eastern side), Region 1 would be expected to accommodate 17% or so of total NR deer hunters due to that region's 75,000 ish total deer (whitetails + mule deer). If you limit NR some places they are going to find places to go.

 

[ianpadron]

Well, if NR regional caps are put in place (as many think they should be, especially in the Eastern side), Region 1 would be expected to accommodate 17% or so of total NR deer hunters due to that region's 75,000 ish total deer (whitetails + mule deer). If you limit NR some places they are going to find places to go.

I know for a fact NRs aren't coming to hunt Mule Deer in Region 1 no matter what. Thick rugged country with lots of predators, and low deer density compared to other states/regions. Majority of plates you see in Regions 6 and 7 are from the Midwest, those boys are nothing to worry about in the big mountains.

The idea of having hunters choose mule deer or whitetail buck tags is a good one though for our neck of the woods.

Everytime I see a local kill a forked horn muley while out whitetail hunting it boils my blood.

 

[idelkslayer]

I know for a fact NRs aren't coming to hunt Mule Deer in Region 1 no matter what. Thick rugged country with lots of predators, and low deer density compared to other states/regions. Majority of plates you see in Regions 6 and 7 are from the Midwest, those boys are nothing to worry about in the big mountains.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. There were many units in North Central and Northern Idaho that I would have said the same thing. Then Idaho created unit quotas, and now every mule deer tag sells out in every unit regardless of low mule deer densities and thick forested mountains. Places that most NR would never have considered going on a mule deer hunt before the quota now fill up every year because they are out of options and any tag is better than no tag. There won't be much chatter online for a while but there will be once there has been a few years of NR "forced" to hunt there because they couldn't get a tag in a better place.

 

[ianpadron]

I wouldn't be so sure about that. There were many units in North Central and Northern Idaho that I would have said the same thing. Then Idaho created unit quotas, and now every mule deer tag sells out in every unit regardless of low mule deer densities and thick forested mountains. Places that most NR would never have considered going on a mule deer hunt before the quota now fill up every year because they are out of options and any tag is better than no tag. There won't be much chatter online for a while but there will be once there has been a few years of NR "forced" to hunt there because they couldn't get a tag in a better place.

There's a pretty significant difference between having to pick a unit and pick a side of the Rocky Mountains.

Idahos system is broken, no doubt, but its very different than MT.

 

[idelkslayer]

There's a pretty significant difference between having to pick a unit and pick a side of the Rocky Mountains.

Idahos system is broken, no doubt, but its very different than MT.

Idaho's system is not broken. Didn't mean to imply that at all.

Perhaps I shouldn't have assumed that you know Idaho geography. There is a significant difference between anything south of the Salmon river and everything north of it, even more so as you go north of the Lochsa or further south into the snake river plain.

My point was that northern Idaho and northwestern Montana are nearly identical in terrain and forest density. If a NR asked me where to go to hunt mule deer in Idaho, the last place I would send them is anywhere north of the Salmon and especially not anywhere north of the Lochsa. And yet, NR residents buy out the quota to hunt mule deer in those northern regions every year. Just a few years ago when NR could hunt anywhere in the state most wouldn't hunt those areas at all.

Many in this thread are advocating for regional NR quotas. Someone pointed out that it would result in a lot of NR pressure being pushed to NW Montana. Your response was that no NR would go to Region 1 to hunt mule deer. You might be surprised how many are willing to go to region 1 for mule deer when that is the only option left. Very few NR hunted northern Idaho for mule deer prior to our quota system.

I certainly don't have a crystal ball and I'm watching this debate in Montana as nothing more than an interested observer. Consider my comments to be a cautionary note about unintended consequences.