Montana Mule Deer - First timer

[mpb21]

So true. This whole judging people on what they do legally is no better than ballot box biology. Yes, we are not always happy with the way things are managed, but having individuals on a website (non-biologist) think they know best about what to shoot, is so vain. Populations get managed at the population level, not the hunting forum level…. do what’s legal and feels right to you.

If you don't have age class you don't have healthy herds.

MT manages for opportunity, not age class and things appear to be nearing a tipping point where the herds are having a hard time sustaining the current regulations.

Just like a business managed doesn't mean managed well.

That being said if it's legal and people have a tag, I wouldn't ever fault them for taking a legal deer.

 

[AHayes111]

I am happy when someone shoots the first forky that they see. Much better than hunting for days and shooting a two or three year old four point with nice forks. Shooting that forky is shooting a buck that has less of a chance of becoming something big latter in life and less pressure pushing deer to private land. The problem in MT is we are too selective, not that we are not selective enough.

 

[Bugger]

come shoot a whitetail. There's too many in the mountains and they're outcompeting mule deer in winter range in a lot of areas.

This needs to be a more popular idea. Why are people lining up to shoot mule deer forkies when there’s thousands of whitetail rats on every crop in the state? Some good bucks too.

 

[AHayes111]

This needs to be a more popular idea. Why are people lining up to shoot mule deer forkies when there’s thousands of whitetail rats on every crop in the state? Some good bucks too.
View attachment 831563

Because getting access to those hay fields is often a who you know or how much are you willing to pay deal. Most whitetails are on private land.

 

[Derekc6713]

I agree there are alot of nice whitetails out in east Montana. When I was out in Montana for the first time in the fall of 2023 I shot my first mule deer ,the one in my profile pic. Right before I took this deer I had opportunity on a nice 8 point whitetail would've been the best buck I ever shot but I came out west to shoot a mule deer so i passed on him and took the mule deer. I don't regret my decision as a hunter coming from the east the 3x3 looked like a monster to me and I had never shot one before. Now that i scratched that itch so to speak the next time i come out to Montana and am faced with the same situation i would take the whitetail without hesitation. A nice deer is a nice deer no matter whether its a mulie or whitetail.

 

[Bugger]

Because getting access to those hay fields is often a who you know or how much are you willing to pay deal. Most whitetails are on private land.

We had a good time knocking a bunch over on adjacent public, I know that’s not possible everywhere though. But yeah the landowners need to stop contributing to this problem. Those could and should be muley’s seeking refuge out there

 

[mt terry d]

If you don't have age class you don't have healthy herds.

MT manages for opportunity, not age class and things appear to be nearing a tipping point where the herds are having a hard time sustaining the current regulations.

Just like a business managed doesn't mean managed well.

That being said if it's legal and people have a tag, I wouldn't ever fault them for taking a legal deer.

Slight correction:
MT manages for $$$$$$
which they advertise as "opportunity".

 

[Dos Perros]

One time I was elk hunting eastern Montana and two dudes who just got done cutting a wheat field stopped to talk. One of them practically begged me to come to his place to shoot whitetails off his hay. He complained that the previous winter they ate a deer shaped hole right through his haystack. Even invited us in for dinner.

 

[mt terry d]

One time I was elk hunting eastern Montana and two dudes who just got done cutting a wheat field stopped to talk. One of them practically begged me to come to his place to shoot whitetails off his hay. He complained that the previous winter they ate a deer shaped hole right through his haystack. Even invited us in for dinner.

Curious how long ago that was and if he'd allow you to shoot big bucks.

Either way, especially nowadays when the wife or kids are on FB, it would be pretty simple for them to put the word out and they'd have have a line a mile long wanting to help.

30 years ago deer and antelope would ravage the hay stacks, eating and crapping
on them. You could drive out and see 50 or so standing on the stacks and more than that around the bottom.

One neighbor hung a paper in the cafe asking for people to come shoot does.
Of course, they wanted $20 per head for the privilege of helping them. I don't
know of anyone taking them up on it.

 

[Bugger]

One neighbor hung a paper in the cafe asking for people to come shoot does.
Of course, they wanted $20 per head for the privilege of helping them.

 

[mt terry d]

View attachment 831591

So, take the cost of a non-resident deer tag, add say $60 (to cover inflation) landowner fee and travel/food/lodging expenses........and you'd pay that to shoot a 110#WT doe off someone's haystack?

(BTW: Love that movie )

 

[Bugger]

So, take the cost of a non-resident deer tag, add say $60 (to cover inflation) landowner fee and travel/food/lodging expenses........and you'd pay that to shoot a 110#WT doe off someone's haystack?

(BTW: Love that movie )

IF I was there already, for a mule deer or elk tag, I would absolutely fill up the coolers with whitetail does in a day and have no problem passing more animals on my hunt. Not sure how it works with buying NR tags vs landowner allotments, but it also just sounds like a good time. I move around quite a bit for Uncle Sam so if we was in a place where opportunity wasn’t great that would be a decent option.

 

[Dos Perros]

Curious how long ago that was and if he'd allow you to shoot big bucks.

That was 2018. It was a pretty remote part of the state.

 

[mt terry d]

IF I was there already, for a mule deer or elk tag, I would absolutely fill up the coolers with whitetail does in a day and have no problem passing more animals on my hunt. Not sure how it works with buying NR tags vs landowner allotments, but it also just sounds like a good time. I move around quite a bit for Uncle Sam so if we was in a place where opportunity wasn’t great that would be a decent option.

So, @ $750 for a general deer tag you'd burn your buck tag & pay another $60
trespass fee/doe and another $75/doe (B tag) to fill coolers?
Even if that first cooler isn't very large that going to be about a grand alone to go
"out west" and not kill a small mulie buck.
It must be nice working for Uncle Sam! LOL

 

[Bugger]

So, @ $750 for a general deer tag you'd burn your buck tag & pay another $60
trespass fee/doe and another $75/doe (B tag) to fill coolers?
Even if that first cooler isn't very large that going to be about a grand alone to go
"out west" and not kill a small mulie buck.
It must be nice working for Uncle Sam! LOL

Do you still need to buy the state tag on top of the landowner tag? Curious how $20 turned into 60 and 75. Still cheaper than any lease anywhere. And the buck tag isn’t burned at all because of cooler space, leave some room or buy a cheapie at Walmart.

 

[AHayes111]

Do you still need to buy the state tag on top of the landowner tag? Curious how $20 turned into 60 and 75. Still cheaper than any lease anywhere. And the buck tag isn’t burned at all because of cooler space, leave some room or buy a cheapie at Walmart.

The twenty was a trespass fee. There are no landowner tags in MT.