Montana proposed deer regs

[2ski]

I got an email from the FWP today about proposed new deer regulations. They are talking about going to buck only for mule deer and pretty much eliminating b tags for them. And also eliminating b tags for whitetails in regions 4, 5, and 6. These are in response to the population declines from predation (the don't say it but wolves) and that EHD or whatever its called that hit the whitetails hard.

These are proposed for the next two years.

 

[Jon Boy]

I'm all for it, same with b tags for elk. If that doesn't work to rebound the herds, I hate to say it, the general season needs to cut the last week or two for the Mulies. Leave whiteys and elk open, but cut the Mulie season a little bit shorter.
I had the worst season finding mature bucks and just overall deer numbers in general this year so my opinion might be a bit biased.

 

[hunthard]

Cut the season? why not just kill more wolves?

 

[pyroducksx3]

I doubt just increasing the wild quota would help. Don't get me wrong I'm all for taking as many wolves as possible but I think studies have shown hunter harvest has little effect on wolf populations, maybe I'm wrong. Our washington season sucks its 9 days long and here you have to choose a weapon you can't hunt archery, muzzle and general you have to choose one. So this is the reality some other hunters face. If we are to be true conservationist and Stewart's of the land we are going to have to keep fighting the wolf battle and if the numbers aren't there accept limited seasons until we return the numbers to where they should be. We all knew that one if the big factors of people supporting the wolf reintroduction was to limit hunting and unfortunately it's working.

 

[Jon Boy]

Cut the season? why not just kill more wolves?

Wolves have nothing to do with the deer populations in eastern Montana.

 

[jcodyc40]

Like Jon Boy said there are NO wolves in eastern Montana, the predation is from a very healthy coyote population. I would definately support cutting the last two weeks off the general season, they have done this on the CMR for about 10 years now and it seems to be working. I also like the idea of cutting the b tags out.

 

[AZ Vince]

Too bad we can't go back to poisoning coyotes like they did in the 1960's and 70's.

 

[KMT]

Colorado went to a buck only season years ago. Then by the mid 1980s, the ratio of buck to total deer was about 2-100 in the areas that I used to hunt. Every buck in the county was getting demolished...spikes, two points, everything. Then the Division of Wildlife (DOW) implemented a point restriction, allowing hunters to take only 3 or 4 point bucks statewide. Then it seemed like only mature, breeding bucks were wiped out. Finally they dropped the point restriction. Our deer population is much lower now than it was in the early 1980s regardless of what the DOW says it is. I'm not saying that the buck only idea wiped out our deer. I don't know what did it. I know that Montana isn't Colorado, but major changes to management have long lasting and, in our case, unplanned consequences.

 

[BackcountryMT]

This isn't only in response to the wolves, even it western MT. It's the gross mismanaging of our wildlife by FWP. Their a total joke.

They are dropping Elk B tags in a lot of units as well. I am excited about that. The only other thing I was hoping to see was an antler point restriction on mule deer

 

[Big Sky]

Like Jon Boy said there are NO wolves in eastern Montana, the predation is from a very healthy coyote population. I would definately support cutting the last two weeks off the general season, they have done this on the CMR for about 10 years now and it seems to be working. I also like the idea of cutting the b tags out.

Who ever told you that there are NO wolves in eastern MT is a liar. They have followed the Yellowstone river down and are through the whole state.

 

[Jon Boy]

I wouldn't say there are no wolves in Eastern MT but I would say they are a very small part of the problem regarding eastern mts struggling mule deer herds.

 

[jcodyc40]

Nope, there are just coyotes, no wolves. Do not let your eyes decieve you no matter how big they are just COYOTES!