Montana season change proposal

[Marshfly]

One of the group's strongest beliefs is that we need to decouple mule deer and elk seasons from each other. We are one of the only states that still have that and believe that it leads to a higher mule deer harvest from people that are elk hunting that stumble into mule deer. With that in mind, it just gets backed into a corner trying to squeeze as much opportunity into a 3 month time frame without having concurrent seasons. The group strongly believes that you can't piece meal any type of mule deer changes without having unintended adverse effects on elk management. With that in mind we recommended moving archery into August with a 5 week season. I get it, it sucks hunting in August but many states do that are hotter than Montana.

I do like that point of decoupling seasons. It is easy to get caught up in that mindset in the field admittedly. But my family is mostly meat hunting as we eat 100% wild game all year.

What's the plan if 25% of hunters choose Mule deer Region 7? How's that going to play into the stated goals?

Just devils advocate but a scenario that very well could happen.

 

[Schaaf]

I do like that point of decoupling seasons. It is easy to get caught up in that mindset in the field admittedly. But my family is mostly meat hunting as we eat 100% wild game all year.

What's the plan if 25% of hunters choose Mule deer Region 7? How's that going to play into the stated goals?

Just devils advocate but a scenario that very well could happen.

It absolutely could and one that worries me as well. My hope is that with a couple years of hard data on who picks what, we could look at regional caps. I might be too optimistic, but I think with no public land doe hunting in 6&7 for the next two years and no mule deer hunting in the rut, we’d be okay.

Also, I don’t think a regional cap on hunters is something this group would oppose.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Definitely a competitor and sadly a better competitor . Funny someone thought it a good idea to cut back on WT B tags?????

If this proposal goes through, will be interesting see how they allocate the number of whitetail vs mule deer A tags. Could be a boon for NR's interested in hunting big whitetails?????

Heck long as the price was decent I wouldn't mind whitetail b doe tags.

 

[Axlrod]

One of the group's strongest beliefs is that we need to decouple mule deer and elk seasons from each other. We are one of the only states that still have that and believe that it leads to a higher mule deer harvest from people that are elk hunting that stumble into mule deer. With that in mind, it just gets backed into a corner trying to squeeze as much opportunity into a 3 month time frame without having concurrent seasons. The group strongly believes that you can't piece meal any type of mule deer changes without having unintended adverse effects on elk management. With that in mind we recommended moving archery into August with a 5 week season. I get it, it sucks hunting in August but many states do that are hotter than Montana.

As far as "heat" goes 2 out of the last 4 seasons Iirc, it was 100 degrees on opening day of archery (1st. Sat of Sept.), where I hunt whitetails.
If they want to kill more elk, the season needs to shift latter. Most years, there has been little cold & snow during rifle season.
Mule Deer aren't coming back to where they were. They are a very habitat/climate sensitive species. Years of drought and human, predator, elk, & whitetail expansion started putting the nail in their coffin 20+ years ago.
I am for trying something different, because what is happening now isn't working.
I love our long seasons. Just love being out there, don't care if I get anything. But would love to leave behind some good experiences for my boys, and everyone else's kids to enjoy.

 

[Schaaf]

I love our long seasons. Just love being out there, don't care if I get anything. But would love to leave behind some good experiences for my boys, and everyone else's kids to enjoy.

I think in our proposal you would still be able to do just that. We would still have the longest and most opportunity available of any western state.

 

[cgasner1]

I do like that point of decoupling seasons. It is easy to get caught up in that mindset in the field admittedly. But my family is mostly meat hunting as we eat 100% wild game all year.

What's the plan if 25% of hunters choose Mule deer Region 7? How's that going to play into the stated goals?

Just devils advocate but a scenario that very well could happen.

I’d love to see your numbers on the percentages of people that have hunted 7 in the last 5 season. The worry about 25% of people jumping into 7 to me isn’t a issue since currently 100% can hunt it if they want

 

[Marshfly]

I’d love to see your numbers on the percentages of people that have hunted 7 in the last 5 season. The worry about 25% of people jumping into 7 to me isn’t a issue since currently 100% can hunt it if they want

People do weird things when forced to choose.

Did you miss the devils advocate part?

 

[Scottf270]

Schaaf, I'm a non resident who's hunted Region 7 for nearly 40 years. I'd be happy to speak with you by phone if you think I can provide another perspective. I'm retired and am available most any time. Sent my number in a pm.

 

[cgasner1]

People do weird things when forced to choose.

Did you miss the devils advocate part?

They do like when they drive 6 hours from Missoula and shoot a forky because they decided that since they burnt all that money on gas they are gonna get something. I’m not against people punching tags out on whatever makes them happy but our current structure is getting a lot of 2.5 year old deer killed.

 

[Marshfly]

They do like when they drive 6 hours from Missoula and shoot a forky because they decided that since they burnt all that money on gas they are gonna get something. I’m not against people punching tags out on whatever makes them happy but our current structure is getting a lot of 2.5 year old deer killed.

I totally agree. I just fear there are a lot more people that would choose that hope for an eastern MT monster that probably doesn’t exist rather than a nice Clark Fork Whitetail that does.

 

[cgasner1]

I totally agree. I just fear there are a lot more people that would choose that hope for an eastern MT monster that probably doesn’t exist rather than a nice Clark Fork Whitetail that does.

What eastern mt monster the deer numbers have dropped so hard in the last 5 years it’s unbelievable. It’s amazing fwp didn’t step in last year and make a change. I believe part of the reason is just hey just don’t want the push back.

 

[lager]

FWP should have been reducing mulie doe tags years ago in my area. The Garnets have been buck permit for a long time. Very tough to draw tag. Season change wont help. Tooo many predators, cats and wolves, is biggest problem.

 

[missjordan]

Personally I’d like to see more hunting areas for mule deer go to draw only. Even if it’s a guaranteed draw. Set more quotas based on the hunting district.


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[KurtR]

Taking the mule deer rifle out of the rut is a plan i wish Sodak would go to. Seems like a decent plan moving forward

 

[cgasner1]

Personally I’d like to see more hunting areas for mule deer go to draw only. Even if it’s a guaranteed draw. Set more quotas based on the hunting district.


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With this plan it would give fwp hard numbers to work with moving forward if it needs to go that way. Problem with trying to do it right now is no one really knows where to set numbers and how to do it so it’s done properly

 

[S.Clancy]

Heck long as the price was decent I wouldn't mind whitetail b doe tags.

75$

 

[BRTreedogs]

75$

You can only have one now if you didn't draw a general tag.

 

[S.Clancy]

For a state that’s picked up 400k residents since 1980, and has projections for 200k more in the next 20 years, it’s definitely the nonresidents fault. It has to be, seeing as NR big game tags have been statutorily capped since the aforementioned population boom happened.


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deer license sales have been stagnant for awhile, 5-10 yrs.

Only Deer A and Elk A are statutorily capped, but FWP has got around that with Come-Home to Hunt and others.

B-tags have no cap and represent an enormous increase in NR pressure.

 

[BRTreedogs]

deer license sales have been stagnant for awhile, 5-10 yrs.

Only Deer A and Elk A are statutorily capped, but FWP has got around that with Come-Home to Hunt and others.

B-tags have no cap and represent an enormous increase in NR pressure.

B tags are capped this year.
1 if didn't draw general.
2 if drew General

 

[S.Clancy]

You can only have one now if you didn't draw a general tag.

They just passed that a year or 2 ago right?