Too many elk in Montana?

[Montcoyote]

UPOM doesn't want to kill more elk, they want to control bull permit allocation. By state statute, if bull permits are limited, non-residents only get 10%. Years ago, when FWP put archery bull hunting on a limited draw permit - for lots of reasons mostly related to overcrowded archery seasons - all the private landowners with huge herds of elk could no longer hunt them on a general license. Those same landowners were happy to have the largest herds of elk in the state, but they lost their golden goose (first blow was when they lost their guaranteed outfitter-sponsored licenses). UPOM attempts to make the argument that the state is failing to manage elk, so give them back the control to manage elk. Our obvious solutions to too many elk are aimed at a problem they don't actually want to solve. They need the state to fail to attempt to take the reins.

 

[Nightstandx]

Unbelievable. No sympathy from me for the landowners that whine about the elk yet wont let any hunters on their property to kill them.

it would be easier if they just placed a bounty on elks..

 

[hank877]

I wish California has the same

 

[Chicken474]

Saw one the other day, spooky.

 

[Benet30]

We hunted Montana last week and within 3 days of opener the elk cleared out of the mnts and were on two huge private ranches with out of state owners. Two separate herds of 200 elk only about 15 miles from each other. They sure figured out where to go for safety fast

 

[WRC]

Montana ranchers want to kill elk. A lot of elk.

Frustrated Montana Landowners Want To Kill 50,000 Elk, Judge Says No

A Montana judge has shot down a demand by frustrated landowners let them kill 50,000 elk. Ranchers in Wyoming are dealing with similar problems with too…

cowboystatedaily.com

Can't they get landowner permits to let hunters hunt nuisance elk?

 

[Superx3]

Landowners don't need any favors when it comes to hunting. We let friends and family hunt. And a lot of landowners are willing to make new friends (this is the big tip of the day). So if you want to hunt private make a friend. But don't ask to do them a favor.

^^^ this 1000%

We farm and ranch and live in the Texas panhandle. Back when we had a nice huntable population of pheasant and quail (prior to 2011 drought) we let a select few family friends hunt. They were respectful, and would always call before just showing up. Always just shot a few birds, and we saved the days around the holidays for us and family. Now we lost a few friends over pulling up to a nice honey hole and a so called friend was climbing into his pickup with him and uncle Fred and Jim and Paul all limited out on pheasant on days we had reserved for our family on our own land! Now it’s just a very very select few special people get the opportunity to hunt anything. It’s just easier. If I really want a deer culled I’ll call around to a local kid, or cull it myself and call a needy family to come get the meat. Flame me if you want to but some people ruin it for the masses. That’s just how the cookie crumbles.

 

[WRC]

^^^ this 1000%

We farm and ranch and live in the Texas panhandle. Back when we had a nice huntable population of pheasant and quail (prior to 2011 drought) we let a select few family friends hunt. They were respectful, and would always call before just showing up. Always just shot a few birds, and we saved the days around the holidays for us and family. Now we lost a few friends over pulling up to a nice honey hole and a so called friend was climbing into his pickup with him and uncle Fred and Jim and Paul all limited out on pheasant on days we had reserved for our family on our own land! Now it’s just a very very select few special people get the opportunity to hunt anything. It’s just easier. If I really want a deer culled I’ll call around to a local kid, or cull it myself and call a needy family to come get the meat. Flame me if you want to but some people ruin it for the masses. That’s just how the cookie crumbles.

No flames here! If you look at how public land gets treated by some “sportsmen”, the lack of respect is incredible. Last hunt we extinguished two unattended fires in abandoned camps. Was so pissed.

 

[goathunter]

The legit farmers and ranchers are in a tough spot, the big money ranches harbor the elk and the small ranches pay the price. But this is all UPOM. They're running the show now - politically - we have to keep them honest.

 

[Tradchef]

Unbelievable. No sympathy from me for the landowners that whine about the elk yet wont let any hunters on their property to kill them.

This !!!!

 

[N_Steen]

Perhaps make public the names and phone numbers of those land owners so that hunters can contact them for permission.

 

[finner]

Perhaps make public the names and phone numbers of those land owners so that hunters can contact them for permission.

Impossible, given that UPOM refused to release the names of its membership or its funders in the court proceedings. It's the definition of a shady organization

 

[rogerdoger]

They used to capture elk in the Bob and restock them throughout the state of MT. If they have that many in other areas now, they should do the reverse and shuttle 50k back into the Bob.

Make that the entire NW Montana!

 

[Mbogage]

Private ranches need to join the block management system, make it a type 2 and walk in only. Then you know who is hunting your place.

 

[MTPipeliner]

Senate Bill 270 is proposing to remove limits on how many elk tags you can get in a year- I believe the current text does have a cap set, but allows the cap to be removed if they develop a “variable license structure”


https://flatheadbeacon.com/2025/02/14/halt-galts-latest-attempt-to-privatize-elk/


https://missoulacurrent.com/viewpoint-elk-slaughter/

Let your legislators know what you think of this

 

[finner]

UPOM recently filed its opening brief on this case in the Montana Supreme Court. As someone who has been involved in this case and with the sportsmen's groups intervention since the start, I'd ask that anyone who is invested in elk management in Montana take the time to get up to speed and contribute to the legal fees. Most of the groups supporting FWP are volunteer organizations with limited resources, and the costs of participating in this suit continue to rise. We got a strong order from the district court, but with a new Supreme Court in Helena there's still a risk for hunters and elk statewide. Here's a link to donate:

KEEP ELK PUBLIC

www.keepelkpublic.org

 

[jkoehle1]

Senate Bill 270 is proposing to remove limits on how many elk tags you can get in a year- I believe the current text does have a cap set, but allows the cap to be removed if they develop a “variable license structure”


https://flatheadbeacon.com/2025/02/14/halt-galts-latest-attempt-to-privatize-elk/


https://missoulacurrent.com/viewpoint-elk-slaughter/

Let your legislators know what you think of this

On top of that - stop voting for legislators that carry water for lobbyists.

The senator who carried the bill did so at the request of a lobbyist org, not a constituent.

The carve out is intentional.

 

[mt terry d]

Access is definitely the problem.

And it's not just the "rich out-of-state" landowners.

I'd say the majority of ranchers in our area with decent elk hunting only allow
family and VERY CLOSE friends hunt.

And even with the shoulder season in our area the elk congregate on private land
where they don't allow anyone to come in and kill cows or help disperse them onto
other land.

A couple things could be done that might help:
Absolutely zero public/government compensation for fence damage or crop damage
if a certain amount of public hunting (meaning draws for tags) isn't allowed.

Also, any landlocked public land is off limits to the landowner if some public access
is not allowed. No grazing, no hunting, no setting foot on it. < that's a period

Something related would be if a landowner is adjacent to public land and there isn't
a reasonable ( just for instance 5 miles between points) public access to that land, the landowner
(or Outfitter leasing the land) would not be allowed to go onto that public land directly but
would have to use the same access as the general public.

 

[goathunter]

UPOM recently filed its opening brief on this case in the Montana Supreme Court. As someone who has been involved in this case and with the sportsmen's groups intervention since the start, I'd ask that anyone who is invested in elk management in Montana take the time to get up to speed and contribute to the legal fees. Most of the groups supporting FWP are volunteer organizations with limited resources, and the costs of participating in this suit continue to rise. We got a strong order from the district court, but with a new Supreme Court in Helena there's still a risk for hunters and elk statewide. Here's a link to donate:

KEEP ELK PUBLIC

www.keepelkpublic.org

Thanks for this @finner. This keep elk public website didn't give a lot of info so I reached out to PLWA and they said all the bigger keep elk public coalition members kick in to help out with fees and the donations directly from the keep elk public fundraiser fill the gaps. So the site is legit and it sounds like donating here, or to any of the groups would help. Also, it sounds like they could really use contributions for this next round against UPOM.

 

[finner]

Thanks for this @finner. This keep elk public website didn't give a lot of info so I reached out to PLWA and they said all the bigger keep elk public coalition members kick in to help out with fees and the donations directly from the keep elk public fundraiser fill the gaps. So the site is legit and it sounds like donating here, or to any of the groups would help. Also, it sounds like they could really use contributions for this next round against UPOM.

Yeah funds are definitely needed, thanks for kicking the tires. You can also donate directly to the intervenor organizations like Hellgate Hunters & Anglers or Helena Hunters & Anglers and earmark your donation for the legal fees in this case. Both are 501c3's, so also tax-deductible