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397-00 B Licenses!!??

BrowningBLR

Active member
Joined
Oct 24, 2011
Messages
218
Location
Big Sky Country
I talked to Karen and Dan multiplies times regarding these 'B licenses' for the shoulder hunts, I attended public meetings as well. NOT ONCE was it discussed that there would be an early rifle (before archery season) for cows, Aug 15th - Sept. 2nd. They both actually said that there would NOT be.... A. a shoulder season on the front end, just a later one- after the Nov. 28th general season and B. No rifle and archers hunting at the same time. I’m glad B was corrected so no overlapping seasons but to completely deceive the public about an early shoulder season is pathetic. FWP seems to think shooting elk on private land in August will somehow move these elk to public land. What an ignorant fantasy. I have been hunting the area for over 20 years. The elk will move when bullets start flying, correct, but they will just move to other private lands that don’t allow hunting- and never will. I have talked to a lot of land owners and regardless of a “shoulder season” they still aren’t allowing any hunters, ever. So the wild fantasy of all these landowners now allowing hunting to the general public is laughable.

I understand there are much, much bigger issues than just this one particular early should season, unfortunately, our Governor’s office and FWP have no clue on how to handle this elk “problem” besides these new eradication seasons. As long as we get the elk numbers down everyone will be happy?

I am very disappointed with FWPs transparency, or lack thereof. I have lost faith in the people who should be protecting the things we as hunters all love and would like to cherish for years to come.
 
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I interpreted what they said as you did, but in hindsight they probably said there would be no overlap between archery and the rifle season. It didn't occur to me that there would be a season before archery.
 
im headed to HD 412 to shoot a cow elk on august 15. may as well take advantage of the early season
 
im headed to HD 412 to shoot a cow elk on august 15. may as well take advantage of the early season
Sounds like such a fun time of the year to be out gunning cows?
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I interpreted what they said as you did, but in hindsight they probably said there would be no overlap between archery and the rifle season. It didn't occur to me that there would be a season before archery.

I specifically asked about the early season , multiple times- that's what infuriates me. So private land includes bma and state land then obviously? What a joke this all is.
 
I used to feel the same way as greenhorn and tjones, but I don't anymore.

Its really counter-productive to beat up on the massive number of hunters that are going to partake in these early and late shoulder seasons.

The people that choose to hunt elk in the shoulder seasons are not the problem, they don't make the rules, they don't approve the seasons, etc.

They buy an elk tag, look at the regulations, and trust the Agency that is charged with managing Montanas wildlife that its being managed correctly.

Don't get me wrong, I will still shake my head when I see hunters whacking cows in August, blast a mule deer doe on public lands in Eastern Montana on an A-tag, etc.

But I wont hold the hunters responsible, not when the FWP is telling them its OK to do it.

The FWP is 100 percent responsible for this shit, all of it. They ignore the public process, ignore sound wildlife management, and IMO, do nothing for the benefit of wildlife anymore. Guys like Vore, Thompson, Hagener, Kujala, all the wildlife is to them is a paycheck. They have lost all compassion for the wildlife and hunting public in Montana, just a fact.

They have no self respect, and if they ever really did know anything about proper wildlife biology, the public process, and how important wildlife is to Montana and its citizens...that was shelved a long, long time ago. I couldn't sell my soul the way the upper management of the FWP has, but apparently souls are cheap to buy within the ranks of the FWP. They are all derelict in their duties to Montana's citizens and wildlife, no other way to say it.

So, if we're going to place blame, then place it where it belongs...on the numb-nuts within the FWP that have plowed forward with this in spite of the public process, and in their duties of supposedly managing Montanas wildlife.

The only good elk is a dead elk to them...get on with the killing.
 
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So how would you recommend they bring elk numbers within the objectives they are mandated to manage at???? Its apparent hunters cant do it during the general season. So we can shoot the cows while pregnant or shoot them with calves. The Bios I know didn't devise this. It was thrown at them.

Whatever you feelings on the elk management numbers is irrelevant. Until they get changed then that's what the goal is. FWP doesn't have much say in it.
 
So how would you recommend they bring elk numbers within the objectives they are mandated to manage at???? Its apparent hunters cant do it during the general season. So we can shoot the cows while pregnant or shoot them with calves. The Bios I know didn't devise this. It was thrown at them.

Whatever you feelings on the elk management numbers is irrelevant. Until they get changed then that's what the goal is. FWP doesn't have much say in it.


The EMP is only part of the problem. The Beaverheads Debbie Barrett is where the blame lays. She has killed more elk then the wolves and cats ever will.
 
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So how would you recommend they bring elk numbers within the objectives they are mandated to manage at???? Its apparent hunters cant do it during the general season. So we can shoot the cows while pregnant or shoot them with calves. The Bios I know didn't devise this. It was thrown at them.

Whatever you feelings on the elk management numbers is irrelevant. Until they get changed then that's what the goal is. FWP doesn't have much say in it.

Wow, pretty easy to just pass the buck and blame someone else. The FWP is charged with managing wildlife...and they don't even use the tools available to them in regard to areas where elk harboring is a problem.

Yeah, well, funny that the FWP picks and chooses what they want to kill and what they don't.

Cant hardly kill a mountain lion in Western Montana anymore...was there a bill that required them to reduce lion harvest by 90% in Western Montana?

How do you explain the whitetail slugfest for 4 years with OTC antlerless permits in the Blackfoot and Swan? Was there a Deer Management Plan and a Barrett bill that forced them to slaughter deer down to practically nothing?

Do they get a pass on that one too?

Its funny how the FWP can say they take public comments seriously when it comes to houndsmen, and give them anything they want. But, we refuse to listen to deer and elk hunters with chit like unlimited OTC antlerless deer tags, shoulder seasons, "cow week" and all the other decisions they make.

The FWP has lost its way and the leadership doesn't give a rip about the wildlife they are supposed to properly manage.

Hunters would be better off in Montana hiring lobbyists rather than biologists.

The FWP is not going to find me giving them 1 ounce of slack in their mismanagement of elk, deer, goats, sheep, and moose.
 
I feel that MTFW&Ps personal, want 170,000 elk hunters to spend 6 months looking for 90,000 head of elk, of which only 30,000 live on public lands. That way they don't have to worry about phone calls from hobbie farmers that have 4 acres of alfalfa with a couple of deer living on it. They would just be happy as a pig is shit if we really only had half the deer, elk and other big game to chase, so long as they don't get the call. To hell with the guy paying the bills.:W:
 
Is there really too many elk? Or just too many pushed off of public grounds and on to private land where no one will allow hunting. Then guess who complains. So now we eradicate them before they have a chance to get to the private ground so they still don't need to alow hunting on their property. And we as hunters feel this is OK. I don't know about you but I have never been hunting public ground and said damn there is too many elk here.
 
I would comment, but buzz has summed up my thoughts much more level-headed than I would be able to.
Tar and feather and kick the bums out!
Hunting in Montana is on a downward spiral.
I do wonder, Why aren't more groups more vocal? I know RMEF opposes it, but where's the big fight?
 
An August hunt is pretty sick, but these ARE the elk you want removed. If they are already hanging around where they aren't wanted in August they aren't doing anyone any good. They are just adding to the number over objective.
 
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