Breaks mule deer

[OntarioHunter]

I’ve never seen it and I’ve also seen moose with twins more often than not. Guess I need to spend more time in the woods than 200+ days a year

You may be right about your lack of exposure. I live in country that is pretty much exclusively moose habitat. So I'm guessing my exposure to them since moving there in 1989 is significantly greater than yours. I don't need to Google to verify that seeing a cow with more than one calf during hunting season is uncommon. By no means rare but I would say no more than 20% of the cows I see in the fall have two calves from that year or year before. Of course we have a significant wolf population ... and over the counter calf tags (must draw for adult tags). The former have a huge impact on twin calf survival, the latter not so much I think.

In contrast, it is almost uncommon to see a muley doe in the fall that does NOT have twin fawns with her. Ergo, managing mule deer population is much less complicated than managing moose. Mule deer populations can rebound very quickly. However, they can also get out of hand quickly.

 

[brockel]

Think you could follow that one up with a 2 yr old 3pt or even better 2 3pts.

Just wondering what a realistic expectation I should have when I get out on turkey day.

Montana thanksgiving weekend?
#ifitsbrownitsdown

 

[EYJONAS!]

Montana thanksgiving weekend?
#ifitsbrownitsdown

#waittillxmas
#dinksonly
#whatarewedoing
#flintlockdreams
#meatbuckasassins

 

[TheTone]

You may be right about your lack of exposure. I live in country that is pretty much exclusively moose habitat. So I'm guessing my exposure to them since moving there in 1989 is significantly greater than yours. I don't need to Google to verify that seeing a cow with more than one calf during hunting season is uncommon. By no means rare but I would say no more than 20% of the cows I see in the fall have two calves from that year or year before. Of course we have a significant wolf population ... and over the counter calf tags (must draw for adult tags). The former have a huge impact on twin calf survival, the latter not so much I think.

In contrast, it is almost uncommon to see a muley doe in the fall that does NOT have twin fawns with her. Ergo, managing mule deer population is much less complicated than managing moose. Mule deer populations can rebound very quickly. However, they can also get out of hand quickly.

You’re right; I’ll get out more. I did have twins calves in my yard this winter and saw two on Monday. I guess forty years of living in Idaho moose country isn’t enough

 

[300stw]

26in breaks buck. buddy got itchy finger syndrome

 

[OntarioHunter]

You’re right; I’ll get out more. I did have twins calves in my yard this winter and saw two on Monday. I guess forty years of living in Idaho moose country isn’t enough

I lived in St Maries before moving to Canada. I know that country well. Don't recall seeing more than a handful of moose the two years I hunted' fished, and taught school there. None with twins. I see more moose during one summer here driving to go fishing. Lots more. Until recently they gave out 700 adult moose tags for my district here. How many can be drawn in the entire state of Idaho?

 

[OntarioHunter]

26in breaks buck. buddy got itchy finger syndrome
View attachment 200834

It's handy when they jump in the truck for you. That's a nice one.

 

[antlerradar]

My feeling is getting a shot at a big buck should be a once in a lifetime thing instead of annual (or weekly) affair. That's the way it was when I was a kid ... before QDM came along. Hunting for wild animals should be about animals that are wild, not groomed in roadside zoos.

I am confident I would have a very impressive trophy room if I had started hunting when you were a kid.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I am confident I would have a very impressive trophy room if I had started hunting when you were a kid.

It's already impressive what you talkin bout Willis

 

[MTTW]

In contrast, it is almost uncommon to see a muley doe in the fall that does NOT have twin fawns with her. Ergo, managing mule deer population is much less complicated than managing moose. Mule deer populations can rebound very quickly. However, they can also get out of hand quickly.

We need you to manage mule deer in SW MT. On public land. "Marvelous resource to manage."

The population has been dropping pretty steadily for 30 years in SW. Precipitously on mountainous public land.

My question. How should FWP go about turning that around?

 

[Sasquatchewan]

Offhand at 200 yds and I dropped him flat.

Sun in your eyes and 60 mph crosswind too I bet?

 

[Sasquatchewan]

Got any meat buck waypoints for sale?

48°59'59.2"N 107°49'54.7"W​

 

[OntarioHunter]

We need you to manage mule deer in SW MT. On public land. "Marvelous resource to manage."

The population has been dropping pretty steadily for 30 years in SW. Precipitously on mountainous public land.

My question. How should FWP go about turning that around?

I just finished a week of hunting south of Dillon. There's a gawdam road to the top of every mountain and ridge. They could start by really shutting those down. And enforcing it by confiscating all the buggies that drive over or around any closure signs/gates. I hunted the ridges going up to Mt Baldy and the drone of those enclosed go carts running all over the place was continous. It was my understanding that does are only open the first two weeks. While hunting I saw quite a few muleys including several smaller bucks. I saw one forked horn and a large 5x5 harvested. No does in trucks but plenty of people were seeing them. I think in that neck of the woods habitat loss and accessibility are the problem. Pest deforestation and fires have caused havoc in that distrct. Either sex hunting for elk the entire season draws a lot of buggy hunters. I think if FWP stopped that (and it doesn't take a crystal ball to see it happening in the near future), the situation for muleys might benefit some.

 

[Sasquatchewan]

You may be right about your lack of exposure. I live in country that is pretty much exclusively moose habitat. So I'm guessing my exposure to them since moving there in 1989 is significantly greater than yours. I don't need to Google to verify that seeing a cow with more than one calf during hunting season is uncommon.

I live in prime moose habitat. I see cows with twins all the time. About three weeks ago, I saw a cow with triplets.

It's all relative to where you live dude, your own experience is just that, yours.

 

[Nick87]

Sun in your eyes and 60 mph crosswind too I bet?

Everyone was thinking it.

 

[MTTW]

I just finished a week of hunting south of Dillon. There's a gawdam road to the top of every mountain and ridge. They could start by really shutting those down. And enforcing it by confiscating all the buggies that drive over or around any closure signs/gates. I hunted the ridges going up to Mt Baldy and the drone of those enclosed go carts running all over the place was continous. It was my understanding that does are only open the first two weeks. While hunting I saw quite a few muleys including several smaller bucks. I saw one forked horn and a large 5x5 harvested. No does in trucks but plenty of people were seeing them. I think in that neck of the woods habitat loss and accessibility are the problem. Pest deforestation and fires have caused havoc in that distrct. Either sex hunting for elk the entire season draws a lot of buggy hunters. I think if FWP stopped that (and it doesn't take a crystal ball to see it happening in the near future), the situation for muleys might benefit some.

Ok, I will pass that info along. I can't wait to have too many mule deer again.

 

[300stw]

i wonder why any antlerless deer or elk are harvested on public land , ive not seen overabundance anywere

 

[300stw]

I just finished a week of hunting south of Dillon. There's a gawdam road to the top of every mountain and ridge. They could start by really shutting those down. And enforcing it by confiscating all the buggies that drive over or around any closure signs/gates. I hunted the ridges going up to Mt Baldy and the drone of those enclosed go carts running all over the place was continous. It was my understanding that does are only open the first two weeks. While hunting I saw quite a few muleys including several smaller bucks. I saw one forked horn and a large 5x5 harvested. No does in trucks but plenty of people were seeing them. I think in that neck of the woods habitat loss and accessibility are the problem. Pest deforestation and fires have caused havoc in that distrct. Either sex hunting for elk the entire season draws a lot of buggy hunters. I think if FWP stopped that (and it doesn't take a crystal ball to see it happening in the near future), the situation for muleys might benefit some.

see any elk

 

[D4570]

48°59'59.2"N 107°49'54.7"W​

That's not "THE BRAKES"

 

[mtmuley]

The Breaks are a free for all for mule deer. Thanksgiving means any muley will hit the dirt. Not my first choice to kill a buck. mtmuley