Deer question montana

Would you rather MT be all draw for mule deer OTC or keep it the same OTC general tag

  • I want it all draw

    Votes: 61 60.4%
  • Keep current system

    Votes: 36 35.6%
  • Your opinion of your season structure post in response

    Votes: 4 4.0%

  • Total voters
    101
I get a kick out of how every time this topic comes up, there are guys chiming in about how those who want more LE units or shorter seasons, or rifle seasons not coinciding with the rut are “selfish” because we just want big deer for ourselves. For me personally, selfish would be wanting it to stay the same. It’s a lot easier to find my wife and I a respectable buck with our schedules with a 5 week rut season, it id rather have it be more difficult and maybe grow a few older animals too. I’ve said before that we can have our cake and eat it too to some degree. A slightly shorter season that encompasses much less of the rut gives anyone willing to put forth a little effort plenty of opportunity to kill a buck, but it also lets more bucks mature. Sounds like a win win.
 
I just want to shoot some of your guys' whitetails.
Population is expanding like spurge in eastern Montana. Where I grew up there was 3 creeks that came together and became one. I spent so much time up and down those creeks. Could tell you every nook and cranny in them. In 20+ years I’d never seen a whitetail in them. Now 10 years later you see quite a few of them.

We bought the pasture where we keep our horses 5 or so years ago. Back then you might see 10 Whitetails out in the stubble when winter comes along. This last winter same fields I counted over 150 on one of them. Won’t be long and blue tongue will hit them and knock them back some
 
Folks think things are crowded now, imagine if everyone hunted the same 2 weeks....
 
Folks think things are crowded now, imagine if everyone hunted the same 2 weeks....
You have a point, but what I have seen lately is that the crowded time is the two weeks centered on Nov 15. A four week Oct. season might spread hunting pressure out more than one that contains peak rut.
 
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It wouldn't be crowded if they limited the number of permits. ;)
That depends also. I usually draw a unit with unlimited permits. I never see a soul off the road or trail. But you are right. Limiting mule deer hunting in some areas is a good plan. mtmuley
 
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