Extreme hunting pressure in region 7.

[Forkyfinder]

Got it, I misread. My apologies.

I don't have that and I'm not sure how you sus it out given the cross-over between license types and holders. NR combo license holders have upland licenses included, so if they shoot a grouse while deer hunting, where do they fall, for example.

Your numbers are not up to date:

$110 for a seasonal license (B1)
$50 for a 3 day (B2)
$50 for a base license
$10 for conservation.

So it's $170 for a season, which starting next year excludes the first 10 days of public land/access program grouse & roosters. Most die hard upland guys (the ones with trailers full of dogs, etc) want to hunt MT in early Sept due to the early opener. I think Nebraska & Wyoming open around the same time. Majority of states open around the 15th of Sept. Most NR's who want to hunt those early states work in a pattern that moves from earliest opener to latest. So by cutting the first 10 days out of MT - those NR's are more likely to go to Nebraska or Wyoming (Sept 1 openers). By removing the first 10 days you remove the primary driver of NR upland hunter desire - to get out as early as possible.

My numbers simply reflect whats on fwps website, i view that as "current" but i understand when/how thats been changed and wont be reflective until next year.

I agree with someone who deer hunts shooting a grouse, but im not entirely sure how many people do that. I suspect more LE archery guys in prarie regions do that than rifle hunters. Inherently. Those people are more R.

Interesting last point, that might change a lot more next year than i thought.

P.s. if you get behind raising R lic fees, im all for it. Catch them up from the inflation since 2020 and then attach them to the cpi every year following. Id be all for that or anything else. @Treeshark better "save" it

 

[SAJ-99]

It would be really interesting to know how much BMA money is "wasted". I can think of one BMA in particular, where the county road runs through it with sign in boxes on each end. Nearly every hunter that drives through there stops and signs in at the box, just in case they happen to see a deer from the road while driving through the BMA. The vast majority don't even step foot on the BMA.

I know it is pretty common practice for hunters to sign into a BM box that have no intention of hunting it. Because the landown gets paid for each stub. Rumor has it hunters do it in appreciation of the landowner opening up his land to the public

 

[El Jason]

I know it is pretty common practice for hunters to sign into a BM box that have no intention of hunting it. Because the landown gets paid for each stub. Rumor has it hunters do it in appreciation of the landowner opening up his land to the public

I know I’ve signed into BMAs for the express purpose of driving though with a road beer, looking for sharptails to shoot with a judo point.

 

[Carnage2011]

Some of you guys should go hunting. It’s really an enjoyable experience and gets you away from the desk. Maybe I’m the minority but I feel like pressure has been down this year. Could just be where I’m at but that wouldn’t align with the echo chamber of HT.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Maybe I’m the minority but I feel like pressure has been down this year.

Felt that way during archery. For the most part anyway.

Not r7 antelope.

 

[cgasner1]

I saved a couple tanks of gas by buying new tires in Billings last month.

Should of said something I would have loved to bought you a beer and a burger

 

[El Jason]

Should of said something I would have loved to bought you a beer and a burger

I should have. I had hoped to be in and out quick and back the highway south. I ended up sitting at Discount for two hours.

 

[sclancy27]

I know I’ve signed into BMAs for the express purpose of driving though with a road beer, looking for sharptails to shoot with a judo point.

I'm basically doing that right now.

Felt that way during archery. For the most part anyway.

Not r7 antelope.

Well, R7 increased antelope licenses significantly, so that makes sense.

Also, I'm not sure how long FWP keeps the BMA slips, but those all have address, so you could figure out R vs. NR BMA utilization for us....

 

[brockel]

It would be really interesting to know how much BMA money is "wasted". I can think of one BMA in particular, where the county road runs through it with sign in boxes on each end. Nearly every hunter that drives through there stops and signs in at the box, just in case they happen to see a deer from the road while driving through the BMA. The vast majority don't even step foot on the BMA.

There’s a sign in box over here with two different landowners books in the box. One has alright ground the other one a mouse probably doesn’t live on. Both books get signed each time someone stops at the sign in box.

 

[Frequently Banned Troll]

I know I’ve signed into BMAs for the express purpose of driving though with a road beer, looking for sharptails to shoot with a judo point.

I sign in just because I like the landowner

 

[brockel]

2.83” of rain at our house yesterday. Should be some tore up BMA and public land roads by the end of the weekend

 

[sclancy27]

2.83” of rain at our house yesterday. Should be some tore up BMA and public land roads by the end of the weekend

Better lock the differential in....

 

[Straight Arrow]

Better lock the differential in....

Better park 'til next Tuesday!

 

[Gerald Martin]

I signed into four BMA properties while hunting pheasants last Saturday. It wasn’t region 7 but I’d say I saw a 2/1 ratio of residents to nonresidents on the opener.

Thank you NR hunters for funding the BMA program. I’ve had some great days afield on properties opened by NR dollars.

 

[R.K.]

Prairie grouse opener- people everywhere. Hard to find a place where we went.

Archery elk- saw far more people than I’m used to, and apparently the opener was even worse. Entire drainage was blown out of elk.

Antelope- a rig on every accessible piece in the unit I’ve hunted or helped hunt the last 5 years. Far more folks than usual.

I’m going to pass on hunting the general rifle opener this year. Might even wait until after Halloween.

I’m not sure what it is, but the pressure feels higher this year than others where I’ve been hunting.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Three NR hunters and one R hunter. NR hunters funded 600 user days on BMA’s at the cost to the state of MT of one dusky grouse. Damn nonresident bird hunters….

 

[Forkyfinder]

View attachment 389232View attachment 389233

NR hunters funded 600 user days on BMA’s at the cost to the state of MT of one dusky grouse.

Interesting math if they just had upland lic and not BG/combo tags. Go off tho.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Those three NR’s complained the entire time they were here that they didn’t get to use up 600 worth of user days and that other hunters were enjoying a disproportionate amount of
benefits from their license dollars.


Are we really concerned about every user fully funding the cost of their opportunity or just NR’s?

 

[SAJ-99]

Those three NR’s complained the entire time they were here that they didn’t get to use up 600 worth of user days and that other hunters were enjoying a disproportionate amount of
benefits from their license dollars.

"Have they ever said Thank You once?" -

 

[DFS]

@Ben Lamb or anybody else in the know. What is the story with nonresident youth hunters and how tags are obtained?