FWP Proposed Changes - 2021 Season Setting

[Gulf of America]

People should have to declare where they will hunt. I mean those who draw the Bitterroot deer tag have to hunt there no where else. Sometimes making hard choices is difficult. I don’t think people should able too hunt the Custer one day for elk then turn around and hunt in Missoula then next day.

I guess in my (admittedly idealized) mind, there's a few raghorn bulls passed up on the weeklong hunting trip because there's still the chance to hunt close to home on the weekends. And vice versa - raghorns left alone opening weekend because there's a camp coming up in a spot known for bigger bulls/bucks. Certainly not a solution for crowds and pressure, but it might at least produce a few extra mature animals.

 

[timmy]

I have mixed feelings on the permits point. I think it would likely decrease traffic in popular hunting camp destinations like SW MT and Eastern MT, but would increase traffic and harvest around population centers where the herds are already small... The deer permits around Helena certainly haven't led to a bunch of good muley bucks - people who designate shoot the first one they see since they're locked to the area.

Too much of a cut in opportunity for you? Certainly would make me make some hard choices.

 

[golfer]

I guess in my (admittedly idealized) mind, there's a few raghorn bulls passed up on the weeklong hunting trip because there's still the chance to hunt close to home on the weekends. And vice versa - raghorns left alone opening weekend because there's a camp coming up in a spot known for bigger bulls/bucks. Certainly not a solution for crowds and pressure, but it might at least produce a few extra mature animals.

Now that you bring deer into the combo. I think when you purchase that otc deer tag you must declare what district your gonna hunt.

 

[Irrelevant]

Regional tags? seems like a compromise similar to ID elk & WY deer

 

[mtmiller]

I have mixed feelings on the permits point. I think it would likely decrease traffic in popular hunting camp destinations like SW MT and Eastern MT, but would increase traffic and harvest around population centers where the herds are already small...

But then they wouldn't have to pull all those campers across highway 2. Can't be many left on the west side from what I saw today.

 

[shoots-straight]

But then they wouldn't have to pull all those campers across highway 2. Can't be many left on the west side from what I saw today.

Trust me, that's just our surplus. It will be an orange clad day.

 

[Sytes]

@4ohSick , I agree somewhat with your thoughts. I believe, in the long run, specific district chosen will support biologists for objective research that would benefit (excluding the political football games).
I added weapon choice as I believe that will reduce the full impact each "season" and in a sense reduce the pressure of our 365 "season".

Meh, will they listen? Hopefully so. I do understand the bs to filter woof lover (example) messages and find the true res and non res shared opinions.

 

[SAJ-99]

The intent of declaring a specific zone during the application process is to help outfitter clients and those residents that lease property. Those hunters tend to stay in the same place and "wander" less. It hurts DIY hunters, particularly residents. If you look back at comments on the MT Block Managment program, you will see a few examples of people citing type IIs and the inability to get ahold of anyone, them filling up fast, and the necessity to declare you are going to hunt a specific ranch on a specific day weeks into the future. This is the same set of problems just on a larger scale and months in advance. You may even pick a spot based on a couple of good block management areas only to find out in August they pulled out of the program. I believe it will be frustrating to some hunters. The debate is if there are ancillary benefits to it in terms of distributing pressure.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

I feel like my comments just turned into an agree and disagree list. I'm kind of nervous that we don't really know for sure what some of the future impacts will be but I guess this is just the first round of comments and proposed changes.

 

[timmy]

I feel like my comments just turned into an agree and disagree list. I'm kind of nervous that we don't really know for sure what some of the future impacts will be but I guess this is just the first round of comments and proposed changes.

It’s ok they likely won’t read them anyway.

 

[timmy]

The intent of declaring a specific zone during the application process is to help outfitter clients and those residents that lease property. Those hunters tend to stay in the same place and "wander" less. It hurts DIY hunters, particularly residents. If you look back at comments on the MT Block Managment program, you will see a few examples of people citing type IIs and the inability to get ahold of anyone, them filling up fast, and the necessity to declare you are going to hunt a specific ranch on a specific day weeks into the future. This is the same set of problems just on a larger scale and months in advance. You may even pick a spot based on a couple of good block management areas only to find out in August they pulled out of the program. I believe it will be frustrating to some hunters. The debate is if there are ancillary benefits to it in terms of distributing pressure.

This sounds like a Montana FWP talking point. Make a plan go hunt if it sucks try a different district next time. Hunter distribution at work… or we could just continue what we are doing. If you are banking on access to block management you made a bad plan.

 

[SAJ-99]

This sounds like a Montana FWP talking point. Make a plan go hunt if it sucks try a different district next time. Hunter distribution at work… or we could just continue what we are doing. If you are banking on access to block management you made a bad plan.

I'm not sure that was my point. My point was that making hunters claim a specific zone for a general hunt months before the season starts benefits certain groups over others. It benefits those non-residents that book with an outfitter, those that lease access with a specific ranch, and resident and non-resident landowners that hunt the same ranch every year. I can only guess how significantly it affects the non-resident DIY'er. I suspect that if you are coming from out of state that you do some planning and are set on an area. Of course, that planning now has to be done in March, not August. The group that get hurt is the resident hunter who might hunt multiple public lands and BM in multiple zones. For example, I deer hunted in 4 different zones last year between archery and rifle. Now I would have to choose one. I guess I view it as a luxury to be able to hunt any general zone, but that luxury will be gone.

 

[timmy]

Long over due for Montana hunters to lose some “luxuries”. Luxuries of long seasons and state wide tags isn’t working.

 

[TheTone]

We’ve had zone elk tags in Idaho for a couple decades now. I think it has helped some areas and maybe hurt others. It’s probably reduced effort in certain areas where elk numbers are low and increased/focused pressure in others. If I had the ability to hunt basically statewide I would still probably do the majority of my hunting close to home even though elk numbers aren’t great but I can also see myself going to some more remote spots with even lower numbers for a different experience

 

[Sytes]

Sure hope the harvest reporting continues towards mandatory to be eligible for a license next year.
From wildlife biologist to Warden, that's win all around!

 

[Pagosa]

Any news on Muzzleloader season or spring bear season with hounds, asking for a friend?…

 

[Carnage2011]

Any news on Muzzleloader season or spring bear season with hounds, asking for a friend?…

What kind of news? It’s already been approved..not much to talk about.

 

[Schaaf]

Any news on Muzzleloader season or spring bear season with hounds, asking for a friend?…

That was covered in the 6 page thread of yours about hunting exhausted animals on their way to winter range muzzleloader season.