Legislative Changes to Wildlife & Land Management

[JT88]

With all these legislative bills popping up it's been interesting hearing opposition from HTalkers. But it has made me curious as to what we would do if we could change current methods of managing wildlife and lands.

So my question is, if you could change one thing in your state that relates to wildlife and land management, what would it be?

For me in MT, I think I would push for more proactive herd management. Whether that means more limited drawings for bucks and bulls or monitoring buck/bull to doe/cow ratios more closely, etc... I know MT is an opportunity state but there are lots of areas where we are squandering management and killing everything with antlers before it has a chance to mature. I can't help but notice large areas of the state being overhunted to the extreme. Personally I would rather wait to draw a tag and have a good chance at a mature animal than be able to hunt an area year after year only to realize there are very few mature animals there.

I can think of a lot of other things, like expanding the BMA program to spread out hunting pressure, better incentives for private landowners to allow more access in general, corner hopping to open up more public land access (probably a pipe dream unfortunately) and lots of other things I would like to see change. But I think this is my number one

 

[VikingsGuy]

In MN it would be (1) proper forestry management and selective harvest to sustain and grow our ruffed grouse populations - reluctance to cut a tree is leading to mono-aged forests that don't support grouse well. (2) Limited wolf hunting in areas that have shown a significant increase in wolf populations correlated with a decrease in deer populations and increased problematic interactions with towns and citizens. (3) Speed up our development of a self-sustaining elk herd. (4) Bring back the woodland caribou (pipe dream but would be COOL). (5) Improve partnering with farmers to increase pheasant populations and land access in the southwest part of the state. Finally, (6) we need to do something about our fisheries but I am not smart enough to know what.

 

[runningmt]

There’s quite a bit of good that could come out of a few changes here in MT. I agree with @JT88, herd and age class management would be pretty near the top for me here in MT, not necessarily in every unit, but I think expanding from the very few quality units for deer and elk would be a great improvement. I would like to see more permits, less general. In time, it will be necessary, as human population explodes in Western Montana, the “opportunity” state will have to set some limits.

 

[Walkalot]

Yes, thats exactly what needs to happen. Limited entry for every unit, the hunting pressure on public land is unsustainable. But ya if i could change one thing it would be mt fwp blm forest service buying land at will.

 

[Sytes]

• Someone needs to take the reigns and pull hard, shove the heels forward and slide ass forward in the saddle for MT's elk insta gratification.
• Love for elk... not full assault! Example: LE tags for areas such as R1...
• Wolf quotas need to work... not pander eco extremists who are going to complain regardless whether an absurd quota of 2 wolf tags made available along neighboring National Park B.S. This is an added and enhanced deficit towards an already adverse elk population. Year round until quotas are met... If not met, the wolf population grows exponentially each year and the same quotas not met mean jack squat. It's a train wreck.
• Resident tags need a price hike. Put the $ into Wardens, Biologists, and EDUCATION FOR THE PUBLIC.
• BMA needs to find a means to somehow come somewhere close to competing with lease operations... and I don't think that's possible unless we factor in tax write off incentives(?). Random thought.

Meh, let me slip in my flame retardant suit before my wolf comments get flipped.

 

[rtraverdavis]

There are guys on this forum that are far more knowledgeable than me from Oregon, but I’ll chime in. My primary concern here in this state (though I have many) is the health of our mule deer herds. So with that lens, I’d like to see the Mule Deer Initiative reinstated, but in all mule deer units rather than just the original five, and in conjunction with protecting migration corridors. I’d also love to see a constitutional right to hunting and fishing (or something that protects traditional-use) passed, as anti hunting sentiment is alive and well in our legislature.

And hell, while I’m dreaming, I’d love to see hound hunting for mountain lions reinstated.

 

[MTGomer]

Montana - like you said proactive herd management of each species in each unit.

Arizona- I don’t know what I would change. Maybe a bigger push to conserve mule deer and pronghorn habitat in places that are being eaten up by residential development like around Prescott

 

[Hunting Wife]

Maybe I’m not reading the title right, but the only legislative change I would make is to ensure the management of wildlife and public lands remains in the hands of the agencies/commissions charged with managing such, rather than management actions being mandated via legislation. The more we go that route, the more screwed up things are becoming.

 

[JT88]

@Hunting Wife , I was just referencing all the recent attempted legislation here in MT. I'm not trying to give anyone any bright ideas but I'm afraid it's too late for that anyway

 

[JT88]

But ya if i could change one thing it would be mt fwp blm forest service buying land at will.

Interesting. I would just like to be able to access the landlocked chunks

 

[Sytes]

But it has made me curious as to what we would do if we could change current methods of managing wildlife and lands.

if you could change one thing in your state

I took it as a broad spectrum question...(?) Of course we skipped the "one thing". Meh, it's the internet where no bounds exist.

 

[Sytes]

Interesting thought on the Commission vs Legislation. I wonder how people here would react if Gianforte had his appointed picks running the FWP show... Would be a tough pill to swallow if we oppose legislation over commission...

 

[BuzzH]

Interesting thought on the Commission vs Legislation. I wonder how people here would react if Gianforte had his appointed picks running the FWP show... Would be a tough pill to swallow if we oppose legislation over commission...

Don't allow the governor to pick commissioners...

 

[Dougfirtree]

In NY, I would lower the legal hunting age. You can't hunt deer here until you're 14, even with a parent/other adult.

 

[rwc101]

I'd like to see everyone's preference points randomly reset to 0 at least once every 10 years just to see what happens to application behavior.

 

[tjones]

Do more than bitch on the internet.