shoots-straight
Well-known member
buzz...the numbers were not set low...in fact 2300 head of elk on the north side of the lake is not a bad number...closer to the high side than the low of what the breaks should have elk wise(in my opinion). Time to "revisit the objectives" take that up w/ the landowners and biologists in the breaks. I only have to deal w/ the "spill over" on the elk in the breaks, and personally wish there were fewer elk around. It is nice to see them, but it gets old, and expensive, fixing fence and seeing crops damaged.
straight...to answer, I do not have a problem w/ RMEF purchasing land, and I have no problem w/ them placing easements, or allowing public access to the land, and they can allow management by any entitity they deem responsible...personally I think it is great that an organization will do that.... I do have a problem w/ them, or any other organization, turning it back to Gov't though.
Circle speak? Give me a break...you will find my beliefs to remain consistent. However, unlike most on here I am not so blinded by my own interests to not see the whole picture....and I can usually find the sty in my own eye, rather than behold the moat in my neighbors...unlike many others I know.
Eric, lets put numbers in perspective for you.
I'll compare the Missouri Breaks EMP areas, to the Bitterroot, Ravalli County EMP numbers. They are similar in lots of ways. Just one happens to be West, and the other East. Both these areas geographiclly are a little over 1 million acres.
The Missouri Breaks region, CMR, and the surrounding Hunting districts of
HD 410
HD 417
HD 426
HD 621,622,623
HD 630,631,632
HD 700
Those areas combined are more than Ravalli County in acreage. The public lands in that area make up roughly the same proportion though Ravalli county is 66% public, and the Breaks region is close to 61%. Give or take
Debbie Barretts bill hurt us too, so after a lengthy battle here we ended up with 6,670 Elk for a objective number.
The Breaks ended up with 4788.
That's almost 2000 less elk in roughly the same amount of lands, owned by roughly the same types of land agencies.
Our biggest land use is Timber land, followed by agriculture, where yours is agriculture. (Ranching)
The biggest difference is Ravalli County has lost thousands of acres of habitat to development. There's over 45,000 people living here. Yet we are OK with housing 2000 more Elk, and in fact are working to fix the EMP to give us more. Recreational hunting, and viewing of Elk have a big impact on our economy. They could also be on yours.
There very little in human population compared with us in your region.
We have a hard time understanding the numbers in your region, when in fact there's more habitat available.