Montana 2026 Elk Proposal

[cgasner1]

Agreed 100% that people need to be willing to give something up as what we are currently doing is completely unsustainable. I do get your trepidation with taking the decisions away from the biologists, but if the department (I’m not necessarily blaming the individual biologists) refuses to make changes and keeps steering us into this downward spiral, then I applaud the commissioners for taking matters into their own hands.

It would probably also help if it wasn’t such a big deal to make a change. Go full send on this let’s try it. Things get out of hand in 2 years go back to what we got. Another part of the issue if we make a change it has to be scribed in stone.

 

[Bulldog0156]

So what are you willing to give up? Because until people are willing to give something up nothing changes. I’d happily give up killing me second elk. Most years I do kill a bull and a cow. Like I have said my issue isn’t that I’m giving up that it’s that we are taking power from the bios. At this point it feels like instead of having one for all 7 regions we only really need to have one

As someone that works in state government, I think that politics will get in the way of allowing biologists to manage elk in a way that most people on here would consider meaningful. It can be pressure at the executive level (Governor's Office, Director's Office), Regional level (Regional Leadership, regional stakeholders), Legislative level, and the individual biologist level. Putting the decisions in the hands of the biologists who do not understand the politics or how to navigate them is not likely to provide long term success. Each biologist is likely to have their own idea on how to do things (just like everyone else at the different levels mentioned). I recognize that Montana is a big state and each region has different considerations to deal with and a region-based approachmakes the most sense, but it needs to be based on a shared statewide policy on what sideboard exist.

I support Commissioner Wargo's proposal- I think it is a big step in the right direction. This could be a solid base for finding ways to truly improve the opportunity and quality of the hunting experience for most hunters by 1) promoting harvest on private lands where landowners have identified problems and 2) encourage elk to spend more time on publicly accessible land.

 

[cgasner1]

As someone that works in state government, I think that politics will get in the way of allowing biologists to manage elk in a way that most people on here would consider meaningful. It can be pressure at the executive level (Governor's Office, Director's Office), Regional level (Regional Leadership, regional stakeholders), Legislative level, and the individual biologist level. Putting the decisions in the hands of the biologists who do not understand the politics or how to navigate them is not likely to provide long term success. Each biologist is likely to have their own idea on how to do things (just like everyone else at the different levels mentioned). I recognize that Montana is a big state and each region has different considerations to deal with and a region-based approachmakes the most sense, but it needs to be based on a shared statewide policy on what sideboard exist.

I support Commissioner Wargo's proposal- I think it is a big step in the right direction. This could be a solid base for finding ways to truly improve the opportunity and quality of the hunting experience for most hunters by 1) promoting harvest on private lands where landowners have identified problems and 2) encourage elk to spend more time on publicly accessible land.

Your right sure isn’t working worth a shit for Wyoming

 

[El Jason]

Should work on that

I wil trie hardr. Srsly.

 

[cgasner1]

I wil trie hardr. Srsly.

It’s probably an easier fix. Hope your having a great holiday

 

[El Jason]

Your right sure isn’t working worth a shit for Wyoming

Speaking of Wyoming, why is it so hard for MT to grasp what has been succcesful for them? Why, if I as a NR draw an LE elk permit am I allowed to hunt elk anywhere else in the state?

MT could do lots of things to address crowding on public land. This is an easy one.

 

[Big Fin]

I agree with the sentiment that we should rely on biologist to lead season setting and objectives. But let’s not kid ourselves, we have some great biologist who make some great recommendations that get thrown in the trash as those recommendations move up the chain of command.

If one looks at Wyoming or Nevada or Arizona and examines how they do their season settings, their schedule of advance notice for proposals, and their commitment to the biological issues being more important than the social issues, we have good examples to follow.

In Montana we have compressed this process into a two month period that gives insufficient time for comment and vetting. Any delay by Helena and the time compression is even more amplified. And we have always been too afraid of any group who might be upset with a change.

The end result is usually status quo.

 

[SAJ-99]

I agree with the sentiment that we should rely on biologist to lead season setting and objectives. But let’s not kid ourselves, we have some great biologist who make some great recommendations that get thrown in the trash as those recommendations move up the chain of command.

If one looks at Wyoming or Nevada or Arizona and examines how they do their season settings, their schedule of advance notice for proposals, and their commitment to the biological issues being more important than the social issues, we have good examples to follow.

In Montana we have compressed this process into a two month period that gives insufficient time for comment and vetting. Any delay by Helena and the time compression is even more amplified. And we have always been too afraid of any group who might be upset with a change.

The end result is usually status quo.

It's not a flaw, it's a feature.

 

[MTLabrador]

It would probably also help if it wasn’t such a big deal to make a change. Go full send on this let’s try it. Things get out of hand in 2 years go back to what we got. Another part of the issue if we make a change it has to be scribed in stone.

I really wish FWP had this attitude when they brought in shoulder seasons as an “experiment” that was almost immediately expanded to just about every hunting district in the state with a viable elk population. Now they are here to stay, and it seems like most hunters can’t get enough of them. One of the worst things we ever did to public land elk hunting.

 

[bigsky2]

I agree with the sentiment that we should rely on biologist to lead season setting and objectives. But let’s not kid ourselves, we have some great biologist who make some great recommendations that get thrown in the trash as those recommendations move up the chain of command.

If one looks at Wyoming or Nevada or Arizona and examines how they do their season settings, their schedule of advance notice for proposals, and their commitment to the biological issues being more important than the social issues, we have good examples to follow.

In Montana we have compressed this process into a two month period that gives insufficient time for comment and vetting. Any delay by Helena and the time compression is even more amplified. And we have always been too afraid of any group who might be upset with a change.

The end result is usually status quo.

Some of those other states seem to lean heavily on the input from CAC’s, or RACs (regional advisory councils) as some states call them. In contrast, in Montana we have some commissioners that have never even met the CAC members in their region, or won’t even engage with them. Its pretty frustrating when some commission members are unreachable by the general public.

 

[cgasner1]

Some of those other states seem to lean heavily on the input from CAC’s, or RACs (regional advisory councils) as some states call them. In contrast, in Montana we have some commissioners that have never even met the CAC members in their region, or won’t even engage with them. Its pretty frustrating when some commission members are unreachable by the general public.

I really hope we are at a turning point with this. The amendments we saw come out this week give me hope. Love or hate it I applaud a couple of these commissioners for taking on this task. Talk about a thankless job.