Montana draw 2026

[Point Creep]

It’s so much more than that. It’s us as people and the fact we all want to screw the other party over. Even our conservation groups just wanna turn it into a dick measure contest if they are one that even does want a change since some don’t and think it’s great. Until people are willing to sacrifice the only thing that will get sacrificed is our deer.

Fact is the residents are the biggest crowd unwilling to give up anything.

 

[8andcounting]

It’s so much more than that. It’s us as people and the fact we all want to screw the other party over. Even our conservation groups just wanna turn it into a dick measure contest if they are one that even does want a change since some don’t and think it’s great. Until people are willing to sacrifice the only thing that will get sacrificed is our deer.

Probably the most accurate internet post I’ve seen in years

 

[cgasner1]

Fact is the residents are the biggest crowd unwilling to give up anything.

I genuinely believe it isn’t that they don’t wanna give up anything but that they want the credit for making a change and if they can’t get the credit they will derail any progress towards a positive change.

 

[8andcounting]

Fact is the residents are the biggest crowd unwilling to give up anything.

^^

 

[8andcounting]

I genuinely believe it isn’t that they don’t wanna give up anything but that they want the credit for making a change and if they can’t get the credit they will derail any progress towards a positive change.

They aren’t gonna give up hunting the rut . That’s not gonna happen. The rest of what you said is true

 

[406elkaholic]

They aren’t gonna give up hunting the rut . That’s not gonna happen. The rest of what you said is true

As a resident I would gladly give up the rut, but we would have to cut back tags dramatically. If we kept the same amount of hunters but shortened the season by 2 or 3 weeks then the overcrowding will be that much worse. The state makes a ton of money off of NR hunters and probably care more about their opinion then ours honestly. I don't think fwp gives a shit about what residents think.
But man we gotta get like a resident/non resident coalition together and work together. Surely the state can't ignore us both.....

 

[huntin24/7]

If there was any actual sense in the way non resident tags are allocated, the number that has been issued wouldn’t be nearly as big of an issue. Also, the biggest hurdle to any positive change, in my opinion, is MT residents unwilling to sacrifice any of their opportunity. Im sure residents in other states are just as unreasonable in their own states from my experience as well. It’s amazing and embarrassing to me how many hunters are unwilling to make the smallest concessions to at least attempt to improve game populations and herd health.

 

[Wes Mantooth]

If there was any actual sense in the way non resident tags are allocated, the number that has been issued wouldn’t be nearly as big of an issue. Also, the biggest hurdle to any positive change, in my opinion, is MT residents unwilling to sacrifice any of their opportunity. Im sure residents in other states are just as unreasonable in their own states from my experience as well. It’s amazing and embarrassing to me how many hunters are unwilling to make the smallest concessions to at least attempt to improve game populations and herd health.

Out of curiosity and my lack of experience hunting mule deer out of state, which states have a good/workable program in place in terms of mgmt?

It would be unbelievably satisfying to see MT steer the mule deer ship in the right direction in terms of limited draws, weapon choices, rut season reductions, etc. and actually look for ways to fix the issue. Seeing the quality of deer that come out of CO, ID, WY, etc. compared to MT is pretty damn obvious we are going full 'tard in that area.
Similar to the WSF motto of “To Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain", it would be great to see MT "Put and Keep More Mature Mule Deer on the Mountain".

 

[Hams42]

Coming

Out of curiosity and my lack of experience hunting mule deer out of state, which states have a good/workable program in place in terms of mgmt?

It would be unbelievably satisfying to see MT steer the mule deer ship in the right direction in terms of limited draws, weapon choices, rut season reductions, etc. and actually look for ways to fix the issue. Seeing the quality of deer that come out of CO, ID, WY, etc. compared to MT is pretty damn obvious we are going full 'tard in that area.
Similar to the WSF motto of “To Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain", it would be great to see MT "Put and Keep More Mature Mule Deer on the Mountain".

From a guy who has never hunted deer outside of MT. I feel like CO has it figured out. I think they have a good season structure.

 

[8andcounting]

Coming

From a guy who has never hunted deer outside of MT. I feel like CO has it figured out. I think they have a good season structure.

I see a lot of videos with Montana sized bucks being shot in Colorado too . Not say there isn’t some good ones too .

 

[huntin24/7]

Out of curiosity and my lack of experience hunting mule deer out of state, which states have a good/workable program in place in terms of mgmt?

It would be unbelievably satisfying to see MT steer the mule deer ship in the right direction in terms of limited draws, weapon choices, rut season reductions, etc. and actually look for ways to fix the issue. Seeing the quality of deer that come out of CO, ID, WY, etc. compared to MT is pretty damn obvious we are going full 'tard in that area.
Similar to the WSF motto of “To Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain", it would be great to see MT "Put and Keep More Mature Mule Deer on the Mountain".

I think Wyoming does a nice job of mixing opportunity and managing for some age class as well with their regional tags and LE permits. There are other factors at play that biologists can’t control and certainly make their jobs challenging like legislatures that don’t care about anything beyond $. Management can’t be blamed for everything here in MT. Drought, cwd, ehd, winters, and too many predators in some areas. It feels like we haven’t even been trying to make things better though until a few positive changes in recent years. We have to at least try to control what we’re able too.

 

[8andcounting]

. Management can’t be blamed for everything here in MT.

maybe but the biggest killer of all is lead poisoning …. They are in control of that

 

[huntin24/7]

maybe but the biggest killer of all is lead poisoning …. They are in control of that

Yeah, that’s why i said control what we can, which is obviously the hunter dynamic.

 

[8andcounting]

Yeah, that’s why i said control what we can, which is obviously the hunter dynamic.

Yup I agree

 

[brownbear932008]

If there was any actual sense in the way non resident tags are allocated, the number that has been issued wouldn’t be nearly as big of an issue. Also, the biggest hurdle to any positive change, in my opinion, is MT residents unwilling to sacrifice any of their opportunity. Im sure residents in other states are just as unreasonable in their own states from my experience as well. It’s amazing and embarrassing to me how many hunters are unwilling to make the smallest concessions to at least attempt to improve game populations and herd health.

We always hear hunters are the true conservationists. I disagree 98% of the hunters would shoot the last remaining animals on earth if the state allowed it and most states will for the simple fact they need funding to keep people in jobs and fuel in vehicles.

 

[brownbear932008]

I see a lot of videos with Montana sized bucks being shot in Colorado too . Not say there isn’t some good ones too .

After going to CO for the first time last year a low point unit was miles ahead of any MT hunt I've been on in the last twenty years.

 

[Pagosa]

After going to CO for the first time last year a low point unit was miles ahead of any MT hunt I've been on in the last twenty years.

^^ I know several guys that used to kill pretty good bucks and bulls in just a couple days of hunting combined with a weekend of prior scouting in Colorado.

 

[MTGunner]

NM has a number of good MD zones. MTG

 

[MTGomer]

It just blows my mind that if I were a nonresident and wanted a chance to hunt elk on the Custer, I would first have to obtain a tag that would allow me to hunt white tail deer along the British Columbia border, and that is considered normal here.

 

[antlerradar]

It just blows my mind that if I were a nonresident and wanted a chance to hunt elk on the Custer, I would first have to obtain a tag that would allow me to hunt white tail deer along the British Columbia border, and that is considered normal here.

Elk, I can understand that. Mule Deer, That is a mind blower.