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Montana General Season Structure Proposal

Very interesting. Where did you get that? How is it still in such good condition?
Stole it from my Grandpa when he wasn’t paying attention. He yelled something at me as I left when he saw I had it, but considering he’s full blooded German, I only understand every other word he says anyways. Could have been about the weather.
 
1983....15,000+ archery licenses. 2024.....60,000+ archery stamps if Im not mistaken.......a 4x increase in bowhunting pressure. Back then if we heard a bugle, it was likely a bull elk, Now if you hear a bugle, it is likely another hunter.....or two. Bowhunters are increasingly pushing elk onto private lands even before general season begins.
That's a good point. It's likely the 60,000+ bow hunters are pushing a lot of elk onto private under the current system before the general season starts. Under the proposed season structure, there would undoubtedly be some mule deer hunters pushing elk around in October. However, it might be a lesser degree of pressure since elk won't actually be getting shot at on public land for a month leading up to the elk rifle season.
 
1983....15,000+ archery licenses. 2024.....60,000+ archery stamps if Im not mistaken.......a 4x increase in bowhunting pressure. Back then if we heard a bugle, it was likely a bull elk, Now if you hear a bugle, it is likely another hunter.....or two. Bowhunters are increasingly pushing elk onto private lands even before general season begins.
So 30,000 or so wounding elk probly. mtmuley
 
Stole it from my Grandpa when he wasn’t paying attention. He yelled something at me as I left when he saw I had it, but considering he’s full blooded German, I only understand every other word he says anyways. Could have been about the weather.
I was really hoping the story went something like that!
 
This is all great information. What does it have to do with the state of mule deer right now? mtmuley
Thanksgiving shoot isn’t a birthright. Looks like it was created by entitled hunters in 1958.
 
Killing a mule deer doe has to be up there for one of the saddest things on this planet. I don’t understand guys that take pleasure in doing so or travel multiple states to hunt with nothing but mule deer doe tags in their pockets. Must be some weird, convoluted “western hunt” fantasy to drive out from Minnesota or Washington just to stack up a couple mule deer does off the side of a county road and feel like you accomplished something.
When the local deer processor in Glasgow Mt tells about a group of “hunters” brining in 70-80 mulie does/fawns, paying processing bill(near 10k), and not taking ANY venison home….its thrill killing. Color me disgusted.
 
When the local deer processor in Glasgow Mt tells about a group of “hunters” brining in 70-80 mulie does/fawns, paying processing bill(near 10k), and not taking ANY venison home….its thrill killing. Color me disgusted.
FWP says the statistics don’t show this to be true. I have seen otherwise.
 
But not 4-5 yrs ago
Yep one group of North Dakotans took out the population in the area I grew up in. It took them several years, numbers were already down from bad winters of 11-12. It would have started when fwp allowed people to get 7 muley doe tags. I didn’t see that group last year. I think they accomplished their mission.
 
SOME resident hunters around Kalispell are just as much to blame as nonresidents along with the FWP. A guy posted on FB last fall that his 13 year old daughter shot six deer last season. I made a comment about it, and got hammered for not supporting the youth. Think what kind of "hunter" that type of killing produces.
 
It’s like the mindset of a NR I spoke to at the saloon in Hinsdale October 19(maybe not exact date, but was in the dead week, just before rifle opened) 2011. The NR had whitetail doe tags in hand, wondering where he could “fill them”. I told him just take and burn them, 97-99% of the whitetail were winter killed/EHD victims. His response floored me. “Your dept sold me these tags, I am filling them”.

This is the mindset I can’t comprehend.

I do know one thing to be an absolute.


Every deer shot last fall has ZERO chance of reproducing. Every buck shot last fall has ZERO chance of being a year older too.
 
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