Montana MSG opportuniy

Shotgun1

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Apr 22, 2012
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Okay this may have been a topic but I have been seriously thinking and want some input please. I know Montana is known as an opportunity state and I mostly agree with that. Hunting should not be geared towards antlers but rather spending time outdoors with friends, family and having the chance to put delicious game on the table..

do Montana applicants really need the opportunity to hunt moose, sheep, and goat all in the same year. So I wonder how many hunters would be in favor of having to choose one trophy species ( across the board deer, elk, moose, sheep, goat, antelope, bison) each year to apply for and making moose, sheep, goat, bison, and elk once in a lifetime.

I Just can't help but think what this would do for draw odds. It's like look, I really want a moose so I will spend my years applying for one and building points and realistically I may actually draw one while young enough to actually enjoy it. Just my thoughts.
 
You are looking at one side of a coin. It's called $$$$$$. The licensing money the Game and Fish Dept would loose per year in just the application fees alone would be devastating to their income. The $$$$$$ factor is the sole reason the State of Montana has a Super Tag program. There has even been discussions of making moose-sheep-goat a once in a life time tag in the past and it went no where. So "NO" I would not be in favor of something like you threw out for consideration for discussion for a number of other reasons even beyond the money factor.
 
I'd be on board with it, as long as general license opportunities stay so abundant.

I really think Idaho has the best system, and not only because of the random drawing. Having to pick your species and having them be once in a lifetime seem to really improve draw odds.
 
I'd be on board with it, as long as general license opportunities stay so abundant.

I really think Idaho has the best system, and not only because of the random drawing. Having to pick your species and having them be once in a lifetime seem to really improve draw odds.

x2, if you ever want to hunt the big three in the lower 48 chances are you're going to do it in Idaho...especially if you are starting now. A simple tweak like this can vastly improve the odds for everyone which is what we all want.
 
A simple tweak like this can vastly improve the odds for everyone which is what we all want.

What we'd REALLY want is stronger populations of these animals, and more tags ;)
 
I'd support OIL before I'd be in favor of limiting it to one species per year. Heck, just do away with the points altogether and make it truly 'fair'! :D
 
Man I am really torn between the two being a guy with years invested in points and so forth. I honestly have always thought Idaho has the best system hands down if you wanna hunt the big 3 and I also like the fact that they make you choose the big 3 or deer/elk because that breaks it down even more. I do think the big 3 should all be OIL I gotta respect the guy that draws and never puts in to give others a chance at a hunt of a lifetime. But bottom line is money and it will never happen in MT. IMHO
 
how many hunters would be in favor of having to choose one trophy species ( across the board deer, elk, moose, sheep, goat, antelope, bison) each year to apply for and making moose, sheep, goat, bison, and elk once in a lifetime.

So... are you proposing that all hunters should only get to pick between 1 of the above species, or do you just mean for special draw units on species like deer and elk? What about the unlimited sheep tag? Should a person only get to hunt the UL once?

Regardless... the 'elk once in a lifetime' is a terrible idea. For most Montanans elk is not a trophy hunt, its a past-time, its meat in the freezer. Maybe you're only proposing it for trophy units? Or NonResidents? With the current budget shortfall, never going to happen.
With elk 'overpopulated' and a six month antlerless hunting season, never going to happen.
 
For this to happen FWP needs to get some hard funding somehow with legislation because they cannot make it tag sales alone! I know several areas for example where say mule deer or antelope should not be hunted at all for a couple years to give the buggers a chance to come back population wise yet they keep selling tags. It's about the dollars and I get that, but not at the detriment of the species. I hunt antelope over in district 480 and I haven't even applied there for several years. We used to have 1200 either sex and another 1000 doe fawn antelope and I see the tags are down to 100 PERIOD this year! Why give any tags with the populations so depressed??? Makes no sense. I've heard they are working on getting some hard funding to supplement their usual funding. I know wiser management decisions will be made if that happens.

I am completely for ONCE IN A LIFETIME for MOOSE, SHEEP, GOAT, and BISON!! It will not drastically increase any of our odds but it is a step in the right direction! No-one needs or deserves to be able to harvest more than one of these wonderful animals. That ONCE IN A LIFETIME would not count for cow moose, cow bison, or ewe sheep, but would be in effect for Mountain Goat (either sex), bull Moose, Bighorn ram, and bull Bison! We need to have folks harvest a few females of these species and if a hunter applied and drew say a cow moose, then make him wait 3 years and then he could apply for a male species tag. That way we still have folks who will put in and have the fantastic opportunity to harvest a neat animal that will feed them well for the winter. I myself know several people who have drawn multiple moose, sheep, and goat tags and it needs to stop. We need to share the opportunity with other folks.

I drew a mountain goat tag after 33 years of applying and hunted my ass off. From June until the end of November I saw ONE confirmed goat and possibly one other the whole time! Populations really tanked (Kootenai Creek in the Selway Bitterroots) and there just were not any goats in my district. I had an incredible summer and fall though and loved every minute of it. It would have been a lot better if I would have at least seen a few more animals though. I am completely satisfied with the experience that I had and someone else deserves the same chance I had!

It is year number 38 for me for Sheep and Moose so maybe there is still a chance this fall.

Let me give you an example of what I am talking about. I know a guy personally who several years ago drew a Lower Rock Creek ram tag. He shot a giant sheep that had 16" bases and was about 43" per side. Scored something like 192. Beautiful sheep. He waited the 7 years and applied again. THE VERY NEXT TIME he could apply he drew another ram tag only this time for Petty Creek. He shot another beautiful ram that year also. That's just not right but good for him, bad for the rest of us.

David
 
So... are you proposing that all hunters should only get to pick between 1 of the above species, or do you just mean for special draw units on species like deer and elk? What about the unlimited sheep tag? Should a person only get to hunt the UL once?

Regardless... the 'elk once in a lifetime' is a terrible idea. For most Montanans elk is not a trophy hunt, its a past-time, its meat in the freezer. Maybe you're only proposing it for trophy units? Or NonResidents? With the current budget shortfall, never going to happen.
With elk 'overpopulated' and a six month antlerless hunting season, never going to happen.

What I meant is when it comes to special draws you would only be able to pick 1 species to apply for that year. (this would not apply to B tags) And I did not mean to include elk in the once in a lifetime, that should only be for moose, sheep, goat, and bison. The otc tags would still be available for opportunity.

Even if you only applied this to MSG and you must pick one to apply for that year I believe draw odds would greatly improve. I guess my whole point is I like that MT is an opportunity state and I love hunting hear, but does a guy really need the opportunity to draw the three MSG tags all in one year, it probably does not happen much and I would just like to get one of the tags one day like everyone else. Just look at Idaho's draw odds for the three species, it's the best and realistically you foul get all three over a lifetime.
 
Ol 6mm has a good post concerning draw and points both here and in another thread
 
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