Montana Mule Deer Mismanagement

[Unlucky]

What i actually think is. Fwp, bios useless. Fwp sells out tags. Public not managed. Private has good mule deer population. Good bucks. Because its managed. Limited entry units has good deer. Because its managed. Otc mule deer non existing. Its so bad, criminal. Montana fish wildlife a joke. Fu$$ them. It should be 2 weeks otc October. No doe killing. Then very limited draw for bucks in November. Call bull$hit on anyone that says mt great otc mule deer. They liars.

 

[Unlucky]

Fwp only managing money

 

[sclancy27]

What i actually think is. Fwp, bios useless. Fwp sells out tags. Public not managed. Private has good mule deer population. Good bucks. Because its managed. Limited entry units has good deer. Because its managed. Otc mule deer non existing. Its so bad, criminal. Montana fish wildlife a joke. Fu$$ them. It should be 2 weeks otc October. No doe killing. Then very limited draw for bucks in November. Call bull$hit on anyone that says mt great otc mule deer. They liars.

I don't think the bios are useless. I think, as with any company or agency that struggles, the uselessness comes from the leadership. The fact that our Director is appointed by a political entity (among other offices, commision, etc that are politically appointed) is the main problem. Wildlife management should not be led by people who have no experience in that. My personal opinion.

 

[antlerradar]

Wildfires change the deer-predator game

Deer may take advantage of burned forests in the summer, but they avoid burned areas with deep snow in the winter to reduce risk from the cougars that prey on them. Fires are burning bigger and hotter in many parts of the western United States. But researchers don’t fully understand

wildlife.org

But in the winter, the deer may not be as lucky. They avoided burned areas at this time, possibly because the snow is much deeper, making it harder for the ungulates to access the vegetation that they like to eat.

May or may not be relevant.

Probably not in SE MT where snow depths seldom get deep except in the worst of winters. Quality winter range is not a limiting factor for Mule deer here.

 

[Unlucky]

Politics has nothing to do with it. Democratic or republican. Last 20 yrs it has only got worse. Regardless of who in office. With todays weapons and everyone trying to kill a big one. But everyone killing one and posting meat buck but its there best buck. Or killing 2 to 6 does. And freezer full. Is bull$hit. Kill cow elk or whiteys. Alot of hunters very serious compared to 20 yrs ago. Ego, technology, bragging rights.

 

[Unlucky]

Bios do what they are told.

 

[antlerradar]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwijk_asn-r7AhU6MDQIHbBDD6QQFnoECB0QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffwp.mt.gov%2Fbinaries%2Fcontent%2Fassets%2Ffwp%2Fmontana-outdoors%2Fmule-deer.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2zcYmx2QMXE9vAcUV7b8Ex

"Biologists tracking radio-
collared deer found that one-third stay in
survey areas during the fall, while the other
two-thirds move away from the wintering
areas only three miles on average. “Where
we see the deer in the winter is pretty much
where they will be next fall,” says Gude.
Another way FWP takes the pulse of
mule deer populations is by monitoring
hunter harvest at check stations and with
winter phone surveys. “That harvest infor-
mation almost always tracks with what we
saw in the aerial surveys,” says Gude. “If our
winter and early spring surveys show an up-
ward trend in deer numbers, we usually see
more hunters with deer in the back of their
pickups the following fall.”
Another way biologists assess deer num-
bers is by regularly talking with landowners
about wildlife populations they see on their
property and by monitoring and addressing
game damage complaints. What’s more,
over the past several years FWP has radio-
collared and tracked 1,134 mule deer to see
how well the animals survive and where
they go. “All that information, added to the
harvest data and aerial surveys, gives us con-
fidence that we know what’s going on with
the mule deer population,” says Vore."

Only works this way if there are does to be had. Bucks will travel as far as necessary to find does. Priority number one should be to keep as may deer on public during the season as possible. Not shooting public land does would be a good start.

 

[Unlucky]

Hunters biggest factor in deer population. Management

 

[Point Creep]

Wildfires change the deer-predator game

Deer may take advantage of burned forests in the summer, but they avoid burned areas with deep snow in the winter to reduce risk from the cougars that prey on them. Fires are burning bigger and hotter in many parts of the western United States. But researchers don’t fully understand

wildlife.org

But in the winter, the deer may not be as lucky. They avoided burned areas at this time, possibly because the snow is much deeper, making it harder for the ungulates to access the vegetation that they like to eat.

May or may not be relevant.

Understand this is about deer, but the comment in the article, "Wolves prefer more open areas when they hunt." That seems completely untrue with what I've seen with respect to wolves and elk, in places I frequent.

 

[brocksw]

Only works this way if there are does to be had. Bucks will travel as far as necessary to find does. Priority number one should be to keep as may deer on public during the season as possible. Not shooting public land does would be a good start.

Sure, I'm just sharing the FWP's comments on some of the focal points of this thread.

 

[Unlucky]

Think it should be $50 for otc october 2 week hunt. For bucks. 7 million for does.

 

[Unlucky]

Draw buy tag $50. Very limited November buck hunt. $100 bonus point

 

[Unlucky]

Only reason mule deer population suffering is because fwp allows,enables the public land hunter to harvest. That being said we should have opurtunity but the mule deer should as well.

 

[Irrelevant]

@Hopzone Freak I have no idea, but they certainly have a shitton of data on that project.

I couldn't find a link, but have previously read they tried to have most adult wolves collared, and I think they shoot for 5-15 added cougar collars per year.

 

[Unlucky]

Wolves dont have a place in montana. Not welcome

 

[Unlucky]

U ever c wolves kill. What they do. Nature.

 

[SAJ-99]

 

[Unlucky]

Really honestly. What u see for mule deer otc, public land.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

So when do we storm the capital, go through the quad and into the gymnasium?

 

[Unlucky]

Not me. Just saying how it is