Montana Mule Deer Mismanagement

[sclancy27]

Where I live mule deer doe harvest over the last decade+ has been essentially negligible on the grand scale. The biggest change here is the combination of moisture and relatively mild winters since 2023. Even the heavy snow we got in W24-25 was short-lived. The good conditions undoubtedly confound any changes made to season structure. Probably different than where there’s a lot more doe harvest obviously but I chalk a significant gain in mule deer numbers to better weather.

I think 2019 - Spring 2023 were the worst years weather wise for mule deer/pronghorn in my lifetime.

 

[DFS]

I think 2019 - Spring 2023 were the worst years weather wise for mule deer/pronghorn in my lifetime.

2009-2012?

 

[sclancy27]

2009-2012?

I think the years I referenced were worse because of the severity of the droughts. I'd take concurrent bad winters over concurrent bad droughts. And 2021-2022 was bad bad.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Where I live mule deer doe harvest over the last decade+ has been essentially negligible on the grand scale. The biggest change here is the combination of moisture and relatively mild winters since 2023. Even the heavy snow we got in W24-25 was short-lived. The good conditions undoubtedly confound any changes made to season structure. Probably different than where there’s a lot more doe harvest obviously but I chalk a significant gain in mule deer numbers to better weather.

Maybe specific to your area. I can definitely say there were more deer where I was last week, does especially, than in past years. mtmuley

I think both can be true. Region 7 definitely seems to show improvement in numbers of does on public land.

 

[DFS]

I think the years I referenced were worse because of the severity of the droughts. I'd take concurrent bad winters over concurrent bad droughts. And 2021-2022 was bad bad.

Not that it matters but deer and antelope numbers never came back from that 09-12 timeframe. Hopefully MTFWP has learned some lessons with doe tags since then.

 

[Nunjagottam]

It must be miserable living in Montana from reading some of the posts in this thread.

Yes its a shithole, not even worth a visit tell your friend's