Montana on the Upswing?

[MTLabrador]

For every Montana resident I know of that wants to change our yearly deer massacre there are at least 4 that think things are great or we have too many deer.

I’ll be hunting mostly elk for the foreseeable future.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

I was also pleasantly surprised to talk to hunters in the field that wanted better deer hunting and had their own ideas of how that would be accomplished. But I couldn't understand why that didn't translate to elk hunting. They were glad to kill any legal bull but were picky when it came to deer. The units I was hunting had pretty sad numbers. Several times though I heard "we have to enjoy what we have now because it will all change someday". I don't understand why we have to make things worse until it's so bad that we have to make a change.
From the tone of these check stations though, majority of hunters seem pretty happy
I didn't even see a mule deer buck this year...I see why now they want to change these units to permit so hopefully that means other changes will follow in the future.

 

[antlerradar]

From the tone of these check stations though, majority of hunters seem pretty happy

Not may people tell the waitress that the service is lousy and food is bland when asked how is your meal.

 

[Oak]

Not may people tell the waitress that the service is lousy and food is bland when asked how is your meal.

I spoke with 2 CPW employees so far this week and told them exactly how disappointed I was in the deer hunting this year.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

Not may people tell the waitress that the service is lousy and food is bland when asked how is your meal.

If they asked more often at the Stockman's they'd hear some truthful answers.

 

[Arrowslinger]

When does muzzleloader season start?

 

[cahunter805]

Montana thinks our regulations are already to complicated and want to simplify them. No chance that we get to managing by districts although that would be great. And how dare you suggest resident tags go on a quota system. How am I going to guarantee myself a thanksgiving slammer if I’m not guaranteed a tag? That’s my birthright

Well played buddy!! Sarcasm on the internet is amazing!
How did the elk hunt turn out?

 

[brockel]

Well played buddy!! Sarcasm on the internet is amazing!
How did the elk hunt turn out?

Was a bust

 

[8andcounting]

Was a bust

Atleast u still got the muzzleloader season

 

[Irrelevant]

For every Montana resident I know of that wants to change our yearly deer massacre there are at least 4 that think things are great or we have too many deer.

I’ll be hunting mostly elk for the foreseeable future.

I can think of several people, friends and family, that have moved to MT and think the Nov rifle season is the best thing since sliced bread and every 4 pnt is a giant.

 

[8andcounting]

I can think of several people, friends and family, that have moved to MT and think the Nov rifle season is the best thing since sliced bread and every 4 pnt is a giant.

The sad truth is that it’s getting to be that every 22” 4 point is a giant in Montana especially on public very sad what’s happening

 

[Carnage2011]

The sad truth is that it’s getting to be that every 22” 4 point is a giant in Montana especially on public very sad what’s happening

Shit…you are far too gracious! At this point people seem to be happy killing any buck on public.

 

[Oak]

Shit…you are far too gracious! At this point people seem to be happy killing any buck on public.

In thinking back on it, I would say that your statement accurately reflects the general sentiment when I began hunting big game back in the 80s. It's not that folks didn't want to kill something big, but in lieu of finding it, the tag was still getting punched.

 

[Irrelevant]

In thinking back on it, I would say that your statement accurately reflects the general sentiment when I began hunting big game back in the 80s. It's not that folks didn't want to kill something big, but in lieu of finding it, the tag was still getting punched.

I doubt there's any difference except that there's more MT residents now than in the 1980s.

 

[Oak]

I doubt there's any difference except that there's more MT residents now than in the 1980s.

It would be interesting to compare tag numbers.

 

[timmy]

I doubt there's any difference except that there's more MT residents now than in the 1980s.

Hunter distribution would also be an interesting aspect to know. A lot of focus was put on certain areas of the state.

 

[huntin24/7]

The random hunter is the trophy hunter's friend.
The selective hunter is the trophy hunter's worst nightmare.
Few trophy hunters seem to understand that.

Hunters have never been great at self-regulating and they never will be. The future for Mule deer hunting in Montana is bleak, and the number one reason in my opinion is because as mule deer hunting deteriorates in the west, the hunters will go east.
I went east this year, not because I wanted to, but because I couldn't find any deer where I have hunted for decades. The growing masses of hunters in the west don't all want to go east, they go because they want to see deer when they go deer hunting.

If we were to put the whole state on permits the vast majority of permits would be in the east.
Bottom line, Mule deer hunters who want older age class bucks are screwed no matter what. Merry Christmas

I agree with most all that you’ve mentioned here. However, as far as random hunters being your best friend as a trophy hunter, I think that’s changed a lot in the last decade or so. I used to see lots of guys killing the first forky or scrubby 3 point, but now so many people pass those to shoot a 15-20” 2 year old 4x4 with good potential later in the season. I’ll continue to beat the drum that if management was unit specific for residents and non residents and seasons were changed, there will be more older age deer and still some type of opportunity for everyone to kill a deer with a little effort.

 

[Irrelevant]

It would be interesting to compare tag numbers.

USFWS- WSFR Historical License Data

I stand corrected @Oak

 

[Oak]

USFWS- WSFR Historical License Data

View attachment 203774
View attachment 203775

I stand corrected @Oak

That's what I suspected. Thanks for looking it up.

 

[antlerradar]

I agree with most all that you’ve mentioned here. However, as far as random hunters being your best friend as a trophy hunter, I think that’s changed a lot in the last decade or so. I used to see lots of guys killing the first forky or scrubby 3 point, but now so many people pass those to shoot a 15-20” 2 year old 4x4 with good potential later in the season. I’ll continue to beat the drum that if management was unit specific for residents and non residents and seasons were changed, there will be more older age deer and still some type of opportunity for everyone to kill a deer with a little effort.

Those random hunters that used to shoot the first forky or scrubby three point, but are now passing on them to shoot a two year old 4x4 have made the transition from random hunter to selective hunter. MTTW is right in that if we want more big deer we need more people shooting the first buck they see.

Stuff like long seasons, The rut, lots of doe and elk tags allow us to be a selective hunter and still fill the freezer and this is why we in Montana have a hard time getting a buck with four solid points and better than ear wide living past three years old.