Montana Regional Caps and Limited Entry for Mule Deer.

[mtmuley]

I think too much of Montana is managed with a "one size fits all" approach. It isn't working and won't. mtmuley

 

[mtmuley]

I've said it before but mule deer management in Montana needs to be looked at Region by Region, and even unit specific in some areas. The problem is Statewide. mtmuley

 

[Forkyfinder]

I've said it before but mule deer management in Montana needs to be looked at Region by Region, and even unit specific in some areas. The problem is Statewide. mtmuley

Statewide LE the last 3 weeks of season isnt as complicated as its been made here.

 

[mtmuley]

Statewide LE the last 3 weeks of season isnt as complicated as its been made here.

Problem is, no hard data to draw from. Another Statewide problem. Phone calls ain't gonna cut it. mtmuley

 

[Gerald Martin]

Statewide LE the last 3 weeks of season isnt as complicated as its been made here.

First two weeks will be the ultimate ShIrt Show .

 

[Forkyfinder]

First two weeks will be the ultimate ShIrt Show .

Not if LE allocations are generous and are statewide.

Why the hell would i go hunt 700 (unless im smashing the first deer i see and squirrel/rock/coyote hunting unsuppressed with my short barrel ar in seven blackfoot) in the general season when i could go hunt the LE season in my LE unit?

 

[Gerald Martin]

Why not just make a two week NR season and a 3 week R season? Isn’t it functionally the same?

Does generous LE that lets all residents hunt the district of their choice for three weeks in the rut lower mule deer harvest and lower perceived hunter crowding?

 

[brockel]

Problem is, no hard data to draw from. Another Statewide problem. Phone calls ain't gonna cut it. mtmuley

Mandatory reporting or selecting your region when purchasing your deer tag for a year or two without caps would really give some hard data for fwp on where people are hunting and filling their tags. Maybe it’s data they don’t want to see.

 

[El Jason]

 

[Forkyfinder]

Why not just make a two week NR season and a 3 week R season? Isn’t it functionally the same?

Does generous LE that lets all residents hunt the district of their choice for three weeks in the rut lower mule deer harvest and lower perceived hunter crowding?

No - not really at all.

Generous LE could at least maintain or slightly reduce where we are now.

The moga endorsed proposal does nothing to limit future damage.

 

[Forkyfinder]

@Treeshark - you are a good NR buddy of mine.

3 weeks of the season LE for MD, no WT restrictions. Or the mcs proposal?

 

[OpenCountry]

Problem is, no hard data to draw from. Another Statewide problem. Phone calls ain't gonna cut it. mtmuley

Agreed. Hard data isn’t ever going to happen if we continue down the same ol good path we’ve been on. Change can either be as small as mandatory reporting or as big as all out LE. Somethings got to give to start collecting some type of useful data.

 

[antlerradar]

If your point is that LE isnt compatible with what montana hunters what - I am missing it.

That points true about every proposal ive heard of.

Montana's hunters want to be able to eat both cake (hunt every year) and ice cream(hunt the rut) and not have a big gain on the waist line.(decline in the deer). Something is got to give.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Montana's hunters want to be able to eat both cake (hunt every year) and ice cream(hunt the rut) and not have a big gain on the waist line.(decline in the deer). Something is got to give.

Absolutely. Which is why the initial post "lacked a point."

 

[antlerradar]

Not if LE allocations are generous and are statewide.

Why the hell would i go hunt 700 (unless im smashing the first deer i see and squirrel/rock/coyote hunting unsuppressed with my short barrel ar in seven blackfoot) in the general season when i could go hunt the LE season in my LE unit?

Are you suggesting if you draw a LE permit, you can not hunt the first two weeks?
What about districts that are mostly private like 702. Those districts are probably not going to sell out the LE tags if tag numbers are set according to deer numbers. FWP is going to sell those excess tags. How would you allocate the extra tags. If R buy them the small amounts of public and open private will get swamped with hunters. NR might be able to pick the tags up OTC, and then lease up nearly all the private in those districts?

 

[brockel]

Montana's hunters want to be able to eat both cake (hunt every year) and ice cream(hunt the rut) and not have a big gain on the waist line.(decline in the deer). Something is got to give.

What about general deer Oct 1-31 and limited entry deer from Nov 1-30? If you apply for the limited entry whether you draw or not you are not eligible to hunt the general season. Generates the same amount of revenue for fwp and would help a lot with overcrowding. Still gives people the option to hunt every year if they chose. Also gives people the opportunity to hunt the rut if they choose to roll the dice in the draw. Now the numbers on limited entry for November I have no idea on how you’d come up with that.

 

[antlerradar]

Absolutely. Which is why the initial post "lacked a point."

Most people are comfortable with the gain on the wast line.

 

[Gerald Martin]

What about general deer Oct 1-31 and limited entry deer from Nov 1-30? If you apply for the limited entry whether you draw or not you are not eligible to hunt the general season. Generates the same amount of revenue for fwp and would help a lot with overcrowding. Still gives people the option to hunt every year if they chose. Also gives people the opportunity to hunt the rut if they choose to roll the dice in the draw. Now the numbers on limited entry for November I have no idea on how you’d come up with that.

If the LE portion of your proposal had tags limited to something like 10% of bucks counted post season, I could get behind that.

Number of tags issued must be tied to a biological factor if they’re issued in addition to a general season. Not just a percentage of hunters for the unit in previous years.

 

[Gerald Martin]

@brockel, would whitetail stay under the later season?

If whitetail were part of the later season only then unsuccessful applicants for the LE mule deer hunt could hunt whitetails.

No one gets to hunt both seasons.

 

[antlerradar]

What about general deer Oct 1-31 and limited entry deer from Nov 1-30? If you apply for the limited entry whether you draw or not you are not eligible to hunt the general season. Generates the same amount of revenue for fwp and would help a lot with overcrowding. Still gives people the option to hunt every year if they chose. Also gives people the opportunity to hunt the rut if they choose to roll the dice in the draw. Now the numbers on limited entry for November I have no idea on how you’d come up with that.

I wouldn't be totally against it. As for numbers, that would depend on your goals. If you just want a little less pressure during the rut you could set the numbers fairly high. If you want bigger deer you would have to reduce numbers dramatically. If there is one thing CO has taught us in the past few years it is that Rut hunting is hard on big deer even if it is limited.
If tags are limited you are going to have revenue issues.