Montana - Time to Shake it Up?

[Schaaf]

But it certainly demonstrates who is controlling regulation of wildlife in our state. And it makes me very uncomfortable that the group that does so is a commercial interest. The next altruistic outfitter I meet will be the first.

Public comments, largely from the general hunting public, strongly supported the proposal.

 

[BourbonSnowCone]

Public comments, largely from the general hunting public, strongly supported the proposal.

I support the proposal. That’s not what I’m saying. It’s the fact that no matter the public support for an idea, it will never get any traction without support from this commercial interest.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

I support the proposal. That’s not what I’m saying. It’s the fact that no matter the public support for an idea, it will never get any traction without support from this commercial interest.

@BourbonSnowCone, you're not wrong.....it's sad to say, or type, that your above statement is SPOT-ON!

 

[Gerald Martin]

At least one of the outfitters in that picture @BourbonSnowCone posted has been vocal in support of and actively engaged in restricting the exploitation of mule deer.

 

[Big Shooter]

Mr. Snow Cone……..you may want to do a little more research on who and which outfitters on here are not trying to improve the mule deer situation. Both of us on here recently sat in on a round table discussion on mule deer with other Hunt Talkers. It was unbelievably productive and was great to see that we all agreed on what we could do moving forward to help our current situation. What you are spewing out is largely incorrect as many on here could attest to. So before throwing us and the entire Outfitting industry under the table, do a little more investigating as to what we do behind the scenes.

 

[Eric Albus]

I am confident that the reason the outfitters pushed the ban on public land doe tags was not so they could sell more doe hunts.

I wanted to keep it quiet….the demand for mule deer does is off the charts!!!

I’ve made a fortune already on whitetail does, I can’t imagine what having mulie doe hunts will do for the bottom line.


Before some dolt takes me seriously, I’ve never charged anyone a dime to hunt does.

As to my impetus for pushing mule deer does on private only… think about it…. We (including ME, and rest of outfitting community) want to see robust populations on accessible lands. We kinda figure private land mule deer doe hunting won’t take place much until populations are burgeoning. And for the life of me I’ll never understand killing a doe or cow big game animal on accessible lands. Is not the idea of having abundant wildlife on accessible lands not appealing???

 

[Eric Albus]

But it certainly demonstrates who is controlling regulation of wildlife in our state. And it makes me very uncomfortable that the group that does so is a commercial interest. The next altruistic outfitter I meet will be the first.

Hello, I’m Eric Albus, and I don’t hide behind an anonymous internet moniker, and the first altruist to introduce himself.

 

[MTTW]

I don't see having a financial interest in wildlife to be a disqualifier. In my life I have seen people with a financial interest to be much more willing to defend wildlife than the general public. The average hunter will hunt a population to nothing and move on to the next best place, I have watched this happen over and over. I have seen outfitters lobby for changes that very much needed to be made while the average hunter was oblivious.

A small percentage of them I have never cared to be around, just like the rest of the humans that I have met.

 

[Eric Albus]

I don't see having a financial interest in wildlife to be a disqualifier. In my life I have seen people with a financial interest to be much more willing to defend wildlife than the general public. The average hunter will hunt a population to nothing and move on to the next best place, I have watched this happen over and over. I have seen outfitters lobby for changes that very much needed to be made while the average hunter was oblivious.

A small percentage of them I have never cared to be around, just like the rest of the humans that I have met.

Same here.
The outfitters I choose to keep company with are conservationists first.

 

[Ben Lamb]

After 20 years of battling outfitters with neither side getting much out of it, I am really enjoying the ability to work with those folks whom I may have some differences of opinion.

I'd also say that we get to work with landowners and outfitters, rather than we have too. The desire to compartmentalize each other may make for fun times at the bar or online, but the reality is that as beneficiaries of the public trust, we should work towards consensus rather than conflict.

 

[Lota lota]

I believe the real problem is the majority of Montana resident hunters, who are fine with how things are. They want a cheap license, long seasons, and as long as there is a chance for a forked MD buck or raghorn elk to throw in the back of the truck all is good. I’d love to see significant change, but the reality is unless there is a fundamental shift in the mindset of the average MT resident hunter I don’t think we can expect anything to change.

Top of page 5 pretty much sums it all up. https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content...lk/resident-elk-hunter-survey-report-2023.pdf

You hit the nail on the head. I worked for the agency for 4.5 years (hence why I don't work there anymore). I respected most of my colleagues while working there. Montana IS and always WILL BE an opportunity-managed state. I think it's ass-backwards of how one should manage wildlife personally. They treat mule deer and whitetail the same. And it's mass exodus against elk because of rancher input. I try to remain optimistic for the future but FWP is so set in their ways and I don't think anything is going to change.

 

[Hunt West]

A few FWP meetings back it was announced that there was a mule deer study planed for SE MT. Haven't heard much about it lately, kind of wondering what the status is.

Any word on the MD committee/working group FWP was taking applicants for?

 

[DFS]

You hit the nail on the head. I worked for the agency for 4.5 years (hence why I don't work there anymore). I respected most of my colleagues while working there. Montana IS and always WILL BE an opportunity-managed state. I think it's ass-backwards of how one should manage wildlife personally. They treat mule deer and whitetail the same. And it's mass exodus against elk because of rancher input. I try to remain optimistic for the future but FWP is so set in their ways and I don't think anything is going to change.

Why is the agency so set in their ways? How do they get 100% buy in from the staff? It just doesn’t make much sense to me. They would manage a resource right to the ground before considering any changes.

 

[cgasner1]

Hello, I’m Eric Albus, and I don’t hide behind an anonymous internet moniker, and the first altruist to introduce himself.

I can respect that I’m also probably not very hard man to hunt down with my user name

 

[8andcounting]

You hit the nail on the head. I worked for the agency for 4.5 years (hence why I don't work there anymore). I respected most of my colleagues while working there. Montana IS and always WILL BE an opportunity-managed state. I think it's ass-backwards of how one should manage wildlife personally. They treat mule deer and whitetail the same. And it's mass exodus against elk because of rancher input. I try to remain optimistic for the future but FWP is so set in their ways and I don't think anything is going to change.

I’ve said it for years . Until
Residents are willing to give up opportunities nothing will change . And yes some are , but by and large , they aren’t .

 

[antlerradar]

Any word on the MD committee/working group FWP was taking applicants for?

FWP hopes to have the committee picked by the end of the month.

 

[8andcounting]

FWP hopes to have the committee picked by the end of the month.

a committee full of Residents . Terrific . The evil NR will be the problem

 

[mtmiller]

a committee full of Residents . Terrific . The evil NR will be the problem

stop

 

[huntin24/7]

a committee full of Residents . Terrific . The evil NR will be the problem

We certainly have our share of issues with resident hunters. I’m hopeful this will be a good committee of conservation minded resident hunters. From what I’ve seen as far as non resident hunters in eastern MT, I wouldn’t say the rest of the country has much to brag about either. Lol

 

[Gerald Martin]

a committee full of Residents . Terrific . The evil NR will be the problem

Nah. Just halve the licenses and double the price. That wasn’t hard now was it?