MT - Changes in Hunting Regs/Units/Seasons coming this month

[antlerradar]

Think of all the landowners waiting to get a piece of that action. That’s ugly.

I want my 799 tag and I want it now!
Last year we had more non paying elk hunters than the Wilks are letting on and our place is a tiny fraction of the size of the Wilks ranch. This agreement is a disaster.

 

[Sytes]

For whatever it's worth, multiple bios have told me that public comment could be huge for them on keeping regulations less consolidated.

It's good to hear such. Recent experience would leave one to think otherwise.
I'll hop back and send in my comment.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[antlerradar]

I want my 799 tag and I want it now!

After dreaming all night of hunting big bulls, reality has slapped me in the face this morning. I have zero chance of getting a landowner tag because my contribution to the GG campaign was also zero.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

Zoom meetings with the staff. Maybe since it is online, this will make talking to staff a little more accessible than the in person open house meetings. Mark your calendars.

Virtual Open Houses Scheduled To Discuss Potential Changes To Hunting Regulations | Montana FWP

FWP regional staff will hold virtual meetings across the state to discuss potential hunting regulation changes for 2022 and 2023

fwp.mt.gov

Public comment will be taken through Oct. 20. Virtual open houses are scheduled as follows and will run from 6 to 8 p.m. with the exception noted below:

• Region 1: Oct. 14
• Region 2: Oct. 5
• Region 3: Oct. 13
• Region 4: Oct. 7
• Region 5: Oct. 6
• Region 6: Oct. 12 (5:30 to 7 p.m.)
• Region 7: Oct. 12 (7:30 to 9 p.m.)

Zoom sign-in information will be posted on the FWP website closer to the meeting date.

 

[Ben Lamb]

As folks get their thoughts on season setting collected, this report from last year (kinda got buried by COVID) helps provide some insight on what Montanans are thinking in terms of who should be making a lot of elk management decisions.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

As folks get their thoughts on season setting collected, this report from last year (kinda got buried by COVID) helps provide some insight on what Montanans are thinking in terms of who should be making a lot of elk management decisions.

Well, the answers seem to support the general direction I've heard from avid hunter/conservationists. The idealist in me asks how these results can be leveraged to influence decisions vs. pure personal/donor/political agendas?

 

[Irrelevant]

It would be kinda cool to post a few contradictory comments on this one.

 

[Sytes]

PERC... go figure. Love their photo selection to push their agenda... "Landowners capitalize on what they already own..."

 

[Irrelevant]

Probably not the right place for that post the more I think about it. I apologize.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

First meeting tonight for Region 2. I plan on taking some notes. Flipping back and forth between proposed and the hunting districts we have now gets a little confusing but I still remain skeptical about some of the unit combinations. I can't help but wonder if it will skew animal counts and harvest numbers as well as what the effects on hunter distribution will be. Hopefully there will be some good questions and answers at these meetings. I keep seeing the word "opportunity" pop up a lot and I fear for the sustainability of this opportunity in some units, especially when some proposals are allowing hunters to shoot cows on a general tag or allowing mule deer units to go general.
I did notice some good steps in the right direction and hopefully we can build on those.

 

[Trial153]

I am at the point where the thought of transferable LO tags are creating an interesting dichotomy for me.

 

[bigsky2]

Haven't seen this posted anywhere else on here yet.

Gianforte appoints members to expanded Fish and Wildlife Commission

In the coming months, the commission is expected to take up major changes to elk and deer regulations.

billingsgazette.com

An outfitter and a TV personality.....Jana Waller was a big advocate of making crossbows legal during archery season.

 

[TheTone]

Haven't seen this posted anywhere else on here yet.

Gianforte appoints members to expanded Fish and Wildlife Commission

In the coming months, the commission is expected to take up major changes to elk and deer regulations.

billingsgazette.com

An outfitter and a TV personality.....Jana Waller was a big advocate of making crossbows legal during archery season.

Expands her ability to add a sponsor and take staged product photos?

 

[Schaaf]

Haven't seen this posted anywhere else on here yet.

Gianforte appoints members to expanded Fish and Wildlife Commission

In the coming months, the commission is expected to take up major changes to elk and deer regulations.

billingsgazette.com

An outfitter and a TV personality.....Jana Waller was a big advocate of making crossbows legal during archery season.

At least every region has their own now.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Every region has their own GG now ... 'cept for Region 3.

 

[golfer]

Every region has their own GG now ... 'cept for Region 3.

GG is from Region 3... I'd say he heads the group...

 

[Straight Arrow]

GG is from Region 3... I'd say he heads the group...

However Region 3 Commissioner Byorth from the Gallatin Valley is not marching to GG's drum. That is the Region 3 exception to which I referred.
(BTW GG is not a member of the "group" ... Commission.)

 

[tjones]

The Region 2 meeting just wrapped up, and I appreciated being able to participate in one of these after having everything being held in person so far this year, with no one to view remotely. If you have the time you should really try to log in to these. All of my questions were answered.

A couple impressions and notes that I got-

-North half of 261 is still being proposed as a general mule deer unit at this time, but it was acknowledged that that is still up in the air. I think that if you support managing for older age class mule deer, you should REALLY think about taking the time to comment in opposition to splitting 261 to two separate units.

-There seemed to be quite a few comments from people who were opposed to the more restrictive mule deer regulations being proposed in region 2. I feel like public comments could be pretty heavily opposed to these expanded "trophy" units, and if you are a fan of more restrictive management for mule deer you should really try to support these expanded units in the public comments. They are 202, 210, and 222.

-There are already comments asking FWP to expand the muzzleloader season in to seasons that are currently archery only. Everyone who guessed they'd immediately start asking for more was right, and they couldn't even wait until their first season started.

-I thought this was a good question that I've seen brought up prior in this thread- View attachment 196712

-It was frustrating to learn that our two heads of the department don't understand our points system. They kept referring to them as "preference points", and were worried that if they changed the unit number the people that had been applying for the old unit numbers would lose their points (true story).


I thought the system worked very well though for their first go at a doing season setting meeting online. It was really nice having FWP choose the comments. It did a good job of avoiding the inevitable 45 minute sidetrack that someone inevitably creates at any in-person public comment meeting. I really hope they stick with this format going forward.

Thanks for the update Randy. The bold part has me SMH. Yet not surprising.


-There are already comments asking FWP to expand the muzzleloader season in to seasons that are currently archery only. Everyone who guessed they'd immediately start asking for more was right, and they couldn't even wait until their first season started.

 

[timmy]

Haven't seen this posted anywhere else on here yet.

Gianforte appoints members to expanded Fish and Wildlife Commission

In the coming months, the commission is expected to take up major changes to elk and deer regulations.

billingsgazette.com

An outfitter and a TV personality.....Jana Waller was a big advocate of making crossbows legal during archery season.

Bill is not an outfitter he is a rancher that was enrolled in block management not very long ago.

 

[bigsky2]

Bill is not an outfitter he is a rancher that was enrolled in block management not very long ago.

Thanks for correcting me, former outfitter*.