New MT Breaks elk regs

[JohnDeereGreen]

http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/fwp-commission-adopts-new-elk-archery-regulations/article_565e8783-0bff-5950-a7bf-9410904f9a63.html

This is the result of all the debate over the Breaks. It's not complicated at all...

 

[Elkwhisper]

Super bundle........???? Huh????

Confusing for sure. There was mention of a 900 tag like for antelope, then acutal District numbers with quotas for each district. Which is it? A 900 tag that lets you hunt all 20 districts or do I put in for my usual district and if I draw I have the option of hunting the other districts?

Someone please explain.

 

[MTbowhunter84]

The way I understand it is that you put in for your normal district and you can hunt all 20 except the breaks. The only thing you will have to pay attention to is specific regulations in each district. It pretty much turns your archery permit into a general tag, which means more areas to hunt. It can be seen as good and bad. There are areas with lots of pressure already, but gives the option of getting away from crowds if those areas get more pressure than usual. I was surprised to see the private cow tags developed which could pressure elk to public land if private land can be accessed. Just my understanding on it.

 

[Ben Lamb]

The extra B licenses were a direct response to the claim that landowners and outfitters needed unlimited either sex permits to control the elk populations where herds were over objective.

Headwaters Sportsmen developed the idea of selling extra b tags (revolutionary, right?) to reduce elk populations and hopefully get us some dispersion while actually reducing numbers. FWP has the same kind of tags in R3 and R4, so we thought it would be a good fit.

OVerall I'm ok with the new regs. Increases mobility and adjusts permits based on herd counts. It's not a radical departure from the permit system and it helps resident hunter mobility.