BuzzH
Well-known member
Hornseeker,
Yep, its a winter range issue on the West Side...and a tag drawing issue on the East.
I know exactly one good spot for mule deer on the West side, but if one or two deer are killed there a year, its almost too many. Ideally, one person should take one deer about every 2-3 years in that particular spot.
I know a guy who had that area to himself for a few years and killed a couple 170 class mule deer there.
I think if you really spent some time, you MIGHT find a good buck in some of that country, but its real limited.
As to why there arent more goats in there???? I dont know for sure. There is a pretty good population in most of the major drainages. My younger brother killed a goat in one of them. I think it may have something to do with the old season structure and quotas. All of the West Side from Highway 12 to the Idaho border South past Hamilton was ONE goat unit where 75 tags were issued. Some of the drainages got pounded, people killed lots of nannies and kids, I think they screwed the hunting up big-time by shooting a lot of older nannies.
It wasnt until the mid-80's that the MTFWP finally pulled their heads out of their asses and seperated the bitterroot into 7-8 individual units. By then, I think the damage was already done. It may recover, but I havent seen any real increase in tag numbers in many, many, years. That being said, any goat tag in any of those units is a slam dunk if you draw and have the drive to hunt it. I've seen good goat populations in all of them from Carlton Creek clear down to Big Creek.
Yep, its a winter range issue on the West Side...and a tag drawing issue on the East.
I know exactly one good spot for mule deer on the West side, but if one or two deer are killed there a year, its almost too many. Ideally, one person should take one deer about every 2-3 years in that particular spot.
I know a guy who had that area to himself for a few years and killed a couple 170 class mule deer there.
I think if you really spent some time, you MIGHT find a good buck in some of that country, but its real limited.
As to why there arent more goats in there???? I dont know for sure. There is a pretty good population in most of the major drainages. My younger brother killed a goat in one of them. I think it may have something to do with the old season structure and quotas. All of the West Side from Highway 12 to the Idaho border South past Hamilton was ONE goat unit where 75 tags were issued. Some of the drainages got pounded, people killed lots of nannies and kids, I think they screwed the hunting up big-time by shooting a lot of older nannies.
It wasnt until the mid-80's that the MTFWP finally pulled their heads out of their asses and seperated the bitterroot into 7-8 individual units. By then, I think the damage was already done. It may recover, but I havent seen any real increase in tag numbers in many, many, years. That being said, any goat tag in any of those units is a slam dunk if you draw and have the drive to hunt it. I've seen good goat populations in all of them from Carlton Creek clear down to Big Creek.
