Buzz my point is that if FWP is going to be selling extra tags to thin the cow herds and try to alleviate harboring, then those folks that are buying the tags should be allowed at least a reasonable chance and opportunity to use those tags. That is why I prefer the game damage hunt roster approach over a rancher just calling up his buddies to come shoot elk. It's not that I personally need to fill my freezer, just a fairness thing for tag holders and access to the animals we all own as residents. It is not a selfishness thing about what is in it for me, but trying to look at the bigger picture.
I can say this, if I had access to the big herds down on the private lands, I would not have had to spend 10 hours with multiple loads packing my elk off the mountain this year.
You aren't thinking big picture. Look past 1 year and your "opportunity" and "reasonable chance" THIS YEAR. Think about the long-term and how you solve the harboring issue.
What I propose is that over time, the elk harboring on the private would go away if the landowners used the list or didn't.
Why?
Because the huntable population of elk on public ground isn't being hammered via general tags or huge numbers of elk b tags that are valid on both public and private (the structure we're using NOW, and obviously isn't working).
If the landowners don't want to call or allow some level of public hunting, don't force them to, you cant anyway. But, what you can do is allow those elk herds to grow. As the herds get bigger and bigger, more elk will start using the surrounding public more and more (if you severely limit elk b-tag numbers valid for public land even sooner and more). No need for hunters to surround and have a shoot-out when there are accessible elk on public.
As elk start using the public land more, SLOWLY increase the b-tag quotas to reflect the huntable, public land elk. Let the landowners come up with a solution to their woes on their PRIVATE land and the harbored elk.
All the MTFWP should be worrying about is managing the elk that are on public, or private land elk where landowners are in need of assistance and willing to work with the MTFWP/Hunters, I cant force landowners to do anything, only offer solutions that may or may not agree with.
Theres a lot more to the harboring issue, and I can tell you for 100% fact, that much of it has to do with 11+ weeks of constant pressure on elk.
The A-7 license idea just adds more pressure to the herd and still doesn't solve the issue of the highly pressured herds staying on private land during MT's 11 week slug-fest. If those elk were on public more and private less, there would be more opportunity for all. Shooting them in December and January, while reducing the herd and assuring landowners "their bulls" wont be shot, is not changing the pattern that elk have developed of harboring on private. That's what needs to change, we need to get elk back to using public lands.
There is going to have to be some tough decisions made in Montana, and from what I'm seeing, and hear from the Residents, they just aren't willing to really do what needs to be done.
You're responses are classic examples of this...opportunity NOW at all costs.
