Yep fight amongst ourselves about a handful of tags rather try and improve the situation.
Eliminate domestic sheep in the west.
Increase landowner tolerance for wildlife.
Remove or discuss, shoulder seasons, roster hunts, 5 deer tags in some units.
Timber issues, over grazing issues,
close down roads... etc etc etc.
Not a MT problem it's a western problem.
I swear if there were 3 elk left in the US 99% of the hunters would be in a fist fight deciding who gets to shoot them.
@Oak This is why I'm on the fence about writing CPW about tag allocation, it's as slippery a slope as they come. MT has 10% allocation residents bitch, WY doesn't allow NR into wilderness areas and has a low quota, sniveling. There is no scenario where residents draw MSG and Premium elk and deer tags every year. Most won't be happy until all NR are shut out, then it will be a discussion of limiting hunting to people from that area, the rhetoric about region 6 plates in MT is already pretty ridiculous.
I think we need to have a higher tolerance for whining, and look at the work you do. Focus on putting animals on the mountain, focus on the habitat.
(sorry Ben no of this relates to your comments if I'm being honest, just the discussion in general)