@brocksw you know as much or more about cwd as anybody. That still isn’t enough. Managing it out of a herd is a pretty tough sell to people that have seen that management their whole lives. Certainly depressing if it is what they say it is.
We are going to manage off the best science that comes from other states that don’t have a general rut hunt. There is no ground breaking research coming from Montana to my knowledge.
If they were straight forward with the public I think people would be more sympathetic. Instead we get buck size hasn’t changed, age class still robust, no change in hunter distribution, record counts on public land, animals didn’t die they just migrated. Doe harvest is extremely low even...
Ok so we voted in Schweitzer and Bullock and headed down the same road. I remember Schweitzer with his veto brand outside the capital. Honestly the current governor and commission have been the most active I have seen.
It is going to take the right politicians or an angry mob in Helena to get any positive changes. I’m currently sharpening my pitchfork waiting for the call. Changes will come hopefully for the better just maybe not in my lifetime. FWP is dug in on unlimited opportunity at the expense of wildlife.
It is certainly interesting and I don’t know the answer. If they would come out and say this is cwd management and this is what the future looks like it would be easier to stomach. They tend to take the path of nothing has changed and you need to try harder or gain access to private land.
Region 7 staff is strongly for no changes even though we are getting pounded by nonresidents and western Montana hunters. It is madness with no adults steering the wheel. We will take a beating again this fall.
Fwp never supported private land only doe tags (strongly opposed them actually). You can thank MOGA and the commission for that change. At least in region 7.