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    Health of BLM lands

    The "assessment" indicates only 56 million of 245 million BLM acres don't meet range health standards. Having traveled a lot of BLM ground, only 20% of BLM ground not healthy sounds like the "healthy standards" are very low or are biased by internal employees doing the evaluation. Observations...
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    Montana General Season Structure Proposal

    Similar for elk in the Gila Wilderness in NM where I hunted, but the elk seemed to be missing. The local outfitter told me he couldn't find them either because it had rained in a hunting unit north and the elk had moved there because of the resulting greenup.
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    Montana General Season Structure Proposal

    October cows only on private lands sounds good BUT any landowner who is making money from elk or leased to an outfitter is not going to harass/shoot an elk herd off their private land before bulls are legal. A long time ago I gathered information from Colo and UT that had "ranching for...
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    Bitterroot Goats

    I was somewhat involved in the transplant of goats into the Rattlesnake....had to be before 1988.
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    Bitterroot Goats

    I also remember in the Rattlesnake which had 5 permits each year as I recall but the success rate eventually went to zero.....they had killed them all. Later they did a transplant. Management?????
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    Bitterroot Goats

    Thanks for the date correction Buzz. I remember going to Jim Ford sometime in the 80s to beg him to reduce the 75 tags or at least break them up into drainages.....he wouldn't budge. I had come from Idaho in 1976 and Idaho was managing their goats conservatively at the time based on Lonn...
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    Bitterroot Goats

    178 goats counted in this report .....about that same (1998) time FWP was giving 75 tags annually. Unbelieveably liberal seasons and then they wonder where the goats went.
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    Montana General Season Structure Proposal

    First, I have been hoping to get mule deer hunting out of November.....strongly support it. I mentioned the importance of habitat needs earlier in this thread. Mule deer are a seral habitat species. Mule deer need disturbance in forested habitats. It can be logged or burned or both. Having...
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    Montana General Season Structure Proposal

    Not to highjack a good discussion, but to add that mule deer need quality habitat. As a prime example, fire suppression on summer range has had long term detrimental effects on mule deer production in forested habitats "For example, in 2003, the Bulldog fire in southeastern Utah burned more...
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    Montana General Season Structure Proposal

    The group just has to convince FWP that it was FWP's idea and then it might happen. Just look at the terrible history/results that citizen petitions to change something has actually resulted in change.
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    Pyramid Lumber in Seeley Lake, MT Closing

    Zoning in the Bitterroot? Never. The Bitterroot is the best example I know of to show what happens to a pretty valley with no zoning.
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    Pyramid Lumber in Seeley Lake, MT Closing

    Looking at the regional picture, where are the western Montana logs going to go now and still be financially feasible? With no mills left in the Bitterroot, Missoula, Superior-St Regis or Seeley the transportation costs will make it financially unfeasible to log and haul and come out in the...
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    Who wants to shoot a Marco Polo sheep in Montana?

    The same guys buying that sheep-in-a-pen would be happy squatting behind that critter about 20 feet for the customary picture. Size does matter they say.
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    Grazing fees, the economics of elk and cattle

    Just returned from another southern AZ winter where I wandered the Coronado NF for two months with bow or shotgun in hand nearly every day. The poor monsoon season meant little forage production but the cows were out in force. Overgrazing was the worst I have seen in my 24 winters there. My...
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    AZ Coues vs CO Muley vs MT Gen.

    Agree that Coues is mainly spotting one.....try it with traditional archery gear and you will appreciate the challenge.
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    DIY game bags

    Pillow cases for boned out elk or deer and a couple of old cotton mattress covers for whole deer.
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    Montana - Time to Shake it Up?

    Good conversation Randy and others. There are indeed some principles that will shape the future of Montana's big game management: 1) Follow the money. FWP budget is largely dependent on tag sales and even more on non-resident tag sales. Fixed costs are high so income flexibility is low...
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    How old is too old to hunt?

    At 80 and hunting perhaps 100+ days a year, I can't imagine a better way to go than out hunting and dropping over.
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    I-193 to exempt MT Landowners from elk/deer/bear regs

    Would this enable a poacher previously convicted and banned from hunting, but now ok to hunt as a "guest", lessor or landowner?
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    Triple the Outfitter/Guide Client Days on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

    The Beaverhead Deerlodge NF is proposing to triple the outfitter/guide client days without specifying which recreation activity is to be permitted, where it would occur, and no further public notification or comment period required. You can easily comment though a form on the Comment Sidebar at...
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