2022 Heritage Season

Are you planning to hunt the heritage season?

  • Yes. I’m an experienced traditionalist

    Votes: 10 11.5%
  • Yes. This is my first time.

    Votes: 4 4.6%
  • No. I have better things to do.

    Votes: 18 20.7%
  • No. I think the season is wrong.

    Votes: 30 34.5%
  • No. The general big game season in MT was aweful. I can’t take anymore beatdowns.

    Votes: 14 16.1%
  • No. My tags are all filled.

    Votes: 11 12.6%

  • Total voters
    87
Fat reserves are low this time of year for mule deer going into winter after the rut. I don’t think we should be continuing to harass them with “heritage hunts”. Give them a break and let them gear up to survive winter, at least on public land. I agree we should push all seasons earlier and make them shorter. Do what’s best for the critters. But if FWP needs license sales or to appease some minority group of trad hunters, have at it I guess.
 
After interacting with a lot of hunters this past season I’d say the chances of moving the rifle season out of the rut will never happen in Montana. As for the heritage season I specifically save a tag to participate in a season with little hunting pressure. I enjoy the solitude it offers. I’ll add that I do everything in my power to not stress animals so late in the season. I’ve chosen not to move in on stalking opportunities the majority of the time but instead sit back and wait for things to develop. I’d say that I’m probably in the minority with that approach as well.
 
Could you fill me in as to why the muzzy season came to be? I should have researched more prior to commenting
Casey Snider proposed it as additional opportunity and it was passed and signed into law by GG. The dates came to be because bha bowhunters in their efforts to kill it wouldn’t allow a change to existing season and didn’t want it going on at the same time as archery? So it ended up as a Xmas miracle of opportunity! That’s my version probably not super factual
 
Casey Snider? I don't think so.

Montana's Heritage Hunting season was the idea / bill of legislator Caleb Hinkle, who thought it would be a "fun" additional hunting season for primitive weapons.
He must have thought that the Montana hunting opportunities were too few and the wildlife was too complacent approaching the Christmas season.
 
Casey Snider? I don't think so.

Montana's Heritage Hunting season was the idea / bill of legislator Caleb Hinkle, who thought it would be a "fun" additional hunting season for primitive weapons.
He must have thought that the Montana hunting opportunities were too few and the wildlife was too complacent approaching the Christmas season.
Yup thanks.
 
Casey Snider? I don't think so.

Montana's Heritage Hunting season was the idea / bill of legislator Caleb Hinkle, who thought it would be a "fun" additional hunting season for primitive weapons.
He must have thought that the Montana hunting opportunities were too few and the wildlife was too complacent approaching the Christmas season.
Weren’t the dates a compromise?
 
Casey Snider proposed it as additional opportunity and it was passed and signed into law by GG. The dates came to be because bha bowhunters in their efforts to kill it wouldn’t allow a change to existing season and didn’t want it going on at the same time as archery? So it ended up as a Xmas miracle of opportunity! That’s my version probably not super factual
Weren’t the dates a compromise?

The original proposal was for the muzzleloader season to replace the last week of archery season. MT BHA was so adamantly opposed to losing any archery opportunity, that they cut a deal with Hinkle that they would support the season if he changed the dates to mid December. Eventually they backpedaled on supporting the bill, but by that point that dates had already been moved.
 
Thanks for the info, I stick by my opinion on stressing animals, but again, if the opportunity is there, I don’t fault anyone for taking advantage of it while they can.
 
I am planning to hunt whitetail. Ill shoot the first decent-sized doe or 4pt buck that I see. I hunt them with a .50 traditional on my own property during the general season, usually shooting 2-3/year.

This year, I passed on multiple 4pt and lots of does - despite having 3 tags, as ever - because I only want/need 1 deer for some backstrap and the ground venison as I am still OK in terms of game meat - roasts, rounds, sausage, etc - in the freezer from the deers I shot last season. I saw a very nice 5pt buck early in the season (and a couple other times) that never presented me a shot and held out hoping til the end. But as said, first decent one gets it starting Saturday and hopefully thats all I need.

I dont feel bad about the extra season on these whitetail since they really arent hunted hard.
183th7 (1).jpg

My motivation is somehow non-existent. Guess who will be eating tag soup this season!
 
Could it be the weather? Pretty tough muzzleloading conditions in some parts of the state.
Maybe a little weather-related. Also, probably a little that it just feels like hunting season (big game, anyway) is done. Maybe a little 'feels bad' for the animals, too. Probably some laziness there, too - I dont really need meat for the freezer (tho, Im bound to run out of whats left before next season comes) and just dont feel like dealing with it.

Am still bird hunting most days and it feels like its time to get the cross country skiis out.

Next year is another year! Hopefully, its one without a late traditional season, but we all know thats a pipe dream and we are going to again be talking about all the stressed animals being pushed around on the wintering ground, including the Gardiner elk this time!
 
Casey Snider? I don't think so.

Montana's Heritage Hunting season was the idea / bill of legislator Caleb Hinkle, who thought it would be a "fun" additional hunting season for primitive weapons.
He must have thought that the Montana hunting opportunities were too few and the wildlife was too complacent approaching the Christmas season.
Hinkle, hinkle. Oh, here it is. Any relation? Maybe batshit crazy ideas are genetic?

 
Maybe a little weather-related. Also, probably a little that it just feels like hunting season (big game, anyway) is done. Maybe a little 'feels bad' for the animals, too. Probably some laziness there, too - I dont really need meat for the freezer (tho, Im bound to run out of whats left before next season comes) and just dont feel like dealing with it.

Am still bird hunting most days and it feels like its time to get the cross country skiis out.

Next year is another year! Hopefully, its one without a late traditional season, but we all know thats a pipe dream and we are going to again be talking about all the stressed animals being pushed around on the wintering ground, including the Gardiner elk this time!
Yeah it’s crazy what we are doing to our wildlife in this state. It’s the Wild West of game management. Meanwhile our trustees stand by idly with their “no biological impacts” recommendations. The biological impacts are fairly obvious but hey whatever. Clowns gonna clown. Good luck next year.
 
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