Ballot Initiative to End NR Big Game Hunting?

[BirdManMike]

I bought my licenses today and put in for all my draws. As I was putting in for my most coveted draw, the Deer B whitetail doe license, I noticed that there was the usual -01 in addition to a new - or at least option I do not recall seeing in recent years - option -02. Upon further investigation, it seems there is in now the option to hunt mule deer does on private land with this -02 tag.

The war on mule deer continues.

 

[TheJason]

The war on mule deer continues.

Damn NR hunters,,,

 

[TheJason]

And more resident hunters

Post in thread 'Montana mule deer Expectations.'
https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/montana-mule-deer-expectations.311656/post-3339713

Not more deer A tags sold though. Montana is seeing the long term effects of rut hunting mule deer with rifles.

I firmly believe there are other long term ecological issues at play here, as evidenced by mule deer trends across the west. However, as deer numbers have declined, season length has remained constant through the most vulnerable time for bucks. And, as deer numbers have declined in western MT, pressure has shifted to central and eastern MT.

Another unforeseen consequence of liberalization of elk seasons is the added influx of helpers/deer hunters. “Hey, let’s take the kids to go hunt cows in the breaks and we can hunt mule deer”. Same thing has happened in the Custer.

 

[MTLabrador]

Damn NR hunters,,,

I’ll still help you find a cow, because we need to get our elk populations under control, but if you so much as look at a mule deer this fall I’ll saw your new catalytic converters off so you can’t pull the V8 sneak on them.

 

[8andcounting]

Post in thread 'Montana mule deer Expectations.'
https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/montana-mule-deer-expectations.311656/post-3339713

Not more deer A tags sold though. Montana is seeing the long term effects of rut hunting mule deer with rifles.

I firmly believe there are other long term ecological issues at play here, as evidenced by mule deer trends across the west. However, as deer numbers have declined, season length has remained constant through the most vulnerable time for bucks. And, as deer numbers have declined in western MT, pressure has shifted to central and eastern MT.

Another unforeseen consequence of liberalization of elk seasons is the added influx of helpers/deer hunters. “Hey, let’s take the kids to go hunt cows in the breaks and we can hunt mule deer”. Same thing has happened in the Custer.

By my math it shows many more A tags sold in 2021 than 1990 …

 

[TheJason]

I’ll saw your new catalytic converters off so you can’t pull the V8 sneak on them.

We would be driving with earmuffs if the white beast was sans cats.

 

[MTLabrador]

We would be driving with earmuffs if the white beast was sans cats.

And we’d still be able to kill rutting bucks.

 

[TheJason]

By my math it shows many more A tags sold in 2021 than 1990 …

A tags were pretty stagnant over he last decade, during which time mule deer hunting has tanked.

 

[MTLabrador]

A tags were pretty stagnant over he last decade, during which time mule deer hunting has tanked.

Yep. Things definitely weren’t great 10 years ago but they were a lot better than last year.

 

[TheJason]

Yep. Things definitely weren’t great 10 years ago but they were a lot better than last year.

A long time FWP biologist directly acknowledged the negative impact of liberalized cow elk seasons on mule deer. This practice began in the early 2000s, and continued ramping up over the decade.

Remember when youth could shoot cows in 410 on a general tag post EMP and Debbie Barrett’s curse? The mule deer in the breaks got absolutely piss pounded. On both sides of the big lake.

@8andcounting it’s a little more complex than resident deer tag sales. If there were ever districts or regions to decouple deer and elk seasons, it would be the Missouri Breaks and the Custer.

I doubt there is any data available on this, but I’m willing to bet hunter efforts have changed drastically with the advent of shoulder seasons. When we lived there, you hunted elk till you got one. Mule deer harvest was secondary. Now, you can hunt elk through February, so why not take extra time to find that “slob” muley?

 

[8andcounting]

Yep. Things definitely weren’t great 10 years ago but they were a lot better than last year.

I agree with this - however last year was record drought - the animals definitely were in different spots than normal years . I think the drought definitely impacted numbers that people were seeing .

 

[tjones]

R6 wildlife manager stated there has been a "slight 40% decline" in mule deer numbers. FWIW and his words.

 

[TheJason]

R6 wildlife manager stated there has been a slight 40% decline in mule deer numbers. FWIW

Nothing to see here…

Any idea how this downward trend correlates with the war on elk in R6?

 

[MTLabrador]

I agree with this - however last year was record drought - the animals definitely were in different spots than normal years . I think the drought definitely impacted numbers that people were seeing .

Many years of lead poisoning impacted things a lot more.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Idk how I missed this gemtard post! Some peoples kids.

 

[Jamen]

After 16 pages of reading i am still not sure if this was a troll post or not.

 

[SwaggyD]

After 16 pages of reading i am still not sure if this was a troll post or not.

After commenting on it several times, I still cannot answer this.

 

[Jamen]

I have friends who get upset about NR coming here to bird hunt. But the same friends go out of state to fish... I am not sure if its the added competition they don't like or hunting isn't as easy as it was years ago. Some of the nicest people i have met while hunting have been out of state hunters. They appreciate what our state has to offer compared to theirs. Sure there are always some dumb ones who rut up roads and fields but my experience most are pretty decent people. I know this is apple to oranges in comparison MT hunting.

 

[antlerradar]

After 50 years of basically the same season structure, now we find ourselves at a point where current opportunities can't be maintained. In western Mt we have been at that point for decades. I predict at least another decade of a downward trend before any meaningful changes. The masses don't give a shit.

This is spot on, the only thing to add is that for years the solution in western Montana was to hope hunters would go east. Now the east is breaking down. Quite the predicament opportuinty manangment has gotten us into.

 

[Deleted member 40728]

I don't think you're understanding that a lot of MT folks feel that NR's are their ONLY problem. Again, whether that's correct thinking or not, you've got a gigantic task to convince them otherwise.

I may be incorrect and I understand this thread and forum is a small sample size but it seems the Montana residents who have chimed in on here don’t believe NR are the ONLY problem.