T
tjones
Guest
Big-game hunters have five more days to wait for results of their special license lottery picks, but the odds have changed in several parts of western Montana.
Antlerless elk permits have increased in several Region 2 hunting districts around Drummond, Deer Lodge and Garrison, while they’ve dropped dramatically in districts surrounding the Bitterroot Valley and the Lower Clark Fork River.
Antlered and antlerless mule deer permits have been cut by half in those two areas as well.
In northwestern Montana’s Region 1, antlerless elk permit numbers were generally cut in half in large parts of Lincoln and Sanders counties.
The decisions came out of this week’s meeting of the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission. Regional wildlife manager Mike Thompson said the adjustments of permit numbers were made after game surveys showed sharp declines in elk and mule deer populations in some areas but increases in others.
“When we’ve got a declining prey population, we try to look at all the mortality factors and still provide a hunting opportunity for folks,” Thompson said. “Sometimes we don’t have all the answers to point to a single factor.”
In addition to reducing the number of human predators in the field, the FWP commissioners also have increased hunters’ opportunities for mountain lions in affected areas and have proposed a wolf hunting season for this fall. Thompson said the balance of predators and prey is different for each hunting district, making it hard to generalize why elk and deer populations have dropped.
The areas with increases for antlerless elk include:
* Hunting District 210 by Drummond (400 permits up from 300),
* HD 213 around Warm Springs (350 permits up from 150),
* HD 215 west of Deer Lodge (250 permits up from 150),
* HD 215-01 (250 permits up from 100)
* and HD 291 north of Garrison (300 permits up from 100).
Most of those hunting districts are dominated by private land, so hunters must seek landowner permission in addition to winning a permit.
Antlered mule deer permits were cut in HD 202-50 west of St. Regis and HD 270 east of Darby.
Antlerless mule deer permits were reduced in HD 204 northeast of Stevensville, HD 261-01 west of Hamilton, and HD 270.
Special license permit results will be announced Monday.
Antlerless elk permits have increased in several Region 2 hunting districts around Drummond, Deer Lodge and Garrison, while they’ve dropped dramatically in districts surrounding the Bitterroot Valley and the Lower Clark Fork River.
Antlered and antlerless mule deer permits have been cut by half in those two areas as well.
In northwestern Montana’s Region 1, antlerless elk permit numbers were generally cut in half in large parts of Lincoln and Sanders counties.
The decisions came out of this week’s meeting of the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission. Regional wildlife manager Mike Thompson said the adjustments of permit numbers were made after game surveys showed sharp declines in elk and mule deer populations in some areas but increases in others.
“When we’ve got a declining prey population, we try to look at all the mortality factors and still provide a hunting opportunity for folks,” Thompson said. “Sometimes we don’t have all the answers to point to a single factor.”
In addition to reducing the number of human predators in the field, the FWP commissioners also have increased hunters’ opportunities for mountain lions in affected areas and have proposed a wolf hunting season for this fall. Thompson said the balance of predators and prey is different for each hunting district, making it hard to generalize why elk and deer populations have dropped.
The areas with increases for antlerless elk include:
* Hunting District 210 by Drummond (400 permits up from 300),
* HD 213 around Warm Springs (350 permits up from 150),
* HD 215 west of Deer Lodge (250 permits up from 150),
* HD 215-01 (250 permits up from 100)
* and HD 291 north of Garrison (300 permits up from 100).
Most of those hunting districts are dominated by private land, so hunters must seek landowner permission in addition to winning a permit.
Antlered mule deer permits were cut in HD 202-50 west of St. Regis and HD 270 east of Darby.
Antlerless mule deer permits were reduced in HD 204 northeast of Stevensville, HD 261-01 west of Hamilton, and HD 270.
Special license permit results will be announced Monday.
