MTelkHuntress
Well-known member
I'm still reading the plan but how does a possible implementation of shooting spikes help diversify bull age class?
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It would allow MT to have zero bulls left on general units! In all seriousness…I’d love to hear the reasoning for that one as well.I'm still reading the plan but how does a possible implementation of shooting spikes help diversify bull age class?
What part of the plan are you referencing?I'm still reading the plan but how does a possible implementation of shooting spikes help diversify bull age class?
It's under one of the strategies for one of the units. I haven't had near as much time as I would like to read the whole thing so I've been bouncing around and that kind of caught my eye. I know this plan could still change but I do worry in which direction that change is going to be.What part of the plan are you referencing?
Gotcha.It's under one of the strategies for one of the units. I haven't had near as much time as I would like to read the whole thing so I've been bouncing around and that kind of caught my eye. I know this plan could still change but I do worry in which direction that change is going to be.
Some of the western states have season structures like that where it’s spike season then branch bull seems ridiculous to me and doesn’t appear to help in any wayI'm still reading the plan but how does a possible implementation of shooting spikes help diversify bull age class?
I’d kill cows every year
All I’ve ever shot is cows so business as usual. I’d say, If it’ll help my kids and theirs to fill antlered tags on public in the future I’ll go with cows only for another 5 years.Same.
Why you hating on the weed so much dude? Parents taught you it’s the same as crack and heroin or what? Don’t hate the player hate the game…My naming be be wrong. As Ben points out, it is called a Sportsman. Maybe it will be called something different in the name of "simplicity" next year.
Given your focus on accuracy I had to go look up the cost (I think I originally said $16 in my haste, but the is the current deer cost). At the very least, charge $20 each for the deer and the elk. I think $25 or $30 would be reasonable given the amount of discretionary funds used on weed, but whatever. It should be sold as "the increase will allow us to cut X# of NR tags". The core of the discussion is that the argument the R cost shouldn't go up is ridiculous, just like the argument that the number of NR tags issued is reasonable is ridiculous. You just have to fix them without destroying the budget.
Hopefully you are satisfied with this. And yes, I like to have a minimum number of posts and reactions each day to increase my ratio. Posting wrong stuff seems to be the way to do it. Thanks for helping.
I think that's a pretty low bar, but that's just my opinion.I noted in most of the units I've been been hunting they have a goal for bull:cow ratio of equal to or greater than 10:100. Am I off base in thinking that is a pretty piss poor goal? Curious on thoughts in regards to this before I submit comments.
Interested in what others have submitted for comments thus far for thoughts to chew on.
I think that's a pretty low bar, but that's just my opinion.
It's under one of the strategies for one of the units. I haven't had near as much time as I would like to read the whole thing so I've been bouncing around and that kind of caught my eye. I know this plan could still change but I do worry in which direction that change is going to be.
Interesting article on the plan.
How stakeholders view the 2023 Montana Elk Management Plan
Elk counts have increased 42% since the state adopted its current Elk Management Plan in 2005.montanafreepress.org
"The primary author of the plan said that lack of prescriptive details is designed to give FWP discretion to tailor its approach in a dynamic and complex system. Plan author and FWP Deer and Elk Coordinator Lindsey Parsons likens elk management to working a marionette.
“You pull one string and you don’t know what else it might affect,” she said. “Not everybody has the foresight to see it coming, including us sometimes.”"
“How about this idea of ramping up effort on private land and ramping down effort on public land to provide better public hunting experiences?” he said. “That is completely ass-backwards from what was happening for 16 years under the Bullock and Schweitzer administrations, [which were] consistently punitive toward landowners that weren’t allowing public access. The end result was we lost acres open to public hunting on private land.” - Mac Minard
Yup. "Punitive" is a buzzword amongst those that don't want to participate in the myriad options available to help reduce elk populations on private land, be it hunt rosters, damage hunts, shoulder seasons, etc. "Oh woah is me! I don't get bull tags I can sell and therefore all the other options are "punitive."" I've lost my patience with that kind of thinking.What a doofus.
“How about this idea of ramping up effort on private land and ramping down effort on public land to provide better public hunting experiences?” he said. “That is completely ass-backwards from what was happening for 16 years under the Bullock and Schweitzer administrations, [which were] consistently punitive toward landowners that weren’t allowing public access. The end result was we lost acres open to public hunting on private land.” - Mac Minard
I'm old enough to remember only a couple years ago, when Mac lobbied for shoulder season expansion to public land. What a doofus.
I think if we want to go down the road of remembering bad ideas, we end up back in a stalemate. If MOGA is willing to advocate for pushing elk off of private land and on to public, then we should celebrate that position change and lean in to get that change made.
Mac and I had a conversation a few weeks ago about some language in the ARM for block management that we both had different interpretations of. The statement relative to outfitting not being conducive to department goals when it comes to Block Management struck us both quite differently. Mac uses language that triggers us. We use language that triggers outfitters. Until we give each other enough grace to say triggering things without thoughtlessly reacting, we're just going to have the same kind of outcomes we've had since 2005.
Everybody makes mistakes. The key to growth is learning from them.
I am cautiously with you.