im ebarrased to be a hunter in montana(RANT)

[Dakotakid]

I have written before of hunters making hunters look bad. It sours people against hunting and solidifies anti-hunters against what most of us try to be.

As a counter point I followed a truck up a mountain trail this weekend to a block management sign in box. Large block, several miles by several miles plus access to several more sections of blm.

At the sign in box I talked to the guy and said “hey you were here first, pick which direction you would like to hunt and we will go the other.”

Guy commented that he was pleased with the cordial interaction. He had so dreaded and expected a confrontation over hunting that he almost left.

I do think the courts are ill equipped to correct bad behavior. When compared to all of the real nasty stuff humanity does to each other, a game violation just doesn’t raise the dial very much.

 

[Doublegunner]

I hunted montana this year and took a nice muley. While out there we got contacted by the game department. He checked our licenses and the one deer we had gotten at that point. No violations and a pleasant contact. Guy was pretty mellow. I didn't see any noticeable violations by other hunters and everyone was super nice the entire time we were there.

 

[huntin24/7]

I sometimes wonder if making regulations that would give deer and elk more of the upper hand would weed out some of these guys that cause a lot of the problems. Things like season structure eliminating rifle hunting during the rut with high powered rifles aside from low number permits for it. Maybe more primitive weapons seasons or shorter seasons. We’re certainly not running out of western hunters, so losing a few 1000 wouldn’t hurt. I personally witnessed someone blast a buck right off the road this season on private property they didn’t have permission on after it pushed a doe across the road. I doubt that would’ve happened in October. The drawing blood rule doesn’t bother me but I don’t see it changing the behavior of the people it’s aimed at. Just a few thoughts anyways.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

I've had 4 occasions now this year where there were random people wondering around on our different properties. A couple happened last weekend, people just walking through the woods with their shotguns looking for deer. Posted private property... Earlier this year, had an ATV with 3 people on it in the middle of one of our properties. 800 acres and they somehow got a wheeler in there and were just running our trails. What can a guy do? You find someone and say wait here, I'm calling the police?

Can’t you shoot ‘em in a lot of states….? I mean I know that sucks to have to do…… but it’ll teach a valuable lesson.. you know the ol sayin…. Pimpin ain’t easy….

 

[Flatbrimmer]

I don't know if education is the answer. Who doesn't know trespassing and shooting animals from the road is illegal?

I feel like harsher fines and penalties would definitely deter more people from doing it. A $200 fine is nothing. Smack them with $1,000 fine, and I bet they stop.

$5,000
$10,000

 

[thusby]

Denying Wisconson folks NR licenses would stop 90% or more of our violations down here in the areas we hunt. Not a joke.
We all talk about it. My hunting buddies, my wife, guides and ranchers. I even had a Wisconson friend over two nights ago (now a WY resident) and he started in on the rudeness and game violations of the Wisconson folks hunting here... which is a large majority of the NR in our areas.
My wife and I met three friends from WA state for dinner a couple of weeks ago. They have hunted this area for many years.
A good portion of our evening conversation started off with them asking: "What is with all the rude Wisconson folks now? We are constantly seeing them shoot from the road, cut off other hunters, tresspassing and illegally driving on public ground."
My hunting buddies and I can call it with incredible accuracy when we observe lack of etiquette or illegal hunting activity. The blanket comment: " More Wisonson folks... wanna bet?" We are nearly 100% on our guesses once when we can ID the plates or people from previous occurrances. So many violators we seldom call it in any more.

Where exactly were these idiots from Wisconsin seeing a lot of game to shoot from the road? Uhhhh, some guy in Casper wants to know.

 

[brockel]

Quit having 3+ months of big game seasons. Imagine how much hunter/landowner relations would improve if the landowners phone wasn’t ringing off the hook for 3+ months

 

[Firedude]

I'll argue all day long for elderly, disabled, etc. to be able to road hunt. It's easy to say, "I'll just quit hunting when I get to that point." Until it's you that just can't pack an elk or even deer very far. I've had very close people to me pay into the programs their whole lives that just want to get out and maybe get one more deer.

That being said there's a difference between "can't" and "won't". It makes me happy to see old couples putting down the road slowly dreaming of venison for dinner. Stopping here and there to sit and see if something walks out. It makes me mad seeing 20 somethings in razors FLY down a road with barrels pointing out windows screeching to a halt and opening fire...

 

[old270hunter]

I honestly don’t understand folks not following hunting laws and just exercising decency. It’s really not hard. I’ve never bothered a land owner. Never got near hunting on private land that I did not have permission to hunt long ahead of hunting season. Trespassing ain’t ok. Breaking hunting laws ain’t ok. Bothering landowners in season is not ok. I can say that this year I have not seen anyone doing anything unethical in the area I hunt. OnX is an amazing tool available for just a few bucks. No excuses not to have it or similar too.

 

[Idahoarcheryhunter]

Idaho is a free for all lately. Not even worth calling if you see a violation etc. not blaming fish and game I know they’re understaffed and overworked this time of year.

 

[JLS]

Talking with some friends who are judges, their take was if you made revocation of hunting & fishing privilege's a first offence punishment, that does more than any monetary fine.

The fines are generally set on a range by the legislature, with the judge being the one to decide based upon circumstances what that fine should be.

If revocation becomes part of the first offense punishment, I bet more people would think twice.

Pretty sure they already have the ability to impose license revocation for a first offense.

 

[Dsnow9]

Over the last two year I have taken part in the reporting of three different occurrences. First was last year someone driving off trail through the fields on blm and then shooting off the hood and leaving immediately after the shots were taken. No follow up on the shots to even check for blood. (Shot was 500+ and no range finder used). Second was this year with an e bike on blm land going out to retrieve antelope. Last was this year, two cows left to rot and a bull with required meat still on it.

That being said, two of the violations were written citations or in the process. The third is still up in the air. We all carry a phone with an amazing camera in it. We had video and photos of all the violations. The two that got taken care of and resulted in citations had license plates in them. Take as many videos and photos as you can to make wardens jobs easier. The more info they have, the easier for them to prosecute.

 

[Irishman]

I sometimes wonder if making regulations that would give deer and elk more of the upper hand would weed out some of these guys that cause a lot of the problems. Things like season structure eliminating rifle hunting during the rut with high powered rifles aside from low number permits for it. Maybe more primitive weapons seasons or shorter seasons. We’re certainly not running out of western hunters, so losing a few 1000 wouldn’t hurt. I personally witnessed someone blast a buck right off the road this season on private property they didn’t have permission on after it pushed a doe across the road. I doubt that would’ve happened in October. The drawing blood rule doesn’t bother me but I don’t see it changing the behavior of the people it’s aimed at. Just a few thoughts anyways.

Wouldn't putting more limitations only hurt those hunters who follow the rules?

 

[huntin24/7]

Wouldn't putting more limitations only hurt those hunters who follow the rules?

It’s possible. I think more restrictive seasons and other restrictions benefit the guy following the rules and who loves to hunt and will find a way to overcome though. Maybe they’ll spend more time pre season scouting if there’s a shorter season with no rut? If it’s important to people, they’ll make it work. When there are long seasons with few wardens patrolling large areas and dumb young bucks, the temptations are too much for a lot of guys. It probably takes 2-3 minutes for someone to blast a buck from the road, drive out in a field, load it and be down the road without anyone knowing in desolate parts of MT. I wonder how many of these incidents happen that no one has a clue about. The majority for sure. I think when you make anything more difficult, you tend to weed out the people that don’t care as much and will cut corners. I do understand your concerns though and as I said, just tossing some ideas out there.

Not to just harp of the season length, but I think the length of it is really hard on hunter/land owner relations. I think a lot of these guys are burnt out on hunters by the the end of November.

 

[MTGomer]

I have written before of hunters making hunters look bad. It sours people against hunting and solidifies anti-hunters against what most of us try to be.

As a counter point I followed a truck up a mountain trail this weekend to a block management sign in box. Large block, several miles by several miles plus access to several more sections of blm.

At the sign in box I talked to the guy and said “hey you were here first, pick which direction you would like to hunt and we will go the other.”

Guy commented that he was pleased with the cordial interaction. He had so dreaded and expected a confrontation over hunting that he almost left.

I do think the courts are ill equipped to correct bad behavior. When compared to all of the real nasty stuff humanity does to each other, a game violation just doesn’t raise the dial very much.

The last time I was in the North end of the Crazies, I tried the same thing (but at a FS trailhead, not block management) and the guy said “it’s public land, I’ll go where I want”. Lmao.

 

[rogerthat]

It’s possible. I think more restrictive seasons and other restrictions benefit the guy following the rules and who loves to hunt and will find a way to overcome though. Maybe they’ll spend more time pre season scouting if there’s a shorter season with no rut? If it’s important to people, they’ll make it work. When there are long seasons with few wardens patrolling large areas and dumb young bucks, the temptations are too much for a lot of guys. It probably takes 2-3 minutes for someone to blast a buck from the road, drive out in a field, load it and be down the road without anyone knowing in desolate parts of MT. I wonder how many of these incidents happen that no one has a clue about. The majority for sure. I think when you make anything more difficult, you tend to weed out the people that don’t care as much and will cut corners. I do understand your concerns though and as I said, just tossing some ideas out there.

Not to just harp of the season length, but I think the length of it is really hard on hunter/land owner relations. I think a lot of these guys are burnt out on hunters by the the end of November.

Yeah I agree. Ever try to do a drive by, smash and grab with a bow? Much harder…so I hear

 

[westbranch]

I have written before of hunters making hunters look bad. It sours people against hunting and solidifies anti-hunters against what most of us try to be.

As a counter point I followed a truck up a mountain trail this weekend to a block management sign in box. Large block, several miles by several miles plus access to several more sections of blm.

At the sign in box I talked to the guy and said “hey you were here first, pick which direction you would like to hunt and we will go the other.”

Guy commented that he was pleased with the cordial interaction. He had so dreaded and expected a confrontation over hunting that he almost left.

I do think the courts are ill equipped to correct bad behavior. When compared to all of the real nasty stuff humanity does to each other, a game violation just doesn’t raise the dial very much.

As much as I hate running into hunters in the field most experiences are neutral or positive. Have done the same as you a handful of times on asking which direction the are going so we can avoid each other. Hell even the guy that I saw driving his ATV illegally this season was nice enough and said he would go over the ridge the other direction since I was there first. Almost felt bad sending pics to the CO.

 

[antlerradar]

The fines for bad behavior are long over dew to be greatly increased. Larger fines are just part of the equation, you also need county prosecutors that take game violations seriously.
We need better hunting on public land. You can always count on more bad behavior when the hunting is tough on public land. Nothing like a frustrating day of seeing very little to bring out the worst in people.
@huntin24/7 is 100 percent correct on the rut. All most all of the violators I catch are during the rut. Without the rut most bucks are not standing by the road during day light hours, just not as much opportunity for a blast and grab if the bucks are not love struck. Hunting the rut is a lot of fun, but it has also cost Montana's hunters dearly in terms of quality and access.

 

[DFS]

I was just in Colorado for a week it was a shit show, talking to my family and a few buddies it sounds worse here, I’m not sure how to correct the problems but hunter behavior sounded awful. Washington hunters was the common theme. We certainly have created a lot of advocates. Wonder which advocate will be the one to shoot the last public land two point. It’s disgusting what things have turned in to. Certainly worse when the slob rifle hunters come out.

 

[Tikka06]

I don’t think this is just a Montana problem. I think this is systemic to big game/bird hunting nationwide. The rifle deer season opened this weekend here in Tn and I reported 2 violations myself. One of trespassing, after I asked them to leave, and another of shooting off the county road onto private property. It’s like people see a deer and just forget the laws. The amount of blatant disregard for private property blows my mind.