I'm feeling a little pushed out up here in MT.

[D4570]

I know the Information is from 2022 but Its upward trend is evident.

WOW! I knew I saw a LOT of nonresident license plates this year hunting. What to do about it?
I'm not going to be a Scrooge and say NO nonresidents. But what I'm seeing is they all seem to be concentrated on the BIG block managements and the Big blocks of Public land. I feel very strongly that it would ease the pressure If they Had to choose an area to hunt Not just region. Maybe put a cap on each area? But it would spread the added pressure all over the state. It's not another draw like now it's kind of OTC but they would have to pick let's say 405 or 690 and their deer hunting had to be done in the area. Thoughts?

 

[Pagosa]

I'm going to start calling commissioners and senators/house members. It's bs what is going on. I will gladly pay more for licenses

 

[Mountain Man]

I know the Information is from 2022 but Its upward trend is evident.

WOW! I knew I saw a LOT of nonresident license plates this year hunting. What to do about it?
I'm not going to be a Scrooge and say NO nonresidents. But what I'm seeing is they all seem to be concentrated on the BIG block managements and the Big blocks of Public land. I feel very strongly that it would ease the pressure If they Had to choose an area to hunt Not just region. Maybe put a cap on each area? But it would spread the added pressure all over the state. It's not another draw like now it's kind of OTC but they would have to pick let's say 405 or 690 and their deer hunting had to be done in the area. Thoughts?

I recommend you read the previous posts in this related thread and jump in the conversation.

Montana season structure proposal 2.0

Awhile back a group of us got together and drafted an entire new management plan we would like to see fwp implement. It was met with mixed reviews people either loved or hated. A lot has changed since that original plan was released. We have done pod casts and met with many conversation groups...

www.hunttalk.com

There is also an older thread that has thousands of posts, but the above thread is the most current.

 

[Buffs35]

"hold my beer" signed Colorado

 

[Pagosa]

On Dec 9th in Missoula the FWP is hosting a Citizen Advisory Meeting at 6. I plan to attend and there will be others around the state. I encourage people to attend

 

[Elky Welky]

Along with @Pagosa's suggestion, the Montana Legislature will be meeting again this spring. Bills are in the works to address this very issue. When the time comes, I strongly suggest reaching out to your local legislator and asking they vote yes on those bills. There will be some local sportsman's groups making noise about it too and on this site, so stay tuned.

 

[TOGIE]

are bills really the best way to solve this?

i guess if FWP refuses. i dunno, the snowball of legislating wildlife management will never get smaller.

whatever, not my problem in the end

 

[Forkyfinder]

are bills really the best way to solve this?

i guess if FWP refuses. i dunno know though. whatever, not my problem

My understanding is yes - it's the only way to fix it. As the tag allocations are legislated and not up to FWP.

 

[Forkyfinder]

I know the Information is from 2022 but Its upward trend is evident.

WOW! I knew I saw a LOT of nonresident license plates this year hunting. What to do about it?
I'm not going to be a Scrooge and say NO nonresidents. But what I'm seeing is they all seem to be concentrated on the BIG block managements and the Big blocks of Public land. I feel very strongly that it would ease the pressure If they Had to choose an area to hunt Not just region. Maybe put a cap on each area? But it would spread the added pressure all over the state. It's not another draw like now it's kind of OTC but they would have to pick let's say 405 or 690 and their deer hunting had to be done in the area. Thoughts?

Here it is presented as numbers - the graph is good but the numbers are easier to digest.

 

[R.K.]

View attachment 351580

Here it is presented as numbers - the graph is good but the numbers are easier to digest.

EDIT- Disregard original below, I’m an idiot and got them mixed up.


Question- how are there more Deer & Elk nonresidents than total Nonresident hunters? Is that tags allocated vs base hunting licenses issued?

 

[Forkyfinder]

Question- how are there more Deer & Elk nonresidents than total Nonresident hunters? Is that tags allocated vs base hunting licenses issued?

@Ben Lamb

He's got the answers on data. I'm also curious.

I'm guessing it's upland bird hunting

 

[bigsky2]

Question- how are there more Deer & Elk nonresidents than total Nonresident hunters? Is that tags allocated vs base hunting licenses issued?

I'm seeing 71,302 total NR hunters and 59,013 NR deer & elk hunters for 2022.

 

[mtmiller]

On Dec 9th in Missoula the FWP is hosting a Citizen Advisory Meeting at 6. I plan to attend and there will be others around the state. I encourage people to attend

Cool, that date won’t interfere with my Heritage tags.

 

[The_Jim]

That top graphic has to be total of ALL licenses(fishing, state parks, etc) as it is Montana Fish Parks & Wildlife, but I'm sure those are still rookie numbers compared to Colorado

 

[Elky Welky]

are bills really the best way to solve this?

i guess if FWP refuses. i dunno, the snowball of legislating wildlife management will never get smaller.

whatever, not my problem in the end

That's a valid question, and that is part of the problem. FWP (with the commission) does have the power to solve some of this, but they currently don't have a mandate to solve it. If anything, the mandate their leadership has seemed to endorse is "keep the dollars flowing," no matter how barren public spaces have become due to over pressured animals. Bills are not the only solution, nor is ballot-box biology, but bills that empower the agency to help the wildlife are a good start.

 

[sclancy27]

@Ben Lamb

He's got the answers on data. I'm also curious.

I'm guessing it's upland bird hunting

I would have to dig into the numbers, but my guess is "total hunters" is base hunting licenses (tho we didn't have base hunting licenses in 2012, so maybe some other method). The deer and elk is tags, so there could be duplicity (or multiplicity) there.

 

[antlerradar]

I would have to dig into the numbers, but my guess is "total hunters" is base hunting licenses (tho we didn't have base hunting licenses in 2012, so maybe some other method). The deer and elk is tags, so there could be duplicity (or multiplicity) there.

That would be my guess to. I would bet a lot of that NR number are the same person that has multiple licenses and most of the NR growth is in antlerless licenses. Still adds up to a lot more NR pressure, but some of this has been addressed since 22.

 

[Sytes]

I know the Information is from 2022 but Its upward trend is evident.

Here it is presented as numbers - the graph is good but the numbers are easier to digest.

It's odd to have such a vast difference in #'s from @D4570 to @Forkyfinder . I asked in one of the two threads how we handle the 10% NR allocation and those I place a lot of credibility on Hunt Talk - far beyond my joe hunter mind, found it a challenge to decipher as well.

I would have to dig into the numbers, but my guess is "total hunters" is base hunting licenses (tho we didn't have base hunting licenses in 2012, so maybe some other method). The deer and elk is tags, so there could be duplicity (or multiplicity) there.

That would be my guess to. I would bet a lot of that NR number are the same person that has multiple licenses and most of the NR growth is in antlerless licenses. Still adds up to a lot more NR pressure, but some of this has been addressed since 22.

Would that be the same, Resident or Non Resident ""total hunters" is based on hunting licenses"? I buy a sportsman's tag that has Deer, Elk, Bear, Turkey, fishing, (far too cheap) etc... Some people buy elk and deer alone. Both from the same source though VAST difference. I would like to believe Forkyfinder's holds the real truth behind the drastic #'s. I've always gone along the thought it's 10% of all tags, drawings, etc. Though I believe there are exemptions, i.e. landowner, salvage, B tags, unlimited vs quota, MOGA, etc. There has to be a common equation, no?
Thus, FAR from 10% using Forkyfinders #'s as well.

Sometimes I believe KISS works JUST FINE. Other times, I understand how it has to weave... then, unfortunately, IMO... as soon as we start that weave - it goes into the weeds.

 

[Sytes]

BTW, good thread as this holds soooo much confusion - would be GREAT to have some clarity. Would better help us understand and share thoughts w/o derailing the proposal thread(s).

I've always heard 10% of drawing and general tags are available for NR - Never really dug into where that is. though we are at 35% (roughly) based on Forkyfinder's info, based on # of NR hunters.

 

[antlerradar]

BTW, good thread as this holds soooo much confusion - would be GREAT to have some clarity. Would better help us understand and share thoughts w/o derailing the proposal thread(s).

I've always heard 10% of drawing and general tags are available for NR - Never really dug into where that is. though we are at 35% (roughly) based on Forkyfinder's info, based on # of NR hunters.

Only for limited draw units. Deer and elk combo licenses are limited to a fixed number. Doe tags are not.