Montana 2025 Legislative Session

[WanderWoman]

My opionon cwd probably doesn't exist in my neck of woods. If herds were managed. But it was basically high fence.

There are areas where CWD likely hasn’t made it yet, areas where CWD exists but hasn’t been detected, and then a whole spectrum of areas where CWD exists and has various prevalences. If it’s not somewhere yet it’s likely on the way. Given the fact that a prion isn’t a living thing, the length of time between transmission, when a deer can transmit, when symptoms start to show, and death, it really is a nearly perfect disease. I find that rather terrifying. Not to derail this into another CWD thread but it’s a real issue complicating deer management and a really good reason deer management shouldn’t be set in statute.

 

[Shed God]

Well your right but it is very specific to montana. They charging $1500 for a cow elk. And up.

 

[WanderWoman]

They aren’t going to do any good if they are not transferable. Most landowners aren’t going to stack cow elk up on their own land with no upside.

“Too many elk” is just a pretend thing most landowners say to get more tags and/or money. That is not specific to Montana.

Outside of the economics of selling/transfer, a tag that is oversubscribed (everyone that wants one gets one with plenty left over) functions very similarly. So I don’t think transferable is that tangible of a benefit there.

 

[Rie Bread]

The amount of people who will pay $500+ to shoot a cow is beyond me. I guess if the killing is good..

 

[Shed God]

So mule deer hunting should not be regulated because some billionaires didn't allow hunting and created a problem that spread to the public. And more than likely genetics were introduced on the private.

 

[Shed God]

Rie bread money is not a thing to some. That is the problem.

 

[Shed God]

Forky finder, who told them no. Who shut it down. And why

 

[ismith]

There are areas where CWD likely hasn’t made it yet, areas where CWD exists but hasn’t been detected, and then a whole spectrum of areas where CWD exists and has various prevalences. If it’s not somewhere yet it’s likely on the way. Given the fact that a prion isn’t a living thing, the length of time between transmission, when a deer can transmit, when symptoms start to show, and death, it really is a nearly perfect disease. I find that rather terrifying. Not to derail this into another CWD thread but it’s a real issue complicating deer management and a really good reason deer management shouldn’t be set in statute.

This is the elephant in the room and I certainly will play a role in how big game is managed, especially Mule Deer. I’d like to see more money spent on CWD research and I don’t believe it should come out of wildlife funding. God help us if/when it spreads to humans……

 

[Shed God]

 

[Shed God]

 

[Shed God]

 

[cgasner1]

Outside of the economics of selling/transfer, a tag that is oversubscribed (everyone that wants one gets one with plenty left over) functions very similarly. So I don’t think transferable is that tangible of a benefit there.

Selling/transfer landowner tags is closing a door and opening a window for some on this subject. It isn’t needed the tags can be surplus and the rancher can charge a tress pass fee like we currently have. I think landowners selling tags even for cows would cause riots

 

[Shed God]

Hmm cwd created by man's greed. Game farm no different from primo private.

 

[Shed God]

I think selling transfer tags be good to control population. But allow access in general season.

 

[BuzzH]

This is the elephant in the room and I certainly will play a role in how big game is managed, especially Mule Deer. I’d like to see more money spent on CWD research and I don’t believe it should come out of wildlife funding. God help us if/when it spreads to humans……

Chronic Wasting Disease Still Confounds Researchers. But Some Important New Clues Have Emerged

Here's what hunters and wildlife managers need to know about chronic wasting disease in 2025.

www.outdoorlife.com

Pay attention to the Rocky mountain lab study. Sounds promising cwd can't and won't make the jump to people.

Which makes sense, since it hasn't in over 50 years.

 

[Treeshark]

It isn’t needed the tags can be surplus and the rancher can charge a tress pass fee like we currently have.

Is this cow tag availability the case statewide for R and NT?

I have researched the B tag draw statistics and I am not finding that to be the case, but I may be missing something.

 

[DFS]

FWP has no control over how private landowners manage. CWD management is Montana’s current season structure, you can piss pound the public to nothing but private landowners aren’t going to do that. They have deer and quality bucks, it’s a tough sell to ask them to make their private look like the neighbors blm.

 

[Forkyfinder]

The amount of people who will pay $500+ to shoot a cow is beyond me. I guess if the killing is good..

Look at what they'll pay to come shoot a forky or cow. And more keep coming.

 

[Forkyfinder]

FWP has no control over how private landowners manage. CWD management is Montana’s current season structure, you can piss pound the public to nothing but private landowners aren’t going to do that. They have deer and quality bucks, it’s a tough sell to ask them to make their private look like the neighbors blm.

Think this is what @Shed God was trying to say about CWD. As long as there is a big concentration of them theres some risk. Theres some areas where the deer are VERY thick on private and near extinct on public.

 

[WanderWoman]

Selling/transfer landowner tags is closing a door and opening a window for some on this subject. It isn’t needed the tags can be surplus and the rancher can charge a tress pass fee like we currently have. I think landowners selling tags even for cows would cause riots

That’s kind of what I was trying to get at. Trespass fees + unlimited/surplus tags perform a very similar function with little management effectiveness. I’m in no way advocating for transferable tags.