Montana General Season Structure Proposal

[Forkyfinder]

If you took all the mule deer in regions, one, two, and three, they would not amount to the number of mule deer that exist in region seven alone.

Not really disagreeing with you, but Western Montana is not a bastion for mule deer. In fact, in most of it they are pretty sparse. Makes a solution all the more difficult.

Montana has more than 20 million acres less public land than Idaho. And sells 10k more either sex non resident deer tags.

Theres no lack of demand. Charge more and sell less tags, NR and R. Or - make more of these tags private land only.

 

[huntin24/7]

As much fun as it is having the option to shoot whitetail or muley on a general tag, I think either species tags have to go away for most of the state.

 

[mtmuley]

That’s exactly what’s happening over here.

So what is the point? And I bet most of the hunters pounding the Eastern part of the state have no interest in hunting the Western side. Whole different ballgame out here. mtmuley

 

[brockel]

So what is the point? And I bet most of the hunters pounding the Eastern part of the state have no interest in hunting the Western side. Whole different ballgame out here. mtmuley

Good. Less hunters in the field

 

[mtmuley]

Good. Less hunters in the field

I agree. Sort of. Might increase hunter numbers in the West, but once it's apparent a piss head buck off the road isn't a gimme things might even out. mtmuley

 

[Pagosa]

Working in Region 7 for a handful of years in the hunting months I think having nonresidents pick a weapon and choose a specific 7 day period to hunt. In addition to picking a region. Same should apply to upland bird, turkey, and pronghorn seasons. The FWP would still generate the same revenue, local businesses could better serve out of state hunters with accommodations, and hunting pressure would be reduced from a nonresident perspective. Especially on the BMA parcels. It could be regional caps with individual weekly caps. The FWP could charge another $2 per application.
Roughly 50-70% of the hunters I see from Sidney to Broadus to Belle Fourche are nonresident hunters.
The deer numbers are worse n western Montana and hunting mountain mule deer or even whitetail in the thick timber probably isn't what most out of state hunters want. Especially with the high predator numbers in Region 1, 2, and the western part of 4.
Again I love the proposal that Ben Lambs group developed and would really helpful for hunting and big game numbers, it's just the social aspect that people have a hard time with.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Working in Region 7 for a handful of years in the hunting months I think having nonresidents pick a weapon and choose a specific 7 day period to hunt. In addition to picking a region. Same should apply to upland bird, turkey, and pronghorn seasons. The FWP would still generate the same revenue, local businesses could better serve out of state hunters with accommodations, and hunting pressure would be reduced from a nonresident perspective. Especially on the BMA parcels. It could be regional caps with individual weekly caps. The FWP could charge another $2 per application.
Roughly 50-70% of the hunters I see from Sidney to Broadus to Belle Fourche are nonresident hunters.
The deer numbers are worse n western Montana and hunting mountain mule deer or even whitetail in the thick timber probably isn't what most out of state hunters want. Especially with the high predator numbers in Region 1, 2, and the western part of 4.
Again I love the proposal that Ben Lambs group developed and would really helpful for hunting and big game numbers, it's just the social aspect that people have a hard time with.

One thing that help the "social" aspect - is a cut in NR opportunity.

Theres an outsized problem you can see looking at harvest stats, hunter days, tags sold, comparing to other states (especially eastern ones where the ones likely to whine reside) or really any honest metric.

Less NR, higher NR and R fees.

 

[mtmuley]

Working in Region 7 for a handful of years in the hunting months I think having nonresidents pick a weapon and choose a specific 7 day period to hunt. In addition to picking a region. Same should apply to upland bird, turkey, and pronghorn seasons. The FWP would still generate the same revenue, local businesses could better serve out of state hunters with accommodations, and hunting pressure would be reduced from a nonresident perspective. Especially on the BMA parcels. It could be regional caps with individual weekly caps. The FWP could charge another $2 per application.
Roughly 50-70% of the hunters I see from Sidney to Broadus to Belle Fourche are nonresident hunters.
The deer numbers are worse n western Montana and hunting mountain mule deer or even whitetail in the thick timber probably isn't what most out of state hunters want. Especially with the high predator numbers in Region 1, 2, and the western part of 4.
Again I love the proposal that Ben Lambs group developed and would really helpful for hunting and big game numbers, it's just the social aspect that people have a hard time with.

Spot on the predator aspect. Especially R2. mtmuley

 

[DFS]

So what is the point? And I bet most of the hunters pounding the Eastern part of the state have no interest in hunting the Western side. Whole different ballgame out here. mtmuley

The point is it’s time for western Montana to bear some of the burden of the 27k plus nonresident deer hunters and who knows how many residents. I don’t care if they can’t shoot a forky off the road. Give them their opportunity.

 

[rogerthat]

The point is it’s time for western Montana to bear some of the burden of the 27k plus nonresident deer hunters and who knows how many residents. I don’t care if they can’t shoot a forky off the road. Give them their opportunity.

Gerald must have took his hold off your account. Good to see you back

 

[DFS]

Gerald must have took his hold off your account. Good to see you back

Still on lockdown.

 

[antlerradar]

By decoupling mule deer from elk and whitetails, mule deer in western MT will get the break that they need. I think that with the earlier season, in a few years people might want to hunt Mule deer in western Mt instead of just shooting them when they can not find an elk.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Gerald must have took his hold off your account. Good to see you back

??? What do you mean?

 

[mtmiller]

??? What do you mean?

He meant "taken".

 

[brockel]

Still on lockdown.

How many posts a day are you limited to

 

[mukbowhunt]

I just listened to the podcast.

I am from Washington and I have never hunted region 4, 5, 6 or 7. I just wanted eric to know.

I like the idea of no mule deer hunting during November with rifle. I have been trying to get Washington to change that for years. People don’t like change.

Would you consider an archery season for mule deer the first 2 weeks in November? Maybe a choose your weapon option for deer so that they aren’t also able to hunt in October.

 

[SAJ-99]

I am from Washington and I have never hunted region 4, 5, 6 or 7. I just wanted Gerald to know.

I think it was Eric that kept bringing that up. Clearly he has a problem with the state.

 

[Muleyassassin406]

I think it was Eric that kept bringing that up. Clearly he has a problem with the state.

Have you been to region 6 and seen the amount of Washington hunters up here!? Eric isn’t wrong when it comes to that

 

[sclancy27]

For all those asking for LE and Regional caps and why we removed "Pick your region". The main reason is we believe choose your species can incentivize (primarily NR) to choose whitetail based on the change in season structure while maintaining current opportunities (tags, cause you know, budget).

People then ask why we didn't just address NR only. It's because there are other issues with Residents, primarily a significant increase in hunter days (which are equal to what an extra 18,000+ NR hunters on the landscape would do based on FWP's data) over the last 20 years. Hunter days = Pressure. We believe that the change in season structure should alleviate that pressure component from Residents, based on how Residents currently allocate themselves to mule deer vs whitetail deer harvest.

Overall, we want to maintain as much opportunity (season length) as possible and avoid LE.

Ultimately, we wanted to open the conversation to any change in the way we hunt in MT. I'll fall on my sword to start anything meaningful across the state.

 

[SAJ-99]

Have you been to region 6 and seen the amount of Washington hunters up here!? Eric isn’t wrong when it comes to that

There is no reason to call out a specific state. I have seen plates from Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and a variety of other states. I'm sure he has no problem with clients from any of those states hiring him because their money spends just as easily. He also blamed coyotes. Maybe those WA residents are hunting them? Until MT hunters decide to pay a resonable rate for tags, every time they see a NR they should wave and just say 'Thank you'.