SAJ-99
Well-known member
Why do these problems not exist for antelope? The NR v. R debate doesn't seem the same. Why does FWP manage antelope one way (unit tags, pick your weapon, pick your unit) with the R being fine with it, but MD and elk are different? tradition, ie, "we have always done it that way"? Maybe thinking about it is a starting point for MD solutions.At some level the whole R vs NR conflict is a bit of a red herring.
At the most basic level the conflict is that the resource is experiencing more exploitation than it can sustain to produce a quality hunt and a healthy age structure, a reasonable buck/doe ratio and populations reflective of the biological carrying capacity of the habitat.
If the basics were in balance the conflict between user groups would be reduced.
Montana needs and wants NR’s to some degree. They also don’t need and don’t want NR’s to some degree. I think the statutory caps of 17,000 elk/deer combos and 6600 deer combos was the historic agreement of where that line intersects. The 90/10 rule for NR permit allocation was another nod to social acceptance of how much Montana resources could be granted to NR’s. Historically these served the resource and the social tolerance of Montana residents well.
Unfortunately, in my opinion the Montana Legislature caved to the desire of a very small minority for self serving preferences and allowed increases beyond that cap. This includes those licenses like come Come Home to Hunt and Montana Native. To be clear this was done at the desire of a minority of Montana residents. These legislators wanted Montana residents to get a prioritized experience for their NR family to share without having to wait in line and bear the same costs as NR’s who didn’t have qualified family to give them that priority.
FWP is also complicit in their strategies to increase revenue by the way they resale returned tags even though they technically are in harmony with regulations.
There is also some willingness to disregard the intent of public will or at least unacceptable ignorance on the ways that antlerless licenses and permits are allocated. Some areas are without quota to ensure all residents get a license or permit by choosing that area in the draw or by buying it OTC. In those areas NR’s are not restricted to the 90/10 allocations and can purchase at their discretion. This brings in additional revenue to FWP.
In my opinion if the health of the resource is taken care of first that will encourage the dispersal of NR’s across the state and ease crowding and NR selection of a couple of regions. Taking care of the health of the resource may include legal restrictions on areas and a return to socially acceptable number of NR tags issued but that’s not the end goal. The end goal must be to improve the quality and health of the resource. If that improves everyone’s experience and opportunity to harvest the surplus of the resource improves.