Montana General Season Structure Proposal

[Archer86]

Where is the updated proposal with more archery seasons? Hearing some rumblings there is changes being proposed maybe is just people talking though.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Heres some data on prongorn/elk permits from the earlier part of the conversation. Area 630 - for example, 25 cow elk tags, 50 bull tags, and 200 antelope tags. Lets go R7 - 7500 antelope tags, 480 rifle elk tags, 2100 cow tags. Seems like its basically true across the units. 3 times as many lope hunters as total elk hunters.

Yes. People dump their antelope and drive home. Is someone from Helena or kalispell who drew an antelope permit by miles city, and plans to hunt mule deer there in october going to do the same thing?

View attachment 366363View attachment 366364View attachment 366365

In the spirit of offering solutions - heres an easy one to fix it.

Cant hunt mule deer in the same region that you get an antelope permit in. If it comes down to whats best for the resource that seems to make sense.

 

[SAJ-99]

My main focus, will probably always be archery elk.

I think therein lies the problem. Everyone sees it from their own perspective and how it affects them. That is why you can’t make progress. To your and others point, there is always something wrong with every idea. Sacrifices are hard.

 

[Gerald Martin]

I think therein lies the problem. Everyone sees it from their own perspective and how it affects them. That is why you can’t make progress. To your and others point, there is always something wrong with every idea.

Sacrifices are hard.

Not if only everyone else has to make the sacrifices…

 

[Forkyfinder]

Not if only everyone else has to make the sacrifices…

You havent refuted the relevant point about antelope, why?

I am not sure this ends up better for R6 and R7 - considering the antelope problem.

 

[Gerald Martin]

You havent refuted the relevant point about antelope, why?

I am not sure this ends up better for R6 and R7 - considering the antelope problem.

I wasn’t responding to the antelope idea. I was responding to the overall concept of general response of folks wanting to protect their preferences

 

[Forkyfinder]

I wasn’t responding to the antelope idea. I was responding to the overall concept of general response of folks wanting to protect their preferences

I guess im failing to see how the public land mule deer in antelope rich areas are going to benefit if people are chasing elk and antelope in the same season.

Itd be very easy to glass for muleys early in the morning and in the evening and try to find antelope during the day. Plan to do it myself if the proposal goes through.

 

[cgasner1]

I guess im failing to see how the public land mule deer in antelope rich areas are going to benefit if people are chasing elk and antelope in the same season.

Itd be very easy to glass for muleys early in the morning and in the evening and try to find antelope during the day. Plan to do it myself if the proposal goes through.

I mean you currently can go do that if it’s easy and use your bow. Season will always have some sort of overlap unless they get shortened.

 

[Gerald Martin]

On the antelope logic. Is it your belief that more deer will get killed overall by allowing an overlap of antelope and mule deer than are currently killed by deer hunters hunting the rut?

Isnt that the only thing that really matters? I’m not sure if your point is that there will be more incidental harvest of deer in 6 and 7 with antelope than there are with elk?

If that’s your point that’s probably true for 6 and 7. However there’s seven regions in MT not two. Also, I think the amount of deer killed by deer hunters in the rut vs deer killed by antelope and deer hunters in October is greater.

But, I might not be tracking your argument. It’s been a long day.

 

[Forkyfinder]

On the antelope logic. Is it your belief that more deer will get killed overall by allowing an overlap of antelope and mule deer than are currently killed by deer hunters hunting the rut?

Isnt that the only thing that really matters? I’m not sure if your point is that there will be more incidental harvest of deer in 6 and 7 with antelope than there are with elk?

If that’s your point that’s probably true for 6 and 7. However there’s seven regions in MT not two. Also, I think the amount of deer killed by deer hunters in the rut vs deer killed by antelope and deer hunters in October is greater.

But, I might not be tracking your argument. It’s been a long day.

Thats the only thing that really matters yeah. More deer getting shot. R4 and R5 itd depend on the unit.

Im not certain - but largely my point is that assuming less incidental harvest will occur when youre adding an additional species is shakey in a big chunk of the state without some additional strings.

 

[cgasner1]

Thats the only thing that really matters yeah. More deer getting shot. R4 and R5 itd depend on the unit.

Im not certain - but largely my point is that assuming less incidental harvest will occur when youre adding an additional species is shakey in a big chunk of the state without some additional strings.

It’s not at all from what I have witnessed in the field. Archery hunting bucks in October I get about 45 minute on each end of the daywhere they are up on their feet and moving. November I get cold snow and the deer are up and moving all day to eat and breed. The animals act totally different in these two months. Unless seasons are cut short enough And don’t overlap you’ll never get away from opportunity harvest. It will just be significantly less in October.

 

[That7MagDude]

What's the latest update?

 

[cgasner1]

What's the latest update?

Still looking for feedback that’s constructive. If you have something to add please do but also consider this far into the game it does seem like we have addressed anything that someone could come up with. Always open to listening to a new perspective though. Also it’s pushing a really big rock up a really steep hill and we are still at the bottom