Montana Mule Deer Mismanagement
- Thread starter rogerthat
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Eric Albus
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The fact it is should tell FWP something.
“We want our mule deer managed biologically, not slaughtered”.
“We want our mule deer managed biologically, not slaughtered”.
Nameless Range
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There is this thing about some Montanans. Even when FWP does a modicum of the right thing, they do have to deal with the ire of the entitled.
Sure, it’s social media. But this emotion, this talk of lawyers, this rage….. it’s over a Godd@mn mule deer doe tag - and it is absolutely representative of a chunk of the populace and their relationship with the resource.
Sure, it’s social media. But this emotion, this talk of lawyers, this rage….. it’s over a Godd@mn mule deer doe tag - and it is absolutely representative of a chunk of the populace and their relationship with the resource.
SwaggyD
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Mule deer does don't even get big neck roasts.....
Just not hunting them late enough in the year
Don't blot out the usernames. mtmuley
If you put your desire to shoot a mule deer doe before the future of having mule deer on the landscape then shame on you. It mtfwp continues to cater to these people shame on them. The hunters I have talked to are thrilled with changes and are hoping for more next season. It seems like it might be regional though. There is a realization from the people that I talked to do it correctly things will never be the same and that is a tough pill to swallow. Western hunting in a nut shell. Things changed maybe fwp just isn’t remembering correctly, I hope they kept a journal.
Eric Albus
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Until deer/elk populations are degrading habitat there should be absolutely no doe/cow harvesting on accessible lands.
The end.
The end.
rogerthat
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So today I listened to a podcast that featured Gary Fralick Wyoming F&G biologist in western wyoming. I was listening in to get a sense of how bad the winter kill was for the greys river and sublette herds but one thing he said that was very interesting not regarding winter got me thinking. He said that with the current season structure for these herds that they are sending on average 70-75% of the bucks to winter range each year. If you’re not familiar with these deer herds the area is generally Region G and Region H with a Sept 15 opener and a three week season ending early October. Although I know the terrain and accessibility plays a part in this I wonder in comparison with Montanas season structure, how many bucks do you think we are sending to winter range? Do our bios even know? I would hazard a guess it isn’t above 25% each year but I could be way off. Anyone have thoughts? Data?
I would think it depends on ownership of land. I suspect the biologists don’t have any idea. Large blocks of public I would doubt 25% of bucks live, private land would be quite a bit higher than 25%.
antlerradar
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I was just recently in some of the most remote country on the Custer. Had an 11 buck morning. Two of the bucks might have been three year olds, but I am only confident that one of the two was at least three, Two of the others were likely two year olds and the rest were yearling forks and spikes. That is a bit better than 25% but this was also some of the most remote county you can find. Get closer to the road and the percentage of bucks surviving is likely much lower so that 25% could be very close or even high with most of those surviving being fork horns.
8andcounting
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Unfortunately, fwp season structure is sending most public land bucks to the meat locker .
4ohSick
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If you count fawns and spikes it could be more than 25%... If FWP had an estimate, you know it would include fawns.
Eric Albus
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I’d guess from observation that in R6 maybe 7-10% of the buck deer survive hunting season, and oldest 1-2% are 3.
Looks like region 7 fwp Facebook page is on an educational campaign with mule deer mondays before our season setting. 
Be interesting if they are inflicting this pain on themselves or were directed to do it from Helena. Nothing like educating the people that have lived here their whole lives here and have seen the changes first hand.
Be interesting if they are inflicting this pain on themselves or were directed to do it from Helena. Nothing like educating the people that have lived here their whole lives here and have seen the changes first hand.
I wonder where they found those 2 old trolls. I recently spent 3 days glassing a big chunk of country that used to crawl with mule deer. Morning noon and night for 3 days and zero mule deer spotted. Who actually gives a shit how old those dinks are?
It proves their point that there is bunch of old ninja warrior trolls on the landscape (a robust age class), the public is just too dumb to understand that. Mule deer are screwed. Fwp still thinks the public is hung up on buck size when in reality the deer are gone or leaving.
cgasner1
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If they made the winter they won’t make rifle season this year
antlerradar
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It is close to impossible to tell the age of a buck with just a picture of a single set of antlers. With out seeing the body or multiple years of antlers you are just guessing.
I agree with @MTTW, they are both dinks.
I agree with @MTTW, they are both dinks.
