Montana Mule Deer Mismanagement

[Eric Albus]

The season dates and a statewide tag are low hanging fruit. Unreal it hasn’t been changed yet and likely never will in my lifetime.

I hope you are wrong.
I am attempting to effect change in how we manage mule deer. We are going to need a huge number of R hunters to stand up to show support for changing how mule deer are managed.

 

[brockel]

You have a point. When I was younger you didn't see may Washington and Oregon plates in Eastern Montana. My bet is for the most part they didn't drive the extra 400 miles when the hunting was better in the western part of the state.

A lot of ranches around here use to have “their” hunters show up every fall. Those ranches have turned over hands and no longer do that but those hunters still make it out here but are just displaced to the public land.

 

[brockel]

I hope you are wrong.
I am attempting to effect change in how we manage mule deer. We are going to need a huge number of R hunters to stand up to show support for changing how mule deer are managed.

That’s going to be the issue. Most are happy with being able to hunt for 3 months straight and see no issue with it. And don’t even think about screwing up thanksgiving weekend for them

 

[antlerradar]

That’s going to be the issue. Most are happy with being able to hunt for 3 months straight and see no issue with it. And don’t even think about screwing up thanksgiving weekend for them

If Eric need some one to stand up, I will volunteer right now.

 

[8andcounting]

That’s going to be the issue. Most are happy with being able to hunt for 3 months straight and see no issue with it. And don’t even think about screwing up thanksgiving weekend for them

This …. Sadly Eric , you’ll never get the support needed .

 

[brockel]

Prime example. Any change will be met with this attitude from the majority

 

[DFS]

Prime example. Any change will be met with this attitude from the majority
View attachment 240316

A lot of interesting comments, seems the general consensus is to blame nonresidents and to keep things the same. It’s best if I stay off Facebook.

 

[brockel]

Was in 410 for a couple days. Seen 5 mule deer does in 3 days, more people archery hunting deer than I’ve ever seen in there. Would rival the rifle hunting numbers. Really shows how shitty it is when 410 is destination mule deer. Made the drive home last night. Left Winnett at 8:30. Seen 12 deer from Winnett to Jordan. 9 from Jordan to Miles City and 2 from Miles City to Baker. 240 miles and 23 deer on a road that use to be nasty with them.

 

[JT88]

 

[JLS]

Sums it up.

 

[brocksw]

Was in 410 for a couple days. Seen 5 mule deer does in 3 days, more people archery hunting deer than I’ve ever seen in there. Would rival the rifle hunting numbers. Really shows how shitty it is when 410 is destination mule deer. Made the drive home last night. Left Winnett at 8:30. Seen 12 deer from Winnett to Jordan. 9 from Jordan to Miles City and 2 from Miles City to Baker. 240 miles and 23 deer on a road that use to be nasty with them.
View attachment 240899

Not even that long ago that road at night was lit up like a runway with mule deer eyes.

 

[TheTone]

Prime example. Any change will be met with this attitude from the majority
View attachment 240316

I doubt he will be missed

I’m bored sitting around the house today with a one year old so I broke down and watched some of the Born and raised montana deer hunting videos; to me they represent a prime example of what may be wrong with montana deer. Just straight up road hunting rutting mule deer, happily burning spots, telling other hunters where to go kill bucks they passed, and thumping 3 year old deer like they’re booners

 

[brockel]

Not even that long ago that road at night was lit up like a runway with mule deer eyes.

Never had to worry about falling asleep because you were always hitting the brakes

 

[DFS]

I doubt he will be missed

I’m bored sitting around the house today with a one year old so I broke down and watched some of the Born and raised montana deer hunting videos; to me they represent a prime example of what may be wrong with montana deer. Just straight up road hunting rutting mule deer, happily burning spots, telling other hunters where to go kill bucks they passed, and thumping 3 year old deer like they’re booners

This has been going on for many years with multiple hunting personalities and promoters. Montana has no regulatory measures in place to control where hunters go or how many go to one area. The people promoting deer hunting and especially spot specific deer hunting lost my respect and should have had the foresight to see this coming. Hunters will never self regulate exactly why changes are desperately needed, as unlikely as that is to happen. It’s going to get worse.

 

[Bambistew]

Has any NGO bee n approached to do an independent game count? It would clearly piss in someone's Cherios, but you'd have a different data point.

Does USFWS do game counts in the CMR for example?

Put some of that "conservation" money to actual work untead of back slaps, backpack races and pint nights.

 

[antlerradar]

Has any NGO bee n approached to do an independent game count? It would clearly piss in someone's Cherios, but you'd have a different data point.

Does USFWS do game counts in the CMR for example?

Put some of that "conservation" money to actual work untead of back slaps, backpack races and pint nights.

The Custer started to do some spot light surveys a few years back. The results are not pretty but the number of years needs to be greater for better data. Covid put a stop to them and I am not sure if they have started back up.
Yes, some did not like pee in there Cherios.

 

[MTGomer]

For what it’s worth, I just spent 9 days staring through a 95mm Swaro BTX just north of Yellowstone National Park and I saw almost a dozen mule deer in that time, about half of them bucks, and one of them may have been three years old.

 

[JT88]

For what it’s worth, I just spent 9 days staring through a 95mm Swaro BTX just north of Yellowstone National Park and I saw almost a dozen mule deer in that time, about half of them bucks, and one of them may have been three years old.

SHHH... Someone will go smoke them too.

 

[TheTone]

Road hunting a 1-3 year old buck, what a wonderful tradition. FWP leadership should watch those videos and ask themselves if that’s really what they want hunting to look like.

 

[mtmiller]

Has any NGO bee n approached to do an independent game count? It would clearly piss in someone's Cherios, but you'd have a different data point.

Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance.

I guess it would also depend and the Mission Statement of NGO's and whether game agencies would reach out.