Montana Mule Deer Mismanagement

[trazerr]

Or they're just instructed to put that "most people were satisfied" in the report. They asked the 3 of the 48 guys that MN plates if they were satisfied and someone remembered hearing a few yes answers.

Like BLM riots were "mostly peaceful" as buildings burned.

I read the last part and thought, "This guy is for sure from Oregon". haha

I am surprised MT has been able to have a rut hunt for this long. If we did this for one season in OR we would have no mule deer left.

 

[brockel]

I read the last part and thought, "This guy is for sure from Oregon". haha

I am surprised MT has been able to have a rut hunt for this long. If we did this for one season in OR we would have no mule deer left.

It’s our birthright

 

[DFS]

I think when they ask you if you saw game or had the opportunity to harvest an animal and you answer yes, you just became a fwp statistic for a satisfied hunter even if that isn’t the case.

They don't ask if you are satisfied with the hunting, they ask if you are satisfied with the opportunity. There is a difference.

 

[brocksw]

 

[FREAK]

View attachment 250952

He’s close, not quite there

 

[brockel]

View attachment 250952

Stag?

 

[Gerald Martin]

Kind of interesting what a unit will produce if you let some bucks get to be 5-6 years old.

Makes it fun to pass a 3 1/2 year old 20” 3x4 because you know you have a good chance of finding a mature deer.

 

[D_Walt]

I visited Montana once over two decades ago, thought to myself “one day I’ll come back to this paradise to hunt deer and elk”…seems like that ship has sailed.

On the other hand Colorado has deer and elk out the ears and is absurdly generous to NR’s…can’t get a half a dozen doe tags but you can hunt a 2nd rifle buck tag for a week and pass dozens of 4x4’s, not kill anything and still have a great hunt because you know what “could have been”.


Seems tragic because it sounds like Montana could be awesome with just a few years of sanity enforced on the harvest.

 

[Elktrack]

I visited Montana once over two decades ago, thought to myself “one day I’ll come back to this paradise to hunt deer and elk”…seems like that ship has sailed.

On the other hand Colorado has deer and elk out the ears and is absurdly generous to NR’s…can’t get a half a dozen doe tags but you can hunt a 2nd rifle buck tag for a week and pass dozens of 4x4’s, not kill anything and still have a great hunt because you know what “could have been”.


Seems tragic because it sounds like Montana could be awesome with just a few years of sanity enforced on the harvest.

Better get to Colorado quick….
What you’re describing is coming to an end when those introduced wolves get a foothold. All over but the cryin then

 

[D_Walt]

Better get to Colorado quick….
What you’re describing is coming to an end when those introduced wolves get a foothold. All over but the cryin then

Yeah, the “good old days” are right now for NR hunting in CO…train wreck on the horizon. I’m doing my damnedest to get my kids in on it right now, they’re not likely to have these phenomenal opportunities in a few years. Maybe a few hunts in their adult lifetimes. Hopefully I’m wrong. My kid’s harvests from their “kids draw” tags this year. “Gotta love Colorado”…

 

[Elktrack]

I don’t care how you look at it,
You’re definitely living the good old days with those kids. They’ll think the same thing someday. That’s the good stuff bud. Keep it up!

 

[300stw]

remember, its very important for the 1000,s of college kids to be able to come home to hunt at thanksgiving,,,,

 

[FREAK]

My buddy shot a 139” deer, was telling people it was a 165-175” deer for a couple days. I think a lot of people who are new to mule deer hunting think a 140” deer is a big mule deer.

 

[Art Vandeley]

View attachment 250952

look how tall he is though dude

 

[DFS]

My buddy shot a 139” deer, was telling people it was a 165-175” deer for a couple days. I think a lot of people who are new to mule deer hunting think a 140” deer is a big mule deer.

How low will the bar get. I’m guessing very low.

 

[FREAK]

Yeah, the “good old days” are right now for NR hunting in CO…train wreck on the horizon. I’m doing my damnedest to get my kids in on it right now, they’re not likely to have these phenomenal opportunities in a few years. Maybe a few hunts in their adult lifetimes. Hopefully I’m wrong. My kid’s harvests from their “kids draw” tags this year. “Gotta love Colorado”View attachment 250971…

View attachment 250972

You should share that idea in this thread:

Colorado Buck Quality

With Colorado’s later season structure for deer shifting most hunts back a week. What is your opinion on this season structure? I definitely think it has affected buck quality negativily. What do you think?

www.hunttalk.com

I hope your wrong as well. Awesome smile on your sons face, and cool deer.

 

[Eric Albus]

Gauging satisfaction with some confidence level is not that hard. It's called mandatory reporting. New Mexico even does it for the lowly pronghorn.

Link to example here (second column from the right) - https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/download/hunting/harvest/2021_2022-Pronghorn-Harvest-Report.pdf

Nevada does the same. Maybe this is the reason some at Montana FWP have resisted mandatory reporting for so long. Having data that shows low satisfaction might require some change and adjustment.

The problem with most FWP surveys is that they’re multiple choice answers. The surveyor crafts the questions and answers to get desired results.

 

[Straight Arrow]

The problem with most FWP surveys is that they’re multiple choice answers. The surveyor crafts the questions and answers to get desired results.

Your quote is not referring to a survey, but to mandatory reporting of hunting success, which is completely different than answering survey questions.

 

[BuzzH]

remember, its very important for the 1000,s of college kids to be able to come home to hunt at thanksgiving,,,,

I've been out of college for a couple decades but was born in the right state...so....

 

[WanderWoman]

Have any of you guys/gals seen this? I’m assuming so, but just in case. This is/was Montana’s mule deer management plan, initially written in 1995 (If I remember correctly). It was updated last October and went through the F&W Commission. There was a public comment period with only about 38 comments received statewide, with most of them being about a district in R1. There was an opportunity to weigh in on MT mule deer management fairly recently, regardless of how folks feel about whether or not the Department listens. Given all these threads on mule deer I’m surprised at the lack of formal participation here. Just an FYI for those that might not be aware.

https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/conservation/deer/mule-deer-ahm-plan-final_2021.pdf

Comments here:

https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/commission/2021/oct-28/wildlife/deer-ahm/4l--mule-deer-ahp-comments.pdf