Montana Mule Deer Mismanagement

[cgasner1]

In Saskatchewan where the prevalence rates are 80% they’re seeing a huge drop in participation due to CWD. Hunters don’t want to put in the time if their harvested animal is likely to be diseased, inedible, etc. If things get like that here, or perhaps even now where prevalence rates are 30% in some places I’d imagine people wouldn’t want to burn their A tag on a CWD deer. That’s probably why this is structured that way.

Limited opportunity hunt thru the month of December sign me up I’d happily burn the points I have for it at least I won’t see an army of orange. Granted only time I hunt those areas is with my dreaded muzzle loader

 

[antlerradar]

In Saskatchewan where the prevalence rates are 80% they’re seeing a huge drop in participation due to CWD. Hunters don’t want to put in the time if their harvested animal is likely to be diseased, inedible, etc. If things get like that here, or perhaps even now where prevalence rates are 30% in some places I’d imagine people wouldn’t want to burn their A tag on a CWD deer. That’s probably why this is structured that way.

Sounds to me like it is going to be difficult to impossible to shoot our way out of CWD if hunters down here have the same attitude as north of the boarder.

 

[antlerradar]

When is the last time u seen a honest 150 buck on public otc unit.

I have seen several in the past few years, Seeing them on Public during hunting season is a different story.
One of the biggest bucks I have ever seen was just a few years ago on public land. I strongly suspect that reason he survived is he moved to private land with close to zero hunting during the season.

 

[Unlucky]

Yes i agree some around the checker board private slash public. I dont think they should count. Atleast i dont count them. They survived because of the private land not fwp management. Look at the huge public sections of forest service land around dillon mt. Better chance to kill a 350 bull elk than a 150 buck that actually lived and survived its whole life on public. Not that there are a ton of 350 bulls killed on public there. 1 to 3 a yr.

 

[cgasner1]

Yes i agree some around the checker board private slash public. I dont think they should count. Atleast i dont count them. They survived because of the private land not fwp management. Look at the huge public sections of forest service land around dillon mt. Better chance to kill a 350 bull elk than a 150 buck that actually lived and survived its whole life on public. Not that there are a ton of 350 bulls killed on public there. 1 to 3 a yr.

In 21 I saw a buck I figured was right around 180” on opening day on public. He got a pass due to the fact I had the entire heritage season off and I have 2 bucks bigger on the wall and didn’t wanna fight about my wife over it and I wasn’t about to toss that rack into the bone pile

 

[DFS]

The seasons are set for 2 more years. Unless they do last minute changes. We will continue the downward trend. There are solutions but they fall on deaf ears. A pretty depressing feeling to see the declines and to keep the status quo. It is going to take the endangered species act to see any change which many have joked about but I’m not sure it’s funny.

 

[sclancy27]

Yes i agree some around the checker board private slash public. I dont think they should count. Atleast i dont count them. They survived because of the private land not fwp management. Look at the huge public sections of forest service land around dillon mt. Better chance to kill a 350 bull elk than a 150 buck that actually lived and survived its whole life on public. Not that there are a ton of 350 bulls killed on public there. 1 to 3 a yr.

I'd imagine very few animals spend their whole lives only on public, that's a ridiculous metric.

A bunch of those 350" bulls are using public and private too.

 

[Unlucky]

There is $hit loads of national forest and blm with little to no deer population. Your right alot of the mule deer left tend to live there lives private and public. Good thing for private land. Thats fwps best management tool

 

[antlerradar]

Yes i agree some around the checker board private slash public. I dont think they should count. Atleast i dont count them. They survived because of the private land not fwp management. Look at the huge public sections of forest service land around dillon mt. Better chance to kill a 350 bull elk than a 150 buck that actually lived and survived its whole life on public. Not that there are a ton of 350 bulls killed on public there. 1 to 3 a yr.

We are not talking checker board here. Well into one of the biggest blocks of public in Eastern Montana. You could find him on Public Middle of Dec through September. Then he was gone. It didn't used to be this way. Back in the 80's bucks like this would stay on Public. The management changes we need are changes that keep bucks on public land during hunting season.

 

[Tlrussell]

We are not talking checker board here. Well into one of the biggest blocks of public in Eastern Montana. You could find him on Public Middle of Dec through September. Then he was gone. It didn't used to be this way. Back in the 80's bucks like this would stay on Public. The management changes we need are changes that keep bucks on public land during hunting season.

It’s not the public/private. It’s the people

 

[Straight Arrow]

Ken Burns' Demise of the Custer Mule Deer,with featured historical snippets and photos contributed by antlerradar.

 

[Tlrussell]

Insert activity here…

 

[antlerradar]

Ken Burns' Demise of the Custer Mule Deer,with featured historical snippets and photos contributed by antlerradar.

made me laugh

 

[The Hedgehog]

I do European mounts occasionally. 1st MT mule deer came in yesterday and was dropped off along side my house..

 

[cgasner1]

I do European mounts occasionally. 1st MT mule deer came in yesterday and was dropped off along side my house..
View attachment 299497

I’m assuming that’s one of those big card board cut outs for selling the green cans that the delivery guy dropped off at your house?

 

[antlerradar]

I do European mounts occasionally. 1st MT mule deer came in yesterday and was dropped off along side my house..
View attachment 299497

#oldwarrior
#goingdownhill
#Montanamonster

 

[rogerthat]

I do European mounts occasionally. 1st MT mule deer came in yesterday and was dropped off along side my house..
View attachment 299497

What a Roman nose on that ninja warrior troll!

 

[Unlucky]

Charge em double green horn. Unless a youth killed it

 

[The Hedgehog]

Charge em double green horn. Unless a youth killed it

The demographic of people that do this is mind boggling to me. I wish it was a youth first buck, archery - but not the case.

 

[MTTW]

That is a nice buck.
Sad story... I have been out 5 times in 4 different drainages for a total of 25 or so miles in country that I have hunted for many years and killed a batch of game in. I have seen 1 mule deer doe and spooked 1 something in the dark 1 morning before it snowed. I have not yet positively identified an elk track. I am getting worse at this game.

I saw goats 2 different days though.