Montana Mule Deer Mismanagement

[Irrelevant]

They should be managed independently as they are different species. "Combo" license is about as dumb as an idea that FWP ever came up with.

And that's pretty DUMB.

Getting a combo license has nothing to do with management.
This is managment:

If you don't want people shooting does on a gen license than change the friggin' regs.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Getting a combo license has nothing to do with management.
This is managment:
View attachment 304962
If you don't want people shooting does on a gen license than change the friggin' regs.

One more of many bad management ideas.

Throwing in a deer license for a non-resident to use on whatever has fur , in with his elk license... Is flat out DUMB.

No other western state does it.

 

[mtmiller]

They should be managed independently as they are different species.

Isn’t there current discussion about an upland bird/mule deer combo for ‘24? Pretty sure I heard that from someone.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Isn’t there current discussion about an upland bird/mule deer combo for ‘24? Pretty sure I heard that from someone.

Only for landowners and their leasees, friends and families.

 

[Southern Elk]

So you just don't support people getting both a deer and an elk tag in a state in a given year? Or do you not like the discounted price for buying both in a combo? Could NRs apply for both an elk and a deer license?

Are you just doing away with those opportunities for NRs or reallocating them into the separate Elk and Deer licenses.

I think Greenhorn answered the question better than I did above. Manage the species separately. Don’t just give everyone with an elk tag a deer tag as a parting gift.

 

[8andcounting]

No matter how we all break it down and dissect it , residents are the ones that are gonna have to give in the most . No more free for all hunt whenever wherever otc tags. Until that happens not much will change .

 

[Irrelevant]

I think Greenhorn answered the question better than I did above. Manage the species separately. Don’t just give everyone with an elk tag a deer tag as a parting gift.

I guess that's not how I view it. We're paying for the two tags, we just get a discount for buying them together. No different than getting a deer and elk tag in Idaho or Wyoming, I just don't get a discount in those places.

 

[rogerthat]

I guess that's not how I view it. We're paying for the two tags, we just get a discount for buying them together. No different than getting a deer and elk tag in Idaho or Wyoming, I just don't get a discount in those places.

Just curious, if the seasons weren’t concurrent, would you want both?

 

[Treeshark]

I’m fairly certain Montana could eliminate the combo for NR altogether, offer the same amount of NR deer and elk tags they do now for $1050 each and still sell them out.

It would probably be better for residents and nonresidents alike if they did.

Edit: I should say instead: offer the amount they are supposed to per the cap.

 

[Irrelevant]

Just curious, if the seasons weren’t concurrent, would you want both?

Maybe. Depends on the year.

Honestly I'm totally playing devil's advocate on this. MT is not my preferred destination for big game. Though I do love the State

 

[JT88]

I guess that's not how I view it. We're paying for the two tags, we just get a discount for buying them together. No different than getting a deer and elk tag in Idaho or Wyoming, I just don't get a discount in those places.

That doesn't mean it should stay that way until there's no mule deer left. The difference is WY and ID actually manage their deer

 

[rogerthat]

Maybe. Depends on the year.

Honestly I'm totally playing devil's advocate on this. MT is not my preferred destination for big game. Though I do love the State

Gotcha. I’m honestly just curious how much the concurrent seasons play into the big game combo being desired and if the 2’fer plays into demand. When I go to Colorado, I have never bought an elk tag mainly because I only have a short window and I don’t want an elk wrecking a good deer hunt but Montana doesn’t have that short window.

 

[8andcounting]

I’m fairly certain Montana could eliminate the combo for NR altogether, offer the same amount of NR deer and elk tags they do now for $1050 each and still sell them out.

It would probably be better for residents and nonresidents alike if they did.

Edit: I should say instead: offer the amount they are supposed to per the cap.

There would be more NR than now wouldn’t there ?

 

[8andcounting]

NR b tags need to be eliminated for deer and elk . If there’s too many elk let the residents kill 5 each . 0 NR b tags . No more come home to hunt no more extra bs tags . 17500 and that’s it for NR .

 

[Irrelevant]

Gotcha. I’m honestly just curious how much the concurrent seasons play into the big game combo being desired and if the 2’fer plays into demand. When I go to Colorado, I have never bought an elk tag mainly because I only have a short window and I don’t want an elk wrecking a good deer hunt but Montana doesn’t have that short window.

It doesn't for me, because I would want to hunt elk early and deer late.

 

[Treeshark]

There would be more NR than now wouldn’t there ?

Not if Montana actually stuck to the supposed cap for each for NR and eliminated all of the other crud (possible exception for elk B tags).

I rarely advocate for less NR opportunity, but in this situation it seems that it would improve things for everyone involved.

 

[cgasner1]

Just because they split it also wouldn’t mean some guys wouldn’t still draw and have both but the state would make more money on it. Also by just one tag only people will be way more focused on punching said tag

 

[DFS]

Any meaningful change is going to have to be legislated. Montana FWP is asleep at the wheel.

 

[WanderWoman]

Any meaningful change is going to have to be legislated. Montana FWP is asleep at the wheel.

Advocating for legislative changes on things the agency has jurisdiction over is a slippery, dangerous, slope, especially in these times.

I’d rather myself and others beat our heads against the wall and try to work with the agency vs. putting our hunting any more in the hands of the lazyslature.

Although I know that NR tag allocations are largely mandated by the legislature. For everything else though, it can be plumb scary.

 

[Ought Six]

This thread is 92 pages of good banter, discussion, ideas, and wanted changes. But will anything change anytime soon? I don’t think so. Seems like there are so many ways to slice it to keep the opportunists happy with an opportunity (that isn’t in November during the rut), that eliminates mule deer does being shot on public land, that creates revenue from a new draw system for a rut hunt opportunity and then possibly a more quality rut hunt, etc. but it all seems to be wishful thinking. I guess it is nice to read the thoughts and opinions of like-minded folks on HT, but I’m not sure if this echo chamber is having any influence on change, at least in the short term. Maybe long term. I mean I didn’t even know HT was a thing until recently and nearly all the hunters I know have never heard of it. Can always hope FWP or others with influence are creeping on this site here and there behind the scenes I guess. I mean I hate Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc more than anyone but maybe if some of you big time HT posters were more influential on those platforms we’d see some change. But everyone likes the comfort of the anonymous echo chamber