Montana mule deer rant

[manitou1]

Wyoming is headed down the same path now. Sad...

 

[The Hedgehog]

I’ve been hunting a lot locally on national forest this year. Have seen zero elk and 1 doe and dawn mule deer. A few moose. I’ve been out 8 days and 5 were big long hikes with plenty of glassing during prime time.

I realize I could pick a better place with higher likelihood of seeing more elk/deer, but I’d certainly see more people. I’ve yet to see a hunter, but have seen 2 different boot tracks.

 

[OntarioHunter]

A lot of things to consider when making comparisons to other years (long term average or LTA). Bow hunting for elk has increased exponentially in recent decades. As far as I know there's no check stations running before regular rifle season. I've never seen one anyway. So that component of increased preseason pressure leading to potential decrease in sightings during first weeks of regular season is a big unknown.

Also, so far this is anything but a normal hunting season. Pandemic restrictions are gone which was bound to bump up hunter numbers above "average", especially over the last two years. The weather the first week of rifle season was not very kind. I suspect a large number of post-pandemic plungers didn't get far from camp or vehicles.

 

[Irrelevant]

I realize I could pick a better place with higher likelihood of seeing more elk/deer, but I’d certainly see more people. I’ve yet to see a hunter, but have seen 2 different boot tracks.

Wait did you find my great deer desert? Sounds pretty similar

 

[brockel]

Up in 410 helping a friend find a cow. Not near as many people for rifle compared to most years. Maybe people have finally realized the deer numbers are terrible up here

 

[Eric Albus]

I was told by a biologist that it was too much blow down timber in the burns causing mule deer to not use the national forest, which is kind of odd because we used to hunt around the burns when I was a kid because that is where the big bucks lived.

For years I was told the lack of game was because we suppressed fire, and now it is because it burned.


Anyway, we can't do anything about coyotes or mountain lions, so we need to work on the drought.

I agree, drought is the easiest to address of the problems.

 

[Eric Albus]

View attachment 247722

It certainly is and the easiest to correct if all the problems.

 

[Eric Albus]

It certainly is and the easiest to correct if all the problems.

Between our ridiculously long rifle season, coupled with unlimited R hunting license, to many NR hunters with license and unlimited or limited antler less license and high predator numbers mule deer are taking a beating.

 

[Eric Albus]

Between our ridiculously long rifle season, coupled with unlimited R hunting license, to many NR hunters with license and unlimited or limited antler less license and high predator numbers mule deer are taking a beating.

Fawn recruitment is not great, seeing several groups of mule deer does in SE Mt with no fawns, or 1-2 fawns per 4-5 does. Whitetail does on the Milk River that had an excellent crop of fawns through September have very few fawns by mid-October, coyotes severely hurt fawn numbers between September 1 and October 20.
Throw in a few mountain lions, an occasional wolf(been 2 sighted near home recently) and way to many hunters and then wonder why we see no deer??

 

[Pagosa]

Fawn recruitment is not great, seeing several groups of mule deer does in SE Mt with no fawns, or 1-2 fawns per 4-5 does. Whitetail does on the Milk River that had an excellent crop of fawns through September have very few fawns by mid-October, coyotes severely hurt fawn numbers between September 1 and October 20.
Throw in a few mountain lions, an occasional wolf(been 2 sighted near home recently) and way to many hunters and then wonder why we see no deer??

Agree 100%. Lack of fawns/calves was shocking to see with deer, pronghorn, and elk. This will take several years to stabilize if it ever does.

 

[Raisin Bran]

This is the most depressing thread 45 years of MT hunting and this year tops as the worst for animals. We have been through some low number years but the lack of everything (except Elk, always a lot of Elk) is disturbing to say the least. There has to be a way to get the FWP to really listen and make some dramatic changes

 

[golfer]

For all the trophy neck roast seekers out there this year. I let three with prime neck roasts walk today, sure they will be on social accounts by mid week claiming what trophy’s they make.

 

[brockel]

There has to be a way to get the FWP to really listen and make some dramatic changes

Only way that happens is if non resident deer tags go unsold.

 

[brockel]

For all the trophy neck roast seekers out there this year. I let three with prime neck roasts walk today, sure they will be on social accounts by mid week claiming what trophy’s they make.

“Got to harvest this old warrior”

 

[huntin24/7]

“Got to harvest this old warrior”

“Got me this old troll buck”

 

[golfer]

“Got to harvest this old warrior”

The one stood at 168 for 5 minutes. All I could do was think someone is gonna age you as “old” when he may have been 2.5 tops.

 

[rogerthat]

“Got me this old troll buck”

And my favorite

“He was on the decline. Wouldn’t have made the winter”

 

[DFS]

I don’t see things changing in my lifetime. FWP has the deer counts and the numbers are high, hunter satisfaction is high. There is no reason to change anything, even if that isn’t reality of what is happening.

 

[huntin24/7]

And my favorite

“He was on the decline. Wouldn’t have made the winter

And my favorite

“He was on the decline. Wouldn’t have made the winter”

Followed immediately by “can’t eat the the horns anyways”

 

[ignorethefringes]

I haven't posted my hunt recap yet, but I'm glad dad and I shot whitetails in Montana. I was really hoping to tag my first mule deer buck, but was legitimately worried about shooting one that would be deemed unworthy by this crowd. We put the stalk on what appeared to me to be a good one, but it didn't work out. Tagged a healthy whitetail before another muley gave me the chance.

Honestly kind of hung a damper on my trip until I tagged out.