Montana on the Upswing?

[antlerradar]

I have seen more better than average bucks this year and one really good one. All of them have been on private land. Some of them were likely on public the first few days of the season but they didn't stay there long. I have also seen some pictures of some great bucks taken on private land and a few form some small islands of public. The bigger blocks of public are hunted hard. Deer numbers are maybe better in isolated places than the large blocks of public but over all numbers and quality is in the dump when compared two say 20 years ago. This year may be a bit of a bump up. I hope it is the start of something because we have a long ways to go just to get back to where we were at the turn of the century. I am not celebrating yet. Hard to celebrate bigger mule deer getting taken on private land or getting lucky on small islands of public in a sea of lightly hunted private.

 

[JLS]

The only thing in the up trend is non resident license sales.

They’re capped. They can’t trend upwards.

 

[Fsmith]

They’re capped. They can’t trend upwards.

Technically, but as mentioned above with antlerless tags I beg to differ. Until the general population admits there’s a problem with this management style. There will only be one certainty, nothing will change for the better.

 

[MT Bound]

Seeing some nice bucks come out of Montana this year....after the doom and gloom from the past couple years. Those who hunted Montana this year, do you think it is on a slight upward trend?

Nope, alot of thin spindly 2 & 3 yr old 3x4's and 4x4 mountain bucks, nothing I cared to shoot.

 

[JLS]

Technically, but as mentioned above with antlerless tags I beg to differ. Until the general population admits there’s a problem with this management style. There will only be one certainty, nothing will change for the better.

I’m way too lazy to look at B tag quotas over the last 10-20 years, but I’ll wager there is no increase over long term trend.

 

[8andcounting]

Hmm. Did the legislature increase the statutory cap on NR licenses? Or, has the "MT Native" and "Come Home To Hunt" licenses increased by large amounts?

Exactly. NR tags are same number every year so how are they trending up ?

 

[Pondera]

As long as we continue to shoot bucks in the rut with a rifle on a general tag Montana will never be a destination for big deer.

Username checks out.

 

[174in]

This was the first year I hunted eastern Montana since 3 years ago. Had a harder time trying to find numbers of deer with less shot opportunity. Quality was up but opportunity was down. Ended up shooting a nice whitetail after working 4 days to try and get on a mule deer bigger than a fork horn. Lots more hunters than in the past

 

[EasternWA8989]

Public land has never had a chance to get better. Private land is good and getting better like it always has.

Also, the last 3 years has seen countless more Montana residents swarming to eastern montana. Its hectic.

 

[antlerradar]

The number of nonresidents is capped but he number of nonresidents and western Montana residents that head to eastern Montana to fill deer tags is on the increase. Limited entry in western Montana, the perception that wolves had killed everything and not wanting to risk getting chewed on by a grizzly has moved plenty of hunters east. FWP has yet to adapt to the new reality. I hope they don't get stubborn and refuse to even acknowledge that changes are happening. We can not continue to manage the the same way as in the 1990's and expect any long term improvement in the down ward spiral we have been experiencing the past 20+ years.
The hunting must be bad in western Montana. Why else would hundreds of Washington hunters drive an extra 500 miles each way to shoot a 20 inch 3 by 4.

 

[Fsmith]

The number of nonresidents is capped but he number of nonresidents and western Montana's that head to eastern Montana to fill deer tags is on the increase. Limited entry in western Montana, the perception that wolves had killed everything and not wanting to risk getting chewed on by a grizzly has moved plenty of hunters east. FWP has yet to adapt to the new reality. I hope they don't get stubborn and refuse to even acknowledge that we can not continue to manage the the same way as in the 1990's and expect any long term improvement in the down ward spiral we have been experiencing the past 20+ years.
The hunting must be bad in western Montana. Why else would hundreds of Washington hunters drive an extra 500 miles to shoot a 20 inch 3 by 4.

Just in my time here, FWP more than once has been about 3 years behind the 8 ball. Thank you internet!

 

[golfer]

The number of nonresidents is capped but he number of nonresidents and western Montana's that head to eastern Montana to fill deer tags is on the increase. Limited entry in western Montana, the perception that wolves had killed everything and not wanting to risk getting chewed on by a grizzly has moved plenty of hunters east. FWP has yet to adapt to the new reality. I hope they don't get stubborn and refuse to even acknowledge that we can not continue to manage the the same way as in the 1990's and expect any long term improvement in the down ward spiral we have been experiencing the past 20+ years.
The hunting must be bad in western Montana. Why else would hundreds of Washington hunters drive an extra 500 miles to shoot a 20 inch 3 by 4.

Becauase its rare to even see a 20 inch mule deer over there, seems everyone is just content shooting whitetail bucks that may be lucky to be 2.5. It would sure be nice to see the deer over here reach a more mature age, but FWP won't ever let that happen.

 

[MT.PERCHMAN]

Well I'm going to disagree on seeing more Deer ..I drew a Special Mule Deer Buck tag and i have been Hunting hard and i have yet to see one Mule deer .
Tons of Wolf tracks . I had a Wolf in my sights at 1932 yards but only had dope for my 338 Edge up to 1500 yrds with me . Seen him three times .
It's sad the Wolves have changed things here in the North West .

MT.PERCHMAN

 

[MTGomer]

 

[rustneversleeps]

View attachment 121190

Dang looked like we peaked this year, all down hill from here...

 

[Idhikker]

1000%

Yes sir.

I have seen a number of pictures of awesome mule deer taken in Montana this year. Not sure how that’s possible with their management structure but there are at least a few boomers roaming around.

 

[ismith]

About 50 does and at least a dozen forked horns this morning, I give up. Going to try to find a whitetail on Sunday.

 

[timmy]

2 point sausage tastes the same as 4 point sausage.

 

[mariano742]

i think it’s just holding steady. i think there are some really good bucks you just have to work a little harder and get a little lucky to find them. i saw one really good buck and lots of dinky bucks. i made a really difficult 2.5 hour stalk on the one good buck i saw and when i was just a couple hundred yards away from the buck and his does a total moron comes out of nowhere and starts yelling at me from 200 yards behind me “hey are you going over that way?” that ended up being my deer season.

 

[brockel]

Depends on what a person thinks is a “really nice” buck. Some people think a 160s buck is REALLY nice