Montana on the Upswing?

[RobertD]

Talked to a buddy of mine in Oklahoma last night. they have e-tags, when you tag, you take a photo and text to FWP. Seems pretty simple.

I like the New Mexico system, if you don't report you just don't hunt the next year

 

[mtmuley]

I like the New Mexico system, if you don't report you just don't hunt the next year

That might thin a few "hunters" out in Montana. mtmuley

 

[Outlaw99]

I just spent a week in eastern and south central Montana. In the Far East, the area I’ve always hunted, we noticed a significant decrease is bucks with any age to them. We’re used to not seeing anything of significant size on blm, but most of the go 2 areas of private that we can’t hunt, but usually at least see some decent bucks, were void of anything significant. As a whole, I’d say we definitely saw far less deer than usual. Yes there had been significant drought, but there was also currently areas holding more current water than I’d seen recently. The majority of the deer were holed up in the River bottoms and seemed content to stay down there. I’d imagine the food in the flats had a lot to do with that. Our experience in south central Montana was much different. I won’t elaborate or pretend to have a theory on that as that country was new to us. All in all, I’m an out of stater that spends one week a year in the great state, so I’m not going to pretend to have anything figured out or solutions for any of the current ongoing issues. i did however not kill any young bucks during my journey. I wish Montana nothing but the best. I look forward to experiencing the amazing diverse country it has to offer and enjoying the great folks I’ve met along the way.

 

[Mosquito]

We just got back from a eastern hunt also , country was beautiful, people were super friendly and nice .... the deer population was not so good . We had a great trip and have no regrets . I would have seen more deer if i stayed in ohio.

 

[8andcounting]

We just got back from a eastern hunt also , country was beautiful, people were super friendly and nice .... the deer population was not so good . We had a great trip and have no regrets . I would have seen more deer if i stayed in ohio.

Glad you had fun . It’ll be interesting to see next spring if the poor hunts/numbers will deter people from applying . I’m gonna go out on a limb and say no . Lots of people will complain but if Fwp actually did make some kinda change to the season/tag structure they’d be the first ones bitching

 

[Outlaw99]

I understand eastern hunters coming out and shooting whatever to get one under their belt and be able to say they came out west and got it done. What I don’t understand is repeatedly spending the money to travel all that way and continually shoot anything with antlers. There’s not enough difference in the the meat gained from a MD to a WT to say it’s about the meat. I think a lot of it has to do with a need to come out west and justify the thousands of dollars in new western gear they’ve acquired in the last year so they can say they fit in with the other hardcore western hunters of HT and the Rokslide. I completely understand the frustration of residents having to deal with folks that come out repeatedly, contribute to the demise of the health of the herd, and then go home to their state where it no longer affects them till they draw the tag again.

 

[Nick87]

I understand eastern hunters coming out and shooting whatever to get one under their belt and be able to say they came out west and got it done. What I don’t understand is repeatedly spending the money to travel all that way and continually shoot anything with antlers. There’s not enough difference in the the meat gained from a MD to a WT to say it’s about the meat. I think a lot of it has to do with a need to come out west and justify the thousands of dollars in new western gear they’ve acquired in the last year so they can say they fit in with the other hardcore western hunters of HT and the Rokslide. I completely understand the frustration of residents having to deal with folks that come out repeatedly, contribute to the demise of the health of the herd, and then go home to their state where it no longer affects them till they draw the tag again.

I think it's more about getting away from home and hunting new territory. The shooting of younger bucks comes from the whole I'm here and spent the money I'm leaving with something mindset. Ymmv

 

[Bambistew]

I understand eastern hunters coming out and shooting whatever to get one under their belt and be able to say they came out west and got it done. What I don’t understand is repeatedly spending the money to travel all that way and continually shoot anything with antlers. There’s not enough difference in the the meat gained from a MD to a WT to say it’s about the meat. I think a lot of it has to do with a need to come out west and justify the thousands of dollars in new western gear they’ve acquired in the last year so they can say they fit in with the other hardcore western hunters of HT and the Rokslide. I completely understand the frustration of residents having to deal with folks that come out repeatedly, contribute to the demise of the health of the herd, and then go home to their state where it no longer affects them till they draw the tag again.

It isn't a NR vs Res thing. NR make up less than 10% of the harvest. Residents are just as guilty of filling the freezer with dinks year after year. If they utilize the meat I couldn't care less. MT FWP could do a better job to provide a more robust age class.

Every time I go home during hunting season the amount of wasted game meat I see is sickening. Half ass trimmed carcasses in the dumpster. People leave skined animals hang for weeks, then toss out half of it because it dried up. Thats waste you POS. The definition of edible meat needs to be changed along with punishment, and ultimately the culture in MT and the west needs to change. Filling every tag you can get, just to fill them is flat out stupid. Especially when guys just donate the meat thinking they're a hero for doing so because they have too much or better yet... don't even like eating it. Then you have the guys that trim away half the meat to make sure there is no "silver skin" because they don't like the taste. It's tasless you dumb ass... Then we have the private land owners who despise wildlife. They're the real winners.

Take what you need and nothing more. Feeding the hungry at the expense of wildlife is a joke.

 

[Redside]

Surprisingly it looks like they did reduce mule deer doe tags in region 7 this year after their spring flights. Snippet from the link below.

https://fwp.mt.gov/homepage/news/2021/aug/0827-2021-big-game-hunting-forecast

Mule deer observed during spring survey flights were 28 percent below last year and 17 percent below the long-term average, a result of drought in the southern portion of the region that began last fall. The recruitment rate for mule deer fawns this spring was just below average at 55 fawns per 100 adults, and was generally poorer further south in the region.

In response to drought and poor habitat conditions, biologists in southeast Montana reduced antlerless quotas for 2021 by 50 percent. Previously, these licenses had been selling out during about the third week of the season. This year, they are expected to sell out much sooner

 

[brockel]

Surprisingly it looks like they did reduce mule deer doe tags in region 7 this year after their spring flights. Snippet from the link below.

https://fwp.mt.gov/homepage/news/2021/aug/0827-2021-big-game-hunting-forecast

Mule deer observed during spring survey flights were 28 percent below last year and 17 percent below the long-term average, a result of drought in the southern portion of the region that began last fall. The recruitment rate for mule deer fawns this spring was just below average at 55 fawns per 100 adults, and was generally poorer further south in the region.

In response to drought and poor habitat conditions, biologists in southeast Montana reduced antlerless quotas for 2021 by 50 percent. Previously, these licenses had been selling out during about the third week of the season. This year, they are expected to sell out much sooner

And just before hunting season when ehd hit so hard in some districts of region 7 whitetail doe tags should have been shut down but it wasn’t because we do not manage by districts. North Dakota offered refunds on license sales because of how hard it was. Montana was business as usual.

 

[Bambistew]

And just before hunting season when ehd hit so hard in some districts of region 7 whitetail doe tags should have been shut down but it wasn’t because we do not manage by districts. North Dakota offered refunds on license sales because of how hard it was. Montana was business as usual.

Has MT ever shut down a season early due lack of game? I can't think of any. They've extended the season many times, but actually shut down for biological reasons?

 

[Art Vandeley]

Has MT ever shut down a season early due lack of game? I can't think of any. They've extended the season many times, but actually shut down for biological reasons?

Not that I know of. They are already extending elk season here due to lack of harvest, blamed on weather.

 

[brockel]

Has MT ever shut down a season early due lack of game? I can't think of any. They've extended the season many times, but actually shut down for biological reasons?

Doubt it. Can you imagine how people would squeal? Should have heard people around here when they cut antelope tags. People bitch about lack of antelope around. Fwp actually does something and cuts tags. People still bitch

 

[Irrelevant]

5 days in Central montana and I only saw 1 mule deer buck that might have been 150". Actually made my WA bucks seem pretty big... (they're not).

 

[brockel]

This is how the deer are looking around here that people are shooting. This is a doe not a rut run down buck. Going into winter with zero fat. Not going to be good.

 

[Hunting Wife]

We’ve been talking about the lackluster rut activity we and others have seen this year locally. Aside from everything else, it makes me wonder if does are in such poor body condition they just aren’t cycling.

I guess I don’t see any upswing coming in the near future.

 

[antlerradar]

I agree, the best rut activity I see is near irrigated fields.

 

[brockel]

We’ve been talking about the lackluster rut activity we and others have seen this year locally. Aside from everything else, it makes me wonder if does are in such poor body condition they just aren’t cycling.

I guess I don’t see any upswing coming in the near future.

You might be on to something there. Don’t know if there’s any significance to it but I’ve skinned 23 coyotes this month and only two have been this years pups which is rare.

 

[JLS]

Aside from everything else, it makes me wonder if does are in such poor body condition they just aren’t cycling.

Not sure how it translates to deer, but in domesticated ruminants they’ll start to display this when the body condition score hits a 3 or lower.

I’d guess it’s similar.

 

[Art Vandeley]

Not sure how it translates to deer, but in domesticated ruminants they’ll start to display this when the body condition score hits a 3 or lower.

I’d guess it’s similar.

I’ve heard talk of the elk in Arizona showing very little to no rut activity during severe drought years, I would think deer will do the same