Montana public comment: 2021 elk shoulder season, wolf hunting, pheasant releases and more.

[MTelkHuntress]

"Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public review and comment on several wildlife-related items approved for comment during the recent Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting. Proposals include the 2021 wolf hunting and trapping season, nongame check-off workplan, pheasant releases, Jordan urban wildlife plan, 2021 elk and deer muzzleloader season, 2021 elk shoulder season and 2021 contractual public elk hunting access agreements."

FWP SEEKS COMMENT ON SEVERAL WILDLIFE-RELATED PROPOSALS

www.montanaoutdoor.com

Late cow elk hunts proposed in 18 more districts

In an attempt to allow hunters to kill more cow elk and thereby reduce the animal’s population, rifle hunts could be extended until Feb. 15 in 18 more Montana hunting

billingsgazette.com

These seemed like pretty important topics for public comment so I thought I would post it here with two articles explaining what is being proposed.

Link to comment:

Public Comment Opportunities | Montana FWP

Open public comment opportunities for hunting related topics.

fwp.mt.gov

 

[MTLabrador]

Thanks for sharing this. I’m interested to see what kind of changes they make for wolf quota areas. Killing a few more wolves in 313 and 316 sure wouldn’t hurt.

 

[RobertD]

Who thinks pheasant releases are a good idea? People who like feeding coyotes?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Who thinks pheasant releases are a good idea? People who like feeding coyotes?

It was sold as youth hunting opportunity.

It's $1 million for releases, which is $1 million less going to habitat improvement projects that would create far more birds than stocking. But, this is the political management of wildlife that some Montanans apparently wanted.

 

[Gerald Martin]

A thousand youths get to shoot a bird at release sites this fall.....
Sounds like a great value of cost per bird shot by 15 year old and under hunters.

It would be interesting to see how many hunters take advantage of this that wouldn’t be hunting non-release areas.

Give me the opportunity to invest a million dollars per year in habitat for the next foreseeable future and I bet we would be shooting more birds per year within 10 years than the stockings will produce.

 

[warmer]

Hold on, you Montana guys have better elk hunting than SD and now you want to take away our pheasant hunting?

 

[diamond hitch]

In the areas I hunt the shoulder season reduced our elk herds by 50 %. I'd like to see better monitering preceded by a better understanding of migration patterns. Destroying the elk on the winter grounds is easier but not always wise.

Wolf reduction is needed especially in the far west districts. How about some kitty control?

I remember the pheasant releases. Not the brightest events. I remember them turned loose on the paved roads and the cars running over them. How about a bird release where adequate habitat exists. We had native populations for many years from the limited survivors. Fires and severe winters wiped them out and no planting made sure they were gone.

How about a little common sense in these endeavors?

 

[Deleted member 18333]

It was sold as youth hunting opportunity.

It's $1 million for releases, which is $1 million less going to habitat improvement projects that would create far more birds than stocking. But, this is the political management of wildlife that some Montanans apparently wanted.

Wyoming does the same thing and its marketed the same way. Keeps the kids involved. Wyoming spends $3.4M on pheasant management. Not certain how much of this is for raising and releasing birds but my assumption would be the majority. Wyoming G&F revenue from pheasant hunting is only $1.8M. If you want to know why your NR elk license needs to cost more than $1,000, you need to look no further than stocked pheasants.

 

[JLS]

Bird releases are useless in the long term, and it’s doubtful any of the released birds ever survive and raise broods in the wild.

Habitat enhancements are a far better use of money. Simply reseeding created wheatgrass monoculture to a native grass and forbe plot is such a huge benefit.

 

[SAJ-99]

Who thinks pheasant releases are a good idea?

The person who raises pheasants.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Wyoming does the same thing and its marketed the same way. Keeps the kids involved. Wyoming spends $3.4M on pheasant management. Not certain how much of this is for raising and releasing birds but my assumption would be the majority. Wyoming G&F revenue from pheasant hunting is only $1.8M. If you want to know why your NR elk license needs to cost more than $1,000, you need to look no further than stocked pheasants.

$3.4 million going to upland habitat improvements every year would create far more roosters, grouse and chukars for folks to chase. It's great if we get kids hooked, but if the resource isn't there after the initial shock of killing wears off, then they won't come back to it.

Politicians are the worst game managers ever.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

$3.4 million going to upland habitat improvements every year would create far more roosters, grouse and chukars for folks to chase. It's great if we get kids hooked, but if the resource isn't there after the initial shock of killing wears off, then they won't come back to it.

Politicians are the worst game managers ever.

Wyo spent $2.9M on native grouse management. This includes Sage Grouse. Weird that they spend half a million more on a non-native species than they do all native grouse combined.

Particularly odd since Chinese stuff is almost always cheaper than stuff made right here in the US of A.

 

[BirdManMike]

I have neither seen nor heard a single opinion expressed that the pheasant stocking is a good idea. Maybe I just travel in the wrong circles.

 

[JLS]

I have neither seen nor heard a single opinion expressed that the pheasant stocking is a good idea. Maybe I just travel in the wrong circles.

But yet across the board among sportsman, it ranks right up there as one of the most popular programs right alongside with stocking hatchery rainbows that eat dog food twice a day.

 

[MTLabrador]

But yet across the board among sportsman, it ranks right up there as one of the most popular programs right alongside with stocking hatchery rainbows that eat dog food twice a day.

And the hatchery rainbows still act more like wild fish than the pheasants do.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Wyo spent $2.9M on native grouse management. This includes Sage Grouse. Weird that they spend half a million more on a non-native species than they do all native grouse combined.

Particularly odd since Chinese stuff is almost always cheaper than stuff made right here in the US of A.

So much for "America first."

 

[BirdManMike]

But yet across the board among sportsman, it ranks right up there as one of the most popular programs right alongside with stocking hatchery rainbows that eat dog food twice a day.

Youre right. I think in both cases its a draw to folks that may not be all that serious about either (hunting or fishing). Not a knock on them or their commitment. Opportunity.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Youre right. I think in both cases its a draw to folks that may not be all that serious about either (hunting or fishing). Not a knock on them or their commitment. Opportunity.

That's a really important point.

It makes game agencies look like they're doing something good.

Politicians can run on the sound byte

It looks good to the unwashed masses.

Pheasant stocking is virtue signaling from politicians, and participation trophies for kids.

 

[406dn]

Politicians are the worst game managers ever.

Amen.

To be honest I am still in a state of helplessness, hopelessness regarding most everything having to do with Montana's game management.

I knew the last legislative session would be bad, it did not disappoint. My legislator was among the worst.

 

[BirdManMike]

That's a really important point.

It makes game agencies look like they're doing something good.

Politicians can run on the sound byte

It looks good to the unwashed masses.

Pheasant stocking is virtue signaling from politicians, and participation trophies for kids.

Most (all?) of the topics seem to be geared toward real or perceived opportunity, or, as put it, to 'makes game agencies look like they're doing something good'.

There is a lot of discussion about opportunity vs quality as it pertains to management in MT that happens here on the forum. It seems most here would prefer management for quality (not me, bring on the coveted whitetail doe tags! ), but were I to presume, it would be to presume that the vast majority, 'unwashed masses' as you call them, would prefer more opportunity, or at least the perception of more opportunity, be it for hunting elk or shooting (stocked) birds.

Dunno, maybe that is just conjecture on my part. I said I had heard no one express a positive attitude on pheasant stocking, but I suppose I didnt account for possibility outside the (sometimes) echo chamber of like outlook I have seen or heard it discussed.