Yeti GOBOX Collection

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

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.

Spot on.

When talk of ending the 11 weeks of general deer & elk hunting come up, there's usually a couple of cauldrons of tar set to boil, and no pillow is safe from being defrocked. But there's also a 100 year history behind why that opportunity is so valued in MT. I think we forget that when we get wrapped around the axle of 160" mule deer bucks versus the people who value the opportunity to have that much time to hunt. I tend to go back & forth based on the species, but ultimately, the managers should be working for the resource and not one constituent or another. Shoulder seasons are well liked by folks, and stocked pheasants will be viewed positively by some.

Ultimately, putting that $1 million back into habitat management leads to more opportunity for a longer period of time. I think we forget how to effectively message that short term versus long term payout.

Opportunity is important, but just like when you're single & on the prowl, it's the kind of opportunity that you need to be looking out for, rather than the chance to dip the wick in any opportunity.
 
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.
In Wyoming they don't expect them to survive over winter. Pretty much just a put and take operation on the walk-in areas and some other select areas. I believe it has its benefits, but I have wondered why we don't convert the two pheasant farms in WY to sage grouse farms and start stocking sage grouse everywhere. Definitely easier said than done.
 
In Wyoming they don't expect them to survive over winter. Pretty much just a put and take operation on the walk-in areas and some other select areas. I believe it has its benefits, but I have wondered why we don't convert the two pheasant farms in WY to sage grouse farms and start stocking sage grouse everywhere. Definitely easier said than done.
Because it doesn't work, and you would have to raid nests of wild birds to get the eggs, disturbing hens when they need quiet & isolation the most, plus you end up with a fairly large disease issue if something happens to those pen raised birds.

https://trib.com/business/energy/gr...cle_23b275f5-3aa5-510e-8688-249e7565e345.html
 
In Wyoming they don't expect them to survive over winter. Pretty much just a put and take operation on the walk-in areas and some other select areas. I believe it has its benefits, but I have wondered why we don't convert the two pheasant farms in WY to sage grouse farms and start stocking sage grouse everywhere. Definitely easier said than done.
I completely understand it’s merely a put and take endeavor, and a shorty one at that. Very few birds survive longer than 48-72 hours post release.

Stocking sage grouse is useless. It does nothing to further the long term viability of the population.
 
In Wyoming they don't expect them to survive over winter. Pretty much just a put and take operation on the walk-in areas and some other select areas. I believe it has its benefits, but I have wondered why we don't convert the two pheasant farms in WY to sage grouse farms and start stocking sage grouse everywhere. Definitely easier said than done.
Monetize the sage grouse like the Brits do with their red grouse. Incentivize sage brush management thru the potential of financial gain so the sage brush steppe is managed as intensively as a British moor with the sole goal of increasing grouse production. Those shooters pay 10s of thousands of pounds per shoot per shooter, surely land owners can get on board with this sort of income generation. It could work the same as grouse shooting on a moor, especially once the sage grouse are in winter groups - a bunchve suckers push the grouse to the shooters, then a bunchve other suckers come behind to pick up the dead.

Cereally, vote for me for president of Wyoming and Ill bring these sort of great ideas to the table!


(tongue firmly in cheek)
 
I completely understand it’s merely a put and take endeavor, and a shorty one at that. Very few birds survive longer than 48-72 hours post release.

Stocking sage grouse is useless. It does nothing to further the long term viability of the population.
Yep. Half the time on the walk ins they used to stock around here the birds aren't even there the next morning. The good habitat like Springer, Table, and Ocean will hold birds, but my goodness, in years past, they were stocking so many walk ins that wouldn't even hold birds for 12 hrs. It was such a waste to put 180 birds a week on some of those walk in areas. Especially when GF didn't realize the landowners were going to cut whatever little cover there was right before the season. Thankfully they quit stocking those areas for the most part, it was like throwing money in a fire pit.
 
Who thinks pheasant releases are a good idea? People who like feeding coyotes?
I think just tossing birds out of a box is a far reach in trying to establish a bird population. But there is some other options. Doing a soft release for starters would help the odds greatly. There hearts are in the right place but I feel that there efforts are wasted when you don’t adjust from past failures. I’ve seen guys toss in a surrogate hen and do a soft release and have some really good numbers survive. But it takes time to really make a difference and as always, time is money.
 
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.
Interesting observation. Never thought of it that way… makes sense
 
All of the districts are over population objectives for elk. Those objectives were set by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks based on social concerns. The problem, however, is that the elk concentrate on private land. Without hunter access to lands where the elk congregate, extending seasons has had little effect on hunter success.

This…… based on SOCIAL concerns…. Not wildlife or habitat concerns… many many of the same socialites that are of the concerned, fall RIGHT into the following sentence in the article….
 
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.
I think hunters would by and large support deer and elk “hatcheries” if they existed. Can you imagine department press releases discussing the amount and when classes of released ungulates into a unit just prior to season.

I truly hope this is just dark humor of mine and not a future scenario
 
I think hunters would by and large support deer and elk “hatcheries” if they existed. Can you imagine department press releases discussing the amount and when classes of released ungulates into a unit just prior to season.

I truly hope this is just dark humor of mine and not a future scenario
“Please contact me about an advisory position within the department. -Hank”
 
I think hunters would by and large support deer and elk “hatcheries” if they existed. Can you imagine department press releases discussing the amount and when classes of released ungulates into a unit just prior to season.

I truly hope this is just dark humor of mine and not a future scenario
Those already exist. The high fence exotic big game hunting in Texas is more or less what you describe. They aren't pitched to the masses, but clearly they have customers.
 
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. 🤷‍♂️
Same here. I've never hunted Montana OR pheasants but I know they get released down here for shoots and such. Some escape, only to become some bobcat's dinner. Pen-raised quail don't fare much better.
 
I'd just like to point out the FACT that Pheasants are a non native exotic bird species. We live in a hypocritical age though so please don't respond.
It's super relevant and a good point...

It's weird to realize that not native exotics run the gamut from prized game animals to hated pests to outright federally protected specie depending on what and where.
 
I think hunters would by and large support deer and elk “hatcheries” if they existed. Can you imagine department press releases discussing the amount and when classes of released ungulates into a unit just prior to season.

I truly hope this is just dark humor of mine and not a future scenario
There’s way too much truth in it for comfort. I guarantee you without the high fence aspect, the majority of the hunting public would eat it up like candy.
 
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