Montana public land B&C mule deer

[BuzzH]

Nope, need to take it off and then have it officially scored. That's how I knew and figured that score wasn't a legit number nor offical

I know it was shot with rifle, but I believe PY has velvet catagory.

 

[seeth07]

I know it was shot with rifle, but I believe PY has velvet catagory.

They do, he was wearing orange. Jumped to conclusions therefore that it was shot with a gun. Also, thread is about b&c and pope and young has a lower entry standard

 

[BuzzH]

They do, he was wearing orange. Jumped to conclusions therefore that it was shot with a gun. Also, thread is about b&c and pope and young has a lower entry standard

But scored identical. A py 180 net mule deer isn't smaller because it was shot with a bow.

 

[seeth07]

But scored identical. A py 180 net mule deer isn't smaller because it was shot with a bow.

Yes but a P&Y velvet buck that scores 180 is not the same as a B&C 180 buck

 

[shrapnel]

Bring better in it was in the 60’s and 70’s might be true for guys hunting private but it certainly not true for the public land hunter. While there might be more game now then back then there is an absolute shit ton more hunters.

I would take less game and less hunters over what we have now.

We killed plenty of elk in the 70’s mainly because there were so few hunters.

The reality is that it isn’t the 70’s and private land isn’t without it’s problems with access.

How you manage the game populations now, under the current conditions is a tough thing to accomplish and keep hunters, landowners, outfitters and FWP in tune to a very diverse user base.

Managing for trophies isn’t the only item on the agenda, and there are still those that don’t need a trophy to consider hunting successful. Public land isn’t barren and game is still there. Hunting pressure is greater now as well, but hunting sites, such as this one, complicates things even more do to the awareness that it puts on the state and it’s resources.

Hunting does have to be done within the boundaries that exist today and not what they were when I was a kid or when elk were easier to get in the 70’s. I, for one, still enjoy Montana and all it has to offer…

 

[DFS]

I don’t know that I would call it managing for trophies, I would call it managing for a healthy deer herd with all age classes and a few older bucks. There are a lot of collective hunter days from hunt talk members and we for the most part are going back a lot of years since many have seen good bucks. Interesting stuff thanks to all that have shared.

 

[BuzzH]

No way in hell is there more mule deer now than the 60's-early 2000's.

To say otherwise is being willfully ignorant.

 

[BuzzH]

This is 100 percent correct in the areas that I am familiar with.

Correct, ask anyone that paid even slight attention to deer populations, all say the same thing.

My whitetail hunting spot, where I used to regularly see mule deer and even killed a few....I haven't seen a mule deer there at all in 9 years. They're extinct there, no arguing it.

Place I hunted mule deer on good private in the 90's, maybe 50% of the mule deer now.

Everywhere around Missoula where I hunted, 25% of the mule deer there used to be...and that's being generous.

Little belts where my Dad used to hunt, maybe 35% of the deer there used to be.

I don't know anyone that claims more mule deer now in Montana.

 

[DFS]

I don't know anyone that claims more mule deer now in Montana.

Montana FWP maybe?

 

[BuzzH]

Montana FWP maybe?

I don't think even they do.

 

[DFS]

I don't think even they do.

They do over here when I went to the meet and greet with the director in Miles City mule deer where brought up. The wildlife manager said “we are knocking it out of the park with our mule deer management” why would would we change anything when our numbers are so good. Record counts in Prairie county. Glory days.

 

[BuzzH]

They do over here when I went to the meet and greet with the director in Miles City mule deer where brought up. The wildlife manager said “we are knocking it out of the park with our mule deer management” why would would we change anything when our numbers are so good. Record counts in Prairie county. Glory days.

Record numbers that's hilarious.

 

[rogerthat]

The reality is that it isn’t the 70’s and private land isn’t without it’s problems with access.

How you manage the game populations now, under the current conditions is a tough thing to accomplish and keep hunters, landowners, outfitters and FWP in tune to a very diverse user base.

Managing for trophies isn’t the only item on the agenda, and there are still those that don’t need a trophy to consider hunting successful. Public land isn’t barren and game is still there. Hunting pressure is greater now as well, but hunting sites, such as this one, complicates things even more do to the awareness that it puts on the state and it’s resources.

Hunting does have to be done within the boundaries that exist today and not what they were when I was a kid or when elk were easier to get in the 70’s. I, for one, still enjoy Montana and all it has to offer…

Managing for trophies is one thing but how about we start with admitting that we are the only state that has general season unregulated rifle season encompassing the entire mule deer rut and it has an extremely negative impact on age class. But no…wildlife manager in miles city “better than the Henry mountains”. Wtf

 

[brockel]

But no…wildlife manager in miles city “better than the Henry mountains”. Wtf

Was this really said? Ours told me that there’s no proof that rifle hunting in the rut has an effect on age class.

 

[DFS]

Was this really said? Ours told me that there’s no proof that rifle hunting in the rut has an effect on age class.

It was said

 

[rogerthat]

Was this really said? Ours told me that there’s no proof that rifle hunting in the rut has an effect on age class.

He was talking counts but still…cmon man

 

[rogerthat]

Was this really said? Ours told me that there’s no proof that rifle hunting in the rut has an effect on age class.

Tell him to go kill a mature buck in October. It’s a hard hunt. Anyone that hunts mule deer should know that. Why are later season colorado tags in such demand? Just lower hunting pressure? Or is it the chances of seeing a big old muley increase exponentially? Probably both but still you have to be purposely ignoring the blatantly obvious to make that statement

 

[TheTone]

But no…wildlife manager in miles city “better than the Henry mountains”. Wtf

For hunter opportunity and the ability to hunt every year it’s way better than the Henry’s, for killing a large buck, yeah no

 

[BuzzH]

He was talking counts but still…cmon man

Sounds more like talking out of his ass...

 

[The Hedgehog]

They do over here when I went to the meet and greet with the director in Miles City mule deer where brought up. The wildlife manager said “we are knocking it out of the park with our mule deer management” why would would we change anything when our numbers are so good. Record counts in Prairie county. Glory days.

Assholes