Montana - Time to Shake it Up?

[YoungGun]

I can already smell the stench from all the spoiled meat resulting from flip flopping the seasons.

Because we'd be the first state to ever have simultaneous seasons..

If what you're pointing out is people shooting animals illegally and leaving them to lie- frankly there isn't a season structure that is going to fix bad ethics, poaching, or failure to be aware of the regs.

If you're worried about people losing meat on their 200lb mule deer they shot with their rifle, I'd be curious how you feel about August 15 shoulder season cow elk hunts... with a rifle.

 

[BuzzH]

Right back to "its a NR vs R thing" ......again...

NR's - the ultimate scapegoat for all your local hunting woes. Out pacing wolves since 1995.

A couple things to unpack with this post.

1. You play the downtrodden NR victim card way too much.
2. Residents of Western States owe you nothing, least of all a hunting license.
3. If you don't like the way a specific state wants to deal with their license allocations, stay home and hunt.

Your constant and high pitched whining about how bad you have it as a NR is a complete joke.

Bottom line is, if I were still a Resident of Montana, before a SINGLE resident went without a deer and elk tag, I would make damn sure that EVERY NR went without one.

Finally, yes, NR hunting pressure in the West is an additive problem for all sorts of issues. In spite of what NR's with your attitude may think, the West just isn't your playground to plunder at will, whenever you think you're "owed" a license.

If hunting the West is such a priority for you, pack up your chit, find a job out West, and move.

 

[BuzzH]

Maybe all of the NR are just super elite hunters that always fill their tags like @BuzzH does when he heads up to Montana each fall?

 

[BuzzH]

I've seen this a bunch too. I wonder how much it would cost to audit the resident licenses purchased against state income tax filings...

In the computer age? I would say just some time from an IT person working for the State or FWP.

I think this is a bigger problem than some realize, lots of people buying Resident tags that aren't. We have problems with it in Wyoming.

 

[YoungGun]

In the computer age? I would say just some time from an IT person working for the State or FWP.

I think this is a bigger problem than some realize, lots of people buying Resident tags that aren't. We have problems with it in Wyoming.

Complete and accurate data is always a good place to start when any kind of change is being proposed. I know we all would benefit from Montana FWP modernizing in ways they can right now to start gathering more accurate data, whether that's hunter effort, harvest success by HD, or license sales.

 

[ismith]

A couple things to unpack with this post.

1. You play the downtrodden NR victim card way too much.
2. Residents of Western States owe you nothing, least of all a hunting license.
3. If you don't like the way a specific state wants to deal with their license allocations, stay home and hunt.

Your constant and high pitched whining about how bad you have it as a NR is a complete joke.

Bottom line is, if I were still a Resident of Montana, before a SINGLE resident went without a deer and elk tag, I would make damn sure that EVERY NR went without one.

Finally, yes, NR hunting pressure in the West is an additive problem for all sorts of issues. In spite of what NR's with your attitude may think, the West just isn't your playground to plunder at will, whenever you think you're "owed" a license.

If hunting the West is such a priority for you, pack up your chit, find a job out West, and move.

Well said!

 

[sclancy27]

In the computer age? I would say just some time from an IT person working for the State or FWP.

I think this is a bigger problem than some realize, lots of people buying Resident tags that aren't. We have problems with it in Wyoming.

It is definitely bigger than people realize, easily in the 1000's if not over 10,000.

 

[cgasner1]

It is definitely bigger than people realize, easily in the 1000's if not over 10,000.

I bet if they took a season or two and cracked down on it and fined people and made it well know it would ease up.

 

[seeth07]

@BuzzH I have never once created a post that has specifically stated I was personally owed a NR tag by any state. I understand the state's right to not owe me a thing.

What gets me worked up is when on this forum, members make a statement like this without backing it up with some proof or credible knowledge that NR are the problem.

Montana has been way too generous to nonresidents for way too long.

@YoungGun in post #318 however I have to greatly respect what he did. It may be a narrow window into data that represents his viewpoint (such as the data I presented to back mine in post #315) but it gives me something to look into and make me realize the other side of the argument - which is much more helpful to this discussion than you bashing myself.

 

[huntin24/7]

I tried looking, doesn’t look like they break it out even but doesn’t look substantial either way. Montana has been way too generous to nonresidents for way too long. Now we are reliant on their funding and don’t have the wildlife to sustain it.

I looked into it last year to maybe apply for a tag where my brother lives. It was either 1 or 2% of buck tags go non res and 0 moose/elk/sheep.

 

[cgasner1]

Could you imagine an episode or two of wardens where they go around taking 130-140” deer from guys with that 4th tine and hitting them with restitution fine.

 

[DFS]

@BuzzH I have never once created a post that has specifically stated I was personally owed a NR tag by any state. I understand the state's right to not owe me a thing.

What gets me worked up is when on this forum, members make a statement like this without backing it up with some proof or credible knowledge that NR are the problem.



@YoungGun in post #318 however I have to greatly respect what he did. It may be a narrow window into data that represents his viewpoint (such as the data I presented to back mine in post #315) but it gives me something to look into and make me realize the other side of the argument - which is much more helpful to this discussion than you bashing myself.

I sympathize with you to some extent I like to hunt out of state as well. There are people to point fingers at for the increased load of pressure on western hunting I don’t care to go there. You mentioned Wyoming and Colorado, they give some direction to their nonresidents with quotas, regions, and reasonable season dates. Montana dumps 20k plus nonresident deer tags on Montana to be hunted during the rut with out any restrictions of where. I can guarantee Wyoming and Colorado don’t do that. So yes Montana has been way too generous to nonresidents for way too long.

Since you respond better to pictures and charts. I don’t need to see that to know we have a problem.

 

[seeth07]

I sympathize with you to some extent I like to hunt out of state as well. There are people to point fingers at for the increased load of pressure on western hunting I don’t care to go there. You mentioned Wyoming and Colorado, they give some direction to their nonresidents with quotas, regions, and reasonable season dates. Montana dumps 20k plus nonresident deer tags on Montana to be hunted during the rut with out any restrictions of where. I can guarantee Wyoming and Colorado don’t do that. So yes Montana has been way too generous to nonresidents for way too long.
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Since you respond better to pictures and charts. I don’t need to see that to know we have a problem.

Won't those NR just go to another region though and then stress that area a bit more? I think that was brought up way at the beginning of this discussion.

 

[brockel]

Won't those NR just go to another region though and then stress that area a bit more? I think that was brought up way at the beginning of this discussion.

Some will some will hang it up. The terrain itself will limit who hunts it and who doesn’t. The non resident hunters I know like region 7 because they can drive all day long until they see something they want to shoot. Get farther west and that isn’t as easy to do with the mountains. The thought of grizzlies for some will turn them away too.

 

[mtmuley]

Some will some will hang it up. The terrain itself will limit who hunts it and who doesn’t. The non resident hunters I know like region 7 because they can drive all day long until they see something they want to shoot. Get farther west and that isn’t as easy to do with the mountains. The thought of grizzlies for some will turn them away too.

Yeah. Even if some of those NRs get out here, the learning curve will be steep. mtmuley

 

[SixPoint]

I bet if they took a season or two and cracked down on it and fined people and made it well know it would ease up.

It would probably be a good idea to make our State Auditor, Troy Downing, aware of this issue… oh wait, never mind…

 

[Deleted member 48080]

Yeah. Even if some of those NRs get out here, the learning curve will be steep. mtmuley

There'll be a YouTube video in no time showing them where and how to kill the last one.

I'm already starting to see a lot more Bozeman and Helena plates in my neck of the woods.

 

[Nameless Range]

The non resident hunters I know like region 7 because they can drive all day long until they see something they want to shoot.

There are large and numerous swaths of regions 1,2, and 3 where folks do just this.

I believe unless changes are made on a statewide level we risk kicking the can, and pressure will just increase elsewhere in a bad way. The ever growing herds of NR and non-local elk hunters alike don’t seem to be bothered by mountains in SW MT.

 

[ismith]

There'll be a YouTube video in no time showing them where and how to kill the last one.

I'm already starting to see a lot more Bozeman and Helena plates in my neck of the woods.

That's because there isn't shit worth hunting around here. GPS coordinates please for your neck of the woods?

 

[mtmuley]

There'll be a YouTube video in no time showing them where and how to kill the last one.

I'm already starting to see a lot more Bozeman and Helena plates in my neck of the woods.

Sad. But true. mtmuley