Montana Trophy Mule Deer Areas Are In Jeopardy

[mtmuley]

Not sure there would be a lot of love for "management" tags. There was a prominent member here that mentioned in a PM to me he hated these areas managed for "trophys." Now I know what he meant. mtmuley

 

[belly-deep]

shoots, poaching is one of the main reasons I am on the fence over the tag increase, in 261 especially. As Randy11 knows, like myself, it is pretty rampant. Lots of drag marks in the snow the last week that lead to no gutpile. I didn't catch any this year, but I have. mtmuley

I realize this might sound like a Utard idea, but they should think about auctioning off a Bitterroot tag or two and using the proceeds to hire off duty LEO's to increase patrols during hunting season.

 

[antlerradar]

poaching is a problem every where. I find unexplained drag marks every year.

 

[Reeltime]

This two units are very restrictive, 25 permits in one 45 in the other. Not many guys willing to hang this kind of tag on a three point. Not sure what it would take to get a season/permit that would allow management bucks.

But some of the 3 points in 261............I'd be ecstatic with a 3pt or smaller tag in that unit!

The idea of management tags to cull some of the Bucks that will never get shot otherwise, seems like a great idea!

 

[Reeltime]

I sent my comments to fwp.

I'd suggest to future tag holders to tread lightly and be respectful to landowners, realizing your not the only guy who sees deer from the county road. I know multiple landowners very close to shutting their property gates to mule deer hunters. The over zealous tag holders lining up to shoot the less than "wary" bucks is getting out of hand.

 

[mtmuley]

I sent my comments to fwp.

I'd suggest to future tag holders to tread lightly and be respectful to landowners, realizing your not the only guy who sees deer from the county road. I know multiple landowners very close to shutting their property gates to mule deer hunters. The over zealous tag holders lining up to shoot the less than "wary" bucks is getting out of hand.

Precisely why this needs to be a split permit. But, since the trophy "nursery" is so fricken popular, nobody wants to see a permit increase of any kind, or a bunch of these does killed. Except the landowners. We could take out every mule deer in 262, and it would have zero effect on 261. mtmuley

 

[antlerradar]

First of all to be clear I have zero knowledge of 261/262 so I could be totally off base.

Splitting the unit into a public and a private unit sounds like a bad deal to me.

It is safe to assume that if split into two units it will become much easier to get the private land permit. This will lead to more commercialization. Limited tag availability puts a strangle hold on commercialization.The easier to get tags the more restricted access will become.

Once those nice bucks in the trophy nursery start to get taken out, will good bucks from the surrounding public replace them during the rut? This happens all the time here in eastern Montana. If you take out one good buck on a hay field a new one will soon show up. Great deal for those that have access to the private, not so good for the public land guy.