Big Shooter
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2008
- Messages
- 482
No apologies needed, and I agree with you. Don’t kill the messenger!
MT - Changes in Hunting Regs/Units/Seasons coming this month
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
antlerradar
Well-known member
FWP has been selling opportunity first for as long as I remember. Kind like selling cigarettes 'in the 50's when you were not required to have a warning label. Opportunity should also come with a warning label. Something like: Likely to cause overcrowding and poor game numbers on public land and increased privation on private land.
The concept of opportunity is born from a good place, and a place where abundance wasn't assured as it is today for the overall population of ungulates. As folks work to advance seasons and regulations that limit short-term time afield for better hunting success and yes, opportunities to be more successful, it's important to remember that the average MT resident hunter values many, many days afield not just for the opportunity to kill a large, antlered animal, but to be outside hunting. It's that act that is important, often times over the ability to harvest.
I think Wyoming has done one of the best jobs of managing hunter pressure while allowing for massive opportunity when it comes to deer & elk. That type of season structure is leading to roughly 40% harvest rates, while MT's is sitting between 20 & 27%. How we talk about improved deer & elk hunting is extremely important in the next few months, and making sure that folks understand the difference between blanket opportunity with low success rates, and qualified opportunity with higher success rates is going to be the only way the MT resident will support a change from where MT is now.
OntarioHunter
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2020
- Messages
- 5,980
Can't be rocketing downward any faster than upland bird hunting in Montana. Boy, has that gone in the toilet the last dozen years. But I won't put the blame entirely on mismanagement. Environmental change has been a big factor. Also hunting pressure has increased exponentially as hunting opportunities in other states have dried up due to development, reduction of CRP (to meet the demand for ethanol), and commercialization of the sport. And, as has been the case here in NW Ontario, when big game opportunities disappear, those hunters switch gears to bird hunting, putting more pressure on a resource already hanging by a thread. A few years back when the MNR cut the adult moose tags from 800 to 75 in this district (about twenty years too late!), the competition for local goose hunting fields became very hot. As public hunting opportunities for big game in Montana disappear, it's not hard to predict those hunters will turn to something that's less restrictively managed ... = uplands. Fortunately, the feds have an oar in the water for waterfowl. They seem to keep a closer eye on those bird populations.
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timmy
Guest
From the picture of a dead bull I received today that was legally tagged the changes may have already begun.
So it started already? mtmuley
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timmy
Guest
Damage hunt with bull tags all I know? Seems a bit ridiculous.
Schaaf
Well-known member
From this year? There was some of that last spring in R4.
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timmy
Guest
Region 4 again this year.
Must have had a friend or two in high places. Didn’t want that bull they’ve been watching all summer to drift off after cows in a couple weeks
We don't need a license here in Ohio to hunt own land. But if I step off property I need one. We also have or use to have (when odnr released coyotes)way more deer damage than what is happening out west.. Neighbors around are all interested in managing herd and do things for wildlife like cover and food plots. I will say everyone hunts their land and only theirs not like 20 years ago when you went everywhere and no one cared.
I wonder if giving landowner tags for just land owned would help so whole system doesn't need to be blow up. Maybe like New Mexico maybe not transferable. I like comment I read early on in this that wildlife doesn't come with ranch when you buy it.
Someone also said gun season was week long would you go back to that but open whole state. Maybe whole state wasn't open and had LE areas I don't know. I think the long season issue needs to be addressed. Well letting wildlife managers not manage is the problem that happen a long time ago. How do you put that genie back in the bottle? I guess from the ballot box. Someone needs to run on the new new moose party. Wildlife advocacy as a pillar of platform.
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Put up a billboard in Helena asking the governor to attend meeting. Get as many people to attend meetings and don't throw the representative under bus. Get news crew there and ask for Governors to attend. If Governor attends which he won't blast him. I would also say take the fight to them drive around the statehouse with boats and swarm it in orange vests to get a news crew there not on day of some vote but a random one like Aug 30th to really show mean business. Give the story to reporters and have retired wildlife biologist say few things. Also write and call Governor and representatives. I have been watching all of this and even watched a live legislative meeting this year because I see "the big one" wreck happening in Montana and trying to happen in Wyoming. As a non resident I feel helpless in what I can do. My plan is to retire to one of those states but not if they totally obliterate what I would be going for. I guess just get a point this year so I can experience Montana before AG (After Gianforte) changes rear their ugly head and join the firing squad and shoot the last mature bull in the state. Anybody know some good spots in the Breaks? But seriously I hope local groups can mobilize and get voice heard.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
Email from FWP this morning:
HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is beginning the biennial hunting regulations review process, and this year the department is looking to take a fresh approach.
In the past, the biennial hunting regulation process typically had few changes to the existing regulations. This year, FWP will tackle more significant changes such as combining hunting districts and simplifying license structures, while still keeping focused on statewide wildlife population management goals.
“Hunters have told us for years that our regulations are too complicated,” said FWP Director Hank Worsech. “Past efforts to simplify the regulations have mostly resulted in small changes every two years. It’s time to take a more holistic look at the regulations to make them more understandable and effective.”
Hunters and the public will have multiple opportunities to comment during this year’s season setting process. In late September, FWP will put potential changes to hunting regulations for the 2022 and 2023 seasons out for 30 days of public comment. A second 30-day public comment opportunity will come following the Dec. 14 Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting to ensure hunter voices are heard.
“We’ll put science-based proposals out for people to chew on early in the process, to promote transparency and encourage public engagement,” Worsech said.
The biggest changes hunters can look for will be a reduction in the number of license/permit types (LPTs) and the number of hunting districts.
In several instances around the state, adjacent hunting districts have similar regulations. In those cases, FWP may propose combining hunting districts and eliminating duplicative regulations.
The Fish and Wildlife Commission will see both the department proposals and public comments before its meeting Dec. 14. At that meeting, the commission will approve a refined, draft set of hunting regulations for further public comment. Then it will adopt the final 2022 and 2023 hunting regulations in February.
A simplified approach to hunting regulations is something FWP staff have worked on for the past four years. The first steps were to clarify and simplify some of the legal language in the regulations and make them consistent in all FWP regulation booklets. That step was completed almost three years ago.
The next step is to dig a bit deeper in order to provide clarity and reduce complexity.
“Ultimately, the aim is to have regulations that are consistent with state law and management objectives, clarify hunter opportunity, and encourage participation,” Worsech said. “It’s time for a better approach, and we’re eager to hear what hunters think. We’ll focus directly on the wildlife resource and look to the public and commission to help us get this right.”
These proposed changes will be posted at fwp.mt.gov when they first become available for public comment in September.
FWP to take a new, more inclusive approach to hunting regulations for 2022, 2023 seasons
HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is beginning the biennial hunting regulations review process, and this year the department is looking to take a fresh approach.
In the past, the biennial hunting regulation process typically had few changes to the existing regulations. This year, FWP will tackle more significant changes such as combining hunting districts and simplifying license structures, while still keeping focused on statewide wildlife population management goals.
“Hunters have told us for years that our regulations are too complicated,” said FWP Director Hank Worsech. “Past efforts to simplify the regulations have mostly resulted in small changes every two years. It’s time to take a more holistic look at the regulations to make them more understandable and effective.”
Hunters and the public will have multiple opportunities to comment during this year’s season setting process. In late September, FWP will put potential changes to hunting regulations for the 2022 and 2023 seasons out for 30 days of public comment. A second 30-day public comment opportunity will come following the Dec. 14 Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting to ensure hunter voices are heard.
“We’ll put science-based proposals out for people to chew on early in the process, to promote transparency and encourage public engagement,” Worsech said.
The biggest changes hunters can look for will be a reduction in the number of license/permit types (LPTs) and the number of hunting districts.
In several instances around the state, adjacent hunting districts have similar regulations. In those cases, FWP may propose combining hunting districts and eliminating duplicative regulations.
The Fish and Wildlife Commission will see both the department proposals and public comments before its meeting Dec. 14. At that meeting, the commission will approve a refined, draft set of hunting regulations for further public comment. Then it will adopt the final 2022 and 2023 hunting regulations in February.
A simplified approach to hunting regulations is something FWP staff have worked on for the past four years. The first steps were to clarify and simplify some of the legal language in the regulations and make them consistent in all FWP regulation booklets. That step was completed almost three years ago.
The next step is to dig a bit deeper in order to provide clarity and reduce complexity.
“Ultimately, the aim is to have regulations that are consistent with state law and management objectives, clarify hunter opportunity, and encourage participation,” Worsech said. “It’s time for a better approach, and we’re eager to hear what hunters think. We’ll focus directly on the wildlife resource and look to the public and commission to help us get this right.”
These proposed changes will be posted at fwp.mt.gov when they first become available for public comment in September.
Nameless Range
Well-known member
FWP reorganization could hamper science-based wildlife management, public input
The Gianforte administration is starting to reorganize the structure of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and the changes could make it harder for biologists and resident sportsmen to conserve Montana’s fish and wildlife in the future.
missoulacurrent.com
Some more concise and excellent reporting from Laura Lundquist
We want to hear from you about the new regs we're pushing out 3 weeks after we hear from you.
Then you have 30 days to comment. Which we don't legally have to take into account. But your voice matters*.
Also, we're openly telling you that hunters matter less than landowners, but we value your comments heartily.
*lolz
Then you have 30 days to comment. Which we don't legally have to take into account. But your voice matters*.
Also, we're openly telling you that hunters matter less than landowners, but we value your comments heartily.
*lolz
Irrelevant
Well-known member
Per that article, what happened to @Gevock ?FWP reorganization could hamper science-based wildlife management, public input
The Gianforte administration is starting to reorganize the structure of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and the changes could make it harder for biologists and resident sportsmen to conserve Montana’s fish and wildlife in the future.
Some more concise and excellent reporting from Laura Lundquist
Asked the same question after reading other article and was told he took a job with a different organization
If that’s the case, can’t blame the guy. He worked his ass off this past legislative session and he probably got burned out.
