MT FWP Commission 2014 proposals

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http://fwp.mt.gov/doingBusiness/insideFwp/commission/meetings/agenda.html?meetingId=31686014

Some good, some bad, some intriguing.

Either sex bull tags in the Sun River WMA is interesting, can't imagine how hard that'll be to draw.

Rifle hunting in unit 282 would essentially be gone. Not sure it'd be possible for a unit to be more mismanaged and have more opportunity wasted.

Every unit in the Bitterroot would be re-mapped, and a lot of regulation changes there.

And yet again FWP will continue to issue tags for moose that don't exist.


You guys more familiar with this than I, how close is this usually to what's actually adopted?

 

[tjones]

HD 270, 250, 240 boundary changes are a good thing and long overdue. HD 260 north boundary change, meh.

The rifle WT changes also good along with the HD 260 WT change . Rifle elk changes in the Root also needed given the reluctance of FWP to use A7's.

HD261 and creating HD 262 is one thing the HD 262 regs are a whole nuther .

Lace up your boots boys and get ready to attend some meetings. Doing nothing is not an option anymore.


Ohh ,,,Coming up with a plan to avoid the youth shoot out the last 4 days of season on cows that took place in HD 270 needs to be addressed. There were some very patient land owners that tolerated some very bad behavior mostly not by the kids.

 

[wapiti11]

Noticed a special youth hunt, Elk Dist. 103 Lost Trial NWR. Anyone know about or been to this Lost Trial NWR.
Would really like to see some more "true" youth opps.

Can not believe no changes for Moose in R.3.

Major cuts in quota for deer/elk...

 

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The 270/250 line moving off the river would've made a lot more sense when 250 was still unlimited. Geographically the new lines do work better though, I agree.

Am I reading right that there'll be no bull harvest in 262?

I also can't find any mention of what the deer regulations will be in the Missoula valley, I guess they'll stay the same but then I'm not sure why they're creating a new unit out of it.

Seems ironic to me that they can micromanage so much in certain areas like the Bitterroot, meanwhile they want to end doe tags region wide in other areas.

 

[tjones]

Buck only I believe in the Missoula valley, what I gather reason on the change is the EHD.

The HD 270/HD 250 boundary change is as much to do with MD as elk, lots of HD 250 bucks get shot in HD 270.

 

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Buck only I believe in the Missoula valley, what I gather reason on the change is the EHD.

The HD 270/HD 250 boundary change is as much to do with MD as elk, lots of HD 250 bucks get shot in HD 270.

I was talking about deer. Not very many 250 buck tags anymore.

I wasn't thinking about the EHD, that makes sense. I wonder how the either sex B tags are going to work now.

 

[tjones]

Still 300, not valid in the new HD, at least that's what it was a week ago.

Since we can't seem to rid of elk B's the new regs on them makes sense.

 

[thecrittergitter]

Dang it. I didn't see any new regs that were going to guarantee me a sheep tag next year

 

[mtmuley]

Bitterroot Farmlands? Good idea I guess. Need to eliminate bull elk hunting in the "farmlands". Stop some of the shooting galleries and let a few bulls live. Wouldn't hurt to cull a few more muley does in the "farmlands" either. I see a lot of bucks sporting weak racks these days too. mtmuley

 

[poco]

mtmuley, could you explain what does have to do with thin horned bucks? I have always believed that, except in cases of overpopulation, that more does = more bucks. Its been so long since Ive seen an overpopulation of mule deer that I have forgotten.

 

[mtmuley]

poco, you from the Bitterroot? mtmuley

 

[HUNTMAN]

Hold on tight boys here we go again. I think the 262 is a joke. How many bulls get killed in the farmlands during archery. 10 maybe? I see plenty of good bucks in 261 still. They do need to stop the shotgun season in 260 and cutting back doe tags is a good thing.

 

[MontanaWild]

Looks like a decent number of measures that most of us would agree with. Didn't get into all the details but glad to see them extend the bear hunting season in HD200. A few less predators in that unit would sure help.

 

[poco]

mtmuley, no, the other side of the hump

 

[thecrittergitter]

Looks like a decent number of measures that most of us would agree with. Didn't get into all the details but glad to see them extend the bear hunting season in HD200. A few less predators in that unit would sure help.

Two years ago I would have agreed with this. I think the bears are the least predator of worry at this point. maybe others had different results, but last year was the worst year I've seen in 20 years in HD200 for bears. I don't know if it had to do with the local outfitter killing 33 in one year and putting a pounding on them the next as well or if me and my friends just suck at finding them now I only saw one bear all year.........and I arrowed it

 

[MontanaWild]

Two years ago I would have agreed with this. I think the bears are the least predator of worry at this point. maybe others had different results, but last year was the worst year I've seen in 20 years in HD200 for bears. I don't know if it had to do with the local outfitter killing 33 in one year and putting a pounding on them the next as well or if me and my friends just suck at finding them now I only saw one bear all year.........and I arrowed it

Your average is pretty dang good then! I know of multiple areas up there that have a healthy number of bears. Not always big ones but bears none the less. That area seems to be really good for about a week and a half it seems and then most of the bears are hanging in the timber and things get much tougher.

 

[thecrittergitter]

If I could go one for one every year, I'd take it But coming off the prior year of 16 and the year before of over 30, I'd say is was a huge step back for me. I wasn't thrilled at all that every single drainage I hit the year before had that outfitters guides and clients in it. Man, that was frustrating, talk about butchering the area.

I'm going to be coaching by two boys on their baseball teams for the next 15 years so probably won't bear hunt anymore anyway

 

[MontanaWild]

Well sounds like your retiring at the right time then. Seems like a pretty good trade off.

 

[Sytes]

Anyone able to expound on this? I don't fully understand if these are land owner tags only? Or public who have gained points are required to plea land owners to fill a deer b tag that points have been built up to use?

Also, what constitutes a "land owner"?

HD 101/102/109/120/122/124: Establish white-tailed deer antlerless B-licenses individually for
each of these HDs. In HDs 101, 102, 109, and 120 these licenses are valid on private land only
but not to include Plum Creek or Stoltze Timber Company land. HDs 121,122 and 124 these
licenses would be valid on all ownerships, district wide. Quotas and quota ranges are listed
below.

 

[MKotur325]

So you all know. For those of us in NW, MT. There is a Sportsmen's Town Hall Meeting @ The Bitterroot River Inn in Hamilton, MT This Thursday @ 6:30PM to discuss these proposed changes. Senators Fred Thomas and Scott Boulanger will be there to hear from us, as well as reps from local SCI and others.