No restrictions on Gallitin Elk hunting.

[shoots-straight]

Hey, fellas, any of you that have hunted the Gallatin. Why, did the sportsman not support reducing opportunity to bring the game back? Clue me in. We have area's just like the Gallatin over here and we're working our butts off to bring the elk back.

[Home / News / Montana & Regional
FWP backs off plan to reduce Gallatin Canyon elk hunt
StoryDiscussionBy the Associated Press | Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2010 8:15 am | No Comments Posted

BOZEMAN - Officials with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks are backing off a plan that would have reduced elk hunting in the upper Gallatin Canyon region.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks Biologist Julie Cunningham says a decline in elk numbers in the area is not because of hunters. Instead, officials say predators like wolves and grizzly bears are to blame.

In 2005, about 1,500 elk wintered in the upper Gallatin. But the department says the winter population is now closer to 300. In December, the department considered only allowing about five elk to be hunted in the district. But hunters spoke out against the plan, and the agency now says it will continue hunting at current levels.


/QUOTE]

 

[The Hedgehog]

Many were in support of reducing the hunting in the Gallatin.

In the meeting held regarding this problem several weeks ago, FWP said they expected to leave the hunting "as is" which is by unlimited permit, for 2 more years. I thought that was odd, given the "alarming trends" they had been seeing in the counts.

The department never considered only "allowing about five elk to be hunted in the district".. leave it to the press.

When there's no elk, the hunters won't have much of an impact anyway.

There needs to be a lot of wolves and bears killed in that area or it will be screwed for a long time.

 

[shoots-straight]

We have been working hard with the dept. on a assortment of opportunities for hunters, to bring bear, lion, and hopefully wolves, into a more elk friendly population.We think the dept. is going to extend the spring bear season here into June, open it (along with lions and wolves) for archery with the general archery season. We had an emergency lion summit last year and got tags increased by 4 fold. The lion harvest over here is already twice what it has been. Last spring, the bear harvest in region 2 was something like 10 bears. That's really low, so if season is extended to June 15 we should at least double that. Our other wild card is the Natives (American Indians) we have a request to talk with the bio from the reservation, to get a handle on the moose, elk, and deer harvests from them. It doesn't make much sense in having a limited entry (mule deer) area for white eyes, when the native Americans are killing everything we save.

We did have sportsman who wern't willing to give up opportunity, because they felt that the wolves were to blame, not them. I have a hard time explaining to stupid.

 

[mtmiller]

Four year wait for 10% elk HD's tabled.

http://www.fwp.mt.gov/doingBusiness/insideFwp/commission/audio.html

 

[----]

Have you been listening all morning Miller?
What else has gone through?

 

[mtmiller]

Naw, I just caught about 20 minutes before they went to lunch. I think Region 3 elk was on-deck at 1300.

 

[----]

I wish to hell FWP made some attempt to make these audio tune-ins more accessible. I checked the website at 9 or so to see if it was being aired, and couldn't find it anywhere. You'd think they could link to it on their main hunting page or something.
Oh well, hopefully they saved the good stuff for this afternoon.

 

[----]

I'm really curious to see if this change from cow elk permits to licenses go through, which makes no sense to me.

 

[shoots-straight]

It did. They are going to go A-9 /B-12 for cow tags. The main thing it does is gives more money to FW&Ps. More money they can't spend. Your right makes no sense.

Miller, they tabled the 4 year wait because Willey Doll loves for he and his buds to get the Breaks tags every year. It had been modified to let the land owners that allow public to access their lands or blm to get the tag every year. As we all know corrupt landowners will not play fair. This is BS.

 

[----]

Man that's going to be a clusterphuck, I don't know what they're trying to do. There's one unit in specific I can think of that this can REALLY screw with.
Pretty sure they axed all the Gardiner late hunts too. Probably rightfully so, but man I wish I could've had the chance to experience that at some point.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I can't get the audio to work. Did they really axe the late-season Gardiner elk permits? I didn't realize that was being considered. Probably necessary though.

 

[Bwana]

So where are the wolves and bears going to go when there is no more food in the pantry? I would assume the will venture further out?

 

[tjones]

Yep they are gone Greenhorn

 

[BuzzH]

That A/9 B/12 idea is pure crap...what a joke.

Thats what we get for having political appointments to the F&G commission,which is made up of landowners, outfitters, and real-estate agents.

 

[BRI]

That is pure horseshiz! At the meeting I went to, there were only a couple of people who were in favor of those A9/B12 licenses. And almost everyone I've talked to is against it! Un-believable!

 

[BuzzH]

BRI,

After our discussion the other night...I cant believe that passed. Sure going to change things for your Dad and the guys he hunts with.

It is unbelievable.

 

[tjones]

The A9/B12 passing had nothing to do with anything other then money. I went to 3 tentative meetings and the comments aganist were overwhelming. This came down from above. Instead of a $5 drawing fee now its a $5 drawing fee and a $25 license for residents and a $5 fee and $278 for non residents. Dumb as hell.

 

[BuzzH]

Pretty sad when money is given priority over hunter opportunity and doing whats best for the resource...but why should I act surprised?

Its going to jack drawing odds up big-time for both cow permits and bull permits.

 

[Drake4]

What was the cost of an A-9 tag last year? I don't remember.
I agree it will really screw with the odds for the cow permits.
Buzz..why do you think it will change things so much?

 

[tjones]

A9 were $25 last year. Shoot everyone will put in for the A9. Before if you wanted a cow permit you would put in for it first choice on the same line as applying for a bull permit. Now if you want an A9 you can put in for it on its line on the app, and still put in for a limited bull tag on its line on the app first choice,,,odds just went out the window!

What is real sad is the elusion of public comment, means zip!