NR licenses in MT

[Rat Fink]

Just an idea here. Hoping to start a brainstorming session with you guys. What about mandatory game checks for all successful hunters, much like whats in place for MT bears? And then couple that with next years NR license quotas being set at 10% of the successful hunters per species? I know it's kinda crazy but I really believe a non conventional formula like that could work. Of course ranchers with leasing income and outfitters would fight it like crazy but it would establish a system that would be a rolling cap on non residents, some good years and some bad years, and in those bad years animals will be given a chance to recover some.

Will something like this work? I doubt it will ever get anywhere or maybe it isn't sound biologically? I just think it's time to think outside the box if we are ever gonna stop the money interests from managing the wildlife and leaving residents picking through the gut piles for scraps.

 

[mdunc8]

Without much thought, I would say no. Take a year like we had in SW Montana last fall. Cold and lots of early snow = high success including probably higher than usual harvest of big bulls. Using your strategy, we would then increase the number of tags this year when the animals could probably use a break.

 

[shoots-straight]

Just an idea here. Hoping to start a brainstorming session with you guys. What about mandatory game checks for all successful hunters, much like whats in place for MT bears? And then couple that with next years NR license quotas being set at 10% of the successful hunters per species? I know it's kinda crazy but I really believe a non conventional formula like that could work. Of course ranchers with leasing income and outfitters would fight it like crazy but it would establish a system that would be a rolling cap on non residents, some good years and some bad years, and in those bad years animals will be given a chance to recover some.

Will something like this work? I doubt it will ever get anywhere or maybe it isn't sound biologically? I just think it's time to think outside the box if we are ever gonna stop the money interests from managing the wildlife and leaving residents picking through the gut piles for scraps.

I don't see how that's going to line any outfitters pockets, so who cares.


We tried getting that for years now. We'll try again this next tentative process.

 

[elk_hunter]

If you want to do mandatory game checks, do something similar to what we have in NV. Force all hunters to fill out a short survey online indicating whether they took an animal or not and some info about it. Data is transmitted and accumulated in a database and then whoever can run stats on it and whatnot. If hunters don't fill it out, they get fined. And, if they fill it out incorrectly and are audited and are found to have provided false information, they get fined.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Rat Fink- Contrary to what most residents seem to believe, the NR's aren't the ones killing all the game in Montana. Contrast 17,000 NR deer and elk tags versus how many OTC res tags (Over 100,000 I think).

Turning this into a resident vs nonresident fight is counterproductive to everyone.

 

[mixedbag]

I agree Gerald.How is restricting NR licenses going to do much about the harvest with unrestricted resident licenses.Obviously, residents kill more animals then NR that are only there a week or two.I can see your stance on NR rat fink, but how many of them do you actually run into while hunting???We sell 7-800,000 licenses here in Pa,and I NEVER have a problem getting away from people in a state that a 1/4 of the size of yours
I just can't see how NR make that much difference in your state.Except to keep your licenses cheap,and pay for block management.
If you were to come here rat fink, I'd welcome you and get you in a place I'd know you'd take an animal.I guess I have a different outlook on other hunters then you do and draw state lines