Podcast on Montana Mule Deer ideas

[DFS]

I don't think we disagree. NR caps is a big selling point for people in regions 6 and 7. The problem is most of the hunters live in other regions and caps in 6 and 7 translate into more NR in there hunting place.

I don’t see this moving the needle for mule deer hunting pressure in eastern Montana. Still better than what we have now with the rut hunt I guess though.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I don’t see this moving the needle for mule deer hunting pressure in eastern Montana. Still better than what we have now with the rut hunt I guess though.

The data that the group looked at suggests that the split in seasons, coupled with the move to Oct for MD and Nov for WT means that more NR's will choose Whitetail than they currently do. FWP data suggests that residents favor whitetail over MD, so if anything I'd expect to see a leveling out in terms of choice, and more self-selection in where people hunt.

Region 7 could still utilize limited entry districts under this proposal, or they could have choose your region for R's 6 & 7. Keeping broad commission authority to enact regional and location specific management is a cornerstone of the group's ethic. The proposal should not be viewed as a 1 size fits all approach, but rather a foundation that's based more on hunter pressure and wildlife distribution as opposed to only considering hunter opportunity.