Privatization of Wildlife Management

[antlerradar]

Hunting is all about money since about 1995,future hunters will need lots of money for any chance of hunting more than once every 10 years.

I think that the tag every ten years thing is kind of a red herring when people bring up limited entry. The only tag that needs to be severely limited is rife mule deer buck during the rut. There are a host of hunting possibilities like elk, whitetail,October mule deer and weapon restricted seasons that would not have to be limited nearly as much. I think that there are plenty of ways that Montana can still provide lots of opportunity and improve the mule deer herd. I don't envision any scenario where a person doesn't get to go hunting every year, you just are not going to be able to blast a mule deer buck every November. The funding problem is the main reason I supported the base licence years back. FWP funding needs to diversify away from being nearly entirely dependent on deer/elk A tags.
Where I live we all but lost the chance at a big deer on public 15 years ago and now over all numbers are failing. There might be an occasional better year but real improvement on public land is not going to happen as long as we have a nearly state wide one size fits all five week season during November. The longer we delay in shaking things up the more landowners and hunters/Outfitters that lease private land will take over management of wildlife and FWP's role will shift towards where the OP fears.

 

[squirrel]

To the actual topic, someone has to be the adult in the room and tell the children they can't have candy before bed. It is not working with the Gov't having this role. And isn't it funny how they have absolutely no problem bucking public opinion when it COSTS them money yet cave to a coalition of 3 bar-stool hunters when the result will be financially in their favor.

"due to overwhelming sportsman's demands fees will be increasing"

My favorite of two quotes from a meeting... "we need to do this (kill the deer) for the sake of our children" Translation- My kid needs college $

Since it is one of my two weekends/year I went for two walks, one at the bottom end of the "dying range" and I saw not a single deer where 6 years ago under similar snowpack i would have seen 500-1000, with numerous bucks over 170 if lucky a couple nice ones.

On my second day (I'm allowed 4/year remember) I went to the upper end of the same chunk and saw 98 deer 3 bucks a spike and forkie and 16" 3x3 with pencil mass. From this data they get record deer numbers and 50/100 buck doe ratios and over objective herd (triggering class "b" tags for doe) and additional printing of cash... uh I mean buck tags.

Given that there were 0 deer at the low end there should have been 1-2000 on that second hike. Now I firmly believe that these people are pretty dumb but I in no way feel that even a gov't employee can count 100 deer and believe that they are 16,765 in number.

i would bet there are some wise people in higher places wringing their hands over the ballot for introducing the wolf. Very much hoping that it happens so they will have their scapegoat, as so far CWD and shed hunters have only postponed the day when the music stops and there aint enough chairs. They are running out of strawdogs and need some furry ones.