R7 mule b tags

[Redside]

Thought of this thread when I got the MT FWP "hunting forecast" earlier this season. If one were to only read that you would think you are doing a good thing by buying some doe tags.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks :: 2019 big game hunting forecast

fwp.mt.gov

“Mule deer are looking good,” Foster said, “Numbers are 5 percent below last year but still 27 percent above long-term average.”
Foster determines long-term average by tracing survey data back to the 1996-97 season and harvest figures back to 1976.
Surveys show mule deer population density in southeast Montana has been increasing since about 2012, when deer numbers began to rebound from a crash following back-to-back bitter winters. In 2015, deer reached the highest density recorded in the past three decades.

 

[8andcounting]

Thought of this thread when I got the MT FWP "hunting forecast" earlier this season. If one were to only read that you would think you are doing a good thing by buying some doe tags.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks :: 2019 big game hunting forecast

fwp.mt.gov

“Mule deer are looking good,” Foster said, “Numbers are 5 percent below last year but still 27 percent above long-term average.”
Foster determines long-term average by tracing survey data back to the 1996-97 season and harvest figures back to 1976.
Surveys show mule deer population density in southeast Montana has been increasing since about 2012, when deer numbers began to rebound from a crash following back-to-back bitter winters. In 2015, deer reached the highest density recorded in the past three decades.

Except they have no clue how many deer are or aren’t on public . 11k b tags to be used on public or private is ridiculous. If they were private land only then maybe have a legit reason but we don’t need to be killing several doe each on public land

 

[Redside]

Not disagreeing with you, just saying that's what FWP is putting out there. Sure paints a rosy picture. A lot of people look to the game and fish for answers when they want to know how a population is doing.

 

[8andcounting]

Not disagreeing with you, just saying that's what FWP is putting out there. Sure paints a rosy picture. A lot of people look to the game and fish for answers when they want to know how a population is doing.

Yeh I get what your saying and your correct . But a lot of people want Opportunity over anything else and like Fwp , will never admit that the number of deer on the landscape does not justify number of b tags

 

[timmy]

If you are worried about it 8andcounting go talk to the fwp and then you will realize it isn’t going to change and there is nothing you can do about it. We can complain til we are blue in the face and it’s not going to do a bit of good. A lot of people’s standards are so low this will always be the hunt of their life no matter how bad it gets. CWD is also going to justify Montana FWP management with the objective of keeping population low to prevent the spread. This is the new normal like it or not.

 

[8andcounting]

If you are worried about it 8andcounting go talk to the fwp and then you will realize it isn’t going to change and there is nothing you can do about it. We can complain til we are blue in the face and it’s not going to do a bit of good. A lot of people’s standards are so low this will always be the hunt of their life no matter how bad it gets. CWD is also going to justify Montana FWP management with the objective of keeping population low to prevent the spread. This is the new normal like it or not.

Unfortunately, your exactly right

 

[antlerradar]

If you are worried about it 8andcounting go talk to the fwp and then you will realize it isn’t going to change and there is nothing you can do about it. We can complain til we are blue in the face and it’s not going to do a bit of good. A lot of people’s standards are so low this will always be the hunt of their life no matter how bad it gets. CWD is also going to justify Montana FWP management with the objective of keeping population low to prevent the spread. This is the new normal like it or not.

Sad but true

 

[antlerradar]

11,000 kinda light given how much land there is. All the hunters will disperse themselves naturally, kind of like the animals do. It's science.

The hunters are dispersing to every bit of accessible public and the deer are dispersing to the private. Not working out so well for the public land hunter.

 

[timmy]

The hunters are dispersing to every bit of accessible public and the deer are dispersing to the private. Not working out so well for the public land hunter.

There is still enough deer to keep most people happy though and I don’t see that changing. I elk hunted an area in Idaho that had a general 2 point deer season. The amount of general deer hunters was impressive. Could you imagine hunting deer with the goal of killing a 2 point. The demand is there and the people will continue coming no matter how bad it gets. I know hunters that are family friends that have drove from Wisconsin to shoot does. When the 2 points run out I suspect they will still come.

 

[The Hedgehog]

The hunters are dispersing to every bit of accessible public and the deer are dispersing to the private. Not working out so well for the public land hunter.

Hopefully you realize I was being sarcastic.

 

[antlerradar]

Hopefully you realize I was being sarcastic.

So am I.
Good sarcasm is a play on the truth.

 

[antlerradar]

One of the problems we have in Montana is that FWP manages Mule Deer and Whitetails together as if they are the same. Whitetails and Mule Deer are apples and oranges.
I don't know for certain but is seams like western states jumped on the mule deer doe hunting bandwagon after Eastern states started to hunt whitetail does to control population. Just a guess. If you try to manage mule deer does like you would whitetails it is not going to end well for the Mule Deer.

 

[8andcounting]

One of the problems we have in Montana is that FWP manages Mule Deer and Whitetails together as if they are the same. Whitetails and Mule Deer are apples and oranges.
I don't know for certain but is seams like western states jumped on the mule deer doe hunting bandwagon after Eastern states started to hunt whitetail does to control population. Just a guess. If you try to manage mule deer does like you would whitetails it is not going to end well for the Mule Deer.

I’ve noticed this . Where we hunt there’s fair number of whitetail and seems like they rebound faster from bad winters . When I started hunting this place we never saw a whitetail now seems every year there’s more . Mule numbers are still good in this spot but there’s getting to be lots of whitetail . I might buy a otc whitetail doe tag , our rancher does not like seeing the whitetails around

 

[antlerradar]

I think if it wasn't for EHD whitetails would displace mule deer in much of eastern Montana with the current management

 

[8andcounting]

I think if it wasn't for EHD whitetails would displace mule deer in much of eastern Montana with the current management

Agreed

 

[Mtnhunter1]

The hunters are dispersing to every bit of accessible public and the deer are dispersing to the private. Not working out so well for the public land hunter.

Yup! SE Montana deer management at it's finest! There is not a partial of public accessible land that is not seeing heavy hunting pressure. The difference from previous years is the moisture that the area received this year. The moisture and good vegetation growth had the deer very spread out and that included the public lands. The deer were not dependent on the greener hay fields and pastures of the closed off private lands. With that, the opener HARVEST was very, very good!




Guessing that these two public land partials will be damn near devoid of wildlife after a week or two of this type of hunting HARVEST......
Both parties were checked out by the Warden and no citations were written,,,,all was good, legal and they had more R7 doe tags to fill!

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

Let's guess where they're from since you blacked out the license plate

I'm going with MN for this group of dink shooters.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

Let's guess where they're from since you blacked out the license plate

I'm going with MN for this group of dink shooters.

Not beating on the Nonresident hunters as the trailer pic that had critters stacked three deep was from W. MT.!! As mentioned in this thread, these folks are just filling their legally purchased tags!!

I did make a point to swing into the Miles City FWP office to vent my frustations,,,,

 

[thusby]

In all honesty almost every state I have hunted deer had unlimited doe tags for some reason.
Wisconsin - 2 free with my license and almost unlimited additional.
Minnesota - almost unlimited over counter.
Mississippi - 5 bucks and 8 does per calendar year.
Montana - well you know...

 

[antlerradar]

I did make a point to swing into the Miles City FWP office to vent my frustations,,,,

I bet that went well.