SE Montana winter kill

[8andcounting]

In fact this year I think I will buy a bunch , freezer is kinda low . R7 here I come !!!!!

 

[HalfAce]

The original regs for 2017 had 7500 listed but they changed it to 11,000. Here's the link http://fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=84630

I go by the reg. book FWP sends me in the mail each year or what’s in their online PDF regulations. So FWP changes quotas after print of the regs? On one hand that could be a good thing. If there is a tough winter they can reduce permits. But I have never seen it used to reduce permits the same year after a tough winter. But it looks like they don’t mind adding permits after print… So they DO have the flexibility to make knee jerk reactions. Too bad it’s never in the best interests of the wildlife. I wonder how many $15 mule deer doe tags they need to sell to pay to make the changes to the regs. after they are printed?

I wonder what 11,000 less mule deer does after a tough winter will do to Eastern Montana hunt quality in the coming years?

Earlier this week I talked to an old timer friend of mine who lives in Western Montana. He has gone hunting to Eastern Montana every year since the late 80’s. He fell in love with the hunting out there because in the 80’s and 90’s he and his party saw deer in “EVERY field”. He’s not a trophy hunter, but he said it was easy to find a “large tall or wide 4 pt.” every year. He continued going out there every year even after the winter of 2010-2011 because he could always find a decent buck to fill his tag. But he admitted the hunting out there is progressively getting worse and he's lost hope that it will come back to what it was even in the early 2000’s. (I personally thought the early 2000’s were phenomenal hunting) He isn't happy with what MTFWP continues NOT to do after tough winters. So this year he’s passing on E. MT and going Mule deer hunting with me in Wyoming.

I used to think it was an impossible thought to turn Eastern MT Mule deer hunting into what its like in the SW region of the state. Now days, that thought may not be so impossible anymore.

 

[Dieseldog]

There shouldn't be a mule doe tag sold in ND ever . Ever. We don't have the mule deer montana does

Maybe ND doesn't want as many muleys as MT. Also there is a thing called carrying capacity. Mother nature always bat's last.

 

[8andcounting]

I go by the reg. book FWP sends me in the mail each year or what’s in their online PDF regulations. So FWP changes quotas after print of the regs? On one hand that could be a good thing. If there is a tough winter they can reduce permits. But I have never seen it used to reduce permits the same year after a tough winter. But it looks like they don’t mind adding permits after print… So they DO have the flexibility to make knee jerk reactions. Too bad it’s never in the best interests of the wildlife. I wonder how many $15 mule deer doe tags they need to sell to pay to make the changes to the regs. after they are printed?

I wonder what 11,000 less mule deer does after a tough winter will do to Eastern Montana hunt quality in the coming years?

Earlier this week I talked to an old timer friend of mine who lives in Western Montana. He has gone hunting to Eastern Montana every year since the late 80’s. He fell in love with the hunting out there because in the 80’s and 90’s he and his party saw deer in “EVERY field”. He’s not a trophy hunter, but he said it was easy to find a “large tall or wide 4 pt.” every year. He continued going out there every year even after the winter of 2010-2011 because he could always find a decent buck to fill his tag. But he admitted the hunting out there is progressively getting worse and he's lost hope that it will come back to what it was even in the early 2000’s. (I personally thought the early 2000’s were phenomenal hunting) He isn't happy with what MTFWP continues NOT to do after tough winters. So this year he’s passing on E. MT and going Mule deer hunting with me in Wyoming.

I used to think it was an impossible thought to turn Eastern MT Mule deer hunting into what its like in the SW region of the state. Now days, that thought may not be so impossible anymore.

I agree with you , they shouldn't be able to change the regs unless they are going to reduce permits . Also , I don't hunt deer in R7 but in Late 90s and early 2000s I did a lot of antelope hunting around baker and then up north by Savage , and lots of times there was deer in dang near ever field . I remember seeing A lot of muleys . Now I haven't been back to these areas for long time but back then there was what I thought was a lot of deer

 

[EYJONAS!]

In fact this year I think I will buy a bunch , freezer is kinda low . R7 here I come !!!!!

O.k. ok ok little buddy, don't get all razzled. Come on out and have fun. Hope you guys have a great trip, i guess if you knew me i got a pretty dry sense of humor. It's all about having fun even on this site.

 

[8andcounting]

Maybe ND doesn't want as many muleys as MT. Also there is a thing called carrying capacity. Mother nature always bat's last.

I understand that but ND G&F is a absolute sh't show for about ten thousand reasons . They couldn't manage a outhouse

 

[Flatrock]

I understand that but ND G&F is a absolute sh't show for about ten thousand reasons . They couldn't manage a outhouse

Dude are you always this miserable?

 

[timmy]

ND actually has mature deer. Guess it depends on what you consider management. Oh and yes the winter another major storm coming in.

 

[Schism]

I understand that but ND G&F is a absolute sh't show for about ten thousand reasons . They couldn't manage a outhouse

I spend a lot of time hunting in MT and ND. In my opinion the MT FWP could stand to learn a bit from the ND G&F. Sure the G&F makes mistakes but their ability to manage for both quality and quantity of game is something I haven’t seen from MT FWP in decades. I feel much of the criticism of ND G&F is blown out of proportion.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I spend a lot of time hunting in MT and ND. In my opinion the MT FWP could stand to learn a bit from the ND G&F. Sure the G&F makes mistakes but their ability to manage for both quality and quantity of game is something I haven’t seen from MT FWP in decades. I feel much of the criticism of ND G&F is blown out of proportion.

Nice post, this is what I've heard from a couple friends that live in the NE part of the state.

 

[MTGomer]

I saw how ND cut tags when the population crashed. Montana would never do that.

I also saw more 160+ whitetail sand 180+ muleys from the lease roads in 3 years than I’ve seen in Montana, including hiking all over the back country my whole life.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Dude are you always this miserable?

We must of struck a real soft spot in Mr. 8, betcha camp is real fun if things aren't going his way.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I saw how ND cut tags when the population crashed. Montana would never do that.

I also saw more 160+ whitetail sand 180+ muleys from the lease roads in 3 years than I’ve seen in Montana, including hiking all over the back country my whole life.

Maybe when we get through our sheep adventure one of these years we should get a couple tags for ND and head out sounds like they got the deer I'm looking for.

 

[8andcounting]

Nd cut tags several years after they shot the heard to nothing . They don't manage at all. They mismanage. I am in a great mood . I have a lot of river bottom and I get a landowner tag every year . On my land there's more deer than ever right now . I'm just calling it Like I see it

 

[8andcounting]

Dude are you always this miserable?

I'm not miserable at all . Don't complain next time you don't get a nd deer tag .....

 

[8andcounting]

O.k. ok ok little buddy, don't get all razzled. Come on out and have fun. Hope you guys have a great trip, i guess if you knew me i got a pretty dry sense of humor. It's all about having fun even on this site.

I know it . And I thank you for the conversation . I will not be shooting any does . I wish the winter would have been better cuz it really seemed like the deer were coming back pretty well .

 

[Muleys32]

The rapid growth in nd is cuz they quit selling any mule doe tags for 4-5 years . Now they started again . Stupid

Also due to the fact that they had three very mild winters.

 

[8andcounting]

Also due to the fact that they had three very mild winters.

Yes the winters helped no question

 

[EYJONAS!]

Well here's another dagger 8-14 in some areas.

 

[8andcounting]

Well here's another dagger 8-14 in some areas.

For real ? What's travel in eastern Montana like ? I have to drive to red lodge tomorrow from ND . Will be coming on 94