If you return your tag, someone else will buy it guaranteed. A shorter season wouldn't matter. They could cut it down to 9 days like back in Wisconsin. But fish and game will still sell the same number tags to meet their money mark. Then there would be a hunter on every ridge for 9 days.
SE Montana winter kill
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If you return your tag, someone else will buy it guaranteed. A shorter season wouldn't matter. They could cut it down to 9 days like back in Wisconsin. But fish and game will still sell the same number tags to meet their money mark. Then there would be a hunter on every ridge for 9 days.
EYJONAS!
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I've seen first hand what a shorten season produces in Montana I'm gonna have to disagree
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tjones
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Shorter seasons don't work. Guys will get it done. Give the 9 days and there will be guys taking vacation and hitting it hard. LE is the only real way to actually control the exact number of bucks you want harvested.
Problem is most guys won't give up the opportunity.
I’d like to see 12-17 year olds over the counter and 18 and older draw system
EYJONAS!
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Interesting approach, Tjones I don't disagree guys will get it done during a shorter season but it allows some of the older bucks that only show their faces in a moment of weakness during the rut. In district 640 there used to be a 3 week season, ending relatively the 15th if I remember right. The quality of bucks in that country dropped significantly after the 5 week season was implemented. Not saying there not around, just not as abundant as they were when a 3 week season was in place. LE units implemented in each of the 600 districts as well as 700 would have a very positive effect I feel for regulating harvests and giving some deer a chance. Your exactly right though most guys wont forfeit the opportunity they have.
Me personally, I don't need to shoot a deer every year or every other year, I'm out looking for a buck that's special and if it takes a while to find him I'm ok with that. I would rather have a tag every three or four years and have a damn good chance at finding a tank then having a tag every year and only finding 3 year old bucks. That's just me though. Look at the Saskatewan season, I think they have a 4 year wait before they even get another chance for another shot at a rifle season, Muzzleloader and archery are different up there as well. Look at the bucks they harvest, there isn't one person that can convince me that we cant have somewhat of that caliber of deer in this state if we didn't have a 11 week free for all on the Mule Deer in E. MT.
Me personally, I don't need to shoot a deer every year or every other year, I'm out looking for a buck that's special and if it takes a while to find him I'm ok with that. I would rather have a tag every three or four years and have a damn good chance at finding a tank then having a tag every year and only finding 3 year old bucks. That's just me though. Look at the Saskatewan season, I think they have a 4 year wait before they even get another chance for another shot at a rifle season, Muzzleloader and archery are different up there as well. Look at the bucks they harvest, there isn't one person that can convince me that we cant have somewhat of that caliber of deer in this state if we didn't have a 11 week free for all on the Mule Deer in E. MT.
Nameless Range
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Not to stray too far from the infinite winter we are having, but instead of making these districts ones in which you can just blast a muley buck on your general tag, what about making them unlimited districts? So that if folks put in for them they get a buck permit, but they aren't allowed to hunt anywhere else for mule deer bucks.
The districts I grew up hunting were like this, and I think it limits folks more so than general tag hunting, but areas that are unlimited can still get unduly hammered for sure.
The districts I grew up hunting were like this, and I think it limits folks more so than general tag hunting, but areas that are unlimited can still get unduly hammered for sure.
8andcounting
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I drove from billings east to #12 and then to baker . I gotta say there wasn't the snow I expected . Some places there's none ... Maybe it's worse in other areas
8andcounting
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Yeh but u don't have to go east very far and there is no snow
EYJONAS!
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Your a pretty optimistic fellow aren't you.
I agree with this, most of the nicer bucks taken are taken in November when they are vulnerable during the rut. I sent letters to the FWP commission, FWP regional citizen advisory council members, and the Mule Deer Foundation chapter presidents with an idea for shortening the general mule deer season. Surprisingly, most of the people that got back to me agreed that something needed to be done to protect our mule deer. Unfortunately, one of the people that was strongly opposed to do anything about the current season was the Bozeman chapter president of the MDF. I just wish FWP would try something for like 3 years to see what effect it would have. I also think improving mule deer hunting in western MT would really help the state overall.
The new LE mule deer unit by Libby was a result of a citizens initiative and actually passed despite FWP being opposed to it. I don't know if something like this could ever be done to possibly get a shorter mule deer season, but it at least gives a guy hope.
I encourage everyone to listen to the BHA podcast with Roy Jacobs, he paints a pretty good picture of how mule deer hunting has changed in MT.
antlerradar
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Shorter seasons improve quality by forcing hunters to be less selective. If the rut is part of the season eliminated even better for better bucks. The less selective we are the more a chance that tags will be filled with bucks with little potential and the better the chance that the three year old 170 buck makes it to four years old.
With and earlier season hunters will still get it done and kill big deer. What will not happen near as often is catching a big buck on the move crossing a road or shooting one from the truck when he is down out to the hills rutting with the does in the hay fields.
With and earlier season hunters will still get it done and kill big deer. What will not happen near as often is catching a big buck on the move crossing a road or shooting one from the truck when he is down out to the hills rutting with the does in the hay fields.
The Hedgehog
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antlerradar
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As for winter, last night could not have been good. Rained/snowed all of yesterday getting everything real wet and then after dark it got cold and the wind blew in a fine fresh three inches of snow. More of the same in the forecast but at least it is going to start to warm up in a few days.
EYJONAS!
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I was waiting for something.
Coming back from Wyoming yesterday it was solid white I don't know what it's like right now around say Ashland and that specific area as of yesterday but it was plum white on every face going down Wednesday and coming back yesterday. Looked like it had some depth too.
Talking to a rancher I know that is calving right now along with many other ranchers in the area North of Highway 200. Their calf mortality rate is about 20 percent some worse. He said he lost 3 yesterday because he couldn't reach the calf in time because of the snow. I didn't ask about the other days because by the tone in his voice it sounded like one didn't need to. Another told me he lost 12 in one weekend, and 10 the next couple days. Not a good deal, both have said they are busting through pastures and some places the snow is over the hood of their pickups.
Went for a walk or tried to go for a walk a week or so ago just past Pompeys and the snow was over a guys knees, in the open areas. Never thought I would need snow shoes in Eastern Montana.
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tjones
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Problem with this is you run out of bucks. Guys banging the first spike, forky, 3x they see it doesn't take long to deplete the recruitment. All this was looked at before we got HD270 and HD261 converted to LE. Short term it appears to work, long term not so much. I need to look back at some info I have on this for HD250. IIRC there was a 3 week buck season for years and slowly the buck/doe ratio dropped to mid single digets. I flew one winter post season survey in a helo with FWP. We saw plenty of does and fawns problem is on the flight we saw one buck- 2x2. One buck. Shortly after it went LE.
That being said, a 3 week season out of the rut is much better then doing nothing.
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rogerthat
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The reality of it is, anything that decreases success is a step in the right direction. Less bucks harvested overall = better buck to doe ratios so not sure why you think a 3 week season out of the rut would increase buck harvest. I don't shoot a buck unless I find what I'm looking for no matter when the season is. It would be a lot harder for me to find what I'm looking for in October than it would be in November.
8andcounting
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I'm sure it has been awful I don't doubt that it just didn't seem like there was a ton on snow on the roads I was on but I never left the main roads . The temps alone have been enough to do them in .
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tjones
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Because your line of thought is not the way the masses hunt. The average guy out there with a tag is out there to fill the tag. First legal buck bites the dust. I have seen it not work in units that went to LE.
Units where they tried shortening the season to before the rut, then went to LE because the shorter season didn't help?
