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Tennessee Hunting Forums
Hunting - other than deer
Montana Mule Deer Hurting
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<blockquote data-quote="Dean Parisian" data-source="post: 5572363" data-attributes="member: 1011"><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>It was mentioned that every decade there is a survey done of the Montana hunting community. The last time I believe they said was 2011 if memory serves. Honestly, there is an absolute great opportunity to survey all Montana hunters, both resident and non-resident when the post-season telephonic surveys are completed. I would bet my saddle horse that most hunters would answer an additional 5 to 8 questions honestly and openly when called. Those callers are good, professional and respectful in my mind. I am one of those Montana hunters that is concerned about the mule deer resource. The Region 7 mule deer population is extremely unstable, contrary to what the FWP biologists are saying, with all due respect to Steve Atwood who I personally like, we just disagree on mule deer being at "objective". Look, they say they fly the Region every year and take turns making observations. How can anyone make accurate predictions and set rational seasons if you don't have accurate data inputs? Elk are nomadic, those elk move, how can you accurately assess population numbers on one fly-over? Get these biologists in the air two or three times a year or pay private contractors to get an accurate assessment of numbers. The deer numbers in the Custer Forest are way, way down. Mule deer numbers north of I-94 are way, way down. Ask any outfitter, any hunter, any FWP Warden. Todd Anderson, FWP Captain is a great hunter and trapper, he will tell you what is going on if you don't believe me. Allowing residents to kill 7 mule deer does a year is stunningly wrong. I buy mule deer doe tags (at non-resident prices) and throw them away as do many of my friends. Do any of you study what other states are doing with their mule deer herds? Does anyone at FWP study other states models? Stop listening to hunters and cut the season back. Listening to hunters on setting season dates is like listening to a drug addict tell you much they want to quit after their next fix. If you can't kill a deer in 4 weeks do you need 5 or 6? Shut down the season on November 15. Stop all those big breeding bucks from getting killed during the rut. With the Montana population influx you will eventually have to go to a lottery system sooner or later anyway. And for heavens sake, if deer hunters in Region 1 or 2, have a 3 week season, I am sure they will want to trot out to eastern Montana and put the Ford Sneak on a big buck during the rut. Make the seasons across the board, protect the resource, do the herds a favor. And one more simple request, make those Region 1 and 2 tags good for only that Region.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>As for elk, there isn't a need to run a "shoulder season" until February 15th. Heavens, you shoot a cow elk in a herd of 140, they run for miles, getting away from good feed and cover and that only does one thing, puts more stress on the entire herd. There just isn't a reason to drop a cow elk in February, walk up and gut it out while the calf is already good size. If you can't work with a rancher between September and say January to get a cow elk killed you don't need a elk killed on Valentines Day. For grins, think about this, build a web site, match up potential cow elk killers with ranchers. Let them know what the access fee is going to be, provide a clearing house of sorts, it can't be that hard on a Region basis. I could probably build a clearing house page on Facebook in the time it takes to drink a thermos of coffee. It's just the stress of running animals, deep snow, cold temperatures more fences coming down, the Montana resource doesn't need it, Montana ranchers don't need it.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dean Parisian, post: 5572363, member: 1011"] [B] It was mentioned that every decade there is a survey done of the Montana hunting community. The last time I believe they said was 2011 if memory serves. Honestly, there is an absolute great opportunity to survey all Montana hunters, both resident and non-resident when the post-season telephonic surveys are completed. I would bet my saddle horse that most hunters would answer an additional 5 to 8 questions honestly and openly when called. Those callers are good, professional and respectful in my mind. I am one of those Montana hunters that is concerned about the mule deer resource. The Region 7 mule deer population is extremely unstable, contrary to what the FWP biologists are saying, with all due respect to Steve Atwood who I personally like, we just disagree on mule deer being at "objective". Look, they say they fly the Region every year and take turns making observations. How can anyone make accurate predictions and set rational seasons if you don't have accurate data inputs? Elk are nomadic, those elk move, how can you accurately assess population numbers on one fly-over? Get these biologists in the air two or three times a year or pay private contractors to get an accurate assessment of numbers. The deer numbers in the Custer Forest are way, way down. Mule deer numbers north of I-94 are way, way down. Ask any outfitter, any hunter, any FWP Warden. Todd Anderson, FWP Captain is a great hunter and trapper, he will tell you what is going on if you don't believe me. Allowing residents to kill 7 mule deer does a year is stunningly wrong. I buy mule deer doe tags (at non-resident prices) and throw them away as do many of my friends. Do any of you study what other states are doing with their mule deer herds? Does anyone at FWP study other states models? Stop listening to hunters and cut the season back. Listening to hunters on setting season dates is like listening to a drug addict tell you much they want to quit after their next fix. If you can't kill a deer in 4 weeks do you need 5 or 6? Shut down the season on November 15. Stop all those big breeding bucks from getting killed during the rut. With the Montana population influx you will eventually have to go to a lottery system sooner or later anyway. And for heavens sake, if deer hunters in Region 1 or 2, have a 3 week season, I am sure they will want to trot out to eastern Montana and put the Ford Sneak on a big buck during the rut. Make the seasons across the board, protect the resource, do the herds a favor. And one more simple request, make those Region 1 and 2 tags good for only that Region. As for elk, there isn't a need to run a "shoulder season" until February 15th. Heavens, you shoot a cow elk in a herd of 140, they run for miles, getting away from good feed and cover and that only does one thing, puts more stress on the entire herd. There just isn't a reason to drop a cow elk in February, walk up and gut it out while the calf is already good size. If you can't work with a rancher between September and say January to get a cow elk killed you don't need a elk killed on Valentines Day. For grins, think about this, build a web site, match up potential cow elk killers with ranchers. Let them know what the access fee is going to be, provide a clearing house of sorts, it can't be that hard on a Region basis. I could probably build a clearing house page on Facebook in the time it takes to drink a thermos of coffee. It's just the stress of running animals, deep snow, cold temperatures more fences coming down, the Montana resource doesn't need it, Montana ranchers don't need it. [/B] [/QUOTE]
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