MT Elk Regulations Should Change!

[sp6x6]

I hope to be a retired, elk hunter some day.Ive hunted multiple states, etc.What hurt it the most and ruined it for me are the wolfs were I live.Had many chances my whole life .Now I have to travel far in state for better odds.The elk I use to chase where hard to get to also, wilderness elk.Was just in tracks tonight on way off mountain.Ive hiked 25 miles in last 2 weekends up to 6800 vert. haven't seen a animal.

 

[MtPockets]

I don't know what to say. I'm one of those old retired guys. I love to hunt and particularly hunt elk. Live in Oregon and archery hunt here. I'm extremely lucky as my wife enjoys the mountains and loves to camp. We usually go out 2-3 weeks before season and set up camp and start scouting. We stay the whole season, son and grandsons come out as there schedules allows. Never hunted Montana but have hunted Idaho quite a bit. Yes we go for the entire season, for the most part we are alone on this hunt. This is our fun (vacation, if old retired people can have a vacation). We don't go on trips, very seldom eat out or things like that. We just enjoy being in the outdoors and with an elk tag in my pocket, it just can't get any better. Would love to hunt Montana. And yes I understand that as a nonresident I wouldn't be very popular and for that I apologize. I really don't like going places that I'm not wanted and I guess that gets back to my first sentence. I don't know what to say.

Zero reason to apologize. You're living your life the way many of us wish we could.
Congrats, and keep on keeping on!

 

[nksmfamjp]

I've been thinking about the common complaints MT hunters have lately. We've got this ridiculously long season and tag holders can hunt all of it with all weapons. I think this will definitely change in the near future as hunter crowding is getting out of hand. I always thought our long season gave a working man a chance to feed his family because not everyone can be afield for a great length of time with work and all…. I think the generous season is being abused by one very certain parasitic type of hunter. These are the non-resident DIY who spend most or even ALL the of the season pressuring our game while we are at work. These are retirees, staying in their campers, hunting the front country old man style, basically driving all the game into private or deep in the hills. I think it would go a long long way to creating better opportunities for all hunters if we limited non residents to an 8 day window which they would need to apply for when they put in for a license.

I think your bigger issues are other issues. First, the 1000's of out of state retirees Montanan's have let into the state to buy up all the ranches and turn permissive lands and block lands into non-permissive lands.

Second are the 10's of 1000's of out-of-staters Montanans let in and sold them homes or land to build homes cheap. Now it is $700k for a home in Missoula and hunters are lined up a mile deep at the block management boxes or public lands.

Third are the assholes who block public lands from freedom loving Americans who own the land they are blocking. Think about all the elk you could get to corner crossing or if you could actually access all the public sections.

I digress. As an out of state hunter, I could live with 8 days, but since I pay 10 what in state hunters do, I wonder if the 8 day rule should apply only to out of state hunters?? Yes, I'm hunting with family. I'm glad they did not build the plant I work at in Montana.

 

[aebhunter]

I don't know, all the hunting celebrities say we need more hunters. They can't be wrong.....right?

Haha. I always got a kick out of that too. I am not sure what world they live in, but I have never seen so many hunters in my now 35 years of being in the woods. It's insane out there. I have watched the once incredible greater yellowstone herd (which primarily existed on public land) become a collective unicorn. Theories abound as to its demise, but I have a feeling the used car lot that the trailheads have become may have something to do with it.

Montana's block management is the best program I've been able to experience for public hunters to access private land. I hope it stays that way for everyone's sake.

I couldn't disagree more. The ranch I hunt on now used to be Block Management. I have hunted there since I was a kid. They are family friends and we have branded, fixed fence, preg tested and helped with general ranch stuff until recently, when the owners retired. It used to be the owners would pretty much let most people hunt if they felt like you were a decent person and would treat their property with respect. The Block Management Program came along and they jumped in with both feet. What took place in those 3 unfortunate years is hard to describe. It actually made me lose faith in most of the general hunting public for sure, and even in people in general. I witnessed fistfights over elk, countless wounded elk, complete annhilation of the mule deer population, flock shooting, trespassing, pretty much the worst of the worst. After the 1st year the hunting was terrible, and it only got worse from there.

After one unsavory day when nearly 20 vehicles were parked at the ranch house despite a 10 hunter per week limit they called it quits. It was too much for the family to manage and FWP was pretty much worthless in providing any help or enforcement of the rules. Ranchers are generally busy ranching and the last thing they want to do is manage a bunch of asshats who can't act like an adult. There was just too much pressure on the property and even if people would have behaved themselves the quality of the hunting experience was pretty much doomed from both a quality and quantity standpoint. The neighboring ranches sure seemed to have good hunting those years though. After a couple years of recovery the hunting has gotten back to being better, although the deer situation still is pretty rough. We mainly take our kids hunting there now and a few locals as well.

I used to knock on doors to ask for permission when I was a kid. Offer to help with a chore or two. Don't just show up during hunting season. I think we were alot better off with that system.

 

[MtPockets]

Haha. I always got a kick out of that too. I am not sure what world they live in, but I have never seen so many hunters in my now 35 years of being in the woods. It's insane out there. I have watched the once incredible greater yellowstone herd (which primarily existed on public land) become a collective unicorn. Theories abound as to its demise, but I have a feeling the used car lot that the trailheads have become may have something to do with it.

I couldn't disagree more. The ranch I hunt on now used to be Block Management. I have hunted there since I was a kid. They are family friends and we have branded, fixed fence, preg tested and helped with general ranch stuff until recently, when the owners retired. It used to be the owners would pretty much let most people hunt if they felt like you were a decent person and would treat their property with respect. The Block Management Program came along and they jumped in with both feet. What took place in those 3 unfortunate years is hard to describe. It actually made me lose faith in most of the general hunting public for sure, and even in people in general. I witnessed fistfights over elk, countless wounded elk, complete annhilation of the mule deer population, flock shooting, trespassing, pretty much the worst of the worst. After the 1st year the hunting was terrible, and it only got worse from there.

After one unsavory day when nearly 20 vehicles were parked at the ranch house despite a 10 hunter per week limit they called it quits. It was too much for the family to manage and FWP was pretty much worthless in providing any help or enforcement of the rules. Ranchers are generally busy ranching and the last thing they want to do is manage a bunch of asshats who can't act like an adult. There was just too much pressure on the property and even if people would have behaved themselves the quality of the hunting experience was pretty much doomed from both a quality and quantity standpoint. The neighboring ranches sure seemed to have good hunting those years though. After a couple years of recovery the hunting has gotten back to being better, although the deer situation still is pretty rough. We mainly take our kids hunting there now and a few locals as well.

I used to knock on doors to ask for permission when I was a kid. Offer to help with a chore or two. Don't just show up during hunting season. I think we were alot better off with that system.

I agree with Will that the block managment is great for the hunter, but obviously not as great for the landowner. We've all seen the bs that groups of hunters bring, unfortunately fixing their poor behavior is difficult or rather nearly impossible.
I wish that there was a way for the a.holes that caused that BM to go away to understand WHY it went away. Probably wouldnt matter anyway because it's NEVER "me".

 

[dmj]

Oh don't you know. They are entitled so it can't be them. Lol

 

[bluedog69]

Missouri gives out 5 tags..... LOL

 

[L.Sherm]

I hate to say it but montana is gonna have to do something, I won't be surprised if picking your weapon comes down the pike.
Just the out of state people who have moved here lately that can buy a resident license i bet has gone up alot.
Here is what I'm talking about.
Look at the NR from 2019-2021

 

[LRNut]

I would give my left nut to hunt the whole season from a pickup - good coffee - good cigars - good doughnuts - good warm heater - lunch in town at the Rusty Spur - maybe a nap before the afternoon cruise - hell, that's living man.


Sign me up!

You need to do stand up comedy! That is hilarious.

 

[Stk]

I've been thinking about the common complaints MT hunters have lately. We've got this ridiculously long season and tag holders can hunt all of it with all weapons. I think this will definitely change in the near future as hunter crowding is getting out of hand. I always thought our long season gave a working man a chance to feed his family because not everyone can be afield for a great length of time with work and all…. I think the generous season is being abused by one very certain parasitic type of hunter. These are the non-resident DIY who spend most or even ALL the of the season pressuring our game while we are at work. These are retirees, staying in their campers, hunting the front country old man style, basically driving all the game into private or deep in the hills. I think it would go a long long way to creating better opportunities for all hunters if we limited non residents to an 8 day window which they would need to apply for when they put in for a license.

Wah wah. You whine too much. You're mad at "parasitic retirees" road hunting? Those "parasites" paid a lot more money for their tag than you did. Plenty of residents go out and kill elk and deer every year. Don't pretend like you're the only one with a job and that's the reason you seem to have a harder time than others.

 

[Troutslayer2]

I have other solutions.

1. NR hunters must declare a HD
2. All NR hunters are required to use a guide
3. NR hunters choose weapon/season
4. Move application deadline earlier than any western state.
5. Raise cost.
6. NR hunters ineligible to apply for district/species with less than 10 tags because drawing just one would take more than the 10% quota. How do NRs draw sheep tags in districts that only give one tag? I know the answer by the way but that's not to say I think it's fair.
7. Figure out more barriers to producing "content" on public land. Permits, fees… Treat even the lowest rung content creators the same as the professionals. If they are getting ANY revenue at all they should be paying. The public can scan their content for violations and report them for a cash reward.

The days of Montanans being gracious hosts are over in case you haven't noticed.

I can do this all day I should start a nonprofit and start lobbying the legislature.

 

[gusd]

Public land hmm. Most is federal lands payed for and maintained by the tax paying public of the USA. Yep pretty sure your best bet is to succeed from the union!

 

[L.Sherm]

Public land hmm. Most is federal lands payed for and maintained by the tax paying public of the USA. Yep pretty sure your best bet is to succeed from the union!

This isn't a public land issue like some are trying to make it but a MONTANA game management issue.

 

[Troutslayer2]

8. Gate more roads and end the buggy plague!