I seen a YouTube of Ranfy Newburgh and they were laughing about the "working man" paying for their fun. Turned me off and haven't watched another of his videos since.
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Elk arrived!!
- Thread starter bigngreen
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For the record, CWD (chronic wasting disease) has been a significant factor as well, at least in Colorado. Some things we can affect more than others; poaching is 100% the fault of humans, as is wounding one or more and continuing to hunt other animals.
bigngreen
Well-Known Member
Ya, I heard about their plan a few months ago, there will be no deer or elk hunting in NW MT soon.
I've advocated the last 4 years here in Region 1 to do some permit are or areas like 240 wilderness for the cabinets and 261-270 to get the MD Bucks age class up instead of all the MD bucks getting whacked like they do know.
All I got from the Management and head biologist was and I Quote " we dont like to take opportunity away" even though there own numbers show the MD have never recovered from 96-97 winter and to this day are still declining.
I gotta give the Libby residents credit they basically forced the Kalispell office to make east half of 103 MD permit only even though Kalispell office was 100% against it.
All I got from the Management and head biologist was and I Quote " we dont like to take opportunity away" even though there own numbers show the MD have never recovered from 96-97 winter and to this day are still declining.
I gotta give the Libby residents credit they basically forced the Kalispell office to make east half of 103 MD permit only even though Kalispell office was 100% against it.
Bingoc
Well-Known Member
In Washington State we have "hoof rot" that is taking a significant toll on the western elk herds from the Oregon border to the British Columbia border. This comes from a parasite that is picked up as the elk move through damp fields where cattle have been quartered. I guess it is a disease that the cattle ranchers have had to deal with in the past.
Thst statement directly from the head officials at the Kalispell office tells you how they manage game not off science or what's best for the herd, it's all about opportunity.
There you go it's why we have the shoulder seasons it's all about opportunity!!
There you go it's why we have the shoulder seasons it's all about opportunity!!
bigngreen
Well-Known Member
Here's my thoughts, SW MT is huge, we had and should have thee strongest elk herds anywhere but right now the FWP is mandated by the legislature to manage the way they are. I personally don't want to see select areas made trophy units, I like many other will likely never draw one of those units in my life time and it just puts more pressure on other units.
There are a few solutions I think will work, one that's being thrown around is chose your region eliminating the general bull tag. My favorite is making the bull tag in the whole of MT a draw, MT should have not only be best numbers for taking elk but we should have the best quality too, there was an area down here that for a few years they made it an unlimited draw and even that was enough to bring the quality of the bulls up to the point that if you hunted you stood a good chance of taking a 300+ class bull and you would have opportunities to see 350 class bulls, then because it's one of the most popular spray and pray unit and with RMF pushing they dropped it and with in two years it was back to rage heads. Region 3 could easily be one of the best elk regions in the US for both quality and your chance of getting a tag in the whole US.
I don't see how we can go much longer without choose your weapon, there are just to many of the guys parking it for a couple weeks of bow season then a couple of rifle the game isn't resting. It used to be the elk would not hit the private till a week into rifle, now a week before bow season starts they are pouring down onto private land, bow season is as nuts as rifle season now.
Predators are a huge issue, why in all that is right we don't have a grizzly season yet is beyond me, it's ridiculous!! Open some hound areas for black bear, FWP is in the first year of a lion study so they can implement a plan to reduce the numbers which is great!!
EVERYONE needs to understand the FWP follows a mandate from the legislature, the mandate is not about science but political pressure, a buddy told me this year all of these agencies are ran by two things, politics and lawyers, if we don't engage in both then we loose!!
This isn't hunting but a friend of mine is a forester and the mandate changed from DC has gotten to the local level and their management goals have changed, this year in our forest they sold the most timber since 1986, next years targets are higher which is awesome, they have been mandated by the powers that be to manage again and not just watch it burn. We need that in the other agencies!!
Rian I get the legislature mandates certain things but not all, the give them guidelines.
I have been to countless meetings here and I have never heard once any management here in region 1 say get the legislature to change whatever and we can do something about it. The only thing I've heard them complain about is how the F@G wardens have to divvy there time up because of pitman- robertson.
I've heard them with my own ears say were gonna sit out the fight over g- bear hunting and watch what happens with wyoming and Idaho instead of helping out they choose to do nothing.
I have been to countless meetings here and I have never heard once any management here in region 1 say get the legislature to change whatever and we can do something about it. The only thing I've heard them complain about is how the F@G wardens have to divvy there time up because of pitman- robertson.
I've heard them with my own ears say were gonna sit out the fight over g- bear hunting and watch what happens with wyoming and Idaho instead of helping out they choose to do nothing.
Can someone explain to me how we ended up with this system where a small handful of political appointees (The Wildlife Commission) came into being? How can these people who actually have zero actual experience in wildlife management have so much power over our FWP??? That's insane?!
And yes, I agree Rhian- we all need to engage our Legislators and our Governor over these issues. If we don't WHO WILL?
The Liberals are ruining ever single state that they invade, and Montana is square in their sights. I am absolutely NOT a Republican, but I can assure you all that I will NOT be voting for any Democrat.
With the way the Libs are infesting MT, I don't want the voters doing it, either.
I'd say let the Director of the FWP be accountable for their actions and their policies. If he/she isn't doing the job, find someone else who can. Especially on the wolf issue (and several others, if I think about it) I don't see the current Director cutting the mustard, but I also realize that she is currently bound by politics.
