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MT Elk Regulations Should Change!

WY has already taken action regarding tag numbers as a reaction to the tough winter of 22/23.
The reaction started last year with the residents want a 90/10 even before the winter. There elk did just fine its what I saw the majority of in Region G in Sept this year, not so much with there MD.
 
It will take 10 years of studies to calculate how many animals are killed by natural predators, disease, weather, road kill, etc. Then allot how many can be killed by humans for sport, and issue as many tags as needed to harvest that many animals based on average success rate.

Then they will need to manage how often hunters can get a tag or even apply too get one. Hopefully getting accurate harvest reports. Plus calculate how many animals are lost to illegal harvest.

Then when the herd starts to recover the wolves and cougars will have more food and will multiply and consume more animals. And still no effective control strategy for the wild predators.
Wyoming has it figured out and they have just as many if not more predators than Montana. Now they have some work to do in Western Wyoming with the MD.
 
Well none of you need to worry about me taking any of your tags, I tried once for deer in MT a couple years ago without success, and I decided it wasn't worth the hassle. Don't need to hunt out of state since I have elk and deer in my backyard so to speak. I do go Eastside for MD to get away from rain and thick brush but elk I'll hunt local.
 
I don't know if it's fact, but I've heard that the ranchers get money for "depridation"- the damage caused by the elk herds.
While I think they SHOULD be compensated, that compensation must also include a provision for allowing hunters in to "encourage" the elk to move along.
Like you said, allowing 4 of their buddies in is NOT the same.
I get it, that just opening the gates and letting everybody in is not the answer, either, but there has to be a way to accomplish it.

Here is som statistics to back up what I'm talking about, unit 103 is in N.W montana were I have hunted alot. In 2005 there was a total of 142 elk killed per 2255 hunters, 2022- 114 total elk for 2737 hunters so literally 20% more people for 20% less elk.
I know wolves have made an impact but so have alot more hunters, I bet if you looked at the statistics it will be this way if not state wide then just about everywhere.
Wolves are a huge problem, I'm a NR that has been coming since 2017 with a guide that I'm friends with now. We hunt outside of Paradise, not Paradise Valley, Paradise is the town. Last year I was there for 6 days and in that 6 days Wolves killed 3 calves 3 different days right where we were hunting. That's just the week I was there, so I wonder how many the rest of the year ? We actually interrupted them one morning during the kill but couldn't get a shot on one of them. In 2017 the same area we seen Elk, several whitetails and muleys everyday. It has gone down hill since, was out for archery and seen a total of 8 deer in 6 days with one day riding 21 miles on horses .We seen Elk almost every day but not the numbers like years before. This year was tuff during archery, the bull weren't talking at all. It's not a area that gets much pressure and usually only 2-4 bulls get killed a year, No cows. This year they haven't killed any as of yet but I'm spending my money yet again to come out and hunt the 12-18th.
 
I didn't read every post on this thread, but I got the gist of it. I am a resident of Arizona but spend a lot of time at my place in Colorado (the flat 2.5% income tax keeps me an AZ resident).

I can see both sides of the story. I have two vehicles with CO plates (one stays here permanently) so when I am out hunting I assume most people think I am a resident. I can almost feel the discomfort when I ask people where they are from; ran into some guys from TN/GA looking for an elk in 68/681 while scouting last week. Yesterday we were on our way to hump out a deer my buddy from Australia/Canada shot the evening before and ran into three guys from Maryland. These guys were working class guys - I am going to guess elk hunting for them is a pretty big deal. They were after elk (68/681 is OTC second season); we told them of a 5x4 we saw and showed them a video.

When I was in my 20s you could pay a rancher in WY $200 and get access to hunt antelope. I haven't checked on the cost lately, but suspect guide leases have largely displaced "trespass fees." I hunted CO this year for antelope and paid an outfitter $3900. Sure, the guide was good, but honestly it would have been more fun to have done it on my own. At the end of the day I am the one who first glassed the antelope that I eventually killed.

We are all hunters - when Joe the Plumber from Ohio concludes elk hunting in MT, CO, or WY is just too expensive or difficult, we all lose.
 
It's a funny thing to witness about human nature, the more someone is given, the less happy and appreciative they seem to be about it.

The folks that that live in the practical nirvana of hunting opportunity in the entire world seem to bitch more about their hunting opportunities more than anyone else. The people from the states that restrict nonresident license sales more than anyone else seem to be the most vocal bitching about nonresidents.

Meanwhile these folks are more or less hunting for free compared to the nonresidents, can hunt elk/deer every year in millions of acres of public land funded mostly by the 49 other states, and in the case of Montana only give up 10% of the opportunity to nonresidents. Yet from my observations, do nothing but bitch about it all online.

It's not an endearing look.

I get it, losing opportunities isn't fun. I'm watching hundreds of acres of prime whitetail habitat get bulldozed daily. But I also realize blaming other hunters isn't probably the solution.
 
My biologist nephew who is a NR hunter always says montana is Crazy the way they manage our game, WHY because he looks at it as strictly a management issue because that's his job.
Your nephew is from Oregon, correct? One of the worst run game depts in the west? The same department that lowers game number counts to make their m.o.'s look better? The same department that doesn't lower tag numbers even though mule deer are becoming non-existent? I could keep going on but you get the idea. Yeah, I'm sure Montanans would love to have their state game department run like Oregon.

On another note, someday I'd love to see both R/NR work together as a united team because the days are approaching where we look back on the current era as the good ol days.
 
On another note, someday I'd love to see both R/NR work together as a united team because the days are approaching where we look back on the current era as the good ol days.
ND/SD/Eastern MT are already there. The loss of CRP/Habitat has significantly decreased game populations. '06-'07 was the peak. Instead of being "all-over everywhere", game is now only plentiful in small pockets here and there.
 
It's a funny thing to witness about human nature, the more someone is given, the less happy and appreciative they seem to be about it.

The folks that that live in the practical nirvana of hunting opportunity in the entire world seem to bitch more about their hunting opportunities more than anyone else. The people from the states that restrict nonresident license sales more than anyone else seem to be the most vocal bitching about nonresidents.

Meanwhile these folks are more or less hunting for free compared to the nonresidents, can hunt elk/deer every year in millions of acres of public land funded mostly by the 49 other states, and in the case of Montana only give up 10% of the opportunity to nonresidents. Yet from my observations, do nothing but bitch about it all online.

It's not an endearing look.

I get it, losing opportunities isn't fun. I'm watching hundreds of acres of prime whitetail habitat get bulldozed daily. But I also realize blaming other hunters isn't probably the solution.
We should start another hunt bitching about hunting in Ohio….just land access could go 4 pages!
 
Your nephew is from Oregon, correct? One of the worst run game depts in the west? The same department that lowers game number counts to make their m.o.'s look better? The same department that doesn't lower tag numbers even though mule deer are becoming non-existent? I could keep going on but you get the idea. Yeah, I'm sure Montanans would love to have their state game department run like Oregon.

On another note, someday I'd love to see both R/NR work together as a united team because the days are approaching where we look back on the current era as the good ol days.
Did I say a **** word about my nephew saying anything about Montana running there F@G like Oregon A$$hat!
You know nothing of my nephew lumping him in with your F@G is B.S. he's a 2 tour
Afghanistan/ Iraq marine sniper who took his G.I. Bill and became something he loved. SO F/O
YOUR A P.O.S you get the idea
 
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Did I say a **** word about my nephew saying anything about Montana running there F@G like Oregon A$$hat!
You know nothing of my nephew lumping him in with your F@G is B.S. he's a 2 tour
Afghanistan/ Iraq marine sniper who took his G.I. Bill and became something he loved. SO F/O
YOUR A P.O.S
Boys, take it easy.........
 
Did I say a **** word about my nephew saying anything about Montana running there F@G like Oregon A$$hat!
You know nothing of my nephew lumping him in with your F@G is B.S. he's a 2 tour
Afghanistan/ Iraq marine sniper who took his G.I. Bill and became something he loved. SO F/O
YOUR A P.O.S you get the idea
LOL, new copypasta material right there.

Try decaf.
 
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