MT Elk Regulations Should Change!

[Troutslayer2]

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.

 

[willfrye027]

Driving home from Montana right now actually. Hunted a very popular area. Pressure was fine. Killed an elk but I did have to hike far and high to find them. Didn't feel like my hunt was negatively affected by other hunters once. I don't see retirees spending a month out there in the 10 degree temps and snow. Most NR DIY are coming out for a week anyways. Not sure where your hunting area is but I've hunted all over the west and do not think Montana general season is all that bad. Try Wyoming, colorado, Utah..to name a few.

 

[COhntr]

You want to see pressure from the DIY non-resident and retirees pounding the roads then come to my neck of the woods! It is ridiculous out here during the rifles season's since we are the only state besides Idaho where you can buy a tag over the counter. Not trying to steal the post, just feel your pain.

 

[calling4life]

So if I'm reading this correctly, you're mad that you can't just shoot your elk from the road.

Got it, say that and stop blaming everyone else for your real or perceived lack of success.

You could also start a movement, raise a ton of money, and pay to have elk brought to other states and areas for re-introduction and such.

Creating opportunities, potentially, for these people to hunt them closer to home, keep them from having to travel.

Could also make enough money to buy enough land to hold elk that you can have to yourself.

Just like people that want others off "their" lake, that's a public lake. You want your own lake, you have to own all the land around it.

And you can do that, go for it, no one is stopping you from working 3 jobs but living dirt poor so you can save it all and spend $10 million on land, a hundred grand or whatever a year on property taxes...

Of course, you also sound upset you have to work, like you're the only one, it's cute.

Anyways, enjoy the challenge, or, of course, there's always golf.

 

[DNB]

I usually save up and take the week off.

 

[Greta06]

Driving home from Montana right now actually. Hunted a very popular area. Pressure was fine. Killed an elk but I did have to hike far and high to find them. Didn't feel like my hunt was negatively affected by other hunters once. I don't see retirees spending a month out there in the 10 degree temps and snow. Most NR DIY are coming out for a week anyways. Not sure where your hunting area is but I've hunted all over the west and do not think Montana general season is all that bad. Try Wyoming, colorado, Utah..to name a few.

Tell us how you really feel, lol.
Come to Pa where non-resident tags are cheap and we give zero preference to residents for our super limited elk tags. Look into other states and it will make you feel a little better.

 

[birddog 68]

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.

Run that by the Montana FWP. Non resident hunters probably pay 10X the amount for tags as a resident and being a state agency they love $$ but if you can get enough residents to complain they may change the regulations.
Not sure how the season works but it sounds like one long season. It would definitely spread the pressure out if it was split into 3 or 4.
Being from the area you should have a good idea where these non resident road hunting retirees are pushing the game and capitalize or are you upset that they are making it more difficult? IDK

 

[BuckeyeRifleman]

I hunt for a max of six days at a time as a nonresident, usually five, as that is all my schedule allows. I would say I'm more typical than atypical in that regard. I've hunted Montana 3 out of my 4 elk hunts as a nonresident. I've had shot opportunities 100% of the time opening day and have brought home an elk every year except my first.

My last Montana bull was killed this past Monday. I'm a DIY guy with a rifle and backpack… No mules, horses or llamas.

You might want to try hunting a little harder and hiking a little further.

I keep hearing all this bitching from residents about the nonresidents, then I just keep killing elk every year.

 

[Taco John]

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.

It takes non local urbanish people about 2 weeks, and 3 or 4 bungles before they get in rhythm with the natural world.


The worst thing in the world is 5 day seasons like NM.


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!

 

[TopPin]

Unfortunately the population spike in Montana, and many other western states have been impacted at a very negative level. Unfortunately you cannot prevent this. Now as far as non resident permits in the state of Montana, I will agree with there needing to be a change. MT FWP does not manage the state for "trophy" animals, rather for opportunity. Unfortunately with this system we as residents and the non resident hunters are granted the longest hunting season allowed.
This is going to open up a can of worms, but the management practices in Montana have to change. Unfortunately we are headed in the direction of choose your season and choose your weapon. I however will be saddened when this does happen. I predict it will be within 10 years. The liberal limits on doe and cow tags needs to change, the mule deer population is tanking across the state. The whitetail deer are on the decline in alot of units as well. Whitetail deer have a faster recovery time than the mule deer. The allotment of doe surplus tags needs to change, also the nonresident hunters being granted either sex, and surplus doe tags sometimes up to multiple doe tags in given units. This isn't a bash on non resident hunters just factual. This also needs to be held back for on residents as well.
The screw ups by FWP in many units regarding the non resident elk tags, over issue of non resident tags in units that cannot handle the pressure have had a negative impact on game populations. I do not at all agree with either sex elk tags in any state. If you're applying it should be a bull or cow tag period. Now if you apply for both and get drawn for both, that's a win for the person applying.
I am not at all opposed to the revenue created by out of state hunters. Nor am I opposed to trying to draw tags in any state. However I am opposed to the management practices that are happening in the state of Montana. We have an amazing resource, as well as many other western states. What we don't have is logical and realistic permits being issued.

 

[Troutslayer2]

I hunt for a max of six days at a time as a nonresident, usually five, as that is all my schedule allows. I would say I'm more typical than atypical in that regard. I've hunted Montana 3 out of my 4 elk hunts as a nonresident. I've had shot opportunities 100% of the time opening day and have brought home an elk every year except my first.

My last Montana bull was killed this past Monday. I'm a DIY guy with a rifle and backpack… No mules, horses or llamas.

You might want to try hunting a little harder and hiking a little further.

I keep hearing all this bitching from residents about the nonresidents, then I just keep killing elk every year.

Congrats tough guy! I kill elk every year I am just spitballing solutions that would allow residents the time they need to overcome the ever increasing challenge of getting an elk in the freezer. Sounds like my proposal would not impact someone so hard as yourself who has taken such a whopping number of what are no doubt all 350"+ bulls on public land.

 

[nmarth88]

I haven't looked at all the statistics of MT lately, but sounds a lot like what WA state is in what you suggest. 9% success rate in our good state. We also are allowed one elk with specified weapon with very strict rules for what type animal and what unit you can take it in. It's not the solution. Taking a second deer is a draw as well. Most units are bucks with varying points depending on what weapon type. Archery elk is 12 days, muzzy 9 days, modern 9 days spread out between September and November. I also believe that Montana only allows up to 10% out of state tags. 1 in 10 hunters would be out of staters. I have hunted MT twice for a total of 8 days between the two separate times. It would be nice though to have the time to spend all season!!

 

[BuckeyeRifleman]

Congrats tough guy! I kill elk every year I am just spitballing solutions that would allow residents the time they need to overcome the ever increasing challenge of getting an elk in the freezer. Sounds like my proposal would not impact someone so hard as yourself who has taken such a whopping number of what are no doubt all 350"+ bulls on public land.

They are rag horns… But they are bulls, most importantly elk as I'm primarily a meat guy not a horns guy. As pointed out, Montana manages for opportunity, which I'm 100% ok with.

Point being nonresidents seem to get all the blame for "bad" hunting, but the reality, as TopPin pointed out is resident population increase. NR tags have been capped in most states for a looong time. The notable exception might be Colorado.

Bottom line, I'm tired of getting shat on for "bad" hunting while facing less and less opportunity and flipping nearly 100% of the bill.

If you hunt hard, there are still plenty of elk to be had. That's the truth.

No, it's not 1995 anymore. Between wolves, resident population increase, decreased access to private ranch land, etc you aren't going to be able to drink beer all night, wake up at 9am and shoot elk from the wall tent anymore.

ETA Yes opening weekend in Montana can be bananas… From personal experience it was this year. But opening day in most states is. You should see it here in Ohio on public land if you think Montana is bad.

By the middle of this week the pressure had dropped considerably. Only about a 3rd of the wall tents and campers were left at the trailhead I hunted this year.

For the record, I don't think I'm going to hunt opening weekend in Montana again due to pressure. It's worked to my advantage in the past but it didn't this year.

Considering it's only a week into the season, I think you should go back out hunting in another week (preferably in the middle of the week) and see it the pressure is really that bad.

 

[MtPockets]

I don't know that the non-res are as much an issue as lack of access to private ground and increased number of hunters in general.
The last few years have seen a vast turnover in the ranch community and many of those ranches went from either Block Management or just plain open to hunting to now they are trophy ranches where the new owners don't allow anyone on, and very likely don't hunt themselves either.
The animals figure this out pretty quickly and congregate in those safe havens.
The wolf problem, too, exasperates the problem. Fewer elk equals fewer opportunities for the hunter.
As a resident, I don't ever hunt opening weekend. Period. I hate crowds and those first few weeks of the season the animals are not in any way in a normal r or utine- they are simply running from one area to another trying to avoid gunfire.
I'd rather hunt them in a more normal state, which does somewhat return as the season progresses and hunter numbers dwindle.
Anyway, long winded way to say that yes hunting pressure sucks but I don't think blaming non-res is the answer.