Montana Deer Management Survey Results

[SAJ-99]

Thought it best to make another thread as to not destroy @Elky Welky post.

https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/conservation/deer/final-research-summary-no-53-mule-deer.pdf

 

[Beignet]

Just got an email stating that 73% of respondents are satisfied with current elk management as well. All is groovy, folks!

 

[SAJ-99]

Just got an email stating that 73% of respondents are satisfied with current elk management as well. All is groovy, folks!

Can't blame FWP for giving the masses what they want.

 

[Elky Welky]

Appreciate it @SAJ-99. Although they sent the deer results out a while ago and they have been discussed ad-nauseum on the "Montana Mule Deer Mismanagement" thread, just a heads up.

 

[SAJ-99]

Appreciate it @SAJ-99. Although they sent the deer results out a while ago and they have been discussed ad-nauseum on the "Montana Mule Deer Mismanagement" thread, just a heads up.

I just got the email again. FWP spaming me as usual. And I stopped paying attention to that thread to limit the brain damage it caused me.

 

[Elky Welky]

I just got the email again. FWP spaming me as usual. And I stopped paying attention to that thread to limit the brain damage it caused me.

I think that is completely fair; my mental health also took a turn for the better after I stopped indulging in that one.

 

[JT88]

 

[brockel]

Sounds like we just need to grab every tag we can and fill them all. Get us to the bottom quicker so maybe we can make some meaningful changes. Sucks knowing my kids will never experience deer hunting like I did as a kid

 

[8andcounting]

Nothing will change for mule deer . 60% is more than 40%

 

[brockel]

Can't blame FWP for giving the masses what they want.

Sucks knowing fwp bases their management off of what the masses want vs science. We could save some money on biologists if that’s how we are managing.

 

[JEL]

To sum up: The majority of hunters in MT just like to kill stuff with very little effort. Our current mule deer management provides that. No changes necessary.

 

[cgasner1]

I wanna see what they come back with from the season setting comments. We all knew what the survey was gonna say. It was wrote to say this now let’s see what people who where willing to take time and submit their own thoughts said.

 

[Schaaf]

To sum up: The majority of hunters in MT just like to kill stuff with very little effort. Our current mule deer management provides that. No changes necessary.

Yep. As @antlerradar stated, "kids like ice cream." Imagine that.

 

[SAJ-99]

@SAJ-99 @Elky Welky

You two are fukkin morons.

But I can $*)Q!#@$ spell.

 

[DFS]

Sounds like we just need to grab every tag we can and fill them all. Get us to the bottom quicker so maybe we can make some meaningful changes. Sucks knowing my kids will never experience deer hunting like I did as a kid

I have reached the same conclusion. Every deer and elk tag I am issued will be filled going forward. Shoot them before they are gone. We can talk about wildlife on the landscape as old men.

 

[mtmuley]

I have reached the same conclusion. Every deer and elk tag I am issued will be filled going forward. Shoot them before they are gone. We can talk about wildlife on the landscape as old men.

Fukk yeah. Did I spell that right? mtmuley

 

[Flatbrimmer]

Just got an email stating that 73% of respondents are satisfied with current elk management as well. All is groovy, folks!

First thing I duly noted as well

 

[Flatbrimmer]

Nothing will change for mule deer . 60% is more than 40%

Where TF you been??

 

[antlerradar]

Sounds like we just need to grab every tag we can and fill them all. Get us to the bottom quicker so maybe we can make some meaningful changes. Sucks knowing my kids will never experience deer hunting like I did as a kid

There are other options, save your penny's and and lease up some private ground. Take management into your own hands and leave FWP out of the loop. Maybe it isn't financially in the cards for you and many others, but plenty of others are going to see this as a viable option. You working stiffs can have the crumbs that are left on Public land or set on the fence and pray something jumps to the public side.

The tough part is that we are never going to hit rock bottom on private land, so there is always going to be people unwilling to give up opportunity because they are willing to pay for it or they are cashing in on the benefits. The longer we continue to manage for opportunity the more entrenched pay to hunt will become in Montana. We should have ditched opportunity management 30 years ago, but you can not go back in time. It is not going to be easy to change coarse. UPOM was started because FWP did the right thing and went to limited archery in the Breaks. Lots of people are making money off of all the hunting opportunity in Montana. They are not going to just give it up.

I could be feeling overly sarcastic today or I could be jabbing at the hypocrisy of those that are demanding more opportunity one day and bitching about the commercialization of hunting the next. Maybe a bit of both.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

I have never shot a mule deer because… well that’s a different thread. But I’m not even seeing the whitetail i normally see by now. I’ve seen 2 fawns in 40+ deer and I’m pretty upset at this point. I may not even try to fill my deer tag this year. That says a lot from a guy like me….

Wtf is happening?

Don’t get me wrong, in almost 20 years I’ve never seen a winter with a month of -40F.. I’ve seen a week or two at 20-30 below but NOT a MONTH of -40 in the mountains I can’t imagine. combine this with below average rainfall/feed/fires and i can imagine the suffering. I DO think we will see a higher birth rate for the following season, though.