Western MT mule deer limited draw

FlareBlitz91

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Messages
174
Most of the MT limited draw tags are in this part of the state, some of them are renowned trophy zones with 1% success rates or less in draw odds. Others have 100%.

What’s the deal with these 100% areas? Some of them are mostly public land, with the high demand for general tags as it is, with tons of pressure i find it hard to believe these units can remain limited draw with such little demand? They must suck pretty hard if people aren’t even putting in for them just for reduced pressure….
 

Elk300win

FNG
Joined
Aug 13, 2017
Messages
11
That's just it though, they are not "Limited" but rather "Unlimited". Besides the renowned trophy units you are referring to, the majority of mule deer hunting in western Montana is not spectacular. Also, a few of these "Unlimited" units are subject to change with the season setting proposals that is currently happening.
 
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FlareBlitz91

FlareBlitz91

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Messages
174
Boy, i suck at reading. The “UNL” in the regs didn’t leap out to me. Now i get it.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2022
Messages
1,114
Location
Western Montana
Where to begin…
First, most of the unlimited draw units in W MT are proposed to change in 2022 and go to a 3 week general hunt. Some are changing to a reduced quota. They’re is a bunch of units, so I am generalizing. 270, 261, etc. will have no change.

In the late-90s FWP noticed that their budget sucked and mule deer numbers were declining. So they ignored the 2/3rds of the state that has potential to produce good mulie numbers, quality, hunting opportunity and generate revenue from Res and Non Res hunters. They figured they could fix the budget by creating a measly $5 app fee and making everyone in W MT apply to a guaranteed, Unlimited Permit.
20 years has passed and numbers in W MT have gone down further. They are still ignoring Central and E MT, 1000s of Non Resident hunters can flock to Saco each fall with a general tag. So they are focusing on the steep, brushy W MT mulie populations and they’re fixing them.

Read the proposed changes and comment by the 21st.
 
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FlareBlitz91

FlareBlitz91

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Messages
174
I just read that a lot of the proposed changes are being scrapped.

If i understand the rules (and i might not) they’re collecting $5 from western MT hunters and making them locked in to that permit zone too right? So those hunters csnt go elsewhere?

I don’t want to comment because while I’ve visited Montana and fished there I’ve never hunted anywhere in the state.

I understand the debate between trophy management and Hunter opportunity, but i will say that a general tag in MT seems to go a lot farther than any other western state…
 

Elk300win

FNG
Joined
Aug 13, 2017
Messages
11
The $5 is just the deer permit application fee (Resident). It is $5 to apply for a permit (Limited and Unlimited), and if you are successful in drawing a limited or unlimited permit you are not allowed to hunt antlered mule deer anywhere else in the state, this restriction has been in place for many many years. If you are unsuccessful in drawing a permit, you can hunt with your General license for antlered mule deer anywhere antlered mule deer hunting is allowed on a General license in the state.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2022
Messages
1,114
Location
Western Montana
I just read that a lot of the proposed changes are being scrapped.

If i understand the rules (and i might not) they’re collecting $5 from western MT hunters and making them locked in to that permit zone too right? So those hunters csnt go elsewhere?

I don’t want to comment because while I’ve visited Montana and fished there I’ve never hunted anywhere in the state.

I understand the debate between trophy management and Hunter opportunity, but i will say that a general tag in MT seems to go a lot farther than any other western state…
Correct. The Unlimited Permit locks you into hunting a specific unit, but the number of permits are not capped.
And yeah, the “trophy” vs “opportunity” is always a debate. The western third of the state, for the most part, does not have the genetics like you see in the renowned mule deer states and most of W MT is simply never going to be a coveted trophy area.
Central and Eastern MT are the areas in the state where they could really manage for good mule deer hunting. If nothing else, the terrain and style of hunting lends itself to a much broader crowd of potential hunters. 270/261 are the outliers, but again, the open sage terrain there is much different than the rest of W MT.
You mentioned good opportunity with a general tag. Currently there is a lot of opportunity with a general tag. Most of W MT can and should have fairly generous opportunity with a general tag.
Broad scale, it would make more sense to have more liberal opportunity hunting in Western MT and have restricted numbers and more focus on quality hunting in Central and Eastern MT for mulies.
 

jpmulk

WKR
Joined
Nov 12, 2021
Messages
332
I would personally love these 100% draw units to go away. And get rid of the rut hunts. Make it all a 3 week season. Think you would see trophy potential and numbers go up for sure. My unprofessional opinion.
 
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