MT MRS Hunter Denisty

[goatpoop]

First off let me just say I'm not trying to be negative about MRS. MRS has provided me with lots of hunting information in the past years. I was excited when I first learned about new features to MRS such as trends,terrain, and hunters/100sq miles. I was somewhat disappointed to see hunter density missing in the MT MRS. I understand that it is hard to get a good representative of total number of hunters because of different seasons and other species being hunted .

Could hunter density be calculated by elk hunters+deer hunters/area? I still think that hunter density calculated as stated above gives a better understanding about the HD. For example if I'm looking for an excellent limited draw mule deer tag, it is helpful to know the total hunting pressure. Since elk and whitetail deer habitat overlaps with mule deer in the area. I would expect to see elk and whitetail hunters especially if it is OTC elk hunting district.

I understand that there are limitations to hunter density calculations. Hunters are not evenly distributed in hunting districts. Also generally there are less archery hunters than rifle hunters. I still think that it would have been beneficial to have.

Do you guys feel that hunter density is useful information? Also do you think that MTFWP harvest reports are close to the true number of animals taken and number of hunters?

 

[25contender]

From what I have seen over the years I think that the numbers and percentages are pretty close in the hunt planner section on the MFWP site. Every year I get a permit I get a call the following January to give my results,where I hunted, how long I hunted and the results of my hunt. I don't feel there is any reason to give wrong information. I think that it would be difficult to give specific hunter densities as to what part of the unit they hunted. As you know some of the units are small and some are very large.

 

[hoshour]

The reason we chose not to include hunter density for Montana is that the state has a ridiculous amount of season overlap.

Not only do you have your buck tag for any-weapon season but general season overlaps, as do other species, plus doe and elk tag holders and archery hunters. For example, you draw a coveted Missouri Breaks bighorn sheep tag and find that the place is overrun with deer and elk hunters with all different kinds of tags, all hunting at the same time.

The season overlap in Montana is completely out of control and it really reduces the quality of many hunts. They are just selling too many tags.

All those ovelapping hunts could be added up, but two more problems remain.

1) There is overlap but not complete overlap with some long seasons like archery. Since most hunters hunt opening week, how do you count hunters when the overlap does not cover opening week?

2) The bigger problem is that some of the overlap is general season tags for which we don't know the number of hunters.

We understand that people like the new table features and miss them when they're not there, but we want to be responsible and not publish figures of which we are not confident. If you look at the footnote to the Montana tables there is a note there.