Traditional Bowhunters of Montana oppose elk shoulder seasons on public land

It has been a busy week! Traditional Bowhunters of Montana submitted the following comments to FWP today July 30th, 2021.

The Proposal

The department is seeking comments on other concepts that could increase elk harvest and assist in meeting management objectives. One specific area FWP is seeking input on is to expand shoulder seasons in the 19 hunting districts where they are considering extending the shoulder season date to Feb. 15 to also include public lands in addition to private lands. The hunting districts are: 262, 290, 298, 314, 390, 391, 393, 411, 417, 502, 510, 511, 520, 530, 540, 560, 575, 580, and 590.

Traditional Bowhunters of Montana Comments

The Traditional Bowhunters of Montana (TBM) is an organization of nearly 200 members dedicated to preserving and advancing traditional bowhunting values in Montana. TBM is opposed to the proposal to extend the elk shoulder seasons on to public lands in hunting districts 262, 290, 298, 314, 390, 391, 393, 411, 417, 502, 510, 511, 520, 530, 540, 560, 575, 580, and 590.  

When elk shoulder seasons were initially approved, the intent was to find a temporary solution on private land that was monitored and analyzed. Elk shoulder seasons had two goals: 1) to reduce herd numbers and 2) drive elk off private lands onto public lands where the tolerance is much higher than on private land. 

Including public lands in the elk shoulder season in these districts will negatively impact the hunting experience of all Montana hunters by reinforcing that the only safe place for elk is private land, making them largely inaccessible to anyone unwilling or unable to pay a landowner for access. Over 50,000 archery stamps were sold last season. Continued harboring and pressuring elk to private land reduces access and opportunity for all hunters across the state. 

How much revenue is the state willing to lose from hunters who will take their dollars to other states where finding elk to hunt is not unreasonable? This proposal is lazy and is the next step to privatizing our shared, public trust elk herd. 

Instead of increasing the pressure on public land elk during a time of year where they are under immense pressure just to survive, the FWP Commission should revise the Elk Management Plan with all Montana stakeholders in mind. The Commission should be finding ways to drive elk from private lands, solving harboring issues, and updating outdated objectives that serve a select few instead of benefitting all that stakeholders invested in the health of our elk herd.

Traditional Bowhunters of Montana Opposed to Expanded Shoulder Season

Recently the FWP Commission requested comment on a proposal to expand late elk shoulder seasons in 19 hunting districts.

The Proposal

FWP is requesting comment on extending the late-season end date extensions to February 15, 2022, for all relevant license-permit types for antlerless elk shoulder seasons in Hunting Districts 262, 290, 298, 390, 391, 393, 411, 417, 502, 510, 511, 520, 530, 540, 560, 575, 580, and 590.

Traditional Bowhunters of Montana Comments Submitted July 26th, 2021

The Traditional Bowhunters of Montana (TBM) is opposed to the proposal to extend the elk shoulder seasons in hunting districts 262, 290, 298, 390, 391, 393, 411, 417, 502, 510, 511, 520, 530, 540, 560, 575, 580, and 590.  TBM is an organization of nearly 200 members dedicated to the preservation and advancement of traditional bowhunting values in Montana.

When FWP established the first shoulder seasons in 2015 they were not meant to be permanent fixtures. They were never intended to be a replacement for the already lengthy 11 week hunting season, and extending them is a bad faith move by FWP, countering the promises made to Montana hunters. At this point the data shows that shoulder seasons have been an abject failure and that they have not delivered on their promises of opening private lands to the public hunter nor have they forced elk on to public lands.

The long-term effect of embracing and extending elk shoulder seasons means that the department is effectively waging war on elk, eliminating opportunities for hunters by forcing elk to private lands early in the season and then incentivizing land-owners to harbor elk throughout the season. There is the additional lack of ethics in pursuing pregnant cow elk through deep snows of winter when every ounce of energy is needed to survive. Montana is better than this and should be the standard-bearer for the ethical pursuit of our shared public resource. 

This proposal falls well short of that and should be considered an embarrassment and a black mark on the department. A department that appears to have lost its way and is no longer managing elk for Montanans, no longer using the best available data and has given up trying to actually manage wildlife.