The Montana Season Setting Proposal was developed by 9 individuals who come from a variety of walks of life. All are volunteers. They are outfitters, ranchers and DIY public hunters who decided that it was time to stop complaining online, and start to work together towards a better future for their kids, and those future generation still in the womb of time.
The Proposal is designed to help struggling mule deer populations, increase hunter success in the field, while reducing the amount of time it takes to harvest an animal and improve distribution of elk and deer on public land to improve the experience that hunters have across Montana.
The goals of this proposal are as follows:
1.) Provide relief for mule deer during the rut and through reducing antlerless opportunity on public
land to match current herd conditions.
2.) Reduce hunter crowding
3.) Increase deer populations.
4.) Maintain and expand commission authority for season setting
5.) Maintain agency and commission authority for disease management.
6.) Maintain maximum opportunity for resident and non-resident hunters.
7.) Increase effectiveness of hunters for elk
8.) Promote elk distribution on public land
9.) Increase harvest of elk on private land
10.) Improve hunter-landowner-outfitter relations
11.) Reduce Landowner fatigue with hunting season length
The proposal:
1.) Moves archery season forward approximately a week to start on August 25th.
2.) Moves the bulk of the general mule deer season out of the rut and into October (Oct. 8-Nov 5).
3.) Creates an “Early” and a “Late” deer season, which deer hunters must choose between. There is a 12-day overlap of the two seasons, during which time hunters can hunt both species of deer. The early season coincides with general mule deer season (Oct 8-Nov 5), and the late season coincides with general elk and whitetail seasons (Nov 5-Nov 30). This would spread out deer hunting pressure.
4.) Moves the Youth season moves to November 27-30 to coincide with the Thanksgiving holiday. Youth hunters are allowed to hunt both species of deer during the Youth season.
5.) Creates a private land only cow elk season in an attempt to disperse elk before the start of the general elk season.
1• Archery: August 25th – October 5th
• General Rifle Season Elk:
-Early Cow: October 15-24 (Private land only)
-General Rifle: October 25- November 30
-Post Season: Shoulder Seasons will stay where the agency and landowners believe they are effective in keeping elk numbers within objective range and have high approval of landowners and hunters.
•General Season Deer:
-Early Deer Season: October 8- November 5
-Late Deer Season: October 25- November 30
-Mule Deer: October 8- November 5
-Whitetail: October 25- November 30
•Youth: Either deer species November 27-30
• Heritage Muzzleloader Season: Current dates (second Saturday in December for 9 days)
Montana Season Setting Proposal 