Northwest Montana Hunters slowed by conditions

[Cottonwood]

Nothwest Montana Hunters slowed by conditions

Published: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 8:12 AM CDT
The Daily Inter Lake

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reported a "very slow" opening day of the 2008 general deer and elk hunting season, with only 4 percent of hunters on Sunday bringing game through Northwest Montana's six check stations.

A total of 2,873 hunters stopped at the check stations with only 80 white-tailed deer, 19 mule deer and 15 elk -- or about half of last year's 8 percent success rate.  At some check stations, the results were the lowest in the last decade.

The slow opener was largely expected by wildlife officials because of extremely mild weather conditions that can make hunting more difficult.

As usual, the U.S. 2 check station just west of Kalispell was the busiest with 1,165 hunters stopping with 26 whitetails, 14 mule deer and nine elk.

The Canoe Gulch check station near Libby by far had the lowest numbers: 348 hunters stopping with two white-tailed deer, no mule deer and no elk.

The percentage of hunters with game was .6 percent, compared to last year's 5.9 percent.

The Swan Valley check station had 409 hunters with 14 whitetails, one mule deer and one elk.

The North Fork Flathead check station had 246 hunters with four whitetails, two mule deer and no elk.

The Thompson Falls station logged 293 hunters with 15 whitetails, one mule deer and three elk and the highest percentage of hunters with game, 6.5 percent.

The Olney check station had 412 hunters with 19 whitetails, one mule deer and two elk.

Hunters are reminded that either-sex whitetails are legal game only through Sunday, Nov. 9.

After that, hunting is limited to buck-only whitetails until the last four days of the season, when either-sex whitetails are legal game again. Mule deer hunting is limited to bucks throughout the five-week season.

[Graybeard]

Why so many stopping if they have no kill? Is there some requirement to stop even if you've not killed game?

[Cottonwood]

Why so many stopping if they have no kill? Is there some requirement to stop even if you've not killed game?

Yes Bill there is a requirement to stop at a game check station if you have been out hunting.

[dpe.ahoy]

Good afternoon all.  Just back from the prcessing house, had to leave camp and bring 3 mulies in before they spoil.  Got them on my property 20 miles north of Winnett.  Opening day was slow, but did see lots of Elk in the area.  Too bad it's permit only area!  Just bought the land this summer, after the cut-off for permits, but next year will get them in.  Gonna get cleaned up, and head back to camp O dark 30 in the morning.  Good hunting to all!  DP

[Double D]

Bill out west there are highway game check stations all over the place.  In Montana they are usually locatedcoming from the main hunting areas into a Major city.  They are more biology focused than enforcement.  They do do enforcement.

You better watch the signs posted before the check station also.  The signs say "all hunters must stop."  If you were hunting in one state and are passing through another state and you see one of those stations you better stop. 

The most notorius is the one at the rest area on the Raton pass on Interestate 25 on the Colorado -Mexico Border.  We were coming from Antelope hunting in  Wyoming and headed to El Paso. There were Fish and Wildlife Officers from all over the west there.  We got checked by a Wyoming Office there. I remember being a bit surprised to to see an Oregon State Police Game Officer there.  Those multistate operations are set up by U.S. Fish and Wildlife and I believe they operate under provisons of the Lacy Act.

If your legal it really is no big deal.

 

[Cottonwood]

  Those multistate operations are set up by U.S. Fish and Wildlife and I believe they operate under provisons of the Lacy Act.

If your legal it really is no big deal.

Yep, they do work under those provisions, and its a good thing too, as there is alot of transportation of game taken by poachers.

[Graybeard]

If you've taken no game how do they PROVE you were hunting? Down here lots of folks wear camo daily and for sure we carry firearms with us 365 days a year. So how do they prove a person just driving down the road with a firearm in the truck is hunting?

[Cottonwood]

If you've taken no game how do they PROVE you were hunting? Down here lots of folks wear camo daily and for sure we carry firearms with us 365 days a year. So how do they prove a person just driving down the road with a firearm in the truck is hunting?

Bill this is not a prove I was hunting thing, it's being honest with what you do.  If you been hunting you are required to stop, and all they want to know is if you saw any game at all.  Many people become offended because the Fish Wildlife and Parks are out there doing their job that we pay their wages for.

On the other hand if you fail to stop, and are stopped down the road by a Game Warden and you have a hunter orange vest in your vehicle, firearms etc it will be up to you to prove that you were not hunting, not the Warden to prove you were not.  Word of caution, you don't want to get a ticket for failure to stop at a game check station.

[Graybeard]

So basically you are saying that in MT you have left the US of A and gone into some foreign country where you are guilty until proven innocent and not innocent until proven guilty as in the US? Wow remind me never to visit there.

[Double D]

Bill it not just Montana that there are these check stations but all over the west.

If you were to pass one of these stations  you aren't going to be stopped down the road.  If you were stopped down the road by game wardens it would be because they had a pretty good suspicion you had been hunting. Things like you have blood dripping out the back of your truck and antlers sticking up out of the bed. Or everyone is dressed in blaze orange and holding a rifle between their legs.  Lots of people carry guns and wear camo here, but most of them aren't real hunters and the Wardens know that. Now if you pulling a travel trailer and have an ATV in the bed of you pick-up with a bunch of camping gear and everyone is in camo and there are guns in the gun rack and you are coming from or going to a hunting area and it's deer season and you drive by one of these check stations and get stopped, well gee!

The stop at these designated Check Stations is required by law for hunting and fishing even if you have no fish or game.  They usually take information about how many hour you spend hunting. How much game you saw.  They do check licneses. If you harvest game thay may take biological samples.  They collect more demographic and biological information than do enforcement.

One of the requirements for getting a drivers license or a hunting license is that you will comply with the law. Obeying the posted speed limit and tagging your deer are lawful requirements.  Stopping at designated check station is also a requirement.  I have never hunted a state that didn't have a check station requirement. They are few and far between.  One state, I believe it is Maine (or is it VA) requires that when you harvest game, that you must report to a check station with the game to get a final possession tag.

[Graybeard]

I've hunted in: AL, MS, TN, KY, GA, FL, TX, OK and CO and never yet had to stop at any such.

I accept that it's law there I do not accept that it's reasonable. I'll just stay out of MT which is no problem as it's a long way from home for me. I did actually plan to visit one day but those plans are now changed.

I just do not see it as reasonable. I'm not a fan of big brother looking over my shoulder at everything I do. I stay legal and if I shoot game I'll comply with any regulations on it but if I don't shoot but was just out for a ride I don't wanna be hassled. If it's fine with you that's OK for you but for me I'll avoid states with such over bearing regulations.

[Cottonwood]

So basically you are saying that in MT you have left the US of A and gone into some foreign country where you are guilty until proven innocent and not innocent until proven guilty as in the US? Wow remind me never to visit there.

Bill that is not what I was saying at all, what I am saying is that we have game laws here that you as well as ALL HUNTERS must comply with.  It is for a reason no matter who agree's or objects to it.  It has nothing to do with BIG Brother looking over your shoulder and wanting to know all about you, but has everything to do with game management.