Montana's Block Management Program

[UplandHntr]

I always try to avoid stereotyping people....

 

[bobman]

yeah screw those old guys that worked hard all their life, made good decisions so they could do what they love in their retirement especially if they have the audacity to have several dogs to rotate in case one gets hurt

the country doesn’t need rif raf like them

 

[calamari]

I always try to avoid stereotyping people....

That's a wonderful way to be and if everyone else behaved the same way it would be a wonderful world but when you live back there and have just had your second windshield cracked by a caravan of suburbans with multi dog trailers passing you at 65 on those gravel roads instead of slowing down until you pass the only oncoming truck you'll see for the next half hour, the locals will tend to reach an A+b=c conclusion. Perhaps it's an erroneous conclusion but it isn't to the people who made it.

"yeah screw those old guys that worked hard all their life, made good decisions so they could do what they love in their retirement especially if they have the audacity to have several dogs to rotate in case one gets hurt

the country doesn’t need rif raf like them"

If those old guys who worked hard all their lives made wise decisions they'd realize they are in effect in somebody else's house and neighborhood and should act like a good guest does. I say that being 73 and having worked hard all my life. I don't understand why somebody needs 6 dogs to shoot 9 pheasants but I don't have to understand it. Those that hunt that way and don't care what others think should accept that, real or imagined, if people find your behavior boorish and rude they'll treat you accordingly and different than the way they treat less abrasive hunters. I've had many conversations with local people who think that industrial way of hunting is laughable to them so you start out in a hole right off the bat no matter how affable you may be.

 

[bobman]

When you drive 2000 miles one way you don’t want your hunt ended because of a hurt dog

And there’s a good chance if you’re retired you’re going to spend several weeks up there so you gonna shoot more than nine pheasants which is perfectly legal as long as you keep eating them and there are other things to shoot besides pheasants

that’s why i bring five dogs

three years ago when I was in Montana a local passed me in his truck through a rock up and hit the windshield of my van that thing just happened pretty sure he didn’t do it on purpose and I have no ill will toward him

i’ve had my windshield broken in several states that way pretty sure nobody did it on purpose

My dog trailer broke an axle local Montana residents rescued me and help me get my trailer on a tow truck and wouldn’t take a nickel for their efforts I did offer

So I reject the idea that all the locals hate us and look down their nose at us on the contrary I found them to be very friendly and very nice

 

[UplandHntr]

so for me to get where I normally go in MT its just over 1000 miles. Somewhere around 2500 miles R/T. How the heck do I do that in an old turd of a pick up truck??
Full disclosure - I have a 2010 Suburban with 150,000 miles on it and a check engine light thats been on for almost 2 years.

 

[Alaskan swamp collies]

Oh you have no idea how far I drive. Yes I have several dogs including one old one eye beast that can't mark a downed bird to save his butt anymore. His nose still works and he gets to go as long as he can.

 

[tbob131]

Let’s just face the facts, there are some people who just don’t want you in their state. I have made many friends, and have yet to encounter anyone who wasn’t happy to see me in Montana, other than this forum. So, I’m gonna keep on going, some years by myself, some with friends. I really could care less what a few sour apples say on this forum. And you know what, if I wanna drive my Yukon, I will.

 

[wisturkeyhunter]

As a NR in the middle of his 4th season of coming out here I can say Montana locals are great. I'm also going to say I get way more annoyed by out of staters that camp in the same place for weeks at a time and brag about hunting the same areas over and over. I'm out here for while and I move around all over, take days off to shoot coyotes,and I head farther west to fish too.

No way most guys that bird hunt for weeks straight stay within the possession and wanton waste laws. It's not possible unless they aren't shooting more than a bird or 2 a day. One of the most well known online posters that hunts out here got busted last year for just that and Bobman haven't you hunted with ol'Roy?

 

[bobman]

blah blah blah you don’t know what you are talking about, those bird were being stored in Roy’s motorhome by several other hunters whose refrigerator in their camper failed they even wrote letters to the judge telling him that to no avail

he was busted on a technicality, he’s not a poacher his only stupid move that he was guilty of was taking the feet off birds he put in his refrigerator but every single was marked by him with the species and date of kill so he can eat the oldest ones first, obviously not any attempt to hide what they are

as far as not being able to stay within possession limits so I guess by your flawed logic every resident shoots 9 pheasants and then quits for the year

I cook and eat every bird I shoot each day and most of us including Roy don’t limit out after the first week
we aren’t super humans just because we come from far away

the hate for him is really amazing keep spreading lies

 

[wisturkeyhunter]

"Several hunters refrigerators died"

Nobody who's been out here in going to believe that. We ain't pulling busted old campers 1,000 miles to stay for a few weeks or a month.

Also he had a hen in his possession.

He also pled guilty if I remember right.

I'm younger than most people that hunt out here from out of state and that sort of selfishness is going to hurt my opportunities for the future. You can defend it if you'd like but all you're doing is be complacent and part of the problem. Access,bird numbers, and the economy are issues none of us can really do anything about. Out of state game hogs on the other hand hurt as much or more than those 3 issues and we can do something about that.

 

[bobman]

one camper with several hunters in it and he plead guilty to get it over with


he was stupid to bring that hen home and guilty so he admitted it but he didn’t shoot it just didn’t want to waste it

when my dogs find a wounded hen and i it happens every year on public land I wait until they aren’t looking and throw it back in the weeds

heck i once limited on roosters on one plot in ND because my dogs kept finding cripples

believe what you want Roy is one of the most honest least likely to poach individual on the planet and everyone THAT ACTUALLY KNOWS him will tell you that

I couldn’t care less what guys like you think see I actually know what happened and I would turn in my own son if he was a poacher so would Roy

 

[Goosemaster]

These guys with filson gear, Italian shotguns, suburbans, dog trailers, all that unnecessary crap, are almost always pay hunters.They are what's fueling these swanky lodges, and causing ranchers to close off land to the average guy.

 

[Goosemaster]

so for me to get where I normally go in MT its just over 1000 miles. Somewhere around 2500 miles R/T. How the heck do I do that in an old turd of a pick up truck??
Full disclosure - I have a 2010 Suburban with 150,000 miles on it and a check engine light thats been on for almost 2 years.

You get a reliable mid 90's suv, or truck.They are reliable.

 

[esetter]

Just took my first trip to Montana. We did pretty decent on some BMA and State school trust lands. It was a different experience calling landowners instead of just getting lucky enough to run into them and ask. It was a good experience overall. Got 10 roosters , shoulda had 3-4 more. Picked up a few sharpies and moved one covey of huns.

 

[Goosemaster]

You misunderstood the points I was trying to make. I have no problem with non-residents coming here to hunt. I was a non-resident at one time who came to Montana to hunt. My point is basically that block mgt. has not opened up any land around here that wasn't open before if people asked. Those landowners who have never allowed hunting have not enrolled in the block mgt. program. Again, I can only speak for where I hunt local

You are absolutely correct....there are a lot of hunters in Montana who hunt block mgt. The majority come over from Western Montana. Around here there are probably 10 people from Western Montana who make the trip here for every non-resident.....probably more as I'm just guessing. And you're also 100% correct regarding who pays for the block mgt. program, but who has benefited from it the most? Certainly not local hunters... The money generated from non-residents for the program is mostly benefiting non-residents and residents who travel around Montana to hunt.

The major point I was trying to make that block mgt. has created tremendous hunting pressure and the end result is that the quality of hunting has suffered greatly. Yes, hunters know that they will have a place to hunt with block mgt., but the block mgt ground gets hammered to death. If I just want to walk my dogs so they can get a whiff of a bird every now and then I can walk them on BLM or State ground. When I go hunting I want to get into some birds and have some fun.... Block mgt. has diminished that opportunity.

You are correct. Most of the block m places, already let most people hunt.There are some good ones, but mums the word on this.