Well it seems that another hunting season in Montana is winding down to an end. With one week to go there are quite a few hunters that haven’t had quite the luck that they’ve experienced in years past. This without a doubt causes even the best hunters in this great area to ponder the reasons why.
Without a doubt I for one hiked many a mile in the back country for the shear enjoyment of the exercise. Did I eventually fill my tags? A couple of them. But in years past I can recall going out to certain areas of our state and trying to decide which deer or elk I wanted to shoot. This year I was beginning to wonder whether I would get to use my rifle or not, let alone use my get to test out my new scope.
Although there is still a lot of beautiful country and a lot of great places to hunt in our state I think we all need to start being honest with ourselves and come clean with the problem. I read in the local paper this morning that hunting numbers are down to the level they were at after the harsh winter of 1996. Unfortunately last winter wasn’t that cold! Naturally, being a realist I’m not going to discuss the phases of the moon but I will throw out an idea I’ve heard discussed in all corners of the state and beyond. Just maybe we really do have a bit of a wolf problem in Montana!
Oh no!!! That can’t be….they just now took them off of the endangered species list and allowed hunters to actually buy tags and hunt for them this year. The population surely didn’t grow that fast! Rrrright!!!! From all indications maybe they have. The reports of irate ranchers that are having to stay up all night protect their herds from these predators is up ten to twenty fold. Also is the fact that by all estimates they were allowing hunters to shoot 10% of the wolves in the state and this was accomplished in less than three and half weeks. Granted, Montana outdoorsmen are some of the best hunters I ever met but most of these wolves were shot by happen stance. Meaning, they weren’t being hunted they were just there! To me this seems like maybe there are more wolves than anybody has admitted to or is ever going to.
What it does mean is more tough times ahead for hunters in Montana. Until the problem is addressed with actual true numbers by people with enough common sense to admit there is a problem the hunting successes in our state are going to continue to decline to a point where hunting will be totally useless unless you want to go someplace else.
What a shame that in a great outdoor state like Montana we have to listen to all of the political drivel that is involved in getting our decision makers to understand they are only making things miserable for their own agendas!
Montana Hunting Season 