MT leaving APR's
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: Pop-r
27-Dec-19
No more antler point restrictions in MT. That's the word I'm receiving at the present time. Game biologist seem to be very challenged at what the best practice is at very best. So many opinions and different studies it's ridiculous but they seem to have made up their mind.
From: JL
27-Dec-19
I don't think they use them for deer. I assume you're talking elk??
From: HUNT MAN
27-Dec-19
We have never had a antler restrictions. On elk or deer.
From: TooManyBowsBob
27-Dec-19
I always figured there are two kinds or deer/other critter. There's the braggin kind and the eating kind. For those of us who are more concerned with the "eating kind" APR are a great hindernace. While I wouldn't turn down one with bing head gear, I'd rather have a full freezer. That being said, I have gone on hunts for a big one, and have even been successful.
That being said, I understand those of you who are looking for antlers. I just wish that there would be a way to make us both happy. I know that if you shoot them when they are little they will never get big, but dang I just love eating them.
TMBB
From: 12yards
27-Dec-19
Yes, but deer with big antlers are made out of meat too. So the best way to manage for people who want big deer and meat, is to manage for big deer. IMVHO.
From: Pop-r
27-Dec-19
Yes elk JL. As you said there are none I'm aware of for deer.
From: SmokedTrout
27-Dec-19
SmokedTrout's Link
Only antler point restriction for elk in MT I've ever been aware of was brow-tined bull.
I don't see anything in the proposed changes (which are up for comment right now) about antler point restrictions on elk.
From: Trial153
27-Dec-19
Confused..
From: Pop-r
27-Dec-19
That's the only one there is/was I'm aware of Smoked Trout.
From: Shuteye
27-Dec-19
Maryland antler restrictions are very confusing. You can only shoot bucks on certain days. I wish they would just say there is a limit of one buck or two buck regardless of the weapon season. Actually I mainly hunt adult does and the limit on antler less deer is huge.
From: Pop-r
27-Dec-19
It's fixing to be VERY simple in MT from what I'm gathering.
From: SmokedTrout
27-Dec-19
Well I'm not seeing it. Most of the changes are for shoulder seasons. There are a couple of districts where they want to allow either sex instead of brow-tined bulls, but not very many. And most of that applies only to youth or handicapped. I do see they are getting rid of a lot of cow tags in region 1.
In fact, with the way they are dividing up shoulder seasons I would say it is even more complicated than before.
From: Pop-r
27-Dec-19
I don't think it's been put out there publicly yet but it's coming is what I'm hearing.
From: HUNT MAN
27-Dec-19
You serious Clark??
From: TooManyBowsBob
27-Dec-19
Yeah they are made of meat, but that big guy I got was so tough and chewy even the hamburger was hard to get down. Wound up giving most of it away.
TMBB
From: Outdoordan
27-Dec-19
Maybe he meant MO, Missouri?
From: SteveB
27-Dec-19
Toomanybowsbob: “just love eating them”
Then why not just shoot an antlerless ?
From: Pop-r
29-Dec-19
Spikes eat damn good! But how many bulls will be around in 5 yrs?!
From: MichaelArnette
30-Dec-19
Personally I think the only reason there is a need for antler point restrictions is because there’s too much pressure. (Take Pennsylvania, Texas, and Colorado)
From: Glunt@work
30-Dec-19
No need for APR on elk for bowhunting in the popular western states. We don't take enough bulls to be the cause or the solution to bull quality, age class, bull:cow ratio or overall herd dynamics.
From: TrapperKayak
30-Dec-19
Now if they'd just get rid of the no over the counter tags for NRs, like they used to have.
From: SlipShot
30-Dec-19
The Point restrictions on Elk works great in Colorado! The quantity and quality of mature bulls increased exponentially after it was put on the books. There was a point restriction for deer for short period of time and it was making a difference as well. I'm not sure why they changed the rule for deer, but I would be against them removing the restriction on elk.
From: JL
30-Dec-19
As is often the case, APR's reduce the bull/buck harvest in public/private land mixes. IMO the ideal harvest structure is across all age classes vs putting all the harvest pressure on the mid to older classes. Plus unlimited OTC tags where ever used doesn't help either.
