V. Three Week vs Five Week Season in Northeast(R-6) 



Purpose: Although most hunting districts in northeastern Montana (Region 6) are five 

 weeks long, four districts had three week seasons prior to 1988. The three week 

 season was intended to reduce harvest during a time when populations were low. 



Results: Harvest information from those districts with a 5-week season was compared to 

 harvest information from those with a 3-week season within the region. Hunter success 

 averaged 60% with no significant difference between areas. There was also no significant 

 difference in the percent of whitetail or mule deer bucks in the resident harvest between 

 areas. There were minimal differences in the percent 5x5 or greater whitetail bucks between 

 the 3 -week hunting districts and the 5 -week districts but the difference was not significant. 

 Percent of 4x4 or greater mule deer bucks averaged 43 in the 3 -week districts and 47 in the 

 5-week districts, with no significant difference. 



In summary, there was no significant difference noted between the 3 and 5 week seasons in 

 northeastern Montana based upon harvest statistics. The relatively low security in these 

 habitats results in the kill being primarily controlled by hunter effort. 



RESULTS FROM OTHERS STATES 



Antler-point Restrictions: 



Antler-point restrictions (APR) for mule deer have been used in several states, including 

 California, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. The general conclusion from most applications was 

 that APR delayed harvest of bucks until they were 2-years old and, with unlimited hunting 

 pressure, few bucks lived beyond three years of age because all hunting pressure was 

 directed at the older age classes. 



Colorado: 



The following information was reported by Colorado in April 1993 in a report entitled "Deer 

 and Elk Management Analysis Guide, 1992-94." In 1986, an antler point restriction ( APR) 

 was implemented for mule deer hunting in Colorado, limiting hunters to harvest bucks with 

 three or more antler-points during some seasons. 



The analysis of the effect of APR (3 point antler restriction) was limited to changes in post- 

 season deer sex ratios. These data were acknowledged to be relatively insensitive to changes 

 actually occurring in the deer populations because of their high variability due to factors 

 affecting observability and fluctuations in populations related to weather and other factors. 



In the Southwest Region where APR was included in all three deer seasons, total post-season 

 buck:doe ratios steadily increased from 9:100 in 1985 to a high of 19:100, but did not 

 surpass the observed high recorded prior to the implementation of APR (20:100). Adult 

 bucks comprised 48% of the bucks prior to APR and 30-48% during APR. 



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