penetrating during both rifle and bow season, secure elk habitat. 

 Restrict the use of horses and all terrain vehicles and your 

 spike branch antler elk problem will remedy itself. The large 

 bull elk and buck mule deer populations are being decimated by a 

 lack of animal secure areas. If people have to walk more to 

 hunt, less people would hunt, populations may rise. The problem 

 will get worse before it gets better. The reason North Idaho's 

 panhandle country offers a greater percentage of shootable bulls 

 is because horses and even ATV's are ineffective. Eastern 

 Montana from the divide is more accessable with horses and ATV's. 

 Outfitters who stand to make money are going to penetrate 

 anywere they can to get their clients large animals. 



I think all hunting season would be better if the rifle season 

 were shortened at lest three weeks . I also think the general and 

 archery season for all animals would be better if several of the 

 small branchery roads were closed off. 



Bowhunting for me is almost a passion - as you are one on one 

 with the animals. As more areas are restricted access I have 

 become more discouraged because irresponsible hunters are ruining 

 my chance's at reaching areas where trophy animals live out their 

 years. I have learned to live with these restrictions against 

 4x4 's which, for the most part, stayed on roads in existence no 

 matter how open the country or how remote. Personally I turn in 

 any motorized vehicals (4x4 's) that are tearing up land by 

 traveling off the road, which aren't many. But when roads are 

 open too smaller vehicals as snowmobiles and ATV's but closed to 

 big 4x4 ' s I have to scratch my head and wonder why? These 

 smaller vehicals have always been the biggest problem and now the 

 barn door is wide open. As I travel the woods or plains the 

 tracks are clear - motorcycle's travel game trails, who can catch 

 them on foot, ATV's (the newest threat) go where ever they can, 

 over trail, field, anything. Pack up 600 lbs can go. 

 Snowmobiles, who catches them. They chase down game in snow too 

 deep for anything to escape. I know I'm walkin around seeing 

 their tracks . 



This last bow season in area 284, after searching for eight days 

 during dryest season ever, I finally found where the elk were 

 hold up, sign was excellent. Now I only had to get into them. 

 After humping mountains for 8 days, you relax on a mountain side 

 watch the sun setting, elk so close you could almost smell them, 

 then shattering the serinity - ring, ding, ding, ding - what the 

 hell, there's no roads up here, yet someone is driving around on 

 the mountain. I get a sick feeling, then I was angry. I tryed 

 to find him, he was close but I never could see him, but I find 

 his tracks ATV I His useing the meadows for easy crossing I lost 

 hearing him, his gone. As I get back to my 4x4 parked on the end 

 of an established road I faintly hear the sound of his machine, 

 on my way back to camp, just beyond a gate that will soon be 

 closed to me and my 4x4. ATV tracks clearly leave the road and 



