general has become popular just recently, in the 80 's. The game 

 populations dropped in the 60 *s, primarily from disease and 

 Riffles and are at a come back status now. I feel that it is 

 unfair to consider unfounded accusations. 



Deer seem to be holding their own against annihilation, but there 

 are fewer and fewer elk each year. Thanks for asking. 



Hunted in Districts 312 & 311 along the Gallatin R., observed 

 large quanities of Does and fawns . Bucks seemed sparse 

 throughout the area . 



The main reason I hunted with the bow is the posibility of 

 shooting a cow, prompted by the experience of having 4 7 elk walk 

 by in single file forty yards away without a bull in the herd. 

 The 30-06 in rifle season in this situation was useless! Get the 

 bulls back. Also change the Cow drawing so the same lucky 

 reciepients don't get a cow tag every year. 



To increase the game try this 



I have hunted the 455 and close by areas for over 40 years. At 



present most of the Deer and Elk herds are gone and have been the 



last 15 years 



The feed is still here in fact there is more now than ever 



before, as the herds decrese the fawns and calves decrese, with 



each spring the number gets smaller and the kill by the Bears, 



cats & Eagles become greater percentage wise. So to take care of 



the Bear cats & Eagles we need to have more feed for them so more 



Does and cows bring more food both young and old are used for 



this food. 



If the females are not hunted the herds will come back and every 



one will have a sport as it should be to hunt the stag. 



I would like to see an area put aside for trophy animals 4 pt. or 

 more. 



Archery is a great sport. If animals were not so Few in Between. 



While I have bowhunted in Montana for only a couple days in one 

 year, I have bowhunted in several other states over the last 20 

 years. It seems as if elk populations in the northwest part of 

 Montana are not anywhere near maximun or even optimum density. 



We need to improve the deer and elk population even if hunting 

 season is closed for one year. 



Both hunting seasons should start later in the year. End of Oct. 

 for bow. Rifle in Nov. 



Question #9 on page three was answered by lengthing season two 

 weeks by a post season hunt. I would like to see some areas 

 managed for trophy whitetails & have a 2 week hunt for then that 

 coincide with the rut in November & Dec. that would be a great 



