this to increase the populaitoin 



The elk populations in the areas I hunt are very much on the 

 increase. I average seeing 15-20 mature bulls every archery 

 season. I also rifle hunt the same areas and never see these 

 mature bulls. Just because mature bulls aren't found in rifle 

 season doesn't mean there isn't any because I know better. Please 

 listen to someone that actually walks the hills and sees first 

 hand. I don't ride around in airplane counting elk by 

 proportioning . 



REFERENCE WUESTIONS 12 & 13 I WOULD PASS UP COWS & SPIKES EARLY 

 IN SEASON TO TRY FOR A MATURE BULL BUT LATER IN SEASON I WOULD 

 TAKE A COW OR SPIKE IF THE CHANCE PRESENTS ITSELF. 



I WOULD LIKE TO REAFFIRM THAT RIFLE HUNTERS SHOULD NOT BE 

 ALLOWED TO ARCHERY HUNT OF VICE VERSA. 



I FEEL MONTANA PRESENTLY TREATS IT ARCHERS WELL, AND IN TURN 



ARCHERS TREAT MT. AS WELL AS IT'S RESOURCE (THE WILDLIFE) 



RESPECTIVALY. 



PLEASE READ THE ENCLOSURE AND GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT. THANK YOU 



VERY MUCH 



DEAR SIRS, 



JUST WANTED TO MAKE A FEW STATEMANTS ON SOME IDEAS IN YOUR 

 "SURVEY" I AM A DEVORED ARCHER AS WE;; AS ARTIST, PHOTOGRAPHER 

 AND OVERALL OUTDOORSMAN . ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP IS 

 THE DECISION TO OPEN AN EARLY-SEASON (RIFLE) FOR TROPHY MULE DEER 

 FOR AREA 240 IN 87! I VOTED AGAINST (NOT IN FAVOR) OF THIS 

 DECISION LAST YEAR AT A MEETING OF THE RAVALLI COUNTY FISH AND 

 WILDLIFE ASSC . THE OVERALL VOTE AT THAT MEETING WAS ALSO 

 OPPOSED TO THE EARLY SEASON RIFLE HUNT, THE MAJORITY FEELING IT 

 WOULD DISTURB BREEDING ELK HERDS, I HAVE PACKED INTO AREA 240 FOR 

 THE PAST THREE YEARS TO BOWHUNT FOR ELK AND MULEDEER. THE FIRST 

 TWO YEARS I HUNTED A HERD OF ELK IN ROUND CREEK (IN WHICH A TRAIL 

 FOLLOWED) THE HERD #NUMBERS +40 AND I FELT SOME OF THE ELK WERE 

 GETTING PUSHED OVER FROM THE EARLY SEASON RIFLE HUNT IN IDAHO, 

 (AS THE DRAW I HUNTED WAS NEAR THE IDAHO BORDER ANDTHE ELK WERE 

 NO WHERE TO BE FOUND IN THE SPRING -SUMMER) LAST YEAR I AGAIN 

 PACKED INTOTHE DRAINAGE THE 1ST DAY OF SEASON AND SCORED ON A 

 BULL THAT MORNING, THE HERD WAS IS THE DRAINAGE AGAIN AND AS 

 NUMEROUS (+40). LATER IN THE SEASON (AFTER THE RIFLE HUNT BEGAN) 

 SOME OF MY FRIENDS HIKED INTO THE SAME PLACE TO HUNT AND THE ELK 

 WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. A CAMPSITE A FEW DAYS OLD WAS FOUND 

 NEAR THE DRAW- WE LATER FOUND APPROX 5 PEOPLE HAD HUNTED MULEDEER 

 WITH A RIFLE IN THAT DRAW. THE ELK? NOT HUNTED BUT PROBABLY BACK 

 IN IDAHO. THAT IS ONE REASON I OPPOSE THIS DECISION, ANOTHER 

 (ALONG THE SAME LINE) IS VERY FEW PEOPLE I KNOW WHO OBTAINED THE 

 EARLY SEASON PERMITS TRAVELED ALONE TO HUNT DEER, MOST TRAVELED 

 WITH TWO OR THREE FRIENDS, WHILE SOME HUNTED OTHERS UNKNOWINLY 

 PUSHED ELK HERDS INTO IDAHO TERRITORY UNNACCESABLE NY HUNTERS 

 WITH. MONTANA TAGS, ANOTHER REASON IS THIS SEASON IS ALMOST 

 IMPOSSIBLE TO "PATROL" OR THE LAWS TO BE ENFORCED AND I FEEL THIS 



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