Should you Shoulder Hunt? Late season deer and elk hunts are becoming more common.
About elk shoulder seasons
The primary purpose of elk shoulder seasons is to reduce elk populations in areas that are over population objective as outlined in the Montana Elk Management Plan. Montana law (MCA 87-1-323) requires Fish, Wildlife & Parks to manage elk populations to objective, and both Gov. Steve Bullock and our own Fish & Wildlife Commission have tasked FWP officials with addressing these concerns.
A shoulder season is a firearms season that occurs outside the five-week general firearms and archery seasons. While most shoulder seasons focus on antlerless elk harvest on private land and are not intended to replace or reduce harvest during the existing archery or five-week general firearms seasons, a few are meant to address problematic distribution of elk.
Shoulder seasons will vary in timing and function from hunting district to hunting district. In some districts the shoulder season will start as early as Aug. 15 and go as late as Feb. 15. In some areas, the shoulder season will occur at the same time as the archery season, while in others it will not include the archery only season. Where a shoulder season and archery season occur at the same time, the shoulder season will mostly be limited to private land.
Shoulder season success will depend on landowners, hunters and FWP working closely together in a cooperative and respectful fashion.
Key points for hunters to remember:
- Season timing and lengths will be tailored to each hunting district, so know your regulations.
- Shoulder seasons will be focused on antlerless elk found primarily on private land.
- Hunters can typically use their general season elk license, antlerless elk permit or an elk B license, depending on the hunting district. Hunters need to check the regulations for each district.
- Hunters should start early establishing contacts and building relationships with landowners who may offer access for shoulder season hunts.
Some Shoulder Seasons Thoughts
Late season hunts mean female critters are grouped up and in predictable areas.
Most Cows and Does are pregnant. You will discover fetuses.
Shooting a single cow or doe means reducing herd size by more than one. Females can often yield twins and triplets.
Hormones and meat quality is different than in earlier Fall hunts.
Most public land can be in places different than where winter habitat is located. This means access can be a challenge.
Baiting and feeding critters to a specific spot is easier in the harsh seasons. This is illegal in Montana, but hay and agricultural crops attract critters the same way.
Private landowners often charge hunters to remove elk or deer that are eating their hay and damaging their land. They also get reimbursed by the state for crop damage. These same farmers do not allow public access in regular season so they can exploit selling antler tags to hunters. As a result, elk and deer tend to stack up on their” sanctuary land” in late seasons due to less hunting pressure. Fortunately, some landowners are generous with access. The state also sponsors some hunts on private lands.
Why are these hunts called “Shoulder Hunts”? Maybe it’s because the hunters with unfilled tags are willing to “shoulder wildlife management practices” that could not be gained in regular seasons. Often, this is because wild game often herds up on Private, No Hunting Allowed lands.
The real questions that arise are “Should You Hunt”? Filling a tag for food is an appropriate hunting need. Some hunters use more primitive weapons to challenge their skills.
Are late season hunts ethical and sporting? Keeping the wild game herds at a healthy size is important. Shoulder Hunts are one tool to use. Overpopulated herds will die over severe winters and from disease.
Are late season females that are pregnant good to eat? Several studies show that there are no negative issues with eating late season meat. You will need to deal with fetus’s when dressing the cow or deer. Meat will have a different texture and contain hormones. Not bad but different.
Harvesting late season critters happens in colder weather which also prevents meat from going bad. Meat aging is easier. Transporting downed critters can also be easier.
I have harvested deer in all legal seasons and do feel that wild game tagged from September to mid October tastes the best. This is when health, food, and weather are the best. There is less tallow on their flesh. They travel less prior to the rut or when food is scarcer. This means less used muscles are more tender.
Hunting Strategies will be different. Find the food and shelter and you will find the critters. No calling, stalking, or using traditional tactics. Find a herd on legal access property and fill your tag.
Do game managers consider that Shoulder Hunts are killing multiple critters with one shot? Estimates on population size do consider potential/future increases. This data/estimates can change due to disease, severe weather and other concerns. Target sizes vary with habitats.
Shoulder Seasons in Montana Winters are hard and not for everyone. Hunt safely.
Montana Grant
