Hunting has been a tradition in the Baier family for generations.
Born and raised in Kalispell, Tim Baier, as a young boy, would go out every fall with his father. He remembers the frigid early mornings standing in the woods, glassing the landscape for any sign of a buck or bull elk. When the cold became unbearable, Baier would stick his hands in his dad’s back pockets for warmth.
Baier, 48, now has two sons of his own, and the family tradition lives on.
“We go out every year. It’s what we do,” he said. “Hunt, fish, camp – that’s why we live here. Plus we like the meat.”
His youngest boy, 11-year-old Rueger, was not old enough to hunt this past season but Baier brought him along anyway. On opening day Rueger helped call in a pair of elk that his older brother and father both shot. The family finished the season with another nice addition to the freezer after Baier’s 20-year-old son Dillon shot a whitetail buck.
Ever since the general rifle season ended on Nov. 27, hunting has enamored young Rueger and “he’s just wild” about going out next year, Baier said.
And so is his dad.
“It’s a very good family bonding time,” he said.
The Baiers’ success stands out this year. The final numbers reported at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks check stations support a widespread perception that the big game population, specifically deer, is hurting in most areas of the state. And as a result so is the tradition of hunting.
Of the state’s seven regions, only one showed above average harvest numbers for both whitetail and mule deer — Region 3 in the southwest. Nearly everywhere else saw significant declines in both animals harvested and hunters in the field, especially in eastern Montana. In fact, all but two regions reported a below average number of hunters this season.
Ron Aasheim, chief of communications for FWP, said the agency is examining how to increase the number of hunters statewide, perhaps implementing stronger marketing tactics similar to other states. FWP attempts to manage wildlife populations by the amount of licenses and permits issued every year, Aasheim said, but the decline in the state’s “primary management tool,” hunters, raises valid concerns.
Statewide elk license sales were down 2 percent from last year and early figures show that general deer tags may see a similar drop, Aasheim said.
“We’re going to take a hard look at what we need to do,” he said, adding, “hunting is a multimillion dollar business in Montana. I’m talking about for the local economies, from where (hunters) stay, where they buy food and fill up with gas. And it takes money to run an agency. We get no general funds. The agency is dependent on license revenues. Big time.”
Hunting season in Region 5, centered in and around Billings, was one of the slowest on record, according to FWP. Based on data compiled from check stations, whitetail numbers were 35 percent below the long-term average and mule deer numbers fell 42 percent. The number of hunters in the field was 23 percent below average.
Some regions, like Northwest Montana’s Region 1, reported positive figures in some areas – the Swan, for instance – but overall this hunting season can be deemed a slow one. Compared to last season, hunters in Region 1 checked 15 percent fewer whitetail bucks, 35 percent fewer mule deer and 23 percent fewer elk.
Region 1 still stands out as having a strong hunting population, with almost 19,000 hunters checked this year.
Although check stations do not provide a complete representation of the season, FWP relies heavily on that data to examine wildlife populations and their status. Telephone surveys in the spring help FWP better understand big game populations, but based on early data the numbers appear down.
An obvious factor contributing to the decline in hunter numbers in several areas is fewer licenses and permits being issued, and tighter regulations, like those limited to bucks only.
For years FWP allowed “a much more liberal harvest,” FWP Region 2 spokesperson Vivica Crowser said. As a result deer populations took a hit, she said, so FWP tightened regulations to help numbers rebound. For the last two general hunting seasons there have been very few “B” tags for doe harvest.
Region 2, in the west-central part of the state, had lower hunter and harvest numbers compared to the long-term average. The elk harvest dropped 25 percent and the deer harvest fell about 40 percent, Crowser said. And the numbers would have been even worse if it wasn’t for a very successful final week.
The perception of a decrease in wildlife populations is believed to play a big role in discouraging hunters from going out in the field. And in some areas across the state, that perception appears based in reality, specifically in central and eastern regions.
Fawn populations in many parts of the state suffered significant “winter kill” during last year’s long, harsh winter, Aasheim said.
The whitetail deer population was also decimated by a disease outbreak in the central and eastern areas. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) contributed to a “significant number” of deaths and the population is now “much reduced over what it has been,” Region 7 spokesperson Dwayne Andrews said.
In 2010, officials at Region 7’s lone check station in Hysham counted 710 hunters, 364 antelope, 58 mule deer and 28 whitetails. This season there were 474 hunters, 141 antelope, 41 mule deer and 15 whitetails reported, Andrews said.
“Fair to say it’s been a frustrating hunting season,” he said.
A combination of other factors has adversely affected big game population, including predators.
“They’re not the only factor but wolves are certainly having an impact,” Aasheim said.
Wolves are a hot topic of conversation among outdoor and hunting enthusiasts. For some, the wolf has become the poster child for why wildlife numbers are slumping.
But although wolves play a part in predation of wildlife, they are not the lone culprits, according to a longtime FWP official.
“Everybody focuses on the wolf, but here in Northwest Montana we’ve got a full sweep of predators” threatening wildlife, including mountain lions, coyotes and black bears, Kalispell area wildlife biologist John Vore said.
Northwest Montana does have the largest population of wolves in the state that have naturally migrated from Canada, but in areas like the Swan Range mountain lions appear to be killing more fawns than any other predator, Vore said.
Vore has worked for FWP for almost 30 years. As the person responsible for surveying and inventorying wildlife, he has a close view of the current hunting environment. Vore said the situation, specifically in Northwest Montana, is not as dire as the perception would make it seem. The deer population, he said, is simply doing what history has shown it does – fluctuate in a cyclical manner.
“In recent years the numbers aren’t as bad as people think,” he said. “Yes, in some places deer numbers are way down, but in some places they’re not doing too bad. The areas where populations are down, it’s due to a whole combination of factors, not just predation.”
Despite several factors threatening wildlife, from harsh winters to predators to urban growth eliminating habitats, Vore still has data from the last four decades that shows the numbers are, in fact, better than they were 30 years ago in some local spots, specifically the Swan. In fact, numbers reported this season at the Swan check station show one of the best whitetail harvests ever going back to 1981, Vore said.
“I hear people say, ‘I wish it was like the 1980s.’ Well right now we’re actually better than the 1980s,” Vore said in regards to deer populations in the Swan.
Elk are not as predominant in Northwest Montana and numbers are hard to judge, but the local population appears to be healthy, too, he said. The agency has also started surveying hunters about moose to get a better understanding of that population.
Some local areas are definitely seeing low populations for deer, namely the North Fork and outside of Libby, Vore noted. But the numbers have still not reached a distressing level.
“Everybody wants the best year every year,” he said. “You’re never going to have that. You have to put it into perspective and take a long-term look. Just because this season was a little bit slower than last season, that doesn’t really mean too much. You have to go back 30 years and look at what’s happened.”
Vore said he understands the concern he often hears from hunters about a discouraging season, but he tries to reassure them that the hunt is still strong in the state.
“Hunting is tradition in Montana. It’s really important to Montanans,” he said.