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Montana Elk Management Survey

Elk management is one of the most contentious issues in Montana. Farmers, ranchers, and other private landowners have concerns about crop and fence damage, and about the potential for disease transmission to livestock. Hunters have concerns with a loss of elk on public lands and ultimately less hunting opportunity. While some hunting units are over objective, many hunters also report problems getting to elk and having the opportunity to hunt them.

FWP has tried to find solutions that balance different stakeholder interests, but there is more that needs to be done. In order to inform ongoing management deliberations, the Montana Wildlife Federation is seeking input from Montana hunters.

1. How many years have you hunted in Montana?

2. How important do you think each of the following strategies are to manage elk herds in units that are over population objective? (With 1 being not important at all and 5 being very important).

Space Cell	1	2	3	4	5
Increasing public hunting access to private lands	Increasing public hunting access to private lands : 1	Increasing public hunting access to private lands : 2	Increasing public hunting access to private lands : 3	Increasing public hunting access to private lands : 4	Increasing public hunting access to private lands : 5
Improving habitat conditions on public lands	Improving habitat conditions on public lands: 1	Improving habitat conditions on public lands: 2	Improving habitat conditions on public lands: 3	Improving habitat conditions on public lands: 4	Improving habitat conditions on public lands: 5
Increasing access to public lands	Increasing access to public lands: 1	Increasing access to public lands: 2	Increasing access to public lands: 3	Increasing access to public lands: 4	Increasing access to public lands: 5
Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify	Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify: 1	Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify: 2	Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify: 3	Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify: 4	Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify: 5
Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February)	Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February): 1	Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February): 2	Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February): 3	Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February): 4	Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February): 5
Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working	Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working: 1	Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working: 2	Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working: 3	Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working: 4	Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working: 5
Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands	Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands: 1	Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands: 2	Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands: 3	Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands: 4	Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands: 5

3. How important do you think each of the following strategies are to reduce elk concentrations on private land? (With 1 being not important at all and 5 being very important).

Space Cell	1	2	3	4	5
Increased public hunting access during the general season	Increased public hunting access during the general season : 1	Increased public hunting access during the general season : 2	Increased public hunting access during the general season : 3	Increased public hunting access during the general season : 4	Increased public hunting access during the general season : 5
Improving habitat on public lands	Improving habitat on public lands: 1	Improving habitat on public lands: 2	Improving habitat on public lands: 3	Improving habitat on public lands: 4	Improving habitat on public lands: 5
Hazing and other efforts to push elk to public lands	Hazing and other efforts to push elk to public lands: 1	Hazing and other efforts to push elk to public lands: 2	Hazing and other efforts to push elk to public lands: 3	Hazing and other efforts to push elk to public lands: 4	Hazing and other efforts to push elk to public lands: 5
Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify	Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify: 1	Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify: 2	Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify: 3	Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify: 4	Game damage hunts and management hunts on private lands that qualify: 5
Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February)	Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February): 1	Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February): 2	Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February): 3	Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February): 4	Extending hunting seasons earlier (into August) and later (into February): 5
Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working	Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working: 1	Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working: 2	Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working: 3	Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working: 4	Shoulder seasons that require data collection to show they’re working: 5
Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands	Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands: 1	Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands: 2	Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands: 3	Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands: 4	Hazing and other efforts to drive elk off of private lands: 5

4. If FWP updates Montana’s statewide elk management plan, how important is it to you that the plan include the following strategies? (With 1 being not important at all and 5 being very important).

Space Cell	1	2	3	4	5
Encourage elk presence on public lands	Encourage elk presence on public lands : 1	Encourage elk presence on public lands : 2	Encourage elk presence on public lands : 3	Encourage elk presence on public lands : 4	Encourage elk presence on public lands : 5
Minimize game damage on private lands	Minimize game damage on private lands: 1	Minimize game damage on private lands: 2	Minimize game damage on private lands: 3	Minimize game damage on private lands: 4	Minimize game damage on private lands: 5
Minimize elk herd concentration on private lands	Minimize elk herd concentration on private lands: 1	Minimize elk herd concentration on private lands: 2	Minimize elk herd concentration on private lands: 3	Minimize elk herd concentration on private lands: 4	Minimize elk herd concentration on private lands: 5
Restore historical elk migration patterns	Restore historical elk migration patterns: 1	Restore historical elk migration patterns: 2	Restore historical elk migration patterns: 3	Restore historical elk migration patterns: 4	Restore historical elk migration patterns: 5
Enhance habitat conditions on public lands	Enhance habitat conditions on public lands: 1	Enhance habitat conditions on public lands: 2	Enhance habitat conditions on public lands: 3	Enhance habitat conditions on public lands: 4	Enhance habitat conditions on public lands: 5
Maximize number of hunters participating in elk hunting	Maximize number of hunters participating in elk hunting: 1	Maximize number of hunters participating in elk hunting: 2	Maximize number of hunters participating in elk hunting: 3	Maximize number of hunters participating in elk hunting: 4	Maximize number of hunters participating in elk hunting: 5
Manage for quality/trophy elk hunting	Manage for quality/trophy elk hunting: 1	Manage for quality/trophy elk hunting: 2	Manage for quality/trophy elk hunting: 3	Manage for quality/trophy elk hunting: 4	Manage for quality/trophy elk hunting: 5
Maintain high ethical standards in elk hunting	Maintain high ethical standards in elk hunting: 1	Maintain high ethical standards in elk hunting: 2	Maintain high ethical standards in elk hunting: 3	Maintain high ethical standards in elk hunting: 4	Maintain high ethical standards in elk hunting: 5

How much do you trust the following to make decisions about elk management in Montana? (With 1 being I do not trust at all and 5 being I trust a great deal)

Space Cell	1	2	3	4	5
Legislators	Legislators : 1	Legislators : 2	Legislators : 3	Legislators : 4	Legislators : 5
The Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks	The Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks: 1	The Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks: 2	The Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks: 3	The Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks: 4	The Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks: 5
The Fish & Wildlife Commission	The Fish & Wildlife Commission: 1	The Fish & Wildlife Commission: 2	The Fish & Wildlife Commission: 3	The Fish & Wildlife Commission: 4	The Fish & Wildlife Commission: 5
Your local Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist	Your local Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist: 1	Your local Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist: 2	Your local Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist: 3	Your local Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist: 4	Your local Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist: 5
Private landowners	Private landowners: 1	Private landowners: 2	Private landowners: 3	Private landowners: 4	Private landowners: 5

6. What ideas do you have for how hunters can do more to address elk management problems?

7. What actions do you think our public land management agencies can be doing to improve habitat conditions and attract elk to public lands?

8. What ideas do you have for how private landowners can do more to address elk management problems?

9. Your Info *This question is required.

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