Wyogal: I think your observations are correct.
For instance this past weekend was the end of our Deer/Elk Big Game seasons here in Montana and I took the opportunity to just go observe game and what was what!
I had filled both my Antelope and Deer tags and have plenty of meat in my freezer as I received some "pay" in the form of Moose meat and Elk meat for helping out packing game etc.
Anyway the Elk hereabouts are mostly ALL on private ranches and I drove to 6 different ranches with large herds of Elk on them just to enjoy seeing them.
This "last" weekend had the Hunters literally "patrolling" the edges of these ranches in their pick-up trucks hoping for Elk movement!
And the game wardens were patrolling the Hunters and the ranches as well!
And in one instance the warden had his truck hidden in a hay lot with his spotting scope attached to his window and he was watching the "firing lines" and the "gauntlets" from his hidden position.
I am sad to see "Big Game Hunting" reduced to this crummy situation, and the increased "risk" to concentrated Hunters.
I hold both the greens and the rmWf partially to blame for this new set of circumstances.
Sad... and dangerous both.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: I estimate that I saw at least 2,500 Elk on these various ranches.
I could only accurately count one giant herd and it came out at 480 Elk - I was able to get high on a ridge and look down on this ranch bunch.
The other Elk herd numbers were estimated as the Elk were so bunched and concentrated it was tough to accurately count them.
