Blast from the Past

This issue, Blast from The Past, comes from the year 1988. Buddy Lundstrom was our president. Our membership was up to around 1600 members. 1988, Was a year to remember. As you may recall it was a drought year, one of the worst on record. It seemed half of the state was on fire, the Bob Marshal and Yellowstone Park where we had to stand back and watch them burn. Governor Schwinden closed the Archery Season until we got some rain, and as I remember, it was the third week in September when it started to snow and dumped a pile of it across western Montana and it rained east of the divide. The ban was lifted shortly after.

It was a Tentative year, with the 800-archery antelope on the agenda to be expanded into the rifle season. Region 1 there was a group of individuals pushing to get the late archery for deer shut down. The recommendation was founded on the impact the bowhunters had on the deer, but was being pushed by a few individuals who were opposed to the late archery season.

The MBA was working closely with a group of sportsmen called Montana Wildlands Coalition, who worked for Wilderness access and keeping public lands open to the public. The MBA decided to join the Public Lands Access Association as an institutional member.

The FWP put forth the first Bowhunter survey sent out to Bowhunters who purchased an archery stamp. The MBA sat on the panel to review the survey in advance. There were 16,000 surveys mailed out, 8,569 (54%) were returned to the department for analysis. However, since the non-residents were not included and some residents did not get on our computer file the number of represents 39% of the 21,900 archery license holders during the 1987 license year. The type of equipment used: 86% used the compound bow, 1% used the Longbow and 10% used the recurve bow. 92% of the bowhunters also used the rifle during the general season. When asked if the crossbow should be legalized during the archery season, 86% replied NO!!! The question that bothered me most about the results of the survey was, estimated number of elk and harvested by archers during the 1987 archery season in Montana. # of elk hit by 1 or more arrows, 2,370. # Of elk hit and retrieved 1,169 (49%). # Of elk hit and not retrieved 1,201 (51%). When asked what the percentage of elk die from their wounds, the FWP representative stated that they would estimate one third of those hit and not retrieved died. Based on those numbers, of 100 elk hit by archers in 1987, 49 were retrieved, 17 were fatally wounded and lost and 34 were wounded, but survived. We do not consider a 17% fatal wounding loss acceptable. We must improve on this number and the MBA dedicates itself to that goal. There were 10 other tables with the results but it would take several pages to recap.

Another headline was, Attention All Bowhunter Education Instructors. After March 1st 1988, on this date will be Mandatory Bowhunter Education for all 12- to 18-year-old. The push for instructors was put in place, many MBA members stepped up and the percentage of instructors were MBA members.

I guess that’s all I got for the 1988 old days. If there is a date you would like me to research for another issue let me know, I’ll search through the material I have to find it. So until next issue.