Montana General hunt

Jq23

Jq23

Active Member
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144
I'm going to Montana this November for the general deer hunt, I'm just wondering what it's like. I'm not sure where I'm going yet, I'll be coming from northern utah, so I'm thinking of probably hitting the closes general unit and giving that shot. Any advise would be great.

Thanks
 
Montana can be a difficult hunt for mule deer. Our seasons are to long and we have been hammering on the bucks during the rut for way to long. There are some good bucks that come from the Northern and Eastern parts of the state, but you need to spend a significant amount of time looking for one or hope to get lucky. Good luck.
 
I did a Montana generl deer hunt last fall. It was the horrible. As mentioned they kill the hell out of deer. A long season unlimited resident tags, and hunting through the rut makes for a horrible experience. I hunted in the SW portion of the state. I went up for a weekend during the archery and glassed and covered miles of ground with only seeing a handful of deer. We ended up back up in the area during Thanksgiving week. I saw more wolves (at a really long distance than I saw bucks). That being said in 9 days of hunting we found and glassed over 400 mule deer on public ground or where there was public access not a single buck bigger than a fork horn was seen. We also went and looked in the farmers fields just to see deer and where we did find does we watched spikes and itty bitty 2 points breed.

It was unreal... Defintiely not worth my mule deer tag cost. If I was going to hunt again in Montana, I felt I had a much better chance killing a wolf than a 4 point mule deer buck.

Whitetails on the private are thick but we never found a person willing to allow us to hunt. We could have killed several nice whitetails if we found permission.
 
Depends on where you want to hunt. There is some great mule deer hunting here in Montana. Also some that is bad. elks96 chose poorly. Narrow it down some and you'll probably get more detailed info. mtmuley
 
>Depends on where you want to
>hunt. There is some great
>mule deer hunting here in
>Montana. Also some that is
>bad. elks96 chose poorly. Narrow
>it down some and you'll
>probably get more detailed info.
>mtmuley

He is wanting to stay in the general units close to Utah. From my research the only areas that had good potential were east. Tell me how exactly Montana can grow big mature bucks when the general seasons for residents are unlimited, allow for the deer to be hunted multiple months, and into the heavy rut time and after the first big snow falls occur. I agree there were probably better units and better hunts, but the management model they have does not work well for growing decent bucks.
 
You're wasting your time in MT unless you are hunting eastern MT. But even in eastern MT don't expect something big. 140 - 150 buck is pretty easy to find, but finding one in the 160 - 170 range is not easy even with a lot of work.


"Go hunt for meat at Walmart."
 
I disagree with mtmuley. It is Montana's fault. Their management plan is not set up to grow mature bucks. The odds are against you in a major way. You can't hunt bucks for as long as they do and well into the rut on a general tag and have a decent crop of mature deer. Of course there are mature bucks in the state, but they are hard to come by. Most other western states do a much better job at managing their deer for "trophy quality" than Montana does.
Montana mule deer are managed for opportunity, except for a few units, and that is they way it has been for a very long time.
 
No guys you aren't going to stroll in to Montana and just hammer a "trophy" buck. It takes some research and some dedication. If you aren't up for it, hunt somewhere else. I'm fully aware of Montana's management practices, and won't defend them. But, with damn near the whole state available on a general tag, a lot of the blame for not taking a good buck is on the hunter. mtmuley
 
>So sounds like a couple guys
>can't kill a good buck
>in Montana. Not Montana's fault.
>mtmuley


Seriously! You call out my hunting abilities when you have no clue as to how I hunt! What a shame! Sorry but do you seriously think that watching spike bucks mounting the doe is my fault? When speak to locals who have hunted and lived in the area and they call a 150 buck a monster? Sorry but I did tons of research and in all honesty I found lots of deer, but I saw more wolves then I did 3 point bucks! Are there places that hold good bucks? Yes that can be said for anywhere but in my opinion I have never felt like I had wasted my money on a tag until I tried hunting deer in Montana!

Call it how you want but how can you argue with the fact that in Montanna there are unlimited deer permits, a long season and a late season that allows hunters to hunt into peak rut times! Where and how is a buck supposed to get big? I documented over 400 mile deer on public land in my 13 days hunting. In all those deer I saw one 3 point buck that was out to his ears. The rest were forks and spikes! I can not believe that spikes and button horns were doing the majority of breeding!

Sorry but it is a horrible management plan!
 
Just because a spike buck was mounting a doe doesn't mean he was breeding her. Also he could have monster buck genes. At least the doe was being bred and hopefully had twin bucks that survived.
I will hopefully be returning to Montana this year for my second trip ever and hope to catch up with some of the Bucks that eluded us last time.
 
I am not questioning Elks hunting ability but SW Montana is not where you go for deer hunting unless you have some honey hole or private access.

JQ don't get down, just realize you will probably need to go further from home than planned. Eastern Montana is bouncing back. The north half, central, or eastern Montana are all good options.

If you come to Montana realize it is managed for opportunity. There are big bucks but your not going to find them in every draw. Most years I see 10-15 bucks a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. Some small, some medium, and occassionally a really nice one. I am usually happy with a decent 4x4 and its doable every year. If you want a fun hunt with seeing lots of deer come up. Its really easy to get away from people during the week which is also a great benefit. if you are truly seeking a 180-200 inch trophy there is probably better options in other states. Just my 2 cents.
 
elks96, you lost credibility when you claimed you saw more wolves than three point bucks. If so, did you take a wolf home with you? mtmuley
 
>Just because a spike buck was
>mounting a doe doesn't mean
>he was breeding her. Also
>he could have monster buck
>genes. At least the doe
>was being bred and hopefully
>had twin bucks that survived.
>
>I will hopefully be returning to
>Montana this year for my
>second trip ever and hope
>to catch up with some
>of the Bucks that eluded
>us last time.

Yes I watched it. I saw 4 different spike barely 4x4 breed the doe. The doe actually stood and he breed. It does not matter what the genetics are, if they have no opportunity to express those genetics. My biggest concern is how much incredible habitat there was in the area and the overall number of deer with no bucks.

I know there were better places for deer, but when they say the deer hunting is hard in MT, then take what ever your expectations of hard is and triple down even then that might b a little generous. I will eventually hunt MT again, but it will not be anywhere in the SW portion of the state, even the unit across from our camp area was a supposed Trophy hard to draw tag and we saw 2 buck come out of it that were average bucks for a gerneral tag in WY or even below average for Colorado, but the hunters who took them said they were the largest they had saw. If wanting to hunt the SW section of the state or anywhere close to Utah, find a land owner and hunt Whitetail. I saw incredible whitetail every day, but they were all on the private land bottoms and every land owner we contacted would not let a person on because the last guy shot at his cows, house, etc. I can not blame them one bit, but mule deer was horrible and the Whitetails were incredible.
 
>elks96, you lost credibility when you
>claimed you saw more wolves
>than three point bucks. If
>so, did you take a
>wolf home with you? mtmuley
>


HAHA! I have no reason to lie at all...

I tried damn hard. But holly crap they can cover ground. I ended up seeing 9 different wolves in 4 different times. The first wolf was during my trip in the archery season. Like a moron, all I packed was my bow. At first light I got up and was glassing an area that was huge and open. As I glassed I picked up movement about 300 yards out. It was a lone wolf all black with 1 white sock and 2 white patches on its cheeks. I tried to close the distance but only got down to around 250 yards before he made me and headed out. That same weekend I was right on the ID and MT boarder sitting on a rock outcropping just south of Lake View on the west side of baldy mountain. As I sat there glassing just before last light I had 3 cross right under me in a park at 700 yards. They were pretty hot on the tail of a mule deer doe. I made a move but never saw them again.

During the rifle hunt we were in large basin glassing just above treeline when we spotted 2 wolves about 4 miles away working down a main ridge. 2 hours later I was on the same ridge hoping that I had got in front of them. I found the tracks, and began to follow. 4 miles later I finally caught glimpse and they were still a full 2 miles ahead of me. The last group had several in it, at least 7 to 8 tracks in the snow. The tracks were pretty fresh. After 3 hours of working hard I managed to see 3 of them heading across a park on private land. That evening I figured out how to get around the private and picked up their tracks again but never seen or heard of them again.

I saw exactly 2 mule deer bucks that were 3 points. I saw 2 dead mule deer bucks come out of the draw units that were 4 points in the upper 150s maybe 160.

Had I had my rifle with me during the archery season I could have easily killed one. Possibly a second one. During the rifle hunt in November, the ones I saw were long ways off and moving.

But go ahead and call me a liar. No skin off my back.

I went to the area knowing that many people told me not to bother, nothing I wanted more than to find a decent buck. But after 12 days of total hunting I can honestly say that finding a mature buck in the area was harder than finding a 300" bull in a Colorado OTC unit.
 
Well elks96, I'm sorry your Montana hunting experience went bad. Believe me, we have great mule deer hunting. You shouldn't write Montana off so quick. You were lucky to see nine wolves. Yeah, lucky. Most guys never see ONE. I've seen nine in my life here. One of them is dead. (pics on the site) If you ever try Montana again, give me a shout. And I apologize if I questioned your hunting skills. mtmuley
 
Thanks for the replies.
Looks like I need to head to the eastern side or central Montana. I'm just looking to try something new and hunt during the rut. An average 140 buck would be nice, I'm not picky.

Pm sent mtmuley.
 
>Well elks96, I'm sorry your Montana
>hunting experience went bad. Believe
>me, we have great mule
>deer hunting. You shouldn't write
>Montana off so quick. You
>were lucky to see nine
>wolves. Yeah, lucky. Most guys
>never see ONE. I've seen
>nine in my life here.
>One of them is dead.
>(pics on the site) If
>you ever try Montana again,
>give me a shout. And
>I apologize if I questioned
>your hunting skills. mtmuley


Oh I already said I would hunt MT again but when I here claims that numbers are poor in an area I will really take it to heart. Yeah I know I am lucky with the wolves! I actually am pretty lucky when it comes to predator hunting. My biggest goal as a hunter is a North American predator slam completed using only had calls! So far I have black bear, coyote, red fox, grey fox, ring tailed cat, bob cat and mountain lion down! I have called I swift fox but they are protected here and kit fox also protected. I would have loved a wolf, but also would have been bummed as non of them were called! I knew MT was going to be hard to hunt but I had no idea how hard! I also wish I had a bull tag for the hunt! I could have killed a handful of different Bulls! My father killed a cow elk but he had a hell of time with the snow and cold! One morning it was -22 at our camp...

I also apologize, no reason to be cross about it! Just giving my honest opinion! I wish I had went east for deer.

A couple of things about MT. The range was incredible, the grass was unreal. The county is awesome, simply amazing. Bird hunting looks incredible! In one day I could have had a 4 species limit. Sharp Tail, Blues, Sage, and Huns. It was really cool!

Als the other great thing was the Hunter Access Program! Nothing better than hunting thousands of acres where no vehicles are allowed. A
So the free fishing license was great. The streaks were loaded with fish, good fish and in my time I only fished a few minutes but I had the streams all to my self and the fish were almost too easy to catch! Everything was awesome except for the quality and quantity of bucks!
 
Yaah SW Montana offers a lot but not good mule deer hunting.

JQ if a 140 inch deer makes you happy you should have no problem and rut hunting is a blast. I wont give you honey holes but if you PM me i will give you some starting points.
 
I think if You spend 4-5 days in SE.Montana and can't kill a 145-150 buck ,You aint much of a hunter. Use binoculars till the end. And tripod will help you 100% more................BULL.
 
Was I the only one who noticed this?

"That being said in 9 days of hunting we found and glassed over 400 mule deer on public ground or where there was public access not a single buck bigger than a fork horn was seen."

"I documented over 400 mile deer on public land in my 13 days hunting. In all those deer I saw one 3 point buck that was out to his ears. The rest were forks and spikes!"

"I saw exactly 2 mule deer bucks that were 3 points."

Which is the most accurate statement elks96?
 
>Was I the only one who
>noticed this?
>
> "That being said in 9
>days of hunting we found
>and glassed over 400 mule
>deer on public ground or
>where there was public access
>not a single buck bigger
>than a fork horn was
>seen."
>
>"I documented over 400 mile deer
>on public land in my
>13 days hunting. In all
>those deer I saw one
>3 point buck that was
>out to his ears. The
>rest were forks and spikes!"
>
>
>"I saw exactly 2 mule deer
>bucks that were 3 points."
>
>
>Which is the most accurate statement
>elks96?

JM not that I owe you anything but here is the deal. I hunted 9 days in the rifle season and never saw a single 3 point or better buck on public land. I did see one 3 point buck on Private land during those 9 days. I was also up there in October for archery season for 4 days, which was actually more like 3 days as on the day I arrived I only had an hour and half or light left and on the day I left for home I only had a couple hours before I had to head home. During that time I put a stalk on the only 3 point buck I saw on public land. During the actual archery hunt I did not count total deer just bucks. The reason why I left it at over 400 deer is I can not say for sure how many over 400 we saw, but I do know that we had glassed 390+ during the rifle season and I had seen 9 bucks during the archery. I have no idea how many doe I saw during the archery season but it was around 30 if I had to guess.

So yes I was there 13 days total with a tag in hand and in the field. 9 during the week of thanksgiving and another 4 in the first part of October. In that time we we glassed a ton of deer in 3 different units.

So sorry for the confusion, one buck on public ground that was a 3 point. I saw one more on private that was a 3 point. I am not sure how many total mule deer we saw on the private either as we did not spend much time checking them out, but on Thanksgiving day we needed to refuel, we spent that afternoon looking at the mule deer on the private and the deer on the private reflected what we had seen on the public just in more concentrated numbers.
 
That would be a drab place to hunt if you have such a limited chance at a good buck 170+. I hunt every year in Utah for archery and I usually hunt deer well over 180 every year. And I've hunted multiple 200"+ bucks. Sounds like Montana really should consider tightening the seasons up a bit.
I get the opportunity part but having several month long hunts is a bit extreme. No reason to be hunting general season rifle during the rut.

Anyway I always wanted to hunt Montana but it doesn't sound worth it for deer. On another note how is the elk hunting?
 
I can tell you first hand that Eastern Mt mule deer hunting is a hard hunt. For the last 2 years I didn't fill my tag here because I didn't see a mature buck. I hunted bow and rifle season and saw one buck in the 170 range other then that maybe a few 140 to 150 range deer.

The hays days here were early 2000 and thing have been going south ever since. What ever said above is true and I don't see any changes in the near future.

Good luck.
 
>That would be a drab place
>to hunt if you have
>such a limited chance at
>a good buck 170+. I
>hunt every year in Utah
>for archery and I usually
>hunt deer well over 180
>every year. And I've hunted
>multiple 200"+ bucks. Sounds like
>Montana really should consider tightening
>the seasons up a bit.
>
>I get the opportunity part but
>having several month long hunts
>is a bit extreme. No
>reason to be hunting general
>season rifle during the rut.
>
>
>Anyway I always wanted to hunt
>Montana but it doesn't sound
>worth it for deer.
>On another note how is
>the elk hunting?

Elk hunting would have been much better. However again you have to question how long that can sustain. Just like with the deer there is unlimited resident tag allocations. In the units we hunted the tags were either sex. I am not sure sure how Montana can sustain elk herds in the area with unregulated Cow shooting. I could have killed a 300" bull on 2 different occasions on the hunt and had another handful of opportunities at small bulls. I was however turned off by the shooting gallery that the areas turned into. Unfortunately most of the elk taken were shot by road hunters who waited until the found a group in the bottom of one of the huge valleys. By the time the elk were able to exit way from roads they had been shot up and had been running for miles. We saw this take place several times. Herd shooting etc. It was brutal to watch. If a guy got out and hiked away from the roads even 500 yards there was almost no one and the hunting was great.
 
I do not think it is all crappy. There is some good to be had. As a resident you can hunt from September to December in many cases. That in itself is a pretty good incentive to take lower quality hunts due to the quantity of hunting time.

Also the hunting was good for elk, it was just interesting to see what happened to the herds when they got caught in a large open valley and how they were chased and shot up. At one points I actually saw a guy shooting down a major county road as a herd of elk jumped the road.

It was not so much on Montana but the mentality that people got, especially when they were desperate and at the end of the hunt.

For deer, I had several locals tell me that they were elk hunters and deer hunting was for kids. They seemed totally fine with the deer populations and quality because they were elk hunters. It was weird vibe I got. One even said that deer hunting was for kids and women.

So I am assuming that as long as they keep getting elk, they are fine. Same things happen all over. In Colorado we accept that our trophy quality in the state sucks, most Colorado bulls are rag horn 4s and 5s but we would rather have a rag horn 4 or 5 evey year instead of not being able to hunt.
 
Elks96,

A lot of guys here are completely missing your point, but its spot on. Montana is a great state to go to if you want to hunt but not if you want a reasonable chance at a mature animal. Obviously like anywhere, in Montana if enough time is spent learning an area over the course of years, success can be had but your experience is a common result. Everyone thinks that with rut hunting they are just going to luck into a big one I think. Eastern montana is no cake walk either with limited public lands unless you have access to good private lands or hire an outfitter. With Montana's season structure, the most important thing for a deer to get mature is security. This can be provided by topography, large roadless areas, thick heavy cover, and private land. For example NW Montana actually "owns the mule deer book" in Montana, i.e. rugged thick country. These areas are tough to hunt, but keying in on these will help tip the odds in your favor for next time. Just trying to help other guys know what they are buying with the Montana General Deer license.
 
We camped just in 324 which is draw only for deer but a good unit for my dads elk tag. We hunted in 324 for wolves and for elk. We also hit unit 325, 326, and 327. On one day a local friend took us out to an area in 331. We covered a lot of areas but through research speaking with locals and talking with the biologist I had some very specific locations where there were deer. I also found large amounts of country in between that were totally void of deer. the 2 better deer we saw in trucks were taken out of a draw unit. Either 300 or 302 I believe...
 
Most of those units are open to cow elk hunting all season long and get absolutely hammered. Guys from miles around head that way for an easy elk. Every mule deer buck that is legal dies. mtmuley
 
>Most of those units are open
>to cow elk hunting all
>season long and get absolutely
>hammered. Guys from miles around
>head that way for an
>easy elk. Every mule deer
>buck that is legal dies.
>mtmuley

Yeah that was my experience. I absolutely loved the country. It was incredible, I had heard that the mule deer would be rough, but I never actually realized how bad it can be.

I was also surprised at the huge elk herds on the outskirts of Dillon. We saw one herd on a farmers pivot that had to be over 2,000 animals. The local guy we hung out with said those elk are now living in the area year round to avoid the wolves on the mountain. It was very interesting.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-01-16 AT 12:28PM (MST)[p]For 560$ why hunt deer in a place like that?!
Shoot I am deer over elk guy but I'd take a Colorado elk hunt for the same price over a immature buck hunt. I think it's crazy that montanans are ok with management of their deer like that! I always wanted to hunt there but never knew it was that bad. What a shame cause Montana is beautiful place.
 
ox, the whole state isn't "like that." We have 147,164 square miles. There is some great muley hunting here. mtmuley
 
>ox, the whole state isn't "like
>that." We have 147,164 square
>miles. There is some great
>muley hunting here. mtmuley


Still that's a bad management practice and a lot of money for a deer tag. Im sure there is some
Decent hunting but to 560$ with a slim to nil chance of a 170+ buck seems insane.
 
You are absolutely right Theox. Montana has a ridiculous management plan for deer. Their deer tag prices are to high as well. This thread is an accurate description of the deer hunting in most of the state. The sad thing is that Montana has the potential to be a great state for deer hunting if the deer were manage in a better way ( ie: draw tags, shorter seasons, no rut hunt). It's hard to change this because this is the way the state has been hunted for a very long time. It's hard to find people who are willing to push for such changes. I have even talked with a Montana chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation and they thought I was crazy. maybe I am. I think when people hunt other states and can see how good mule deer hunting can be with a different management plan they realize what a poor job Montana does.
 
So a few NR's on this thread say the mule deer hunting is bad "in most of the state." I said before I won't defend my state's management practices, but if you can't do your research and put in the effort and not kill a 170 buck here, that's on you. If you want/need a bigger deer, our draw units will work better for you. If you just want to buy OTC and take a huge deer, good luck with that anywhere. I said before also, this state is HUGE. But, nevermind, deer hunting sucks. mtmuley
 
>So a few NR's on this
>thread say the mule deer
>hunting is bad "in most
>of the state." I said
>before I won't defend my
>state's management practices, but if
>you can't do your research
>and put in the effort
>and not kill a 170
>buck here, that's on you.
>If you want/need a bigger
>deer, our draw units will
>work better for you. If
>you just want to buy
>OTC and take a huge
>deer, good luck with that
>anywhere. I said before also,
>this state is HUGE. But,
>nevermind, deer hunting sucks. mtmuley
>
I don't doubt that some places are good. But it sounds poorly managed. The area I live is general season and I have hunted 170-200+" bucks almost every year. I can't remember a year that I haven't stalked a buck in that category. Not saying my state is managed really well because I'd change a lot about it but we don't hunt our deer in the rut and our rifle hunts are not a month long. Archery is a long hunt but it's still no better odds than rifle or muzz. I just can't see paying 560$ when states like Utah and colorado are 350$. Where You have a decent chance at killing nice bucks on easy to draw units.

Mtmuley. I don't mean to make u mad I get that u enjoy hunting ur state but are u really ok with the management practices or would u like to see some changes? Just curious. Also have you killed any nice bucks there? Wouldn't mind seeing some pics if u have just for reference.
 
mtmuley, I am a resident of Montana and I am saying that the deer hunting in Montana is not as good as all of the western states that I have hunted. I have killed some good bucks in Montana, but it has taken a lot of time. I have done much better in other states on the first year I have hunted them. I know many very capable hunters, as i'm sure you do, that have a hard time finding big deer on public land in MT. It sounds like you have some areas figured out in the state, good for you, I know how hard they are to come by. That being said, you have to be realistic as to what a nonresident can expect on public land from the treasure state.
 
>So a few NR's on this
>thread say the mule deer
>hunting is bad "in most
>of the state." I said
>before I won't defend my
>state's management practices, but if
>you can't do your research
>and put in the effort
>and not kill a 170
>buck here, that's on you.
>If you want/need a bigger
>deer, our draw units will
>work better for you. If
>you just want to buy
>OTC and take a huge
>deer, good luck with that
>anywhere. I said before also,
>this state is HUGE. But,
>nevermind, deer hunting sucks. mtmuley
>

mtmuley, how much effort are you expecting nonresidents to put in? True 170 bucks are very very few and far between in Montana. Killing bucks at and over the 170 mark (not by luck) in montana on public ground takes a serious time and experience commitment that is not reasonable for most nonresidents. I can tell you for a fact that even on private ground with most outfitters in montana a 170 is an exceptional buck. By your posts I can tell you have had some luck in montana. Good for you, but you aren't doing anyone any favors by making it sound like there are 170s around every bush in montana. That's not the reality of mt general deer. Reality is only a small percentage of general tags are filled on mature deer let alone 170s. Montanans have wallowed in their own terrible deer management for so long they don't know another way...just read the mt fwp mule deer survey.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-03-16 AT 11:12AM (MST)[p]Elks96, I have spent significant time in the areas south of Dillon to red rocks. Definitely not great for mule deer.

I bet for the first time since the price increase deer combos will sell out in the drawing.
 
Montana does have a serious issue with declining mule deer numbers across the state. There are various reasons for this decline, one or two of these factors by themselves would not be a huge issue but combine them and you have a problem. Problem one was a couple very hard winters back to back around 2012, especially in the central and eastern parts of the state. The 2nd problem is loss of habitat, declining sagebrush habitat really hurts mule deer, overgrazing, cheatgrass incursions, and expansion of trees in sage habitat due to lack of fire are major threats to our mule deer herd. And final piece of the puzzle is too many deer killed by hunters, especially the young bucks in those "easy" eastern mt units.

I laugh when I hear people pushing NR hunters to the eastern part of the state. Of all the areas statewide that portion of the state has been hit the hardest by those factors described above. Sure if you get some inside information from somebody or make a couple trips preseason to scout you could wack a 150-170 buck out east, but the more likely scenario is coming out cold and running into a dozen other hunters every day and seeing small bucks and then shooting one from the road and letting the meat sit in your freezer for 2 years.

If you scout hard preseason and hit hard early rifle you can shoot a legit buck out east, but the local residents have a huge advantage. The serious trophy deer hunters stay away.
 
I can say I enjoy hunting eastern Montana for a lot of reasons:
1)We have met a lot of great people from ranchers too people in restaurants that want too chat on hunting.
2)Can get a tag every other year in the past-every year now with price increase.
3)Longer season so that we can plan around other draws should we get lucky in other states.
4)Its a hunt my dad and his buddy can do,enjoy,and be successful more often than not so they choose.They are in their 70's
5)Lots of beautiful scenery and lots of animals.
6)If you are holding out for a 180+ animal might be tough-seen two that would be in that range but if a nice 4 point makes you happy you are in them with a little work.
We have an absolute blast in Montana and will continue until my pops can't do it any more which will be a sad day for sure!
 
If you guys aren't satisfied with the deer quality in the great state of Montana then don't go there; that leaves the rest of us Non Residents with better hunting. I agree the management practices aren't the best, but there is nothing we can do about that and we didn't make the decisions. Sounds like you guys need to get out and scout, as there are plenty of 170"-190" deer out there. There are plenty of good bucks to be had on public ground in this state. East, west, north, south. Good luck
 
What bothers me the most is the trend in eastern Montana. During the 80's I could find 180's most places on public land. It is now hard to find 170's even if you spend a lot of time scouting the best places.
Back in the 80's I would find a least five 80 inch sheds a year, now I am lucky if I find one every five years.
It bothers me to think about how badly the hunting has slipped. It frightens me to think about where we will end up with out a change in management.

Antlerradar
 
Montana has all the potential in the world and fails to live up to it due to mismanagement. BIG muleys to the north of it and to the south. 170" is a trophy in Montana and that is truly sad.
 

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Big Ole Extras Buck
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Big Buck
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