Montana Custer National Forest

[3Js]

Looking for info on the Custer National Forest Ashland Ranger District for Elk hunting. First time elk hunter, I am looking for places to go. I found some info on the area and looking for anyone who hunted the area to discribe the area and what to expect for quality of elk. We hunt the south eastern portion of Montana for mule deer and would like to see if we could pull a combo license for deer/elk. Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

 

[Bambistew]

That area is draw only for elk in rifle season. I dont' remember if its OTC or not for archery. Very few elk, but some big ones around. Drawing the tag is a one in a 1000+ shot for a NR. Lots of public land, and lots of idiots on ATV's...

 

[antlerradar]

I have had the tag twice. The first time I got a 350 gross bull the last time I could not fill it. Last year I think only 17 of the bull tags were filled. Some of them were taken on private land off of the forest. The aria is open to all elk licence holders for archery but the hunting pressure increesed dramaticly in the last few years. This year there was almost as many bow hunters in the aria as there is deer hunters now. Most of the elk are in the SE quarter of the forest. From what I hear this year most of the elk had moved off the forest by the end of the first week of archery due to the pressure. There are some outstanding bulls. Every year big bulls are taken. The best I have heard of this year was reported to gross 411. I have also heard that the bull srunk to the 370s after the scorer was informed that you don't get 6 mass mesurments. A big bull none the less.

Antlerradar