NR combination hunt

Hello Everyone,
I'm an Oregon resident that is looking to possibly hunt in Montana. Plainly stated I'm sick of how the Oregon game commission managers our deer and elk herds here in Oregon. If someone could point me in the right direction for a decent Mule Deer/Elk combination hunt that would be great. Also how many years do you think it would take as a NR to draw a decent combination hunt?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Grant.

10

At least!

Its no wonder hardly anybody posts in the Montana section...bunch of wise a$$ed comments is about all you ever get.

You can buy a NR elk/deer combination RIGHT now. Just go to the Montana FWP home page...or click on this link:

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/nowAvailable.html

For a mule deer/elk combination type hunt you have all kinds of options. It can be difficult to hunt both mule deer and elk in the same general areas.

In a lot of the Western side of Montana you're probably more likely to be hunting elk and whitetail in the same area...although there are mule deer as well. Some of the areas in Western Montana are permit only for mule deer.

Your best option would be to concentrate on elk in West/southwest and then consider traveling to the East for mule deer. However, there are good numbers of whitetail and some great bucks found on the East side as well.

On the West side of Montana, I've shot a lot of elk while hunting whitetails and vice/versa.

For example...I bumped this whitetail from his bed while tracking a raghorn bull I'd spotted on a distant ridge.

Shot him from 30 yards:



A few years ago I bumped into a group of 5 bulls while hunting whitetails...3 of which were good six points all about the same size:



Another example was this buck my brother shot one morning right at first light on a ridge we often hunt:



We split the deer between us and continued down the ridge and found a small herd of elk feeding. My brother shot this cow and filled both his elk and deer tag within 4 hours:



Despite what you read on these boards, the wolves havent eaten all the game in Montana and the winter didnt kill them all either.

You'll find most Montana hunters to be helpful and appreciative of NR hunters who fund a majority of the MTFWP budget so residents can still purchase a $16 deer tag and a $20 elk tag.

Do some research and you will have a great hunt...with a tag you can buy RIGHT now OTC.

Is your deer tag going to follow you to this side of the state this fall Buzz?

I was surprised how many whoppers made it through last rifle season. Some awesome sheds picked up this year over here.

Randy11,

Not sure quite yet, would like to make another run at mule deer in Eastern Mt...but the smart play would be to chase whities in the West. With hardly any WT bucks being killed in my area the last 2-3 years, I know whats lurking in the timber.

Tough call...

LAST EDITED ON Jun-01-12 AT 09:38AM (MST)[p]The problem with Montana is that the really good elk hunting on public ground will take a limited entry tag and since Montana does bonus points instead of preference points you can't really plan on when you'll draw a good tag. Finding a private ranch with access would be your best bet, but beware...you want a ranch that limits access. If the ranch lets everyone hunt it, it'll probably be no better than public. Now some residents I know get their deer and elk every year on public, but they have years of experience hunting the same areas. That's another option for you if you'd be willing to hunt Montana every year or every other year. I'm a nonresident, but I've been hunting the same ranch since 1992 off and on and it doesn't matter if the rancher limits access or has it wide open...I can kill on it because I know it better than any other hunter hunting it. Good luck. Narrow it down to a specific area to concentrate on, talk to the biologist, and game warden for the area, then ask us a more specific question that shows you have done your homework. Even shoot me a PM and I'll try to help after that. Depending on the effort you put in, Montana can be the best or worst hunting you've ever had...good luck.

Since I161 passed the elk/deer combo draw has been 100% with tags left over so preference points don't really matter. Drawing a LE tag is still difficult but if you want to hunt on an elk/deer combo, right now you can do it every year.

Nemont

>LAST EDITED ON Jun-01-12
>AT 09:38?AM (MST)
>
>The problem with Montana is that
>the really good elk hunting
>on public ground will take
>a limited entry tag and
>since Montana does bonus points
>instead of preference points you
>can't really plan on when
>you'll draw a good tag.
> Finding a private ranch
>with access would be your
>best bet, but beware...you want
>a ranch that limits access.
> If the ranch lets
>everyone hunt it, it'll probably
>be no better than public.
> Now some residents I
>know get their deer and
>elk every year on public,
>but they have years of
>experience hunting the same areas.
> That's another option for
>you if you'd be willing
>to hunt Montana every year
>or every other year.
>I'm a nonresident, but I've
>been hunting the same ranch
>since 1992 off and on
>and it doesn't matter if
>the rancher limits access or
>has it wide open...I can
>kill on it because I
>know it better than any
>other hunter hunting it.
>Good luck. Narrow it
>down to a specific area
>to concentrate on, talk to
>the biologist, and game warden
>for the area, then ask
>us a more specific question
>that shows you have done
>your homework. Even shoot
>me a PM and I'll
>try to help after that.
> Depending on the effort
>you put in, Montana can
>be the best or worst
>hunting you've ever had...good luck.
>

There's an absurd amount of big elk killed in general units on public land every year. Your chances are lower than the special permit areas, but if you're willing to work a little you'll get in to elk.

While working this year, I pointed two guys from WA to where I had seen a herd of cows hanging out on public land in region 2. They came back in to town that night with a six point bull loaded whole in the back of their truck. The next day I killed a 150 inch whitetail on public land in the NW part of the state.

Feel free to lease land or wait for a permit, but there's really no reason to.


Buzz, send me coordinates and I'll go look for sheds and scout that spot, I'll let you know if it's worth hunting this year

Randy11,

After seeing that buck you killed last year, I think I better scout your spots...

You damn sure don't need access to private ranch to kill good elk and deer here. Access to maps and a good pair of boots will help. I can't give any advice on whitetails as I don't hunt them at all. But, there are good deer here in the Western part of the state. Lot's of draw areas, but some are unlimited and a guarantee. mtmuley