MONTANA INFO WANTED

H

HerbD

Guest
Can anyone tell me what are the choicest areas (most difficult to get) for elk and deer? Please tell me if it would necessitate packing in with horses or could it be done with truck or on foot. If it's not too much trouble could you also give me the info on how many points it would take to get drawn?

There are two reasons for wanting this info:
1. I'm looking for a quality hunt, but at my age (64) I also need to be realistic that I won't be hunting elk for too many more years.
2. I'm trying to help my nephew, who is still in college, build up points for when he'll be out of school.

We both thank you in advance.
 
probably the premier area for elk is the missouri breaks and for mule deer is the east fork of the bitterroot. of those two the mule deer is much easier to draw but i dont have regs handy so i cant get you precise numbers.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-19-05 AT 08:03AM (MST)[p]You should reserch on the "point" system in MT before you start applying for anything there. Its not like a prefrence point system in other states but rather, a "bonus" point which means they put your name in the "hat" as many times as you have points for... BUT you have to remember they do that for everyone else too! So in reality your odds decrease exponetially with fewer points, but remain basically constant with max points.

Lets put it this way in premier elk units there will be approxiamtly 3000 people applying for 100 tags in each unit, and about 2000 of those will probably have 2 points this year... You can do the math...

First you have to draw a combo tag to even be able to apply for the "premeir" units, then you have to apply a second time for the "special" tags and be unsucessful to get a prefrence point. Now if you want to just build points, thats a lot of hope to have. You odds of drawing the combo tag is about every other year to start with.

Even as a resident its a long shot for most of the "premier" areas if you put in every year and get the "point", couple that with only 10% of the quota going to NR you're pretty much sunk.

I really don't think MT offers any "premier" deer units. You might be able to find the odd 190ish deer, but the norm would probably be in the 180's for a good buck in the best units.

As far as elk, you got the breaks, and the elkhorns, and maybe a late gardiner hunt. You odds of killing a nice 330-350 bull are area better than they are in the rest of the state, but pretty much every are in the state holds a bull or two that big, but if you want bigger... I would look for another state. Those areas are a long shot even for the residents that get 90% of the tags. Probably the best option you have for getting a tag and hunting big bulls in a premier unit would be a breaks archery tag. BUT those are unlimited and there is a lot of yahoos running around there now.

If you want to hunt big anything I would not waste the headache of applying for MT... IF you want to see lots of game, and get to hunt the majority of the state, while have a decent chance at killing a nice representitive animal, then go for it. You don't need a premier tag to get it done...

All in all if I was you I would send my money in for deer points in CO, and send my money in for elk points in UT, NM, or AZ... which are a huge long shot for a premier hunt as well but will offer much better quality. I wouldn't plan on hunting a monster bull area with a gun anytime in the next 20 years in MT. :( I've put in for premier units in MT for 15 years now, three as a NR and the rest as a resident... I've drawn exactly 0 tags! So, Good luck!
 
You guys on this board are very helpful. Thanks for those informative responses! As you might have already guessed, I'm trying to take care of the Montana application without having the full regs.
What I failed to include in my original question was the fact that I already have 2 points and really don't want to hunt Montana this year. All I want to do is save my points and try to go for another point without spending a bunch of money.
My very limited understanding of Montana practices tells me that if I put in for a reg. Combo elk/deer license (I need to put in as I skipped 2 years) I will most likely get it. When you said ?a lot of hope? did you refer to the fact that I'll be most likely drawn and thus will need to spend money on the combo tag?
To boil it all down, I'm thinking that I have 2 choices. Number one, I don't apply and then loose my 2 points or, number two, I apply for combo elk/deer
License, most likely get drawn and burn that money (since I won't hunt there this year) to get one more point?
Feel free to correct my ignorance and muddled thinking.
My nephew doesn't have any points at all but would like to build them up for the time when he's ready and able to hunt there. Maybe that's not possible? BTW we aren't looking for the big trophy, but a nice bull would do. And, as you said I will have him apply in Utah, Ariz. And N.M.
Thanks again!
 
bambi, your info is a little out of date. Montana does have some pretty good up-and-coming deer units, some (including the one mentioned above) have been on permit system for a number of years and are starting to kick out real biggies. Also, Gardiner late hunt is definately not the place to find the state's biggest bulls these days, not by a long shot.
 
>bambi, your info is a little
>out of date. Montana
>does have some pretty good
>up-and-coming deer units, some (including
>the one mentioned above) have
>been on permit system for
>a number of years and
>are starting to kick out
>real biggies. Also, Gardiner late
>hunt is definately not the
>place to find the state's
>biggest bulls these days, not
>by a long shot.


Yep you're right... MT is pumping out all kinds of monster deer... ;)

The Gardiner hunt sucks too...
 
If you put in and draw a tag your points are gone. The only way to get a point is to not get drawn.
 
Spaz,
Curious which units are consistently kicking out big muley's? I know it isn't 652 because I have talked to a lot of the guys who had that permit this past year. I don't think there was a buck much bigger then 170 came out of that unit and that is a designated trophy mule deer district.

Missouri Breaks bulls can be found that are real wall hangers but the pressure during the archery season is intense. Drawing a rifle tag in most of those units is an once in a lifetime deal especially for a NR.

I would save up my pennies and go guided on an Outfitter set aside license. Guaranteed to get the tag and no hassle of applying every year.

Nemont
 
Nemont, I could name several but I'm not going to for obvious reasons..

Bambi.. Laugh it up. what you don't know won't hurt ya. :)
 
Yeah Herb, you are in a catch 22. If you put in and have 2 points (for the general license) you will likely get drawn, then lose your points. Are you talking about having two points for the special tag draws? I'm not sure how those points work, if they stay longer than 3 years if you dont apply or what?? If you are talking about those points, the special ones, then you could put in for your license, get it, then apply for Missouri Breaks bull rifle tag, not get drawn, and earn another point for special elk tags.

If thats not clear, let me know and I'll explain it further.

As far as points to draw a general tag.....dont waste your money on those. I know as many people that draw with no points as ever draw with points.

I would say the truth about mulies is somewhere between what Spaz and Bambi say. Its not a slammer hunt but it aint nothin to balk at either. The East Fork hunt mentioned above has awful draw odds, and its for good reason. I dont think I gave any secrets away Spaz.
 
As one that has hunted Montana East to West, The game is nonexistent. No elk, deer, antelope, moose, sheep, or goats. Birds? Ha,Ha. Waterfowl? No way. Fishing sucks too. Not even a prarie dog to be had. Anyone considering Montana as a destination for hunting, fishing or camping, will be severely disappointed. And the people here aren't friendly either. mtmuley
 
mtmuley...I'll second that. After having lived in Montana for a couple years, I couldn't wait to leave. And I never, ever even think about that place...especially during Sseptember when the bulls aren't bugling and the prairie goat bucks aren't fighting and tending their harems. November and December is even worse. I never think of those swollen-neck muley bucks that aren't in those coulees or the big whitetails that aren't hanging out in the river bottoms. I'm not even going to mention all the pheasants that you won't flush out of endless tracts of CRP. That state has absolutey nothing to offer! I'm glad I left. Really. I mean it. I am.
 
m00sedrool, I know what you mean. Wait, no I don't. I wish you would come back. No, wait, I don't. I bet you know what I mean. mtmuley
 

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