My best MT bucks came from heavily timbered units that have limited glassing opportunities. For some hunters, pursuing elk, mule deer, and pronghorn in the western United States is a future dream; for others its a yearly routine. The unit is overrun with hunters. Units in the northwest corner of the state, 10, 201, and 2, are known for producing amazing trophies and offer plenty of public land to hunt, said Alcazar, who added it could take as many as 17 to 25 preference points to draw a rifle elk tag in these units. This hunt has been getting better and better each year and now seems to be producing some very consistent results as of the late. Large chunks of the private land in Area 7 are enrolled in Wyomings Access Yes program, which opens private land to public hunting, with some restrictions in certain areas. Wyoming Residents hate Nonresident hunters when they are hunting in Wyoming, these Nonresidents are the source of all the problems with landowner issues, Poaching, poor herd populations and the like But boy do Wyoming People love Nonresidents when they are fighting next to their sons and daughters in the mountains of Afghanistan and when that Minnesota Mayo Clinic Surgeon saves their fathers life because no Doctor in Wyoming has the skill set to do the operation. A Muley Doe decoy is a must in Unit 76.The situation in Unit 76 is representative of several OTC mule deer units in Idaho. READY TO GO ON YOUR EASTERN MONTANA MULE DEER HUNT? This place has it all, comfortable camp, good guiding, good food and Shield River trout fishing, it's just a great week. Draw units will typically take a number of years and points to draw a tag and have more trophy class deer. Although the region is not heralded as a trophy destination for pronghorn, lucky hunters may encounter outsized bucks. The downside is there are unlimited permission slips and limit to how many hunters have access each day. Hunting districts south of the Missouri offer the best drawing odds. Book your next hunt in Wyoming with expert hunting guides at R & K Hunting today. Most all of the nonresident hunting is occurring on Federal Lands, National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Federal Wilderness Areas and National Grasslands. Each year we see and possibly harvest bucks that score 190+ B&C including some that score over 200 B&C inches. The 2nd one was 29,000 acres and allowed 8. Our Best Mule Deer Hunts | Montana Hunting Outfitter However the Task Force is heading down the 90/10 for all species. So far, Wyoming is looking in great shape from the winter and into spring where the weather has been very wet and cool. With only 50 tags on quota, a 20-day season in November and lots of public land to hunt, with a little help from the weather, this hunt should continue to excel well into the future. More than 295 ranches are enrolled in the Block Management Program here, which provides licensed sportsmen with free access to about 1.3 million acres of mule and whitetail deer, antelope, and elk habitat. Although the numbers are down here from the objective by about 25%, the big buck potential here should be very, very good this year. - Dan Alleman D.D.S., Camphill, PA. Located outside of Laramie this hunt is a bit rough, but nothing like the rugged hunts in the northwest portion of the state. Along with exceptional big-game hunting the Montana's Missouri River Country boasts robust populations of sharp-tailed and sage grouse, and gray (Hungarian) partridges. Some of our hunting areas include vast open ridges with . All Petersen's Hunting subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This hunt should take 12 to 14 points to draw this year. By doing so, they have combined a number of units. $100/Day. The Courts can and do go back and modify rulings from the bench when situations change. Yikes! The Pole Mountain, on forest hunt, is probably the definition of a sleeper hunt unit. Montana also offers Block Management (BMAs) which is private Ranches opening up their property for public Montana mule deer hunting. PS I from Nevada. For more information when and how to apply call toll-free: 1-800-653-1319. Petersen's HUNTING Publisher, Kevin Steele is in the CZ booth with Dylan Rice at SHOT Show to talk about CZ 600 Series Trail rifle. Hunting Blue Mountain Ranch Montana estimates its whitetail population to be at 212,814. Too late. The Region H hunt can be a very good hunt on the right year for really good bucks. BOOK YOUR 2022 MONTANA FLY FISHING TRIP TODAY! Hunting these trophy bulls with a rifle requires a long-odds lottery permit, but those who do draw have the chance to take amazing animals. Guy's TOP 5 Picks for Wyoming Mule Deer 2022 Add to this bad news the fact that many nonresident applicants are getting very, very nervous, to say the least, given the possibility of the proposed 90/10 license allocation change becoming a reality. At Montana Rivers & Ridges Outfitter, our guides are Montana natives and well experienced across the state. Desert Ghosts: Hunting the Elusive Coues Deer, Six Great Lever-Gun Hunts for North America, What To Do When Your Rifle Breaks While On a Hunt, Federal Terminal Ascent Hunting Bullet: Field Review, The Only Three Guns You Need to Go Hunting, Tested Tough - Modern Zeiss Sports Optics, Professional outfitters' and guides' services, trip planning materials are available on the Missouri River Country website. Whitetail deer are also native to Missouri River Country. If you are a regular nonresident this means you are in the pool of 8,543 applicants for four tags. I lost count at 450 phone call attempts to register the morning the 2 we really wanted became available. The key indicators of a rebound are all lining up for the future on this hunt. You can easily spot them around in any season. Montana Deer, Elk, and Mountain Lion Hunting Districts Maps This area is mountainous and does contain about 25% wilderness at the very top of the unit. I would not go back without it! Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our editors have hand-picked these essential pieces of gear to make you a more successful hunter when you hit the game trails this season. Hopefully this change wont happen for nonresidents. 20. Although they evolved to live and thrive in broadly different environments, the two species are remarkably adaptive. Mule Deer Me and my buddies have ben putting in for that tag for 15-plus years and still havent drawn. Idaho. Lydia Decaria, license sales representative with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said Pronghorn Area 73, north of Casper, is very popular with hunters because it has huge tracts of Bureau of Land Management property. If they want a true limited entry trophy type hunt they need to get rid of the cow and spike hunters. We ended up hunting the type 1 BMAs for 6 of the 7 days hunted. If you would like access to all of our research join today! The permit is known as 270-50. Montana Rivers and Ridges Outfitter offers a late season 4 Day trophy Mule Deer hunt on the beautiful prairie of Eastern Montana. So that is 7 permits skimmed off the top immediately for residents. amzn_assoc_linkid = "34865c461e195e06ee3f8398a02f30c0"; I have much more to learn about what it takes to continue to have successful mule deer hunting in Montana or any other state that offers Non-residents access to Big Game. Unit 102 has been a desirable hunter destination for trophy mule deer in Wyoming over the past two decades. This has already been seen in the recently completed Wyoming elk draw where many areas saw huge gains in point creep with possibly even more to come for next year. Montana Mule Deer Hunting Guide & Outfitter - Redbone Outfitting I finally got through and was able to sign up for 1 ranch giving us a 3-day hunt on that property. The largest antelope the author has seen taken by a hunter was downed a couple miles north of Fort Peck Reservoir. There is a lot of private land, but there is plenty of Block Management and public land for anyone to have a good hunt. WY. Hunter success here can be a bit spotty with an average of 57% success but if a hunter is in good shape and hunts hard, a big buck could be possible here. Kevin Steele, Publisher of Petersen's HUNTING talks with JJ Reich of HEVI-Shot about the new offerings for 2023. The outstanding success rates and superb trophy quality keep this hunt in high demand. This hunt unit sits smack dab in the middle of the famed Carbon County, one of the best trophy producing buck counties in the entire country, and this area sits in the best big buck country in the second best big buck county in the state, what more could you ask for? Read on to discover some of the best units and areas to consider when applying for elk, mule deer, or pronghorn tags out West. Best mule deer units - Bowsite.com So overall, the Montana mule deer population is up 36.9% the past seven years. That's why oftentimes, the all-time records list you see aren't the most accurate depictions of where big deer are truly . Credit: Photo Courtesy Missouri River Country. Hunters have a legitimate chance at shooting a B&C pronghorn in all GMUs that have a huntable population. The highly anticipated North Dakota Deer Lottery has been run; NOT SUCCESSFUL! Are you a hunting outfitter? Holy smokes! An objective level that was recently adjusted downward possibly in an effort to make the situation look not quite so bad. Few places in the hunting world command the attention of mule deer enthusiasts like Eagle County, Colorado. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; The sound of a bugling bull elk or the sight of two monster 6x6s fighting for mountain dominance is a memory that will stay with a hunter for a lifetime. Rifle or Archery Elk hunting, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Black Bear, Moose, MT Lion Montana Guided Hunts. Bummer for sure, Thanks Guy, Hope all is well with you and the family. 5 Best States for Mule Deer Hunting. Hunt of a lifetime: Best mule deer districts work of - Missoulian Montana Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting This general hunt region consists of a big, rugged region adjacent to the famed Region G area we spoke about above. This year we would have limited time and left the idea of the Elk/Combo out of the equation. This hunt has been getting better and better each year and now seems to be producing some very consistent results as of the late. Archers typically find the best success in the cool hours around daylight and sunset. This showed us what private, BLM, BMA and State lands were. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Max points will be required for a chance at this hunt and nearly every hunter (89%) on this hunt walks away with a buck by the end of the season. This hunt area is the other limited quota hunt unit inside the general Region G area. amzn_assoc_linkid = "3d18066eea5f32622cb88644951f608f"; This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. This is also a decent application choice for a lower point holder, as the 400-tag quota does put enough tags into the random portion of the draw to be worth a shot at about 5%. Our 2nd ranch sign in trailer ended up approximately 30 miles from the ranch and in the opposite direction of where we had lodged. The area consistently produces exceptional trophy mule deer, which are the priority on this hunt. Neither of us had ever hunted this area before or knew any landowners. From applying for tags early in the year, to buying, preparing, and organizing new gear through the summer, to the trip, long or short, to the hunting grounds, to the excitement that makes it almost impossible to sleep the night before opening day, the anticipation of the hunt can be almost as enjoyable as the hunt itself. Montana Elk & Deer Hunts | Montana Rivers & Ridges These are high country bucks that migrate to lower country to rut low country does which can make for a great hunt if you hunt hard and give yourself plenty of time to cover lots and lots of country. The answer is us pushing for more QDM out West, period! In 2017, three tags went to nonresidents. Hunting & Fishing - Eastern Montana Mule deer | Sniper's Hide Forum | Maps for Montana Deer, Elk, and Mountain Lion Hunting Districts Select a hunting unit from the dropdown menu or click a unit on the map below. 1579 N Main Street Ste 100 What Nevada and Wyoming have in common is wild horses. Type 1 BMAs are far simpler and require each hunter to fill out an access permission slip at a designated parking area. We have an extremely limited number of very high-demand mule deer tags available for hunters during the January rut. Then you have the nonresident landowners who get thrown into the nonresident pool but get guaranteed preference of at least 15% of the tags over the rest of the nonresidents. Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is with Dawn Wehunt of Rock River Arms INC. learning about the new Ascendant platform. My partner passed on a good deer the first day and we spent the majority of the rest of our hunt trying to find that deer. . On the south side of the reservoir, whitetails are found along the Musselshell River as it meanders toward the Missouri. The terrain where you'll find mule deer ranges from dry, high-desert foothills to the rugged, mountainous, alpine zone. Non-Hunting Companion. Each of these units is worth the wait and gives the hunter an amazing opportunity at Pope & Young and Boone & Crockett bulls, he said. So youre probably wondering, how is it possible that zero nonresidents drew this tag in 2018? Pretty bummed to read this. Alcazar recommended units 7 and 8 in the north-central part of the state, near the Wyoming border, for hunters looking for areas with lots of public land and good potential for trophies. If you have any questions about the general deer hunting opportunities or outfitters in Montana, give us a call. Learn more about Montana Rivers & Ridges and get to know our guides! In Montana, unit 270 is considered one of the top trophy mule deer units in the state. Following in the footsteps of his father, Guy has taken up the reins and is now at the helm of the Eastmans Hunting Journal and the Eastmans Bowhunting Journal. Each hunter must also sign out upon completion of their hunt. Public land is not a problem here. We also develop and sell products such as apparel, hats and artwork. Unlike our other hunts, we dont provide lodging and meals. The deadline for nonresident applications for archery and rifle elk licenses is March 15. Learn how your comment data is processed. Western Hunt Co. As a general rule, elk density also increases from east to west. 22. Your honest assessment is greatly appreciated. The Top States for Record Mule Deer in the Last 10 Years Any info would be greatly appreciated. Phone: (435) 865-1020, Big Game Combination License (Elk & Deer), Bow and Arrow License (mandatory for all archery hunts), Preference Point Fee for Combination License (optional), Outfitter Preference Point Fee for Combination License (optional but must hunt with an outfitter). The breakdown of whitetail per region is as follows: region 1 with 69,094; region 2 with 37,747; region 3 with 23,745; region 4 with 32,657; region 5 with 14,917; region 6 with 14,311; and region 7 with 20,343. My wife and I are finally entering a drawing for a mule deer hunt in Montana. This is a very solid hunt in my opinion for the meager three or four point spend. The trophies are big. Montana's Best Hidden Gem for Elk and Deer Hunting So unfair and biased. Dates: October 27-31, 2023. Elk may be the marquee quarry in the mind of many visiting hunters, but northeastern Montana also boasts outstanding opportunities for mule and whitetail deer. Some of Lewis' most poetic lines were reserved for their surroundings in Montana where he wrote, "As we passed on it seemed as if those scenes of visionary enchantment would never have an end.". All Rights Reserved. Montana FWP releases 2021 Big Game Hunting Forecast The top states for record mule deer are Colorado, Utah and Idaho. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website has a fairly easy . Writers Note: This Montana mule deer on the cover was taken at 502 yards. Mule Deer Hunting Rates Get your hunt booked now! The .300 Remington Ultra Mag. Habitat stamps cost $10.00 and you must have one to hunt anything in Colorado. Anyone have input on Idaho unit 59a for mule deer? Thx Guy, Best MT archery mule deer units? (Public land) | Rokslide Forum The Eastern Montana prairie is open country with rolling hills of grass and sagebrush broken up by coulees and deep ravines; carved from thousands of years of flash floods. 5 Best E-Bikes for the Outdoors Jace Bauserman Recent Videos Steiner Optics Predator Series Introducing the Burris Veracity PH Gear Taurus Raging Hunter Streamlight Pro Tac 2.0 Gear Streamlight Bear Trap Gear Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey Gear Ascendant from Rock River Arms Gear HEVI-Shot Turkey Loads Gear CZ 600 Series Trail Rifle Gear Mule deer can also be found on more open prairie and agricultural areas, especially in places offering patches of bedding cover. Whitetail deer are also common in the cottonwood studded riparian areas along the river. Almost feels like a time share that well never get to use. Please call us to match you up with the best hunt to fit your specific needs and budget! Western Hunt Company is a big game & upland hunting operation based in Montana & Idaho. Introducing the Veracity PH from Burris, the perfect combination of reliability, quality, and technology delivering a simple aiming solutiona tool for the hunter that just works. The northeastern portion of Montana west of Scobey has copious amounts of state land open to public hunting. Sand Hill country GMUs 31, 32, and 33 in the southeast corner of the state also are capable of producing B&C bucks. In early June a successful applicant can request a BMA guide that will be delivered around the end of July. Colorado unit 57, which includes areas 57, 58, and 581 northwest of Canon City, produces quality pronghorn bucks, Alcazar said. The best opportunity to harvest a quality buck in New Mexico is in the northern Game Management Units (GMUs), according to Tristanna Bickford, communications director for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.GMUs 2B, 2C, 4, and 5A are quality hunting areas with large numbers of deer, many sporting antlers that will make the Boone & Crockett (B&C) book. Tag holders can expect to see 20+ quality bucks per day. The Brow-tined Bull and Antlerless elk hunts (34 HDs) makes a total of 63 unrestricted HDs where you can take any elk on 29 units and all but spikes on the rest. The more popular areas for whitetail are along the river systems and large agricultural areas throughout the eastern part of the state. Resident applicants for this permit are increasing 300-1000 per year proving that the popularity hasnt waned. By Bethany Grace September 17, 2022 Updated on February 14, 2023. Our magazine, which is available in print and online,has everything in one location -application info, draw details and odds, fees, hunter requirements, point structure, age restrictions, youth information, weapon restrictions, other tag opportunities, hunt planning, and much more. Arizona and New Mexico are home to huge pronghorn bucks, including the current world record, which scored 96-4/8 B&C points and was killed in Socorro County, New Mexico, in 2013. Hard-charging hunters, however, can take to the Missouri Breaks, hiking for miles in wild country in search of a trophy buck. The biggest typical mule deer shot in Montana last year came from 270 and the unit produces 160-inch bucks for hunters who are patient and hunt the higher clearings and meadows. *All Combination License prices include the required Base Hunting License, Conservation License, Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Pass, and Application Fees. Temperatures can be quite warm in September and early October, rendering elk inactive during the day, however, hunters seeking a varied experience find plenty to do at midday. If it borders the BMA it becomes part of the BMA. There are seven different hunting districts within our area; these include units 204, 240, 260, 261, 262, 250, and 270. Abundant access to public land is one of the major attractions of elk hunting in Montana's Missouri River Country (there are more than a million acres of land open to public hunting in the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge alone). Hours of looking at Google Earth do not come close to physically being there. Access is getting harder to come by as many landowners in the area have grown tired of being asked for permission to hunt their land. There are a few 2023 dates left open. This high-success mule deer hunt takes place along the scenic Powder River of Southeast Montana. Eastmans and Huntinfool have that covered. The first to die off and probably the first to rebound, or at least we hope. Montana mule deer herds are showing a small improvement in quality, but herds are stable to declining in most areas of the state. Regions G & H Expectations | Huntin' Fool Be ready to glass all day. The zone we hunted also had leftover antlerless tags available for $100 apiece. Hunter success here has drifted steadily up over the past five years and now nearly reaches about 70% on the best years. Solitude, exceptional scenery and superb access to public lands make Montana's Missouri River Country a true hidden gem and one of the most hunter-friendly destinations in America. Hike it often in the summer months and note where you see bucks. Drawing a long-awaited tagor lucking out with a lotto-like winin a coveted area can be the second biggest hunting thrill of the year for most hunters. In 2017, there were five nonresident landowners in area 270 and in 2019 there were eight! In western areas, mule deer hunting has always been fun. All Petersen's Hunting subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Sergio Alcazar, owner of ALC Global Adventures, has lived in and hunted Colorado for 24 years. This hunt takes fewer points to draw, mostly because of the larger tag quota (600) and the larger portion of wilderness (21%) inside this region. Area 141-1, The Green River Lakes hunt is a bit more of a long-shot for big bucks, but I just have a bit of a hunch that given the type of country in this area there could be some big bucks this fall to mine out of here for someone who hunts hard. Our Guided Mule Deer Hunts. That Is The Question, Montana Region 7 Deer Populations Cut In Half, Hunting Big Bucks Deer Hunt with Ike and Guy Eastman, Wyoming Passes 90/10: The Worst Article Youll Read This Year, More Costs Headed Your Way in Wyoming-Maybe. Statistically, the most coveted deer permit in Montana is just outside Darby in the southernmost portion of the Bitterroot Valley. Years of development and pushing the limits of what is possible in a rifle optic have led up to this moment. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "bennordquist-20"; My partner got through and signed us up for a 2nd one giving us only 1 day on that particular ranch. However, there are no guarantees a nonresident will even get a tag. Wyoming offers large expanses of public land, mostly in the western part of the state, and produces lots of record-book bucks. Montana Rivers and Ridges Outfitter has access to over 1.5 million acres of land to hunt elk, deer, and other big game animals within the Bitterroot National Forest. A good friend with the same luck in the lottery as me decided we were tired of waiting, we need to go hunting. I'm not going out on a limb and making any bold predictions, but the science is adding up. Publisher of Petersen's HUNTING magazine, Kevin Steele is at the Steiner Optics booth with Alberto Corbetta to discuss the Predator 4 and Predator 8. Long season dates and hunting deer in the rut will always make for a fun hunt, but dont expect to see many mature mule deer bucks on the landscape in the general units. Deer Hunting in Montana's HD 262 - Bitterroot Farmlands - HuntScore amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; Dream destinations include the Arizona Strip (units 13A and 13B) or Kaibab Plateau (units 12A East, 12A West, and 12B), but the drawing odds are long, sometimes in the low single digits, Ornoski said. This is a very solid hunt in my opinion for only one or two preference points. This is a very limited, late season hunt with hunt dates during most of the month of November. For nonresidents the statistics are even worse. Area 128 near Dubois has November hunt dates and limited tags, and units 101 and 102 of the Southwest Desert country have solid deer numbers and great vehicle access. In Montana, 15% of all permits for elk and deer can go to landowners. This might mean we have another year or two to decide on burning those mule deer points. Table Mountain Outfitters provides many private leases, which allow you the best opportunity to harvest a trophy animal without the pressure from other deer hunters. Area 130-1, The Big Sandy, late hunt is a true wildcard hunt with some very solid big buck potential. amzn_assoc_asins = "B00UCI27H4"; The up-and-coming units in Arizona are 6A, 8, and 5BS.. Busted . Subscriber Services. Along with the sheer expanse of the landscape, the expedition was awed with the abundant wildlife in the area, especially those game animals that provided them with food: elk, mule and whitetail deer, bighorn sheep, bison, and pronghorn (antelope). There are few secrets on premium LE units. Toprut allows me to find the tags and hunts that others miss or overlook. Reading the bill I took it that way unless I misunderstood it. If you have max points (16) you have a 2% chance at drawing.
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