Finding the Habitat - four day hunt in SW Montana

[skahunter831]

HI everybody, I'm a first-time muley hunter headed to SW Montana, hunting Nov 10-13th. My plan had been to camp around 7,500 feet then hunt the high country in a specific part of a specific range, more or less on the high side of the tree line at around 7,500-9,000, glassing and walking ridgelines until I see deer. I was assuming that the deer would still be up in the higher country and not have transitioned down to their winter habitat, as almost everything I seem to read about muley hunting talks about getting high up and away from roads. But a friend who has hunted mule deer in WY has me questioning my thinking. He took a look at the area I'm hunting and noticed a fair amount of irrigated farm/pasture land in the wider valleys between the mountain, and said that by mid-November the high quality greenery they use for forage would be gone from the high country, and the deer would be much more likely to be migrating down lower. They'd be feeding down in the ag land, coming from the low side of the tree line through the sagebrush foothills and coulees/ravines/drainages that lie in between the irrigated land and the timber.

So, what are all your thoughts about this? How much of this is weather dependent? Should I start high, see if I see anything, then head down lower if there's nothing going on up high? Or do that in reverse (start low then head up)? Whatcha think?

 

[skahunter831]

PS - I did call a wildlife biologist in the area but am waiting to hear back.

 

[NeSurfcaster]

Can't help ya bud, I;ve only been on other side of the state

 

[jimh406]

Start lower. Bucks in my area are already at 4500. I'm not saying some aren't higher, but I can look out my window and see bucks at 4500.

 

[AHayes111]

I think your WY friend is right. Even if some of the bucks will hang out in high country later, Most of the does will not. By the tenth of Nov nearly all the does will be parked on that alfalfa and 99 % of the bucks will be there too. Just hope that you can catch a buck on the public before the people that have permission to hunt the fields do.

 

[willfrye027]

If there is significant snow the vast majority of the deer will be quite a bit lower. If there is not snow, there will probably be a few up there but still more will be lower or transitioning. Have hunted SW Montana around those dates and you will want to have multiple places to hunt planned out in lower stuff especially if the roads are not drivable.

 

[Flatgo]

if you are specifically going for mule deer. i would not go to southwest Montana. If you do go anyways i would start lower down and work up.

 

[skahunter831]

@406huntermt got any feedback?

 

[Wapiti1]

I hunt SW MT every year. They will be lower. Some will be on winter range, or near it already, some will be at treeline and some in between. Can be snow dependent as to how they get concentrated, but they will not be way high.

Good way to judge is to find a road that goes high, and drive it until you stop seeing deer tracks in the snow.

I start lower and move up until I find the deer, or elk for that matter. SW MT is pretty glassable in most places, so let your eyes to the walking. Unless there is a lot of snow, expect to cover ground to find deer, they can be pretty scattered.

Jeremy

 

[Deadfall]

That's not enough time. Unless you just shooting any buck. Hunting new area i figure 3 days just to get an idea of what's going on! Hope you got high powered spotter!

 

[skahunter831]

That's not enough time. Unless you just shooting any buck. Hunting new area i figure 3 days just to get an idea of what's going on! Hope you got high powered spotter!

Yeah well it's the time I have available, I'm trying to make the most of it. Not all of us have the luxury or privilege of hunting weeks every year waiting for the perfect trophy buck.

 

[The Guide]

They will be some where between the river bottoms and timberline. That time frame is the rut. Bucks will be chasing does and can travel 10 miles a day. I've seen giant bucks super low and I've seen bucks that looked like they had elk antlers at the treeline in 2 feet of snow. You will need to work for something of quality.

Jay