First time for Montana

[CHIEF CRNA]

OK, so I have been scouring over GoHunt at all of the states to be able to catch some chances at Mule Deer during rifle, and most importantly, when they are rutting. I have looked at South Dakota, Nebraska, North Dakota, etc. I also looked into Montana on the eastern side. Anyway, I am thinking our best chances of getting a tag would be Montana bordering up to South Dakota. now, just trying to figure out the whole Montana draw game etc. Man it is about as confusing as Washington States fishing regulations. So, I can buy a point, then get one before the draw again? Just need some clarification before I loose my mind lol.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

have you tried using this tool .....because this topic has been covered in nauseam

Bonus Points | Montana FWP

Bonus points increase your chances of drawing a permit or license.  Bonus points offer you additional chances in the drawing. Bonus points accumulate until you are successful in the drawing. You can only purchase one bonus point per license year for each type of permit or license. You can...

fwp.mt.gov

 

[hiker270]

For me Montana has been the most difficult state to draw a tag. Applied for Big Game Combo the last 8 years and have drawn twice. Have had much better luck in Wyoming drawing deer tags. And Colorado drawing Elk and deer tags. lf I decide to hunt New Mexico I purchase a landowner voucher.

 

[137buck]

Our mule deer are suffering here in Montana, it's a well known issue, and during the rifle season, the eastern part of the state is over ran with hunters, especially during the gun season. Not saying don't come hunt, but do some home work before you commit the time and money as you might be disappointed in the low numbers and the amount of people here.

 

[CHIEF CRNA]

Our mule deer are suffering here in Montana, it's a well known issue, and during the rifle season, the eastern part of the state is over ran with hunters, especially during the gun season. Not saying don't come hunt, but do some home work before you commit the time and money as you might be disappointed in the low numbers and the amount of people here.

Yeah I have played the high hunter ratio game. When elk hunting, I usually put on about 19 to 20 miles a day to get away from the crowds. Mainly a buddy of mine and I are looking for something after I get back from deployment. Was just trying to figure out options in all the states that have Mulies. According to GoHunt, the chances of picking up a tag over there look decent. Plus, there is a lot of BLM we could escape into.

 

[pacoalcracker]

Me and a buddy hunted eastern Montana in the mid 90's...I shot the largest whitetail to date there and he shot a huge 5x5 muley with a spread over 30" with some serious mass. It was on a private 30,000 acre no fence ranch in Rosebud County I think.. Rancher was a real nice guy and unbeknownst to me his wife grew up not far from me...it's a small world. I believe it was the Mysse Ranch. The old guy told me his 2 sons wanted nothing to do with ranching and couldn't wait for him to die so they could sell it. Really sad.

 

[Bcleck90]

Our mule deer are suffering here in Montana, it's a well known issue, and during the rifle season, the eastern part of the state is over ran with hunters, especially during the gun season. Not saying don't come hunt, but do some home work before you commit the time and money as you might be disappointed in the low numbers and the amount of people here.

This.

I just got back from SE Montana and won’t be back unless I have access to private. Deer numbers sucked and lots of pressure. It’s a beautiful place but if the deer aren’t there it doesn’t matter how much you walk.

I was stubborn and should’ve listened to some of the advice here.

 

[AHayes111]

Yeah I have played the high hunter ratio game. When elk hunting, I usually put on about 19 to 20 miles a day to get away from the crowds. Mainly a buddy of mine and I are looking for something after I get back from deployment. Was just trying to figure out options in all the states that have Mulies. According to GoHunt, the chances of picking up a tag over there look decent. Plus, there is a lot of BLM we could escape into.

The rut is not your friend if you are willing to put in the miles. There is no place in eastern Montana that you can get away from the crowds. Even the most remote places can be accessed by a guy with a good set of legs in less than three hours. Will there be fewer hunters if you walk in? Yes, Will those hunters be more dedicated, experienced hunters with the best gear available? 100 %. Even if you can find a place where few hunters ever get it is unlikely that during the course of the 5 week rut season a buck will spend all of his time in that out of the way spot. I found many quality bucks summer and fall scouting in remote spots that few hunted during the 80's and 90's only to hear of them being shot from a road or in a ranchers field miles from where they were in early October. Thirty years ago I would get up extra early so I could get to some remote glassing point at first light, Now I get up extra early so that I will be the first person at the access point of a 160 acre parcel of public surrounded by private land. It is truly sad what has happened to hunting in eastern MT.

 

[CHIEF CRNA]

The rut is not your friend if you are willing to put in the miles. There is no place in eastern Montana that you can get away from the crowds. Even the most remote places can be accessed by a guy with a good set of legs in less than three hours. Will there be fewer hunters if you walk in? Yes, Will those hunters be more dedicated, experienced hunters with the best gear available? 100 %. Even if you can find a place where few hunters ever get it is unlikely that during the course of the 5 week rut season a buck will spend all of his time in that out of the way spot. I found many quality bucks summer and fall scouting in remote spots that few hunted during the 80's and 90's only to hear of them being shot from a road or in a ranchers field miles from where they were in early October. Thirty years ago I would get up extra early so I could get to some remote glassing point at first light, Now I get up extra early so that I will be the first person at the access point of a 160 acre parcel of public surrounded by private land. It is truly sad what has happened to hunting in eastern MT.

I hear you man. Colorado is the same. I miss the days of just stopping at the gas station and buying my over the counter tag for mule deer for 14 bucks. I had places that I could go and shoot a nice 4X4 no problem. Crap, just two years ago I spent 18 points for area 2 rifle. Saw some nice bucks, but nothing to brag about. The last day I shot a forky just to fill the tag. The days of old are gone.

 

[Derekc6713]

I don’t know maybe I’m an outlier, and granted I’ve been to Montana only once for Mule Deer. But myself and 3 others went out and hunted eastern Montana last year and had a blast. This was totally DIY on public or open to hunting private land. Myself and one other guy got bucks but everyone had opportunities. Not just on forkys either. Both bucks we took home were 3x3’s. Yes there was a ton of hunting pressure but we also saw plenty of both Muleys and Whitetails. I mean we didn’t see any monsters and they weren’t in every plot of public ground but I felt like there were enough to have opportunities and a good hunt. I don’t know how the “good old days” were if there was a 170”+ mule deer behind every bush but imo the hunting was good and we plan on going back.

 

[AHayes111]

I don’t know maybe I’m an outlier, and granted I’ve been to Montana only once for Mule Deer. But myself and 3 others went out and hunted eastern Montana last year and had a blast. This was totally DIY on public or open to hunting private land. Myself and one other guy got bucks but everyone had opportunities. Not just on forkys either. Both bucks we took home were 3x3’s. Yes there was a ton of hunting pressure but we also saw plenty of both Muleys and Whitetails. I mean we didn’t see any monsters and they weren’t in every plot of public ground but I felt like there were enough to have opportunities and a good hunt. I don’t know how the “good old days” were if there was a 170”+ mule deer behind every bush but imo the hunting was good and we plan on going back.

Eastern MT is still a good place if you are happy with a 2 year old buck. But it is a shell of what it was not that long ago. I one time saw over 50 deer and four 170 class bucks from a single glassing point. If I had just been looking for deer I could have went to places where I would have seen more deer but likely not the quality.

 

[AHayes111]

I hear you man. Colorado is the same. I miss the days of just stopping at the gas station and buying my over the counter tag for mule deer for 14 bucks. I had places that I could go and shoot a nice 4X4 no problem. Crap, just two years ago I spent 18 points for area 2 rifle. Saw some nice bucks, but nothing to brag about. The last day I shot a forky just to fill the tag. The days of old are gone.

The rut is not your fiend because it shifts the probability of success away from skill, knowledge and hard work and more towards just getting lucky. It sounds like you have some skill and are willing to work hard for a deer, but during the rut your chances at a nice buck are not that much better than the guy that barely gets away from the truck and has a good start of the next mornings hangover shortly after noon. We all like to get lucky, but when everyone is getting lucky, you are probably not scoring on something you want to show off to your mother.

 

[Traveler]

I only hunted eastern Montana deer once. This was 1996, had a combo elk/deer tag. On way home from elk hunting western Montana we randomly stopped at a place and asked to hunt. Got permission, shot two 160”ish in one day. No idea what it’s like now but those were good days. Pretty sure that scenario is mostly a dream now.

 

[Lawnboi]

Eastern Montana is in rough shape right now. I’d research elsewhere.

 

[Dos Perros]

Couldn't pay me to hunt eastern MT for maybe another 3 years.

 

[Chasing elk]

I can't wait to get out West and hunt. Hopefully in a few years! Good luck OP

 

[Dos Perros]

I don’t know maybe I’m an outlier, and granted I’ve been to Montana only once for Mule Deer. But myself and 3 others went out and hunted eastern Montana last year and had a blast. This was totally DIY on public or open to hunting private land. Myself and one other guy got bucks but everyone had opportunities. Not just on forkys either. Both bucks we took home were 3x3’s. Yes there was a ton of hunting pressure but we also saw plenty of both Muleys and Whitetails. I mean we didn’t see any monsters and they weren’t in every plot of public ground but I felt like there were enough to have opportunities and a good hunt. I don’t know how the “good old days” were if there was a 170”+ mule deer behind every bush but imo the hunting was good and we plan on going back.

Congrats on your 3 pointers.

 

[Derekc6713]

Congrats on your 3 pointers.

Hey what can I say I’m an easy one to please. Meat from a forky tastes the same as a 4x4. Plus when all you’ve hunted your whole life is white tails those 3 pointers looked like trophies to me.

 

[AHayes111]

Hey what can I say I’m an easy one to please. Meat from a forky tastes the same as a 4x4. Plus when all you’ve hunted your whole life is white tails those 3 pointers looked like trophies to me.

Nothing wrong with shooting a three pointer. I wish more people would instead of holding out for a dink four point. I am a firm believer in shoot what makes you happy.
Eastern Montana is all about perspective. For you coming out and having 2 out of 3 fill tags on small three points is a great hunt. To me it is a testimonial on how far eastern MT has fallen. The hunting has really gone down hill if you couldn't fill all three tags when you are willing to fill them on three point bucks.
I have hunted in SE MT every year since 78. Hunting on public land is the worst I have seen in terms of both quality and numbers of deer. In the 80's if I didn't see at least one 170 buck it was a poor day of hunting. I didn't know how good I had it, because I grew up on my dad's stories of the 60's. Stories of 300 deer days and 7 very big deer or a day when they found 25 bucks over 25 inches. One buck dad talks about you could plainly see his antlers at close to a mile with out the aid of glass. At first he thought he was looking at a buck and a doe but binoculars reviled it was a big buck and a giant. His hunters were able to get the big deer, but the giant was never taken. It is all about perspective.

 

[Derekc6713]

Nothing wrong with shooting a three pointer. I wish more people would instead of holding out for a dink four point. I am a firm believer in shoot what makes you happy.
Eastern Montana is all about perspective. For you coming out and having 2 our to 3 fill tags on small three points is a great hunt. To me it is a testimonial on how far eastern MT has fallen. The hunting has really gone down hill if you couldn't fill all three tags when you are willing to fill them on three point bucks.
I have hunted in SE MT every year since 78. Hunting on public land is the worst I have seen in terms of both quality and numbers of deer. In the 80's if I didn't see at least one 170 buck it was a poor day of hunting. I didn't know how good I had it, because I grew up on my dad's stories of the 60's. Stories of 300 deer days and 7 very big deer or a day when they found 25 bucks over 25 inches. One buck dad talks about you could plainly see his antlers at close to a mile with out the aid of glass. At first he thought he was looking at a buck and a doe but binoculars reviled it was a big buck and a giant. His hunters were able to get the big deer, but the giant was never taken. It is all about perspective.

I can understand where you’re coming from then. For myself never experiencing hunting that good it’s hard to imagine. Unfortunately it seems that’s the story across the west, that the best days are behind us.