General Western Mule Deer questions

Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Messages
74
Greetings. The elk hunt I was planning for late September is looking uncertain due to changing circumstances. All is not lost however - a window of opportunity in mid November to early December has emerged. I know that many states have open rifle seasons during this time period, but I'm pretty ignorant about the details at this point. Any input on the following questions would be appreciated.

My criteria for the hunt is pretty simple. I would much prefer to backpack in a more "wilderness" setting, would like access to lots of public land where pressure isn't going to be too heavy, and trophy size isn't really that important to me. I will have at least one hunting partner with me, maximum of two.

Which states should I target to meet the criteria above? Any input appreciated.
 

weaver

WKR
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
1,208
Montana will probably be your best option but you will most likely need to buy a leftover elk-deer combo tag.
 

mt100gr.

WKR
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
3,108
Location
NW MT
True wilderness areas could be very snowy by then though. Have a plan B regarding location and be sure to research migration/ winter range for areas you may hunt.it just depends on the year how early winter arrives. While you may still want to hike in, it may be fruitless if the deer have moved to lower elevations.
 
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