Montana 2021

[hobbes]

I checked out a new spot from my truck. I've been glassing from a high spot with a great view for probably 30 to 45 minutes and looked over 25 to 30 deer, but only 3 bucks. None of them are shooters. My plan was to sit until dark to see if anything bigger shows up. I just figured out, about 30 min ago, that my truck won't start. Apparently my battery is getting weak and this cold has killed it. I've got someone on the way to jump it and hopefully I can find an auto store open to buy a new battery. If I can't get a battery, I'm done. I won't drive off into nothing without a new battery. I'm lucky that it's happened where I have signal.

Here is a little buck that was with 10 does earlier. I've definitely not figured out where the mature bucks go in December.

 

[hobbes]

Thank God for a couple of eastern Montana ranch hands and an old flatbed Dodge ram. I'm glad that I had cables under the seat.

 

[Like2hunt]

Good luck hopefully you can put the hammer down!! Never underestimate a Dodge and a couple good ol boys they’ll almost always help get ya outta most any mess you get into!!

 

[hobbes]

I bought a new battery in town just before closing and the kid behind the counter let me borrow a tool set. I usually carry one but forgot it. I broke the positive terminal so had to buy that too. I've got everything tight but when I'm just idling, the voltage will randomly drop to around 12 instead of the 14 that I see when I'm driving. I don't think it should do that, so I may have an alternator going out. It seems like I have to replace one of those every time I turn around in mine and my kids cars. It may have been doing that earlier and I just didn't notice. Regardless, I've had the truck over a year and a half and the battery was on it when I bought it, so it didn't hurt to buy a new one

I'm checking out in the morning and working my way west. I'll check out some areas along the way but I don't want to stray too far from a main road if the alternator really is going out. I just hope that I make it home without truck problems in an area without signal. If you were following along on my November hunt out here, my windshield wipers went out. I had to replace the entire linkage when I got home.
I saw a couple bucks 2 weeks ago at the first place that I plan to stop. One was for sure a shooter but was just across the fence, so I'm not out yet. I do think this will be tougher county to get within muzzleloader range.

 

[Nodoz]

Just spent a long time going over all your hunts...glad I found these hunting threads. Thanks for the read, you have some nice bucks around.

 

[hobbes]

It's 23 and windy, so warmed up but the wind is getting brutal.

Two little bucks and 5 or 6 does. I first thought the one bedded in the sage (not visible) was a better buck, but he's just a little wider.

 

[hobbes]

I've found a couple more bucks but neither are shooters. The first ones were in a spot that I could probably sneak on. The second ones would be tough to get within 100 yards. The second two are still up and moving/feeding. I just need to find a mature buck in the next hour or so.

 

[rooster440]

I've found a couple more bucks but neither are shooters. The first ones were in a spot that I could probably sneak on. The second ones would be tough to get within 100 yards. The second two are still up and moving/feeding. I just need to find a mature buck in the next hour or so.

I can’t wait! Good luck.


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[hobbes]

No more excitement, muzzleloader is over. It was a long drive home with the last half in blowing snow. I did have two young bull moose cross the road in front of me. They look so out of place in this country.

 

[a_noob_hunter]

Gotta say, this has been enjoyable reading. Sounds like about what i to be doing when considering retirement

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[hobbes]

Gotta say, this has been enjoyable reading. Sounds like about what i to be doing when considering retirement

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I hope I've still got it in me when I retire.

 

[hobbes]

Some antelope that I saw today while running some errands. Check out the crooked horn on the right of the zoomed photo.

 

[RCL]

Great read.
Thanks for posting.

 

[hobbes]

My thoughts on mule deer and muzzleloader in MT:

Either the areas that I hunt are in shorter supply than usual of even decent bucks, or they crawl back into their holes after the rut. The lack of good bucks seen in November make me think it's at least a little of both. The weather in November wasn't exactly cooperative, but I still think that I should have seen more of those "almost big enough" bucks.

The game warden that I met this weekend said that the region's block management saw 2000 more hunters this general season. I'm not sure if he meant 2000 more daily sign ins or 2000 more individuals. MT didn't give out more licenses, so it was apparently a shift of folks from one area to another area. I definitely noticed an increase of folks from normal when I was there in November.

As far as the Heritage (muzzleloader) season goes. I saw very few people that may have been hunting. Maybe I was just in the wrong spot. I don't think there will be a lot of folks hunting this season. It's late, it's cold, the snow is crunchy and getting close won't be easy. The deer are not in the rut and elk are in big winter herds. The deer were in pretty big groups too. I think it should definitely stay traditional muzzleloader only, no inline, no scopes. Modern in-lines are nothing more than single shot centerfire rifles, especially with a scope. Nothing wrong with them in the general season but they are not what this muzzleloader season was intended for.

I would not apply/buy a nonresident MT tag just to hunt the muzzleloader season. It's a very low odds season.

 

[bsnedeker]

MT didn't give out more licenses, so it was apparently a shift of folks from one area to another area.

Do you know this for sure? Is there a way to determine the number of OTC general tags are sold each year? I've never found that number but honestly haven't searched that hard for it. With the population boom we are seeing the last few years it seems like the number of hunters should be going up as well.

 

[hobbes]

Do you know this for sure? Is there a way to determine the number of OTC general tags are sold each year? I've never found that number but honestly haven't searched that hard for it. With the population boom we are seeing the last few years it seems like the number of hunters should be going up as well.

I was referring to nonresident licenses. I should have been clearer. I saw a big increase in nonresident plates in the area in November. The GW mentioned that the biggest increase that he saw was Washington plates. I saw WA, ID, OR, ND, MI, NC, but I'd agree that WA was the largest percentage. I didn't notice anymore MT plates than usual, but the nonresident plates obviously stand out more.

I noticed the same increase in archery elk in the areas that I hunt.

I'd assume that you are correct though, resident numbers are likely climbing. I'm just not sure that hunters are the folks moving to MT. Is it hunters or yuppies from Seattle, Portland, California, etc.? If they moved in 2021, they likely couldn't buy a resident license yet.

 

[Erict]

....MT didn't give out more licenses, so it was apparently a shift of folks from one area to another area...

It was my understanding that HB 637 resulted in the "emergency" allocation of about 3,000 additional non-resident licenses. These were issued only for 2020 and only to nonresident hunters who did not draw but who could prove they had a contract to hunt with an outfitter/guide during the 2020 season. I believe the actual numbers would be easy to find with a few calls to Montana FWP during a more quiet month like Jan/Feb.

Anyways, I hunted SE MT basically the first two weeks of Nov on public, BMA and "private" ranches. I also felt that there were less deer and less "shooters" than normal in SE Montana, which was what FWP predicted.

Thanks for the stories.

 

[hobbes]

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll be celebrating Christmas this evening and tomorrow with my family here in Montana.


I'll be hunting rooster pheasants a day or two at the end of next week to close out 2021. It's going to be a cold week.


Merry Christmas!

 

[Sioux33]

Do you know this for sure? Is there a way to determine the number of OTC general tags are sold each year? I've never found that number but honestly haven't searched that hard for it. With the population boom we are seeing the last few years it seems like the number of hunters should be going up as well.

MT caps the NR tags by statute. Elk/deer combo is 17,000 and deer only is 4,000 I believe. I think people are just spending more time hunting now compared to years past. You see guys hunting multiple states, multiple week trips, and the good spots and areas are much easier to find with all the technology available. Almost wished they would make people pick a week to hunt and that's it, similar to how the Dakota's do their NR bird licenses.

 

[bsnedeker]

MT caps the NR tags by statute. Elk/deer combo is 17,000 and deer only is 4,000 I believe. I think people are just spending more time hunting now compared to years past. You see guys hunting multiple states, multiple week trips, and the good spots and areas are much easier to find with all the technology available. Almost wished they would make people pick a week to hunt and that's it, similar to how the Dakota's do their NR bird licenses.

Yes of course... my question is about the number of resident hunters. I've never seen FWP publish the numbers for residents buying otc elk tags. It would be interesting to see what percentage of our new residents are buying elk tags and how much that number has grown over the last 5 years as the population has grown.

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