Montana Antelope Herd Status

[Whip]

It's been a few years since I've been to Montana or looked to hunt antelope there. How are populations doing? Have there been significant winter kills in recent years? How are they handling this winter so far?

 

[406life]

Between drought and EHD it is bad. Some areas have seen a 40% herd loss, some its up tot 60%. Winter has been pretty nominal, but recruitment past couple years has been very poor. Conditions were similar in SD and I accepted a leftover tag I should have passed on. Learned that lesson. I'd give Montana a couple of years, assuming the trends reverse.

 

[robby denning]

Our local speedgoat expert @ntrlbrnhunter might chime in?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[handwerk]

I pulled a either sex tag last year in the central part of the state. There were ton's of hunters even the second week of the season I was out there. We saw very few antelope at all, I did have a 2+ mile stalk to shoot a midsized buck which I was grateful for as it was the only buck I saw in 4 hard days of hunting public land. Afield I talked to a fish and game person and a handful of other hunters and I was the only one known to have punched a tag.
With my experience in mind I would agree with giving it a couple more years to recover.

 

[Scottf270]

Your issue may be drawing a tag. We finally drew in 2021 going into the draw with 4 bonus points. Not planning on drawing again for 3 or more years.

 

[Whip]

Thanks for the input guys. I struck out in Arizona on an elk tag I thought sure I had enough points to draw. I still have one other application in the pipeline but the odds aren't great on that one. So now the search begins for a back up plan. I can't bear the thought of not doing an out of state hunt for something somewhere in September.

 

[Eastcoasthunter94]

I filled my tag this October on a Montana antelope. It took me 3 days of hard hunting. The herd I got into was 2.5 miles from where I parked. I was seeing decent numbers of antelope but a lot were on private.

 

[Dos Perros]

https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/conservation/pronghorn/2021-antelope-population-web-report.pdf

 

[handwerk]

Thanks Dos, good info.

 

[TylerChase]

I hunted the southern part of Montana last year. Quite a few antelope, most on private.

 

[Behlftball]

How fast can these herds bounce back?

 

[Herdbulll]

Will Montana cut tag numbers as Wyoming has proposed? It appears they need a break. I hope the herds rebound soon!

 

[bow_dozer]

Will Montana cut tag numbers as Wyoming has proposed? It appears they need a break. I hope the herds rebound soon!

Montana has cut tag numbers drastically the past years. As others stated, what would have been a sure fire draw is now a doubtful without a couple bonus points.
Went SE last year. Did a 300 mile loop one day and saw about 20 total. Ended up shooting a average buck, but was shocked with lack of antelope.

 

[Scottf270]

My nephew and I had tags in 15 and killed good bucks. Had tags again in 16, found nothing worth taking. Went home empty rather than kill a lesser buck. Finally drew again last year and killed two great bucks. Hope Montana stays conservative on tags. Don't mind waiting to kill quality bucks.

 

[TylerTheTerrible]

Montana has cut tag numbers drastically the past years. As others stated, what would have been a sure fire draw is now a doubtful without a couple bonus points.
Went SE last year. Did a 300 mile loop one day and saw about 20 total. Ended up shooting a average buck, but was shocked with lack of antelope.

20 bucks or 20 antelope? That seems absurdly low from my experience last year.... I was seeing a lot of herds and did approximately 35 stalks before arrowing a buck.

 

[hunterjmj]

I'm no expert and I basically hunt antelope with my wife and two young kids for the experience and meat but I've been seeing lots of babies and a bunch of bucks everyday on my way to work each day so it's looking good to me. With the rain we've been having it can't hurt. Hoping we draw this year.