Montana bison

[velvet muley]

Did you have the Gardner tag?

Did you Draw in 23/24 or 24/25 years?

 

[VernAK]

cannot imagine the logistics for a non resident ...

Alaska Airlines can get you to Fairbanks. Rent a vehicle and drive to Delta Jct where you hunt from the road system in barley fields.

 

[mtwarden]

 

[BlackHillsShooter]

I looked into it but being a non resident and the tag costing $4,000 in 2022 with an unknown timeline of when or if I could actually be drawn, what the cost would be then and zero guarantees about the odds of actually finding a bison to shoot. Another thing to note is that you are essentially hunting the area just outside of Yellowstone, I don’t know how different they act outside of the park but the ones in the park were practically tame and you could easily get within bow range as they had zero fear of people.

In the end I elected to spend the extra money and go on ranch hunt in Nebraska. They had a herd of around 300 bison in a 4,000 acre pasture with only 20 or so being bulls big enough for the hunt so we had to search through all the cows and young bulls to find the ones we were after. Since their only interaction with people was getting shot they were cagey and started moving if they saw you get within a couple hundred yards.

Personally I had a lot of fun but it is one of those hunts that you get out what you put in. If you were just there to kill one you could roll out of the truck at a couple hundred yards, pop one with a scoped centerfire and be done in the first 20 minutes. In my case we spent a day and a half stalking different herds of bachelor bulls trying to get within 100 yards so that I could shoot one with an 1874 Shiloh Sharps in 45-70.

In the end half way through the second day on the 7th stalk of the hunt we caught the main herd moving so the guide and I were able to watch them then slip in between the herd to get a shot at a bull after getting into position. I’m definitely not used to sprinting on partially frozen sand in my heavy hunting clothes carrying a 12 pound rifle when it’s -5 F out but I managed to cover the quarter mile without eating shit or screwing up my shot so I’ll take that as a win. In the end I got a fun hunt, a nice trophy, several hundred pounds of meat and an experience with my Dad and Brother that I’ll cherish forever. Overall I’m glad I did it when I did, 3 years later with a wife and child there is little chance I could afford the trip for the next few years anyway.

I guess the best advice I can give is think about what you really want from the hunt, if you aren’t specifically looking for a Record Book Bison then the ranch hunts may be the way to go for you as they are significantly more available. If you just want meat go for a cow hunt and get the hide tanned and skull cleaned, if you want a big trophy shoulder mount with ok meat, go with an older bull. If you do decide on a ranch hunt make sure you look into the place as they can vary significantly in the type of hunt offered. During my research they ran the gambit from basically walking up and shooting cattle in a feed lot to just as much of a hunt as a wild bison.

Whichever option you choose good luck, they are a majestic animal to watch and on the evening of my first hunt it got too dark to shoot the irons with confidence so we sat and watched them for half an hour or so before backing out and calling it a day.

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I have that same rifle. Haven't thought about it much but wow... now I am.