Montana general tag holder newbie question

[Michigan_flatlander]

New to the herd, first time coming out west and first time in Montana. Drew the Montana general combo tag and wanted to understand a strategy question.
When I hear or read suggestions about having multiple plan a,b,c,d etc, do most of those mean within a same unit or multiple units? With Montana’s general tag, there are options in just about every district and I am wondering if I should narrow it down to a specific district with multiple drainages or find multiple drainages within a few districts.

there are three of us and the plan is to come out for 13 days in November.

we are planning 10 days for elk somewhere in the 300’s/400’s and then head out east for a few days to chase deer.
Just wondering if we don’t see much sign after 2-3 days in one unit, is it worth the time to pack down came and set up in a new range or just keep moving through a unit for the whole 10 days

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

There are elk in every general unit. If you are driving, you aren’t hunting. I’d pick 8-10 spots in the same unit. This is general advice…. There are some situations that would merit moving country or since there are three of you, split up.

 

[Lelder]

Stay in the same unit and hunt different drainages or glass different burns. Time in the truck is time out of the field.

 

[CJinGA]

Following...

We're in the same situation - first time general combo tags and trying to figure out where our pins for A, B, C, etc should be. Also trying to plan for "show up and there are 42 trucks parked on the side of the road" which is what our WY Muley hunt last year was like.

 

[Wapiti1]

Watch the e-scouting info here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLdxutimd-Js53UdIH7orTHGOJickoEdU

Stick to one unit. Units in MT are huge and you can't hunt an entire unit in 10 days. Not if you are really hunting.

In a 10 day hunt, I would have 10-15 places marked on my map to check out. Number them, and hit them in order until I find elk to hunt, then I hunt the elk until I kill, run them out, or run out of time. Keep in mind the "other hunter" factor. This is why you have 10-15 spots. Also, not all spots are full day spots. Some will only take a morning or afternoon to check out.

My last piece of advice is to pick the spot you think the elk will be, THEN figure out access. Access will not be a parking lot or trailhead. It will be a one vehicle pullout on the side of a dirt road, or something similar. At least, that is how I hunt. I rarely park at a trailhead and only do if that is the best way.

Jeremy

 

[WCB]

I'm going to go against the grain on this one....In November with snow etc you may find places that you plan on going not accessible cutting down your a,b,c,d,e,f,g plan down to c,g. Considering units touch each other a spot in a different unit may be closer than a spot in the same unit. Also, YOU CAN DRIVE AT NIGHT so no time lost hunting. Not sure why guys think you have to pickup and move camp during the day. That time of year it get dark early enough you could move a couple hours away and still get good sleep. Plus you are only going for 13 days who needs to sleep?

 

[RBIA Rich]

Same here to the combo elk tag. We've thought out the planning for A<B<C<D< same units

 

[Michigan_flatlander]

Our initial plan was to have abcd type in one region and if it’s over crowded or just not seeing what we need to see, spending 5-7 days in zone one and if we are skunked out then moving units to hunt days 8-13 in a new unit.
I am not familiar enough with the weather out in the region to know how much road you could cover in a day or night if squalls hit. Based on my research some areas are better than others when the weather hits.

I like the strategy staying put, but with so many options on the general I will always be second guessing myself, but I guess that’s part of the adventure

 

[Erict]

Not sure if you are in 1 vehicle or not, and, if so, how much gear you are bringing.

Field time will be at a premium once you arrive, so plan now for how you will be spending non-field time. Think about the many "what ifs" (what if we all shoot an elk day 1, how are we going to store all that meat?, what if I get a flat tire, etc.). Use checklists. Make sure everything packed is organized and stays organized. Have every meal planned out. Make sure guns, gear and vehicle are 100% ready. Plenty of time to use Montana FWP website, hunt planner, etc. to do your research. No time to dlck around once you hit the state line.

Your first time to Montana DIY group has 3 elk tags and 3 buck tags. Hope for the best but have realistic expectations. Most important - have fun.

 

[TuckTruck]

Where there’s elk, there will also be deer. So I wouldn’t plan on driving across the state for that reason.

 

[Michigan_flatlander]

Thanks for the info guys. We leave next week. I think everything is ready to go. Now to just find the critters in the woods

 

[Dos Perros]

I think it's best to try to have your spots closer than father away. This year we hunted three different mountain ranges before I killed. We moved because 1) too much pressure and then 2) no elk on the public.

Trip #2 we moved ranges again (low density of elk), several hour drive between the two, and ended up being successful. But we agreed next time we'd commit more to one range and just bounce around there. Both times we got sucked back to known places we had been into elk before and that was the draw. It can work it's just exhausting to move around so much.

If I had all the elk tags filled and it was time to focus on deer I would for sure move east onto the plains.

 

[Michigan_flatlander]

How soon were you able to say there is too much hunter pressure? I assume too much pressure out west is different than what I would assume for white tails. Is one hunter in a drainage too much or several before it gets blown out. I am sure there are variables based on size of the drainages but if one subscribed to a rule of thumb. We are going out for two weeks so I am hoping the m-f is less crowded

 

[Dos Perros]

In my example I knew it'd be several groups of folks after one small group of elk. This is more wide open glassing country and I felt like we got a decent look at what was there before we left. Could have been wrong for sure.

My buddy has done a big loop on his ATV looking for a camping spot during archery and there wasn't a single spot to set up camp, all were taken. I believe this was because a neighboring range was on fire and displaced/concentrated pressure to the next range over.

To me, too much pressure is when I feel like I'm thinking more about the other dudes than the elk. Tough to describe but you'll know it when you see it. I would guess general rifle tag hunting is a lot like trying to pee in a football stadium--going to busy, do your best to spread out, but almost a certainty you're going to get some piss on your shoes.

 

[Bearhugger]

Watch the e-scouting info here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLdxutimd-Js53UdIH7orTHGOJickoEdU

Stick to one unit. Units in MT are huge and you can't hunt an entire unit in 10 days. Not if you are really hunting.

In a 10 day hunt, I would have 10-15 places marked on my map to check out. Number them, and hit them in order until I find elk to hunt, then I hunt the elk until I kill, run them out, or run out of time. Keep in mind the "other hunter" factor. This is why you have 10-15 spots. Also, not all spots are full day spots. Some will only take a morning or afternoon to check out.

My last piece of advice is to pick the spot you think the elk will be, THEN figure out access. Access will not be a parking lot or trailhead. It will be a one vehicle pullout on the side of a dirt road, or something similar. At least, that is how I hunt. I rarely park at a trailhead and only do if that is the best way.

Jeremy

Perfect. everyone over thinks hunting. Mark spots that align with expectations and go hunt.