Montana Mule Deer - First timer

[Dos Perros]

I struggle with the GoHunt filter sometimes, but it's showing me 52 'results' in Colorado that a NR could draw with 0 points 2nd season. I don't think Montana will get you better than 100% odds.

Hell there are second choice units with harvest percentages higher than eastern MT.

 

[S.Clancy]

Hell there are second choice units with harvest percentages higher than eastern MT.

Silence

 

[WCB]

You should think of "trophy hunting" then if you don't see a "trophy Mule Deer" kill a whitetail of any kind. Going to MT and just killing any Mule Deer buck isn't an experience. If you just want an opportunity you'll be done the first day first hour if you want to.

 

[Tmac]

Appreciate the insight. The two guys I'm going with haven't either killed a buck or anything bigger than a spike so I'm sure they would be tickled with anything. Focus is driven on them having a good experience and it helps if I don't have to be in grizzly territory. What would you say is the typical shooting distance you would encounter? Should we practice out to 500 or could we expect 300 yard shots?

You’d be smart to practice to 500-600 imo, at least to 400. If you have never shot that far, work up to it. That makes a 225-300 shot relatively doable. I practice to 600, have stalked to under 400 in all but one case where I could not get closer. I really try and get as close as I reasonably can.

I've taken a bunch of bucks in MT & W SD and the longest shot was 415. 3 or so between 325 and 380, rest under 300. The 415 and 380 were my 2nd and 5th largest bucks I’ve taken anywhere. My other 3 best bucks were all well under 100 yards. Most of my MT bucks were SE, some in the mountains in the SW. I think it is easier to stalk in many areas in SE MT vs the more mountainous areas. Hope that helps.

 

[TaperPin]

What would you say is the typical shooting distance you would encounter? Should we practice out to 500 or could we expect 300 yard shots?

Sounds like a lot of fun!

I’m a firm believer in being accurate to 500 yards, even though many shots will be 200 or 300 yards. I ran into a buck who just walked over a big ridge and stood there on a knob eating, and looking around for a bedding site. There is nothing to hide behind within 600 yards of it, and one way around the ridge would be upwind, and the other way would still be 600 yards of open grass. Watching his head, when he looked away or had his head down I’d walk straight at him and stop when looking my way. Made it to 500 yards and bang bang. The odds of pulling this trick off under 500 yards is slim at best.

Other times the only shooting position is one ridge over, or one knob and if you can’t connect at that range there’s no chance of getting closer.

With hunters new to long range shooting a tall bipod can be the easiest path to 500 yard shots. Short bipods have a hard time looking over low brush and grass, while a tall bipod can even be used sitting. If someone can shoot a 2 MOA group prone, that’s all they need at 500 yards.

 

[406huntermt]

This whole post is what’s wrong with Montana and the deer population… we just want to come shoot whatever we can find because we’ve never done it before! Such conservationists, keep up the good work clowns

 

[judders87]

This whole post is what’s wrong with Montana and the deer population… we just want to come shoot whatever we can find because we’ve never done it before! Such conservationists, keep up the good work clowns

I mean I don't know what I don't know. The purpose of this post was to maybe strike up a conversation and learn something especially since I have zero experience with it. Some of us just want to see another part of the country and don't know what's "wrong" with your state. If mule deer are struggling there then maybe its not a place to try but no need to be condescending.

 

[Dos Perros]

@judders87 I looked at your other thread. I think you got strung out on some less than ideal advice. You can Google the states with the highest mule deer harvest and start there, the logic being that the states killing lots of mule deer have lots of mule deer and offer more opportunity. Probably recommend picking up some books on mule deer and reading them and doing more Googling or searching here.

 

[Bearded Bowhunter]

I will second what @Dos Perros said, CO 0 pt or 2nd Choice is what I would recommend. Have hunted Mulies all over the west and in both MT and CO. Not even a debate really in my mind.

 

[dirtytough]

I mean I don't know what I don't know. The purpose of this post was to maybe strike up a conversation and learn something especially since I have zero experience with it. Some of us just want to see another part of the country and don't know what's "wrong" with your state. If mule deer are struggling there then maybe its not a place to try but no need to be condescending.

I wouldn’t listen to the nay sayers or shamers. If you get a tag there are zero size limitations on it. Go kill what makes you happy.

 

[Kurts86]

I’d also just preface this by saying a lot of advice 5-10 years ago pointed new mule deer hunters towards Eastern Montana as a physically easier place to hunt and see a lot of deer. It was never really viewed as a big mule deer type place but the high deer numbers aren’t there now either. A lot of information out there on Eastern Montana deer should be viewed as out of date if it’s more than a few years old.

Mule deer are in bad shape across their entire range and Montana is not unique in that sense. People just need to know what they are getting into. While I think there maybe better mule deer hunts on 0 points you won’t get it during the rut most places, it will be an October deer hunt. Montana does get you a rut hunt, just not with the numbers that were present in recent memory.

 

[Jake Larsen]

I’d also just preface this by saying a lot of advice 5-10 years ago pointed new mule deer hunters towards Eastern Montana as a physically easier place to hunt and see a lot of deer. It was never really viewed as a big mule deer type place but the high deer numbers aren’t there now either. A lot of information out there on Eastern Montana deer should be viewed as out of date if it’s more than a few years old.

Mule deer are in bad shape across their entire range and Montana is not unique in that sense. People just need to know what they are getting into. While I think there maybe better mule deer hunts on 0 points you won’t get it during the rut most places, it will be an October deer hunt. Montana does get you a rut hunt, just not with the numbers that were present in recent memory.

@judders87 this is a good take. I understand why residents get upset about MT being the “easy button” for newer hunters just wanting to fill a tag. Our management is terrible, and frankly a disgrace to the resource. It’s catching up with us, as Kurts86 pointed out. Those of us who are paying attention to the resource feel it would be best to let the few younger deer on the landscape grow up a bit. That being said, the conversation needs to be primarily directed towards the managers. The hunt and tag is legal, so if you want to do it, then do it. Ignore the vitriol, but understand where it’s coming from.

The tag is easy to get, and the rut hunt seems promising, but the numbers are so low that it’s not going to be easy. As others have said, there are probably other 0 point opportunities that are going to give you a better experience at this time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[finner]

@judders87 this is a good take. I understand why residents get upset about MT being the “easy button” for newer hunters just wanting to fill a tag. Our management is terrible, and frankly a disgrace to the resource. It’s catching up with us, as Kurts86 pointed out. Those of us who are paying attention to the resource feel it would be best to let the few younger deer on the landscape grow up a bit. That being said, the conversation needs to be primarily directed towards the managers. The hunt and tag is legal, so if you want to do it, then do it. Ignore the vitriol, but understand where it’s coming from.

The tag is easy to get, and the rut hunt seems promising, but the numbers are so low that it’s not going to be easy. As others have said, there are probably other 0 point opportunities that are going to give you a better experience at this time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm a little tired of the "they give out tags for it, so you can go ahead and do it" mentality that Montana hunters have. Frankly, at a certain point the onus is on us to stop shooting mule deer in areas that are suffering, even if there are tags available. It's clear that FWP is failing the resource. There are BMA landowners who are choosing not to participate because of declining numbers, essentially giving up free money. I wish Montana residents would follow suit. I do have more sympathy for out of state folks who don't have a reason or opportunity to tune into the mule deer conversation happening in the state.

@judders87 come shoot a whitetail. There's too many in the mountains and they're outcompeting mule deer in winter range in a lot of areas.

 

[Jake Larsen]

I'm a little tired of the "they give out tags for it, so you can go ahead and do it" mentality that Montana hunters have. Frankly, at a certain point the onus is on us to stop shooting mule deer in areas that are suffering, even if there are tags available. It's clear that FWP is failing the resource. There are BMA landowners who are choosing not to participate because of declining numbers, essentially giving up free money. I wish Montana residents would follow suit. I do have more sympathy for out of state folks who don't have a reason or opportunity to tune into the mule deer conversation happening in the state.

@judders87 come shoot a whitetail. There's too many in the mountains and they're outcompeting mule deer in winter range in a lot of areas.

I’m with you. I didn’t kill a deer last year for that very reason. It pisses me off to see truckloads of 2 year old deer get hammered in the last few weeks of season every year. For what it’s worth, I’m not aware of a single place in the entire west where rags are given out and people are willingly ignoring them en masse in order to “protect the resource”. It’s not a Montana hunters mentality issue…people are going to utilize what’s offered to them.

There’s been entire threads on here about potential solutions, and some of us are getting involved. That being said, blasting a first time western hunter on a forum for coming to MT to hunt a legal tag doesn’t help anyone. Far more productive to inform him of the situation, and at the end of the day, if he decides to come, I don’t blame him


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[judders87]

I'm a little tired of the "they give out tags for it, so you can go ahead and do it" mentality that Montana hunters have. Frankly, at a certain point the onus is on us to stop shooting mule deer in areas that are suffering, even if there are tags available. It's clear that FWP is failing the resource. There are BMA landowners who are choosing not to participate because of declining numbers, essentially giving up free money. I wish Montana residents would follow suit. I do have more sympathy for out of state folks who don't have a reason or opportunity to tune into the mule deer conversation happening in the state.

@judders87 come shoot a whitetail. There's too many in the mountains and they're outcompeting mule deer in winter range in a lot of areas.

Would love to shoot whitetail if I lived closer. Its free for me to do it in Indiana though. I get it that you want to protect the resource and google doesn't immediately pull up that this is the case. I've been going to Colorado for 5 years for elk already so just looking for a change of pace really.

 

[mpb21]

Ill repeat whats been said many times. The mule deer in MT are struggling, really struggling. Is all you have to do is go out for a few days and youll see for yourself. The regs are changing a little bit in restricting antelerless hunting and making some districts draw only but not enough.

I'd love to blame non-residents but I see just as many residents hauling around 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old deer. If I had to guess I'd say for every 100 bucks I see 4 or 5 are 3 years or older.

Whitetail on the other hand are doing fantastic and there is some good whitetail hunting to be had all over the state much of which is in mule deer type country.

 

[finner]

I’m with you. I didn’t kill a deer last year for that very reason. It pisses me off to see truckloads of 2 year old deer get hammered in the last few weeks of season every year. For what it’s worth, I’m not aware of a single place in the entire west where rags are given out and people are willingly ignoring them en masse in order to “protect the resource”. It’s not a Montana hunters mentality issue…people are going to utilize what’s offered to them.

There’s been entire threads on here about potential solutions, and some of us are getting involved. That being said, blasting a first time western hunter on a forum for coming to MT to hunt a legal tag doesn’t help anyone. Far more productive to inform him of the situation, and at the end of the day, did he decides to come,


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah because people assume that if there are tags available, there must be a population big enough to sustain that much harvest. I can't think of anywhere tags aren't being bought up either, but there are plenty of examples in other industries/resources where people have pushed back against resource managers. I think it's more of a question of enlightening people as to how absolutely incompetent our state's wildlife management agency is at this point.

Good on you for not punching a tag. I did the same thing in 2023. We'll see what comes out of the Legislature re: the season proposals, but I'm not holding my breath

 

[Jake Larsen]

Yeah because people assume that if there are tags available, there must be a population big enough to sustain that much harvest. I can't think of anywhere tags aren't being bought up either, but there are plenty of examples in other industries/resources where people have pushed back against resource managers. I think it's more of a question of enlightening people as to how absolutely incompetent our state's wildlife management agency is at this point.

Good on you for not punching a tag. I did the same thing in 2023. We'll see what comes out of the Legislature re: the season proposals, but I'm not holding my breath

Sadly I can’t say I’m optimistic either, but at least the conversation is starting to be had. It’s a difficult issue, because people don’t want to lose opportunity. That’s why I’m exited about some of the potential solutions that other states are starting to test. Utah’s weapons restricted general units for example. Keep opportunity, give up some lethality.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mcribs]

I wouldn’t listen to the nay sayers or shamers. If you get a tag there are zero size limitations on it. Go kill what makes you happy.

So true. This whole judging people on what they do legally is no better than ballot box biology. Yes, we are not always happy with the way things are managed, but having individuals on a website (non-biologist) think they know best about what to shoot, is so vain. Populations get managed at the population level, not the hunting forum level…. do what’s legal and feels right to you.

 

[Dos Perros]

Populations get managed at the population level

Or in this case, not managed at all.