Montana Mule Deer - First timer

[Tmac]

….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.

Excellent idea. About 1/2 the MT bucks we take are whitetails where we hunt SE. We have really come to enjoy chasing those semi open country whitetails, and they are better table fare too. Probably easier for us to select a WT because we can hunt mule deer at home.

Our last hunt was 2021, population had dramatically dropped due to drought & a blue tongue outbreak. We are waiting for the population of either or both to recover where we hunt. Once they recover some, we’ll be back looking for either species.

 

[TAGPUNCHER]

I've been to Montana 3 times trying to kill a buck. I've yet to pull the trigger. Damn sure not because I haven't had chances. This past season I saw a TON of small bucks. I didn't drive 28 hrs to shoot a dink. I can kill 300 whitetails a year where I live legally. If SE MT would close for 2 or 3yrs it would be a blessing to the herd. I have met a bunch of locals that haven't shot a deer in years because of the low numbers. If you wanna get some GO TO H-LL stares at the gas station,shoot a dink. Every Washington and Minnesota truck I saw had them piled up. If you wanna go,I would definitely go and just enjoy some truly awesome people and country. Just driving around and soaking up the history and local landmarks have made it fun for me. If you hunt hard who knows you might stumble upon that unicorn giant! I will be back next year to do the same.

 

[freezerfull]

The years of liberal mule deer doe hunting has definitely depressed numbers in MT. My experience with Montana is only in recent years. If you’re willing to eat the tag and are selective there are decent bucks to be found. I don’t think many approach a Montana general hunt that way though. It takes work and staying out all day. Hunt cover and tucked away pockets. Mule deer aren’t the smartest but the mature ones seem to have learned to avoid chasing the large doe harems in the open unless on private.

Some things should change for the sake of the herd but the sentiment that only dinks can be found on public is amusing. From what I’ve heard, just a few years back decent bucks could be found from glassing out of the truck during the rut, definitely not the case anymore. Hunt hard and strategically just like in states like WA or ID.

And to add to prior comments, I’m not sure what makes people go ham on a bunch of dinks at almost $900 a pop.

 

[TheYukiYama]

I've been going to Colorado for 5 years for elk already so just looking for a change of pace really.

That's great you've been taking many trips to CO for elk and now planning to head to MT for Mule deer! Might be worth doing a md hunt in CO if you know some areas better. Once you have a bit of experience hunting other states may be easier.
I just looked over your posts/threads and see a few different questions asking for others info. Would be cool to see you giving back some insight as an out of state elk hunter in CO, as it looks like you;ve been successful.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

I was told by a CPW officer that "if more people killed small young bucks then they could lower tag numbers" for the unit we were hunting.

Essentially they want you to kill the future breeders in order to then limit tags because there are no bucks left to breed once the older bucks die off. Lower tags = less crowding.

Less crowding comes at the expense of the herds health. Once the crowding is gone the complaining will turn to there being no bucks to kill.


It would be difficult for me to eat tag soup on a $800 deer tag. At that price point I can understand why you see NR trucks with a pile of small bucks. 40lbs of finished meat is better than a stick in the eye.

 

[freezerfull]

It would be difficult for me to eat tag soup on a $800 deer tag. At that price point I can understand why you see NR trucks with a pile of small bucks. 40lbs of finished meat is better than a stick in the eye.

I understand NR hunter not wanting to go home with an empty cooler, I would highly encourage focusing on whitetail to be the target of for a last day deer. Montana has ample opportunity to make this happen in most popular mule deer country.

 

[TheYukiYama]

I was told by a CPW officer that "if more people killed small young bucks then they could lower tag numbers" for the unit we were hunting.

Essentially they want you to kill the future breeders in order to then limit tags because there are no bucks left to breed once the older bucks die off. Lower tags = less crowding.

Less crowding comes at the expense of the herds health. Once the crowding is gone the complaining will turn to there being no bucks to kill.

was officer comment in response to complaints about crowding? This thread seems to me to be about low deer/low trophy numbers, which taking small bucks certainly doesn't help.

Or are you saying Montana intentionally lowered deer numbers to try to reduce tags to reduce crowding so now we are already in the third stage here? i'm not sure I believe this theory.. Seems against what I have seen about MT management. I don't think they would reduce tag revenue just to reduce crowding..

 

[IrkedCitizen]

I understand NR hunter not wanting to go home with an empty cooler, I would highly encourage focusing on whitetail to be the target of for a last day deer. Montana has ample opportunity to make this happen in most popular mule deer country.

Most of the NR that are traveling to hunt mule deer are doing so to hunt an animal they cannot hunt locally. So if they have have spent $800 on a tag with the purpose of killing a mule deer, why would they kill a whitetail? This is obviously the overwhelming case that is happening in MT.

If I was traveling for the purpose of killing a whitetail I would not be traveling to MT.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

was officer comment in response to complaints about crowding? This thread seems to me to be about low deer/low trophy numbers, which taking small bucks certainly doesn't help.

Or are you saying Montana intentionally lowered deer numbers to try to reduce tags to reduce crowding so now we are already in the third stage here? i'm not sure I believe this theory.. Seems against what I have seen about MT management. I don't think they would reduce tag revenue just to reduce crowding..

The officers comment wasn't in reference to crowding. My friend from TN asked if he could bring one of his buddies that I had met before out to CO to hunt mule deer. My friends buddy missed a 150 class 4x4 with eye guards opening morning. We continued to hike and hunt the rest of opening day which made him "unable to hunt" come the next morning. So day two my friend and myself set out to try and get a buck for my friend. When we came back that evening my friends buddy had gone out and killed a 75" 3x3. There was mandatory CWD testing for our unit that year and the CPW officer came to camp and was taking the necessary samples.

When I made the comment about how he killed the small buck without us after missing a much bigger buck opening day. That is when the officer made that comment.


I cannot comment on if this is the principal of MT because there isn't much to be done about winter kill and blue tongue. It wouldn't surprise me though.

Outside of "taking so long to draw a tag" the next complaint typically is "would have had a better hunt if there were less hunters"

 

[mt terry d]

killed a 75" 3x3.

Pictures!!!!!

 

[freezerfull]

Most of the NR that are traveling to hunt mule deer are doing so to hunt an animal they cannot hunt locally. So if they have have spent $800 on a tag with the purpose of killing a mule deer, why would they kill a whitetail? This is obviously the overwhelming case that is happening in MT.

If I was traveling for the purpose of killing a whitetail I would not be traveling to MT.

I understand the desire to target new species. But I don’t understand this mentality, if you’re trying to harvest an animal representative of the species, I don’t think I’d feel great about a 1.5 or 2.5 year old buck on my wall to just say “there’s my Muley I got out in insert state here”.

To each their own though. If it’s legal it all good.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

Pictures!!!!!

I never really taped it but here it is.


After the CPW took the CWD samples it got skull capped. Here it is placed inside the 150 class buck my friend killed.