MT extra rifle question

Side note question- will I need insulated boots for late October? I was fine first week of archery with my salomens which are uninsulated but I was thinking crispi briksdals for this trip


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MT weather is a confusing mess. One season it'll be 0 and snow & the next it'll be 70 and sunny...possibly in the same trip. Generally I don't wear insulated boots and if you're moving around you probably won't need insulated boots. I've never worn Crispi boots so make sure you wear them a lot before going to make sure they fit and you don't get hotspots.
 
It was like that when I went last time. In one afternoon sit it went from 104 degrees down to 38 degrees and wind so hard that I had to put my sunglasses on just to try to be able to see due to all the dirt in my eyes! That was first week of September so I just don’t know what to expect come late October


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TonySkyline said:
I know a pistol would be ideal and trust me I've tried for 10+ years to get one to finally just getting a letter saying I was denied because I forgot to put a fist fight I had in my
Late teens on my permit application. Ridiculous is an understatement as I have a squeaky clean record and even paid for a background check to make sure nothing popped up (nothing did). NY does blow. Yes indeed, but at least I'm in upstate in a rural area far away from the city. Sucks that the little island screws up everything including taxes and voting for the rest of the state. Anyway, off topic but I thought I'd throw that in there. I'd love to move out west or mid west but that is not in the cards until my boys get older (have 1 child with ex and I have attempted to get her to move.... not happening). So do you need a permit in Montana? Could my brother rent a pistol somewhere? Lol. That just sounds dumb, nevermind. I'll tell him to bring the lightest shotgun we have.

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When I moved from NY to PA, I went to the gun store on the way home from getting my PA licenses and bought 2 handguns. :) Much better than NY.
 
Expect snow on top, and not much else as the norm for that area. Prepare for a foot of snow, though. So boots, and gaiters. Normal temps would be 30-50 with occasional dips in to the zero area.

I wear either Hanwag Alaska or Zamberlan 980's. Neither is insulated, but they have enough padding in them to be warm. Add a thick sock over my normal hiking sock, and they are good to zero. If it is really cold, I get out the Hoffman pacs.

Since you are flying, what are you driving out there? That time of year, you will need to have chains, a shovel, and tow strap. These aren't suggestions. You need to have them with you.

Jeremy
 
TonySkyline said:
Hello, I am hoping to head out to north central Montana for an elk/mule deer hunt in October as I drew a general unit tag. I am either taking my brother or brother in-law alongside with me and have gathered enough equipment for them as well as myself. I've been to this unit or close to it before. Their is hardly any reports of grizzlies and barely any wolves. Just black bear and mountain lion. Both of them have asked if they could take a gun along even though they will not be hunting or have tags. It would be impossible to get a pistol permit by then so it would have to be a rifle. Does anyone know if that is legal? To me, it sounds like asking for trouble honestly but if it guarantees they come than I will try to figure it out. I could use the help packing out if I get something.
Thanks

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If you're in the woods, carrying a rifle or shotgun and accompanying someone who is hunting during hunting season I would think it would be a hard sell to a game warden you weren't hunting.

There aren't bears and cats hiding behind every tree in Montana. Come out and enjoy the country and use common sense.

I use to live in Brooklyn and Montana is a 1000 times safer so no need for everyone to carry a firearm.

Its funny to watch NY era staying in hotels in Montana during hunting season. All the hunters usually bring in their rifles from their trucks into the hotel at night uncased. One guy a NYer in super 8 in Big Timber wanted to call the local SWAT because he was so freaked out he saw guys carrying firearms. lol

Weird how so many Americans have been sensitized to fear and hate firearms .
 
Wapiti1 said:
Expect snow on top, and not much else as the norm for that area. Prepare for a foot of snow, though. So boots, and gaiters. Normal temps would be 30-50 with occasional dips in to the zero area.

I wear either Hanwag Alaska or Zamberlan 980's. Neither is insulated, but they have enough padding in them to be warm. Add a thick sock over my normal hiking sock, and they are good to zero. If it is really cold, I get out the Hoffman pacs.

Since you are flying, what are you driving out there? That time of year, you will need to have chains, a shovel, and tow strap. These aren't suggestions. You need to have them with you.

Jeremy
Click to expand...
Last time I just rented a 4 wheel drive pickup in Billings. It was all gravel roads off the highway all the way until the forest area.. where would I get chains, tow straps, etc...? The old man at Wally world in the sporting goods dept told me they hardly ever got snow but the winter of 17/18 they got a ton. Not sure what that means cuz I live in between 2 top 10 snowiest cities in the country but I can always call a tow truck if I get stuck here . Don't know how it works out there but I went almost 2 hours without passing a gas station and almost ran out of gas. Pulled into a reservation thinking it was somewhere I could fill up. Lol . Nope .

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TonySkyline said:
Last time I just rented a 4 wheel drive pickup in Billings. It was all gravel roads off the highway all the way until the forest area.. where would I get chains, tow straps, etc...? The old man at Wally world in the sporting goods dept told me they hardly ever got snow but the winter of 17/18 they got a ton. Not sure what that means cuz I live in between 2 top 10 snowiest cities in the country but I can always call a tow truck if I get stuck here . Don't know how it works out there but I went almost 2 hours without passing a gas station and almost ran out of gas. Pulled into a reservation thinking it was somewhere I could fill up. Lol . Nope .

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Les Schwab. If your don't use the chains can return them
 
Is that a local store or would I have to order em ahead of time? Thanks for the info

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Yes, Les Schwab is a tire chain in the west. Wally world has a $10 shovel and $30 tow strap. They probably also have chains. As noted, if you don't unpackage them, and return them, no money spent.

Late Oct is a wild card time of year. Could be dry as a bone. Could be a foot or more of snow. What really gets you is the drifting. The 3-4" of snow becomes 3 feet in some spots on the road. And it packs in hard. The road you drove in on that was fine a 4am, is nearly impassible at noon. The other direction is mud in the middle of the day after the surface thaws out. Slick as snot and without chains, you aren't going anywhere until it freezes again around 2 am.

It's your call. I think that they are required for safety reasons. Walking out is really, really unappealing to me.

Jeremy
 
Okhotnik said:
If you're in the woods, carrying a rifle or shotgun and accompanying someone who is hunting during hunting season I would think it would be a hard sell to a game warden you weren't hunting.

There aren't bears and cats hiding behind every tree in Montana. Come out and enjoy the country and use common sense.

I use to live in Brooklyn and Montana is a 1000 times safer so no need for everyone to carry a firearm.

Its funny to watch NY era staying in hotels in Montana during hunting season. All the hunters usually bring in their rifles from their trucks into the hotel at night uncased. One guy a NYer in super 8 in Big Timber wanted to call the local SWAT because he was so freaked out he saw guys carrying firearms. lol

Weird how so many Americans have been sensitized to fear and hate firearms .
Click to expand...

It’s not Americans that fear firearms....


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I’ve hunted Montana for 35 years. Not once was I checked in the field or even at a trailhead. Only at the check station. I hunt mountains on the west side though so not sure about elsewhere.

As far as questions after killing... take the shotgun and that won’t be an issue. It serves the purpose better anyway.
 
TonySkyline said:
Hahahaha. Yeah my Bil hunts and my brother does not. I’m taking 1 or the other and it’s looking more like the in-law (who is more of an outdoorsman). We will 100% be flying unless the virus somehow ruins that. I’m paying for the plane tix and letting him keep some of the clothing I’m getting for the trip so it’s a good payoff for him as well, new puffy, Sitka gear, etc... also he is a very very good fly fisherman so he will repay the favor by getting me on the salmon and steelhead . I think he just wants peace of mind that he has his own protection. He understands he won’t be shooting anything unless it’s literally mauling us... he will also get some meat out of the deal also so it’s a win win. No way will I be able to pack out an elk by myself. I mean possibly but I highly doubt it unless i shoot it on day 1 or 2. Gonna start training when I get boots and pack but last time I went to MT, it took me a solid 3 days for my lungs to adjust and that was at about 7800’ . We will probably be higher this time.


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you won't be higher in the little belts
 
If he’s not planning on hunting don’t bother with a firearm, just get some bear spray if he needs comfort. I’m in Great Falls and hunt both the Little Belts and the Front and in reality confrontations are pretty rare.
 
BFR said:
If he’s not planning on hunting don’t bother with a firearm, just get some bear spray if he needs comfort. I’m in Great Falls and hunt both the Little Belts and the Front and in reality confrontations are pretty rare.
Click to expand...
Do the elk drop to lower elevations by last week of October? I was on private property when I went in September and seen a ton of elk and mule deer all lower elevations and higher up as well. I've heard that they get pushed pretty much to private land after the first week of rifle. Not sure how much pressure they get where I'll be going but I'm sure I'll have to get in there and hike. I might be better off going back during archery season again but I really want to use my rifle I'm having built by HCA specifically for this purpose.

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