Montana elk Hunting?'s
Elk
We put in for Wyoming but are kind of on the bubble to draw or not. We come from Wisconsin and have hunted Idaho quite a few years, but may have some interest in venturing out a bit.
I don't know much about Montana. We go DIY, don't need the biggest Bulls, but want a good chance to get in to some elk, don't mind putting on some miles.
Not looking for anyone's honey holes, just some general information.
Thanks Toby
We went last year and the area we hunted was pretty ripe with other hunters. It wasn't at all what I expected based on the information I received prior to the hunt. Maybe all those other people had the same info.??
This was my first year there, so perhaps it was just a one time thing. I had one theory that the drought further west in the state pushed more people into the area we hunted. Don't know if there is any merit to that.
Having said that, I would go back for a second try. There were some elk off the road, but they were certainly being pressured. I need dumb unpressured elk if I am to be successful. If the second hunt mirrored the first, I'm not sure I would go again though.
Mixed bag is the man to answer all your questions . He even gives out GPS coordinates if you need them. Good Luck.
I'm afraid that Franzen's experience is becoming more and more "the normal" here in MT. Living here and being able to learn constantly, and put hundreds of miles a year on our boots in the off season allows us to have great hunting, but coming from the outside with little to no information, I think it would be a lot closer to what Franzen described 99% of the time. Not to mention the fact that their still letting strong, able, virile people murder our Elk herd on the winter range, in survival mode as we speak... (And MT has the kind of "hunters" that have no problem obliging)
Elkman plus one. I drive from Oregon, have hunted from Missouri breaks to south western corner. Done five trips now. Always find elk and always deal with other hunters. Still have had good success, but I think when you hunt oregon you deal with as many people and less elk, so I think I am used to it. Tim
A few other hunters aren't the end of the world. A pile of them is!
Drought on the west side? That's not exactly accurate. It was never as bad as people perceived. How about this Bitterroot bull from this past season. And there are lots more a little smaller than this one. Things got a little tougher over there for a couple years but it was still decent hunting and I never spent a single winter eating tag soup. Everyone I know there killed their bull last year. Have you ever tried it over there?
Everyone I know who hunts central or east is talking about too many hunters. A couple of miles in the Root in the right direction and you won't see a soul.
Mule Power,
That is an impressive bull
Thanks Toby
That is a lotta bull! Mule power. I haven't done that well anywhere. Carefull what you lead people to believe.
I think all elk hunters need to believe. It's what keeps us going for days or weeks on end. If you don't believe... you need to hunt somewhere else. I've seen 2 bulls bigger than that come from the Bitterroot. One went 390 and the guy who killed it took another one that big many moons before that one. Of course that's over quite a few years but still... they are there. Of course people win the Powerball too but not me or you. But everyone who plays believes right and it could happen.
From what I've seen bulls where there are wolves over there have been getting bigger. There was a 7 point or 2 running around last year. Numbers are certainly way down in the Selway Wilderness but there have been some giants coming out of there the last few years too.
I've made the trip from Wisconsin to Montana the last two years. Yes I've ran into other guys out there but 99% of them have been on the trail. It's huge country and until I draw a limited entry unit I will continue to buy my elk licenses from montana. I've seen multiple bulls that have dwarfed these two.
This is just my $0.02 and I have only seen such a small fraction of what the elk country in Montana has to offer.
"Drought on the west side? That's not exactly accurate."
I'm sorry, but all I did was use the best information I had to try to come up with logical reasoning for what I was seeing. Apparently that thought had no merit.
W WA was very dry last year and the snow pack was minimal. I didn't go east but imagine ID and W MT were much the same.
Those are some fine critters. Joe, that main beam is impressive!!
Is it still possible to get a license for 2016?
Yes draw for a Montana license is March 15th.
If you aren't putting in for a special permit, MT has had licenses left after the initial application period for a number of years.
Some reasons may be the devastation EHD did on the whitetail deer and the antelope, wolves, and making much of the central part of the state draw only for elk. Doing so reduced the Non-res licenses to no more than 10%.
LKH is exactly right. They will continue to sell leftover over licenses until they are gone but the deadline for permits is still March 15. Soe oermits are unlimited so also guaranteed but the deadline is still 3/15.
I didn't mean to offend you Franzen. Not at all. It is a logical way of thinking... and actually you are probably right that there have been some hunters moving your way from the west. My point was that they did it to a degree because of the things they read or assumptions based simply on the fact that wolves were present. So actually you were correct. The drought however is what wasn't entirely accurate. Apologies if I made it sound otherwise.
I have always said that I don't need thousands of elk in my unit. I can only attach my tag to one. As long as there are decent numbers I'm good. I'd rather have that than a hunter on every ridge for sure.
I rifle hunted the Breaks opening day for deer. Met quite a few people and a lot were from Butte, Misoula areas.
There has and always will be people from all over Montana and out of state who will zero in on the Breaks to hunt elk.
I drew a permit over there once but never hunted it. I was interested in the land of the big bulls but I also knew it was the land of many hunters.
I appreciate the response Joe. I probably read more into what you said than what was meant. Hey, I didn't come away completely empty handed. Montana success...
There were also a couple trout thrown in the cooler as well. Sorry for the sideways photo, btw. Good luck Toby.
There have been threads debating various State's hunting. With a 10% success rate, 9 out of 10 are eating tag soup. Mule, come on, you know the 'roots like the back of your hand.
Montana has a lot of elk. You have to find them, though, and there are quite a few people doing the same thing.
Just curious, what has been your experience in Idaho that is leading you to consider MT? Last I checked they were both neck and neck in woof populations and impacts.
I see that the shoulder seasons were approved for 43 hunting districts.
Evidently you guys have way too many elk up there.
Hate to see them get hammered on winter range.
We have more elk than the ranchers want to see. Despite what the "objectives" seem to suggest, even FWP agrees those numbers are based on "social acceptance" rather than biological carrying capacity.
Montana could support three times the number of elk we have now without hurting the carrying capacity of the habitat.
Sad thing about it is, Montana hunters are eager to jump on the opportunity to shoot an elk, doesn't matter a bit that it's going to mean less opportunity in the future. Somebody has to kill the last one, might as well be me...
But remember, it's all the wolves' fault.
Gerald nailed it. The same thing is true for deer populations and limits too. If the limit is 5 does then that's what everyone wants to shoot dispite the consequences for next year's deer population.
No one knows an area's population like the people that hunt it. Certainly no the bureaucrats that set the limits.
Out of curiosity, what units comprise the biterroots in montana? I'm considering doing a MT general hunt or CO if I don't draw some other states I apply in
To be honest I don't know what the success rates are quoted at there or anywhere. I don't really pay attention to that. I do know that they have no game checks in archery season and it is closed half the time during gun.
I just know what the people I know see and kill each season.
Just thinking Montana is closer to Wisconsin than Idaho, thought it might possibly offer better hunting.
I've never really researched MT. But I'm kinda tryin to venture out a bit. I've hunted elk in AZ,NM and CO but I do understand this is big country and requires some extension planning. But I would love to see that kinda country!
HUNT you get my return PM?
