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Man with a Plan - Montana Elk Question
Elk
Contributors to this thread:
pickaspot 22-Jan-18
pickaspot 22-Jan-18
TreeWalker 23-Jan-18
IdyllwildArcher 23-Jan-18
Z Barebow 23-Jan-18
LKH 23-Jan-18
Dutchd 28-Jan-18
Irishman 28-Jan-18
KJL94 28-Jan-18
ElkNut1 29-Jan-18
From: pickaspot
22-Jan-18
That time of year!

I plan on applying for random draw in Wyoming. Chances....slim. Draw results Feb 22nd. If I draw, game on. If not, Plan B.

Plan B - Montana. I have a connection of a long lost friend from college who happens to live in Montana. He is able to provide lodging and very minimal private access. The area he is in for convenience are hunting districts 332 & 340. I have done as much research on draw results, success numbers, private vs public, and on and on.

I'm just looking for simple input. Do you have any experience in 332 or 340 and is it worth going out on a limb for $800+ to chase elk?

Any and all advice and input highly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!

From: pickaspot
22-Jan-18
That time of year!

I plan on applying for random draw in Wyoming. Chances....slim. Draw results Feb 22nd. If I draw, game on. If not, Plan B.

Plan B - Montana. I have a connection of a long lost friend from college who happens to live in Montana. He is able to provide lodging and very minimal private access. The area he is in for convenience are hunting districts 332 & 340. I have done as much research on draw results, success numbers, private vs public, and on and on.

I'm just looking for simple input. Do you have any experience in 332 or 340 and is it worth going out on a limb for $800+ to chase elk?

Any and all advice and input highly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!

From: TreeWalker
23-Jan-18

TreeWalker's Link
No knowledge of MT elk regions or units but an adventure is always better than sitting on the couch. If you want to get out west and you have Plan A and B then Plan B is going to also provide you an adventure and a way to renew an old friendship even if the elk are not cooperating.

If you are considering making elk hunting a regular event then there is a game plan you can put in place to build points in a handful of states then you rotate where you attempt to draw a tag that year. You can go after a great tag in WY knowing you apply their first anyway and get results before need to apply in most of the other western states. Some states allow you to apply for points only so can still marginally improve your odds for the following year even if have a tag in hand before the last couple of states have applications due.

From: IdyllwildArcher
23-Jan-18
Even if you deliver pizza for a living, elk hunting is worth $800. People get too hung up on NR tag prices. If you're hunting DIY, you're doing it as inexpensively as you can. And it's worth it.

From: Z Barebow
23-Jan-18
To quote BigFin- You will run out of time before you run out of money. Go hunt. You have zero chance or experience at home.

I know nothing about those units. But I can guarantee your odds are better than zero. Probably even better than Jim Carey if you go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5jNnDMfxA

From: LKH
23-Jan-18
Don't lock yourself in to just 2 units. Be flexible and see what else is in the area.

From: Dutchd
28-Jan-18
You wont run out of places to hunt out there. Plenty of elk for anyone willing to put in the effort. Good luck!

From: Irishman
28-Jan-18
I have only hunted a little in 332, but there are definitely elk there, and in 340. I spent lots of years hunting in 321 and 334 which both border 332. Will you kill an elk? I don't know. Will you get to see elk, and have them answer you? Definitely, if you put any effort in at all.

From: KJL94
28-Jan-18
I used to rifle hunt in 340 a lot about 5-10 years ago, there's a lot of roads and it's close to the city of Butte so there was always a lot of pressure when I was there, but there are elk in there. I think if you could get away from all the people and some time to work it you'd have a good shot.

If you're going to Montana check out unit 331. It's a little more rugged but there's a lot more public land in there and usually a lot of elk. It is right next to 340 on the west side of Interstate 15.

Good luck!

From: ElkNut1
29-Jan-18
pickaspot, what are your expectations? Any Elk, branched bulls, only 6 points?

ElkNut/Paul

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