632-21 archery elk help
Montana
Really looking forward to hunting the missouri breaks country but have no idea where to begin searching for bulls with this great tag. With the roads nearly impassable after a rain would it be wise to take out a boat from a nearby marina and scout from the shoreline instead of pursuing a backpack hunt from the roads? Much obliged for any suggestions
The elk can be anywhere and everywhere in 632. Having a boat is certainly a great tool to have in the chest.
How many points did you have? It's a tough draw for resident let alone NR. When you planning on hunting?
Good luck to ya. May see you around as I have that permit as well.
you have to be fairly mobile account the elk are few and far between and you just never know where they will be,
The good news: The unit is pretty limited so there's always some older age class bulls.
Other than the Pines cabin area, there's really no harboring areas that can't be hunted..
Good road access, but not too good where you can drive to every inch of the area.
The bad news:
It's often tough to find cows and there are bulls that seem to just hide in the timber even through the rut...
Some large blocks of timber that the elk and other hunters tromp circles through....
The orientation of the unit has long ridges running west to east down to the lake, guess which way the wind predominantly blows? Out of the west or northwest which blows your scent right into the elk when you walk in from roads.
The roads terminate on the tops of the ridges on the west ends.....you may in fact have luck coming in from a boat on the lake side to keep the wind in your favor...
Thanks for the posts guys--looks like its gonna take some serious scouting and boot leather to find the elk but the possibility of tagging a mature bull is great motivation. Is there any particular trailhead that would lead to more remote country? Any marina that would rent boats close by? Appreciate any help from you backcountry hunters who have had this tag!
There's a boat ramp in the Pines cabin area to launch a boat but no rentals that I'm aware of. There's nothing in the entire unit that I would consider "remote." We're talking 2, 3 and 4 mile hikes max. Two track roads terminating on every ridge with a few ridge-runners parked on every one.
Believe it or not, the elk can and do get bumped completely out of the unit into 631. And vice-versa, so there's no magic road or "trailhead" to recommend. It ALL gets hunted......don't get discouraged, elk move and get moved daily.
I haven't heard of any gagger bulls that are in there currently but I'm sure some mature bulls are around. Here's a big set that I pickup up out on the BLM flats there years ago. (Don't pick up any antlers on the CMR) With the broken G3 length and sheared off G5 length added back on he's right at Boone and Crockett 375 inches. Unfortunately, he's hanging on the wall of a local who archery killed him about 3 seasons later at just over 380.
Good Luck,
Me and a buddy drew 632-21 this year as a party. We scouted last weekend. Found some elk, but were mainly trying to figure out the area. He had the 622 rifle tag last year and loved the breaks country. I was a little discouraged when I saw the terrain. I pictured more of the upper Missouri breaks type of terrain. We are planning on spending 10 days in a row up there. We have idea of when we want to go, but is there any advice on when the elk typically hit peak rut, and when the majority of archery hunters are out?
Me and a buddy drew 632-21 this year as a party. We scouted last weekend. Found some elk, but were mainly trying to figure out the area. He had the 622 rifle tag last year and loved the breaks country. I was a little discouraged when I saw the terrain. I pictured more of the upper Missouri breaks type of terrain. We are planning on spending 10 days in a row up there. We have idea of when we want to go, but is there any advice on when the elk typically hit peak rut, and when the majority of archery hunters are out?
Me and a buddy drew 632-21 this year as a party. We scouted last weekend. Found some elk, but were mainly trying to figure out the area. He had the 622 rifle tag last year and loved the breaks country. I was a little discouraged when I saw the terrain. I pictured more of the upper Missouri breaks type of terrain. We are planning on spending 10 days in a row up there. We have idea of when we want to go, but is there any advice on when the elk typically hit peak rut, and when the majority of archery hunters are out?
Me and a buddy drew 632-21 this year as a party. We scouted last weekend. Found some elk, but were mainly trying to figure out the area. He had the 622 rifle tag last year and loved the breaks country. I was a little discouraged when I saw the terrain. I pictured more of the upper Missouri breaks type of terrain. We are planning on spending 10 days in a row up there. We have idea of when we want to go, but is there any advice on when the elk typically hit peak rut, and when the majority of archery hunters are out?
