best mule deer units in montana best mule deer units in montana

We shootbrownelk: Big fines, mandatory jail time and loss of licenses. Unfortunately, Montana has been giving out so many mule deer doe tags that they have put a hurt on the mule deer population. This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. Although a big buck here would be a very tall order, a fun hunt with limited pressure is what this hunt should offer up on a somewhat later season experience. In Montana, unit 270 is considered one of the top trophy mule deer units in the state. If the weather hits just right this hunt can produce some very big bucks held up in the sagebrush waiting for the rut to begin. Dates: October 27-31, 2023. In Montana, Region 3 in the southwest corner of the state covers nearly 12 million acres, more than half of which is public land managed by the BLM or Forest Service. In early June a successful applicant can request a BMA guide that will be delivered around the end of July. These were usually posted as enrolled if there was no access. For nonresidents the statistics are even worse. The breakdown of whitetail per region is as follows: region 1 with 69,094; region 2 with 37,747; region 3 with 23,745; region 4 with 32,657; region 5 with 14,917; region 6 with 14,311; and region 7 with 20,343. In 2017, three tags went to nonresidents. Skip B: Let the Flower Children howl. In western areas, mule deer hunting has always been fun. The winter was very mild on these deer and the buck to doe ratio is very, very good right now. There is some public land along the Milk River with deer hunting also available on Block Management Areas, a Montana program that facilitates public access to private land. I was able to download 10-mile by 10-mile maps of our hunt area knowing we would be out of cell coverage. In the end we are all in this together, I do not think it is unreasonable for Nonresidents to be afforded 20% of all the hunting licenses in Wyoming.. The good news is many Western states have huge mule deer herds and produce phenomenal bucks. | Like Utah, Arizona is famous for producing record-book mule deer. Abundant access to public land is one of the major attractions of elk hunting in Montana's Missouri River Country (there are more than a million acres of land open to public hunting in the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge alone). An emerging opportunity for hunters in Region 2 is to hunt mule deer on private lands, where numbers generally are growing. The first to die off and probably the first to rebound, or at least we hope. 7 Comments A fine hunter in his own right, Guy has taken several trophy animals and has become an expert in trophy hunting as well. There were 96 people with max points and four applicants drew. Phone: (435) 865-1020, Big Game Combination License (Elk & Deer), Bow and Arrow License (mandatory for all archery hunts), Preference Point Fee for Combination License (optional), Outfitter Preference Point Fee for Combination License (optional but must hunt with an outfitter). Montana Region 7 (made up of districts 700 to 705) in the southeast corner of the state, especially the southern parts of the region, wasnt as affected by the brutal winter of 201112 as other parts of the state and has good numbers of pronghorn in each district, Vore said. Our parent company, Flyway Media, offers hunting guide website design options. Eastmans Publishing, Inc. is a multimedia corporation whose roots are grounded in the ethics of fair chase hunting. This is done by a scorecard placed in a dropbox on the location of each BMA. Sep 25, 2013 #5 M mtmuley Well-known member Joined Jan 11, 2009 Messages 11,557 Location montana Magazines, TV shows and pics of big bucks with the unit displayed don't help either. Its late July and Im either on a boat or in my office and the expectation of the ever-familiar chime of a new email notification goes off on my phone. 380 is a joke. Years of development and pushing the limits of what is possible in a rifle optic have led up to this moment. Hours of looking at Google Earth do not come close to physically being there. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. 2. Kevin Steele stops by the Taurus booth to speak with Cody Osborn about the all new Raging Hunter platform from Taurus International. Credit: Photo Courtesy Missouri River Country. 28. Both the mule and whitetail deer breeding seasons occur during this time as well, giving hunters higher odds of spotting a trophy buck. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Publisher Kevin Steele is in the Beretta booth with Logan Killam, the Shotgun Product Manager, to discuss the all new Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey. This has already been seen in the recently completed Wyoming elk draw where many areas saw huge gains in point creep with possibly even more to come for next year. Hunters will experience a true western mule deer hunt and will spend a significant amount of time glassing in an effort to locate their trophy buck. (Shutterstock / Cornelius Doppes photo) Data can be deceiving. 3. Neither of us had ever hunted this area before or knew any landowners. The answer is us pushing for more QDM out West, period! But then again the world is upside down these days. Add to this bad news the fact that many nonresident applicants are getting very, very nervous, to say the least, given the possibility of the proposed 90/10 license allocation change becoming a reality. Area 128 near Dubois has November hunt dates and limited tags, and units 101 and 102 of the Southwest Desert country have solid deer numbers and great vehicle access. 12,440 Views. The landowner draw takes place before the regular draw. I also recommend the cellphone adapter that makes taking photos a breeze. I ended up filling my tag with my biggest Mule Deer to date on our 2nd day. Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is at the Streamlight booth at SHOT Show 2023 to go over the Bear Trap light from Streamlight. Given the size and range of the mule deer in our area, using horses and mules is a must to cover ground and access the best habitats. This hunt can be had with only about six or seven points. Each year we see and possibly harvest bucks that score 190+ B&C including some that score over 200 B&C inches. Idaho runs a close second to Colorado when it comes to mule deer hunting. These are high country bucks that migrate to lower country to rut low country does which can make for a great hunt if you hunt hard and give yourself plenty of time to cover lots and lots of country. Hey Chopperz, as of right now it has only become law for the Big 5. Tags #myhuntstory backpack hunting Beyond The Grid big game hunting deer hunting Eastmans Eastmans' Bowhunting Journals Eastmans' Hunting Journals Featured Guy Eastman Hunting Mike Eastman Montana Draw Montana Hunting Montna Mule Deer Hunting Mule deer. Located outside of Laramie this hunt is a bit rough, but nothing like the rugged hunts in the northwest portion of the state. . We ended up hunting the type 1 BMAs for 6 of the 7 days hunted. Skip B: Let the Flower Children howl. He had two suggestions for hunters who approach drawing an elk tag in different ways in the state. A good friend with the same luck in the lottery as me decided we were tired of waiting, we need to go hunting. Post-season 2019 counts in the Pioneer Mountains elk . There is a lot of private land, but there is plenty of Block Management and public land for anyone to have a good hunt. This high-success mule deer hunt takes place along the scenic Powder River of Southeast Montana. They are the Henry Mountains, Antelope Island, the Alton CWMU and the Paunsaugunt. Jones said the famous Paunsaugunt unit on the southern border with Arizona and the Fillmore/Oak Creek and Vernon units, both in the central part of the state, all produced incredible bucks for hunters in 2018. Yikes! Mule deer hunters should plan to go high in the mountains for the best opportunity at bigger bucks. Mule Deer Idaho. A Muley Doe decoy is a must in Unit 76.The situation in Unit 76 is representative of several OTC mule deer units in Idaho. Kali Parmley, Editor-in-chief of Bakccountry Hunter speaks with Bret Maffet of Franchi Firearms to discuss the all new Momentum All Terrain Elite. $100/Day. These tags aren't easy to draw but it's worth the wait. Me and my buddies have ben putting in for that tag for 15-plus years and still havent drawn. I would not go back without it! Subscriber Services. We publish book and magazines, along with producing videos, DVDs, and TV programs. Each hunter must also sign out upon completion of their hunt. The decision nearly 20 years ago . Any further questions call Dan Alleman.". The deer in Unit 76 are extremely call shy - due to hunting pressure and predation - but this has made them more visual creatures. This hunt should take 12 to 14 points to draw this year. In 2021, three of the five total non-resident deer permits available in units 261-50 and 270-50 were drawn by non-resident landowners. And in the evening, glass until it's too dark to see, you'll understand and appreciate the term "coming out of the woodwork". Give a Gift amzn_assoc_linkid = "3d18066eea5f32622cb88644951f608f"; It becomes part of that BMA. Mule deer hunters should plan to go high in the mountains for the best opportunity at bigger bucks. Montana's 2022 mule deer breakdown 2021 was a fairly quiet season in Montana with very few notable bucks being taken. Montana also offers Block Management (BMAs) which is private Ranches opening up their property for public Montana mule deer hunting. I think we also found that the squared bonus point system is not that effective because there are just too many applicants nowadays. This hunt is one of only two limited quota hunts inside the Region G zone where 15 lucky applicants will hunt for big rut staged high country deer during the final two weeks of the month of October. Theres good news and bad news for hunters who want to pursue mule deer in the west, however. A tough winter in 2016, followed by a drought that lasted more than a year and a half, cut that total by about 20,000 deer, but Utah still remains a top destination for mule deer hunters, according to Covy Jones, big-game coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Publisher Kevin Steele is in the Beretta booth with Logan Killam, the Shotgun Product Manager, to discuss the all new Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey. The open country provides endless glassing opportunities and the gentle rolling hills allow for fairly easy hiking. With only 50 tags on quota, a 20-day season in November and lots of public land to hunt, with a little help from the weather, this hunt should continue to excel well into the future. New Mexico, Socorro County117 pronghorn in B&C records 13. Your honest assessment is greatly appreciated. Kali Parmley, Editor-in-chief of Bakccountry Hunter speaks with Bret Maffet of Franchi Firearms to discuss the all new Momentum All Terrain Elite. Type 1 BMAs are far simpler and require each hunter to fill out an access permission slip at a designated parking area. Over the last 25+ years, this trip has proven to be a favorite for WTA clients. Warm weather was more to blame than anything else; however, this could point to a potential bumper crop of sorts for mature bucks this year. This hunt has been getting better and better each year and now seems to be producing some very consistent results as of the late. Wyomings Elk Area 7, south of Casper, is a large unit with lots of elk and is about half public land. That's why oftentimes, the all-time records list you see aren't the most accurate depictions of where big deer are truly . Because nonresidents are in the same pool, there are 8,543 applicants in the total pool. Mule deer and white-tailed deer are the most widely distributed and abundant big game mammals in Montana. The sound of a bugling bull elk or the sight of two monster 6x6s fighting for mountain dominance is a memory that will stay with a hunter for a lifetime. Pretty bummed to read this. This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. Our Mule deer are big bodied, heavy antlered and are deep forked. A very tough spot indeed. For example, fewer animals are found in the region around Fork Peck Dam as opposed to areas at the western end of the reservoir. There needs to be some serious adjustments to the hunting seasons in this unit. Our Best Mule Deer Hunts Hunting big mule deer bucks in the rut is a great hunt to consider. Although a big buck here would be a very tall order, a fun hunt with limited pressure is what this hunt should offer up on a somewhat later season experience. He is vice president of Christian Hunters of America and is a Cabelas Pro Staffer. A couple of these units will close the mule deer season early on November 13th. Hopefully this change wont happen for nonresidents. And the data backs this statement up as according to the Game and Fish Department the mule deer herd in Wyoming, statewide, is nearly 30% below objective levels. Good bucks in the 150-170 range are the norm for most of MT. This hunt can be had with only about six or seven points. Pheasant season spans the entire general rifle season for deer and elk. Rifle or Archery Elk hunting, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Black Bear, Moose, MT Lion Montana Guided Hunts. Man with all yhe points I have for deer and elk I may be screwed. The Brow-tined Bull and Antlerless elk hunts (34 HDs) makes a total of 63 unrestricted HDs where you can take any elk on 29 units and all but spikes on the rest. THE BEST MULE DEER RIFLE CALIBER. 2022 MONTANA RIVERS AND RIDGES OUTFITTER LLC. Temperatures can be quite warm in September and early October, rendering elk inactive during the day, however, hunters seeking a varied experience find plenty to do at midday. This hunt should take about five or six points to draw this year with a random draw of about 10% for those with less than five points. In my humble opinion, Wyoming is lacking nearly half the mule deer that should be grazing on our spring landscape as we speak. This will cause massive demand on the system this year and next with high point holders forcibly pushed to cash in their points before the change which will cause huge gains in point creep for deer, elk and antelope inside the Wyoming point system. Here in Wyoming and Montana, mule deer hunting is also diverse. The average success rate on our mule deer hunt is 95-100% with more than 100% . Archery: Sept. 2 - Oct. 15 Youth, deer only: Oct. 19 - Oct. 20 General: Oct. 21 - Nov. 26 Shoulder seasons: Aug. 15 - Feb. 15, varying dates before and/or after the archery and general seasons Muzzleloader: Dec. 9 - 17 In Montana, unit 270 is considered one of the top trophy mule deer units in the state. So that is 7 permits skimmed off the top immediately for residents. View more information on other big game hunts we have to offer, right here! An objective level that was recently adjusted downward possibly in an effort to make the situation look not quite so bad. In 2017, there were five nonresident landowners in area 270 and in 2019 there were eight! The terrain where you'll find mule deer ranges from dry, high-desert foothills to the rugged, mountainous, alpine zone. Today, all of these species (except bison) are still found in robust numbers in Missouri River Country and provide modern-day hunters with the same challenges for making meat and memories as they did members of the famed expedition. More than 295 ranches are enrolled in the Block Management Program here, which provides licensed sportsmen with free access to about 1.3 million acres of mule and whitetail deer, antelope, and elk habitat. The biggest typical mule deer shot in Montana last year came from 270 and the unit produces 160-inch bucks for hunters who are patient and hunt the higher clearings and meadows. This area is mountainous and does contain about 25% wilderness at the very top of the unit. We applied as a party and were successful in drawing our Either Species/Either Sex tags. Lewis and Clark noted the presence of huge herds of antelope mingled with the bison, elk and deer they saw along the Missouri River. My best MT bucks came from heavily timbered units that have limited glassing opportunities. The top states for record mule deer are Colorado, Utah and Idaho. Using this strategy . The best thing about Montana Whitetails is that Keith and Bob are bowhunters and understand the quarry and the strategy to harvest big bucks. Though relatively few in number, Missouri Breaks bucks can achieve notable size. Eastmans Publishing, Inc. is a multimedia corporation whose roots are grounded in the ethics of fair chase hunting. Why do they get this fantastic benefit too?!?!? Best States to Hunt Mule Deer June 9, 2022 onX Indigenous to western North America, mule deer are found west of the 100th meridian from 23 degrees to 60 degrees N. Much larger than whitetail deer, a buck mule deer can weigh between 130 and 280 pounds. Guy Eastman, Editor-In-Chief Somebody please post up the best trophy mule deer hunting in Montana so anyone that is smart enough to work the google can pull up this thread! Any special permit that a non-resident landowner draws will count against the 10% non-resident quota for that unit. Each tag was priced at right around $700/hunter. Complete trip planning materials are available on the Missouri River Country website. This place has it all, comfortable camp, good guiding, good food and Shield River trout fishing, it's just a great week. This has been considered the holy grail of mule deer permits in the Big Sky State for the past couple decades. Unit 22. Our hunts take place from open country on the high plains east of the Rockies, to the steep, rugged mountains of the Greys River. Montana made a lot of changes to the deer regulations, with goal being to simplify them. Are you a hunting outfitter? This year we would have limited time and left the idea of the Elk/Combo out of the equation. Utah has four premium areas for deer. Give my best to your Dad, Be well my friend John McGannon WildEats, Isnt the 90/10 split for the trophy species onlygoat, sheep, bear ect? Dan Pickar Archery hunting is also conducted on a "draw-only" basis, but the odds are better. 5 Best States for Mule Deer Hunting. I think it might be time for a class action law suit against the State of Wyoming on tag allocation. I am currently applying for those myself. Applicants with 10 and 12 points also drew four tags respectively. The Bitterroot Valley has long been known as the best place to take a trophy buck, and it is no secret as the draw odds have been horrible for units 261, 262, and 270. With tags in hand, we decided that hunting public land was going to be our plan of action. Our guided mule deer hunts offer the highest opportunity for a trophy you can display with pride. With that said, I hope these choices help you out and this year is what it is. I have been very hard on this hunt in the past, however the recent historical data here is very positive, particularly when compared to everything else currently going wrong in Wyoming. The average harvest fell from 3,000 to 500 in . Hunter success here has drifted steadily up over the past five years and now nearly reaches about 70% on the best years. 5 Best E-Bikes for the Outdoors Jace Bauserman Recent Videos Steiner Optics Predator Series Introducing the Burris Veracity PH Gear Taurus Raging Hunter Streamlight Pro Tac 2.0 Gear Streamlight Bear Trap Gear Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey Gear Ascendant from Rock River Arms Gear HEVI-Shot Turkey Loads Gear CZ 600 Series Trail Rifle Gear Along with the sheer expanse of the landscape, the expedition was awed with the abundant wildlife in the area, especially those game animals that provided them with food: elk, mule and whitetail deer, bighorn sheep, bison, and pronghorn (antelope). But, most importantly Wyomings States Total Budget is funded to the tune of about 25-30% by the Federal Government (nonresidents). Montana estimates its whitetail population to be at 212,814. If they want a true limited entry trophy type hunt they need to get rid of the cow and spike hunters. The bowhunting here can be very lucrative. And thats just what can be done by driving in a pickup. 16 years worth of buying points all for 1.5% better odds than someone with zero points. The guys are , Bow hunt public land mule deer with Brian Barney on this episode of Beyond the . The 2021 mule deer population estimate is the lowest since 2014. Area 130-1, The Big Sandy, late hunt is a true wildcard hunt with some very solid big buck potential. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; What I thought I could accomplish in a day would have taken a solid week. Eastmans Publishing, Inc. is a holding company engaged in publishing. Thanks to Toprut, I can better strategize my big game applications with access to detailed unit profile information, hunt quotas, draw odds, harvest info, and more. Petersen's HUNTING Publisher, Kevin Steele is in the CZ booth with Dylan Rice at SHOT Show to talk about CZ 600 Series Trail rifle. Some of our hunting areas include vast open ridges with . Arizona, Coconino County128 pronghorn in B&C records 12. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "bennordquist-20"; However, there are no guarantees a nonresident will even get a tag. Here is the pair we use. We publish book and magazines, along with producing videos, DVDs, and TV programs. mtmuley Sep 25, 2013 #6 This hunt is very accessible and roaded with lots of open hillsides and meadows to glass up bucks feeding on the edges. Harvest is generally limited to 180" bucks and larger, but our goal for each client is to get a 190 . Guided elk hunts, with guaranteed tags on private land, are expensive; elk tags for public lands with limited access can be tough to draw; and competition from other hunters on public land with over-the-counter tags can be maddening, but elk hunting still is a passion that drives hunters from all over the country. Montana Rivers and Ridges Outfitter offers a late season 4 Day trophy Mule Deer hunt on the beautiful prairie of Eastern Montana. The key indicators of a rebound are all lining up for the future on this hunt. sitting, and still hunting can be effective, but the best way is to use a vehicle to cover as much country as possible in the mornings and evenings. Holders may not hunt Antlered Buck Mule Deer in any other HD. Then you have the, Colorado Corner Crossing Here We Go Again, 10 Most Common Big Game Violations Part 8 Hunter Trespassing, To Feed Or Not To Feed. So that is 7 permits skimmed off the top immediately for residents. The Tag: Unit 44 Rifle Mule Deer. Just a thought. Unlock the secrets of limited license lotteries and discover drawing and harvest trends to create a better hunt planning strategy. From applying for tags early in the year, to buying, preparing, and organizing new gear through the summer, to the trip, long or short, to the hunting grounds, to the excitement that makes it almost impossible to sleep the night before opening day, the anticipation of the hunt can be almost as enjoyable as the hunt itself. I'm not going out on a limb and making any bold predictions, but the science is adding up. Learn how your comment data is processed. Kevin Steele from Petersen's HUNTING speaks to Jordan Egli of Burris Optics about the all-new Veracity PH Riflescope.