best mule deer units in montana

With such a variety in habitat and easy access to abundant public land, a mule deer hunt can be as challenging as you want to make it. Give a Gift Hopefully this change will help increase the age class of the bucks in those units. Box 357 We strive to help our audiences become more skilled and ethical hunters, while expanding their knowledge, appreciation, and awareness of the outdoors and wildlife through entertainment media. We have personally guided hunters to some of the largest bucks killed in the unit each year. Your honest assessment is greatly appreciated. Get our No-BS newsletter to your email box around twice a month. Area 141-1, The Green River Lakes hunt is a bit more of a long-shot for big bucks, but I just have a bit of a hunch that given the type of country in this area there could be some big bucks this fall to mine out of here for someone who hunts hard. The bowhunting here can be very lucrative. Area 60-1, The Pole Mountain, on forest hunt, is probably the definition of a sleeper hunt unit. Theres good news and bad news for hunters who want to pursue mule deer in the west, however. During the rut large bucks appear in an effort to pass on their genes to receptive does. Its often reported the state is home to more pronghorn than people in a good weather year. . The outstanding success rates and superb trophy quality keep this hunt in high demand. Holders may not hunt Antlered Buck Mule Deer in any other HD. The answer is landowners. I know the 380 bull tag in Montana is a prime example. They further broke that number down into each region as follows: region 1 with 6,055; region 2 with 9,551; region 3 with 43,025; region 4 with 58,082; region 5 with 32,103; region 6 with 67,994; and region 7 with 77,140. With plenty of deer, a good buck here can be a tough endeavor, but they are here if you know where to look. Colorado. The average deer we take in this unit scores around 180 inches gross. The northeastern portion of the state has the highest number of pronghorn and provides an opportunity to see a large number of animals during the hunt, while still providing an opportunity at a trophy buck. Me and my buddies have ben putting in for that tag for 15-plus years and still havent drawn. Hunt mule deer with Ike and Guy Eastman during an October snowstorm. Yikes! The deep, contorted coulees of the breaks provide superb cover, allowing some bucks to achieve trophy status. No population reduction was observed higher in the Ruby watershed. Its name is derived from having large ears that resemble that of a mule's. Colorado Mule Deer Hunting License fee structure is as follows: DEER Resident adult: $39.75 Resident youth: $15.50 Nonresident adult/fishing combo*: $396.75 Nonresident youth/fishing combo*: $101.50 One final fee is your annual habitat stamp. This has been considered the holy grail of mule deer permits in the Big Sky State for the past couple decades. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. And every other year at least one or two of the four tags go to landowners. This is an action packed hunt during the rut. Non-Hunting Companion. $5,400/Hunter. This hunt can be had with only about six or seven points. It sported horns measuring more than 17 inches. Since the draw odds are slim for this area we cant book a hunt for this unit specifically. amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; No other state comes close to Wyoming's endless harvesting options and ecosystems. 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. Hunters can expect to see 75-100 deer a day and as many as 10 bucks. When signed up to access a Type 2 BMA, each hunter must sign in the previous day at a designated sign in trailer (sometimes MILES away from the actual ranch you will be hunting) to get your window pass. We are now booking for '23 and '24 Mule deer hunts. Some of the biggest bull elk in Montana call the Breaks home. Pretty bummed to read this. Statewide, mule deer populations in Montana during there 2018 season were hovering around 334,965, which is down 13.23% from a peak in 2017, but still vastly higher than the low in 2012 of 211,361. The plants and soils of the region offer excellent nutrition, allowing mature bulls to grow exceptionally large antlers. 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. WY. These are the good old days of hunting mule deer in Utah, said Jones, who added that all of the 29 general-season units in the state are capable of producing 200-inch bucks. 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. , I (Montana resident), drew this tag this year and was wondering how the hunt went for you. Our first ranch was 15,000 acres and allowed 15 hunters per day. This proposal would remove half of the nonresident licenses from every quota in every area in the state for the future. The answer is landowners. Dates: October 27-31, 2023. I was able to download 10-mile by 10-mile maps of our hunt area knowing we would be out of cell coverage. No matter what quarry is pursued, modern-day hunters are sure to echo the sentiments of Meriwether Lewis who concluded Missouri River Country includes "one of the fairest portions of the globe." *All Combination License prices include the required Base Hunting License, Conservation License, Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Pass, and Application Fees. Skip B: Let the Flower Children howl. The deer in Unit 76 are extremely call shy - due to hunting pressure and predation - but this has made them more visual creatures. The ranch is located within the Ochoco Unit and is home to a several stable mule deer herds. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; This hunt is very accessible and roaded with lots of open hillsides and meadows to glass up bucks feeding on the edges. In 2017, three tags went to nonresidents. These guides are somewhat confusing, so read them and get to know the area you plan on hunting. 14,019 Views. Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is at the Streamlight booth at SHOT Show 2023 to go over the Bear Trap light from Streamlight. A lot of large bucks stay nocturnal during the general rifle season, making them very hard to find. 16 years worth of buying points all for 1.5% better odds than someone with zero points. You can easily spot them around in any season. This hunt unit sits smack dab in the middle of the famed Carbon County, one of the best trophy producing buck counties in the entire country, and this area sits in the best big buck country in the second best big buck county in the state, what more could you ask for? This is also a decent application choice for a lower point holder, as the 400-tag quota does put enough tags into the random portion of the draw to be worth a shot at about 5%. The Eastern Montana prairie is open country with rolling hills of grass and sagebrush broken up by coulees and deep ravines; carved from thousands of years of flash floods. One change that took place for 2022 is a handful of mule deer units that used to be unlimited went to general. The .300 Remington Ultra Mag. 3. Complete trip planning materials are available on the Missouri River Country website. Hopefully, some of what I have learned can help you if your itch to hunt out of state gets to the point where you need to try it. Our parent company, Flyway Media, offers hunting guide website design options. If I could recommend one vital piece of gear that greatly helped us out on our hunt it would be the use of OnX Hunt! This is a very limited, late season hunt with hunt dates during most of the month of November. 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. Montana. Western Hunt Company is a big game & upland hunting operation based in Montana & Idaho. amzn_assoc_asins = "B013D2ULO6"; Any info would be greatly appreciated. These are considered the best moose hunting areas in the state. Be ready to glass all day. Introducing the Veracity PH from Burris, the perfect combination of reliability, quality, and technology delivering a simple aiming solutiona tool for the hunter that just works. Lewis and Clark noted the presence of huge herds of antelope mingled with the bison, elk and deer they saw along the Missouri River. For many hunters, even those who dont live in the region, western big-game hunting is a passion that consumes them year-round. Thank you, Jason. 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). In Montana, unit 270 is considered one of the top trophy mule deer units in the state. 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. As a result of last year's chronic wasting disease management hunt for white-tailed deer in southwest Montana, biologists observed a 50-percent reduction in white-tailed deer numbers in the Ruby watershed between Sheridan and Twin Bridges, where CWD prevalence was highest. BOOK YOUR 2022 MONTANA FLY FISHING TRIP TODAY! This long window should offer the option of hunting the pre, peak and post rut. Over the past years we have taken many trophy deer with both a gun and bow. A couple of these units will close the mule deer season early on November 13th. Introducing the Veracity PH from Burris, the perfect combination of reliability, quality, and technology delivering a simple aiming solutiona tool for the hunter that just works. The key indicators of a rebound are all lining up for the future on this hunt. The decline of mule deer populations in northeastern Nevada is reflected in this Department of Wildlife graph of hunter success over a 63-year period. Elk may be the marquee quarry in the mind of many visiting hunters, but northeastern Montana also boasts outstanding opportunities for mule and whitetail deer. 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. Due to the fact that we are not providing lodging or meals, this is a lower budget hunt, but NOT a lower budget hunting experience! A type 1 BMA is walk-in access with sign up at designated entrances. Much of this acreage is leased for crops, making it excellent habitat for whitetails. Hunter success here can be a bit spotty with an average of 57% success but if a hunter is in good shape and hunts hard, a big buck could be possible here. A lot of large bucks stay nocturnal during the general rifle season, making them very hard to find. A very tough spot indeed. Hey Chopperz, as of right now it has only become law for the Big 5. Each year we see and possibly harvest bucks that score 190+ B&C including some that score over 200 B&C inches. Some of Lewis' most poetic lines were reserved for their surroundings in Montana where he wrote, "As we passed on it seemed as if those scenes of visionary enchantment would never have an end.". Mule deer hunters should plan to go high in the mountains for the best opportunity at bigger bucks. Publisher Kevin Steele is in the Beretta booth with Logan Killam, the Shotgun Product Manager, to discuss the all new Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey. We publish book and magazines, along with producing videos, DVDs, and TV programs. Years of development and pushing the limits of what is possible in a rifle optic have led up to this moment. Any further questions call Dan Alleman.". 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. At Silver Spur Outfitters, we have many years of experience and have been in business since 1993. Toprut allows me to find the tags and hunts that others miss or overlook. 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. The zone we hunted also had leftover antlerless tags available for $100 apiece. The hunting season for these species coincides with the archery season for big game. 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. We ended up hunting the type 1 BMAs for 6 of the 7 days hunted. Due to this fact, many of those folks hunting elk shot mule deer, as well. Kevin Steele, Publisher of Petersen's HUNTING talks with JJ Reich of HEVI-Shot about the new offerings for 2023. . The Big Sandy, late hunt is a true wildcard hunt with some very solid big buck potential. Hopefully this change wont happen for nonresidents. We cover Units 240, 250, 261, 262, and 270 for Mule Deer Draw Tag Hunters! Skip B: Let the Flower Children howl. That is 16,660 above the 2020 population estimate and slightly above the 10-year average of 202,033. 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. There are a few 2023 dates left open. She said it currently takes six preference points to be guaranteed a pronghorn tag in the draw in Area 73 but added the state allots 25 percent of the total quota in each area to a random drawing of all applicants who chose the area as their first choice. Dakota Walleye Classic Recap Lake Sakakawea is Stupid Healthy Right Now Best Cranks for Suspended Walleyes Still Loving the Scheels Tournament Bait Rod at 8.6, Sponsored by OutfitterLogic.com Hunting & Fishing Guide Website Design Winter Getting Long.first signs of spring Winnipeg walleyes Reverse Valentines Gifts for Men Are Custom Rods, The Prairie Skies of Bismarck, North Dakota (USA), Montana has 7 hunt districts that break down into smaller units in each district. I ended up filling my tag with my biggest Mule Deer to date on our 2. day. The prairie deer hunts consist of four four-day seasons, which take place Wednesdays through Saturdays in November. Desert Ghosts: Hunting the Elusive Coues Deer, Predator Hunting with .17 Caliber Rifle: Pros and Cons, The Only Three Guns You Need to Go Hunting, Venison Backstrap with Sweet & Spicy Peach Relish Recipe, Tested Tough - Modern Zeiss Sports Optics. 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. This information really put a damper on much of the areas we thought we were going to hunt. The winter was very mild on these deer and the buck to doe ratio is very, very good right now. If you have zero points you have a .004% chance of drawing a tag. However the Task Force is heading down the 90/10 for all species. Add to that the possibility of an additional 50% of what is left going into an outfitter only draw and nonresident point holders in Wyoming are extremely nervous to continue with Wyomings draw system much further into the future. Montana mule deer herds are showing a small improvement in quality, but herds are stable to declining in most areas of the state. Snow cover is more likely at this time, making deer more visible. With tags in hand, we decided that hunting public land was going to be our plan of action. 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. Southeast Montana Rifle Mule Deer. Best Montana Moose Hunts 2020 Galleries. MONTANA STATEWIDE MULE DEER HERD POPULATION ESTIMATES (2010-2018) Landowner preference is completely unfair and steals tags from the average hunter. The trophies are big. Cedar City, UT 84721 I fully expect 10 preference points to be a requirement to hunt here with 100% surety. I looked at those stats a few years ago and resident landowners were drawing one of those coveted tags every three years on average. The Courts can and do go back and modify rulings from the bench when situations change. The area consistently produces exceptional trophy mule deer, which are the priority on this hunt. Montana amzn_assoc_linkid = "34865c461e195e06ee3f8398a02f30c0"; I have much more to learn about what it takes to continue to have successful mule deer hunting in Montana or any other state that offers Non-residents access to Big Game. The gear we used included a Christensen Arms .28 Nozler w/Burris Eliminator III. Whitetail deer are also native to Missouri River Country. Our editors have hand-picked these essential pieces of gear to make you a more successful hunter when you hit the game trails this season. Over the last 20+ years, we've collected hunting research and data,so join Huntin' Fool today and access the best research tools for hunting mule deer, including 3D Maps, Draw Odds, Consultations, and much more. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; 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.. Hike it often in the summer months and note where you see bucks. The winter was very mild on these deer and the buck to doe ratio is very, very good right now. We offer many different types of Montana Mule Deer Rut Hunts on several private ranches. The Tag: Unit 44 Rifle Mule Deer. Mule Deer Hunting Rates Get your hunt booked now! From southwest deserts to coastal forests, mule deer hunting presents a variety of challenges. Hunters have a legitimate chance at shooting a B&C pronghorn in all GMUs that have a huntable population. I would not go back without it! amzn_assoc_linkid = "3d18066eea5f32622cb88644951f608f"; Montana, Sanders County132 bighorn sheep in B&C records 11. Beginners usually hunt mule deer after some guidance before going for any . 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. This is a very solid hunt in my opinion for the meager three or four point spend. Most of the state is managed to maximize hunter opportunity each fall. Using this strategy . Some large bucks also have been taken in GMU 45 in recent years. For more information when and how to apply call toll-free: 1-800-653-1319. Archery and muzzleloader tags in those units will require fewer points.. The journals of Meriwether Lewis, co-captain of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, contain detailed descriptions of the country through which they passed new lands teaming with elk, deer and antelope. Hunters stay at a comfortable, nice, and clean hotel of our recommendation and are picked up and dropped off every day. Only a limited number of tags are given out annually for this area. Because nonresidents are in the same pool, there are 8,543 applicants in the total pool. Located outside of Laramie this hunt is a bit rough, but nothing like the rugged hunts in the northwest portion of the state. And in the evening, glass until it's too dark to see, you'll understand and appreciate the term "coming out of the woodwork". Wyoming likely is the first state that comes to mind when hunters think of pronghorn hunting. 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. Montanas Block Management Program opens more than 500,000 additional acres of private land to walk-in public hunting in the region, which is home to the highest concentrations of elk in the state, produces huge bulls, and is responsible for approximately 50 percent of the states elk harvest each year. Sergio Alcazar, owner of ALC Global Adventures, has lived in and hunted Colorado for 24 years. The mule deer grow quite large, and it is not uncommon for a deer to exceed 325 pounds in weight fully dressed out. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. In early June a successful applicant can request a BMA guide that will be delivered around the end of July. Elk may be the marquee quarry in the mind of many visiting hunters, but northeastern Montana also boasts outstanding opportunities for mule and whitetail deer.

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best mule deer units in montana