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

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. Archery and muzzleloader tags in those units will require fewer points.. ABOUT; OUR HUNTS. Desert Ghosts: Hunting the Elusive Coues Deer, Six Great Lever-Gun Hunts for North America, What To Do When Your Rifle Breaks While On a Hunt, Federal Terminal Ascent Hunting Bullet: Field Review, The Only Three Guns You Need to Go Hunting, Tested Tough - Modern Zeiss Sports Optics, Professional outfitters' and guides' services, trip planning materials are available on the Missouri River Country website. Are you a hunting outfitter? 380 is a joke. So put on your sweatband and grab your stress ball, were going to take a look at the hard numbers. The open country provides endless glassing opportunities and the gentle rolling hills allow for fairly easy hiking. . However, by looking at all point levels from 1-16, multiple applicants drew permits in just about every point level from 0-16. The rifle season dates allow hunters to hunt the rut. Eastmans Publishing, Inc. is a holding company engaged in publishing. Our Eastern Montana mule deer hunts are on exclusive and private Montana ranch land and hunting properties. For example, in 2019 there were over 1400 applicants with zero points, and one person drew. Deer hunting can be good at any time during the season, but the last half of November is favored by many resident hunters. Region H, This general hunt region consists of a big, rugged region adjacent to the famed Region G area we spoke about above. If they want a true limited entry trophy type hunt they need to get rid of the cow and spike hunters. Pretty bummed to read this. Best Montana . Arizona and New Mexico are home to huge pronghorn bucks, including the current world record, which scored 96-4/8 B&C points and was killed in Socorro County, New Mexico, in 2013. Antlers on yearling buck white-tailed and mule deer may look similar. Thank you, Jason. Copyright 2023 Eastmans' Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Guys TOP 5 Picks for Wyoming Mule Deer 2022. - Dan Alleman D.D.S., Camphill, PA. Please call us to match you up with the best hunt to fit your specific needs and budget! This long window should offer the option of hunting the pre, peak and post rut. The winter was very mild on these deer and the buck to doe ratio is very, very good right now. You can easily spot them around in any season. DESIGNED BY. Max points will be required for a chance at this hunt and nearly every hunter (89%) on this hunt walks away with a buck by the end of the season. 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. 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. New Mexico, Socorro County117 pronghorn in B&C records 13. 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. All Petersen's Hunting subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. A lot of large bucks stay nocturnal during the general rifle season, making them very hard to find. 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. And in the evening, glass until it's too dark to see, you'll understand and appreciate the term "coming out of the woodwork". Why do they get this fantastic benefit too?!?!? Kali Parmley, Editor-in-chief of Bakccountry Hunter speaks with Bret Maffet of Franchi Firearms to discuss the all new Momentum All Terrain Elite. Non-Hunting Companion. My wife and I are finally entering a drawing for a mule deer hunt in Montana. The 2nd one was 29,000 acres and allowed 8. 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. These are considered the best moose hunting areas in the state. Professional outfitters' and guides' services are also available throughout the region, providing expert services to out-of-state hunters. The unit is overrun with hunters. They open up for call-in registration at different times. We decided to apply for deer only as we had done a combo tag 2 years prior on a bow hunt. That Is The Question, Montana Region 7 Deer Populations Cut In Half, Hunting Big Bucks Deer Hunt with Ike and Guy Eastman, Wyoming Passes 90/10: The Worst Article Youll Read This Year, More Costs Headed Your Way in Wyoming-Maybe. Some areas are easily accessed by roads, while others offer a wilderness experience for those willing to hike a distance from their vehicle. Then you have the nonresident landowners who get thrown into the nonresident pool but get guaranteed preference of at least 15% of the tags over the rest of the nonresidents. Dec 2, 2022. Lets all try to make the best of it. I'm not going out on a limb and making any bold predictions, but the science is adding up. Our Best Mule Deer Hunts Hunting big mule deer bucks in the rut is a great hunt to consider. One change that took place for 2022 is a handful of mule deer units that used to be unlimited went to general. Plus Ive been buying points for my family . Our Mule deer are big bodied, heavy antlered and are deep forked. Mule deer can also be found on more open prairie and agricultural areas, especially in places offering patches of bedding cover. The largest antelope the author has seen taken by a hunter was downed a couple miles north of Fort Peck Reservoir. This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. The type 2s were crawling with other hunters and the quality of deer we saw on these properties was not what we were after. Montana has 7 hunt districts that break down into smaller units in each district. It can take six or more points to draw a tag for the rifle season, but the area offers abundant public land, including BLM, state wildlife areas, and National Forest Service property. Pronghorn tags in both states can be very difficult to draw. May 25, 2022 So far, Wyoming is looking in great shape from the winter and into spring where the weather has been very wet and cool. Hunters need to realize that . Man with all yhe points I have for deer and elk I may be screwed. 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. Historically, the bucks are actually larger in this region than they are in Region G, however they are harder to get to and there are less of them. Montanas general deer tags provide a great opportunity to harvest a mule deer or whitetail and provide plenty of time to get it done over generous season dates. Western Hunt Company is a big game & upland hunting operation based in Montana & Idaho. 20. The .300 Remington Ultra Mag. This might mean we have another year or two to decide on burning those mule deer points. But if youre hell-bent on hunting deer in area 270, you better buy at least 160 acres because that is your best chance at a permit in area 270 in the near future. No population reduction was observed higher in the Ruby watershed. My partner passed on a good deer the first day and we spent the majority of the rest of our hunt trying to find that deer. And thats just what can be done by driving in a pickup. 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. Mule deer and white-tailed deer are the most widely distributed and abundant big game mammals in Montana. Learn more about Montana Rivers & Ridges and get to know our guides! Credit: Photo Courtesy Missouri River Country. The moral of the story is, the more applicants the more washed out the drawing is, and the less work your expensively purchased points do for you. 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! Elk hunting is a tradition shared by thousands of hunters each fall. 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. This is an action packed hunt during the rut. 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. The mule deer grow quite large, and it is not uncommon for a deer to exceed 325 pounds in weight fully dressed out. Publisher Kevin Steele is in the Beretta booth with Logan Killam, the Shotgun Product Manager, to discuss the all new Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey. These dates are provided only as a general reference.Check current regulations or use FWP's online Hunt Planner for specific dates.. 2023 SEASON . . Our 2nd ranch sign in trailer ended up approximately 30 miles from the ranch and in the opposite direction of where we had lodged. Hobo Hilton. 16 years worth of buying points all for 1.5% better odds than someone with zero points. Your honest assessment is greatly appreciated. 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. This is isnt a review of gear we used on our hunt but rather a summary of how we planned our DIY hunt and some pointers that may help someone looking to do some mule deer hunting in Montana. A very tough spot indeed. Montana has a lot of country and lot of mule deer. Colorado. We ended up hunting the type 1 BMAs for 6 of the 7 days hunted. Neither of us had ever hunted this area before or knew any landowners. 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. 5 Best States for Mule Deer Hunting. Needless to say, hunting mule deer in Wyoming in its current capacity is going to probably be less than ideal. It's not the same question as asking what is the best Colorado OTC archery unit. Holy smokes! 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. 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. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; We shootbrownelk: Big fines, mandatory jail time and loss of licenses. Cross your fingers for big bucks and good opportunities for the future. This hunt takes fewer points to draw, mostly because of the larger tag quota (600) and the larger portion of wilderness (21%) inside this region. If you have any questions about the mule deer hunting or how to apply feel free to contact us. 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 Whitetail deer are also native to Missouri River Country. For many hunters, even those who dont live in the region, western big-game hunting is a passion that consumes them year-round. With that said, I hope these choices help you out and this year is what it is. If you find yourself in the burn my points now camp, here are what I feel are the best mule deer hunts Wyoming has to offer, at this point anyway. At Silver Spur Outfitters, we have many years of experience and have been in business since 1993. The guys are , Bow hunt public land mule deer with Brian Barney on this episode of Beyond the . The plants and soils of the region offer excellent nutrition, allowing mature bulls to grow exceptionally large antlers. Over the last three years, all non-resident permits were drawn by non-resident landowners in unit 261, and 7 out of 12 tags for unit 270 were drawn by non-resident landowners. Each fall, hunters from all over the country, and around the world, set their sights on the mountains, valleys, and wide-open spaces of the West in search of adventure, camaraderie, a world-class trophy, and the opportunity to fill the freezer with lean protein. What I thought I could accomplish in a day would have taken a solid week. If you are a regular nonresident this means you are in the pool of 8,543 applicants for four tags. With absolutely no doubt in my mind I can honestly say that Wyomings mule deer are currently at the absolute lowest point in my nearly 30-year career in this business. We took a short trip at the end of October to do some scouting of where we planned to hunt and got familiar with the area we planned to be. 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. Here in Wyoming and Montana, mule deer hunting is also diverse. Mule deer hunters should plan to go high in the mountains for the best opportunity at bigger bucks. These statistics tell us that the bonus point system does not weigh enough in this squared bonus point system to select applicants in the higher point tiers. For those interested in doubling up their hunting pursuits, most of the good whitetail habitat in Missouri River Country also harbors healthy populations of pheasants. At Montana Rivers & Ridges Outfitter, our guides are Montana natives and well experienced across the state. can handle bullets up to 250 grains with great speed and accuracy which makes it ideal for the giant mule deer bucks that are found on the Arizona Strip and Kaibab Plateau. But then again the world is upside down these days. The average harvest fell from 3,000 to 500 in . The Missouri Breaks also hold modest numbers of whitetails, particularly in creek bottoms containing deciduous cover. Montana mule deer herds are showing a small improvement in quality, but herds are stable to declining in most areas of the state. That's why oftentimes, the all-time records list you see aren't the most accurate depictions of where big deer are truly . Publisher of Petersen's HUNTING magazine, Kevin Steele is at the Steiner Optics booth with Alberto Corbetta to discuss the Predator 4 and Predator 8. I finally got through and was able to sign up for 1 ranch giving us a 3-day hunt on that property. $100/Day. Arizona Game and Fish mentions that Edwards Park, just south of Mt. There are seven different hunting districts within our area; these include units 204, 240, 260, 261, 262, 250, and 270. Tag holders can expect to see 20+ quality bucks per day. The downside of hunting the rut is that most of the mature bucks are harvested every season while they are more vulnerable as they are out chasing does. Our Guided Mule Deer Hunts. In Montana, unit 270 is considered one of the top trophy mule deer units in the state. The application for antelope licenses is June 1. Each year we see and possibly harvest bucks that score 190+ B&C including some that score over 200 B&C inches. Hopefully this change wont happen for nonresidents. 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. And everything about the pursuit is big. 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. The .300 Remington Ultra Mag. Most all of the nonresident hunting is occurring on Federal Lands, National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Federal Wilderness Areas and National Grasslands. I was able to download 10-mile by 10-mile maps of our hunt area knowing we would be out of cell coverage. 28. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Go on more hunts with better information! Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is at the Streamlight booth at SHOT Show 2023 to go over the Bear Trap light from Streamlight. Too late. Bummer for sure, Thanks Guy, Hope all is well with you and the family. 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. WTF!! 2022 MONTANA RIVERS AND RIDGES OUTFITTER LLC. Home Guided Hunts Retreats Book Hunting Trip Successful Hunts About R&K Hunting Company Inc. 80 W. 100 S. P.O. The Pole Mountain, on forest hunt, is probably the definition of a sleeper hunt unit. Montana. We chose Montana for a few different reasons, none of which could be overshadowed by the convenience of having their lottery run by mid-April. The best mule deer numbers are found southeast of the Panhandle region of Idaho. DESIGNED BY: ROCKY RIDGE DIGITAL ADVERTISING. Idaho. Maps for Montana Deer, Elk, and Mountain Lion Hunting Districts Select a hunting unit from the dropdown menu or click a unit on the map below. Dan Pickar Utah took advantage of a combination of favorable weather, aggressive habitat management, and strict regulations to increase its mule deer population by as much as 100,000 from 2008 to 2016, pushing the size of the herd past 380,000 animals. Complete trip planning materials are available on the Missouri River Country website. Antlered: A deer with an antler or antlers at least 3 inches in length. A couple of these units will close the mule deer season early on November 13th. Dont wait for build it, they will come ! The winter was very mild on these deer and the buck to doe ratio is very, very good right now. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; This is an extremely hard tag to draw with sheep like draw odds. Mule deer are widely distributed throughout the region but most heavily concentrated in the Missouri Breaks and adjacent prairie habitat. Deer move throughout the day, typically to change beds as the shade transitions. Max points are a must to apply for this hunt. 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. Solitude, exceptional scenery and superb access to public lands make Montana's Missouri River Country a true hidden gem and one of the most hunter-friendly destinations in America. The permit is known as 270-50. Remember nonresidents are allocated up to 10% of the tags in an area. Hunter success here has drifted steadily up over the past five years and now nearly reaches about 70% on the best years. If you have max points (16) you have a 2% chance at drawing. It's pretty easy to figure out which units offer the best trophy potential and have limited tags (and corresponding tough draw odds). This has been considered the holy grail of mule deer permits in the Big Sky State for the past couple decades. One of the region's prime whitetail grounds is the Milk River drainage, a tributary to the Missouri River. Unlike our other hunts, we dont provide lodging and meals. Book your next hunt in Wyoming with expert hunting guides at R & K Hunting today. This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. Eastmans Publishing, Inc. is a multimedia corporation whose roots are grounded in the ethics of fair chase hunting. This is a very limited, late season hunt with hunt dates during most of the month of November. The deadline for nonresident applications for archery and rifle elk licenses is March 15. WY. This is with roughly 1000 nonresident applicants every year. The up-and-coming units in Arizona are 6A, 8, and 5BS.. Antlerless: A deer without antlers or with antlers less than 3 inches in length. $5,900/Hunter. If you do, remember this: Dont pass the first day what youd shoot the last. If you would like access to all of our research join today! The archery season runs September 3-October 16, most rifle seasons run October 22-November 27, and the muzzleloader season runs December 10-18. Consult with Hunters Who Have Hunted in Your Unit, Join Now! 15% of the 45 permits are guaranteed to resident and nonresident landowners alike. Each hunter must also sign out upon completion of their hunt. By having OnX we were able to find exactly where we could and couldnt be. Mule Deer- Limited Entry Units 87 & 89 - Worldwide Trophy Adventures. Cedar City, UT 84721 Resident applicants for this permit are increasing 300-1000 per year proving that the popularity hasnt waned. New Mexico, Rio Arriba County113 typical mule deer in B&C records 15. Check em out! I fully expect 10 preference points to be a requirement to hunt here with 100% surety. All Rights Reserved. Obviously these are the funds that are used to fund the States road system, educational system, law enforcement, health system and the like. Our area has a very impressive Mule Deer population, which leads to a very high success rate of 4 X 4 bucks. 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. 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. Muleys can be spotted from roads (very early morning is the best time to glass) and stalked, offering a relatively easy hunt. Colorado Corner Crossing Here We Go Again, 10 Most Common Big Game Violations Part 8 Hunter Trespassing, To Feed Or Not To Feed. This area is mountainous and does contain about 25% wilderness at the very top of the unit. 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. After months of kicking the idea around exactly what we would do, the real planning started in early March as applications are due March 15th for deer, elk and deer/elk combination tags. Nebraska. This is an action packed hunt during the rut.