Our 2nd ranch sign in trailer ended up approximately 30 miles from the ranch and in the opposite direction of where we had lodged. We ended up hunting the type 1 BMAs for 6 of the 7 days hunted. 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. Get up above the ATV trails and leave the mule deer call in the pack. Obviously these are the funds that are used to fund the States road system, educational system, law enforcement, health system and the like. The area consistently produces exceptional trophy mule deer, which are the priority on this hunt. A lot of large bucks stay nocturnal during the general rifle season, making them very hard to find. I am currently applying for those myself. During the rut large bucks appear in an effort to pass on their genes to receptive does. Mike Ornoski has bowhunted in Arizona for more than 35 years. Go on More Hunts with Better Information, Join Huntin' Fool Today! The 2021 state estimate was 293,950, which is down 34,363 from 2020. Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In Montana, unit 270 is considered one of the top trophy mule deer units in the state. This hunt can be had with only about six or seven points. For example, fewer animals are found in the region around Fork Peck Dam as opposed to areas at the western end of the reservoir. 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. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; 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 my humble opinion, Wyoming is lacking nearly half the mule deer that should be grazing on our spring landscape as we speak. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; The plants and soils of the region offer excellent nutrition, allowing mature bulls to grow exceptionally large antlers. Unlock the secrets of limited license lotteries and discover drawing and harvest trends to create a better hunt planning strategy. Our Memberships Include The Most Accurate Draw Odds Available, Join Now! 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). Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is with Dawn Wehunt of Rock River Arms INC. learning about the new Ascendant platform. We ended up hunting the type 1 BMAs for 6 of the 7 days hunted. $100/Day. Montana, Sanders County132 bighorn sheep in B&C records 11. And everything about the pursuit is big. 14,019 Views. 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. Edward Wright: This was 20 years ago when coyotes in my home state hit epidemic proportions. Antlerless: A deer without antlers or with antlers less than 3 inches in length. Although the numbers are down here from the objective by about 25%, the big buck potential here should be very, very good this year. Archery and muzzleloader tags in those units will require fewer points.. Max points are a must to apply for this hunt. 2022 MONTANA RIVERS AND RIDGES OUTFITTER LLC. Our trophy mule deer hunts are only for those who have already drawn a 270 Mule deer permit in Montana, if you have questions about how to apply feel free to contact us through the button below and we can help you out there. Our area has a very impressive Mule Deer population, which leads to a very high success rate of 4 X 4 bucks. . Me and my buddies have ben putting in for that tag for 15-plus years and still havent drawn. Montana Rivers and Ridges Outfitter offers a late season 4 Day trophy Mule Deer hunt on the beautiful prairie of Eastern Montana. This information really put a damper on much of the areas we thought we were going to hunt. Publisher, Kevin Steele is with Brett Marquardt from Streamlight Inc. discussing the new Streamlight Pro Tac 2.0, the latest edition in the Pro Tac series. amzn_assoc_linkid = "3d18066eea5f32622cb88644951f608f"; The Region H hunt can be a very good hunt on the right year for really good bucks. Theres good news and bad news for hunters who want to pursue mule deer in the west, however. Yikes! Colorado unit 57, which includes areas 57, 58, and 581 northwest of Canon City, produces quality pronghorn bucks, Alcazar said. Wyoming offers large expanses of public land, mostly in the western part of the state, and produces lots of record-book bucks. This is a very limited, late season hunt with hunt dates during most of the month of November. The 2nd one was 29,000 acres and allowed 8. 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. 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. Due to this fact, many of those folks hunting elk shot mule deer, as well. Toprut has always been the most reliable data that I use to make calculated moves for my hunt portfolio. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. This would be a great opportunity to bring youth out on a hunt for a reasonable price. Our guided mule deer hunts offer the highest opportunity for a trophy you can display with pride. With 80 tags on quota and an October season, with a little help from some weather, this hunt could create a great opportunity for a big staged up high-country deer during the final five days of the hunt. Ornoski said elk hunters with patience should consider looking at Arizona units 1, 3A/3C, 9, 10, 23N, and 27, which typically are extremely hard to draw. Diamond Outfitters has secured quite literally, the most legendary properties in all of Sonora! We have an extremely limited number of very high-demand mule deer tags available for hunters during the January rut. 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. The same is true for those interested in hunting archery seasons. Please call us to match you up with the best hunt to fit your specific needs and budget! The permit is known as 270-50. 7 Comments 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. 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. 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. Your honest assessment is greatly appreciated. | Almost feels like a time share that well never get to use. The key indicators of a rebound are all lining up for the future on this hunt. Theres thousands of people who have invested a lot of money in the point system. 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. I finally got through and was able to sign up for 1 ranch giving us a 3-day hunt on that property. 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. Bummer for sure, Thanks Guy, Hope all is well with you and the family. Montana has a lot of country and lot of mule deer. We narrowed down 5-6 different type 2 BMAs to register for. These tags aren't easy to draw but it's worth the wait. 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. 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. 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. 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. Colorado is widely regarded as the nation's top mule deer destination. 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. This is an action packed hunt during the rut. Montana has 7 hunt districts that break down into smaller units in each district. Lewis and Clark noted the presence of huge herds of antelope mingled with the bison, elk and deer they saw along the Missouri River. The rifle season dates allow hunters to hunt the rut. 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. You can easily spot them around in any season. I lost count at 450 phone call attempts to register the morning the 2 we really wanted became available. 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. 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. Search our database forMT Mule Deer opportunities. Kevin Steele stops by the Taurus booth to speak with Cody Osborn about the all new Raging Hunter platform from Taurus International. With the versatility to guide you on a Western Montana elk hunt, a spring bear hunt or an Eastern Montana trophy mule deer hunt. Guy Eastman, Editor-In-Chief | 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. (Shutterstock / Cornelius Doppes photo) Data can be deceiving. This hunt should take 12 to 14 points to draw this year. The deep, contorted coulees of the breaks provide superb cover, allowing some bucks to achieve trophy status. And it has been increasing every year. Unlike our other hunts, we dont provide lodging and meals. Wyomings Elk Area 7, south of Casper, is a large unit with lots of elk and is about half public land. We chose a zone on the eastern side of the state that had better odds of drawing in their lottery and also offered public land to hunt with a General Deer Tag vs trying for a Draw unit. The best thing about Montana Whitetails is that Keith and Bob are bowhunters and understand the quarry and the strategy to harvest big bucks. This hunt should take 12 to 14 points to draw this year. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If you have max points (16) you have a 2% chance at drawing. I ended up filling my tag with my biggest Mule Deer to date on our 2nd day. Elk, mule deer, and pronghorn are three iconic species among the big-game animals hunters pursue throughout the western United States. 2. An objective level that was recently adjusted downward possibly in an effort to make the situation look not quite so bad. 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. Each hunter must also sign out upon completion of their hunt. If I could recommend one vital piece of gear that greatly helped us out on our hunt it would be the use of, 4-8 We Talk Walleyes and Walleye Tournaments and Gear for Days. It takes some education but they got there and u see good deer in all those QDM areas. Nebraska. Idaho. 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. Snow cover is more likely at this time, making deer more visible. Montana made a lot of changes to the deer regulations, with goal being to simplify them. 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. Like Utah, Arizona is famous for producing record-book mule deer. WTF!! 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. 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%. Mule Deer We have personally guided hunters to some of the largest bucks killed in the unit each year. THE BEST MULE DEER RIFLE CALIBER. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. 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. Archers typically find the best success in the cool hours around daylight and sunset. Rifle or Archery Elk hunting, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Black Bear, Moose, MT Lion Montana Guided Hunts. Give a Gift Our magazine, which is available in print and online,has everything in one location -application info, draw details and odds, fees, hunter requirements, point structure, age restrictions, youth information, weapon restrictions, other tag opportunities, hunt planning, and much more. Some areas are easily accessed by roads, while others offer a wilderness experience for those willing to hike a distance from their vehicle. Units in the northwest corner of the state, 10, 201, and 2, are known for producing amazing trophies and offer plenty of public land to hunt, said Alcazar, who added it could take as many as 17 to 25 preference points to draw a rifle elk tag in these units. Our Montana Elk hunts are conducted on private ranches in West Central Montana near Bozeman, Anaconda, Philpsburg and Deer Lodge, Montana. He had two suggestions for hunters who approach drawing an elk tag in different ways in the state. Colorado Corner Crossing Here We Go Again, 10 Most Common Big Game Violations Part 8 Hunter Trespassing, To Feed Or Not To Feed. Just a thought. If you are looking to harvest the buck of a lifetime, this is your unit and we are your outfitter. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; I ended up filling my tag with my biggest Mule Deer to date on our 2. day. 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. Hunt those areas during archery season. Unit 22. Montana Montana also offers Block Management (BMAs) which is private Ranches opening up their property for public Montana mule deer hunting. 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. The Tag: Unit 44 Rifle Mule Deer. At Silver Spur Outfitters, we have many years of experience and have been in business since 1993. Kevin Steele, Publisher of Petersen's HUNTING talks with JJ Reich of HEVI-Shot about the new offerings for 2023. Subscriber Services. This hunt is very accessible and roaded with lots of open hillsides and meadows to glass up bucks feeding on the edges. As mentioned previously, New Mexico is home to world-class pronghorn hunting. 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. We also develop and sell products such as apparel, hats and artwork. In some places their range overlaps with mule deer, in others they are mostly separate from their long-eared cousins. The zone we hunted also had leftover antlerless tags available for $100 apiece. 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. 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. Edward Wright: This was 20 years ago when coyotes in my home state hit epidemic proportions. 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. Each of these units is worth the wait and gives the hunter an amazing opportunity at Pope & Young and Boone & Crockett bulls, he said. And thats just what can be done by driving in a pickup. John Vore, game-management bureau chief for the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks department, reported some hunters tag huge mule deer bucks using boats to access the Missouri River Breaks area where the river separates regions 4 and 7 in the state. PS I from Nevada. This fervent praise for the landscape occurred not in the mountains but on the eastern plains, along the banks of the Missouri River. On the south side of the reservoir, whitetails are found along the Musselshell River as it meanders toward the Missouri. This hunt area is the other limited quota hunt unit inside the general Region G area. This is with roughly 1000 nonresident applicants every year. This hunt area is the other limited quota hunt unit inside the general Region G area. The Big Sandy, late hunt is a true wildcard hunt with some very solid big buck potential. Arizona Game and Fish mentions that Edwards Park, just south of Mt. The restaurant is open early for breakfast and stays open for a late dinner. The top states for record mule deer are Colorado, Utah and Idaho. A lot of hunters only hunt or glass in the early mornings and evenings. 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. Post-season 2019 counts in the Pioneer Mountains elk . This is done by a scorecard placed in a dropbox on the location of each BMA. Montana has 7 hunt districts that break down into smaller units in each district. 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. Whitetail deer are also common in the cottonwood studded riparian areas along the river. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website has a fairly easy HUNT PLANNER section that can guide applicants through finding zones and units best suited for their type of hunt as well as draw statistics. 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. If it borders the BMA it becomes part of the BMA. Cedar City, UT 84721 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! The .300 Remington Ultra Mag. Plus Ive been buying points for my family . Hunters stay at a comfortable, nice, and clean hotel of our recommendation and are picked up and dropped off every day. 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? 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. 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! In units 250, 261, 262, & 270 the State only issues a limited number of tags . Writers Note: This Montana mule deer on the cover was taken at 502 yards. They also tend to offer less public hunting ground. (Clickable areas may appear inaccurately on mobile devices) Show Maps Return to Montana Maps Download BLM Map Index Download Forest Service Map Index Montana estimates its whitetail population to be at 212,814. Due to the vast quantity of applicants for this unit, the point system does very little for you in return. Wyoming likely is the first state that comes to mind when hunters think of pronghorn hunting. Kali Parmley, Editor-in-chief of Bakccountry Hunter speaks with Bret Maffet of Franchi Firearms to discuss the all new Momentum All Terrain Elite. Utah has always been known for its top-end mule deer, but it also has many different limited entry deer opportunities that will satisfy just about anyone. The adventure is big. This is an extremely hard tag to draw with sheep like draw odds. Few places in the hunting world command the attention of mule deer enthusiasts like Eagle County, Colorado. So overall, the Montana mule deer population is up 36.9% the past seven years. Lets all try to make the best of it. Mule deer numbers are very good here and some of the more remote canyons harbor giant bucks. 12,440 Views. Publisher, Kevin Steele is with Brett Marquardt from Streamlight Inc. discussing the new Streamlight Pro Tac 2.0, the latest edition in the Pro Tac series. Bring your good quality optics and you stand a very good chance at a 150-170 class deer with the possibility of finding up to a 200 class deer. . So that is 7 permits skimmed off the top immediately for residents. is the caliber that currently holds one of the long range distance records for . RAB, As phutch30 stated there are good mule deer numbers in the Breaks, but one thing to keep in mind about the Breaks is the FWP - Biologist have issued a lot of elk permits over the last few years (both antlerless and A9/B12). By Bethany Grace September 17, 2022 Updated on February 14, 2023. Arizona, Coconino County128 pronghorn in B&C records 12. Montana. 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. And every other year at least one or two of the four tags go to landowners. 22. Thx Guy, My partner got through and signed us up for a 2nd one giving us only 1 day on that particular ranch. Our Best Mule Deer Hunts Hunting big mule deer bucks in the rut is a great hunt to consider. Hopefully this change wont happen for nonresidents. The Region H hunt can be a very good hunt on the right year for really good bucks. For many hunters, wrapping their hands around the thick bases of a tall, wide, heavy mule deer rack is a moment dreams are made of. This hunt has been getting better and better each year and now seems to be producing some very consistent results as of the late. Why do they get this fantastic benefit too?!?!? Elk are found in other areas, but most are located within a few miles of these prime locations. No population reduction was observed higher in the Ruby watershed. They also provide transportation to and from the airport if needed. Regions G and H are the most popular and talked about deer units in Wyoming; however, there are other good units as well. amzn_assoc_asins = "B013D2ULO6"; 2022 MONTANA RIVERS AND RIDGES OUTFITTER LLC. Remember nonresidents are allocated up to 10% of the tags in an area. For nonresidents the statistics are even worse. Our mule deer love the high country! Much of Montana is unposted even where public access lies. The northeastern portion of Montana west of Scobey has copious amounts of state land open to public hunting. 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. Neither of us had ever hunted this area before or knew any landowners. A type 1 BMA is walk-in access with sign up at designated entrances. This hunt has been getting better and better each year and now seems to be producing some very consistent results as of the late. I fully expect 10 preference points to be a requirement to hunt here with 100% surety. Unfortunately, Montana has been giving out so many mule deer doe tags that they have put a hurt on the mule deer population. For example, in 2019 there were over 1400 applicants with zero points, and one person drew. May 25, 2022 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. There are few secrets on premium LE units. Our parent company, Flyway Media, offers hunting guide website design options. The eastern side of the state provides good mule deer hunting. That buck displaced two former world-record bucks, both from Arizona, that were tied at the top spot with scores of 95 B&C points. 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. Ord, holds a fair number of mule deer and receives little pressure because of . 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. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Park's website has a fairly easy " HUNT PLANNER " section that can guide applicants through finding zones and units best suited for their type of hunt as well as draw statistics. Give a Gift Lodging, groceries and other services are found in towns such as Glasgow and Malta. 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. 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. Eastmans Publishing, Inc. is a multimedia corporation whose roots are grounded in the ethics of fair chase hunting. The unit is overrun with hunters. These two situations have placed many applicants between the proverbial rock and a hard place as they weigh out the beyond uncomfortable trade-off between a down year for deer hunting and the possibility of future draw odds quadrupling all while tag costs could more than double in the process. We shootbrownelk: Big fines, mandatory jail time and loss of licenses. This is a very solid hunt in my opinion for the meager three or four point spend. 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? , I (Montana resident), drew this tag this year and was wondering how the hunt went for you. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; This is quite the impressive increase as to qualify to apply for a landowner tag, you have to own or be in contract to own at least 160 acres in that unit. I think we also found that the squared bonus point system is not that effective because there are just too many applicants nowadays. Some of the biggest bull elk in Montana call the Breaks home. 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. Dont wait for build it, they will come ! Subscriber Services. This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. Whitetail deer are also native to Missouri River Country. The average deer we take in this unit scores around 180 inches gross. 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. Antlers on yearling buck white-tailed and mule deer may look similar. Also, having a SOLID pair of binoculars is very important for finding mule deer. . 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. Home Guided Hunts Retreats Book Hunting Trip Successful Hunts About R&K Hunting Company Inc. 80 W. 100 S. P.O. Unit 22 is open for archery hunting late August to mid September and then December through the end of January. *Illustration by Robert Neaves courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Characteristics of a mule deer CAUTION! No other state comes close to Wyoming's endless harvesting options and ecosystems. 20. Elk thrive amidst this cover. If you do, remember this: Dont pass the first day what youd shoot the last. Located outside of Laramie this hunt is a bit rough, but nothing like the rugged hunts in the northwest portion of the state. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.