If I were you I would only hunt Montana as a backup plan. There are several other units in other states with better trophy quality that can be drawn with zero points. S.E. Montana is a fun hunt you will see a lot of deer just harder to find big mature bucks. I would put in for a better unit/state and if you don't draw be ready to buy a left over tag and hunt the 700 units in MT.
2016 Eastern MT mule deer?
- Thread starter HuskyMusky
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Muley_Hunter
New Member
- Mar 16, 2016
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mallardsx2
Veteran member
- Jul 8, 2015
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Are you saying that you would like him to Colorado and Idaho before looking into Montana due to the size of the deer or what? Can you elaborate?
Naturebob
Active Member
I went to SE Montana 3 years in a row and its great if You know how to get away from the roads . First 2 years went on my own and third had a buddy. Had never been there. Did do 2 scouting trips in summer to learn where I was going. Saw big deer every Year. Gotta glass with some big or good binos on a tripod. I been preaching that for years. Most dont listen. OH Well to each his own. Waste Your time if You want.Here in AZ every trip out we find bedded Bucks in bushes that You will never find off hand.Good luck. I say its worth it. Good luck to all. And I will be 60 in Sept. This was all done in My late 50's so You young guys can do it just take certain tips to heart sometimes............BOB!
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Bigger deer elsewhere. The general lets you rifle hunt in the rut. Too many smaller deer are shot and fewer deer make it to maturity. It is a fun hunt you will see tons of deer. Just like I said above there are better tags available. If you fail to get them you should be able to buy a left over Montana tag.
joens
Member
The original poster of this thread said he and his son were wanting to get their first mule deer bucks . That leads me to believe they may not have as much experience hunting mule deer as they will someday have. there is a learning curve especially for someone used to hunting whitetails . I know I was there . Hunting some place like Montana where you see lots of deer can speed that learning curve . You can practice multiple stalks a day . You can learn how to see deer when you are glassing . I remember years back I hunted Mule deer some places where I might not see a deer all day. in a place like that it is hard to know if you are doing the right things or not. I agree there are places with bigger deer . but nothing gets a kid or new hunter excited about hunting like seeing lots of deer. But there are larger deer to be had here and getting 1/4 mile off the road gets you away from 95% of the hunters.
oldschool.06
New Member
Idaho might be an idea... perhaps for next year case I missed deadlines this year or leftovers...
I have quite a few pts in CO for deer, so don't want to burn them on a unit, so perhaps a 2nd choice and keep my points hunt in CO, kind of waiting to burn those on a higher end unit, but maybe I shouldn't wait? and hunt an avg unit?
I have max pts in WY for mule deer, so also kind of want to wait for a better year and unit... so unless a 2nd choice draw but with max pts would be worried about burning them on a good/great unit I don't want to hunt this year.
So maybe Idaho?