MT general deer question

[johnsd16]

I've been researching some different options for my first hunt out west with a couple buddies and have basically narrowed it down to WY Pronghorn or Mulies in MT in the general hunt with a combination deer tag. We are getting points for UT and WY, but right now are trying to sort out a strategy to be able to have a sort of fall back hunt that we can do most years we go out west that isn't wasting small amounts of points and has decent access.

I get the MT application and bonus point structure, but what I can't figure out is - If I buy the Deer Combination license, can I hunt?

A) All general areas statewide
B) All general areas within a region I have to specify - example all of Region 7
C) Just one district I specify - example 703

It seems like I could hunt any district in any region in the whole state that is not LE? But at the same time that seems aweful wide open. I am leaning toward region 7 for a number of reasons and it doesn't look there are any LE hunts in the whole region for deer.

Also, in the regs it specifies under all the Region 7 elk hunts that most elk are on private land. Is it not that way for deer?

Thanks for any help anyone is willing to provide.

 

[eye in sky]

You can hunt any unit in the state that is a general unit. I think I read where at least 70% of deer live on private property. The plus with Montana is that they have the Block Management Program. The state pays private landowners to open their property to the public with some restrictions. You can find this info on fwp.mt.gov . There is a lot of good info on the website.

 

[droptine]

Eye in the sky has it right. However, block management info won't be out till August 15

 

[25contender]

As to C . If you put in and receive a antlered mule deer permit for a specific district you cannot harvest a antlered mule deer in any other district.

Here are the new regs and areas some things have changed for this year. The MT website is not up to date.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http://fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=62107&ei=MIarU6j3LcufyATrx4DYDg&usg=AFQjCNFso4v8qX5YKocHeIZNdyK2oXE2PQ&sig2=Adh7zLWbDj4AWbcLT5OQuA&bvm=bv.69837884,d.aWw

 

[johnsd16]

Thanks guys, should have specified we are going in 2015 or later. Very helpful.

 

[Musket Man]

There are plenty of places to hunt deer and antelope in E MT between public land and Block Management but numbers are way down from a few years ago.The deer tag is alot of money for a general tag IMO and antelope draw odds are not very good anymore due to all the tag cuts. All that aside its a fun hunt!

 

[johnsd16]

I saw that in the regs today - if you get a LE tag you can only hunt that district even though you have that general license. Seems kinda crazy. That seems to be the word MM, numbers are down, and similarly I would assume quality. Maybe by 2015 there will start to be some decent 2.5 yr olds for us to play with. Any of us will be tickled to see some deer and have a crack at a 140" buck.

In the bit of researching I've done into region 7, it sounds like there are some white tails too. Are they even more concentrated on private land than the mulies?

 

[Montana]

It could be a fair statement... but keep in mind we have A LOT of deer. Numbers are still way down but still fun. Someone said it best with Montana is an opportunity state. And they nailed it. Trophies, by some standard's, are tough to come by. Good times... easy.

 

[Musket Man]

I saw that in the regs today - if you get a LE tag you can only hunt that district even though you have that general license. Seems kinda crazy. That seems to be the word MM, numbers are down, and similarly I would assume quality. Maybe by 2015 there will start to be some decent 2.5 yr olds for us to play with. Any of us will be tickled to see some deer and have a crack at a 140" buck.

In the bit of researching I've done into region 7, it sounds like there are some white tails too. Are they even more concentrated on private land than the mulies?

If you draw a LE unit your general tag basically turns into a LE tag for the unit you drew. Most LE tags have pretty low draw odds. I never applied for them. I think the white tails would be more likely to be on private but I only hunted Mule deer when I went. I havent gone in a few years since they raised the prices.

 

[25contender]

Most of the whitetails I have seen in Montana have been pretty much around river, stream bottoms and valley areas of the state. Most of these areas are private land. I have seen quite a few whitetails in the breaks along the Missouri river. 20 years ago there were very few there. I can tell you that in SW Montana on public land the deer numbers are way down. Last year I think I only saw a handful of Muleys and no older bucks at all.

 

[gonhunting247]

It could be a fair statement... but keep in mind we have A LOT of deer. Numbers are still way down but still fun. Someone said it best with Montana is an opportunity state. And they nailed it. Trophies, by some standard's, are tough to come by. Good times... easy.

I agree totally! MT is a great opportunity hunt. (not to say you can't kill a whopper!)I love hunting MT, it's a blast and if you know where your gonna hunt deer, pick an antelope unit nearby to throw your name in the hat for. I've used this strategy and got lucky and drew a tag 2 out of 4 times. Allowing me to double up on deer/antelope twice, getting way more bang for my buck so to speak. The other bonus is the length of the seasons and the bow hunting option, allowing a very flexible hunt to schedule around family and other hunts.

 

[Hilltop]

I really think a persons first hunt out west should be antelope. An antelope hunt will be low stress and not too difficult. You entire group will take antelope home and have enough time to enjoy a guys trip. Your chances of 100% success and satisfaction with mule deer is much lower unless you are paying for some decent private land. Mule deer can definitely be had on public but it is simply a more demanding hunt. I would look into a combination mule deer/antelope hunt if you are dead set on the deer. Again it will allow you a higher chance of everyone at least harvesting one animal.... I would do that in Wyoming simply due to draw odds.

 

[johnsd16]

Hilltop, that had been our plan, WY pronghorn for a first hunt, and do that in 2015, but October of that year is already filling up and looks like it won't work (sister in law getting married and a conference in Hawaii). We had been considering MT because of basically all the "opportunity" as others have noted. We are not looking for a trophy hunt at all for now, and may never really look for that in MT in terms of LE draw. We started this year to build points in WY and UT for deer in terms of looking for a draw down the road for a chance at a "trophy" type hunt. I was thinking MT deer as an alternative that we can pursue in November, that allows for some flexibilty both in terms of dates and area to hunt. SE MT also seems like the terrain would not be as challenging as some more rugged mulie hunts.

We are all relatively young (32-33 in 2015) and have hunted big game since we were kids, so going home without an animal is fine. The potential to enjoy the western scenery, see game and work on our western hunting skills is what the intention would be. Big picture wise our long term western hunting plans are primarily for deer, with the occasional pronghorn or elk hunt every few years so that made me lean more toward a deer hunt for next year over PH.

Our point building and draw strategy does not involve MT, but we basically had it on the list as a place to hunt the years when draw hunts didn't happen or we didn't want to draw a deer, PH or Elk tag in WY or UT. So, getting to know an area and start to learn a region/district would be important there if it is a place we will frequent and try to wring some value out of.

GH247, thanks for the tip on the MT PH tag idea, other than fronting the money, putting in for PH close to or in R7 sounds like a good idea. Probably lean away from that for 2015 to focus on one thing, but if we get familiary with an area and can shoot deer that definately makes sense. I really like how long the MT season is. All but one in our small group bowhunt as well so MT offers lots of flexibility for deer.

How is the PH hunting in Region 7? It looks like the 700-20 license is good throughout region 7 for PH. Is that right? Season ends November 10, so if we are wanting to hunt deer later in November, we would be looking at two trips. The first week and a half of November would catch the end of PH season and be in deer season, but be right during our MN firearm season. It sounds like deer rut activity in SE MT is going to be better later in Nov than the first 10 days.

Decisions. Maybe we will go back to a WY PH hunt, but we are all way more interested in deer. If the hunt is half as fun as the planning, its going to be a blast.

 

[Musket Man]

How is the PH hunting in Region 7? It looks like the 700-20 license is good throughout region 7 for PH. Is that right? Season ends November 10, so if we are wanting to hunt deer later in November, we would be looking at two trips. The first week and a half of November would catch the end of PH season and be in deer season, but be right during our MN firearm season. It sounds like deer rut activity in SE MT is going to be better later in Nov than the first 10 days.

You can hunt all of the 700 units with the same tag. Numbers and tags are way down recently. It used to be a 0-1 point draw but I think its around 5 now. IMO there are much better antelope hunts in WY that can be drawn much easier.

 

[eweb84]

My father, brothers and I have been Mule deer hunting in Montana in '08, '10, and '12 and we will be going back again this fall. We usually just apply for general tags and then go to large tracts of Block Management or Federal Lands (BLM or Forest Service) in Eastern Montana. I can't speak for WY Antelope or MT antelope for that matter(would be awesome but no one else in my group seems to want to go), but Montana Mulies are truly a blast! You will have fun no matter which one you choose!