SE Montana Rut/Nov weather

[Big Sky]

Everyone did do a great job! However, if you could choose anytime in Nov when would you go?

The later in the month normally the better. Except for the wheather.

 

[NDHunter]

Exactly musket

Is there a way for a nonresident to get limited entry points without buying a general combo license?


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The way I understand it, NO. UNLESS you get the deer/elk combo tag and turn in the elk tag, then you can get an elk point but it costs you something like $200. Maybe you can do the same in reverse for deer but I don't think you can.

Bottom line for MT, unless you're going to apply for and hunt with the general tag, LE points are just way too expensive. And like BB said, there is some great hunting in the general areas.

 

[NDHunter]

I think Montana should make their draw system more complicated. It's just way too straightforward right now....

 

[NDHunter]

Sorry AT Hiker for hijacking this thread!

 

[Musket Man]

I think Montana should make their draw system more complicated. It's just way too straightforward right now....

LOL! Wa has about the same system other then general tags are unlimited OTC and you have to have a general tag for the specific weapon type to get a point thats only for that weapon type. Its not bad as a resident but but for a NR I just dont think its worth it, and Im not even sure this elk tag I have started chasing is worth it as a resident from what I saw this year and the LE deer tags here arent even worth it as a resident IMO. These systems might have been good when they were started hears ago but alot has changed since then.

 

[Breshears]

NDHunter covered it. The short answer is NO, you cannot obtain LE points without first purchasing a general combo license. Musket you are right, MT it is a lot like WA were you have to first purchase the license for deer or elk and then are able to apply for LE permits. It's a bummer for nonresidents or those who are looking strictly for elite trophy hunts. That is part of the reason they bumped up the application deadline a couple years ago. Too many hunters were turning their combos back in because they didn't draw an LE permit.

 

[Musket Man]

Thanks for the clarification Breshears! I dont want to apply in MT myself but I wanted to understand how it worked so I could help others where I can and pass along the correct info. Thanks again for all your help!

 

[AT Hiker]

Sorry AT Hiker for hijacking this thread!

Ha! No worries here, and I thought I was confused about MT before I started this!

Right now we are set to start our hunt Nov 15. We are going to keep a close eye on the weather as we are able to push it back a few days if we need to. We just have to be back a few days before Thanksgiving.

 

[AT Hiker]

I guess I can give a late update; we drew our deer tag a while back and have started the planning. Right now we plan to leave on Nov 13 to start hunting on the 15-20. We are hunting just SE of Ekalaka, MT...anyone hunt near that area?

Im a super stoked to get my grandfather out there, he turns 71 in January and this is first time out West to hunt since the early 1980's.

 

[mnhoundman]

We hunted there about ten years ago, we all got our bucks to. Stayed by Ekalaka in the forestry cabins. It was called camp needmore. Very cheap to stay there. Don't be afraid to talk to the ranchers about hunting, we went to one and he said go ahead, ended shooting a descent buck to, but it was ten years ago I guess. Good luck!

 

[AT Hiker]

We hunted there about ten years ago, we all got our bucks to. Stayed by Ekalaka in the forestry cabins. It was called camp needmore. Very cheap to stay there. Don't be afraid to talk to the ranchers about hunting, we went to one and he said go ahead, ended shooting a descent buck to, but it was ten years ago I guess. Good luck!

Are there any amenities this town? Grocery, hotel, places to eat...anything? I have yet to research the specific town.

We do have a private ranch secured already, so thats a major plus for us.

 

[mnhoundman]

I think there is a grocery store. Not sure about motel, and of course a bar, pretty sure they had food also. That's nice to have land to hunt! There was alot of walk in land around too.

 

[Musket Man]

Ekalaka is pretty small. There is a grocery store and gas station and a few more places but I cant remember what they are. I drove through there a couple years ago. Its a nice area.

 

[AT Hiker]

Headed out Friday for SE Montana.

This will be my first time hunting Mid Nov muleys and my first time ever hunting them with daytime high temps barely in the 20's for a week solid! Burr is all I can say...

Has anyone seen any rutting activity in that area?

What about these super cold temps, are they going to hinder the deer movement or really get them up and going?

I am super stocked about this hunt, it is me and my 71 year old granddad. After many years of begging him to go out West with me I finally convinced him this year. I am really hoping to stumble across a love sick mature muley that is within range for my granddad.

 

[Shooter]

My buddy lives in the NE corner and he said the mule deer are rutting pretty good now.

 

[Hilltop]

Headed out Friday for SE Montana.

This will be my first time hunting Mid Nov muleys and my first time ever hunting them with daytime high temps barely in the 20's for a week solid! Burr is all I can say...

Has anyone seen any rutting activity in that area?

What about these super cold temps, are they going to hinder the deer movement or really get them up and going?

I am super stocked about this hunt, it is me and my 71 year old granddad. After many years of begging him to go out West with me I finally convinced him this year. I am really hoping to stumble across a love sick mature muley that is within range for my granddad.

Good luck AT.. take a ton of pictures. Mule deer hunting in the cold and snow is awesome.

 

[hoshour]

I hunted yesterday in NW Montana, saw a lot of does and just one buck, a 4X4 that was nosing around a group of does, so it seems like things are underway.

It was cold. I pulled over and got out of my car today to take a picture, walked down to the river to get a better shot, just dressed in my shirt and pants and a puffy down jacket, not intending to be out more than a couple minutes. It was 14 degrees but the wind must have been blowing at least 30 mph through that river canyon - wow, was that cold! That down jacket meant nothing in that wind.

 

[AT Hiker]

Just got back and had a great trip! My grandfather killed his first mule deer and I tagged out on a nice buck too. The weather was brutal and we got hit with snow in Mitchell, SD on I-90 and had to travel 400 miles West in those conditions. The weather really made for a true adventure and added to the great memories I made with my grandfather.

Here is his first muley, we were able to be a 200 yard stalk on him and my granddad made a perfect shot (75 yards) to drop him in his tracks. This day temps were in the single digits with 40 mph wind gust with blowing snow.



Here is my buck. I spotted a buck and doe bedded on the East slope of a deep draw about a 1/2 mile away, stalked until I could get a good look him and decided he was too small. The doe got up and ran down into the draw and the buck followed, I decided to get up higher to watch them. Glad I did because a 1/4 mile away they disappeared into a small finger draw and reappeared with another deer that had a noticeably larger body. I decided to work my way down the draw to them, the buck I ended up shooting ran the smaller buck off and I found him pushing the doe in the draw.



Thanks to everyone that gave me advice on the rut and weather. We had an absolute blast. Rutting mule deer are something to see in action, I never once seen a solo buck and every buck we did see was chasing. The real big boys were still holed up but the weather was really nasty as well, I think the end of this week would have been fantastic if the weather let up a bit.