Zero points archery or muzzleloader muley hunt?

siwulat · Feb 25, 2015

Its kind of far from Seattle, but both NE and SD archery tags are OTC. You still need to put in an application for SD, but the tag is guaranteed. You can hunt either in October, before the rifle seasons start. Again this is with a bow.

Might not be a bad backup plan if you don't draw something closer to home.

okielite · Feb 25, 2015

South Dakota has better hunting for mule deer IMO. Nebraska issues too many tags and lets you buy 2 per person. Nebraska has a late muzzleloader season that lasts all of Dec.

It's not a guaranteed draw but you might also consider KS. They have an early muzzleloader season in Sept but the Mule deer stamp has to be drawn.

Montana tags are basically OTC at this point but no muzzy season.

NDHunter · Feb 25, 2015

Take a look at CO. They have some archery and muzzy tags can be drawn with 0 points and you can go hunt the high country.

00BUCK · Feb 25, 2015

New Mexico is a no preference point state. I would put in there then look for other options.

Umpqua Hunter · Feb 25, 2015

How is eastern Montana recovering guys? Deer tags have been easy to get. The good thing is that you can hunt the rut and choose the weapon to hunt with since it is an any weapon season.

ore hunter · Feb 25, 2015

the utah general muzz deer has plenty of units you can draw w 0 points,,,so far im 3 for 3 sucess on utah gen muzz,just no wall hangers yet.

Tim McCoy · Feb 25, 2015

Umpqua Hunter said:
How is eastern Montana recovering guys? Deer tags have been easy to get. The good thing is that you can hunt the rut and choose the weapon to hunt with since it is an any weapon season.

Where I've hunted in E. MT for many years, south of Forsyth, population is down the last few years. We saw lots of decent 4x4's in 2010 and 2012, 22-28" 150-170+ type, very few in 2013 and 2014. The last two years the best buck was a 28" 167 4x4, which was the only good buck taken in our group. A few glimses of other good ones, but nothing like a few years ago. Can't speak of other
spots there.

rcfireninja · Feb 25, 2015

South Dakota has no mule deer...............................................anywhere.....................................

NDHunter · Feb 25, 2015

FitToHunt said:
Are either of those hunts in Oct or Nov? Muzzle maybe?

I don't have the regs in front of me but I don't recall any muzzy or archery hunts during the rut. Pretty sure all the muzzy hunts are in mid September for a week and archery is mainly the month of September. You can get into some good country though with no points archery hunting.

NDHunter · Feb 25, 2015

Umpqua Hunter said:
How is eastern Montana recovering guys? Deer tags have been easy to get. The good thing is that you can hunt the rut and choose the weapon to hunt with since it is an any weapon season.

This was the first year hunting there for me. Saw quite a few smaller bucks and lots of does with twin fawns. I think the population will be making a good rebound in most areas.

CoHiCntry · Feb 25, 2015

NDHunter said:
I don't have the regs in front of me but I don't recall any muzzy or archery hunts during the rut. Pretty sure all the muzzy hunts are in mid September for a week and archery is mainly the month of September. You can get into some good country though with no points archery hunting.

Your correct... Muzzleloader season is in September just like archery. There are no other muzzy or archery seasons. OP, in Oct or Nov you can hunt one of the OTC rifle seasons and use a muzzleloader if you want. Only problem is, these are elk seasons not mule deer.

hoshour · Feb 25, 2015

Umpqua Hunter said:
How is eastern Montana recovering guys? Deer tags have been easy to get. The good thing is that you can hunt the rut and choose the weapon to hunt with since it is an any weapon season.

I hunted SE Montana last fall - saw lots of smaller bucks, nothing really worth shooting other than for meat.

The best deer I saw was in the back of a guy's pickup, about 160". I asked him where he shot it and he said, "right over there" and pointed to where I had parked my vehicle that morning to hike back over the hills about a mile. He shot it from the road, just road hunting, about 100 yards from my vehicle.

Another of the Eastmans' crew hunted out that way too and was really disappointed in what he saw, said it was nothing like a couple years ago.

medtech10 · Feb 26, 2015

Been hunting the Custer for over 2 decades. It's SAD what the mule deer population has become. I basically only archery hunt it but I didn't connect on either of the bucks I was after in archery season so made a couple trips during rifle season. Hunting pressure during rifle season is INSANE and its a miracle any buck survives to maturity.....

MT FWP did FINALLY eliminate the doe tags and didn't allow shooting a doe with your A tag this year so maybe there will be a few more deer that survived. I did see 4 bucks in scouting or archery season that I would consider shooters (150"+) and I saw a few good bucks sitting in rifle camps (all with the hides on them still and it was over 50 degrees)....I would say that I put over 50 miles on my boots looking for bucks and 10 years ago walking that many miles I would have seen over 20 shooter bucks.

The fires have really disrupted the Custer as well and many of the traditional areas that held good cover for the bucks have burned and were completely void of deer. I really wish they would close some roads, eliminate the unlimited rifle rut hunting, and it would be a mule deer mecca with outstanding genetics but it'll never happen in MT.....

I have killed 13 coyotes on the Custer this year so at least I've saved a few deer

okielite · Feb 26, 2015

FitToHunt said:
Any of those South Dakota, Nebraska, or Kansas hunts during the rut?

You might catch a few still chasing in Nebraska in early Dec depending on the weather, especially if you are down south. But that is after gun season and they are skittish. Might also be -30 and blowing 40 mph.

okielite · Feb 26, 2015

rcfireninja said:
South Dakota has no mule deer...............................................anywhere.....................................

That is funny stuff.

Zero points archery or muzzleloader muley hunt?

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