This kind of weather can have very adverse effects onnesting hens and young broods. Overall whitetail numbers should be stable to increasing across the region, and hunters should see a fair number of bucks this fall due to three years of solid recruitment. Does anyone care to share their previous hunting experiences in the area. That broke the 900 unit into a bunch of different units. Visitfwp.mt.govto see what rules are in place for Block Management properties. Wife had it last year, Choices for 30x+ mag and simple mil based reticle. Sharptailnumbers are likely to be similar to last year. There will be wing barrels out in several locations throughout southwest Montana. Timely moisture in the spring and early summer has provided quality habitat across the region. Based on spring lek surveys forsharp-tailed grouseand crow count surveys forpheasants, recruitment varied from poor to good depending on location. The landowner you book from may have horses or ATVs you can use, but sometimes it comes down to quartering the animal and packing meat out in a backpack. In response to population declines, biologists in southeast Montana again reduced antlerless quotas, offering just 3,000 antlerless mule deer licenses for the 2022 season. Based on spring survey data,sage-grousepopulations are in decent shape in Region 6. Not looking for spots but just some general information. Visithttps://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/deerfor more information. Mule deer numbers in HD 329 appear to be holding steady, with some growth over the past 10 years. Send us an email at [emailprotected] to learn more. Antlerless mule deer B Licenses remain at high levels, and there may be surplus tags still available in some districts. If youre a Montana resident, your general tag will allow you to hunt either sex elk. Bird populations in this area of the region are expected to be slightly below average. Marty Miller, PA. All bow hunters must purchase an archery stamp before hunting. Partridge harvest in 2021 was above average in the eastern portions of the region but 60 percent of average in the western portions of the region, which was still a significant improvement over the previous five years. Finding areas with grass higher than your shin, mixed with shrubs and small draws and near a food source (farmland/shrub berries) is a good place to start. With a general elk tag, youre limited to hunting antlerless only. . The number of elk observed during post-season aerial surveys currently numbers approximately 7,500 elk (Figures 1, 2, and 3). The number of elk observed during post-season aerial surveys currently numbers approximately 7,500 elk (Figures 1, 2, and 3). Mountain and sage-grouseproductivity should be decent this year since much of southwest Montana experienced cool, wet weather in June that produced good vegetation and insects but was not cold and snowy to the detriment of hatchlings as in the past three years. From check station and wing barrel data, we observe that juveniles (birds hatched that year) typically comprise most of the birds harvested (60 to 80 percent depending on the species). Walk walk walk. Elk are very close to objective numbers in the Little Belts (old HD 413). The Yellowstone River corridor in southern Richland County experienced a more widespread outbreak, but nevertheless whitetail numbers remain good through much of the area. Mule deer numbers in the agricultural areas near Great Falls are doing well, but populations in the mountain/mountain foothill areas are still rebounding from lower numbers of the past few years. Doggett suggests utilizing the available whitetail B licenses in the mountain foothill areas where the mule deer regulations switched to antlered buck only. While elk numbers in HD 392 have increased, they are still below objective. The regulation for this district has been liberalized to allow either-sex mule deer harvest on the general deer license. JavaScript is disabled. Have you ever hunted near that area before? 909 W Montana St Unit 406 is 22.6 miles from US Military Reservation Elk Grove, and is convenient to other military bases, including U.S. Military Reservation. Sample submission is voluntary throughout Montana. Bull ratios in HD 313 are similar to recent years but remain below historic levels. Grizzly bears have the potential to be found anywhere in the western two-thirds of Montana (west of Billings), and their distribution is denser and more widespread than in previous years. Finding a buck here may take extra effort, and pronghorn will likely be widely distributed with more forage available this year. Elk Hunting in Montana HD 302 - Tendoys . Biologists will use these wings to identify birds by species and age class juvenile or adult. Bull on Monday 7x8, 389 yards, 300 WM 215gr Berger. The archery season dates will allow you to hunt all phases of the rut, while most general rifle hunters wait for weather to push the elk down into lower, more accessible country. Drought has likely impacted brood success, especially in areas lacking riparian areas. The second option is to hunt elk in one of the general units. White-tailed deer populations are considered strong, but pronghorn numbers are mixed, and in many areas, they have still not completely recovered from the tough winter of 2017/18. You may get lucky cruising up timber creek, Ive seen a huge heard of elk the last few years hunting there. Poor recruitment last year, little available habitat and some severe late snowstorms have had an effect on birds. Holders of limited bull permits are now restricted to hunting the district they hold their permit, with the exception of HD 270. We leased private lands in the Colestrip area. Buy Nupla Ergo Power Sharp Shooter Drain Spade with 27 inch Fiberglass Handle, D-Grip, and 14 Gauge Hollow Back Blade - Perfect for Sand, Soil, and Clay, Yellow (75.72-092): Spades - Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases. Overall,black bearnumbers appear to be steady in northwest Montana. Replies 21 Views 7K. Results from the 2022 summer aerial surveys indicate pronghorn buck:doe:fawn ratios of 42:100:61; the 10-year average is 53:100:71. . I'm going to be on the west side of the mussleshell and along the missouri river. Even if you dont draw a special permit, it doesnt mean that youre out of luck. Phone: (435) 865-1020. One of the most important things to fully understand before you head out on your hunt is to know what the regulations are in the area you are hunting in. We hunt from our campsite which is . Elk hunting is challenging in northwest Montana due to difficult terrain, heavily forested areas and densities relatively lower than other areas in Montana. In 2022, all of the non-resident deer permits drawn in units 261-50 and 270-50 were drawn by non-resident landowners. In most cases, elk populations throughout the Little Belt, Castle and eastern Big Belt Mountains area are at the high end of the range observed in recent times. FWP can help. Due to a cool spring, huckleberry crops are patchy and late to ripen. Allowing spike bulls to be harvested increases opportunity for hunters and prevents accidental violations if spikes are mistaken for antlerless elk. This winter has been really good for precipitation across Montana, and if it keeps up, the Breaks units should have a really good horn growth year. Whitetail numbers in this area are expected to take a couple of years to recover. . Wings will be used to determine the age and sex of grouse to determine productivity for the year. Cedar City, UT 84721 Create a free account to read the rest of this access note! Near the Sweetgrass Hills, pronghorn have been well under long-term average in previous years but have recovered somewhat and are just slightly below average this year. Gray partridgeandchukarpopulations will also likely be similar to last year or maybe a little higher as a result of good spring moisture. The miles and minutes will be for the farthest away property. FWP finalized a mule deer study that included study areas in the Whitefish Range and Fisher River areas in Region 1. If you look at our archery elk table, you will see 411-21, 417-21, 455-21, 447-21, 595-21, and 799-21. Some of the areas in the western half of the state are teeming with elk, with many of them hidden amongst the old-growth evergreen forests. Northern Carter and southern Fallon counties were particularly hard hit by EHD, with a widespread outbreak that resulted in significant mortality. Elk numbers in the western Little Belts and eastern Big Belts have increased the most, despite the liberal hunting regulations that have been in place there for some time, said biologist Jay Kolbe. Weather can vary by elevation. Everything about tire chains and 4X4 is right. #1. Hillbillie, I got drawn for the archery hunt in unit 410 which is beside 700. When youre looking for a unit thats a little more open one where you dont need a special permit to shoot a bull elk look to number 393. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. There used to be some big deer there, and no one really hunted them. north and west of Deep Creek in Northwest Montana has abundantwolfnumbers and recent population estimates indicate a relatively stable wolf population. Posts: 1,663. And, as always, you can contact our helpful staff at any of our regional offices around the state. Be extra careful when identifying birds. However, elk congregating on private lands will remain a challenge for management. Know Thy Self! out! The center of the region, Phillips and Valley counties, saw marginally improved conditions this hatching season and were briefly out of drought status in July. Click for Terrain Detail. Habitat conditions, spring adult populations and recent brood observations start out slightly above average in the eastern third of the region but decline to the west. In HD 703 and the eastern three-quarters of HD 701, hunters can pursue any elk with a general license. I have to start over again researching a elk unit as lost out on getting a tag for Idaho when they changed the limits on elk units this year. 90% of the elk will be down on the river bottoms and on the private hayfields most likely. The exception lies in the northwest part of the state where many region 1 areas and parts of region 2 areas continue to struggle with their elk populations. backyardsniper; Jun . . Good luck. Overall, elk numbers should be similar to last year. FWP biologists use this age information, along with the sex of the bear, to manage bear populations in Montana. Location. OtoPro SoundGear Hearing Protection Review, By Torin Miller, OtoPro SoundGear Phantom and Impulse Review, Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB Rangefinder Review, Toric UHD 2.5-15x44mm FFP Hunt Series Riflescope Review, Hunting Big Mule Deer after Mid-October with Cliff Gray. cubdrvr 08-Nov-15. Sep 14, 2021. Please review thefwp.mt.govwebsite for the most up-to-date information on surplus licenses. Several districts were combined, and HD 101 now has a three-week general antlered buck mule deer season followed by a limited hunt where only permit holders may harvest a mule deer buck. If you are interested in a guided hunt, we work with the best outfitters in the state, so call us for a recommendation or if you have any other questions regarding Montanas general elk hunting. Hunters can expect deer distribution to be somewhat patchy because of the drought this year, and they will be concentrated in areas with good forage and cover. A grasshopper outbreak has infested much of the region for the second year in a row. I'd archery hunt the deer in the mornings and evenings, and rifle hunt antelope mid-day. The Missouri Breaks (HD 700) and Custer Forest Elk Management Unit (HDs 702, 704, 705) remain the two "core" elk populations in southeast Montana. 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