Hopefully this change will help increase the age class of the bucks in those units. *All Combination License prices include the required Base Hunting License, Conservation License, Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Pass, and Application Fees. Located outside of Laramie this hunt is a bit rough, but nothing like the rugged hunts in the northwest portion of the state. The mule deer grow quite large, and it is not uncommon for a deer to exceed 325 pounds in weight fully dressed out. It sported horns measuring more than 17 inches. With such a variety in habitat and easy access to abundant public land, a mule deer hunt can be as challenging as you want to make it. The restaurant is open early for breakfast and stays open for a late dinner. The rugged "breaks" along the Missouri contain dense stands of ponderosa pines and junipers. Needless to say, hunting mule deer in Wyoming in its current capacity is going to probably be less than ideal. This area is mountainous and does contain about 25% wilderness at the very top of the unit. The bowhunting here can be very lucrative. I know the 380 bull tag in Montana is a prime example. This is just another example. We publish book and magazines, along with producing videos, DVDs, and TV programs. Montana has a lot of country and lot of mule deer. . Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is at the Streamlight booth at SHOT Show 2023 to go over the Bear Trap light from Streamlight. The answer is landowners. The answer is us pushing for more QDM out West, period! I lost count at 450 phone call attempts to register the morning the 2 we really wanted became available. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The highly anticipated North Dakota Deer Lottery has been run; NOT SUCCESSFUL! Skip B: Let the Flower Children howl. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Although the thought of the 90/10 proposal could be very difficult to comprehend for most of you at this point, I really do think if it does in fact happen for deer, elk and antelope, I would be very surprised if it happened before the 2024 hunting season. Region G, The first to die off and probably the first to rebound, or at least we hope. After months of kicking the idea around exactly what we would do, the real planning started in early March as applications are due March 15th for deer, elk and deer/elk combination tags. Petersen's HUNTING Publisher, Kevin Steele is in the CZ booth with Dylan Rice at SHOT Show to talk about CZ 600 Series Trail rifle. The big takeaway here is, as nonresident landowners suck out more and more of the nonresident pool, expect less and less tags being drawn by general nonresidents. The guys are , Bow hunt public land mule deer with Brian Barney on this episode of Beyond the , Darby is beautiful we stayed there right before all this Corona virus shut us all down but I dont think I would waste my time applying for such a limited hunt with such bad odds there has to be some better sleeper units if you do your research. (Shutterstock / Cornelius Doppes photo) Data can be deceiving. 22. Tag holders can expect to see 20+ quality bucks per day. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; Bring your good quality optics and you stand a very good chance at a 150-170 class deer with the possibility of finding up to a 200 class deer. The bowhunting here can be very lucrative. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Applicants with 10 and 12 points also drew four tags respectively. If you have max points (16) you have a 2% chance at drawing. From southwest deserts to coastal forests, mule deer hunting presents a variety of challenges. We put in for General tags as well as purchasing the extra preference point that is offered when applying. Hunters can expect to see 75-100 deer a day and as many as 10 bucks. Each hunter must also sign out upon completion of their hunt. These are high country bucks that migrate to lower country to rut low country does which can make for a great hunt if you hunt hard and give yourself plenty of time to cover lots and lots of country. Hunters will experience a true western mule deer hunt and will spend a significant amount of time glassing in an effort to locate their trophy buck. Please call us to match you up with the best hunt to fit your specific needs and budget! This hunt should take about five or six points to draw this year with a random draw of about 10% for those with less than five points. Thanks to Toprut, I can better strategize my big game applications with access to detailed unit profile information, hunt quotas, draw odds, harvest info, and more. The average harvest fell from 3,000 to 500 in . Region H, This general hunt region consists of a big, rugged region adjacent to the famed Region G area we spoke about above. Drawing a long-awaited tagor lucking out with a lotto-like winin a coveted area can be the second biggest hunting thrill of the year for most hunters. Pheasant season spans the entire general rifle season for deer and elk. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "bennordquist-20"; The type 2s were crawling with other hunters and the quality of deer we saw on these properties was not what we were after. That Is The Question, Montana Region 7 Deer Populations Cut In Half, Hunting Big Bucks Deer Hunt with Ike and Guy Eastman, Wyoming Passes 90/10: The Worst Article Youll Read This Year, More Costs Headed Your Way in Wyoming-Maybe. Although the numbers are down here from the objective by about 25%, the big buck potential here should be very, very good this year. A couple of these units will close the mule deer season early on November 13th. Unlike our other hunts, we dont provide lodging and meals. The breakdown of whitetail per region is as follows: region 1 with 69,094; region 2 with 37,747; region 3 with 23,745; region 4 with 32,657; region 5 with 14,917; region 6 with 14,311; and region 7 with 20,343. 2. As for general-season units, Jones suggested hunters take a look at Pine Valley in the southwest corner of the state, the four Oquirrh/Stansbury units west of Salt Lake City, and Zion on the southern border. Our Best Mule Deer Hunts Hunting big mule deer bucks in the rut is a great hunt to consider. Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is with Dawn Wehunt of Rock River Arms INC. learning about the new Ascendant platform. Desert Ghosts: Hunting the Elusive Coues Deer, Predator Hunting with .17 Caliber Rifle: Pros and Cons, The Only Three Guns You Need to Go Hunting, Venison Backstrap with Sweet & Spicy Peach Relish Recipe, Tested Tough - Modern Zeiss Sports Optics. 12,440 Views. Although the numbers are down here from the objective by about 25%, the big buck potential here should be very, very good this year. Here in Wyoming and Montana, mule deer hunting is also diverse. The Region H hunt can be a very good hunt on the right year for really good bucks. Hunting districts south of the Missouri offer the best drawing odds. Our guided mule deer hunts offer the highest opportunity for a trophy you can display with pride. In 2017, three tags went to nonresidents. Are you a hunting outfitter? Get unlimited access to over ten years of historical drawing and harvest data for over 1,700+ hunt units. Arizona Game and Fish mentions that Edwards Park, just south of Mt. Publisher Kevin Steele is in the Beretta booth with Logan Killam, the Shotgun Product Manager, to discuss the all new Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey. Lodging, groceries and other services are found in towns such as Glasgow and Malta. Pretty bummed to read this. DESIGNED BY: ROCKY RIDGE DIGITAL ADVERTISING. The downside of hunting the rut is that most of the mature bucks are harvested every season while they are more vulnerable as they are out chasing does. The guys are , Bow hunt public land mule deer with Brian Barney on this episode of Beyond the . Idaho. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. The zone we hunted also had leftover antlerless tags available for $100 apiece. Best States to Hunt Mule Deer June 9, 2022 onX Indigenous to western North America, mule deer are found west of the 100th meridian from 23 degrees to 60 degrees N. Much larger than whitetail deer, a buck mule deer can weigh between 130 and 280 pounds. can handle bullets up to 250 grains with great speed and accuracy which makes it ideal for the giant mule deer bucks that are found on the Arizona Strip and Kaibab Plateau. Arizona and New Mexico are home to huge pronghorn bucks, including the current world record, which scored 96-4/8 B&C points and was killed in Socorro County, New Mexico, in 2013. I ended up filling my tag with my biggest Mule Deer to date on our 2nd day. This area is mountainous and does contain about 25% wilderness at the very top of the unit. 5 Best E-Bikes for the Outdoors Jace Bauserman Recent Videos Steiner Optics Predator Series Introducing the Burris Veracity PH Gear Taurus Raging Hunter Streamlight Pro Tac 2.0 Gear Streamlight Bear Trap Gear Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey Gear Ascendant from Rock River Arms Gear HEVI-Shot Turkey Loads Gear CZ 600 Series Trail Rifle Gear Access is getting harder to come by as many landowners in the area have grown tired of being asked for permission to hunt their land. This hunt takes fewer points to draw, mostly because of the larger tag quota (600) and the larger portion of wilderness (21%) inside this region. Toprut allows me to find the tags and hunts that others miss or overlook. This showed us what private, BLM, BMA and State lands were. With 80 tags on quota and an October season, with a little help from some weather, this hunt could create a great opportunity for a big staged up high-country deer during the final five days of the hunt. PO Box 250 | This might mean we have another year or two to decide on burning those mule deer points. At Montana Rivers & Ridges Outfitter, our guides are Montana natives and well experienced across the state. The decline of mule deer populations in northeastern Nevada is reflected in this Department of Wildlife graph of hunter success over a 63-year period. Our first ranch was 15,000 acres and allowed 15 hunters per day. Give a Gift Give a Gift These two situations have placed many applicants between the proverbial rock and a hard place as they weigh out the beyond uncomfortable trade-off between a down year for deer hunting and the possibility of future draw odds quadrupling all while tag costs could more than double in the process. If you have two points, that gives you four chances in the drawing. This hunt is very accessible and roaded with lots of open hillsides and meadows to glass up bucks feeding on the edges. Much of Montana is unposted even where public access lies. Temperatures can be quite warm in September and early October, rendering elk inactive during the day, however, hunters seeking a varied experience find plenty to do at midday. Montana Rivers and Ridges Outfitter offers a late season 4 Day trophy Mule Deer hunt on the beautiful prairie of Eastern Montana. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. However the Task Force is heading down the 90/10 for all species. Montanas general deer tags provide a great opportunity to harvest a mule deer or whitetail and provide plenty of time to get it done over generous season dates. Today, all of these species (except bison) are still found in robust numbers in Missouri River Country and provide modern-day hunters with the same challenges for making meat and memories as they did members of the famed expedition. In western areas, mule deer hunting has always been fun. RAB, As phutch30 stated there are good mule deer numbers in the Breaks, but one thing to keep in mind about the Breaks is the FWP - Biologist have issued a lot of elk permits over the last few years (both antlerless and A9/B12). Kali Parmley of Gun Dog Magazine talks to George Thompson from Benelli USA about the new features from the Benelli line in 2023. There is some public land along the Milk River with deer hunting also available on Block Management Areas, a Montana program that facilitates public access to private land. Some areas are easily accessed by roads, while others offer a wilderness experience for those willing to hike a distance from their vehicle. In 2019 there were 7,654 resident applicants for about 35 tags. Montana mule deer herds are showing a small improvement in quality, but herds are stable to declining in most areas of the state. Hunt those areas during archery season. The northeastern portion of Montana west of Scobey has copious amounts of state land open to public hunting. Mule deer hunters should plan to go high in the mountains for the best opportunity at bigger bucks. amzn_assoc_asins = "B013D2ULO6"; 1. Abundant access to public land is one of the major attractions of elk hunting in Montana's Missouri River Country (there are more than a million acres of land open to public hunting in the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge alone). That is 16,660 above the 2020 population estimate and slightly above the 10-year average of 202,033. 1579 N Main Street Ste 100 In 2017, there were five nonresident landowners in area 270 and in 2019 there were eight! Learn how your comment data is processed. We strive to help our audiences become more skilled and ethical hunters, while expanding their knowledge, appreciation, and awareness of the outdoors and wildlife through entertainment media. Maps for Montana Deer, Elk, and Mountain Lion Hunting Districts Select a hunting unit from the dropdown menu or click a unit on the map below. Montana Region 7 (made up of districts 700 to 705) in the southeast corner of the state, especially the southern parts of the region, wasnt as affected by the brutal winter of 201112 as other parts of the state and has good numbers of pronghorn in each district, Vore said. The prairie deer hunts consist of four four-day seasons, which take place Wednesdays through Saturdays in November. - Dan Alleman D.D.S., Camphill, PA. Whitetail deer are also common in the cottonwood studded riparian areas along the river. We applied as a party and were successful in drawing our Either Species/Either Sex tags. Archery and muzzleloader tags in those units will require fewer points.. If you have zero points you have a .004% chance of drawing a tag. Our Mule deer are big bodied, heavy antlered and are deep forked. Introducing the Veracity PH from Burris, the perfect combination of reliability, quality, and technology delivering a simple aiming solutiona tool for the hunter that just works. On the south side of the reservoir, whitetails are found along the Musselshell River as it meanders toward the Missouri. 406-342-5475 tlp@rangeweb.net . Learn more about Montana Rivers & Ridges and get to know our guides! This hunt unit sits smack dab in the middle of the famed Carbon County, one of the best trophy producing buck counties in the entire country, and this area sits in the best big buck country in the second best big buck county in the state, what more could you ask for? Due to the fact that we are not providing lodging or meals, this is a lower budget hunt, but NOT a lower budget hunting experience! One of the region's prime whitetail grounds is the Milk River drainage, a tributary to the Missouri River. Elk may be the marquee quarry in the mind of many visiting hunters, but northeastern Montana also boasts outstanding opportunities for mule and whitetail deer. An objective level that was recently adjusted downward possibly in an effort to make the situation look not quite so bad. Though relatively few in number, Missouri Breaks bucks can achieve notable size. Hard-charging hunters, however, can take to the Missouri Breaks, hiking for miles in wild country in search of a trophy buck. Holders may not hunt Antlered Buck Mule Deer in any other HD. We decided to try our hand at getting some tags in our neighboring state of Montana. All antelope hunting in Montana is conducted on a draw-only basis. 380 is a joke. Some of our hunting areas include vast open ridges with . Long season dates and hunting deer in the rut will always make for a fun hunt, but dont expect to see many mature mule deer bucks on the landscape in the general units. Eastmans Publishing, Inc. is a multimedia corporation whose roots are grounded in the ethics of fair chase hunting. Each year we see and possibly harvest bucks that score 190+ B&C including some that score over 200 B&C inches. Using this strategy . Landowners already have such a big advantage over the average hunter! This hunt must be done with a group of three hunters. If you have any questions about the general deer hunting opportunities or outfitters in Montana, give us a call. Unlock the secrets of limited license lotteries and discover drawing and harvest trends to create a better hunt planning strategy. Best Montana Moose Hunts 2020 Galleries. This can make finding a trophy buck something difficult to do on public land. The downside is there are unlimited permission slips and limit to how many hunters have access each day. This year we would have limited time and left the idea of the Elk/Combo out of the equation. Just a thought. This is a very limited, late season hunt with hunt dates during most of the month of November. With only 50 tags on quota, a 20-day season in November and lots of public land to hunt, with a little help from the weather, this hunt should continue to excel well into the future. The top states for record mule deer are Colorado, Utah and Idaho. This will cause massive demand on the system this year and next with high point holders forcibly pushed to cash in their points before the change which will cause huge gains in point creep for deer, elk and antelope inside the Wyoming point system. Snow cover is more likely at this time, making deer more visible. Hopefully this change wont happen for nonresidents. Kevin Steele from Petersen's HUNTING speaks to Jordan Egli of Burris Optics about the all-new Veracity PH Riflescope. Alcazar recommended units 7 and 8 in the north-central part of the state, near the Wyoming border, for hunters looking for areas with lots of public land and good potential for trophies. Sunday Creek Outfitter's hunts moderate terrain, yet still harvests some of the most respectable Montana Elk, Mule Deer and Antelope in the United States! THE BEST MULE DEER RIFLE CALIBER. Home Guided Hunts Retreats Book Hunting Trip Successful Hunts About R&K Hunting Company Inc. 80 W. 100 S. P.O. This hunt unit sits smack dab in the middle of the famed Carbon County, one of the best trophy producing buck counties in the entire country, and this area sits in the best big buck country in the second best big buck county in the state, what more could you ask for? Get up above the ATV trails and leave the mule deer call in the pack. Eastmans Publishing, Inc. is a multimedia corporation whose roots are grounded in the ethics of fair chase hunting. So put on your sweatband and grab your stress ball, were going to take a look at the hard numbers. Kevin Steele stops by the Taurus booth to speak with Cody Osborn about the all new Raging Hunter platform from Taurus International. For some hunters, pursuing elk, mule deer, and pronghorn in the western United States is a future dream; for others its a yearly routine. And the data backs this statement up as according to the Game and Fish Department the mule deer herd in Wyoming, statewide, is nearly 30% below objective levels. Its now 4 years in a row of getting the annual rejection letter. This hunt is very accessible and roaded with lots of open hillsides and meadows to glass up bucks feeding on the edges. Historically, the bucks are actually larger in this region than they are in Region G, however they are harder to get to and there are less of them. Hopefully, some of what I have learned can help you if your itch to hunt out of state gets to the point where you need to try it. Best Montana . The answer is landowners. With a mild winter and wet spring, I really think there could be some gems in these hills for those who hunt hard this fall. Like many others, I have 12 points for deer and elk. Remember nonresidents are allocated up to 10% of the tags in an area. Lets all try to make the best of it. Montana estimates its whitetail population to be at 212,814. Although the region is not heralded as a trophy destination for pronghorn, lucky hunters may encounter outsized bucks. The ranch is located within the Ochoco Unit and is home to a several stable mule deer herds. Montana, Sanders County132 bighorn sheep in B&C records 11. Each tag was priced at right around $700/hunter. I'm not going out on a limb and making any bold predictions, but the science is adding up. Looking at maps sent to us by the state we found what looked to be really large areas of BLM land (Bureau of Land Management) that were accessible by vehicle. Montana also offers Block Management (BMAs) which is private Ranches opening up their property for public Montana mule deer hunting. Good bucks in the 150-170 range are the norm for most of MT. Harvest is generally limited to 180" bucks and larger, but our goal for each client is to get a 190 . The journals of Meriwether Lewis, co-captain of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, contain detailed descriptions of the country through which they passed new lands teaming with elk, deer and antelope. Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The open country provides endless glassing opportunities and the gentle rolling hills allow for fairly easy hiking. The permit is known as 270-50. The biggest typical mule deer shot in Montana last year came from 270 and the unit produces 160-inch bucks for hunters who are patient and hunt the higher clearings and meadows. No matter what quarry is pursued, modern-day hunters are sure to echo the sentiments of Meriwether Lewis who concluded Missouri River Country includes "one of the fairest portions of the globe." Guy Eastman, Editor-In-Chief The deadline for nonresident applications for archery and rifle elk licenses is March 15. If you are a regular nonresident this means you are in the pool of 8,543 applicants for four tags. If 10% are allocated to the nonresident draw, that means four tags maximum (rounded down) go to nonresidents. That Is The Question, Montana Region 7 Deer Populations Cut In Half, Hunting Big Bucks Deer Hunt with Ike and Guy Eastman, Wyoming Passes 90/10: The Worst Article Youll Read This Year, More Costs Headed Your Way in Wyoming-Maybe. Its late July and Im either on a boat or in my office and the expectation of the ever-familiar chime of a new email notification goes off on my phone. When signed up to access a Type 2 BMA, each hunter must sign in the previous day at a designated sign in trailer (sometimes MILES away from the actual ranch you will be hunting) to get your window pass. In early June a successful applicant can request a BMA guide that will be delivered around the end of July. Your honest assessment is greatly appreciated. amzn_assoc_linkid = "3d18066eea5f32622cb88644951f608f"; The rifle season dates allow hunters to hunt the rut. Publisher, Kevin Steele is with Brett Marquardt from Streamlight Inc. discussing the new Streamlight Pro Tac 2.0, the latest edition in the Pro Tac series. Each party can sign up for, at most, 3 consecutive days of hunting on that property. This is also a decent application choice for a lower point holder, as the 400-tag quota does put enough tags into the random portion of the draw to be worth a shot at about 5%. This is an action packed hunt during the rut. We took a short trip at the end of October to do some scouting of where we planned to hunt and got familiar with the area we planned to be. Copyright 2023 Eastmans' Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved, The Most Coveted Deer Permit in Montana that You Will Never Draw, Statistically, the most coveted deer permit in, So youre probably wondering, how is it possible that zero nonresidents drew this tag in 2018? Theres good news and bad news for hunters who want to pursue mule deer in the west, however. Learn how your comment data is processed. That buck displaced two former world-record bucks, both from Arizona, that were tied at the top spot with scores of 95 B&C points. Mule Deer- Limited Entry Units 87 & 89 - Worldwide Trophy Adventures. This has been considered the holy grail of mule deer permits in the Big Sky State for the past couple decades. 1 Hunter - 1 Guide. There are few secrets on premium LE units. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; There are a handful of good limited-entry units, and most of them give a hunter a good hunt for an average buck. My partner got through and signed us up for a 2nd one giving us only 1 day on that particular ranch. This would be a great opportunity to bring youth out on a hunt for a reasonable price. This hunt takes fewer points to draw, mostly because of the larger tag quota (600) and the larger portion of wilderness (21%) inside this region.