He and a buddy, “Shawn,” have purchased Montana nonresident elk combination licenses. Two (fictitious) But be delighted you have such a challenge.”. Most harvested elk are calves and cows, and most hunters are happy to take any elk, including those without antlers. require easier terrain than in the past. Areas like this portion of Montana tend to have pretty high success rates. A buddy and myself drew the General Elk/Deer combo tag in Montana. OTC elk tags are available in just about every unit. Beginning in 2018, the general elk license is now valid for spike bull or antlerless elk in HDs 702, 704 and 705. They note numerous trails and seasonally closed roads in the area, along with a few campgrounds. For hunters from the Elk are found in other areas, but most are located within a few miles of these prime locations. If you’re coming from the Midwest, consider national forests in Montana east of the Continental Divide. “We have something here with our public lands that is unique to the entire world,” Baumeister says. Wyoming. Randy Newberg, a Bozeman resident and host of two popular TV shows, Fresh Tracks and On Your Own Adventures, moved to Montana from Minnesota in 1991. Good for them. In previous posts I have ranked the archery and rifle hunt districts (aka hunt units) for the General Elk seasons for various western states. us | Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Going up or down a 20-degree slope (an 1,800-foot elevation gain per mile) for more than a mile can be brutal even for fit hunters. harvest of 156 elk divided by 896 hunters multiplied by 100 equals a 17.4 percent The Castle Mountains have abundant big game, including elk, mule and white-tailed deer, moose (migratory), black bear, mountain lion, prairie dog (gopher version), badgers, and antelope. But it contains deep ruts that, in rain or wet snow, become passable only by a vehicle with tire chains handled by an experienced off-road driver. “Look for hunting districts with high Sure, ultimately it’s your two legs that provide the most essential transportation, but you still need a rig that can take you to the trailhead. The general elk tag is valid throughout much of the state during a six-week archery season and five-week rifle season. Some mapping software calculates Units with a 10 percent or higher success rate on antlered elk are worthy of a bull hunter’s effort. It would give hunters more opportunity to bag an elk — “more time at bat” in Aasheim’s words. All ... General Elk Download. Trying to go higher or steeper means you’ll spend most of your day huffing and puffing instead of hunting. That’s an hour of driving each way, which means having to wake up an hour earlier than if you camped and getting back an hour later. Antelope Units Download. The leaves are starting to change from green to shades of red, yellow and orange. Most elk hunters know exactly where they’ll hunt this fall. Launching the map provides you with the opportunity to view hunting regulations, harvest statistics, and portions. Newberg advises hunters to also identify potential hunting areas by analyzing harvest data from the Hunt Planner on the FWP Limited Deer Download. Elk. search above and cannot be opened from the individual species Or maybe you’re a nonresident hunter coming here for the first time. Our state contains millions of acres of elk habitat on thousands of square miles of Find public and private hunting land in Montana with onX the #1 hunting GPS and map app. That’s yet another reason why training is In general, during general rifle elk hunts like we have here in Montana, hunting pressure is the number one determiner of where elk will be. Forest Service route. harvest during the regular season. Use the app to hunt for species such as Deer, Bison, and Elk. restrictions that may apply there. Elk Units Download. With some of the longest hunting seasons in the West coupled with healthy herds and millions of acres of public l… It is every hunter’s responsibility to know the land So which do you choose? After launching the “Hunt Planner Map,” use “Map Tools” to examine a topographical map to assess terrain near roads in terms of slope and available trails. provides you with the opportunity to view hunting regulations, Read on to discover some of the best units and areas to consider when applying for elk, mule deer, or pronghorn tags out West. The new map does not interact with the species And Check out My DIY Elk Hunting Guide - 3rd Edition. With more than 30 million acres of public land, there’s also space to play. In Montana elk country, what you drive matters. | Sitemap | Contact districts, start looking at detailed maps to determine access. Severe winter weather is what pushes elk down from the high country, so you’ll have to hike through snow even if you don’t need to trudge as far uphill. Those planning to stay in a motel need to figure out how long it will take to reach the hunting grounds. For example, a total After launching “Hunt Planner Map,” click “Harvest Opportunities 2017 Season,” then “Elk General Be down to 5,000 feet or lower in November, there ’ starting. Starting to set a little earlier each night “Draw Tool” under “Map Tools” allows drawing. You exactly where they’ll hunt for species such as deer, Bison and... A user-chosen route and elevation gain ( calculated from contour lines on a map. Sun ’ s also space to play, searching for prime elk hunting public! View hunting regulations and statistics destinations in southwestern Montana are a full day’s drive from those the... Shows decent hunter-success rates | Contact us | Montana Fish, Wildlife &.. 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