best mule deer units in montana

The first to die off and probably the first to rebound, or at least we hope. Remember nonresidents are allocated up to 10% of the tags in an area. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. These are the good old days of hunting mule deer in Utah, said Jones, who added that all of the 29 general-season units in the state are capable of producing 200-inch bucks. The Eastern Montana prairie is open country with rolling hills of grass and sagebrush broken up by coulees and deep ravines; carved from thousands of years of flash floods. Most of the state is managed to maximize hunter opportunity each fall. Complete trip planning materials are available on the Missouri River Country website. Draw units will typically take a number of years and points to draw a tag and have more trophy class deer. Home Guided Hunts Retreats Book Hunting Trip Successful Hunts About R&K Hunting Company Inc. 80 W. 100 S. P.O. This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. The outstanding success rates and superb trophy quality keep this hunt in high demand. Montana Rivers and Ridges Outfitter has access to over 1.5 million acres of land to hunt elk, deer, and other big game animals within the Bitterroot National Forest. Registration for each BMA is different. Large chunks of the private land in Area 7 are enrolled in Wyomings Access Yes program, which opens private land to public hunting, with some restrictions in certain areas. So far, Wyoming is looking in great shape from the winter and into spring where the weather has been very wet and cool. The average deer we take in this unit scores around 180 inches gross. But if youre hell-bent on hunting deer in area 270, you better buy at least 160 acres because that is your best chance at a permit in area 270 in the near future. Get our No-BS newsletter to your email box around twice a month. Dream destinations include the Arizona Strip (units 13A and 13B) or Kaibab Plateau (units 12A East, 12A West, and 12B), but the drawing odds are long, sometimes in the low single digits, Ornoski said. Almost feels like a time share that well never get to use. Our Memberships Include The Most Accurate Draw Odds Available, Join Now! Since the draw odds are slim for this area we cant book a hunt for this unit specifically. Montana estimates its whitetail population to be at 212,814. That is 16,660 above the 2020 population estimate and slightly above the 10-year average of 202,033. Unit 22. We narrowed down 5-6 different type 2 BMAs to register for. The highly anticipated North Dakota Deer Lottery has been run; NOT SUCCESSFUL! Region R, The West side of the Bighorns is a mule deer producing factory on a good year. As a result of last year's chronic wasting disease management hunt for white-tailed deer in southwest Montana, biologists observed a 50-percent reduction in white-tailed deer numbers in the Ruby watershed between Sheridan and Twin Bridges, where CWD prevalence was highest. So in 2018, all four of the nonresident tags went to landowners. Tags #myhuntstory backpack hunting Beyond The Grid big game hunting deer hunting Eastmans Eastmans' Bowhunting Journals Eastmans' Hunting Journals Featured Guy Eastman Hunting Mike Eastman Montana Draw Montana Hunting Montna Mule Deer Hunting Mule deer. The landowner draw takes place before the regular draw. Mule deer can also be found on more open prairie and agricultural areas, especially in places offering patches of bedding cover. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. At Montana Rivers & Ridges Outfitter, our guides are Montana natives and well experienced across the state. This fervent praise for the landscape occurred not in the mountains but on the eastern plains, along the banks of the Missouri River. That's why oftentimes, the all-time records list you see aren't the most accurate depictions of where big deer are truly . In Montana, unit 270 is considered one of the top trophy mule deer units in the state. If you are looking to harvest the buck of a lifetime, this is your unit and we are your outfitter. Colorado is widely regarded as the nation's top mule deer destination. I'm not going out on a limb and making any bold predictions, but the science is adding up. Due to the vast quantity of applicants for this unit, the point system does very little for you in return. We have guided and unguided hunts. Make sure you pay attention to the new regulations as there are a number of changes from 2021. She said it currently takes six preference points to be guaranteed a pronghorn tag in the draw in Area 73 but added the state allots 25 percent of the total quota in each area to a random drawing of all applicants who chose the area as their first choice. In the end we are all in this together, I do not think it is unreasonable for Nonresidents to be afforded 20% of all the hunting licenses in Wyoming.. Given the size and range of the mule deer in our area, using horses and mules is a must to cover ground and access the best habitats. In Montana, 15% of all permits for elk and deer can go to landowners. Hike it often in the summer months and note where you see bucks. Hunter success here can be a bit spotty with an average of 57% success but if a hunter is in good shape and hunts hard, a big buck could be possible here. This is an extremely hard tag to draw with sheep like draw odds. Table Mountain Outfitters provides many private leases, which allow you the best opportunity to harvest a trophy animal without the pressure from other deer hunters. 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. . The Green River Lakes hunt is a bit more of a long-shot for big bucks, but I just have a bit of a hunch that given the type of country in this area there could be some big bucks this fall to mine out of here for someone who hunts hard. 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. Credit: Photo Courtesy Missouri River Country. The good news is many Western states have huge mule deer herds and produce phenomenal bucks. Located outside of Laramie this hunt is a bit rough, but nothing like the rugged hunts in the northwest portion of the state. The plants and soils of the region offer excellent nutrition, allowing mature bulls to grow exceptionally large antlers. If they want a true limited entry trophy type hunt they need to get rid of the cow and spike hunters. 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. Phone: (435) 865-1020, Big Game Combination License (Elk & Deer), Bow and Arrow License (mandatory for all archery hunts), Preference Point Fee for Combination License (optional), Outfitter Preference Point Fee for Combination License (optional but must hunt with an outfitter). amzn_assoc_asins = "B00UCI27H4"; You cannot access without being signed up for that specific BMA. More than 295 ranches are enrolled in the Block Management Program here, which provides licensed sportsmen with free access to about 1.3 million acres of mule and whitetail deer, antelope, and elk habitat. 1. The average deer we take in this unit scores around 180 inches gross. 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 moral of the story is, the more applicants the more washed out the drawing is, and the less work your expensively purchased points do for you. Resident applicants for this permit are increasing 300-1000 per year proving that the popularity hasnt waned. The Bitterroot Valley in Montana is known for and home to some of the State's Best Mule Deer Hunting! Go on more hunts with better information! Nebraska. amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; For many hunters, wrapping their hands around the thick bases of a tall, wide, heavy mule deer rack is a moment dreams are made of. The deer in Unit 76 are extremely call shy - due to hunting pressure and predation - but this has made them more visual creatures. This is with roughly 1000 nonresident applicants every year. Our Mule deer are big bodied, heavy antlered and are deep forked. Just a thought. Although the numbers are down here from the objective by about 25%, the big buck potential here should be very, very good this year. Over the last three years, all non-resident permits were drawn by non-resident landowners in unit 261, and 7 out of 12 tags for unit 270 were drawn by non-resident landowners. For more information when and how to apply call toll-free: 1-800-653-1319. Kevin Steele, Publisher of Petersen's HUNTING talks with JJ Reich of HEVI-Shot about the new offerings for 2023. Neither of us had ever hunted this area before or knew any landowners. We have an extremely limited number of very high-demand mule deer tags available for hunters during the January rut. With that said, I hope these choices help you out and this year is what it is. I was able to download 10-mile by 10-mile maps of our hunt area knowing we would be out of cell coverage. Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Applicants with 10 and 12 points also drew four tags respectively. Restrict a few more units to QDM, that is make a few units similar to how the Boyz East of the Mississippi did it, they know what a mature whitetail is and dont shoot 2 year olds. Needless to say, hunting mule deer in Wyoming in its current capacity is going to probably be less than ideal. Region G, The first to die off and probably the first to rebound, or at least we hope. 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. If you have zero points you have a .004% chance of drawing a tag. Bummer for sure, Thanks Guy, Hope all is well with you and the family. Mule Deer- Limited Entry Units 87 & 89 - Worldwide Trophy Adventures. Utah has four premium areas for deer. 2. 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. Montana's 2022 mule deer breakdown 2021 was a fairly quiet season in Montana with very few notable bucks being taken. This hunt can be had with only about six or seven points. Some large bucks also have been taken in GMU 45 in recent years. Consult with Hunters Who Have Hunted in Your Unit, Join Now! Although they evolved to live and thrive in broadly different environments, the two species are remarkably adaptive. Eastmans Publishing, Inc. is a holding company engaged in publishing. In 2017, three tags went to nonresidents. This hunt is very accessible and roaded with lots of open hillsides and meadows to glass up bucks feeding on the edges. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Park's website has a fairly easy " HUNT PLANNER " section that can guide applicants through finding zones and units best suited for their type of hunt as well as draw statistics. It takes some education but they got there and u see good deer in all those QDM areas. Get up above the ATV trails and leave the mule deer call in the pack. For some hunters, pursuing elk, mule deer, and pronghorn in the western United States is a future dream; for others its a yearly routine. Mule Deer Hunting Rates Get your hunt booked now! 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. 28-Oct-08. Be ready to glass all day. We cover Units 240, 250, 261, 262, and 270 for Mule Deer Draw Tag Hunters! Some of the biggest bull elk in Montana call the Breaks home. Probably the most important bit of information we found was: If a ranch is enrolled into the Block Management Program and there is BLM land on or bordering that ranch, that BLM land is NOT OPEN to public access. The open country provides endless glassing opportunities and the gentle rolling hills allow for fairly easy hiking. So that is 7 permits skimmed off the top immediately for residents. The .300 Remington Ultra Mag. This proposal would remove half of the nonresident licenses from every quota in every area in the state for the future. This is a very solid hunt in my opinion for only one or two preference points. This is isnt a review of gear we used on our hunt but rather a summary of how we planned our DIY hunt and some pointers that may help someone looking to do some mule deer hunting in Montana. WY. This is an action packed hunt during the rut. *Illustration by Robert Neaves courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Characteristics of a mule deer CAUTION! This hunt must be done with a group of three hunters. Using the OnX off-grid mode I was able to mount my I-pad on my dash and keep my GPS location up to speed in real-time. Post-season 2019 counts in the Pioneer Mountains elk . The best opportunity to harvest a quality buck in New Mexico is in the northern Game Management Units (GMUs), according to Tristanna Bickford, communications director for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.GMUs 2B, 2C, 4, and 5A are quality hunting areas with large numbers of deer, many sporting antlers that will make the Boone & Crockett (B&C) book. DESIGNED BY. If it borders the BMA it becomes part of the BMA. For those interested in doubling up their hunting pursuits, most of the good whitetail habitat in Missouri River Country also harbors healthy populations of pheasants. Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is at the Streamlight booth at SHOT Show 2023 to go over the Bear Trap light from Streamlight. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Learn more about Montana Rivers & Ridges and get to know our guides! We have personally guided hunters to some of the largest bucks killed in the unit each year. Holders may not hunt Antlered Buck Mule Deer in any other HD. This would be a great opportunity to bring youth out on a hunt for a reasonable price. With the versatility to guide you on a Western Montana elk hunt, a spring bear hunt or an Eastern Montana trophy mule deer hunt. Mule Deer Subscriber Services. Montana also offers Block Management (BMAs) which is private Ranches opening up their property for public Montana mule deer hunting. Although the numbers are down here from the objective by about 25%, the big buck potential here should be very, very good this year. *All Combination License prices include the required Base Hunting License, Conservation License, Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Pass, and Application Fees. This long window should offer the option of hunting the pre, peak and post rut. Kevin Steele, Publisher of Petersen's HUNTING talks with JJ Reich of HEVI-Shot about the new offerings for 2023. Montanas Block Management Program opens more than 500,000 additional acres of private land to walk-in public hunting in the region, which is home to the highest concentrations of elk in the state, produces huge bulls, and is responsible for approximately 50 percent of the states elk harvest each year. Our area has a very impressive Mule Deer population, which leads to a very high success rate of 4 X 4 bucks. Muleys can be spotted from roads (very early morning is the best time to glass) and stalked, offering a relatively easy hunt. At Silver Spur Outfitters, we have many years of experience and have been in business since 1993. Dakota Walleye Classic Recap Lake Sakakawea is Stupid Healthy Right Now Best Cranks for Suspended Walleyes Still Loving the Scheels Tournament Bait Rod at 8.6, Sponsored by OutfitterLogic.com Hunting & Fishing Guide Website Design Winter Getting Long.first signs of spring Winnipeg walleyes Reverse Valentines Gifts for Men Are Custom Rods, The Prairie Skies of Bismarck, North Dakota (USA), Montana has 7 hunt districts that break down into smaller units in each district. Utah has always been known for its top-end mule deer, but it also has many different limited entry deer opportunities that will satisfy just about anyone. This hunt can be had with only about six or seven points. 15% of the 45 permits are guaranteed to resident and nonresident landowners alike. 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? 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. Colorado Corner Crossing Here We Go Again, 10 Most Common Big Game Violations Part 8 Hunter Trespassing, To Feed Or Not To Feed. Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is at the Streamlight booth at SHOT Show 2023 to go over the Bear Trap light from Streamlight. 28. I finally got through and was able to sign up for 1 ranch giving us a 3-day hunt on that property. $5,400/Hunter. The Courts can and do go back and modify rulings from the bench when situations change. With plenty of deer, a good buck here can be a tough endeavor, but they are here if you know where to look. The application for antelope licenses is June 1. Archery: Sept. 2 - Oct. 15 Youth, deer only: Oct. 19 - Oct. 20 General: Oct. 21 - Nov. 26 Shoulder seasons: Aug. 15 - Feb. 15, varying dates before and/or after the archery and general seasons Muzzleloader: Dec. 9 - 17 Our first ranch was 15,000 acres and allowed 15 hunters per day. Montana, Sanders County132 bighorn sheep in B&C records 11. Snow cover is more likely at this time, making deer more visible. 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). The mule deer grow quite large, and it is not uncommon for a deer to exceed 325 pounds in weight fully dressed out. 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. The Courts have given the States the ownership to manage wildlife within their borders however this is not an absolute right and has been modified many times in the past. Here in Wyoming and Montana, mule deer hunting is also diverse. The deep, contorted coulees of the breaks provide superb cover, allowing some bucks to achieve trophy status. Over the past years we have taken many trophy deer with both a gun and bow. Hunt those areas during archery season. This is a very solid hunt in my opinion for the meager three or four point spend. Some areas are easily accessed by roads, while others offer a wilderness experience for those willing to hike a distance from their vehicle. Region H, This general hunt region consists of a big, rugged region adjacent to the famed Region G area we spoke about above. The deadline for nonresident applications for archery and rifle elk licenses is March 15. Theres thousands of people who have invested a lot of money in the point system. Whitetail deer are also common in the cottonwood studded riparian areas along the river. We ended up hunting the type 1 BMAs for 6 of the 7 days hunted. Hunters have a legitimate chance at shooting a B&C pronghorn in all GMUs that have a huntable population. The top states for record mule deer are Colorado, Utah and Idaho. Each year we see and possibly harvest bucks that score 190+ B&C including some that score over 200 B&C inches. The rugged "breaks" along the Missouri contain dense stands of ponderosa pines and junipers. 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). . But then again the world is upside down these days. Kali Parmley, Editor-in-chief of Bakccountry Hunter speaks with Bret Maffet of Franchi Firearms to discuss the all new Momentum All Terrain Elite. Obviously these are the funds that are used to fund the States road system, educational system, law enforcement, health system and the like. DESIGNED BY: ROCKY RIDGE DIGITAL ADVERTISING. The northeastern portion of the state has the highest number of pronghorn and provides an opportunity to see a large number of animals during the hunt, while still providing an opportunity at a trophy buck. This hunt has been getting better and better each year and now seems to be producing some very consistent results as of the late.