best mule deer units in montana best mule deer units in montana

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 river winds northwest from its confluence with the Missouri, roughly following the course of U. S. Highway 2. This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. Ord, holds a fair number of mule deer and receives little pressure because of . An emerging opportunity for hunters in Region 2 is to hunt mule deer on private lands, where numbers generally are growing. Mule deer numbers are very good here and some of the more remote canyons harbor giant bucks. For example, fewer animals are found in the region around Fork Peck Dam as opposed to areas at the western end of the reservoir. sitting, and still hunting can be effective, but the best way is to use a vehicle to cover as much country as possible in the mornings and evenings. We have guided and unguided hunts. 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? Best Montana Moose Hunts 2020 Galleries. Whitetail deer are also common in the cottonwood studded riparian areas along the river. If you have max points (16), you have 256 chances in the drawing. He had two suggestions for hunters who approach drawing an elk tag in different ways in the state. The Montana application deadline for deer is April 1, 2022. We ended up hunting the type 1 BMAs for 6 of the 7 days hunted. The average harvest fell from 3,000 to 500 in . No other state comes close to Wyoming's endless harvesting options and ecosystems. 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. Search our database forMT Mule Deer opportunities. All Rights Reserved. At Montana Rivers & Ridges Outfitter, our guides are Montana natives and well experienced across the state. 2022 MONTANA RIVERS AND RIDGES OUTFITTER LLC. Sep 25, 2013 #5 M mtmuley Well-known member Joined Jan 11, 2009 Messages 11,557 Location montana Magazines, TV shows and pics of big bucks with the unit displayed don't help either. . 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! The answer is landowners. 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. 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 open country provides endless glassing opportunities and the gentle rolling hills allow for fairly easy hiking. The West side of the Bighorns is a mule deer producing factory on a good year. Public land is not a problem here. For the most part, hunters should be prepared to hunt at least a mile from vehicle access, as elk usually keep a buffer of about that distance from motorized activity. Being able to hunt these deer during the rut with a rifle gives our clients and amazing edge to harvest a nice mature Mule deer buck. Antlerless: A deer without antlers or with antlers less than 3 inches in length. It takes some education but they got there and u see good deer in all those QDM areas. Nevada, Washoe County114 pronghorn in B&C records 14. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Our parent company, Flyway Media, offers hunting guide website design options. We've Ranked All Mule Deer Hunting States by Entries Per Square Mile of Total Land Mass. The permit is known as 270-50. 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. 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. | 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. Though relatively few in number, Missouri Breaks bucks can achieve notable size. This hunt is one of only two limited quota hunts inside the Region G zone where 15 lucky applicants will hunt for big rut staged high country deer during the final two weeks of the month of October. Its name is derived from having large ears that resemble that of a mule's. Lets all try to make the best of it. The largest antelope the author has seen taken by a hunter was downed a couple miles north of Fort Peck Reservoir. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "bennordquist-20"; Credit: Photo Courtesy Missouri River Country. amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; If it borders the BMA it becomes part of the BMA. Remember nonresidents are allocated up to 10% of the tags in an area. Home Guided Hunts Retreats Book Hunting Trip Successful Hunts About R&K Hunting Company Inc. 80 W. 100 S. P.O. Publisher Kevin Steele is in the Beretta booth with Logan Killam, the Shotgun Product Manager, to discuss the all new Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey. Montana also offers Block Management (BMAs) which is private Ranches opening up their property for public Montana mule deer hunting. Our editors have hand-picked these essential pieces of gear to make you a more successful hunter when you hit the game trails this season. 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. 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. Obviously these are the funds that are used to fund the States road system, educational system, law enforcement, health system and the like. We put in for General tags as well as purchasing the extra preference point that is offered when applying. Give a Gift So in 2018, all four of the nonresident tags went to landowners. Dates: October 27-31, 2023. However, by looking at all point levels from 1-16, multiple applicants drew permits in just about every point level from 0-16. For example, in 2019 there were over 1400 applicants with zero points, and one person drew. The outstanding success rates and superb trophy quality keep this hunt in high demand. The good news is many Western states have huge mule deer herds and produce phenomenal bucks. Edward Wright: This was 20 years ago when coyotes in my home state hit epidemic proportions. And thats just what can be done by driving in a pickup. Region H, This general hunt region consists of a big, rugged region adjacent to the famed Region G area we spoke about above. I ended up filling my tag with my biggest Mule Deer to date on our 2nd day. Some of our hunting areas include vast open ridges with . These tags aren't easy to draw but it's worth the wait. This is quite the impressive increase as to qualify to apply for a landowner tag, you have to own or be in contract to own at least 160 acres in that unit. Mike Ornoski has bowhunted in Arizona for more than 35 years. Our Memberships Include The Most Accurate Draw Odds Available, Join Now! Area 128 near Dubois has November hunt dates and limited tags, and units 101 and 102 of the Southwest Desert country have solid deer numbers and great vehicle access. There are a few 2023 dates left open. The 2021 mule deer population estimate is the lowest since 2014. With plenty of deer, a good buck here can be a tough endeavor, but they are here if you know where to look. 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. If you have two points, that gives you four chances in the drawing. THE BEST MULE DEER RIFLE CALIBER. And everything about the pursuit is big. Colorado Corner Crossing Here We Go Again, 10 Most Common Big Game Violations Part 8 Hunter Trespassing, To Feed Or Not To Feed. He is vice president of Christian Hunters of America and is a Cabelas Pro Staffer. This hunt should take 12 to 14 points to draw this year. Idaho runs a close second to Colorado when it comes to mule deer hunting. Colorado Mule Deer Hunting License fee structure is as follows: DEER Resident adult: $39.75 Resident youth: $15.50 Nonresident adult/fishing combo*: $396.75 Nonresident youth/fishing combo*: $101.50 One final fee is your annual habitat stamp. My partner passed on a good deer the first day and we spent the majority of the rest of our hunt trying to find that deer. Our mule deer love the high country! 14,019 Views. Sergio Alcazar, owner of ALC Global Adventures, has lived in and hunted Colorado for 24 years. In early June a successful applicant can request a BMA guide that will be delivered around the end of July. 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. 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." We chose Montana for a few different reasons, none of which could be overshadowed by the convenience of having their lottery run by mid-April. The Tag: Unit 44 Rifle Mule Deer. Montana estimates its whitetail population to be at 212,814. 4. In 2021, three of the five total non-resident deer permits available in units 261-50 and 270-50 were drawn by non-resident landowners. For some hunters, pursuing elk, mule deer, and pronghorn in the western United States is a future dream; for others its a yearly routine. If they want a true limited entry trophy type hunt they need to get rid of the cow and spike hunters. 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. Mule Deer Hunting Rates Get your hunt booked now! There are a handful of good limited-entry units, and most of them give a hunter a good hunt for an average buck. Located outside of Laramie this hunt is a bit rough, but nothing like the rugged hunts in the northwest portion of the state. Elk hunting is a tradition shared by thousands of hunters each fall. Unit 22 is open for archery hunting late August to mid September and then December through the end of January. 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 permit is known as 270-50. This has already been seen in the recently completed Wyoming elk draw where many areas saw huge gains in point creep with possibly even more to come for next year. Learn how your comment data is processed. Kevin Steele stops by the Taurus booth to speak with Cody Osborn about the all new Raging Hunter platform from Taurus International. Add to this bad news the fact that many nonresident applicants are getting very, very nervous, to say the least, given the possibility of the proposed 90/10 license allocation change becoming a reality. $5,900/Hunter. Montana's 2022 mule deer breakdown 2021 was a fairly quiet season in Montana with very few notable bucks being taken. The trophies are big. The key indicators of a rebound are all lining up for the future on this hunt. The eastern side of the state provides good mule deer hunting. Copyright 2023 Eastmans' Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Guys TOP 5 Picks for Wyoming Mule Deer 2022. Although the region is not heralded as a trophy destination for pronghorn, lucky hunters may encounter outsized bucks. PS I from Nevada. Sand Hill country GMUs 31, 32, and 33 in the southeast corner of the state also are capable of producing B&C bucks. Most all of the nonresident hunting is occurring on Federal Lands, National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Federal Wilderness Areas and National Grasslands. Much of Montana is unposted even where public access lies. The French Creek hunt was turned from a general hunt into a limited quota hunt about ten years ago and the hunt here seems to be getting better and better each year. Montana has 7 hunt districts that break down into smaller units in each district. Nebraska. Subscriber Services. 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. 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. A fine hunter in his own right, Guy has taken several trophy animals and has become an expert in trophy hunting as well. The plants and soils of the region offer excellent nutrition, allowing mature bulls to grow exceptionally large antlers. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 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. Post-season 2019 counts in the Pioneer Mountains elk . Montana Rivers and Ridges Outfitter offers a late season 4 Day trophy Mule Deer hunt on the beautiful prairie of Eastern Montana. Unfortunately, Montana has been giving out so many mule deer doe tags that they have put a hurt on the mule deer population. Kevin Steele from Petersen's HUNTING speaks to Jordan Egli of Burris Optics about the all-new Veracity PH Riflescope. This hunt area is the other limited quota hunt unit inside the general Region G area. We shootbrownelk: Big fines, mandatory jail time and loss of licenses. The area consistently produces exceptional trophy mule deer, which are the priority on this hunt. In Montana, Region 3 in the southwest corner of the state covers nearly 12 million acres, more than half of which is public land managed by the BLM or Forest Service. Subscriber Services. A lot of large bucks stay nocturnal during the general rifle season, making them very hard to find. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; Mule deer hunters should plan to go high in the mountains for the best opportunity at bigger bucks. Reading the bill I took it that way unless I misunderstood it. BOOK YOUR 2022 MONTANA FLY FISHING TRIP TODAY! Diamond Outfitters has secured quite literally, the most legendary properties in all of Sonora! This is a very solid hunt in my opinion for only one or two preference points. That is 16,660 above the 2020 population estimate and slightly above the 10-year average of 202,033. So that is 7 permits skimmed off the top immediately for residents. Statewide, mule deer populations in Montana during there 2018 season were hovering around 334,965, which is down 13.23% from a peak in 2017, but still vastly higher than the low in 2012 of 211,361. 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. This high-success mule deer hunt takes place along the scenic Powder River of Southeast Montana. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. 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. Dan Pickar Although a big buck here would be a very tall order, a fun hunt with limited pressure is what this hunt should offer up on a somewhat later season experience. I am currently applying for those myself. Montana has a lot of country and lot of mule deer. Pronghorn Area 38, between Cheyenne and Laramie, is a mix of public and private land where landowners typically charge minimal trespass fees and hunters needed only two preference points to draw a tag in 2018, Decaria said. 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. If I could recommend one vital piece of gear that greatly helped us out on our hunt it would be the use of OnX Hunt! Habitat stamps cost $10.00 and you must have one to hunt anything in Colorado. Today, antelope are a perennial favorite among big-game hunters who stalk the prairie speedsters on the open plains on both the north and south sides of the Mighty Mo. We offer many different types of Montana Mule Deer Rut Hunts on several private ranches. 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. Unit 102 has been a desirable hunter destination for trophy mule deer in Wyoming over the past two decades. 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. mtmuley Sep 25, 2013 #6 One of the region's prime whitetail grounds is the Milk River drainage, a tributary to the Missouri River. If awarded we are going to try to stay on the eastern side of the state due to the drive from Louisiana.. . Max points will be required for a chance at this hunt and nearly every hunter (89%) on this hunt walks away with a buck by the end of the season. 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. $5,400/Hunter. This long window should offer the option of hunting the pre, peak and post rut. Few places in the hunting world command the attention of mule deer enthusiasts like Eagle County, Colorado. We ended up hunting the type 1 BMAs for 6 of the 7 days hunted. 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. Most of the state is managed to maximize hunter opportunity each fall. Almost feels like a time share that well never get to use. 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. There is a lot of private land, but there is plenty of Block Management and public land for anyone to have a good hunt. 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. This has been considered the holy grail of mule deer permits in the Big Sky State for the past couple decades. There needs to be some serious adjustments to the hunting seasons in this unit. Archers typically find the best success in the cool hours around daylight and sunset. However the Task Force is heading down the 90/10 for all species. The type 2s were crawling with other hunters and the quality of deer we saw on these properties was not what we were after. So that is 7 permits skimmed off the top immediately for residents. 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.