Utah has four premium areas for deer. The average harvest fell from 3,000 to 500 in . New Mexico, Socorro County117 pronghorn in B&C records 13. Mule Deer Mike Ornoski has bowhunted in Arizona for more than 35 years. Hours of looking at Google Earth do not come close to physically being there. The Interstate Commerce Clause, The Fairness Doctrine in the Constitution and other legal concepts can all be looked at again and Court Rulings Reversed. There are 45 tags total for 270-50. If the weather hits just right this hunt can produce some very big bucks held up in the sagebrush waiting for the rut to begin. amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; Western Hunt Company is a big game & upland hunting operation based in Montana & Idaho. 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%. 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. This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. 20. The Big Sandy, late hunt is a true wildcard hunt with some very solid big buck potential. I think it might be time for a class action law suit against the State of Wyoming on tag allocation. The Region H hunt can be a very good hunt on the right year for really good bucks. READY TO GO ON YOUR EASTERN MONTANA MULE DEER HUNT? ABOUT; OUR HUNTS. Core habitat for elk in northeastern Montana is found adjacent to the Missouri River and tributary creeks. Lydia Decaria, license sales representative with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said Pronghorn Area 73, north of Casper, is very popular with hunters because it has huge tracts of Bureau of Land Management property. Along with exceptional big-game hunting the Montana's Missouri River Country boasts robust populations of sharp-tailed and sage grouse, and gray (Hungarian) partridges. Check em out! Needless to say, hunting mule deer in Wyoming in its current capacity is going to probably be less than ideal. Habitat stamps cost $10.00 and you must have one to hunt anything in Colorado. Landowners already have such a big advantage over the average hunter! Montana has 7 hunt districts that break down into smaller units in each district. 4. Sand Hill country GMUs 31, 32, and 33 in the southeast corner of the state also are capable of producing B&C bucks. Learn how your comment data is processed. Each of these units is worth the wait and gives the hunter an amazing opportunity at Pope & Young and Boone & Crockett bulls, he said. Whether the tag in your pocket leads you to a comfortable lodge for a guided hunt on private land, a DIY spike camp deep in backcountry wilderness, or somewhere in between, hunting the West will grab you by the soul and easily can become a year-round obsession. I looked at those stats a few years ago and resident landowners were drawing one of those coveted tags every three years on average. Dec 2, 2022. We cover Units 240, 250, 261, 262, and 270 for Mule Deer Draw Tag Hunters! Hey Chopperz, as of right now it has only become law for the Big 5. Cross your fingers for big bucks and good opportunities for the future. I have applied for this tag almost every year for the 25 years I was a resident and a couple years as a nonresident. Hunting these trophy bulls with a rifle requires a long-odds lottery permit, but those who do draw have the chance to take amazing animals. 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 (Montana resident), drew this tag this year and was wondering how the hunt went for you. 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. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. 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. In some places their range overlaps with mule deer, in others they are mostly separate from their long-eared cousins. Somebody please post up the best trophy mule deer hunting in Montana so anyone that is smart enough to work the google can pull up this thread! John Vore, game-management bureau chief for the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks department, reported some hunters tag huge mule deer bucks using boats to access the Missouri River Breaks area where the river separates regions 4 and 7 in the state. If you do, remember this: Dont pass the first day what youd shoot the last. The Tendoy elk management unit (HDs 300, 302 and 328) continued to exceed management objectives after the 2019 hunting season, and long-term data trends indicate a stable population. 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 hunt is generally booked after the hunter has secured a permit. 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. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Eastmans Publishing, Inc. is a holding company engaged in publishing. Almost feels like a time share that well never get to use. The bad news is it can take decades to draw a coveted tag in some of the premium units. Nevada, Washoe County114 pronghorn in B&C records 14. Statistically, the most coveted deer permit in Montana is just outside Darby in the southernmost portion of the Bitterroot Valley. You cannot access without being signed up for that specific BMA. Being small in size, they are easy to hunt. 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 Hunters have a legitimate chance at shooting a B&C pronghorn in all GMUs that have a huntable population. We publish book and magazines, along with producing videos, DVDs, and TV programs. I think we also found that the squared bonus point system is not that effective because there are just too many applicants nowadays. 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. Desert Ghosts: Hunting the Elusive Coues Deer, Six Great Lever-Gun Hunts for North America, What To Do When Your Rifle Breaks While On a Hunt, Federal Terminal Ascent Hunting Bullet: Field Review, The Only Three Guns You Need to Go Hunting, Tested Tough - Modern Zeiss Sports Optics, Professional outfitters' and guides' services, trip planning materials are available on the Missouri River Country website. Unit 102 has been a desirable hunter destination for trophy mule deer in Wyoming over the past two decades. 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. Some of the biggest bull elk in Montana call the Breaks home. So youre probably wondering, how is it possible that zero nonresidents drew this tag in 2018? 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. This is a very limited, late season hunt with hunt dates during most of the month of November. 3. The sound of a bugling bull elk or the sight of two monster 6x6s fighting for mountain dominance is a memory that will stay with a hunter for a lifetime. Area 130-1, The Big Sandy, late hunt is a true wildcard hunt with some very solid big buck potential. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. ELK HUNTS; . All Rights Reserved. The Region H hunt can be a very good hunt on the right year for really good bucks. Then you have the, Colorado Corner Crossing Here We Go Again, 10 Most Common Big Game Violations Part 8 Hunter Trespassing, To Feed Or Not To Feed. 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. Public land is not a problem here. They also provide transportation to and from the airport if needed. We ended up hunting the type 1 BMAs for 6 of the 7 days hunted. In 2017, three tags went to nonresidents. 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. 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. If awarded we are going to try to stay on the eastern side of the state due to the drive from Louisiana.. . amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Idaho runs a close second to Colorado when it comes to mule deer hunting. That's why oftentimes, the all-time records list you see aren't the most accurate depictions of where big deer are truly . If you have two points, that gives you four chances in the drawing. Too many things in our world are going the wrong way. Just a thought. And every other year at least one or two of the four tags go to landowners. 406-342-5475 tlp@rangeweb.net . The recommended hotel also has a restaurant. 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. The same goes for SOME of Montana State Land. We put in for General tags as well as purchasing the extra preference point that is offered when applying. 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. 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. Elk, mule deer, and pronghorn are three iconic species among the big-game animals hunters pursue throughout the western United States. This year we would have limited time and left the idea of the Elk/Combo out of the equation. Unit 22 is open for archery hunting late August to mid September and then December through the end of January. The plants and soils of the region offer excellent nutrition, allowing mature bulls to grow exceptionally large antlers. Some of Lewis' most poetic lines were reserved for their surroundings in Montana where he wrote, "As we passed on it seemed as if those scenes of visionary enchantment would never have an end.". Registration for each BMA is different. 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. The Bitterroot Valley has long been known as the best place to take a trophy buck, and it is no secret as the draw odds have been horrible for units 261, 262, and 270. 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. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; Writers Note: This Montana mule deer on the cover was taken at 502 yards. This hunt is very accessible and roaded with lots of open hillsides and meadows to glass up bucks feeding on the edges. Resident applicants for this permit are increasing 300-1000 per year proving that the popularity hasnt waned. We narrowed down 5-6 different type 2 BMAs to register for. 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. The type 2s were crawling with other hunters and the quality of deer we saw on these properties was not what we were after. If you find yourself in the burn my points now camp, here are what I feel are the best mule deer hunts Wyoming has to offer, at this point anyway. Kevin Steele stops by the Taurus booth to speak with Cody Osborn about the all new Raging Hunter platform from Taurus International. Again, pay close attention to the regulations to make sure you are properly licensed to hunt mule deer. 28. If I could recommend one vital piece of gear that greatly helped us out on our hunt it would be the use of, 4-8 We Talk Walleyes and Walleye Tournaments and Gear for Days. The 2021 mule deer population estimate is the lowest since 2014. Hunters can expect to see 75-100 deer a day and as many as 10 bucks. No other state comes close to Wyoming's endless harvesting options and ecosystems. Mule deer are widely distributed throughout the region but most heavily concentrated in the Missouri Breaks and adjacent prairie habitat. 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. 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. amzn_assoc_asins = "B013D2ULO6"; This is a very solid hunt in my opinion for only one or two preference points. From southwest deserts to coastal forests, mule deer hunting presents a variety of challenges. Publisher Kevin Steele is in the Beretta booth with Logan Killam, the Shotgun Product Manager, to discuss the all new Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey. The zone we hunted also had leftover antlerless tags available for $100 apiece. Kali Parmley, Editor-in-chief of Bakccountry Hunter speaks with Bret Maffet of Franchi Firearms to discuss the all new Momentum All Terrain Elite. Snow cover is more likely at this time, making deer more visible. Harvest is generally limited to 180" bucks and larger, but our goal for each client is to get a 190 . $5,900/Hunter. There are a handful of good limited-entry units, and most of them give a hunter a good hunt for an average buck. Hunters stay at a comfortable, nice, and clean hotel of our recommendation and are picked up and dropped off every day. Its name is derived from having large ears that resemble that of a mule's. This has been considered the holy grail of mule deer permits in the Big Sky State for the past couple decades. The northeastern portion of Montana west of Scobey has copious amounts of state land open to public hunting. This high-success mule deer hunt takes place along the scenic Powder River of Southeast Montana. Learn how your comment data is processed. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Montana. But then again the world is upside down these days. 22. Home Guided Hunts Retreats Book Hunting Trip Successful Hunts About R&K Hunting Company Inc. 80 W. 100 S. P.O. 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). Sonora Mexico Mule Deer Hunts. 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. 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. 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. Consult with Hunters Who Have Hunted in Your Unit, Join Now! Montana Mule Deer Draw There are a handful of good limited-entry units, and most of them give a hunter a good hunt for an average buck. Mule Deer Hunting Rates Get your hunt booked now! Kevin Steele, Publisher of Petersen's HUNTING talks with JJ Reich of HEVI-Shot about the new offerings for 2023. Best Montana Scouting And Scenery 2020 Galleries. The more popular areas for whitetail are along the river systems and large agricultural areas throughout the eastern part of the state. This area is mountainous and does contain about 25% wilderness at the very top of the unit. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "bennordquist-20"; WTF!! Go on More Hunts with Better Information, Join Huntin' Fool Today! This is done by a scorecard placed in a dropbox on the location of each BMA. Anyone have input on Idaho unit 59a for mule deer? This hunt area is the other limited quota hunt unit inside the general Region G area. Tags #myhuntstory Archery backpack hunting big game hunting bow hunting deer hunting Eastmans Eastmans' Bowhunting Journals Eastmans' Hunting Journal Eastmans' Hunting Journals Guy Eastman Hunting Mule Deer Hunting Mule deer. I also recommend the cellphone adapter that makes taking photos a breeze. And in the evening, glass until it's too dark to see, you'll understand and appreciate the term "coming out of the woodwork". 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. 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. The open country provides endless glassing opportunities and the gentle rolling hills allow for fairly easy hiking. 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. 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. We decided to try our hand at getting some tags in our neighboring state of Montana. Idaho. These statistics tell us that the bonus point system does not weigh enough in this squared bonus point system to select applicants in the higher point tiers. Read on to discover some of the best units and areas to consider when applying for elk, mule deer, or pronghorn tags out West. This country is big, rugged and nothing comes easy here, but the bucks here are by far the largest in the state, historically speaking. However, there are no guarantees a nonresident will even get a tag. Guided elk hunts, with guaranteed tags on private land, are expensive; elk tags for public lands with limited access can be tough to draw; and competition from other hunters on public land with over-the-counter tags can be maddening, but elk hunting still is a passion that drives hunters from all over the country. In early June a successful applicant can request a BMA guide that will be delivered around the end of July. 7 Comments 380 is a joke. 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. 262-00-B: F ANY G 100% 0 ArchEquip, shotgun . If they want a true limited entry trophy type hunt they need to get rid of the cow and spike hunters. The prairie deer hunts consist of four four-day seasons, which take place Wednesdays through Saturdays in November. 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 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. PS I from Nevada. All Petersen's Hunting subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. 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. My best MT bucks came from heavily timbered units that have limited glassing opportunities. 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. Utah has six limited-entry units where trophy quality can be amazing, and a bonus-points system is used, rather than preference points, meaning half the tags in each unit are given to the top points holders and half are awarded in a random draw. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Due to the vast quantity of applicants for this unit, the point system does very little for you in return. Mule deer and white-tailed deer are the most widely distributed and abundant big game mammals in Montana. Any special permit that a non-resident landowner draws will count against the 10% non-resident quota for that unit. Toprut allows me to find the tags and hunts that others miss or overlook. It's not the same question as asking what is the best Colorado OTC archery unit. 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. A lot of hunters only hunt or glass in the early mornings and evenings. The Montana application deadline for deer is April 1, 2022. So far, Wyoming is looking in great shape from the winter and into spring where the weather has been very wet and cool. These were usually posted as enrolled if there was no access. Its now 4 years in a row of getting the annual rejection letter. 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. Our goal is to provide the best fair chase Colorado Elk Hunting and Trophy Mule Deer Hunting available. Remember nonresidents are allocated up to 10% of the tags in an area. The guys are , Bow hunt public land mule deer with Brian Barney on this episode of Beyond the . Montana mule deer herds are showing a small improvement in quality, but herds are stable to declining in most areas of the state. Statistically, the most coveted deer permit in Montana is just outside Darby in the southernmost portion of the Bitterroot Valley. is the caliber that currently holds one of the long range distance records for . I'm not going out on a limb and making any bold predictions, but the science is adding up. 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. These tags aren't easy to draw but it's worth the wait. An emerging opportunity for hunters in Region 2 is to hunt mule deer on private lands, where numbers generally are growing. . As a general rule, elk density also increases from east to west. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Since we pride our hunters and offer great quality hunting guides, we are 100% fair chase. Give a Gift Copyright 2023 Eastmans' Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Guys TOP 5 Picks for Wyoming Mule Deer 2022. 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. There are seven different hunting districts within our area; these include units 204, 240, 260, 261, 262, 250, and 270. 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. Kevin Steele of Petersen's HUNTING is with Dawn Wehunt of Rock River Arms INC. learning about the new Ascendant platform. A lot of large bucks stay nocturnal during the general rifle season, making them very hard to find. So that is 7 permits skimmed off the top immediately for residents. Nonresidents fund a very large percentage of Wyomings Fish and Game Budget, the State also receives many millions in the Robertson Pittman Act funds. The answer is landowners. And everything about the pursuit is big. Region H, This general hunt region consists of a big, rugged region adjacent to the famed Region G area we spoke about above. If it borders the BMA it becomes part of the BMA. Here is the pair we use. For nonresidents the statistics are even worse. This is just another example. Utah took advantage of a combination of favorable weather, aggressive habitat management, and strict regulations to increase its mule deer population by as much as 100,000 from 2008 to 2016, pushing the size of the herd past 380,000 animals. The rifle season dates allow hunters to hunt the rut. Public land is not a problem here. If you have max points (16), you have 256 chances in the drawing. Although the numbers are down here from the objective by about 25%, the big buck potential here should be very, very good this year. The Missouri Breaks also hold modest numbers of whitetails, particularly in creek bottoms containing deciduous cover. All Rights Reserved. Hunters need to realize that . 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. Neither of us had ever hunted this area before or knew any landowners. I fully expect 10 preference points to be a requirement to hunt here with 100% surety. This hunt can be had with only about six or seven points. It's pretty easy to figure out which units offer the best trophy potential and have limited tags (and corresponding tough draw odds). 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.