Montana unit 630,31,32 mule deer?
 

Hello,
My hunting partner and I finally drew another Montana mule deer tag. We are heading out for the last ten days of the rifle season in November. We had good results last time we hunted in Custer national Forest and both took nice 5X5's. This year we are looking at hunting the missouri river breaks north of the fort peck dam. I think we have it narrowed down to Unit 630,631, and 632 since weeach boughtdoe tags that can be used there too. I'm looking for any guidance or comments about this area for mule deer hunting. We are looking into some BLM ranches in the area and most of them are just sign in at the gate. Does anyone have any good advice? Thanks for any help.

RE: Montana unit 630,31,32 mule deer?
 

What time are you planning on hunting?

I think you are going to have a better chance of success on a big buck sticking around Custer County or Powder River County.

There are a few bigger bucks in those units, but you probably aren't going to see them until mid November. Last year there were a TON of younger bucks around, but not too many big ones. I shot the only 5x5 (if you count brow tines) that I saw and it was a decent buck but not a monster by any means. It had a 21"inside spreadand tall backs and it scored 145".

I hunt that area because it is where I grew up, and my mom still lives in Glasgow, but if I didn't have a connection to the area I would probably be looking for big mulies in the Southeast corner of the state.

That's my 2 cents. Probably not worth that much.

Nathan

RE: Montana unit 630,31,32 mule deer?
 

P.S. - Filling a doe tag in those units should take all of 30 minutes. Last year I saw over 100 deer one day and the does just run about 50 yards away and stop and look at you. The only challenge is seeing how close you can shoot them to the nearest road so you don't have to haul them as far.

To get to the big bucks in those units you are going to have to spend plenty of time on foot and expect to pack them out a ways to the nearest road. You can get a couple miles away from the road really easy and it always seems like it is ALWAYS uphill to get back to the road.

Good Luck.

RE: Montana unit 630,31,32 mule deer?
 

We are going out on November 17th and staying until the season closes. We plan on hiking far from the roads to get away from all the lazy road hunters ;0). I don't mind having to pack the deer out if we find some decent bucks. I think we are going to start somewhere around Glasgow or Nashua.

RE: Montana unit 630,31,32 mule deer?
 

I my opinion post rut hunting out there is the toughest hunting of all. The bucks disappear into the nasty thick stuff, everyone who has not filled a tag yet feels compelled to spend the entire Thanksgiving holiday out there banging around, the weather is more then iffy it can be down right dangerous. The deer have been pressured since the last week of October plus all the elk hunters who haven't filled a tag are out banging around still. In addition with the CMR itself closed to buck hunting the last two weeks of the season those big boys just move onto the CMR and stay there.

My advice would be find a spot to sit and glass. I would spend more time behind the spotting scope then walking around. Of course get off the road as far as possible.

Also remember that in all region 6 districts (except 652) the CMR proper is off limits to buck hunting the last two weeks of the season. That closure is in effect 1/2 hour after sundown on Nov. 16th. If youdon't believe me call the CMR at 406-538-8706.

Nemont

RE: Montana unit 630,31,32 mule deer?
 

Thanks for the good info. I wanted to go during the rut but my hunting partner can't get off work until the 17th. I guess we have to play the cards we were dealt. I will have a great trip no matter what.

RE: Montana unit 630,31,32 mule deer?
 

FYI, the buck I shot out there last year was on the CMR so that would be off limits after the 16th. About 1/2 of my "spots" are on the CMR.

Not sure what you are going to do around Nashua. Good whitetail hunting in the bottoms but that is all private land. There can be some good hunting north of Hinsdale, but the best spots are private land out there too. Cornwell ranch north of Glasgow has a block management area but it is hunted pretty heavily also. Down south Burke Ranch block management area has a bunch of CMR mixed in. The Paige-Whitmire (? spellling) block management area is downright gigantic (I think including the public land mixed in gets it over 200,000 acres) but it is also hunted pretty heavily and like Nemont says at that time of the year the big bucks are going to be off the does and back on the CMR.

I've been out there at -30 with the wind howling out of the north on Thanksgiving day before filling my last tag so it can get downright nasty at that time of the year. It could be 50 and beautiful outtoo.

Good luck!