Hoping to plan a MT hunt... help appreciated
11-10-2010, 06:53 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4
Hoping to plan a MT hunt... help appreciated
Currently in pharmacy school and have an opportunity to do an out-of-state rotation with the Indian Health Service in either Crow Agency or Lame Deer, MT for a month next year (any time between fall 2011 - spring 2012). Currently thinking of taking a few extra days/week off afterward and see if I can set up a hunt. Was hoping some of you guys could lend your expertise so I can see if this is even feasible to do.
First off I want to mention that my hunting experience is pretty much in its infancy and has only been with turkey and whitetail in Michigan, but given this opportunity to possibly do big game out west I have to at least entertain the idea
Anyway, I looked into possibly doing a guided hunt, but at the moment it looks like they're all out of my price range (student loans can only be stretched so far, unfortunately... unless someone knows of a good deal)... so it looks like it will have to be a hunt on public land (or if I can manage to make friendly with a land owner the month I'm there). That being said, I'm unfamiliar with MT hunting, specific districts and licenses, so... what type of game could I expect to hunt in the area and which would I have the best odds at drawing a tag and actually having a shot (pun intended) at on public land?? As I mentioned, assuming I land the position, I will be in either Crow Agency or Lame Deer, ~60-100 miles east of Billings but have no issue driving a few hours in any direction.
Any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated!!
First off I want to mention that my hunting experience is pretty much in its infancy and has only been with turkey and whitetail in Michigan, but given this opportunity to possibly do big game out west I have to at least entertain the idea
Anyway, I looked into possibly doing a guided hunt, but at the moment it looks like they're all out of my price range (student loans can only be stretched so far, unfortunately... unless someone knows of a good deal)... so it looks like it will have to be a hunt on public land (or if I can manage to make friendly with a land owner the month I'm there). That being said, I'm unfamiliar with MT hunting, specific districts and licenses, so... what type of game could I expect to hunt in the area and which would I have the best odds at drawing a tag and actually having a shot (pun intended) at on public land?? As I mentioned, assuming I land the position, I will be in either Crow Agency or Lame Deer, ~60-100 miles east of Billings but have no issue driving a few hours in any direction.
Any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated!!
11-11-2010, 04:16 AM
#2
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southeastern Montana
Posts: 27
You will be in a great area to hunt. Hunting the reservations is a bit different, with different regulations. If you are at Crow, you will most likely be staying in Hardin.
You will need to put in to draw your licenses for deer and antelope. The only thing you can buy over the counter as a non resident would be a doe tag. Put in for region 7 for your licenses, which covers all of southeastern MT. You can go to the web site at http://fwp.mt.gov
Near Lame Deer and to the north and east is the Custer National Forest. Good for whitetails, turkey, mule deer, bears, and elk. Most of the ranchers in the area are pretty friendly and I know one near Lodge Grass that I could get you hooked up with.
You will need to put in to draw your licenses for deer and antelope. The only thing you can buy over the counter as a non resident would be a doe tag. Put in for region 7 for your licenses, which covers all of southeastern MT. You can go to the web site at http://fwp.mt.gov
Near Lame Deer and to the north and east is the Custer National Forest. Good for whitetails, turkey, mule deer, bears, and elk. Most of the ranchers in the area are pretty friendly and I know one near Lodge Grass that I could get you hooked up with.
11-21-2010, 01:35 PM
#3
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Montana
Posts: 5
Good luck man, that Res is known for its low game numbers. they have no hunting guide lines. if they see something wild anytime of year, they shoot it. My family has 2 sections (about 1300 acres) 13 miles north of Hardin. We have huge poaching problems and low game numbers because of the Rez. Last weekend I was elk hunting and I caught a guy sitting on a twelve foot ladder looking into our property. He said he was watching wildlife, why did he have orange and a rifle? good luck, but i would try any other res to work on. Northern Cheyenne are a great people and the Rocky Boy Res has amazing hunting. The Crows were known as the scavenger of the Indian tribes, and has not changed.
11-21-2010, 06:18 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: WV
Posts: 4,485
South East MT is gonna be a good place to hunt deer and antelope (Elk there is great too...but limited draw and really tough odds). However, just the cost of a non-res general tag is going to be pricey on a student budget. around $500. or so for deer and $200 or so for antelope, I believe. The odds of even drawing a general tag at all are probably about 1 in 3 anyway, so chances are it may not happen. I would at least apply if I were you though (for those two distinctive tags) because if you get one you can surely have a worthwhile hunt for both species..."do-it-yourself"....lots of public land around..call MT fwp and get info on their block management plan as well.
The "rez" itself will not be worthwhile unless you get in good with the chief or something and get to hunt their mountain country for elk or buffalo...maybe get him some free meds...lol
On a brighter note, if you like to fish you are in paradise as the bighorn river is awesome and is right there.
Also, if the big game doesn't work out, you may consider just getting an upland bird and waterfowl lic as the hunting for those is also excellent in that area and it is a (relatively) cheap OTC license.
Although crow agency and lame deer are real armpits...you may end up staying in MT (somewhere else) permanently....if you're smart and really love the out-of-doors
good luck
The "rez" itself will not be worthwhile unless you get in good with the chief or something and get to hunt their mountain country for elk or buffalo...maybe get him some free meds...lol
On a brighter note, if you like to fish you are in paradise as the bighorn river is awesome and is right there.
Also, if the big game doesn't work out, you may consider just getting an upland bird and waterfowl lic as the hunting for those is also excellent in that area and it is a (relatively) cheap OTC license.
Although crow agency and lame deer are real armpits...you may end up staying in MT (somewhere else) permanently....if you're smart and really love the out-of-doors
good luck
11-22-2010, 11:29 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 419
Check out the MT FWP Hunt Planner to get started. It's a good resource for getting the basic information you'll need.
http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/
If you were in proctology school you'd be going to the right area because Lame Deer and Crow Agency are pretty much the a-hole of Montana. The Crow reservation is known as being pretty well devoid of game because tribal members hunt it year round, but other areas of SE Montana have good numbers of game. As Hillbilly said you'll be close to the Bighorn River, the upper 13 miles of which are some of the best blue ribbon trout fishing in the world.
You'll likely see some dramatic changes to non-resident deer/elk licenses in MT next year due to Prop 161 passing. The state is doing away with the outfitter sponsored licenses and adding those licesenses to the general allocation. That will likely mean that the odds of drawing a non-resident deer/elk license will increase (roughly 50% odds now) but it also means the price will increase dramatically. Antelope licenses shouldn't be affected and will likely stay at their current price of $205.
http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/
If you were in proctology school you'd be going to the right area because Lame Deer and Crow Agency are pretty much the a-hole of Montana. The Crow reservation is known as being pretty well devoid of game because tribal members hunt it year round, but other areas of SE Montana have good numbers of game. As Hillbilly said you'll be close to the Bighorn River, the upper 13 miles of which are some of the best blue ribbon trout fishing in the world.
You'll likely see some dramatic changes to non-resident deer/elk licenses in MT next year due to Prop 161 passing. The state is doing away with the outfitter sponsored licenses and adding those licesenses to the general allocation. That will likely mean that the odds of drawing a non-resident deer/elk license will increase (roughly 50% odds now) but it also means the price will increase dramatically. Antelope licenses shouldn't be affected and will likely stay at their current price of $205.
12-02-2010, 07:47 PM
#8
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 5
The license situation could be really pricey because of the above mentioned prop 161 passing, but if you are willing to pay the price, you will find some amazing deer hunting, both whitetail and Mule deer, near the town of Broadus. You may have to go knock on a few doors to get permission.
Also go to my website, I will be auctioning off some great hunts in the near future for almost nothing. Example: $22,000 African Safari with a reserve under $650.00. www.adventurebidz.com.
Also go to my website, I will be auctioning off some great hunts in the near future for almost nothing. Example: $22,000 African Safari with a reserve under $650.00. www.adventurebidz.com.
