Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Hello all. This coming fall, provided I draw a deer tag, I'm headed to western Montana to do a little hunting. My cousin just moved there this past fall. He and his wife moved an hour north of Missoula to a little town called Seeley Lake.

My plan is to go out in September. My question, and you natives might get a giggle out of this, is about the grizzlies in the area. I'm going out with a bow.Should I expect to see or have many bears around me? Is it legal to carry a pistol during bow season? Maybe I'm being overly cautious, but being from PA, we don't have to worry about such critters. Just black bears that are more afraid of us that we are of them.

On another note, how is the hunting in this area?:D I'm going more for the sake of going and experiencing the west for the first time so I"m not getting my hopes up.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Seeley Lake used to be a good place to hunt some nice Whitetail. The secret is out of the bag now and everyone and thier brother hunts it.
Years ago I hunted it and it was a great place to get a nice Whitetail with plenty of Black Bears, but just like the rest of Montana's little nice spots this one has gone to crap. Have fun waving at the 20 or more people you will seeout in the same area hunting.
They have built the place up with cabins, mostly out of staters, but you may have some better luck if you get out of the vehicle and hunt far from the road as the place swarms with road hunters, then again this may be tough as they have put quite a few roads in.
NO grizz in the area but plenty of Yotes.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Yes, there are Grizzlies around Seeley Lake. I wouldn't worry about them much though. Count yourself lucky if you get to see one. You can carry a pistol during archery season in Montana. As for the hunting, it is still good whitetail hunting, good Mule deer hunting also on the West side of the Bob Marshall.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Run out and shoot me a picture of one as the 25 years I have hunted the place never seen one or any sign. The Bob sure but not aroundSeeley.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

FYI, the last 2 years the out of state deer tag drawing odds for Montana are right around 20% for the non resident deer A tag.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

So you're saying its a pretty slim chance of getting a tag for that area? I was looking at the reg book and am really confused on what to even apply for anyway.:D My cousin is supposed to get info from the guys he works with there. I'll apply, what the heck. At the very least I'll start earning points I guess.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

I think your odds are better if you put in for an deer/elk combo. If you are coming in Sept then good gosh man,better have an elk tag in your hand, they'll be bugling.
You can carry a pistol while hunting. I carry pistol and bear spray. I wouldn't say there aren't griz and they are not to be thought about, as there was a man killed by one while he was gutting his elk on the Clearwater Game Range about 3 years ago.
I wouldn't let it freak you out, you probably won't see one, but you can't be stupid about food and camping and such.
The Swan Mountains are some of the most rugged and beautiful places you will find to hunt. If you are willing to walk at all you won't see people. Lots of big whities, Sept will be to early to catch them rutting. But that first week of archery is a good time to get one as they are still in their summer patterns of feeding in the same fields in bachelor groups of 5-10 deer. Get a treestand in a good spot next to a private hayfield and you stand a good chance. You don't stand a good chance stalking due to the brush and the randomness of the deer in the big woods here. My opinion of course. But seriously, put in for the elk tag and get into some of those basins in the Swan and you will have some fun. There is a good bull in every basin. But you better be prepared for some steep and deep and brushy hell holes, but that is nw MT. Some get in shape or you might drop a nut hunting this stuff, that's is you go after elk. The whitetails are in the rolling foothills and lowlands and creek bottoms.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

MT, thanks for the advice. I was debating on applying for the Elk/Deer combo.That would probably make me cry having only a deer tag with a bugling bull only 20 yds away. I've always been a work out freak so that shouldn't be a problem.

Now you got me thinkin.

One other question that comes to mind. The deadline is March 15. When do you get notified if you're successful or not?

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Drawing results are posted mid may.




.

I didn't say they were behind every tree. Just because you haven't seen one, doesn't mean they are not there. I have a friend in Condon that had one on his back porch.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Good luck putting in muzzy, my friend from IA drew last year with no points. I think you have something like a 67% chance with no points, 80% with 1 point, something like that.
If you draw and have more questions, just speak up.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

MT, thats better news. I was kind of sweating it when someone said a 20% chance. I noticed on the application you have the option of applying for points when you submit. I'll do this for sure.

Thanks again for the advice and input MT, its greatly appreciated.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

If you had read the original post he say's Seeley Lake. Not the surrounding area. I had a leased Cabin for 5 years down from the Boy Scout camp and have hunted and scouted this place hard.
We have been all around the lake in all the seasons and again have never seen Grizzly sign.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Well Bob, I just assumed he would not be hunting INSeeley Lake
but would in fact be hunting in the surrounding area. And that
is "where da bears live".

Good Luck Muzzyman.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Wow, here I thought us Pennsylvanian's were the only ones who argued over a critter that doesn't exist in our state but really does.:D Ah, just kidding. We've had an ongoing debate about Mt. Lions here in PA for years now.

If I get a draw, I'll probably take bear spray with me. But I don't think I'll take a handgun. I'll have enough trouble getting a bow and all my other hunting crap on the plane.:D

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

MM88,

I would definitely try for the combo tag. Better to have it and not need it than to WANT it and not have it. If you are traveling that far it will be worth it.
On my last hunt to Colorado my friend that lives there told me I should get a bear tag and I said, nah, never seen that many while I was there in the past so I won't bother." Well, I saw 5 bear within a couple of days. [:@]
I have hunted the area in Montana that you are talking about. This was about 10 years ago and I saw a LOT of nice whitetail there. I also got some nice video of a grizzly that came into our camp!! But the camp was farther north...closer to Glacier NP.
WW

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

[/align]Good luck on the draw ,this is my 3rd try and I pay for the points.That is the compo elk/deer .If you do not get tags try to visit them in the summer you will love the place if your from Pa.I want to be chasing bulls in 8 months.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

If you are hunting after Sept. 15, its legal to hunt black bears with a firearm while bowhunting for deer or elk at the same time. Black Bear tags are only $350 and there ae quite a few in that area. Just a thought.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

As these guys have said, you have a better chance at getting drawn if you put in for the combo elk/deer tag, as a non-resident, it's close to 60% with zero points, and goes up with bonus points, I think with two bonus points it's close to 90% draw chance. I called F&W last year and got the odds from them. With the non-res. deer tag only, they are correct, it's around 20% with zero points, about 30% with 1 point, and 30-40% with 2 points, not an easy chance that's for sure.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Heck I heard there was a Grizzer Bear hibernating in one of the Pyramid Lumber Co. log decks

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Ha, ultimag, I'm not sure, but Pyramid Lumber might be the company my cousin is workin for there. Is that in or around Seeley Lake? I'll definitely put in for the points.

How many points are you permitted to buy?

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

Pyramid Lumber is in Seeley Lake.You only get one point per species per year. Example when i put in for moose i can add an extra 3 bucks and i get an additional point. it is the same with all the special draws. MM just kidding about the Grizzer bear hibernating at the mill.

RE: Heading to MT and have a couple questions
 

I hunted Seeley Lake area a fews ago and saw whitetails everyday, it just depends on what quality you want. If your comeing in sept., by all means have an elk tag in your hand, you can always shoot deer at home. Around mid sept. they should be bugling their dang heads off. I pack a 357, 3" S.S. ruger and bear spray. I think their may be rules and regulations about taking bear spray on the plane so cheque ahead of time. Make sure you are equipt to deal with an elk several hundred feet down in a basin. Also temps duringthe day insept. can behot as he!! and down to freezing at night. Also, bring a fishing pole too and fish Seeley Lake along hwy 83, lot of places you can fish around there.
I would be more concerned about encountering a black bear sow with a couple cubs than a griz, but being that close to Glacier National Park, I would keep the thought still in the back of my head. Good luck.

Bobby