Southeast MT elk/deer combo

Dwight M

Dwight M

New member
Joined
Jan 8, 2017
Messages
20
Location
Goshen, Indiana
Is it possible to draw a elk / deer combo tag in region 7 first year? Never been to Montana hunting before. Any pointers ? Would be fine with just mule deer too but why not hunt both if u can.
 
Possible, Yes. However drawing the 799 elk licence is difficult at best for a nonresident. The odds were much better for the 900 archery elk licence. I don't expect the draw to be as easy this year.
 
Lots of deer in eastern Montana. Elk are spotty and exist in pockets. I concur with the other post that it may be difficult to draw, but the deer hunting alone may be worth the trip if you're willing to do some homework.
 
You didn't say when you want to be in MT, but a 900 antelope tag for archery antelope is a fun way to keep from getting bored. Everyone else covered the basics of the deer and elk. Lots of deer, both muleys and whitetails, small pockets of elk, lots of antelope. Bird shooting can also be an underrated part of eastern MT.

Jeremy
 
Its been a 100% draw for the Non-resident combo tag the last 5 years or so. You can use that combination to hunt Mule Deer and Elk in any GENERAL season unit for that specie in the state. The units in region 7 are general deer units, meaning you can use the general deer tag you drew, but elk hunting in region 7 is by permit only. Which means you need to draw a limited entry permit on top of your combo tag in order to be able to hunt region 7 elk. So if your asking if you can hunt elk and deer with your combo tags in region 7, you are allowed to hunt deer, but not elk... unless you draw the elk permit. The chances of drawing that permit are slim, but the Montana draw system gives everyone a chance to draw a permit, whether they have 0 points or 11 points. I have been putting in for a region 7 elk tag for 8 years, and have still not drawn.
 
Thanks for the replys . I think I understand it now. If I want to use the elk part of the tag prob have to use in some other general unit besides region 7 ? Unless im ultra lucky...
 
What I have learned on this site, thru research, and advice from members, is there are some good places to use your general tag. I am coming from Michigan and driving west as well and headed thru Eastern MT to area 3 to try and punch my elk tag. In that area there are a lot higher numbers of elk. In the unit I chose there is OK deer and you can shoot a cow on your general elk tag. That means at the end of my hunt I can fill my tag with any elk but a spike. If I am lucky enough to fill my tag early and do not see the kind of deer I am looking for I can just head towards home and stop in area 7 and spend a few days there using my general tag. I have also given myself a full two weeks to hunt/explore new areas.

Do your homework and you may find there is other areas of the state that meet your needs better depending on your goals.

Hope that helps Tony
 
HalfAce said:
Its been a 100% draw for the Non-resident combo tag the last 5 years or so. You can use that combination to hunt Mule Deer and Elk in any GENERAL season unit for that specie in the state. The units in region 7 are general deer units, meaning you can use the general deer tag you drew, but elk hunting in region 7 is by permit only. Which means you need to draw a limited entry permit on top of your combo tag in order to be able to hunt region 7 elk. So if your asking if you can hunt elk and deer with your combo tags in region 7, you are allowed to hunt deer, but not elk... unless you draw the elk permit. The chances of drawing that permit are slim, but the Montana draw system gives everyone a chance to draw a permit, whether they have 0 points or 11 points. I have been putting in for a region 7 elk tag for 8 years, and have still not drawn.
Click to expand...

Not entirely accurate .... you can hunt cow elk in region 7 on a general elk tag , but not on forest service . Also , in hd 703 you can shoot either sex elk on general tag . But like mentioned elk numbers are low and primarily on private .
 
Addicting said:
What I have learned on this site, thru research, and advice from members, is there are some good places to use your general tag. I am coming from Michigan and driving west as well and headed thru Eastern MT to area 3 to try and punch my elk tag. In that area there are a lot higher numbers of elk. In the unit I chose there is OK deer and you can shoot a cow on your general elk tag. That means at the end of my hunt I can fill my tag with any elk but a spike. If I am lucky enough to fill my tag early and do not see the kind of deer I am looking for I can just head towards home and stop in area 7 and spend a few days there using my general tag. I have also given myself a full two weeks to hunt/explore new areas.

Do your homework and you may find there is other areas of the state that meet your needs better depending on your goals.

Hope that helps Tony
Click to expand...

This is great idea! Thanks for the help
 
That is terrific idea and good advice, well I just took the $1061 plunge and submitted my app for big game combo and elk permit for a breaks unit , with only couple points as a NR I have little to no chance but elected to keep the combo and will try for elk in a general unit, or hunt cow elk on the gen tag in the breaks HD I hunt muleys in . Either way should be a good fall. Good luck to all in the drawing.
 
8andcounting said:
Not entirely accurate .... you can hunt cow elk in region 7 on a general elk tag , but not on forest service . Also , in hd 703 you can shoot either sex elk on general tag . But like mentioned elk numbers are low and primarily on private .
Click to expand...

My apologies for not being entirely correct. But if your wanting to get into any of the better Elk hunting, especially for a bull in region 7, you would most definitely need to have a permit. You can try and hunt some of the eastern units that are open to hunting a bull (there are a few in Region 6 as well) but personally i think your time would be better spent trying to hunt for elk somewhere out in the western portion of the state after you fill a deer tag out East. Whatever you decide to do, you'll have a blast.
 
What unit in the breaks did you apply for your Elk Permit


8andcounting said:
That is terrific idea and good advice, well I just took the $1061 plunge and submitted my app for big game combo and elk permit for a breaks unit , with only couple points as a NR I have little to no chance but elected to keep the combo and will try for elk in a general unit, or hunt cow elk on the gen tag in the breaks HD I hunt muleys in . Either way should be a good fall. Good luck to all in the drawing.
Click to expand...
 
I put in for the MT deer combo, I'll be out there for the 2nd week of November. Right now looking at the area around Belltower.

If anyone's interested in joining forces shoot me a PM.
 
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