Tongue River Breaks

Any of yous ever hunt the Tongue River Breaks south of Ashland?

I keep thinking about going out there and really focusing on it for a fews days some time. It's a roadless area, but not exactly a huge one. Seems like most hunters around there just drive the roads around the periphery in the Custer NF. Lots of does and forkies shot around there, but it doesn't seem like many folks venture into the Breaks.

I have spent more than my share of time in the breaks. Low deer numbers and relatively few hunters when compared with the rest of the Custer. The hunters that do hunt there are much better than the average hunter however.
During the 80's it was great hunting. I can remember seeing multiple 180 inch deer on scouting trips and and a day of hunting would almost always yield at least a sighting of a big deer. My brother and walked out on a point in 88 and started glassing. The rut was on and perfect conditions. By 9:00 we had spotted over 50 deer and 4 bucks better than 170. By 10:00 we were packing out a great buck with long hooking cheaters.
The hunting in the breaks now is not even close. Two years ago I was on the same point with the same conditions. Saw maybe a dozen deer and none of the bucks had more than three points. Could you find a big 180 inch deer in the breaks? Yes you could but it would not surprise me one bit if there was not a single 180 inch buck in all of the breaks this year. With the low doe numbers bucks often leave during the rut. I can get my fat old legs to get me to the most remote part of the breaks in two hours of walking. A buck traveling looking for does can cover that ground in a half hour. Bucks that spend much of fall on the ridge dividing the North and South fork of Poker Jim are often shot on Timber Creek or Stocker Branch in November.
Doe numbers are high on the Agricultural land on Tongue River and Hanging Woman Creek. Hunters that have permission to hunt the private land make quick work of any nice buck that comes down looking for does during the rut.
The breaks are a nice place to hunt and great country but you chances at a truly big deer are likely only slightly better than the rest of the Custer