Montana Reservation Deer Hunting

EYJONAS! · Apr 25, 2018

Well since I didn't draw anything I thought about thinking outside the box a little. Does anyone know or have experience with Big Game hunting, specifically deer and elk on a Indian Reservation in Montana. I have tried calling the Crow Res. office of Fish and Wildlife and both the numbers they have listed are "no longer in service." Go figure, I have just a few simple questions I'd like to ask them.

My questions are:

Can a outside person from the res. even buy a tag?

Can one hunt deer or elk with a tribal permit on any tribal lands without a Indian guide?

Cost of the tags if they are available?

Any information or feedback helps, thanks guys. Looking to raid some honey holes:hump:

EYJONAS! · Apr 25, 2018

I think I have may have seen my questions answered on another thread by some guys and they are saying STAY AWAY. Even gray areas aren't something to mess with on a res.

MTGomer · Apr 25, 2018

As far as Crow law is concerned, you can do anything on the Crow you want to with the Chairman's or the Crow FG head's signature.

I worked on the Crow Reservation in prime deer habitat for 3.5 years. I have seen less than 20 deer in daylight hours on the reservation.

There are probably a few holdouts in the roadless areas of the Pryors Bighorns and Wolfs, but if you think the Custer sucks, you can't imagine how sterile the landscape is on the Crow.

I know a Crow guy that has killed a few good bucks and very large (like 380+) elk along the Wyo border, so I'm not saying it can't be done. Getting the permissions for a non tribal member would be more of a headache than its worth, if not impossible under AJ's dysfunctional administration.

The bear hunting in the Bighorns, on the other hand - is bar none, the best in the state, if not the country. A tag is $1000 if you can get one before Doyle Moss buys them all. I don't even bear hunt and it halfway excites me.

Coop · Apr 25, 2018

When the people in the area shoot everything that moves year round, it makes it difficult to find nice animals during season. Bird hunting is a different story, however.

phutch30 · Apr 25, 2018

You wont be allowed to shoot deer or elk on the crow or salish/Koot reservation period. You can occasionally buy expensive permits on the blackfoot. Im not sure what the rockyboy allows.

MTGomer- Bear tags are now $1500 and require a tribal licensed guide

EYJONAS! · Apr 25, 2018

I have looked at the bear hunts and had a guy say he would go with that was a few years back though. They sure do have some biggens down there. I hunt that way a lot for birds and count the bucks I've seen on one hand in the 6 or 7 years I've been going. Just was bored in the office today so I thought I'd throw something up that was a little off the wall on the forum.

Elkwhisper · Apr 25, 2018

Phutch is spot on... bear tags went up to $1500 this year and deer and elk are a no go. Antelope on the other hand can be had for just $150 plus the guide fee. I am headed down with some customers to hunt Turkeys in a couple of weeks... from what I have heard from buddies, there are plenty of birds this year. Lot's of bears too.... just don't think I can justify the $1500 (plus guide) when I can go hunt NF for pennies.

If anyone is interested in a good guy with a outfitter business down on the Crow... hit me with a PM and I can put you in touch.

antlerradar · Apr 25, 2018

Every now and then the Crow and Cheyenne will produce a monster of a buck. I measured a buck from the crow that was an absolute pig from last fall.
If I could get a tag for the Cheyenne I would buy it if it was not priced too high. You may have a better chance at a monster on the res than on the east side of the river now days.

phutch30 · Apr 26, 2018

I don't see the Northern Cheyenne allowing non tribal members onto their rez to recreate anytime soon.

hobbes · Apr 26, 2018

Upland or waterfowl can be good on the reservations, but as stated above I wouldnt even think of a deer hunt on a MT reservarion. I see few to zero deer on the reservations while driving through.

Deleted member 20812 · Apr 26, 2018

antlerradar said:
Every now and then the Crow and Cheyenne will produce a monster of a buck. I measured a buck from the crow that was an absolute pig from last fall.
If I could get a tag for the Cheyenne I would buy it if it was not priced too high. You may have a better chance at a monster on the res than on the east side of the river now days.

Not too many hardcore hikers on the west side of the river. I’ve seen a couple of dandies in the Wolf Mountains.

antlerradar · Apr 26, 2018

phutch30 said:
I don't see the Northern Cheyenne allowing non tribal members onto their rez to recreate anytime soon.

I agree

YoungGun · Apr 26, 2018

Anyone know how it works if you're hunting deeded land that is within the res boundaries but not tribal owned?

Elkwhisper · Apr 26, 2018

YoungGun said:
Anyone know how it works if you're hunting deeded land that is within the res boundaries but not tribal owned?

I could be wrong, but the way I understand it is even the owner can't hunt it without the reservation tag and guide.

MTGomer · Apr 27, 2018

Elkwhisper said:
I could be wrong, but the way I understand it is even the owner can't hunt it without the reservation tag and guide.

Its a pretty gray area. That is probably the tribes take on it and thats probably how they'd enforce it if they chose to. However, tribal LE has very little authority over non tribal members that are not on tribal land.

But the state of MT has very little jurisdiction on the res, and the regulations say that the reservations have no state sanctioned hunting season.

So even if a person were in the clear from a tribal standpoint, what happens when you transport your animal off the res. You are now in Montana with a dead game animal and its not tagged, and it wasn't harvested in what the state of Montana considers a valid season or district.

YoungGun · Apr 27, 2018

Good to know! Thanks. Seems to be lots of "gray area" that's just waiting for case law to set it in stone, like corner hopping. I don't want to volunteer for the potential "trespassing" ticket for invading someones air space over a fence post just to be the one to set the case law, but in 17 years when I'm no longer with my current employer, maybe I'll have to challenge it if it still stands..

Montana Reservation Deer Hunting

EYJONAS!

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