Montana Elk B for Bozeman area: worth it?

alpinewanderer

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I'm driving out to Bozeman from Wisconsin to visit a friend and I'll probably stay out there for 7-10 days or so. I plan on getting to know the town, catching up with my buddy, doing a bit of climbing, and tossed around the idea of buying an Elk B permit. I could realistically devote 4 days of the trip to the pursuit of a cow elk and was wondering if any knowledgable people in the area could provide some input.

As a non-resident the tag isn't cheap and the only HD's I'm allowed on are 312, 390, and 393. On top of that I'll only be able to hunt on BMA's in these areas since NF land is a no go with the tag. With all of these limitations do you guys think it's still worth a shot? Would trying this hunt spur-of-the-moment so to speak be a waste of time and money given all factors involved? I've never hunted in Montana and don't know anything about the elk herd in the region except from what I can google.

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
Personally I think it depends on the spots your buddy may know of and your schedule. If you can hunt after opening week, during the middle of the week, you can avoid a lot of the crowd. Here in Meagher Co. there is less than 2000 year round real residents. Starting in the summer we get outnumbered big time and they don't go away till winter. (hunting, camping, riding their 4 wheeler crap around etc) It's good for the stores but that's about it, but you can get around it.
 
It might be tough. I live here and don't spend time elk hunting here at all anymore (just so you know I'm not trying to keep you away). There are very few BMAs around Bozeman, the only decent one I know if is the Bangtails/Olson crick one and youd have to make sure you stayed on the BMA and didn't make it into the NF around it. I can't speak to the BMAs closer to Clyde Park, should be decent hunting but I've never put any time in there, only around White Sulphur. Lots of block management there but count on it being a zoo. If the elk are there and you hit it on the right day, it'll be the easiest thing in the world. If not, it can be tough. It's a coin toss, but you might could get it done in 4 days around there!
 
Thanks for the input folks. After much waffling I broke the bank and bought the Elk B after all. Found a herd that seemed to move up and down, in and out of the Bangtails BMA and hatched an epic plan to flank them in a place where I thought they might be bedded midday. It took me six hours and a ridiculous amount of miles of hiking and scrambling to get to the spot but I arrived a little too late and caught the tail end of the herd as the were departing their beds and were traversing off the property. A bunch of satellite bulls were browsing in a grove of trees no more than 75 yards from me but I alas my tag wasn't for them. It was bit of a heartbreaker but it was vindicating that my predictions about where they would be were correct. Contemplating it now, getting back to take a second crack at that herd seems too daunting. Even if I did kill a cow in that location the prospect of getting her meat out seems extremely difficult. I've got one day left in town so I think that's all for my season here. Was a ton of fun and I learned a lot! I have a lot of respect for elk hunters, it really was like going on a mountaineering mission in search of food rather than a summit.
 
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