targetpanic
Well-known member
PM sent to not take anything away from the OPs thread
Developing a Montana Muley Strategy
- Thread starter MiStickSlinger
- Start date
PM sent to not take anything away from the OPs thread
antlerradar
Well-known member
Most first time eastern hunter are often amassed by the amount of ground you have to yourself. They often forget two things when they calculate hunting pressure. In Montana hunting pressure is spread out over a five week rifle season and a six week archery season. The heaviest pressure is often on the weekend closest to the peek of the rut.
Easterners fail the account for the much lower deer density. Get three or four miles from the mostly private river and creek bottoms deer density can fall to as few a ten deer per square mile. You may see far more people when hunting in the east but hunters per deer may not be that much different.
MiStickSlinger
Member
I'm starting to feel like I'm figuring things out, i picked up and moved and covered a lot of ground today. Could have easily killed a broke off 4 pt, would have been a nice buck if he had that other side. Found some nice ones close to public and some unknown deer right on the public at last light that i wouldn't have time to get to so I'll be on it first thing in the morning. The one question I have is there any law keeping me from accessing blm from a highway? I see unmarked blm on my gps that comes across the highway and no gates or anything, I'm just curious to see if theres anything that forbids me from jumping the fence. As an eastener I always feel like I'm doing something wrong even though I'm double and triple checking my location on the gps.
Highground
Member
I think the only thing there is to make sure you are parked legally. Maybe someone will correct me but I dont think there are any rules against jumping a blm fence, as long as you are accessing it from otber public land. I would just call the blm office if it were me and ask where the best access is for the block you are considering.
Flatland Crusoe
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One thing I think rarely comes up, but when coming from the East to hunt its really easy to go into a trip like this with a lot of enthusiasm then hit a pretty big low even on the second or third day when feels like things aren't going to plan. I've been in the situation where I'm only on Tuesday of a week long hunt and felt like I didn't have any time left or that the whole hunt was ruined, but you have to stick it out because you probably just spent the last year planning that hunt. Sometimes you hit patches of bad weather or other hunters interfering with your hunt plans and you don't really have the option to go home a regroup for a better situation like local hunters would. Doing all of this solo is even more challenging because you don't have someone splitting the workload or to push you when you are down.
I think a lot of the success that Randy has with his show comes down to consistently hunting hard for 5 mornings and 5 evenings at full effort and capacity. It is as simple as the statement above about being glassing at sunrise, but its much harder to do once you figure out you need to be glassing at 6:30 am, but you have an hour hike and an hour of driving plus time to get ready in the morning and all of sudden you are getting up at 4am everyday might not be back at camp or a hotel until 8 or 9pm each night. That sort of thing wears on you over the course of a week and it gets pretty easy to sleep in even a little bit and miss the prime hunting time.
I think a lot of the success that Randy has with his show comes down to consistently hunting hard for 5 mornings and 5 evenings at full effort and capacity. It is as simple as the statement above about being glassing at sunrise, but its much harder to do once you figure out you need to be glassing at 6:30 am, but you have an hour hike and an hour of driving plus time to get ready in the morning and all of sudden you are getting up at 4am everyday might not be back at camp or a hotel until 8 or 9pm each night. That sort of thing wears on you over the course of a week and it gets pretty easy to sleep in even a little bit and miss the prime hunting time.
Dl1969
Active member
I’ll be there in two weeks for the first time,thanks for asking some questions I was wondering myself,hope u get a good one,please keep up posted.
MiStickSlinger
Member
Some really good advice on this thread, just wanted to let everyone know things are going good, I feel like I'm starting to figure things out. The good bucks are mostly hanging out on the wrong side of the fence right now but they're there. If i dont fill my tag I'm definitely going to try and come back next month
8andcounting
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Good plan and good to hear your having fun . Keep at it you'll find one !
poormanslam
Well-known member
Keep at it. It's definitely better than working!
Trucker
Active member
Any updates? Hope you get one.
MiStickSlinger
Member
Well I hate to say but I am sitting at the office back in southeast Michigan. I left Friday morning and made the drive to northern Michigan where I spent the remainder of the weekend whitetail hunting before coming back home late last night. No deer for me but I had an awesome trip and am still planning on making it back later in November. Thanks for the tips and info guys, hopefully I'll be updating this thread in a few weeks with some success photos.
Captjohn71
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- Sep 28, 2017
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Unfortunately we have to work ( well most of us). I'm headed to Montana next Tuesday. Needless to say I'm excited. Appreciate your question and all the advice people gave. I've got general tag and have lots of options on where to go.
Good luck! Just got back from there and it was an awesome time.
Dl1969
Active member
Private or public? Rut starting to kick in good yet?
Public. Yes we had some bucks chasing for sure. I don’t think it is full swing yet though.
Dl1969
Active member
I sent U a pm
8andcounting
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I would say end of this next week / beginning of week of 13th it should be in peak rut . Maybe I just think that cuz that's when I go , 13-20 th ��
jo3hunter
New member
ill go with that as ill be out there the 18th
oldschool.06
Active member
Im leaving California for my second time hunting SE montana tonight at midnight . We love it there we had seven guys in camp last year all with different strategies and 4 of the seven of us got respectable bucks. I found getting away from the road is the key to success . I have a good feeling we will be there during the rut and might get a chance to see some even better bucks this trip . I hope I dont see any of you there if you know what I mean . Hahaha
To the OP I think you might fare better and have an easier time if you camped out up in the hunting grounds that drive from Broadus to decent hunting grounds takes up a lot of good sleeping time and hunting time . Dont give up on SE Montana there is a lot of fun to be had up there . I def recommend trying again .
To the OP I think you might fare better and have an easier time if you camped out up in the hunting grounds that drive from Broadus to decent hunting grounds takes up a lot of good sleeping time and hunting time . Dont give up on SE Montana there is a lot of fun to be had up there . I def recommend trying again .
