New guy looking at WY for Mule deer

[rabidhunter66]

I meant Montana but it wouldnt let me change it, but Wy would be ok also. Hi everyone I am a new guy here just starting to look at my western Mule deer options. The show is great and has inspired me greatly. I live in Maine and would be planning on two weeks for this hunt. I have watched these shows for a while and what I am looking for is a spot and stalk grassland / riverbottom type of hunt in fairly moderate terrain for muledeer, I have some minor knee issues and steep climbing sort of shuts me down but I am able to walk forever. Weapon of choice would be a rifle but not opposed to using my ML or bow as I have taken whitetail with all three here in the northeast.

Ideal:
1. Over the counter buck tags (I did say ideal...LOL)
2. Rifle
3. motel Near several large WIA
4. low pressure (again ideal)
5. light to moderate terrain.
6. Pronghorn would be a plus

Acceptable:
1. Draw area
2. rifle, ML, or bow
3. 1hr drive to WIA's
4. Moderate pressure
5. light to moderate terrain, some climbing to glass.
6. Nearby options for pronghorn if mule deer tag is filled, calling coyotes would be fun also.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Bambistew]

As far as MT goes...

1. Its all on a draw for NR, elk, deer, antelope, etc. The license application is due March 15 for elk and deer, the rest is May or June, look at the regulations. You can apply for an elk/deer combo, elk or deer seperatly. Draw odds for the combo are around 50%, I think elk is around 50%, deer is around 15% or less with no bonus points. Send the F&G an email and ask for draw stats.

Where it gets tricky is once you have your elk or deer license you can apply for a special 'permit' which is unit specific. Look at the regulations to get an idea of what I'm talking about. For instance most (about 90%) of the state is open for deer on a general license, the other 10% requires a special permit to hunt in that area.

2. If you draw any of the permits they're good for both bow or rifle season, look at the regulations for dates, some areas close early in rifle season for deer.

3. WIA? Walk in areas? There are millions and millions of acres of public land and a few million in a program called Block Managment which is private land open to hunting, little of it is near a motel, what is will be crawling with hunters. A 1 hour drive will get you to decent hunting in some places. I would recomend camping out, motels are for panzies.

4. Pressure... plan on walking a fair amount. The days of 'light' pressure are long gone, even in remote areas requiring a lot of walking and a few 1000 vertical. Maybe I don't realize what you mean by fair amount. To me that means seeing 1-2 hunters in a day.

5. Eastern MT is light to moderate terrain (the eastern 2/3rds of the state), but the areas can be huge and require a fair amount of hiking between pockets of cover, or you can be lazy and drive around on the roads like 90% of the hunters do.

6. Pronghorn is an option in all areas, but you must apply for the license in June. Odds of draw vary by unit, 10-80%.