NE MONTANA Mule deer - week of Nov. 10-15 or 16-22?

[Dan-o]

OK folks, I need to decide which week to go - and of course I'd LOVE to hit the peak of the runt.

Which week would you go?

Thanks in advance,

Dan

[huntnphool]

10th-15th FWIW

[Dan-o]

LOL

[buckhorn2]

Nov 15 and to the 20th has worked for us.

[bowpredator]

Have been there both weeks and both times it was crazy, both whitetail and mulies chasing does all over the place.

[bowhunterwa87]

I'm planning on heading over there the first through the 9th..but that could always change the closer you get to d-day. Im personally going a little earlier because of 4th or July pass and road conditions. That sucker gets nasty later in the year..and last year I shot my avatar Buck on the 8th near Harlow...both muelies and whiteyails were rutting hard!


 

[huntnphool]

LOL

[JLS]

Anytime around veteran's day.

[cougfan79]

Won't matter when, both weeks have the possibility of hot or really cold weather and both will be good for rut hunting. 

[deerslyr]

Hmmm thats a tough one. Ive seen some pretty crazy stuff happen between the 10th and the 31st in montana. Get a good cold snap that get the does up and feeding and good lord will the bucks be cruisin. Gets me all excited just thinking about it  Big ole salamander necks and lip curlin like no other. It does seem like the older bucks get going a little later. Good luck on your hunt, it will be great with what ever dates you pick.

[furbearer365]

Either week.  Either you hit the rut or pre rut.  Pre rut is good because the bucks are running around looking and therefore are easily seen while on the move.  Or you get the rut and they are locked down with does and dumb, either way, both those weeks are good.  We go the week of the 10-15 and has always worked out for us.  Plenty of bucks either cruising or on lock down

[huntnphool]

Either week.  Either you hit the rut or pre rut.  Pre rut is good because the bucks are running around looking and therefore are easily seen while on the move.  Or you get the rut and they are locked down with does and dumb, either way, both those weeks are *censored*.  We go the week of the 10-15 and has always worked out for us.  Plenty of bucks either cruising or on lock down

I have been hunting the east side of the state for...............a few years and can tell you from that experience that the rut begins around the 1st, sometimes a few days earlier, sometimes a few days later, but mostly around then.

 A couple things to consider if you believe my observations. Assuming I am even remotely close, the rut will be going pretty good by the 10th, which it generally is. Why wait a additional week to head over, giving all those hunters there before you the first crack at the bucks that are there?

 The rut will be going through most of the month, the longer you wait the less bucks there are available for you to hunt, and the reason I suggested the earlier dates you questioned.

[Dan-o]

LOL

Sorry.  Just my sense of humor.   i thought it was funny that I only got 2 initial responses - one for each week.

But seriously, thanks for the great explanation for your choice.

[furbearer365]

 A couple things to consider if you believe my observations. Assuming I am even remotely close, the rut will be going pretty good by the 10th, which it generally is. Why wait a additional week to head over, giving all those hunters there before you the first crack at the bucks that are there?

 The rut will be going through most of the month, the longer you wait the less bucks there are available for you to hunt, and the reason I suggested the earlier dates you questioned.
[/quote]
 A couple things to consider if you believe my observations. Assuming I am even remotely close, the rut will be going pretty good by the 10th, which it generally is. Why wait a additional week to head over, giving all those hunters there before you the first crack at the bucks that are there?

 The rut will be going through most of the month, the longer you wait the less bucks there are available for you to hunt, and the reason I suggested the earlier dates you questioned.
[/quote]


This is very true.  The rut is usually running by the week of the 10th.  I was merely saying that either way he will hit the rut or pre rut at that time.  90% chance they will be rutting hard but if not, the pre rut is not a bad thing.  Also is true about going too late.  You may show up and your area has been hunted hard for the last couple weeks and the bucks may be picked over.  We actually had that happen last year where we hunt.  We went to the ranch we hunt and there was a fresh gut pile from the day before we got there.  Could have been that 180 we were hoping to get.  You can make an argument for going late and early.  Early you get a chance at deer that are not picked through, late and you may get the snow and cold that gets those big boys out all day long.  Either way, Montana is general is better than most draw tags in Washington.

[Dan-o]

Thanks all.

I sincerely appreciate the help.

[JLS]

A few thoughts here.  The timing of the rut for deer is just like elk.  It does not vary by year and is not weather dependent.   The biggest buck I killed in Montana I shot on Veteran's Day during a stretch when day time highs were hitting mid to upper 80's every day.  The same day I killed mine, my wife nearly had a crack at one of the biggest deer I've ever laid eyes on.  He had his nose so far up a does hiney he didn't care we were around.  Unfortunately the does did.

A buddy of mine killed a great buck several years ago during the same time frame.  He had permission to hunt a very good private ranch.  EVERY buck we saw was with does, or looking for does.  It was also one of those magical days where there was a couple of inches of snow on the ground and sunny.  Spotting visibility was excellent.

You can have a four day blizzard the first week of November, and 80's two weeks later.  Or, vice versa.  It's all a crap shoot with the weather, but as pointed out above the one constant is that the hunting pressure will be there.  I personally have found the best hunting in Montana to be the first 10 days of November, when one factors in pressure, timing of the rut, etc.

[NWWA Hunter]

10-15 and its not even close

[elkaholic123]

1 more vote for 10-15th, that's when I am going 

[JLS]

Also, the biggest whitetail I shot in MT I killed on November 1st.  I missed him the first time, why I held high I have no idea, but he didn't even look away from the doe he was chasing.  Too bad for him.  My buddy killed a 180" muley the same day, cruising the ridgetops.

Did I mention I like the first 10 days of November?

The only time better is the five week archery season.

[finnman]

We hunted there last in 2011, Nov. 12-17. We saw everything from WT bucks chasing does to big muleys on the trail searching for does and bucks locked up on groups of does! I don't know how you could go wrong if you were there from the 10th to the 20th of November!
If we don't draw our antelope tags for 530 we will be buying deer combo tags for this hunt.