Montana Deer Hunt- Help

[blindluck]

First year we spent 70% driving and glassing, the advice so far is spot on, If you can hunt the rut for sure. Pic of mine first trip to the Breaks.

[Duckhunter14]

Dandy buck blindluck! Id be stoked to shoot something like that, but we're not going to be too picky. Thanks BLRman, that's what we plan on doing. Burning a little boot leather and getting the most out of the hunt. 300Rum & Brushbuster great advice guys. We'll be throwing some bird shot and scatter guns in and plenty of extra gas cans!

Thanks for all the great info guys! And thank you to everyone who has pm'd me also. I told the guys who are going that we need to stop talking about it so much because we still have 5 months until we go!
 
The one thing we're discussing right now is whether to tent camp, drag a trailer over there, or stay in a hotel and drive out every day. Some of our issues; if we get nasty weather will we be able to get a travel trailer out? Driving for 15hrs with a trailer in snow and wind could be miserable. If we get nasty cold weather will staying in a tent be miserable? Will the wind wreak havoc on the tent? Will we be able to find a good spot where we can get the tent stakes in the ground and will they hold? We are just weighing out options. Trying to figure out the best route to go. A couple people have already weighed in and we are taking their advice into consideration. Any other experiences positive or negative are welcome. 

Clint

[300rum]

I take a trailer and am going to again this year.  I like getting there about November 10 or so.  Depending on where you go you will have 3-4 mountain passes to go through and it can be bad.  I always plan on pulling over if I need to but haven't had to yet.  I should have a couple of times but didn't.  Each year we come back in a storm or two but we just take our time when we need to.  I also have chains for the trailer.....

There are lots of places to pull over if you need to with a trailer.   We lost most of a day when we had to hole up in the trailer during a blizzard, two feet of snow dumped and then it started to blow all at -3 degrees.  I always spend the night at the Great Falls Wal-Mart.  You can camp on BLM land, your gps will help. 

I wouldn't tent it in November, too much work.  I would also try to stay mobile (trailer) and plan on moving around if you need to.   You will want to get as close to where you are hunting as you can and from there, in parts of that country , you can still be an hour or more drive from where you want to hunt. 

[Karl Blanchard]

I go the opposite route.  I always take the wall tent set up.  Its pretty minimal but very comfortable.  You don't have the trailer towing to deal with and I get 16mpg vs. 7-8mpg when I tow.  A few -25* days last year but we made it.  Long stakes are a must with a wall tent setup though.  We had some hard winds last year that tried real hard to send my tent into orbit.  Ive done the trailer deal and it is more comfy, (especially the movies and popcorn at night ) but if you have more than a few guys, it gets real crowded with gear and such on a late season hunt like that.

Hotel is a large added cost and also adds time and money via driving to and from town to where you want to hunt.  Any way you end up doing it, you will have a ton of fun.  Just take your time while driving and be smart and safe.

[elkaholic123]

 

[Pathfinder101]

This was central Montana, but we did fine with a wall tent and a stove, and it was -20

[Duckhunter14]

Both good points BLRman and 300Rum we are leaning towards a tent just for the reasons BLRman mentioned, but it is definitely going to be more work. I guess we'll ultimately decide as a group what we want to do. But having some personal experiences to go off of really helps. I cant thank you guys enough for all the critical info and everyone who has shared pictures has really lit the fire for us! 3 out of the 4 guys going have never been to Montana before and I cannot wait to get them over there so they can see how beautiful Montana is. I just hope I can get them to leave at weeks end! 

Pathfinder those are some dandies! If you could just give the GPS coordinates for where you got those we'd be set!  Nice work! Love the tent set up too! I took my Alaknak to Montana last year in November on an elk hunt when it was down in the double negative temps and it definitely made things difficult. Like having to line the beers up under the wood stove at the end of the day because they froze solid in the cooler.  but we still had fun and killed a bull, it was just a lot of work keeping the stove stoked all night and sleeping fully clothed with toe and hand warmers. Hopefully we get lucky this year and the temps wont be as brutal. We'll definitely come prepared.

Clint

[NRA4LIFE]

The buck in my avatar was from SE MT a couple years ago.  Heed those who speak of the wind and gumbo mud.  Both can be nasty, real nasty.  And hunt the rut as others say.  If you've never done a prairie rut hunt, you're in for a treat.  The term "chasing does" is a spectacle to witness first hand. 

[Karl Blanchard]

That's a stud Montana buck pathfinder!

[Karl Blanchard]

Few E. Montana bucks

[johnnyaustin44]

Nice looking bucks blr. These pictures aren't helping. Five months seems like an eternity right now. Thank you to all who have posted and pm'd.  Feel like we are already as prepared as we can be for going in blind all thanks to you guys.

[Duckhunter14]

Nice looking bucks blr. These pictures aren't helping. Five months seems like an eternity right now. Thank you to all who have posted and pm'd.  Feel like we are already as prepared as we can be for going in blind all thanks to you guys.

  Dang BLRman that looks like one heck of a trip! That's what we're shooting for, thanks for sharing, some studs right there!

[Karl Blanchard]

Thanks!  That was three different years.  Until Montana changes their greedy, money grubbing ways, I am done with that state.  We must have all been there the same week last year if we all endured the negative double digits together!   with the pellet stove raging, our tent was a cozy 40°!  It felt great though!!!!

[Pathfinder101]

Thanks!  That was three different years.  Until Montana changes their greedy, money grubbing ways, I am done with that state.  We must have all been there the same week last year if we all endured the negative double digits together!   with the pellet stove raging, our tent was a cozy 40°!  It felt great though!!!!

Yup.  Same year. Last year it was "only" $368 for a deer tag.

 Doesn't everyone who hunts Montana have a story about being there "When the Big One blew in"...? 

That's not snow on my jacket.  It's frozen sweat from hiking into the hell hole I killed him in.   

I had to shoot him offhand.  My bipod froze and wouldn't come down.  Good thing he was less than 100 yards.   

[Duckhunter14]

That's what we'll be looking for Pathfinder! That's a solid buck for sure. BLRman I looked back at my pictures and it looks like I was over there last year the second week in Nov. like the 11th-15th. I was hunting western MT though. I remember they were calling for close to -20 below plus with the big arctic blast coming out of Canada. It got so cold we could hear the trees popping and cracking in the night, the one night we accidentally let the fire die I woke up and my hair was frosty.  Good times. Hopefully it doesn't get that bad this year while we're over there.