First M-T Muley Trip

[7mmfan]

I'd pretty much mirror these last 2 guys opinions. Neoprene doesn't breathe at all, so your feet will eventually get clammy and then get SUPER cold. I wore gators last year for the first time and was impressed at how well they insulated my legs and feet but still allowed some breathability.

I've only hunted in 0 degree weather a couple times, but that's downright cold. If you kept moving, it was fine, but if you stopped, it got cold fast. -20 is uncharted territory but my gut tells me that that could be downright dangerous to get any to far from the truck for any to long. One nice thing about those temps is the deer will be easy to find. They'll be moving all over on south facing hillsides.

[wooltie]

Having neither hunted nor visited MT in November, what are the odds that weather will be down right down to 0 in mid-November, around Miles City?

Goi

[Gamblin Guy]

Having neither hunted nor visited MT in November, what are the odds that weather will be down right down to 0 in mid-November, around Miles City?

Goi

I have been out there every year since 2011, typically between Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving, the last two years during that time frame temps were in the 60's.  Basically, plan for everything and take clothing and gear for both extremes, it can change over night....

[wooltie]

Thanks, I'm going with boom around region 5/7.  I think we're going the second week of Nov.

I've hunted in 15-20 degree weather here in WA, but never below zero.

[Gamblin Guy]

Good luck, my days of hunting in WA are fewer and fewer every year.  Like I said, once temps hit -5 its just cold.  My neighbor killed a cow elk the morning it was -20, sun was out, cold crisp morning.  Walking sucked but after we got her cleaned out we stood there for quite a while with our gloves off and coats off, it really didn't feel that cold.

[wooltie]

We've never hunted deer in MT and want to make a trip to 'see what all the fuss is about'.  I've never hunted mulies for that matter --  just these things called deer that I rarely see in western WA timber jungles.

I hope to have the opportunity to not shoot the first four point I see.

[Gamblin Guy]

Don't load your gun the first couple days, it helps.   

Take good glass, we spend hours glassing, sometimes before we even get out of the truck. 

[wooltie]

Don't load your gun the first couple days, it helps.   

Take good glass, we spend hours glassing, sometimes before we even get out of the truck.

In your experience, do you glass for hours just to find deer, or to find 'the deer' to go after?

[SemperFidelis97]

Tagging

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

[Gamblin Guy]

Don't load your gun the first couple days, it helps.   

Take good glass, we spend hours glassing, sometimes before we even get out of the truck.

In your experience, do you glass for hours just to find deer, or to find 'the deer' to go after?

We glass until we find the one we want to go after.  It can be big country, we hunt region 4 closer to the breaks, glassing (from the diesel campfire if its -20) is the only way to go.

[300rum]

1000 gram boots and Smartwool Merino wool socks work just fine even if i'm not moving all that much.

[deerslyr]

Is there any way to pick up a second meat deer via doe tag? I'd really like to stock up on meat. I see there are some deer B licenses left but that appears to be a totally different license.

Pick up some whitetail B tags, they taste better than mule deer any how. The mule deer get hammered on public ground and we had another rough winter last year. I have no idea why FWP issues mule deer doe tags for region 7 that are valid on public.

[opdinkslayer]

Don't load your gun the first couple days, it helps.   

Take good glass, we spend hours glassing, sometimes before we even get out of the truck.

In your experience, do you glass for hours just to find deer, or to find 'the deer' to go after?

We do lots of glassing even at home hunting blacktails but it's definately a must on the breaks. The ground is far deeper and broken up than meets the eye and can really hide deer when you think theres nothing there. Walking down ridges and changing prospective is very effective.

 I've hunted it twice and a buddy 4 times the last 5 years and of the dozens of people over those years we have been over there with or at the same time from our area  nobody has not filled a tag. Some were smaller 3 pt meat bucks but many 18-24 inch 3x4 & 4 pts with a 27'' 3 point being the biggest. Be patient, don't be afraid to get out of the pickup and use your optics. Set a goal each day on whats a shooter and stick to it. Everyone I know that jumps the gun on pulling the trigger always sees a bigger one while helping other guys glass. It's a fun hunt but not really a trophy hunt. But if ya put out the effort and stay patient ya never know what ya might luck into.

[Thenewguy]

Don't load your gun the first couple days, it helps.   

Take good glass, we spend hours glassing, sometimes before we even get out of the truck.

In your experience, do you glass for hours just to find deer, or to find 'the deer' to go after?

We do lots of glassing even at home hunting blacktails but it's definately a must on the breaks. The ground is far deeper and broken up than meets the eye and can really hide deer when you think theres nothing there. Walking down ridges and changing prospective is very effective.

 I've hunted it twice and a buddy 4 times the last 5 years and of the dozens of people over those years we have been over there with or at the same time from our area  nobody has not filled a tag. Some were smaller 3 pt meat bucks but many 18-24 inch 3x4 & 4 pts with a 27'' 3 point being the biggest. Be patient, don't be afraid to get out of the pickup and use your optics. Set a goal each day on whats a shooter and stick to it. Everyone I know that jumps the gun on pulling the trigger always sees a bigger one while helping other guys glass. It's a fun hunt but not really a trophy hunt. But if ya put out the effort and stay patient ya never know what ya might luck into.

I highly disagree with there not being trophies there. They are just deep

[opdinkslayer]

Not lookin for an argument on what a trophy class bucks are but Montana produces very few book deer and that is what I meant by trophy hunt. A personal trophy is very possible.