Anybody ever hunt mulies near Broadus MT ?

[White Pass Outfitters]

We have taken a lot of Bucks from there. Do your map study and you will do just fine. We always went the wk before Turkey Day,caught  the rut pretty darn good at that time. If it rains your in for a tougher hunt thats for sure. PM me and I can give you a few  places to check out.

[MADMAX]

Thanks hoping the 84% successful draw happens for me
I'm burned out on not seeing legal animals last few years unless on private
WPO I PMd you

[Stein]

If it rains you have til about 10:30-11:00 am to get out before roads thaw or wait til 9pm when they freeze again.   That wet clay coats your tires and is slicker than wet ice.

Scariest driving I’ve ever done.

[/quote]
  Forget the chains and bring a snowmobile.  Think of the modeling clay you messed with in elementary school and you'll be pretty close.

[MADMAX]

Walking off road will work with the .257

 

[Twang]

We call it gumbo cause it don’t act like mud. Brought home some of that stuff on everything I had and most of it is still attached. Chains would only make it worst faster
Dry or froze is the only way to move anything IMO

[MADMAX]

So am I hearing go elsewhere ?

[DaveMonti]

MADMAX, are you planning on staying in a motel in Broadus, or camping out on some public land far from a paved road?

If you're staying in town and can keep an eye on the weather, you'll be OK.  If it rains, you might have to change it up, find some public land with access via a paved road so you can walk in and hunt.  The roads will dry out pretty quickly once the rain stops, especially if it gets windy (and it will). 

It's a pretty dry area, so it's not like it rains every other day.  October is around 1 inch of precip.  November is about half that.  You are probably more likely to see snow if you're hunting later in the firearm season. 

While I really don't know how the hunting is around Broadus on public land during firearm season, I don't know of anywhere else in the state that is a no-brainer for lots of decent bucks!  Anywhere there is accessible public land and lots of decent bucks, there will be lots of hunters.

See what WPO says, and call the biologist that works in the Custer National Forest and see what he/she says.  Everyone I talked to about hunting Custer NF says it's all road hunters, but I really don't think you'll see many guys in there.

[Gamblin Guy]

Montana is getting dumped on with snow this year, thaw/freeze and the more snow....might be a tough year for deer if it continues and spring comes late.

[Bigshooter]

I wouldn't worry to much about the mud.  If it does rain stay off the side roads.  Most main roads are gravel and they will be fine.  Yes the mud is bad if it does rain or if it snows and melts but I wouldn't worry to much about it.  I've hunted MT a lot of times and have only had to deal with it a few days out of all of those hunts.

[MADMAX]

Thanks guys
I plan to dry camp and also apply for pronghorn, will see how the draw gods are but appreciate the info

[257 Wby Mag]

Definitely one of the better areas, if not the best for the diy hunter, awesome genetics as well...

[wooltie]

My buddy and I hunted MT last year for the first time.  We hunted around Forsythe and Absarokee.  We both tagged out.  We will be returning to MT in 2018.

Yes, there is mud.  And that crap is like clay; it sticks everywhere to everything.  I still have some in my driveway even today.

We drove down muddy roads with 6-8" ruts.  I had new 34" toyo ATII with 4WD.  I'd start sliding and lose ctrl at speeds over 10 mph.  But yea, drive in the morning when its frozen.  Then come out at night once it freezes again -- if you can't get out earlier.

This was my first time in that stuff; I was freaking out LOL.  My hunting buddy knows how to drive in that stuff so he was putting up with me.  But we didn't get stuck.  Gotta learn to navigate that stuff if you want to go back.  Most roads I saw were mud, not gravel.  Getting stuck in the road is recoverable, but you want to watch out for going around turns and sliding into a ditch.   

[huntnphool]

I think I prefer the wet to the dry. When it’s dry the red dust gets inside everything. A year later, after several washings and a wet Washington winter you will still be getting red crap running out of your doors and seals.

[DaveMonti]

I've hunted around Broadus for years.  There is WAY too much being made of the mud on this post.  Don't let it influence your decision to hunt here. 

[MADMAX]

If I get drawn am applying for antelope also and heading there for a couple weeks