Montana Antelope Region 7

[huntandjeep]

Is this a good area for a 1st time Antelope Hunter ? I've decided to apply for a tag this year and know nothing about Antelope ( other than I want one on the wall  ) . Not after trophy area just a buck. Looking @ Montana's site there seems to be the most Antelope in this unit.
Thanks Allen

[jstone]

I hunted 6 last year. Draw took two years but had fun and killed my first goat. 7 is good to. Have fun it’s a blast

[CastleRocker]

Saw quite a few when we went through there last year, should be good.  Only two suggestions; bring a good gps, with the Montana ownership chip.  Also, find the local person in charge of the BMU program.   Have fun!  We hunted speed goats in region 4 a few years back, and it was a blast.

[bearpaw]

Region 7 is a good antelope hunt, you should do well. 

[Duckhunter14]

Its a big area. Plenty of speed goats. Will probably take a few years to draw the rifle tag. Shouldn't have any issue filling it once drawn. But not a trophy area, which shouldn't matter since you don't care about size.

[bearpaw]

Its a big area. Plenty of speed goats. Will probably take a few years to draw the rifle tag. Shouldn't have any issue filling it once drawn. But not a trophy area, which shouldn't matter since you don't care about size.

Depends what part of Region 7 you hunt! There are quite a few record book bucks from Region 7, I know of a 17" buck taken in Region 7.

[NRA4LIFE]

I've got 2 16" bucks from unit 7.  It holds some good bucks.

[grundy53]

Sounds like the antelope in region 7 got hammered this past winter. Maybe that will scare some people away.  Making it easier to draw.

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[MADMAX]

I'm applying

[deerslyr]

Region 7 got hammered by one of the worst winters on record this year. I will not be applying this year.

[andrew_in_idaho]

Cousin and I were planning to apply, not going to due to things I'm hearing about the winter. Gonna try wyoming instead


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[HUNTNORTHWEST]

Wyoming deadline in MAY 31.

NOT TO LATE

[hunterofelk]

Antelope hunting can be a blast.  The weather is usually pleasant that time of year.  If it rains though, the dirt roads get pretty tough.  There is a lot of state and blm land in that area plus the block management land.  If the area you are hunting has some hills, try setting up stands there.  When antelope are bumped they usually circle around, returning close to the spot they were spooked.  Antelope will spot you easily if the stalk is in the flat land.  In this little hills the hunter can be out of sight.  Once an animal is down the processing should begin as quick as you can.  Skinned, cooled and cut up as soon as possible.  Also, an antelope is a lean and pint-sized game animal so shoot for the forward ribs and save what little meat there is.

[Pathfinder101]

I wouldn't put in this year.  Eastmans' says the area got hammered this winter.  They also mentioned the winter of 2010/11 and how bad it was in 2011.
I can attest the that firsthand.  I had 4 points and decided to burn them on a unit 7 tag with my son that year.  We took 4 days and hunted hard.  Saw 6 antelope, a half mile away and running like hell.  Couldn't find another goat.  We both ate our tags.  BTW, the Bio I called prior to my hunt didn't say anything about the winter kill when I told him I was coming to hunt.  When we got there, the locals said it was something like 90% in the area we were in.  There may have been pockets in area 7 that weren't decimated, but ours sure as heck was.  One of the most disappointing hunts I have ever been on. 
 

[labsetters]

I have never hunted antelope before, so I booked a hunt at the Puyallup Sportsman's Show, with what a pretty good deal. Know that I don't need a guided hunt, but got in with an outfitter so my wife and I can learn the ropes, and also gain a little local access and knowledge to upland bird hunt in a different area of Montana, as well. I have been in contact with my outfitter several times since the show. Seems like a very nice guy. My last two phone calls were answered promptly while he was bear hunting.

I was applying for our tags on line (already drew my Big Game combo for my Nov elk hunt) this past week. Just for grins, I contacted the FWP office in Billings on Wednesday to get a preliminary opinion regarding how the winter affected Central and Eastern Montana.

The lady was very nice, and with pointed questioning, eventually described parts of HD 700 as having "nothing left" with regards to deer and antelope, following this past very difficult winter.

This correlates with my webcam observations through the winter. I go to the Montana DOT cameras website, click on "interactive" and then go to whatever camera I want to look at, which usually is many of them throughout the state. Gives several webcam pics for each site, frequently undated, as well as current weather data. Very good site. If you are unfamiliar with this site, I suggest you give it a try.

She also said that the area around Harlowton was "decimated"- her words, not mine, due to heavy snow and cold temps. She said that the area around where she lives in Billings got about 100 inches of snow. She did say that the pheasant population around her property evidently did well, as there is a fair amount of cover and some feed. She said that she is seeing a "lot" of hens, in particular, and quite a few roosters. She didn't offer to let me hunt there, however.

I told her I was actually hunting (if we draw) in a different area from these two locations, and she indicated that there was much less snow where I am headed, and thought I would be ok, especially since we will be hunting private land, as there are not a lot of public options. I discussed this with my outfitter, who has not yet been to this hunt location due to his ongoing bear season much further west, but he did say that several of his ranchers, with whom he leases hunting privileges, felt that their antelope (and also deer) populations "look good", without significant winter kill. This apparently is an area with a fair amount of agriculture, and the animals seemed to do ok through the winter. Not sure I should have expected any different answer, but I am sure that if the hunting season looked bad, our hunt could have been put off til next year.

The FWP rep did say that the situation/counts could improve as the surveys continue, and that pockets of animals might have done better, based on cover/food.

Again, this information is all based on one phone conversation with FWP in Billings this past week and discussion with my outfitter, so take if for what it is worth. Sounds like there might be fewer hunters this year, so if good access can be obtained or if scouting to locate more opportune areas can be performed, there might still be some possibilities. This will also likely affect future years, so we shall see how the spring/summer goes for the animals.

I hope this information adds another data point for the folks trying to decide about where to go this year.