Anyone hunt Montana mulies in October?

[grundy53]

So, I'm already making plans for next season and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be hunting antelope in Montana. Figuring I'm all ready going to be there so I might as well buy a deer tag. Have any of you hunted mulies over there in October? I know it's not the best time of year for them but do you still see a decent number of bucks?

[Bigshooter]

I have a friend that lives in E MT and he usually see's some good bucks in October.  Some have been scouted all summer but some he just finds during hunting season. 

[Karl Blanchard]

I have a friend that lives in E MT and he usually see's some good bucks in October.  Some have been scouted all summer but some he just finds during hunting season.

  I was just gonna post that a lot of the bigger deer taken in MT die the first week because the locals have them picked out. 

[grundy53]

I'm by no means a trophy hunter. So I'll gladly take what the locals don't want . I figure either way it's got to be better than hunting them in Washington in October.

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[Bigshooter]

I'm by no means a trophy hunter. So I'll gladly take what the locals don't want . I figure either way it's got to be better than hunting them in Washington in October.

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If you own good bino's and know how to use them you should have no problem finding bucks.

[grundy53]

Great! Thank you!

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[cavemann]

My son is in Bozeman and been out tagging along with some buddies (he can't afford the non-res yet)..  He has sent me several pics of deer his dorm mates got.  All nice mulies in my book that I would be thrilled with..  He said the dorm parking lot looks like an outdoor butcher shop!!  Thinking about making the trip next year as well, looks like a blast..

[grundy53]

Also, having no experience in Montana other than the extreme western portion of the state. Will I find decent numbers of deer where the antelope are? Or is it more of a hunt antelope low then go up in the hills for deer?

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[Bigshooter]

Also, having no experience in Montana other than the extreme western portion of the state. Will I find decent numbers of deer where the antelope are? Or is it more of a hunt antelope low then go up in the hills for deer?

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Where will you be hunting antelope at?

[Karl Blanchard]

Biggest mule deer I've ever seen in MT (mix 180's) was out of Broadus on an antelope hunt.  It was an ocean of prairie with a dry creek bed that cut through it.  Zero brush but steep cut banks.  I was using to sneak on an antelope buck when I stumbled upon this buck and his 3 friends (all better than average MT bucks). I dont think they have ever seen humans because they just sat there and stared at us for a solid minute at 20ft.  They finally got up and very lazily walked off.  This was the day before rifle deer opened!  It was hunt by registration land and we couldn't get back on for the next day.  It was absolutely heart breaking to know how easily we could have killed that buck. When we asked about registering, the guy with fish and game says "why in the world would you want to go out there?  Theres no deer out there." 

[M_ray]

Also, having no experience in Montana other than the extreme western portion of the state. Will I find decent numbers of deer where the antelope are? Or is it more of a hunt antelope low then go up in the hills for deer?

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If you hunt Eastern Montana there will be Bucks in many of the same areas as the antelope.  Oh and the buck in my avatar was killed in October. And the buck I got last year was the first of Nov and it was a pretty good one.

[grundy53]

Also, having no experience in Montana other than the extreme western portion of the state. Will I find decent numbers of deer where the antelope are? Or is it more of a hunt antelope low then go up in the hills for deer?

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Where will you be hunting antelope at?

I haven't decided yet. I'm still trying to choose between 341 which is 340 for deer or a 700 tag. I'm probably leaning towards a 700 tag though.


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[grundy53]

Biggest mule deer I've ever seen in MT (mix 180's) was out of Broadus on an antelope hunt.  It was an ocean of prairie with a dry creek bed that cut through it.  Zero brush but steep cut banks.  I was using to sneak on an antelope buck when I stumbled upon this buck and his 3 friends (all better than average MT bucks). I dont think they have ever seen humans because they just sat there and stared at us for a solid minute at 20ft.  They finally got up and very lazily walked off.  This was the day before rifle deer opened!  It was hunt by registration land and we couldn't get back on for the next day.  It was absolutely heart breaking to know how easily we could have killed that buck. When we asked about registering, the guy with fish and game says "why in the world would you want to go out there?  Theres no deer out there." 

That would be heartbreaking.

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[grundy53]

Also, having no experience in Montana other than the extreme western portion of the state. Will I find decent numbers of deer where the antelope are? Or is it more of a hunt antelope low then go up in the hills for deer?

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If you hunt Eastern Montana there will be Bucks in many of the same areas as the antelope.  Oh and the buck in my avatar was killed in October. And the buck I got last year was the first of Nov and it was a pretty good one.

That's great! Thank you. That's an awesome buck.

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[Bigshooter]

Also, having no experience in Montana other than the extreme western portion of the state. Will I find decent numbers of deer where the antelope are? Or is it more of a hunt antelope low then go up in the hills for deer?

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Where will you be hunting antelope at?

I haven't decided yet. I'm still trying to choose between 341 which is 340 for deer or a 700 tag. I'm probably leaning towards a 700 tag though.


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700 tag would definitely allow you to hunt deer and antelope together.

[mburrows]

Also, having no experience in Montana other than the extreme western portion of the state. Will I find decent numbers of deer where the antelope are? Or is it more of a hunt antelope low then go up in the hills for deer?

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Where will you be hunting antelope at?

I haven't decided yet. I'm still trying to choose between 341 which is 340 for deer or a 700 tag. I'm probably leaning towards a 700 tag though.


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I'd probably lean 700 as well. Tons of options out that way. Hunted deer and antelope in the SE this year and there were solid numbers of both speed goats and deer.

[grundy53]

I'm definitely leaning towards a 700 tag. The only things keeping 341 in the mix is a 90% chance of drawing 341 and 68% chance for 700 and 341 is 5.5 hours  closer. But 5.5 hours isn't that big of a deal.

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[idahohuntr]

Anyone know what the 2018 draw odds were for a MT non-resident general deer combo license?  I see there are 4,600 licenses but I could not find number of applicants/odds for them.

[grundy53]

Anyone know what the 2018 draw odds were for a MT non-resident general deer combo license?  I see there are 4,600 licenses but I could not find number of applicants/odds for them.

90% with 0 points

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[idahohuntr]

Anyone know what the 2018 draw odds were for a MT non-resident general deer combo license?  I see there are 4,600 licenses but I could not find number of applicants/odds for them.

90% with 0 points

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Thank you.  Just curious...is it on their website anywhere that I missed or did you have to get it through somebody?

[grundy53]

Anyone know what the 2018 draw odds were for a MT non-resident general deer combo license?  I see there are 4,600 licenses but I could not find number of applicants/odds for them.

90% with 0 points

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Thank you.  Just curious...is it on their website anywhere that I missed or did you have to get it through somebody?

I got it off Gohunt

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[bornhunter]

Sorry to butt in here but you guys sound like you know Montana and I really dont. I want to try pronghorns this year and was thinking Wyoming but I would like to do what the op is going for. Deer and pronghorns. Is there plenty of open ground in the eastern part and is that the best place to start? Do most people camp or stay in towns and drive out daily? I'm 65 and will probably hunt alone but have never hunted Montana so trying to get some ideas where to start.

[huntnphool]

 I've killed a few in Oct in 700, just have a place lined up to hang it ahead of time, it can be t-shirt weather that time of year.

[grundy53]

Sorry to butt in here but you guys sound like you know Montana and I really dont. I want to try pronghorns this year and was thinking Wyoming but I would like to do what the op is going for. Deer and pronghorns. Is there plenty of open ground in the eastern part and is that the best place to start? Do most people camp or stay in towns and drive out daily? I'm 65 and will probably hunt alone but have never hunted Montana so trying to get some ideas where to start.

It'll be pretty tough to draw an antelope tag with zero points. Unless its an archery only tag. Do you have any points?

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[Karl Blanchard]

Sorry to butt in here but you guys sound like you know Montana and I really dont. I want to try pronghorns this year and was thinking Wyoming but I would like to do what the op is going for. Deer and pronghorns. Is there plenty of open ground in the eastern part and is that the best place to start? Do most people camp or stay in towns and drive out daily? I'm 65 and will probably hunt alone but have never hunted Montana so trying to get some ideas where to start.

in regards to antelope,  Wyoming is the land of opportunity.  You can have a great hunt without points or a really great hunt if you have a few in the bank.  I'd caution anyone who is dabbling in the out of state waters to not bite off too much.  Combo hunt would be great but what could be better is a species specific hunt where you dont have "extra baggage" clawing at the back of your mind.  With a deer and an antelope tag in your pocket, every day you dont fill a tag the pressure can build which can greatly reduce the fun part of the trip.  Antelope are a cool animal 

[andrew_in_idaho]

Sorry to butt in here but you guys sound like you know Montana and I really dont. I want to try pronghorns this year and was thinking Wyoming but I would like to do what the op is going for. Deer and pronghorns. Is there plenty of open ground in the eastern part and is that the best place to start? Do most people camp or stay in towns and drive out daily? I'm 65 and will probably hunt alone but have never hunted Montana so trying to get some ideas where to start.

in regards to antelope,  Wyoming is the land of opportunity.  You can have a great hunt without points or a really great hunt if you have a few in the bank.  I'd caution anyone who is dabbling in the out of state waters to not bite off too much.  Combo hunt would be great but what could be better is a species specific hunt where you dont have "extra baggage" clawing at the back of your mind.  With a deer and an antelope tag in your pocket, every day you dont fill a tag the pressure can build which can greatly reduce the fun part of the trip.  Antelope are a cool animal 

To piggyback onto that, look for a unit in Wyoming where you can draw an either sec tag 2nd choice, apply for a long shot 1st choice and that one as second choice, if you want to build points for the future, also apply for your 2 doe tags in the 1st draw. Going to Wyoming with 3 tags will keep you busy for a day or 2 depending on how trigger happy you get on bucks


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[bornhunter]

Sorry to butt in here but you guys sound like you know Montana and I really dont. I want to try pronghorns this year and was thinking Wyoming but I would like to do what the op is going for. Deer and pronghorns. Is there plenty of open ground in the eastern part and is that the best place to start? Do most people camp or stay in towns and drive out daily? I'm 65 and will probably hunt alone but have never hunted Montana so trying to get some ideas where to start.

It'll be pretty tough to draw an antelope tag with zero points. Unless its an archery only tag. Do you have any points?

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No. Hoping for a long shot. I want to put in for deer where I will find lopes too for the future?

[bigmacc]

Glendive........

[bornhunter]

Glendive........

Ok. I take that as a hint to look into and I will. Thanks.

[MADMAX]

I did self guided solo for antelope and deer this year
I hunted antelope in October and hunted my mule deer in November I saw plenty of of animals in October
I did my homework and scouted the unit over summer
Compared to Washington it’s dreamland
I hunted in the Custer national forest and some block management
Saw plenty of deer and antelope
I never hunted it before and had zero points
I’m going to apply again next year
and yes I had the antelope tag in his ear

[grundy53]

Wow! Looks like you had a great time in Montana this year.

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[MADMAX]

Hardest part was trying to load them in the truck by myself
Lesson learned
Game carrier for Christmas

[bornhunter]

Hardest part was trying to load them in the truck by myself
Lesson learned
Game carrier for Christmas

And you did this solo, with no points and got both tags? Did I get this right?

[MADMAX]

yes sir
my group wont comitt to spending the $$ for a tag
 

[grundy53]

Wow. Pretty lucky. I didn't draw an antelope tag this year with 1 point. At least next year I'll have 2 points.

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[MADMAX]

Block management is your friend if you get drawn make the calls and get reserved

[Brushbuster]

I try to avoid earlier in the season due to the warmer conditions. The gumbo mud really shuts down access to areas I like to hunt. This year went the week after veterans day & still lost 2 afternoons to muddy roads.

We did see good numbers of goats in Nov after the season. I think they bunch up for the winter so it's looking good for next year.

I brought my brother this year & he brought everything but the kitchen sink. I only have a Nissan Frontier so very limited space. Especially frustrating having to unpack everything to get to the jack when we got a flat.     Think I might buy a hitch carrier for a place to put my ice chest & easier loading of game. or maybe leave my brother home. hmmm!   

[bornhunter]

yes sir
my group wont comitt to spending the $$ for a tag
 

Did you camp or motel it?

[Ace]

What unit and what type of weapon

[Gentrys]

I had the big game deer and elk combo tag for 2018.  Emphasis was on elk and I spent 6 of my 7 days chasing elk starting on the opener Oct 20th.  Finally got a bull on the 26th, so only had 1 day to deer hunt.  Saw 2 mulie bucks following the same 6 does.  They weren't the biggest bucks I guess, but plenty big for me.  temps had been in the low to mid 60s all week with wind, so tough hunting, but I still saw some.  I had never hunted Montana before.  I hunted on block management land DIY.  Also saw 4 WT bucks that same day and one of them was a shooter in my book - 5x5.  Probably considered small by many other hunters, but I would have been happy with it also.  Compared to how tough hunting is here in Washington for me over the years, Montana was a dream hunt.

[grundy53]

I had the big game deer and elk combo tag for 2018.  Emphasis was on elk and I spent 6 of my 7 days chasing elk starting on the opener Oct 20th.  Finally got a bull on the 26th, so only had 1 day to deer hunt.  Saw 2 mulie bucks following the same 6 does.  They weren't the biggest bucks I guess, but plenty big for me.  temps had been in the low to mid 60s all week with wind, so tough hunting, but I still saw some.  I had never hunted Montana before.  I hunted on block management land DIY.  Also saw 4 WT bucks that same day and one of them was a shooter in my book - 5x5.  Probably considered small by many other hunters, but I would have been happy with it also.  Compared to how tough hunting is here in Washington for me over the years, Montana was a dream hunt.

Nice buck! Glad to hear of your success.

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[grundy53]

What unit and what type of weapon

I'm going to apply for a 700 series antelope tag. I'll be rifle hunting.

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[grundy53]

Sorry to butt in here but you guys sound like you know Montana and I really dont. I want to try pronghorns this year and was thinking Wyoming but I would like to do what the op is going for. Deer and pronghorns. Is there plenty of open ground in the eastern part and is that the best place to start? Do most people camp or stay in towns and drive out daily? I'm 65 and will probably hunt alone but have never hunted Montana so trying to get some ideas where to start.

in regards to antelope,  Wyoming is the land of opportunity.  You can have a great hunt without points or a really great hunt if you have a few in the bank.  I'd caution anyone who is dabbling in the out of state waters to not bite off too much.  Combo hunt would be great but what could be better is a species specific hunt where you dont have "extra baggage" clawing at the back of your mind.  With a deer and an antelope tag in your pocket, every day you dont fill a tag the pressure can build which can greatly reduce the fun part of the trip.  Antelope are a cool animal 

That's the great part about Montana. I won't have the deer tag clawing at the back of my mind because if I don't get one I will have a great excuse to come back in November .

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[hunterofelk]

Nice buck gentrys!

[grundy53]

Anyone know what the 2018 draw odds were for a MT non-resident general deer combo license?  I see there are 4,600 licenses but I could not find number of applicants/odds for them.

They updated for this year. It's now 60% with 0 points.

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[wooltie]

I can't find the answer in the regs--

When applying for a nonresident big game general deer tag, or elk/deer combo tag, do you accumulate points if you do not draw?

[Stein]

I don't apply for that tag, but I believe there is a separate points system for the general tag as there is for the limited draws.  I believe you have to pay a separate fee to get the point if you don't draw.  It will be on the paper application when they come out.