Anyone ever float-hunt the Missouri Breaks?

[Pathfinder101]

Wondering if anyone has hunted the Missouri Breaks from a boat?  I was kicking around the idea of floating it this summer with my son as a scouting trip for this coming fall.

[jackelope]

i'll row.

[huntnphool]

The banks on both sides of the river will still be mostly private land wont they?

[bobcat]

Are you talking Fort Peck Reservoir? If so you'll probably want a motor on that boat. And there's plenty of BLM ground from what I've heard.

[Pathfinder101]

The banks on both sides of the river will still be mostly private land wont they?

Are you talking Fort Peck Reservoir? If so you'll probably want a motor on that boat. And there's plenty of BLM ground from what I've heard.

Well, that's the kind of stuff that I was wondering.  It's hard to tell from MT.FWP's mapper what is what, especially since I don't really know that part of MT.  That's why I was wondering if anyone had done it. 
It does look like a lot of BLM land the closer you get to the reservoir, but it also looks like the eastern end of The Breaks is "National Monument".  The web sites I looked into made it sound like that was public land.

[bobcat]

I've never done it but I want to. I know a guy who did it once. He and four other guys camped on the shore of the reservoir, and boated across the lake every morning to hunt. They all killed nice mulies. But this was about 15 years ago.

[jackelope]

i know nothing about the area. when the word float was mentioned, i immediately took it as a river. if it's fort peck, i rescind my offer. that'd be a whole lot of rowing.

[Pathfinder101]

The Res appears to have the most public land, but I was thinking more of a canoe trip down the Breaks.  Like I said though, I can't really tell if is huntable (acess-wise).  I thought it would be cool to float it with my 10 year old this summer (like Lewis and Clark), good hands-on history lesson for him, summer scouting trip for me, fun for both. 

[bobcat]

There's some info there that may help:

http://www.monstermuleys.info/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.pl?az=show_thread&om=7324&forum=DCForumID6&archive=yes

[Pathfinder101]

Thanks Bobcat.  That was actually super helpful.  Sounds like everyone hunts the Reservoir.  Must be a reason for that.  The Map on mt.fwp makes it look like the Breaks are surrounded by designated "wilderness", so I would assume that it is public land, but it must not be, because it doesn't sound like anyone hunts it.  most people were complaining that the only problem with hunting around the Reservoir was that it is all public and a lot of people are in there for the rut.  Lots of talk  about the deer in there only reaching the 170 mark (age class, genetics, etc...).  I guess I am going to be easy to please, I'll be happy with anything that has 4 good points and is as wide as his ears for this trip.
Maybe I am reading fwp's map wrong, or they have designated a bunch of private ground to be "wilderness".

[bobcat]

I'd guess that what appears to be shown as wilderness is actually the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Try this link:  http://www.fws.gov/cmr/

[whacker1]

Yes, it is the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge that encompasses the breaks of the Fort Peck Reservoir and is open for hunting with special rules that apply.  If I remember correctly the season ends a little bit early on the Wildlife Refuge, but I can't remember for sure.  The water gets pretty rough and get can get very cold and windy at the drop of a hat.  Not something you will want to canoe in.

From Craig Montana on the missouri river below the dam - much of the river bank is private land.  I have floated about 16 miles of it while fishing and there is some nice ground - saw one nice buck, but mostly private property. 

[Pathfinder101]

Thanks again Bobcat.  
No, the CMR Refuge is marked pretty clearly on the fwp map in purple.  I knew that was public land, since that is the area everyone is talking about hunting.  The area upstream from that is shaded green, which (the way I am reading the legend) is "Dept of Agriculture" and is marked on the map as a "wilderness area".  I am talking about the portion of the river below Fort Benton and above hwy 191.  No one mentions hunting that area though, so either they designated the private ground on both sides of the river "wilderness", or I am reading the map wrong.  
After visiting a couple of other sites, I am starting to think they designated the private property as  "wilderness".  There is a lot of talk about ranchers not being able to graze their cattle in the breaks because of the designation.  I can't really tell if they are talking about the private property being shut down, or some "open range" being shut down.  
Confusing

[Pathfinder101]

Yes, it is the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge that encompasses the breaks of the Fort Peck Reservoir and is open for hunting with special rules that apply.  If I remember correctly the season ends a little bit early on the Wildlife Refuge, but I can't remember for sure.  The water gets pretty rough and get can get very cold and windy at the drop of a hat.  Not something you will want to canoe in.

From Craig Montana on the missouri river below the dam - much of the river bank is private land.  I have floated about 16 miles of it while fishing and there is some nice ground - saw one nice buck, but mostly private property. 

Thanks Whacker.  That clears some stuff up.  It doesn't look like the actual season ends early(the way I read it those units are open til 29 NOV, unless I am reading the reg wrong), but a lot of talk about the boat ramps on the Reservoir closing due to weather, which would affect boat hunting.
Yeah, if I hunt the reservoir it wouldn't be by canoe.  I would probably either rent a boat at one of the marinas or borrow one and bring it with me.

[whacker1]

I think they have authority to change the seasons within the refuge.  Can't remember for sure, but I know they have more authority than one would think.

Lots of big bucks come from up there.  Never been.  I was supposed to go in 2007, but had back surgery instead.  Montana did send me back 90% of my money for the medical refund.  Gracious for that part.