Heading To Montana

[jjhunter]

I think trespassing means loss of license for awhile in MT?  And, if part the multi-state agreement - loss in one state could mean loss in several western states.   

Glad everything worked out for you......

[Magnum_Willys]

Yea, the GW can really screw up a good trip.  Glad you made it back OK.
Thats one thing that sux in MT - such a patch work of private - blm land - block management land you need a good topo gps in one hand preprogrammed with land ownership maps to hunt within 1/2 mile of any borders.   Of course ranchers rent the blm for grazing so you can't tell blm from private - never mind block management - without good maps and a gps.  No one posts signs of course as its not necessary in MT.  Of course land owners spot a hunter anywhere close to them they call in the GW just to be safe.

[WDFW-SUX]

Sounds like paradise...

[Galpster]

It is tough. Being from Montana and hunting there till I left to join the military I have had many close calls. Like stated before most private land is not posted but the ones that are have orange spray paint on the tops of the fence posts. I bet if I went back all the land I hunted is probably sub divisions now.

[Pathfinder101]

Yikes.  Sorry to hear about that 300.  Did you quit hunting after the incident with the GW?

[huntnphool]

It is unfortunate that they have to be so letter of the law. You guys really don't know how bad the trespassing and poaching is over there. I do feel bad that 300 was treated like that but at the same time I'm glad they are there looking out for the land owners. I have a lease in that area and being over here makes it impossible to monitor the property, we rely on these guys a lot.

[nw_bowhunter]

At least everything worked out in the end and glad to see we got an update on the status of a fellow member who was MIA.  I'm sure 300 wanted a different outcome but there is always next year. It was nice of huntnphool to pass on the hunt info, as well as being concerned about 300 status.

[muleyguy]

you just found out the problem with SE montana..........I have so many horror stories from that area it is a joke........I see all these guys on here that are just stompin' at the bit to get to Broadus........you drive around and see 75 bucks a day on mostly private ground, and try and work on odd public section here and there, mixed in with the private, trying to catch a decent one moving around...........I haven't been there in 6 yrs, and it was a joke back then;  can't believe what it is now......BMA's get hammered with people

Broadus in 1990's was heaven.........wasn't hard finding access to good private ground, landowners very nice, outfitters less of a presence.  Broadus in 2009 is just a pain in the ass without access to private ground.  Here is just a couple of the doozies:  hiking in a public area of 4 sections with private around it;  nice mid to high 20's buck in there;  in the middle of a stalk when a sheriff shows up on the gravel rd a mile and a half from where I am at;  were 60 miles east of broadus in the middle of nowhere;  sheriff proceeds to drive offroad, through the sagebrush, crosscountry, hauls ass up to me and says I am on private ground.  Have all the BLM maps and know exactly where I am at;  but, hey, you going to argue with a sherriff 60 miles from nowhere in SE montana??    So, jump in his rig and he goes back to gravel rd. I pull the BLM maps out of my backpack, and proceed to show him exactly where I am at.  His *censored* has no idea where he is, and he finally admits that yes, I am on public ground.  BUT, says that the adjoining landowner is a real stickler about trespassing, and it would be best if I weren't even close to his land, even if I was on public.

another episode:  I am hunting on a BMA (this is in the infancy of the program) and park at the designated parking area;  a guide with Powder River Outfitters in his 1984 suburban is driving down through the BMA with a 27" buck on the front of his rig and has three hunters in the back.  He proceeds to tell me that Powder River Outfitters has this ranch leased and that I am trespassing.........

I mean it just goes on and on around there........when we were there last in 2003, Guy Eastman was there in his fancy suburban, and the Hunter Specialty guys were there as well, I knew right then it was over.............it is not enjoyable hunting when you are looking over your shoulder every ten minutes or, if you move across a fence for 10 yds you are going to get hammered with a trespassing ticket......if you have access to private ground in broadus, it is worth going to;  anything else is a pain in the ass.........all these WA guys go there, drive around and see all these 21" 4 pt bucks standing alongside the road on private ground, and think they are in heaven.  But, then they go to the BMA and see a fraction of those bucks and ten million people;  and then go back to these odd sections of public ground in the middle of the private ground trying to find a good one, and it turns out two ways:

1.  They shoot a 23" buck, and then come back to WA and get on a forum like this and brag to everyone.
2.  They get a trespassing ticket; or get runoff by an outfitter/GW/Sheriff, even if they are on public ground
3.  Spend the week playing grabass with the outifitter/GW/Sheriff

unless you have access to private ground, you are about 9 yrs too late to the Broadus party..........

[huntnphool]

You can thank the outfitters lobby for a lot of that muleyguy.

. This buck was killed at some point in the middle of the night while we were there this last year. Someone shot it, capped it and left the rest, less than a mile from where 300 was at.

[muleyguy]

You can thank the outfitters lobby for a lot of that muleyguy

I know;  we are on the same page as far as that.  If there was ever an area that the guaranteed tag program has killed, it is the broadus area. 

[muleyguy]

You guys really don't know how bad the trespassing and poaching is over there

I agree with that also;  its all just a big game between the landowner, the hunters, the outfitters, the GW and the sheriffs.  The hunters are just as bad and pushing it as anybody else.

[Pathfinder101]

Yikes.  I didn't realize it was that bad. 

[huntnphool]

Yikes.  I didn't realize it was that bad. 

When there are bucks like this all over the place, just 30-40 yards away, temptation gets the better of some people.

[bobcat]

I pull the BLM maps out of my backpack, and proceed to show him exactly where I am at.  His *censored* has no idea where he is, and he finally admits that yes, I am on public ground.  BUT, says that the adjoining landowner is a real stickler about trespassing, and it would be best if I weren't even close to his land, even if I was on public.

That would REALLY make me mad.     I'd be liable to go back and hunt right along the public/private land boundary just because I can. It's public land and the adjacent landowner has no more right to it than anybody else.

[Magnum_Willys]

Yikes.  I didn't realize it was that bad.  

When there are bucks like this all over the place, just 30-40 yards away, temptation gets the better of some people.

 So True.  My son and I spot one much bigger than this 300 yards away but I knew it was probably over the line by 100 yards so we held off.  Drove a mile to locate the landowner and asked permission but sure enough the nicest lady in the world wanted us to shoot it but couldn't let us because she had already leased the land out.   Don't think we weren't tempted to shoot and drag though.  I try to teach my son games won through cheating are a hollow victory that sticks with you.