Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Out Of State Hunting => Topic started by: WoolSocks on January 21, 2024, 10:01:52 PM

Title: Montana B Elk License
Post by: WoolSocks on January 21, 2024, 10:01:52 PM: First year looking at Montana. I’m considering a Class B license as it’s within my budget, and I’d be satisfied with a cow. Just want to get away from the crowd in Washington! Hunted archery here last year and saw a few just outside of bow range. Also saw lots of hunters that had no problem walking all over somebody else’s hunt, stank the whole woods up like pot and kept the bulls too skittish to bugle.

I can’t tell from the regs. Is the class B a stand-alone license, or is it an add-on? I sure like the idea of paying $300 to hunt, rather than $1k.
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: hughjorgan on January 21, 2024, 10:53:58 PM: The B license can be purchased by itself, I think you have to have a conservation license as well. You’ll have to draw them in some areas or find an OTC area.
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: mossback91 on January 22, 2024, 08:10:37 AM: There will still be crowds in Montana
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: ganghis on January 22, 2024, 09:02:43 AM: B tags in the places I elk hunt (big belts) probably take 5 bonus points or so to draw these days. My impression is most of the units with easy-to-draw / OTC cow tags have large amounts of private land, so you'd have to deal with access issues. Probably the best thing would be to get on GoHunt and start looking at odds and unit profiles to find something that suits you. Or if spending a lot of cash on a GoHunt subscription is too much, maybe just check out Montana's website... There are sometimes interesting high odds draws if they're trying to reduce herd size somewhere (like a breaks B tag in Jan/Feb), but even those aren't guaranteed.
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: WoolSocks on January 22, 2024, 12:17:16 PM: Quote from: mossback91 on January 22, 2024, 08:10:37 AM
There will still be crowds in Montana

Even in archery season? The state has to have something going for it, if people shell out serous cash to go there…
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: CarbonHunter on January 22, 2024, 03:03:18 PM: Quote from: WoolSocks on January 22, 2024, 12:17:16 PM
Quote from: mossback91 on January 22, 2024, 08:10:37 AM
There will still be crowds in Montana

Even in archery season? The state has to have something going for it, if people shell out serous cash to go there…

The state has opportunities but it is by no means a guarantee that you will not see hunters or even get an animal. In fact the only time you typically see light hunting pressure is if you are in an area with little to no game. It’s a big state and animals are dispersed.
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: CarbonHunter on January 22, 2024, 03:44:40 PM: Here’s a list of elk density by state and total population.

Washington’s density is not much lower than Montanas. The main difference to me is that Montana let’s you hunt the elk where Washington teases us hunters with the animals.
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: dvolmer on January 22, 2024, 09:12:19 PM: Quote from: CarbonHunter on January 22, 2024, 03:44:40 PM
Here’s a list of elk density by state and total population.

Washington’s density is not much lower than Montanas. The main difference to me is that Montana let’s you hunt the elk where Washington teases us hunters with the animals.
I would have never thought that Oregon has more elk than Wyoming. Interesting graph.
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: 3nails on January 22, 2024, 09:43:32 PM: Quote from: WoolSocks on January 22, 2024, 12:17:16 PM
Quote from: mossback91 on January 22, 2024, 08:10:37 AM
There will still be crowds in Montana

Even in archery season? The state has to have something going for it, if people shell out serous cash to go there…
There are still places in Montana where you can hunt a week without seeing another hunter. You just have to avoid the internet areas.
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: 22shtur on February 01, 2024, 04:52:26 PM: Yes, you'll see many hunters archery hunting in MT.
With a general tag and archery license, hunters in MT can go archery hunting and if unsuccessful they can go out again with the general tag for rifle season.
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: jstone on February 13, 2024, 10:34:10 AM: What’s the dates to put in for the B tags? I am putting in for the combo deer and elk this year. Will be archery hunting elk if I don’t get my Washington quality tag
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: Sakko300wsm on March 03, 2024, 05:51:21 AM: We put in for combo and B tags on Friday
Title: Re: Montana B Elk License
Post by: CarbonHunter on March 03, 2024, 07:55:49 AM: You have until June 1st to apply for B tags in Montana.