best elk units in montana

According to Utah's Statewide Elk Management Plan, most of the any-bull units are dominated by private lands, with limited public access. Elk Permit 425-20 is valid for the entirety of the hunting district, but those applying know it offers the unique opportunity to hunt the WMA, said Brent Lonner, area biologist for FWP. Resident or non-resident hunters longing for a special permit, on that allows you to shoot a bull elk in a unit that otherwise is antlerless only, the time to start looking is also before April 1st. But hunters must accrue many preference points 10 to 15 to have a realistic chance at drawing a quality bull tag there. It offers OTC elk licenses across many units. In truth, it does offer OTC elk hunts, but these don't nearly equal the quality you can expect from the draw hunts. Regulations vary between hunting units and sometimes within the same unit. The Wenaha is one of three of our known trophy elk areas (along with the Mt. Nevada is over 80% public lands, Sanchez explained. Age Your Elk Helpful Information Management & Monitoring Harvest Reports MONTANA OUTDOORS Where to Hunt Elk in Montana An insider's guide for new hunters and nonresidents to locating the best spots this season. Bulls are big, numerous and generally very accessible. 47 Hi everyone, I've been learning a lot from lurking on here but I wanted to see if I could gain a bit more insight from some folks who have more experience than I do. If you noticed the totals do not add up in Table 1, its because many HDs have more than one season and in many cases, the Age/Sex you are allowed to harvest changes. 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Hike away from rds. The number of hunters varied widely in the units they chose ranging from as low as 2 in Idaho to over 3,700 in two states (units 103 & 151 in Idaho & unit 21 in Wyoming). Montana's Best Hidden Gem for Elk and Deer Hunting Those lucky enough to be in the 15% of applicants who draw a bull permit should find a Montana ranch to hunt on. Some antlerless opportunity is available depending on weapon type and season, primarily to address agricultural damage issues. It comprises 13 game management units (GMUs). The limited permits mean older age class bulls, and people get really excited about that.. When you have one on the ground, you approach with wonder as they just seem to get bigger and bigger as you come toward them. Of the 13 nonresident hunters carrying GMU 42 licenses in 2018, eight were successful, accounting for a 63% success rate. Montana 2021 Elk Counts No wintering elk No numerical objective. Elk Hunting Guide in Montana: Where and How to Harvest Your Elk, Discovering the Best Elk Units in Montana, "Sometimes the animals aren't where you need them to be, so you need more options. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. Some of these properties are located in hunting units that are special permit only, while others allow harvest of a cow or bull elk with a general elk tag. The Elkhorns were not always the mecca for trophy potential they are today. Rifle and muzzleloader general licenses are available on a first-come-first-served basis, while the general-season archery licenses are unlimited. Three states had general units with zero elk harvested, but some individual units had more than 1,000 elk harvested (unit 446 in Montana & unit 21 in Wyoming). The exact unit with the highest success rate fluctuates from year to year. But lucky recipients are treated to the rare opportunity to hunt 380- to 400-plus-inch bulls, because the unit produces them annually. We manage four units 1, 9, 10 and 23 for older age-class bulls, higher success rates and low hunter density, Munig said. 653. The Land of Enchantment is an elk hotbed, and it's because New Mexico doesn't have OTC tags. Please subscribe to keep reading. Hunting elk in Montana is an exciting experience. Finally, when you do have a successful hunt, its time to pack the animal out. The LO Ranch straddles two units: 700 and 701, with the bulk of the ranch in the northerly 700 district. The total HDs that allow either sex and Mature Bull hunting is different, but there are more opportunities to hunt any elk except spikes with archery equipment. I think right or wrong with this tag and others, all it takes is one or two whopper bulls to be harvested and then hysteria kicks in a little bit, Lonner said. GMU 16 A-E covers a large area of southwest New Mexico, he added. Are you ready for hunting season? Top 25 Montana General Elk Rifle Hunt Districts for 2019 Elk Hunt Note that our general season tags are valid in multiple units, and success rates vary by unit and weapon type. Hunting District 632 or The Pines as many call it is home to a low-density elk herd but plenty of big bulls due to limited hunting. Our most recent estimates put bull-to-cow ratios at 10 per 100. Montana Elk Hunt Region 6. If you can't justify the wait for an Area 100 elk tag, consider Area 122, which is located just north of Casper. In numerous hunting units, legal elk for the general-season hunts are spike only, but there are some units where any bull is legal. Abajo Mountain: Higher elevations include large alpine meadows with aspen/conifer stands surrounding, lower elevations contain oak stands with large sagebrush clearings, good camping, nice roads, holds a good number of elk. Prospective hunters should also look into WDFW elk raffle-permit hunts as an additional opportunity to hunt branch-antlered bulls in the Blues. The average 2018 to 2019 post-hunt bull ratio was 41 to 100 cows but ranged from 11 to 104. The weather is wild in the mountains. To simplify your research, I've called the wildlife departments in 10 elk states and also spent many hours researching to unveil some of the West's best elk units. Just north of Bozeman and Livingston, the Bridger Mountains run north and south. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Combine this with the high success rate for hunters, 17.4 success rate as reported by FWP, and it is easy to see why hunting in Montana is so desirable- there are over 132 outfitters in the state with many offering hunting trips. Unique Elk Talk by Idaho Steve (Hailey, Id ), In the middle of the night, . Elk Hunting in Montana: What you need to know - BookYourHunt Blog Elk Hunting Guide in Montana: Where and How to Harvest Your Elk - LandTrust Because as soon as you pull that trigger, and your elk goes down, thats when the work sets in. Montana elk B unit suggestions | Hunt Talk While the unit doesn't have any OTC archery-bull licenses, it has OTC second- and third-season rifle hunts. This hunt lines up right in the heart of the rut with September 15-24 hunt dates. Keen eyesight and exemplary hearing often mean they will spot you before you spot them. This next table (Table 3) is from all HDs where the General Elk License allowed hunters to take Mature Bull Elk (more specifically Brow-tined Bull Elk, Brow-tined Bull Elk or Either Sex HDs and Table 4 shows ranked HDs where hunters had the option to take any elk (specifically Brow-tined Bull Elk or Antlerless or Either Sex HD realizing that the Brow-tined Bull or Antlerless elk option leaves out spikes and possibly a few other young bulls. From video taken the last day of my 2018 elk hunt. More specifically, Units 111 to 115 are historically top producers. Our late season Montana elk hunt allows weather to push elk down the mountain, but due to the low elevation of our valley floor it concentrates . So I also separated and ranked HDs both ways. When you draw a tag, the wildlife is so abundant in this district that youre very likely to find the perfect animal to satisfy that itch that came when you learned about how incredible elk hunting in Montana really is. Access in the Scappoose Unit is challenging, Dion warned. Private elk hunting near Missouri Breaks in Montana at the LO Cattle Ranch. Expect pinyon-juniper and mixed conifers. Young bulls (spikes) are included in the Total Elk Column, but not in the Bull Elk Columns. Montana has long been a popular elk destination. The Bureau of Land Management has several Wilderness Study Areas within Area 100 worth concentrating on. Planning on rifle hunting for 7 to 10 days if necessary. You can hunt over-the-counter units in at least one state annually as you bank preference points for a future trophy hunt. In general, far more glassing opportunities will be found here than in Regions 1 or 2, but periods of heavy timber will still be . But when anyone can hunt there, it means a lot of people do hunt there. There are also 29 HDs allow Either Sex elk and 1 HD that allows Antlered Elk; meaning spike elk can also be harvested. Top Utah General Archery Elk Hunt Units for 2017, How to Choose an Elk Unit for a DIY Public Land Hunt - Part I, 2013 Elk Harvest in Eleven Western States, Provo River Fishing Report and Outlook for May. Elevations vary from 5,100 to 9,559 feet. These odds are for a Type 1 license, which you can hunt using any weapon. Many folks assume that Arizona's elk licenses are issued by draw only. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Non-residents must apply by April 1st for their tags. The Nonresident's Guide to Planning an Elk Hunt We hunted for cows in Wyoming last year and I did struggle with the elevations of 8500 and above. Let's dig in. This is grizzly country. The state's northwest corner has long been a storied trophy area that encompasses GMUs 1, 2 and 201. Bulls in fact), that were removed from the left side of the table. But usually it means taking the animal apart into quarters and carrying it out on your back. The 50-square-mile area within Hunting District 310 offered a buffer, with limited success, Lovaas noted, allowing elk to more freely leave the park. Idaho is an opportunistic elk state. Elk spotted at Black Ranch near Bozeman, MT. Historically, few tags have been offered in the area, said biologist Drew Henry. Archery hunters can use the % Rifle data to estimate archery harvest by HD if you are willing to assume the proportion of elk harvested by all methods, licenses and seasons approximates the same proportion taken with General Elk Licenses. All of the regions, however, have their pros and their cons. Realtree is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience to everyone, including those with disabilities. Some areas can have incredibly difficult terrain. OTC branch-antlered Rocky Mountain bull hunting is available in the Selkirk population of northeast Washington, but elk numbers there are lower. However, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has entered into a Landowner Compact Agreement with the Boquillas-Diamond A Ranch, which encompasses Unit 10's western half, amounting to about 720,000 acres. Hunt By Species: Elk | Montana FWP Although I see fewer bulls than were once reported in the GSMA, I enjoy so much every year when I fly down there and see those big bulls in the timber, she said. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; A seasoned hunter must know the basics, but there are a few things to keep in mind before you hit the road to find your bull elk. With a combination of national forest and wilderness lands, the Wenaha Unit has large tracts of grass-covered ridges and timber-filled canyons that support healthy elk herds. Its never going to be a perfect situation and I think that keeps many folks from every going on their first DIY elk hunt, but you have to start somewhere. Because its a big state, and there is a lot to see here. But we also offer numerous quality controlled-hunt opportunities across the state. Applications for elk must be submitted by 11:45 p.m. MDT on April 1. Before we can get to the part where we admire our quarry up close, we need to know a bit more about elk hunting in Montana: what to expect, how to hunt them, and (perhaps most importantly) we have to find the right elk units and the right land to find a herd. Hunting opportunities are afforded via general-season and limited-entry licenses. Emily and Walla Walla Units). Removing that many bull elk also effects the Total Elk estimate. For quite a few years it has been one of the top producing areas for the sheer quantity of elk harvested; 700 elk were harvested in 2020 (the last year statistics were available). In previous posts I have ranked the archery and rifle hunt districts (aka hunt units) for the General Elk seasons for various western states. 83. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; The 2022 elk hunting season was very successful for rifle hunters as there were great snow conditions during the state's five-week rifle season. Two any-legal-weapon hunts also have two nonresident permits each. Elk Newbie looking for direction (Montana) | Rokslide Forum Elk Permit 425-20 is valid for the entirety of the hunting district, highlighted in red, but those applying know it offers the unique opportunity to hunt theSun River Wildlife Management Area, which is outlined in blue. For someone interested only in hunting mature bulls, you should also look at HDs 312 & 445 because over 70% of the bell elk taken in these HDs were 6 points or better and HDs 393, 314, 390 and 311 had over 60% of the bull elk with at least 6 points. Starting with Elk Hunting in Montana: Know Before You Go, Prime Elk Hunting Unit 1: Snowy Mountains District 411, Prime Elk Hunting Unit 2: East Bridger District 393, Prime Elk Hunting Unit 3: South Little Belt Mountains District 540, Start Now for Your Montana Elk Hunt of a Lifetime, Busy Farm Finds Support in LandTrust Partnership. Breaking free from society, he enjoys rock and ice climbing, caving, backpacking, hunting, fishing, and all around loving what Montana has to offer. But the snow was a foot deep and that is why elk were there an people were not. These are called 'high-demand' hunts, which are calculated annually and have at least 22% nonresident applicants. Your IP: And with 96 young hunters applying for one tag, the permit is the third hardest draw in the state, with a 1.04% success rate. Since harvest data in Montana does not separate harvests from draw permits or General Licenses, the problem is how to remove the elk harvested with drawn permits. Dec 16, 2013. Elk hunting terminology is confusing. If it's a trophy-class bull you're after, it's tough to beat the San Juan unit. This year, FWP reduced the B tags from 40 to 25 in 392, and the regulations changed so that cows are not permitted to be harvested on Forest Service land during rifle season. The entire ranch is accessible for your elk hunt, but the hunt doesnt have to stop at the ranch boundaries. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Area 100, in particular, is a gem that requires seniority in the draw, at least for nonresident hunters. Some of the best trophy potential lies in White Pine County. Except the mountains are bigger, the hunts can be longer, and packing them out of the mountains is tougher. Terrains range from steep, rugged mountains with deep canyons to rolling grasslands and semidesert. Instead, expect sprawling sage flats, with a limited amount of juniper interspersed throughout the more broken terrain in the area's southernmost portion. Unit 30-1 (Controlled Hunt Oppty. If you have friends or family that have invited you to come hunt with them, you should go. Its tough hunting because I had never hunted the area, didnt know where to go or how the elk live there, he said. For residents, Area 122 is a random draw, and all first-choice applicants drew tags in 2018. The elk populations in District 380 are around 2,100, Lemon said. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; The 391 and 392 elk are probably the two best units in the state, if not the best. The Country's Best Elk-Hunting Units - Realtree Store Trophy potential is great. The landowner you book from may have horses or ATVs you can use, but sometimes it comes down to quartering the animal and packing meat out in a backpack. They may also move to draws, gently rolling sagebrush hills and sagebrush flats, as well as the sand hills. Every year I am awed by the sight of them.. There are districts, or units, in the eastern half that have fewer elk roaming about, but those that are there are easier to spot with the wide-open spaces. When it comes to elk hunting, the best states have a lot in common-they have nice bulls. While Idaho's OTC elk hunts can be productive, its controlled hunts put you into the state's best elk hunting. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. The Brow-tined Bull and Antlerless elk hunts (34 HDs) makes a total of 63 unrestricted HDs where you can take any elk on 29 units and all but spikes on the rest. While some herds stay down low, humans and wolves have moved them out of the easily accessible areas, and into more remote and rougher terrain. Read the Article MyFWP Have you set up your MyFWP account? Also note that some of the extra combinations are for Youth Only hunts. In most of Montana's elk-hunting districts, hunters can harvest a bull with a general license, said Greg Lemon of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. PDF Montana 2021 Elk Counts I have hunted and even killed elk on public that you could probably get your 75 year old father to. Just north of Rock Springs, Wyoming, Area 100 isn't your typical national forest elk habitat. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. May 24, 2020 I've done some searching but thought this may be faster. The HDs in Table 2 ranged from 841 to 251 total elk in the Top 25 HDs. Subscribe to our newsletter and get an extra 10% on your first purchase. Rifle can be tough due to the huge influx of cow and spike hunters. Naturally, older bulls in a state with screamer genetics will sport impressive antlers. Also, be prepared to take any legal bull since this isn't a trophy hunt. With the Bridger Mountains just a few miles to your west and the Crazy Mountains a few miles to your east, the Muddy Creek Ranch offers over 2,700 acres of land that is great elk habitat. Nonresident hunters with just four preference points stand a 75% chance of drawing the tag, and hunters with five or more points went 100% in the draw, DiRienzo noted. The current elk-population estimate in the Scappoose Unit is approximately 2,300 animals, Dion said. Back toward the middle of the state, just south of the Little Belt Mountains, the Little Belt Cattle Company occupies 8,000 acres of prime elk country. An unknown number of elk inhabit approximately 85% of the unit during spring, summer and fall. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; Nevada grows big bulls because it doesn't offer nonresidents OTC bull tags. Elk Hunting in Montana's HD 302 - Tendoys - HuntScore I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting with the lucky hunters who receive this tag every year. Its one of the more historically represented elk herds in the state, so I think theres been a lot of interest locally and regionally, said Scott Eggeman, regional biologist with FWP. Public lands are abundant, with exception of Unit 10, which is dominated by private lands, Munig shared. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Only 26% of the area is accessible to the public. First of all, it is impossible to know everything before you go on your first elk hunt. With stretches of wide-open fields, split by wooded draws, your hunt can be challenging and exciting as you find a way to stalk in close enough for a clean shot on your Montana elk. Darron McDougal. Best States for Elk Hunting | onX Hunt But an applicant with zero or very few bonus points still has a chance to draw a tag. In Montana, you can hunt most HDs with a General Elk License, but pay close attention to the regulations in each HD. Moving to the east through the state, the herds become less dense and farther apart. Every year thousands of elk hunters throw their names in the hat for a special permit with dreams of hunting one of Montanas limited draw units. These bulls continue to get more [] How To Choose The Best Place To Hunt Elk In Montana On A General The Gallatin SMA, highlighted in blue, a 50-square-mile area within Hunting District 310, highlighted in red, is consideredan uncommon hunting opportunity for mature bull elk on public lands now closed to big game hunting,former biologist Craig Jourdonnais said. I was also looking specifically at rifle seasons, but each of the tables (Tables 2, 3 & 4) show the percent of elk harvested by rifle (or Any Legal Weapon) vs archery. Several other general season units had 10 to 20% success rates across different seasons and weapon types. Montana loves hunting. Each of those regions is further divided into units, or districts. And the Taylor Fork and Gallatin Canyon is an area with a high number of predators. Elk, on the other hand, tend to be more limited in the habitat they prefer. At about 67,000 acres, the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area near Ovando is on the small side when it comes to hunting districts. Nearly all the opportunities occur on public. It can be t-shirt weather one day, with the night dipping below zero and a snowstorm moving in. amzn_assoc_asins = "B079HNKGGG,B00ZP0JW4U,B06XGCB1DS,B07NGN7JRF"; For those that want the option to harvest any elk, only the 29 unrestricted HDs with Either Sex hunts allow you to do that (except for spikes, but spikes make up a small portion of the population). When youre looking for a Montana elk hunting lease, and youre more concerned with filling the freezer with some of the best wild game meat you have ever tasted, then opting for a hunting unit that allows you to harvest any animal you happen to see is where its at. The HDs in Table 2 ranged from 841 to 251 total elk in the Top 25 HDs. Nevada elk hunters typically have no trouble finding land to hunt when they draw a coveted tag. Personally, I like the option to hunt any elk (or either sex elk), but many folks are more interested in hunting mature bulls. | Click Items for more Info"; There are certainly high quality bulls, and I always tell people to put time in and get after it. Then, searching LandTrust, discover the private land that allows you to hunt the species of your choice. Each individual has different expectations or values as to what they're looking for in a hunt, so we direct them to our website and the Hunt Planner. Elk are closely related to deer except theyre bigger, faster, and tougher. The perfect part is spending time in amazing habitat (alone or with family or friends) with the opportunity to harvest an elk. The % 6 pt Elk column shows the percentage of 6 point or better elk out of all Bull Elk harvested by all methods, licenses and seasons for each HD. Dont let that dissuade you, though! The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) regulates elk hunting to maximize opportunity. However, Montana elk are often concentrated in gnarly wilderness areas that are difficult to reach on foot, so consider getting horses to access the backcountry. Some units are brow-tined bull only, meaning you cant shoot cow elk, spike elk, or forked antler elk. Annually, first-time applicants are drawing really tough permits. Despite the lack of towering peaks, the rugged terrain can be just as impressive and contain enormous herds of elk. That leads to many hunters catching the tail end of the herd as it disappears up and over a mountain; a mountain that the animal crossed in a couple of minutes and will take well over an hour for a two-legged human to summit. I think it was one of the best ideas my predecessor had. And many of them are open to either sex elk, or designated as brow-tined bull or antlerless elk (well get into what that means soon). Colorado. MT FWP Hunt Planner and at regional offices. For nonresidents, it requires 12 preference points for just a 15% chance of drawing. Click to reveal But with solid ground work its a good 330+ rifle tag. If you have never hunted elk before, its important to know just how big these animals actually are. Permits (for resident and non-resident hunters) also have an application deadline of April 1st; the probability of drawing a special permit varies from less than 1% success up to 99% success. Broken down, this consisted of 736 bulls, 641 cows and 57 calves. You can cancel at any time. It also had a high 2018 success rate of 79%. Since hunting pressure is very regulated, a pre-hunt scouting trip can be productive and a great way to locate bulls to hunt. You have to narrow it down using three different factors. The first thing you should notice from Table 2 is how the top 25 HDs are dominated by Regions 3 and 4. With a general elk tag, youre limited to hunting antlerless only. Just south, into the 701, the herds thin out, but the tags are easier to come by. Was wondering if the Custer National Forest permit for unit 704 hunt is worth the wait to draw. Practical scouting strategies for elk: Part 1 - GOHUNT Performance & security by Cloudflare. Elk Network Montana Releases 2020 Big Game Hunting Forecast Table 3 shows the top 25 HDs (ranked by Bull Elk; (Brow-tined Bull Elk) in General License Elk HDs that allow the take of Mature Bull Elk (Brow-tined Bull Elk, Brow-tined Bull or Antlerless Elk or Either Sex Elk). It can take up to 20 years to draw our difficult permits. Then get into a brief introduction to what you need to be aware of if youre venturing out on your quest to harvest the great wapiti. Black Ranch | Reeseplace - Gallatin Gateway, MT. We do not know which seasons, tags or weapons were actually used to harvest the elk in those Hunt Districts, but we can see the total number of elk that could have been harvested in each unit with a General License for comparison. These giants can weigh in excess of a thousand pounds.

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