Thread: Anyone hunted public land in Montana

I just got my email saying I received a combo license for a Deer and Elk in Montana this season.
Has anyone hunted over there on public land? I'm pretty excited as I have the month of November their in South West Montana.
Just thought id see if any other kiwis have been over to give it a go.

Give Randy Newburg a buzz bro

Originally Posted by Gibo

Give Randy Newburg a buzz bro

Serious? Thought he'd be pretty busy. I watched so many of the late season Montana Hunts lately. I guess you never know might get a response. I have actually stalked elk there before while visiting family but cant get enough real advice.

Originally Posted by Stocky

Serious? Thought he'd be pretty busy. I watched so many of the late season Montana Hunts lately. I guess you never know might get a response. I have actually stalked elk there before while visiting family but cant get enough real advice.

Drop him a message on fag book, never know. You may end up on the next episode

Originally Posted by Gibo

Drop him a message on fag book, never know. You may end up on the next episode

For anyone who watches its sake I hope not. Cameras do terrible things to me and I already have a face for radio hahaha. But yeh will could play out well.

Can probably put you in touch with some folks from there at least to give you the lay of the land. Culture and laws are quite different.

Yup. Its farking' cold. I'm gonna be pretty frank now - not looking to piss on fireworks, just a reality check.

My over-riding memory is the long walks from the truck to the boundary in the dark - hunt for several hours - walk back to the truck in the dark, buggered. Next day, repeat. It was too frigid and snowy for fly camping, you need Randy's lamas for that. Short days, sub zero or a little above all day, you get sweaty as fuck climbing up into the hunting areas, then cold as when you slow down. It was pretty grueling to be honest.

And its busy. There's a lot of access points (from the little that I remember, I was just following my cuz) but even if you pick one where there are no other cars, you can cross a trail with fresh footprints in the snow and you know you've got someone ahead of you. One of my most frustrating hunting experiences ever was stalking into a group of youngish bull elk and suddenly seeing two orange lumps heading straight for them from the other side of the valley. That's why blaze orange is mandatory in Montana.

So similar to NZ!

Research research research, get onto some US forums and ask the questions there. Find a friendly GC who will guide you like we do to Canadians and Americans here from time-to-time. My view is that the key to enjoying the experience - successful hunt or otherwise - is to minimise the amount of walking across (a) private land and (b) unprospective lowland.

I can also put you in touch with people over there but know that they work in NWT Canada for weeks on end at this time of the year and a response might be slow.

PM incoming

Originally Posted by canross

Can probably put you in touch with some folks from there at least to give you the lay of the land. Culture and laws are quite different.

@canross that would be awesome. I do have some contacts over there but I'm not exactly sure how into hunting they are so would love another possible contact.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Yup. Its farking' cold. I'm gonna be pretty frank now - not looking to piss on fireworks, just a reality check.

My over-riding memory is the long walks from the truck to the boundary in the dark - hunt for several hours - walk back to the truck in the dark, buggered. Next day, repeat. It was too frigid and snowy for fly camping, you need Randy's lamas for that. Short days, sub zero or a little above all day, you get sweaty as fuck climbing up into the hunting areas, then cold as when you slow down. It was pretty grueling to be honest.

And its busy. There's a lot of access points (from the little that I remember, I was just following my cuz) but even if you pick one where there are no other cars, you can cross a trail with fresh footprints in the snow and you know you've got someone ahead of you. One of my most frustrating hunting experiences ever was stalking into a group of youngish bull elk and suddenly seeing two orange lumps heading straight for them from the other side of the valley. That's why blaze orange is mandatory in Montana.

So similar to NZ!

Research research research, get onto some US forums and ask the questions there. Find a friendly GC who will guide you like we do to Canadians and Americans here from time-to-time. My view is that the key to enjoying the experience - successful hunt or otherwise - is to minimise the amount of walking across (a) private land and (b) unprospective lowland.

I can also put you in touch with people over there but know that they work in NWT Canada for weeks on end at this time of the year and a response might be slow.

PM incoming

Thanks @Flyblown I'm under no illusion that its easy. I have spent some time in Montana around this time of year and for sure was thinking of it having to be big day trips. My family are actually from Montana so it wasn't a random choice of states to hunt.

I didn't realize how busy it would be though so thats great to know. The only advantage I have is hopefully that I can hunt mid week.

As for fitness I will have been up in BC for 6 months doing some fairly arduous work and currently have been out hunting 3-4 days a week for the last month due to some very lucky circumstances and a clever arrangement with my employer.

Do you have any suggestions to any good US forums? The amount seems a bit overwhelming

Cam there's an older bloke from Montana that very briefly worked at guncity in Chch a year or so back, he was the only staff member there I have came across that was worth having a chat with, seemed very knowledgable and wasn't just trying to make sales, I had a yarn with him for a bit about Elk in Montana, he was telling me about using horses to get well back into the backcountry etc, I can't remember his name but he works at Farmsource/RD1 in Rakaia now, would be worth dropping in to see if hes about for a yarn.

I think I know who you are talking about. I might follow that up. I'll give you a call in the next coupla days as I'll need to get you new address to send you back this inreach.

Hunted praire land around Miles city / Terry region( for birds) but saw Muledeer / Whitetail in the CRP areas of those parts. Tried to be off the land before dark so as not to get run down,
( by deer) when traveling home in the truck.
Them and Antelope seemed to be everywhere. And bloody porcupines / skunks / snakes
I was amazed at the abundance of wildlife! You could crest a hollow in the ground ( on the flat flat praire ) and scared up a nest of Deer resting there for the day.