Breaks

[Montana4Life]

Just curious if anyone knows the first year that the Missouri Breaks 410 rifle bull tag became a special draw area? I hear guys say they have been putting in for 50 years for it and was curious if that is possible. Thanks! Sorry if this was discussed elsewhere. I searched with no success.

 

[mtmuley]

50 years? Ummm... No. mtmuley

 

[Montana4Life]

Kind of what I figured. Is 40 years even possible??

 

[mtmuley]

No. mtmuley

 

[Montana4Life]

Appreciate it.

 

[BuzzH]

I think 40 years is possible...over 30 no question.

I did some looking around and found this:

South of the river and reservoir in Hunting District 410, the first hunting season was archery only in 1962. There had been no seasons from 1949 to 1961, Stivers said. In 1964, 40 either-sex permits provided the first rifle season for elk there.

I suppose if some unlucky dude started applying in 1964....well you can do the math.

 

[Montana4Life]

Interesting!! Good find. Thank you

 

[rammac]

Hmm, so I guess it is possible.

 

[mtmuley]

40 years of unsuccessful. Can't even imagine. mtmuley

 

[tjones]

40 years of unsuccessful. Can't even imagine. mtmuley

Exactly. Even if the HD had LE permits available 40 years ago the first years would have had very favorable odds.

 

[mtmuley]

Not a tag I'd wait 40 years for either. mtmuley

 

[JCS]

I started putting in for the bull tag in 1982. Quit about 1995 or so. Havn't put in since

 

[EYJONAS!]

I had a friend tell me last year when he drew the tag it took him 37 years of applying so not sure if that is true or false but that's some consistency. I'm drawing it this year!

 

[Carnage2011]

I can’t imagine waiting that long to hunt such a poor unit. I spent too much time in there last year helping a friend with the tag, and I can honestly say I’ve seen better quality on general tags and easier to draw limited entry units. But 280-300 bulls are a dime a dozen in there. To find anything better takes a small miracle...

 

[joelweb]

I know some guys who tagged out with astoundingly nice bulls in a matter of days last fall. Really surprised me. Although the 50 percent increase in permits will have a downward effect on quality.

 

[WildRHK]

Another factor, IMO that comes into play in this situation (as described in initial post) is this:

I hear this all the time from a lot of guys that make off hand comments about putting in for a unit forever (as I'm sure all you guys do too) they often disregard or forget that there may have been several years in that block of time when they did not actually apply for that unit. I'm not necessarily saying that applies in this case, but it is a common fallacy in the generic shop talk of, "I done put in for that unit FOREVER," argument.

It's good to hear that there were some nice bulls taken there. Good luck to all who are in the draw and hoping to hunt that unit.

 

[brockel]

I can’t imagine waiting that long to hunt such a poor unit. I spent too much time in there last year helping a friend with the tag, and I can honestly say I’ve seen better quality on general tags and easier to draw limited entry units. But 280-300 bulls are a dime a dozen in there. To find anything better takes a small miracle...

Exactly. It’s funny hearing people that have never actually hunted 410 talk about how there are 350” around every tree

 

[HSi-ESi]

If folks want to apply there, then who am I to disagree? I don't want to step on their dream.

Unless of course, it's good friends and family. If it weren't for 410 and 380, a whole lot more folks might put in for other units.

 

[scubohuntr]

If folks want to apply there, then who am I to disagree? I don't want to step on their dream.

Unless of course, it's good friends and family. If it weren't for 410 and 380, a whole lot more folks might put in for other units.

I applied for 380 first choice, just so I get a bonus point. Of course, if I were to accidentally draw it, it wouldn't hurt my feelin's either. Once I talk my wife into letting me buy a gently abused bass boat and have four weeks of vacation saved up, I'll start applying for breaks as first choice. I'd hate to get really lucky and draw a tag I'm not ready to use yet. Right now even my third choice unit has a 6% success rate, because I'm in recon mode. I'm perfectly satisfied with bouncing around the state hunting a bunch of different areas on a general tag for the first couple of years. Then I'll have a few BPs accumulated when I settle on a good unit.

I didn't apply for a deer permit at all, because I hate the thought of being that restricted. Maybe once I know the country it will seem like a better idea.

 

[CForest]

40 years of unsuccessful. Can't even imagine. mtmuley

I have a good family friend that applied for 37 years before he drew, and this was in an area much easier to draw than 410 however still in the breaks. At that point he was 74 years old, and not physically capable of giving the effort he needed to be successful in his unit. (without getting very lucky, which he didn't) To me it shows how horrible Montana's point system is. It gets very discouraging after a while without a tag.