Coming to Eastern Montana to hunt deer? Bring snowshoes!

[Fire_9]

Right. Everyone is shooting elk with 85 gr bullets. Sure, if you say so. It was my opinion that 94 gr is too light for big mule deer and your hunt report confirmed it. Three shots "in the boiler room" to bring it down kinda says it all. That was my opinion. You're the one who got all crappy defensive about it. And then start this childish trolling me around. I suppose I could also do that to your threads and posts. But I prefer to act like a grownup.

I would not want someone who is new to hunting and reading that hunt report thinking they should be heading out after mule deer with 94 gr bullets ... because they shouldn't ... unless they plan to shoot the poor things full of holes to bring them down. The animals deserve more respect than that.

You should go read this thread on Rokslide. I might just make your head explode...

.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET. “Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223...

www.rokslide.com

 

[MTLabrador]

how in the absolute hell did I miss this awesome thread this year?

A tip for camper trailers at remote sites.

Okay, you've pulled the trailer/RV up to a remote campsite with no amenities and expect weather to get cold and nasty. Filling up the sewage holding tank is not a good idea. So what to do? Sure, one can always poop over a log but that's not fun when it's freezing out. Porta-potty will do the...

www.hunttalk.com

 

[JEL]

You're full of crap. Watched my 13 year old nephew pound a whitetail buck at 120 yards with his .243 and 100 grain nosler solid base on November 18th. Cut 7 sets of elk tracks walking to his deer. Put the deer in my pack and tracked those elk for about an hour and a half. Caught them moving across a small opening at 362 yards. Nephew got a solid rest and thumped a mature cow with another 100 grain solid base. Filled his elk and deer tags in less than 2 hours. Sell your crap somewhere else.

Yep, many years back my FIL had a heart attack which resulted in open heart surgery and 5 bypasses. This was in late August or early September. Knowing how much he loves to hunt I was trying to figure out a way to get him out. His doc gave him the green light to go out end of October but was worried about recoil. I ended up picking up a tack driver .222. He shot 2 antelope and a pretty nice muley buck with .43 grains. Killed em real dead with 1 shot each.

 

[MTLabrador]

I’m just excited that I finally found a few boxes of 53 grain TSX for my .22-250. It does a great job on deer.

 

[rwc101]

Just the other day we learned that a 6.5 CM won't kill a deer. My head is spinning.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

edited: I pushed like on @Mthuntr 's let it go post so I should stop, it's just so easy...

 

[wtrfwlhunter]

This thread earns my vote for the worst thread on all of huntalk this year. Give it a rest.

 

[geetar]

how in the absolute hell did I miss this awesome thread this year?

We were probably just on the other one he started about throwing on the

 

[The Hedgehog]

Might have to cancel the bird hunting trip to my hometown on the highline next week. Sounds brutal. Impossible walking. For sure shouldn't take the .410 after some pheasants.

 

[Refugeguy]

Last week of big game season is here ... and so are the snow drifts just as I forecast. To make matters worse it warmed up a couple of days then temps went in the toilet again. So now everything is badly crusted. About the worst conditions possible. Snow is VERY noisy and grabs at every step. If you don't have legs of iron, you will after a day hunting in this crap! Even east of here where the drifts aren't nearly as bad it is brutal going. I've been getting my birds east of Malta but almost impossible to get a shot as the spooky buggers can hear us seventy yards away and take off. I have to keep the dogs right next to me or it's hopeless. Better not miss a shot because it's probably the only one I'll get all day (e.g. yesterday's lone rooster). The dogs' feet are taking a beating. I think they're about done. Even if I could find boots for them I don't see how it would help. Crystalized snow would get inside and make things worse. Their shins are getting chewed up too and boots won't help that. Muck boots have been the ticket for me! They keep the snow out and help protect my shins and calves from hard crust. Gaters wouldn't last a day in this stuff. My feet have never been cold in the Mucks ... but I never stop moving.

I was hiking some BM property two days ago checking for deer and saw where some stupid asshole on a quad tried to drive over a drift (and in a posted no vehicle area!). Quad got stuck (duh!) and the two guys got off ... and instantly went up past their waists in the soft drift. They had a helluva time crawling out ... on their bellies. Then they tried to drive their pickup in to pull out the quad and got it stuck in the first drift. Looks like the rancher came up and pulled them out with a tractor. I hope he kicked their arse off permanently. They sure tore things up. Most guys who own those toys think they are capable of defying the laws of physics. I know of two local ranchers who learned otherwise the hard way ... both are in wheelchairs for the rest of their years.

They tore up snow? Hey chicken little the sky is falling .

 

[Pucky Freak]

Bragging? It's called a hunt report, of which there are dozens on here each fall. Lots of elk and deer killed with 85-140 grain bullets on hunttalk, not sure why you picked mine to crap on but what fun! My kids are turning out great thanks for you concern.

Easy, easy! Please don’t scare him off - I laughed until I cried reading the camper trailer tips thread just now, which I apparently had missed since it was posted during the rut when I was out hunting...

 

[OntarioHunter]

Left for home Tuesday after spending my last four days in Montana hunting near Malta in miserable conditions. Very crunchy crusted snow six to sixteen inches deep made it difficult to get close enough to pheasants for a shot. Hard on the dogs' feet too. Monday afternoon conditions warmed enough for snow to soften a bit for a few hours in the afternoon when I shot my last bird. Warming continued the following day on the way home ... after a month without a break from freezing weather. Drifted snow was continuous to Glasgow. East of there it was like driving into a different world. Almost no snow and good standing cover. Culbertson looked especially inviting but I had already filled my possession limit at Malta. Balmy beautiful weather all the way home.

The two ranchers were injured chasing cows with quads. Many in that area have gone back to using horses.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Might have to cancel the bird hunting trip to my hometown on the highline next week. Sounds brutal. Impossible walking. For sure shouldn't take the .410 after some pheasants.

If the warming continued, you should do okay this week, especially east of Glasgow where there was little snow remaining on Tuesday and cover is not blown over. Public land hunting was very poor west of Malta. Few pheasants. We didn't find many at Hinsdale either. .410 won't do much good this late unless hunting posted land. Roosters are very spooky. But it's the best year anyone can recall for sharptails. They're everywhere. Have fun.

 

[The Hedgehog]

If the warming continued, you should do okay this week, especially east of Glasgow where there was little snow remaining on Tuesday and cover is not blown over. Public land hunting was very poor west of Malta. Few pheasants. We didn't find many at Hinsdale either. .410 won't do much good this late unless hunting posted land. Roosters are very spooky. But it's the best year anyone can recall for sharptails. They're everywhere. Have fun.

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure if I’ll have room for the snow shoes. Have other important things to take. Hope weather and walking isn’t too extreme.

 

[cahunter805]

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure if I’ll have room for the snow shoes. Have other important things to take. Hope weather and walking isn’t too extreme.
View attachment 165796

Whats in the 5 gallon for this trip? Good luck out in the “extreme” conditions.

 

[antlerradar]

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure if I’ll have room for the snow shoes. Have other important things to take. Hope weather and walking isn’t too extreme.
View attachment 165796

Thanks Greenhorn. Now I need to clean some of my morning liquid off the screen.

 

[JEL]

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure if I’ll have room for the snow shoes. Have other important things to take. Hope weather and walking isn’t too extreme.
View attachment 165796

Looks like you have the essentials. Enjoy the hi-line. Some good beer can be had in those small towns.

 

[8andcounting]

Left for home Tuesday after spending my last four days in Montana hunting near Malta in miserable conditions. Very crunchy crusted snow six to sixteen inches deep made it difficult to get close enough to pheasants for a shot. Hard on the dogs' feet too. Monday afternoon conditions warmed enough for snow to soften a bit for a few hours in the afternoon when I shot my last bird. Warming continued the following day on the way home ... after a month without a break from freezing weather. Drifted snow was continuous to Glasgow. East of there it was like driving into a different world. Almost no snow and good standing cover. Culbertson looked especially inviting but I had already filled my possession limit at Malta. Balmy beautiful weather all the way home.

The two ranchers were injured chasing cows with quads. Many in that area have gone back to using horses.

I know people in Malta , yeh a little snow big deal, they’ve survived , quit being a moron . This is the dumbest post I’ve ever seen , and that’s saying a lot . Good luck greeny I hope u survive long enough to have some of whats in that barrel

 

[rtraverdavis]

Thanks Greenhorn. Now I need to clean some of my morning liquid off the screen.

A euphemism?

 

[MTGomer]

This thread sounds like a Phoenician up on the rim in a snow flurry on a late elk hunt, not a Canuck in the L48.