Elkhorn 380-20 tag

[Labman]

You telling folks they can’t chase legal quarry in their home mountains because some other shmuck has one tag I don’t? Maybe we should just implement high fence game farms so you have your place to go chase “your own” animals.
Pay for a guide on a private land hunt if you want your own space.
Every single year you applied, you knew you weren’t gonna be alone in the great big wilderness the year that you finally drew. Even if they made it LE bull only, no spikes no cows, i can chase bears and cats and deer and everything else and still mess up your coveted bull hunt. Therefore, to ask them to close down that mountain entirely for the lucky few with bull tags, is awful self centered, in my opinion.

And this is why we can’t have nice things. It’s as if we can’t have a unit known for some quality elk and a quality experience. Last time I did some research on the topic a while back there was not a single other state in this country that runs an unlimited general elk hunt throughout the entire season of a LE bull hunt that takes an average of ~20yrs to draw. Your cats aren’t open to run with dogs until the elk season is over (except muzz) and the bear hunters probably aren’t a big distraction to the elk hunters. The only way to make this and any other hunt a quality experience is to limit the other tags (cow/spike) in the unit.

 

[MT Super Puncher]

Off topic but the Breaks are also being ruined in my opinion. mtmuley

As someone who had a rifle tag there last year, correct.

 

[BuzzH]

As someone who had a rifle tag there last year, correct.

I hunted with a friend in 2001 in the breaks...was unbelievably good. Now, its sort of just another elk hunt.

 

[mtmuley]

As someone who had a rifle tag there last year, correct.

Had one in 2004 and another in 2018. And I would have traded the one in 2018 for the mule deer permit I want. mtmuley

 

[Moosecreek]

Congrats on the tag. I had the tag in 2021, the same year as @BRI. Took me 14 years to draw it. Your in for a super fun hunt but Its definitely no cake walk. I would really urge you to view it as an opportunity to have one of the best adventures of your life, not stress about shooting a giant bull.

I scouted in the unit almost every weekend in the spring and summer, put trail cams all over and just familiarized myself with as many parts of the unit as I could. In retrospect the trail cams were unnecessary. If you want to just see what bulls are running around in the unit its fun but in my experience the bulls all moved some pretty impressive distances once the rut kicked in.

Archery season is a blast, spend as much time as you can then. Just don't take all your vacation time then. I ran into one guy who had the tag who took all his vacation in archery, didn't shoot a bull and then had to turn to the boom stick, only hunting weekends while having to drive from Missoula on top of it. In the end he shot a cow the last weekend, I'm pretty sure he regrets not arrowing one of the more modest bulls he had an opportunity at. If you don't get it done in archery scout hard in-between the seasons and try your best to shoot a bull opening morning of rifle, that's what I did.

Good Luck!



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Thank you partner !! What a bull you got ! Very exciting to see elk with some years on it .. great info I appreciate it Good job on that elk. I live close to Butte so that helps me out. I will have a week in bow season and will have most of general as well. Good thing I’ve been saving vacation days can’t hardly believe I will use them in the Elkhorns. Take it easy !

 

[Flatbrimmer]

It seems to me you feel I'm attacking hunter's legal right to be out there under the regulations. That's not what I'm saying. They're taking advantage of the opportunity. That opportunity comes with a cost and my opinion is that cost is the degradation of one of the best limited entry units in the state. If anything, my criticism is on the agency for allowing it to happen.

Hunter's have been able to hunt spikes and cows for many years now. 15-20 years ago, there were not nearly the amount of people hunting. Would you agree? Now add a lot more people both bow and rifle hunting resulting in increased pressure, coupled with shoulder seasons allowing hunting for nearly 6 months, cows being killed on a general tag, habitat degradation on much of the public land. Those cumulative effects have led to the decline from what it once was.

Sure there could be hunter's out there chasing other game, but I would imagine it would be a minor fraction of what's out there hunting big game now.

In my utopian world the agency would care to make the unit truly a quality experience. In my opinion, right now it isn't.

Absolutely 0 argument. Well said.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

Good luck @Moosecreek !
I’m sorry there’ll be people elk hunting while you’re the only one on the mountain that can shoot the big bull.
I’ll probably be elk hunting in your neck of the woods on a general tag, if you get one and need any help. I wasn’t trying to start anything with the high-and-mighty’s on your thread!

 

[TheTone]

I cannot understand why somebody would want to kill a spike elk anywhere. Different strokes for different strokes.

I’ve killed a few spikes, for me they’re about perfect sized for freezer fillers but other than that kinda meh experiences. All were last day situations and/or the only thing legal at the time

 

[Derek44]

Fire away as I have the unpopular opinion. Not everyone hunts for trophies. If we made the “trophy units” trophy only, wouldn’t that kind of take away the value of the trophy. Draws are hard yes….. but that doesn’t mean “everyone gets a trophy”. Good luck this fall everyone and just know that every legal animal killed has value. IMHO.

 

[Southern Elk]

I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me, but it sure seems like the majority of hunters apply for this unit. Everyone says it’s the best. 99% of the people you run into will tell you that they put in for 380. I’m sad to hear so many folks say it ain’t what it used to be. After archery hunting the breaks a couple of years ago, I decided that I would rather hunt general units closer to home.

 

[MT Super Puncher]

I hunted with a friend in 2001 in the breaks...was unbelievably good. Now, its sort of just another elk hunt.

That was my experience as well. Elk numbers seemed much lower and only saw one bull before the season that really caught my attention. Hunted all season long until the 2nd to last day I had available to hunt, and shot just an average 6x6 that I passed up opening weekend.

 

[JEL]

That was my experience as well. Elk numbers seemed much lower and only saw one bull before the season that really caught my attention. Hunted all season long until the 2nd to last day I had available to hunt, and shot just an average 6x6 that I passed up opening weekend.

I bow hunted the breaks late 90's early 00's. It was glorious and I suck at bow hunting. It's a travesty what it has become and I am sad to hear the Elkhorns are following suit.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me, but it sure seems like the majority of hunters apply for this unit. Everyone says it’s the best. 99% of the people you run into will tell you that they put in for 380. I’m sad to hear so many folks say it ain’t what it used to be. After archery hunting the breaks a couple of years ago, I decided that I would rather hunt general units closer to home.

Same

 

[Trap]

this happens in every district every year with piles of hunters. If you’re NOT suggesting people quit chasing elk while big time tag holders are chasing elk, what ARE you suggesting? Maybe I did miss the point, and I’d be willing to reevaluate…

Like I said, even if they couldn’t chase elk like you hope, they could still chase other game; messing up the hunt, right?

Im not trying to have a pissin match, sincerely. Just trying to understand the logic and how you could see it working in the tag holders favor… I have a ton of friends that apply for 380, they’ll have to deal with the same issue. And they know it

Of course I could only try for the spike bulls but I was chasing 5 bulls around a mountain for a whole weekend last

I think the point is why were you chasing 5 bulls all around a mountain for a whole weekend? I doubt bear hunters etc would choose to chase 5 bulls all around the mountain for a whole weekend. It’s a tough tag to draw. So why chase bulls you can’t kill that others have waited years to legally hunt? Maybe there was 1 spike in the group? but it does lessen the quality of a le tag when everyone and their brother can do that. And unfortunately some do. I would be happy to draw the tag regardless of the circus.

 

[rogerthat]

I think the point is why were you chasing 5 bulls all around a mountain for a whole weekend? I doubt bear hunters etc would choose to chase 5 bulls all around the mountain for a whole weekend. It’s a tough tag to draw. So why chase bulls you can’t kill that others have waited years to legally hunt? Maybe there was 1 spike in the group? but it does lessen the quality of a le tag when everyone and their brother can do that. And unfortunately some do. I would be happy to draw the tag regardless of the circus.

Because he can and it’s legal. The second part is the problem not the first.

 

[The Hedgehog]

can't imagine leaving my house early in the AM, with the intent to go looking for a spike elk or mule deer doe.

I mean, clean the garage, vacuum the house, rake leaves or something else for shit's sake.

 

[rogerthat]

can't imagine leaving my house early in the AM, with the intent to go looking for a spike elk or mule deer doe.

I mean, clean the garage, vacuum the house, rake leaves or something else for shit's sake.

When I first started elk hunting I would have killed anything that was legal. I sucked so bad I didn’t. A cow and 2 raghorns with the bow to get going and a really big 5 point and here I am right with you but I haven’t forgot where I started.

 

[rogerthat]

The elkhorns sure used to be something special. Due to the deadfall and blowdown, It would be nearly impossible to get to where I got this bull.
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Thanks for posting that bull. That thing is absolutely awesome!

 

[Speeddmn]

I live in Helena and in the last 4-5 years Ive met alot of locals that have had this tag. Most of them had tag soup. They all had a fun time but every sing le wanted “the one”. They all said the same thing, I shouldn’t have passed up on so many opportunities thinking they weren’t big enough.

Now because Im not a fan of point saving/creep. I apply for this unit just because I know I wont draw with a couple points then I can burn them in a different unit. I’m usually in a general unit anyways.

Same when I was statin Utah, I put in for Antelope Island, or the Henreys. Easy way to get a point but ya never know!

 

[Moosecreek]

I live in Helena and in the last 4-5 years Ive met alot of locals that have had this tag. Most of them had tag soup. They all had a fun time but every sing le wanted “the one”. They all said the same thing, I shouldn’t have passed up on so many opportunities thinking they weren’t big enough.

Now because Im not a fan of point saving/creep. I apply for this unit just because I know I wont draw with a couple points then I can burn them in a different unit. I’m usually in a general unit anyways.

Same when I was statin Utah, I put in for Antelope Island, or the Henreys. Easy way to get a point but ya never know!

I’ve heard some regret from some folks passing on opportunities and it makes me loose sleep yikes seriously if I’m lucky enough to get a good solid shot at a representative bull in there .. considering pressure, other hunters and just people enjoying the Elkhorns I’m going to eat elk meat.