Have tag, but ranch sold so nowhere to hunt in Montana

[tzone]

What @8andcounting means is that HuntTalk is designed for the promotion and discussion of PUBLIC LAND hunting and PUBLIC LAND advocacy.

This kind of answer is probably why they don't want to hunt "with the unwashed masses."

 

[TheJason]

@SaskHunter be like

 

[SaskHunter]

@SaskHunter be like

View attachment 197369

Oh behave!

 

[44hunter45]

Maybe try these folks. Somehow I ended up on their email list.

Happening neighborhood. North Rouse and Oak Ave. Have a coffee at The Daily and you never know who might walk in.

​

Search, discover, and book your next hunting or fishing trip on private land. 1203 N. Rouse Suite 3B Bozeman, MT 59715. No longer want to receive these emails? We'd hate to see you go, but you can Unsubscribe whenever you want.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Hence some of the unsympathetic reaction to a plea to assist after the loss of paid hunting access to one of the most outstanding deer and elk habitat ranches on earth, a ranch which recently sold for about $136 million, the highest price tag ever in Montana, a place where you may get to merely step out of the warm vehicle and shoot a trophy animal.

Although most hunters on this forum will readily offer advice and assistance to those obviously willing to put in the efforts usually required to successfully harvest an elk, recognize that most of them have "paid their dues" in the western states with scouting, researching, and putting in a great deal of time, effort and boot leather in hunting but not all that often even shooting, let alone taking a trophy bull elk of the quality running around in good numbers on the Climbing Arrow Ranch. As someone who has enjoyed the privilege of hunting cow elk on the CA, I have to be honest in acknowledging my envy of someone who hunts trophy game in that great place.

So don't be so critical of the seemingly "holier-than-thou" attitude, which is more aptly recognized as an attitude of valuing the effort and challenge that goes into hunting elk for most hunters.

I agree with all of this. I can't say for sure but the reaction might have been different if it didn't seem to make her situation something it isn't. If the post went like the below, it might have gotten a different reaction:

"My best friend's wife lost her ranch hunt setup on the CA ranch when it sold. She's looking for a last minute private land hunt, maybe even unguided access only. She can afford to pony up for the right opportunity as you might imagine from someone who historically hunted the CA. She's a pretty tough chick and doesn't need to be babied but I think she'll probably skip this season if her only option is figuring something out on Public."

It probably would have still gotten a few wise cracks but it would have felt more genuine than "shes running out of time and doesn't have a place to hunt" when most of us cant begin to fathom running out of places to hunt elk in MT.

 

[Michigan_flatlander]

What is a typical “trespass fee” for most land. I am sure it varies widely but if there was an average per day/ week

 

[LopeHunter]

What is a typical “trespass fee” for most land. I am sure it varies widely but if there was an average per day/ week

If you have to ask....

I have known of hunters that paid trespass of $4500 to get on really good elk country on private. I have paid a bit less for elk. A place with 400 class bulls might get quite a bit more.

Paid around $1500 a decade ago to get onto irrigated mule deer property that had average bucks for the early hunt. Have always filled my tag on private and on guided. My rate on public land is around 80% over the past 20 years other than pronghorn which is one unpunched tag out of a couple of dozen public hunts. Paid for trespass once for pronghorn as was a great ranch that I wanted to go view in person.

Sometimes, is simpler as a landowner to offload hunting to an outfitter rather than manage yourself. Seems trespass options have contracted since 2008 recession.

 

[Irishman]

Done it more than once. Hell, I’ve gone to a complete new area halfway through a hunt.

I deliberately keep going to new places. It's part of the fun, and the challenge.

 

[Irishman]

I think that the early responses on this thread were from people genuinely trying to help. Like me they assumed that the question was from someone who didn't understand that there was so much public land to hunt on. The idea that an able bodied adult would need a private area to hunt on is puzzling to us. Are they looking to hunt elk, or just pay someone to shoot one? Seriously, couldn't you just drive around, find elk in a field, call the owner and ask how much to shoot one? At least that way you could say you found the elk by yourself.