Missoula area

[Davewells6]

Anyone hunting around missoula? I've been scouting all summer and can't find crap. Elk crap to be exact . Plenty of deer and moose. Not asking for your spot but maybe some help sending me in the right direction. My uncle is coming out from Tennessee to hunt with me and I'd like to help him make his montana elk dream come true. Called FWP elk biologist and no call back. Taking him to my spot in region three for a week , after that it's back to work and local hunts for a week . Any help would be appreciated.

 

[shoots-straight]

The upper Clark Fork region has the best elk numbers in of region 2.

 

[BRI]

The upper Clark Fork region has the best elk numbers in of region 2.

Like many areas though, the majority of those elk are predominantly on private land with no access. Public land hunting in the upper Clark Fork can be darn tough.

 

[shoots-straight]

Like many areas though, the majority of those elk are predominantly on private land with no access. Public land hunting in the upper Clark Fork can be darn tough.

Do you have a better suggestion close to Missoula, that easier, and with more elk?

 

[shoots-straight]

xxxx

 

[L. I. Yankee]

 

[BRI]

Do you have a better suggestion close to Missoula, that easier, and with more elk?

Nope, why? I personally think public land hunting anywhere in Region 2 is likely to have a relatively low chance of hunter success for elk.

 

[Davewells6]

Thanks shoots straight. I've been doing some scouting up there and that's the best potential I've seen. I'm just accustomed to hunting around Bozeman where the elk were more abundant. Seems like private land is the key for zoo town. I've been looking at elk meadows extensively and my conclusion is that herd lives on the OZ ranch because I see them there and relatively no sign further up the mountain. Around these parts I guess you need to own a hay field in grant creek to see elk. Thanks for the replies

 

[MontanaWild]

Definitely some very good spots to get into elk around Missoula and not on private, IF your willing to get in there a ways.

 

[joelweb]

If hunting early in the season you'll need to go high and get away from the roads. It has been dry enough that you should look for some springs in upper mountain basins. With that said, things will change by the time rifle season comes around.

Region 2 is not tops for elk in Montana, but they are around.

 

[----]

Yeah, because of how dry it is in region 2 your options are to either get in the really high elevation stuff and hunt the dark timber, or hunt down low in the farmlands and riverbottoms. There's actually a lot of pretty good access to the latter in region 2. One of the biggest bulls I've ever came to full draw on was along the Clark Fork by Frenchtown.

No matter where you go though, in general you're never going to find the numbers you're probably used to getting in to in region 3. It's just not as good of elk habitat. The upper Clark Fork does have a lot more elk than the rest of the area, but it's still not great.

Other than a couple farmland spots I hit during archery season around Missoula, all my elk hunting now begins with a 3+ hour drive.