Montana deer units 704 and 705

[Swampdog]

I'm taking my son who turns 8 in October with me on what will be his first big Western hunting trip. I'm looking at units 704 or 705 for deer and I'm hoping to find some places that wont be too strenuous for him but that wont be road hunting either. This will be his first big hunting trip and I'm hoping to make the most of it. The idea is for us to pick an area and hunt it for the next few years to get familiar so we've got it somewhat figured out when he's old enough to get his first MT tag. Ive got the maps and have been cross referencing google earth with OnX and right now I've got my eye on some of the BLM and block management land but am not opposed to the national forest either. We'll be looking for muleys but wouldn't pass up a decent whitetail either. The plan is to try to find a good campsite to set up a wall tent and spend 5 or 6 days there. I plan to talk to some game wardens and biologists too but thought I'd ask around on here as well to see if anyone had any tips or advice on the area.

Thanks in advance and feel free to PM!

 

[golfer]

Be prepared to be joined by lots of other people.

 

[timmy]

A quick search and you will have more info than maybe any other unit in western hunting. And if you go back far enough the guys that were bragging it up are now complaining about it.

 

[thusby]

A 4 year old could walk both of those units, in their entirety, without getting tired.

 

[runningmt]

You’ll find everything from flat wheat fields to steep canyons, from treeless sage deserts to ponderosa pine forests, those two units have a ton to offer.

As far as traffic, I know plenty of HTers mention how busy it is out there.......I find the opposite to be true. I rarely, if ever see anyone else, definitely not in the field. I also avoid opening weekend, always have.

8 years old is a great time to bring him out there, lots to explore!

 

[Carnage2011]

A 4 year old could walk both of those units, in their entirety, without getting tired.

That’s a badass 4 year old...

 

[EYJONAS!]

That’s a badass 4 year old...

Means at 6 they should be able to pack out a hind and front quarter. #dontbeapussy

 

[EYJONAS!]

A 4 year old could walk both of those units, in their entirety, without getting tired.

I don't know where you hunt but there is some of the nastiest country I've ever been in down there.

 

[Carnage2011]

Means at 6 they should be able to pack out a hind and front quarter. #dontbeapussy

Bone in for 11 miles!

 

[thusby]

Ought to be able to use him as a winching post to get the wheeler out of the ditch by age 10.

 

[Labman1127]

From what I learned this year, unfortunately easy access and good hunting are polar opposites in those units unless your just looking to shoot a doe. Typically, the BLM properties with easy access get hunted pretty hard and the age structure or lack of animals on those units are reflective of their ease of access. Sure you can get lucky and possibly stumble into a good buck on these easy access areas during the rut, but I don’t believe in Luck as a good strategy.
You don’t have to turn it into an extreme back country hunt with a youngster, but I would definitely get back off the road or beaten path a good ways to more consistently see animals.
good luck and have fun!

 

[Shangobango]

Like others have said, just do a search for SE Montana or something to that effect on here. Lot's of info.

In my 12 or so days there I saw a ton of road traffic but never saw another hunter in the field. In 12 days I only saw a handful of trucks or ATV's parked without any occupants. Get out of sight of the roads and there is not that much pressure relatively speaking.

With all that being said, as long as you go into it with reasonable expectations about deer numbers and age class you and your son should have a blast. The landscape is awesome!

 

[Swampdog]

Ought to be able to use him as a winching post to get the wheeler out of the ditch by age 10.

 

[Swampdog]

From what I learned this year, unfortunately easy access and good hunting are polar opposites in those units unless your just looking to shoot a doe. Typically, the BLM properties with easy access get hunted pretty hard and the age structure or lack of animals on those units are reflective of their ease of access. Sure you can get lucky and possibly stumble into a good buck on these easy access areas during the rut, but I don’t believe in Luck as a good strategy.
You don’t have to turn it into an extreme back country hunt with a youngster, but I would definitely get back off the road or beaten path a good ways to more consistently see animals.
good luck and have fun!

Yeah that’s the plan, I’d like to find some stuff that’s not TOO rugged and get him about a mile back from the roads

 

[Swampdog]

Like others have said, just do a search for SE Montana or something to that effect on here. Lot's of info.

In my 12 or so days there I saw a ton of road traffic but never saw another hunter in the field. In 12 days I only saw a handful of trucks or ATV's parked without any occupants. Get out of sight of the roads and there is not that much pressure relatively speaking.

With all that being said, as long as you go into it with reasonable expectations about deer numbers and age class you and your son should have a blast. The landscape is awesome!

Yeah my expectations for this hunt are just for us to have a good time. I won’t shoot a spike or a forkie but I don’t need a giant to have a good time either. Hoping to just find a mature buck.

 

[antlerradar]

Yeah my expectations for this hunt are just for us to have a good time. I won’t shoot a spike or a forkie but I don’t need a giant to have a good time either. Hoping to just find a mature buck.

What is your idea of a mature buck?

 

[Swampdog]

What is your idea of a mature buck?

4-5 years old ideally, just not a young fork or a spike. This isn’t a hunt where I’d be exceptionally picky honestly. I’m really just looking for him to have a good time and to bring home a deer.

 

[8andcounting]

4-5 years old ideally, just not a young fork or a spike. This isn’t a hunt where I’d be exceptionally picky honestly. I’m really just looking for him to have a good time and to bring home a deer.

I think what the guys here are getting at is just this.... I think you may want to be more realistic. Chances of finding a mature 4.5-5.5 yr old buck on public land in this area is slim . Not impossible but really slim. Most bucks your gonna see are 1.5-2.5 yr olds

 

[Shangobango]

I think what the guys here are getting at is just this.... I think you may want to be more realistic. Chances of finding a mature 4.5-5.5 yr old buck on public land in this area is slim . Not impossible but really slim. Most bucks your gonna see are 1.5-2.5 yr olds

That is what I found while I was up there. Never saw a buck that I think was older than 2.5 on public and I covered a decent amount of some of the most isolated places on foot.

 

[antlerradar]

4-5 year old deer on public in SE Montana are not called mature, They are called senior citizens.
I have my doubts that I could turn up a four year old buck with more than three points in a week of hunting the toughest county on public and I have been hunting here for 40 years. For some one that is going in nearly blind it is going to be a monumental task. If you are coming to Montana set your sights lower, " I'm really just looking to have a good time and to bring home a deer" is the way to go.