Montana General Deer - Question

[Cevans]

I am looking at applying for a non-resident combo tag in Montana for this season.

Does the general deer tag have the freedom of the general elk tag or do I need select a specific zone for the deer tag?

Thanks in advance

 

[mdunc8]

You've got more freedom with a deer tag than you've got with an elk tag

 

[Gerald Martin]

Check the regs for the unit you want to hunt. You can shoot whitetails anywhere on a general tag, some units require a permit for a mule deer.

 

[hobbes]

You've got more freedom with a deer tag than you've got with an elk tag

This isn’t entirely accurate.

The majority of Hunt Districts (HDs) allow hunting with a General Elk license. However, you may be limited to a spike with a General License in the HD that you are hunting. In a majority of units you are can kill a brow-tined bull or an antlerless elk in archery season and only a brow-tined bull in the rifle (general) season. That varies between HDs so check the regs for the specific HD that you are hunting.

Deer are similar in that each HD has its own set of regs that tell you what you can kill with a General License. The majority, if not all, HDs allow a whitetail buck with a General License. A large portion of the western HDs require the hunter to apply by March 15 for an unlimited Deer Permit (to use with your General License)in order to hunt a mule deer buck. If you choose to get the Deer Permit for a mule deer buck in said unit, you cannot hunt a mule deer buck in any other unit. So, you could likely hunt whitetail bucks anywhere across the state, but you will be limited to a particular unit for mule deer if you buy the permit. The permit does not allow an additional deer, but just allows you to use your General License in a specific HD. Some HD’s do not require the permit.

I’ve opted to not buy the mule deer buck permit the last couple of years for the HD that I bowhunt elk in the most in Western Montana because I wanted to hunt deer in the rut in Eastern Montana. Both years I’ve had respectable mule deer bucks stand and stare at me within bow range and I couldn’t do a thing about it. That never happened when I had the permit. However, I was able to hunt mule deer in the rut in an HD that didn’t require an HD specific permit and with better opportunity for a big mule deer buck.

If you are here for only a couple weeks and will be spending the entire time in a western HD hunting elk, you may need to apply for an HD specific permit so you can shoot a mule deer buck if the opportunity arises. Some of those HD’s have very low deer densities. If you kill an elk then want to hunt another HD for your deer, you’ll be limited to a whitetail buck if you’ve bought the unlimited mule deer permit for the HD you were elk hunting in.

 

[mdunc8]

This isn't entirely accurate

No, it is.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Keep in mind if you draw a mule deer permit, you are not allowed to shoot a mule deer in any other unit than the permit is valid for. That is not the case with an elk permit. If you draw an elk permit you can shoot an elk in that unit or in any general unit.

 

[hobbes]

No, it is.

I didn't intend to come off as argumentative, so my apologies if I did. Just stating the way I see it.

I can hunt elk almost anywhere in the state with a General License and that includes brow-tined bulls in a large portion of the HD's, but I cannot hunt Mule Deer bucks in many HD's with a General License without applying for the unlimited permit and that unlimited permit restricts me to that one district only. Whitetail bucks are a different story altogether, but from my experience folks coming from the Midwest or East aren't as interested in hunting whitetail bucks as they are mule deer bucks when on an elk hunt. I could be wrong though.

It really makes no difference. Look at the requirements for the HD(s) that you plan to hunt and see what is required.

 

[406LIFE]

It really makes no difference. Look at the requirements for the HD(s) that you plan to hunt and see what is required.

I second this. We have some weird tags that may say 545-90 and it can be used in 5 other different units. The only way you'll see something like that is to open up the regs.

 

[mdunc8]

I didn't intend to come off as argumentative, so my apologies if I did.

You were and I'm offended

 

[hobbes]

I must have missed some sarcasm somewhere.

 

[MTGomer]

Sarcasm (kind of) font activated:

Come on up. Wait till the rut, and then shoot a two point off the window of your pick up. We encourage it, please take home some excess does as well. Hopefully by 2020 Montana will be mule deer free.
With the way we manage them, I believe it is an attainable goal.

 

[MTGomer]

In all seriousness, they both offer a fair amount of flexibility and you can find areas that have decent amount of both which you can acquire a tag for

 

[antlerradar]

Sarcasm (kind of) font activated:

Come on up. Wait till the rut, and then shoot a two point off the window of your pick up. We encourage it, please take home some excess does as well. Hopefully by 2020 Montana will be mule deer free.
With the way we manage them, I believe it is an attainable goal.

Would be funny except it has the ring of truth.

 

[onpoint]

Would be funny except it has the ring of truth.

Not quite correct. Shooting off the window wouldn't quite be legal. SB 91 would clarify the shooting from the vehicle confusion - "a person who has both feet on the ground AND WHOSE BODY IS outside of a vehicle"
I 'spose if Bubba had his feet on the ground outside the vehicle, had his weapon resting on the open window, then shot through the cab out the other side open window, then he'd be "legal".
Good thing our legislators are clearing these things up for us.

May seem off topic, but I don't want Cevan to get in a bind shooting "off the window of his truck" - make sure to watch the evolving and always easier to understand statutes.......

 

[mdunc8]

Not quite correct. Shooting off the window wouldn't quite be legal. SB 91 would clarify the shooting from the vehicle confusion - "a person who has both feet on the ground AND WHOSE BODY IS outside of a vehicle"
I 'spose if Bubba had his feet on the ground outside the vehicle, had his weapon resting on the open window, then shot through the cab out the other side open window, then he'd be "legal".
Good thing our legislators are clearing these things up for us.

May seem off topic, but I don't want Cevan to get in a bind shooting "off the window of his truck" - make sure to watch the evolving and always easier to understand statutes.......

I can only hope that you forgot to use the sarcasm font as that can't be a real bill. Please don't tell me I'm wrong.

 

[onpoint]

I can only hope that you forgot to use the sarcasm font as that can't be a real bill. Please don't tell me I'm wrong.

Pretty "who cares", but go ahead and look it up SB 91. The sarcasm deal is a waste of time on here.......

 

[mdunc8]

Pretty "who cares", but go ahead and look it up SB 91. The sarcasm deal is a waste of time on here.......

Holy smokes, is that you grandpa!?!?!?! I thought you were dead (i.e., not dead dead, just not on the site anymore [thought I should clarify since you're not a fan of sarcasm])! Had I known it was you, I wouldn't have wasted my time trying to bring a little humor into your life. Sorry. I'll try to avoid threads you're involved with in the future. Thanks for bringing the bill to my attention though.

 

[onpoint]

Holy smokes, is that you grandpa!?!?!?! I thought you were dead (i.e., not dead dead, just not on the site anymore [thought I should clarify since you're not a fan of sarcasm])! Had I known it was you, I wouldn't have wasted my time trying to bring a little humor into your life. Sorry. I'll try to avoid threads you're involved with in the future. Thanks for bringing the bill to my attention though.

Dude, I thought only women held resentments that long, lighten up(sarcasm). Amazing though, what one might learn from a grandpa(humor). Don't pay real close attention to your own posts, do ya
I enjoyed this discourse...look forward to more

We're both off topic.

 

[Cevans]

Gents

Thank you all for the lessons in Montana's deer and elk HD(s), Sarcasm and SB91. I was really looking forward to taking a few doe's from the comfort of my truck (possibly in my slippers)!

 

[onpoint]

Gents

Thank you all for the lessons in Montana's deer and elk HD(s), Sarcasm and SB91. I was really looking forward to taking a few doe's from the comfort of my truck (possibly in my slippers)!

Many many does over the years have been taken from the comfort of one's truck in ol Montana. Especially when we could shoot about 7 of them.