Montana mule deer

[Bryan2651]

Hello!

Longtime reader, first time poster. I am a lifetime montana resident. Grew up on the west side of the state hunting whitetail and ventured to the east side where I got introduced to spot and stalk Mule deer hunting. Can’t beat it! I moved here for college where I still reside. I will be heading back to the Ashland area this season but I haven’t been there in about 4 years. I already know how frustrating it is to see the “orange army” that everyone calls it around here. Just wondering how the deer numbers as a whole are looking? Not size of deer, just how populations are faring. Hopefully the deer numbers are higher than a few years ago and the out of state plates are few and far between. Good luck this season everyone!

 

[thusby]

Well you'll see my WI plate around that area, but I only shoot 2-point bucks, so don't worry about it.

 

[isu22andy]

See my IA plate there as well . Few clues where to go , couple helpful locals but going to bounce around the whole state if cant find any deer. $700 dollar tag Im going to be a little picky at first.

 

[8andcounting]

I

Hello!

Longtime reader, first time poster. I am a lifetime montana resident. Grew up on the west side of the state hunting whitetail and ventured to the east side where I got introduced to spot and stalk Mule deer hunting. Can’t beat it! I moved here for college where I still reside. I will be heading back to the Ashland area this season but I haven’t been there in about 4 years. I already know how frustrating it is to see the “orange army” that everyone calls it around here. Just wondering how the deer numbers as a whole are looking? Not size of deer, just how populations are faring. Hopefully the deer numbers are higher than a few years ago and the out of state plates are few and far between. Good luck this season everyone!

id say there’s as many western Montanans in SE MT hunting as NRs . And I’ve seen plenty of 2-3 point mule deer bucks in back of Montana pickups at the local watering holes . It’s not just NRs that kill 3 pointers ! But I certainly try do my part ! But I don’t hunt SE MT . Good luck !

 

[8andcounting]

Hello!

Longtime reader, first time poster. I am a lifetime montana resident. Grew up on the west side of the state hunting whitetail and ventured to the east side where I got introduced to spot and stalk Mule deer hunting. Can’t beat it! I moved here for college where I still reside. I will be heading back to the Ashland area this season but I haven’t been there in about 4 years. I already know how frustrating it is to see the “orange army” that everyone calls it around here. Just wondering how the deer numbers as a whole are looking? Not size of deer, just how populations are faring. Hopefully the deer numbers are higher than a few years ago and the out of state plates are few and far between. Good luck this season everyone!

When are you going ?

 

[406LIFE]

I was just out that way. Deer numbers are still good. Age class looks to be going up too.

 

[8andcounting]

I was just out that way. Deer numbers are still good. Age class looks to be going up too.

Good to hear . Everyone I’ve talked to that either lives/ranches in Montana , or has been there this fall archery hunting says the deer seemed to have had a good horn growth year . Hopefully that’s true and I can find one that had a lot of horn growth !

 

[The Hedgehog]

Fewer mule deer and more hunters on public, at an increasing rate every year. Calibrate your expectations if you're hunting public land around Ashland - that particular place has been advertised over recent years at an absurd level.

 

[Bryan2651]

Fewer mule deer and more hunters on public, at an increasing rate every year. Calibrate your expectations if you're hunting public land around Ashland - that particular place has been advertised over recent years at an absurd level.

I’m fully expecting a lot of company, I’ve hunted this area many times before and it’s gotten worse and worse. Expectations aren’t too high as I’ve always been able to locate some good bucks. Just hoping the deer numbers are up from past years.

 

[antlerradar]

The forest service spot light survey was dismal the past few years. I can't remember the exact numbers but this is in the ballpark
2017 700 to 750 deer
2018 400 to 450 deer
2019 350 to 400 deer

The spotlight survey is a relatively new thing so it is hard to compare to long term and it is possible that the numbers above do not correlate to the actual deer numbers.

I have been in the Ashland part of the state all my life. It is my observation that deer on private land are doing well and that some nice bucks will be taken on private this year. The big blocks of public like the Custer are in tough shape, maybe as bad as I have ever seen it. I don't think the spot light survey is that far off.

 

[8andcounting]

The forest service spot light survey was dismal the past few years. I can't remember the exact numbers but this is in the ballpark
2017 700 to 750 deer
2018 400 to 450 deer
2019 350 to 400 deer

The spotlight survey is a relatively new thing so it is hard to compare to long term and it is possible that the numbers above do not correlate to the actual deer numbers.

I have been in the Ashland part of the state all my life. It is my observation that deer on private land are doing well and that some nice bucks will be taken on private this year. The big blocks of public like the Custer are in tough shape, maybe as bad as I have ever seen it. I don't think the spot light survey is that far off.

Is a lot of the private outfitted ? Or just kept for private , family friends etc .... ?

 

[8andcounting]

This is gonna Re-open a whole other can of worms , but I look at Wyoming and how they manage mule deer and have different season dates and structures and I absolutely cannot believe that Montana still allows every single resident to just go buy a tag and shoot a mule deer anywhere in the state for 5 weeks with a gun . It’s baffling really , that there is 0 management.

 

[8andcounting]

And then on top of that stupidity to sell a million mule deer doe tags for SE MT , that can be shot on public or private , just baffling

 

[The Hedgehog]

Map shows 6.5M private acres leased by hunting outfitters

Montana’s hunting outfitters report leasing more than 6.5 million acres across the state last year, or close to 10 percent of private lands.

billingsgazette.com

 

[antlerradar]

Is a lot of the private outfitted ? Or just kept for private , family friends etc .... ?

Both and I would add a third category. Land that is leased to an individual or group of hunters. This category is getting bigger every year.

 

[isu22andy]

And then on top of that stupidity to sell a million mule deer doe tags for SE MT , that can be shot on public or private , just baffling

When people stop buying them they will stop selling them . Unfortunately im sure its more about the $$$$$ more than anything.

 

[tjones]

I absolutely cannot believe that Montana still allows every single resident to just go buy a tag and shoot a mule deer anywhere in the state for 5 weeks with a gun . It’s baffling really

There is nothing baffling about it at all. The reason FWP allows it is a large majority of resident hunters want deer season exactly as it is. Go to any FWP meeting with talks of restricting deer season and you will see hunters fight for things to stay exactly as they are, biology be damned.

 

[8andcounting]

There is nothing baffling about it at all. The reason FWP allows it is a large majority of resident hunters want deer season exactly as it is. Go to any FWP meeting with talks of restricting deer season and you will see hunters fight for things to stay exactly as they are, biology be damned.

Ok well I just know that I see a ton of pics of Wyoming bucks , especially last few weeks since several units opened October 1 , and the quality of public land Wyoming bucks seems to trump Montana by a long shot so whatever they going must be working in Wyoming .

 

[JohnDeereGreen]

What tjones said. Montana has pushed its chips in on providing opportunity above all else. Opportunity ≠ sound biology. Opportunity ≠ mature deer.

 

[ismith]

Probably better to have a smaller population with CWD in the area now.