Montana unit 212, 217, 215

[beargrasstx]

Have a permit for 217 so trying that spot first. I went in September for a week archery hunting. Saw 1 bull and heard 1 bugle but it was a full moon, hot, and smoke everywhere. Had a blast and saw cool country. Bma's were closed at time. Hunted areas near private land in northern part of national forest.
I am going back nov 3rd for rifle season for 5 days but not sure whether to hunt tge now open bma's or hunt down south of unit 217 in nf land. Any knowledge shared would help immensly. Not sure I will be hunting next year as I have a little one headed my way.

Thanks

 

[406LIFE]

All BMAs are open again. Getting off roads will be key. If you can get on farmland, they frequent that. I'd focus on those transition areas from timber to the pasture land. (It has been 3 years since I was really in there, however).

 

[beargrasstx]

Thanks for the info.

 

[mariano742]

Have a permit for 217 so trying that spot first. I went in September for a week archery hunting. Saw 1 bull and heard 1 bugle but it was a full moon, hot, and smoke everywhere. Had a blast and saw cool country. Bma's were closed at time. Hunted areas near private land in northern part of national forest.
I am going back nov 3rd for rifle season for 5 days but not sure whether to hunt tge now open bma's or hunt down south of unit 217 in nf land. Any knowledge shared would help immensly. Not sure I will be hunting next year as I have a little one headed my way.

Thanks

Hi Beargrasstx
Did you end up hunting 217 for rifle elk? am i wasting my time going to scout that unit this fall? i’m worried about drawing it if all the elk are on private
rick

 

[PRO MO]

Hi Beargrasstx
Did you end up hunting 217 for rifle elk? am i wasting my time going to scout that unit this fall? i’m worried about drawing it if all the elk are on private
rick

homies been gone since the pre-covid days. i'd say youre barking up a wrong tree.

 

[ismith]

Hi Beargrasstx
Did you end up hunting 217 for rifle elk? am i wasting my time going to scout that unit this fall? i’m worried about drawing it if all the elk are on private
rick

Last seen in 2018.

 

[Beignet]

Hi Beargrasstx
Did you end up hunting 217 for rifle elk? am i wasting my time going to scout that unit this fall? i’m worried about drawing it if all the elk are on private
rick

I’ll throw you a bone. The data on that unit isn’t great for a draw tag. Bull:cow ratios, number of elk killed vs tags issued, etc. I believe FWP carved the unit out as a draw tag to help avoid having everyone and their brother show up blasting when elk are on the move.

Elk do hang on private a ton. Especially on one landowner’s place that doesn’t readily give permission to hunt and enjoys having elk around. You’ll see them stacked up thick from I-90.

Not to discourage, as elk do use public land as well. If you draw the tag, holler at the right people at FWP and they might offer some valuable info as to the how, when, and why elk use different parts of the unit. Just don’t wait until like a month before the season starts and expect them to send you waypoints.

 

[mariano742]

I’ll throw you a bone. The data on that unit isn’t great for a draw tag. Bull:cow ratios, number of elk killed vs tags issued, etc. I believe FWP carved the unit out as a draw tag to help avoid having everyone and their brother show up blasting when elk are on the move.

Elk do hang on private a ton. Especially on one landowner’s place that doesn’t readily give permission to hunt and enjoys having elk around. You’ll see them stacked up thick from I-90.

Not to discourage, as elk do use public land as well. If you draw the tag, holler at the right people at FWP and they might offer some valuable info as to the how, when, and why elk use different parts of the unit. Just don’t wait until like a month before the season starts and expect them to send you waypoints.

much appreciated thank you

 

[sacountry]

I’ll throw you a bone. The data on that unit isn’t great for a draw tag. Bull:cow ratios, number of elk killed vs tags issued, etc. I believe FWP carved the unit out as a draw tag to help avoid having everyone and their brother show up blasting when elk are on the move.

Elk do hang on private a ton. Especially on one landowner’s place that doesn’t readily give permission to hunt and enjoys having elk around. You’ll see them stacked up thick from I-90.

Not to discourage, as elk do use public land as well. If you draw the tag, holler at the right people at FWP and they might offer some valuable info as to the how, when, and why elk use different parts of the unit. Just don’t wait until like a month before the season starts and expect them to send you waypoints.

I've tried every angle possible with Ami (the private land owner), including asking if my kids could harvest with cow tags. He's political with his answers but has never let anyone on his land to my knowledge. The overall numbers are down in that unit which was FWP's intent back when they offered a cow shoulder season on national forest. This unit requires lots of hunting days in order create opportunities to catch the elk in transition which makes it a kind of feast or famine proposition.

 

[Beignet]

I've tried every angle possible with Ami (the private land owner), including asking if my kids could harvest with cow tags. He's political with his answers but has never let anyone on his land to my knowledge. The overall numbers are down in that unit which was FWP's intent back when they offered a cow shoulder season on national forest. This unit requires lots of hunting days in order create opportunities to catch the elk in transition which makes it a kind of feast or famine proposition.

I scouted intel on the unit as best as possible but never applied for the bull tag.

I sent letters to a few landowners over there trying to get access to a cow on that private land tag. One granted permission but was clear that they’re all usually back on Ami’s land before legal shooting light. Didn’t really seem worth the drive to hunt for 15 minutes hoping they haven’t fled yet.

Walking around in there it’s evident that elk use the national forest, but that timing is damn tricky. I did speak to one guy with the tag a few years back who was upset at blowing his season on the unit since he’d only been encountering dinks during archery season. I guess he was at least seeing elk and they hadn’t all fled to the river bottom yet.

Dude should be finding out if he drew the tag sometime this week….

 

[sacountry]

I scouted intel on the unit as best as possible but never applied for the bull tag.

I sent letters to a few landowners over there trying to get access to a cow on that private land tag. One granted permission but was clear that they’re all usually back on Ami’s land before legal shooting light. Didn’t really seem worth the drive to hunt for 15 minutes hoping they haven’t fled yet.

Walking around in there it’s evident that elk use the national forest, but that timing is damn tricky. I did speak to one guy with the tag a few years back who was upset at blowing his season on the unit since he’d only been encountering dinks during archery season. I guess he was at least seeing elk and they hadn’t all fled to the river bottom yet.

Dude should be finding out if he drew the tag sometime this week….

I had one guy tell me to wait until the herd gets overly large around the railroad tracks and then wait for the railroad to sound their disbursement canons....don't really know what those are....but apparently the herd would scatter. I could only chuckle that this was someone's strategy.

 

[atlas]

I like to spot the bulls rutting down on the private off of I-90 on my way to hunt elsewhere.