Cool buck. Congrats. I rotated the pics for you.
Montana unit 652 buck tag
- Thread starter mlnelson
- Start date
JEL
Well-known member
Nice buck. Thanks for posting as I have enjoyed reading this thread. Last time I was in 652 was in 1994 when a buddy drew the tag. We had a great time, saw lots of deer and very few people. My buddy ended up shooting what we thought was a pretty good deer. On our way out we stopped at a ranch because we had a very low tire and needed some air. The ranch lady looked in the back of the truck and said "that's a nice little buck" 
. We were a bit deflated and still laugh about that.
. We were a bit deflated and still laugh about that.cowman
New member
Hunter jon, I live on the Nelson Ranch. If anyone from here is ever in the area, feel free to stop in anytime. You wont be bothering anyone here. Hec, aside from hunting season we dont get many visitors even though all ( or should i say most) are welcome. Schaaf, you should stop in next time youre down this way, it would be a pleasure to meet you. No beer necessary, lol.
Montana Advocate
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2014
- Messages
- 63
Hey all,
My brother and I pulled this tag. I'd love to hear from anyone that hunted it last year. I'm in Billings and will be hitting it for the first 5 days, and then for another 5 days, if necessary, in mid-November. If anyone wants to chat with their prior experiences, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks.
Matt
My brother and I pulled this tag. I'd love to hear from anyone that hunted it last year. I'm in Billings and will be hitting it for the first 5 days, and then for another 5 days, if necessary, in mid-November. If anyone wants to chat with their prior experiences, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks.
Matt
Muleyhunter
New member
I was lucky enough to get one of the few tags for 652. I'm ecstatic too! Should I be or not? The deer number and sizeable bucks need to be increasing with no B tags and good winters. I'm going to spend 5-7 days in the field with the boots laced up. Just hunting to shoot a nice mature buck.
Schaaf
Well-known member
I spend at least a couple days a week in the unit hiking around or in the bays On the boat. To be honest with you, it is not any better than it's neighbor unit. That doesn't mean there aren't any big bucks in there, If you're willing to work and put in the time you can get a nice buck. I put in for the unit simply to have a tag that most locals don't have and since I live on the unit I could spend the whole offseason in there. Realistically you can expect about a 150-160 Inch buck and every year I see a couple of 175-180 inch mature bucks.
There is a ton of public land And you can run up and down the dry arm in the boat if need be, so it makes for a real fun hunt. Just don't get your hopes too high thinking That since it is a special draw unit a big buck will be easy. Shoot me a PM if you have any specific questions on areas you might be thinking about or access.
There is a ton of public land And you can run up and down the dry arm in the boat if need be, so it makes for a real fun hunt. Just don't get your hopes too high thinking That since it is a special draw unit a big buck will be easy. Shoot me a PM if you have any specific questions on areas you might be thinking about or access.
Last edited:
Congrats to you guys that drew. I’ve been wanting to draw that tag for a long time but haven’t been lucky enough to draw one of the few NR tags.
I haven’t hunted in the unit myself (no tag), but have hunted in some of the units that it borders. So take what I say with a grain of salt. Also, I don’t even live in the state, and most of the people who live near 652 would have a much better grasp on what’s going on there then I would. From what I have heard and even seen (when driving by), the hunting in that unit isn’t much better than the hunting in the general units around 652. You should go into your hunt with the mindset that this tag is for an opportunity to hunt Eastern Montana in a unit that has a good number of deer, with only 49 other tag holders, rather than hunting with thousand s of other hunters in the general units surrounding the area where your tag is good for. That should be reason enough for you guys to be excited. But back in the day, I believe there was always an opportunity to get a big one out there if you put your time in or got lucky.
As with everything, there is good news and there is bad news.
The good news: Checking some of my old stomping grounds last season, I really noticed an uptick in the number of deer. It’s not close to what it was in the early 2000’s but it’s definitely a move in the right direction after the two bad winters they had. Also, I saw the most bucks I have seen since 2011, last season. So you should see enough deer to keep things interesting.
The bad news: If you are really looking for an old buck, I think this is the worst time of any, to find one in this part of Montana. Reason being, the winters of 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 were really bad. In bad winters, the older breeding age bucks (generally 4.5 years or older) get wiped out, and so do the fawns. If one winter wasn’t enough to wipe out these older bucks, there was a second harder winter to back the first one up to make sure and put the last nail in the coffin for any bucks with some age. Next, the fawns born in 2010 AND 2011 took a big hit and are basically missing from the herd. Now here is where it gets a little more complicated. The bucks that DID survive the two bad winters, the 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 year old bucks in 2010 and 2011, were the bucks that guys hunting in the East would see and occasionally shoot out there the last half of a decade. Those were the hold out bucks that maybe gave guys the illusion that there are still big bucks out there, but really are not. Those 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 year old bucks from before the winter are dead. They died of old age or were shot by some good hunters in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons. I hunted two big bucks like this over the last 3 years but I wasn’t good enough to take one, and I am kicking myself because the opportunity was there but now won’t be for a few more years yet. The bucks that are out there right now are bucks that were born in 2011, and more than likely 2012 and on. The issue now is the bucks born after those winters are VERY SMALL in the body. The does that survived the winters either aborted their fawns they had, or had fawns that were much smaller than the fawns they would have after a normal winter, just because of the energy those does had to put into trying to survive. My best friend killed a buck out in E. Montana two seasons back, and this buck was the size of the coastal deer we have in California, he was tiny. The deer you will run into that have a few years on them will be very small in the body, so keep that in mind when you guys are looking over bucks and judging antlers to ears. My best guess is that it will take a few years for the bucks to get some age to them before we start to see some good ones again in 2018. This goes for 652 and for the units around it. Last deer I killed was in 2012, and ive had a tag every year since.
With that said, I am sure everyone has their own opinions and own observations, but this is what I have seen myself in the areas I hunt. So there may be opinions that are not in line with mine. Also, if I were in your shoes ide do everything in my power to show the guy spreading doom and gloom that he was wrong.
Flame away.
I haven’t hunted in the unit myself (no tag), but have hunted in some of the units that it borders. So take what I say with a grain of salt. Also, I don’t even live in the state, and most of the people who live near 652 would have a much better grasp on what’s going on there then I would. From what I have heard and even seen (when driving by), the hunting in that unit isn’t much better than the hunting in the general units around 652. You should go into your hunt with the mindset that this tag is for an opportunity to hunt Eastern Montana in a unit that has a good number of deer, with only 49 other tag holders, rather than hunting with thousand s of other hunters in the general units surrounding the area where your tag is good for. That should be reason enough for you guys to be excited. But back in the day, I believe there was always an opportunity to get a big one out there if you put your time in or got lucky.
As with everything, there is good news and there is bad news.
The good news: Checking some of my old stomping grounds last season, I really noticed an uptick in the number of deer. It’s not close to what it was in the early 2000’s but it’s definitely a move in the right direction after the two bad winters they had. Also, I saw the most bucks I have seen since 2011, last season. So you should see enough deer to keep things interesting.
The bad news: If you are really looking for an old buck, I think this is the worst time of any, to find one in this part of Montana. Reason being, the winters of 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 were really bad. In bad winters, the older breeding age bucks (generally 4.5 years or older) get wiped out, and so do the fawns. If one winter wasn’t enough to wipe out these older bucks, there was a second harder winter to back the first one up to make sure and put the last nail in the coffin for any bucks with some age. Next, the fawns born in 2010 AND 2011 took a big hit and are basically missing from the herd. Now here is where it gets a little more complicated. The bucks that DID survive the two bad winters, the 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 year old bucks in 2010 and 2011, were the bucks that guys hunting in the East would see and occasionally shoot out there the last half of a decade. Those were the hold out bucks that maybe gave guys the illusion that there are still big bucks out there, but really are not. Those 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 year old bucks from before the winter are dead. They died of old age or were shot by some good hunters in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons. I hunted two big bucks like this over the last 3 years but I wasn’t good enough to take one, and I am kicking myself because the opportunity was there but now won’t be for a few more years yet. The bucks that are out there right now are bucks that were born in 2011, and more than likely 2012 and on. The issue now is the bucks born after those winters are VERY SMALL in the body. The does that survived the winters either aborted their fawns they had, or had fawns that were much smaller than the fawns they would have after a normal winter, just because of the energy those does had to put into trying to survive. My best friend killed a buck out in E. Montana two seasons back, and this buck was the size of the coastal deer we have in California, he was tiny. The deer you will run into that have a few years on them will be very small in the body, so keep that in mind when you guys are looking over bucks and judging antlers to ears. My best guess is that it will take a few years for the bucks to get some age to them before we start to see some good ones again in 2018. This goes for 652 and for the units around it. Last deer I killed was in 2012, and ive had a tag every year since.
With that said, I am sure everyone has their own opinions and own observations, but this is what I have seen myself in the areas I hunt. So there may be opinions that are not in line with mine. Also, if I were in your shoes ide do everything in my power to show the guy spreading doom and gloom that he was wrong.
Flame away.
Mule Deer
New member
Not sure what these other guys are saying but the biggest bucks Ive seen in eastern montana were always in that unit. All but two. The year before the winter I saw the biggest mulie I've ever seen. Problem is he only had one side attached. If something bigger broke it off sparring. Well holy shit is all I have to say.
With that said I don't think it's really recovered yet. That winter was brutal. I was there for the beginning of it and the deer were already struggling. It lasted many months after.
brownbear932008
Well-known member
Sorry Schaaf I have no idea how I missed this post. Was ready through again and saw this got him in 632.
rmyoung1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2010
- Messages
- 2,409
This is a fun thread. Love the pictures. So... what about whitetails? What are the public land whitetail numbers like?
MtnMuley78
New member
My experience with whitetails in Central and Eastern Montana is a lot of big bucks aren't around (but there always could be a big guy around and hed never be seen), the disease a few years ago knocked the hell out of the deer. On our farm I honestly stopped counting the number of velvet dead bucks on the river, had to be over 30 on 1300 acres of bottom ground. Friends of mine around Chinook weren't even letting family members kill deer until last year numbers were so low and they have tons of Milk River frontage.
Enough doom and gloom but this fall should be better, numbers of big bucks should be coming back. I bet there wont be a lot of them but there will be big whitetails around the mature age class should be coming back this fall or next. Generally I see some big bucks bird hunting in October and that hasn't been the case for 3 years, but I have feeling this fall the old pointers mind find a few hiding in the river bottoms.
Enough doom and gloom but this fall should be better, numbers of big bucks should be coming back. I bet there wont be a lot of them but there will be big whitetails around the mature age class should be coming back this fall or next. Generally I see some big bucks bird hunting in October and that hasn't been the case for 3 years, but I have feeling this fall the old pointers mind find a few hiding in the river bottoms.
Schaaf
Well-known member
Montana Advocate
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2014
- Messages
- 63
As an update on this tag, I logged 13.2 miles hiking this weekend. Passed 13 bucks within 300 yards. 6 were 4-pts in the 140-155 range. One was a heavy, deep forked 4-pt buck that I would guess in the 165 range. I'm hoping that I don't regret passing him.
I'll be back in mid-Nov when the rut is in full swing. The bucks were starting to act a little rutty, but nothing serious.
I'll be back in mid-Nov when the rut is in full swing. The bucks were starting to act a little rutty, but nothing serious.
wapiti11
Member
Let us know how your next trip goes. Good Luck.
Trucker
Active member
Thanks for the update. Sounds like a good start. I will be out there hunting the 17th- tell I'm done. Coming from Washington so I only get one trip out there. I have gathered some good information from some very helpful people from this site and will let people know how the hunt goes.
I will be hunting in a different area with my son trying to get him his 1st buck the 10th-14th. If he gets lucky I might try and get out to 652 for a day just to look around.
I will be hunting in a different area with my son trying to get him his 1st buck the 10th-14th. If he gets lucky I might try and get out to 652 for a day just to look around.
wapiti11
Member
Nice. Can't wait to here the stories from both of you, especially after having the tag 4 times. Fun area.. I also chuckle when I hear people say shoot the first 160" you see. Good luck guys...
Be happy to help your kid get a buck. Should only take a morning. As long as he can shot out to 250-300yds if needed. Pretty sure we can get him something 135"+. Get that boy tagged out so you can hit 652 like Mike Tysen.
PM me if you need any help.
PM me if you need any help.
Muleyhunter
New member
We were out hunting 652 this past weekend. I had my 11 year old son with me and we had a blast. We saw a lot of deer. Multiple nice 5 by 5 with really good potential so I passed on. We found the mature buck I was looking for on the last day, unfortunately it was my sons bday and we had a specific time to be home due to a bday party planned. Jumped him at 15 yards and was unable to get a quality shot, hope to find him in his home when I get back in a few weeks. Beautiful county to hunt and feel blessed to have one of the few NR tags. Thanks Montana
wapiti11
Member
Stu, any luck yet?
