Montana - Which week?

[Gonewest]

Just looking for opinions. If you can only hunt 1 week of the firearm deer season in Montana which week would you choose?

We hunt eastern Montana and this will be our fourth year. The last 2 times we hunted the first week of November. This year we can make the first week or third week of November work.

 

[MTHunter1321]

I personally would do the 3rd week. The rut should definitely be full swing.

 

[Doublecluck]

Third week of nov. Best chance at a big dumb one with his nose in some tail.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

The weather can be awful the 3rd week. By awful I mean sideways snow and stupid cold. A good deer can be had earlier in the season.

 

[MTGomer]

3rd week no question.

 

[Rzrbck918]

Between the two, Id choose the third week with full knowledge weather may be a factor.

 

[8andcounting]

3rd week not even a question

 

[EYJONAS!]

3rd week bring like 5 buddies too

 

[406LIFE]

I would also add that if you are looking for accommodations for that third week in Eastern Montana, you are behind about seven months.

 

[LCH]

How's week 2? I had figured it would be rolling pretty good by Veteran's Day.

 

[antlerradar]

There are pluses and minuses to both weeks.

The first week.
If you have a good one located you are a fool if you wait. Once the rut starts that buck could be miles away and your chances of finding him diminish greatly. I have taken some nice bucks in my forty years of hunting Eastern Montana. The majority of them have been bucks I located in summer and shot on opening week. If I or someone like me finds a quality buck on public land the chances of him still being around on the third week are slim to none. A few years ago a friend and I listed all of the big bucks and the week they were taken. Since the early 90's we could think of more 180+ bucks taken off of the Custer in the first week of the season than the last three weeks combined. The vast majority of those buck were taken by hunters that found the bucks earlier in the year.
In preparation for the rut bucks often start to move closer to doe populations. The big populations of does are most likely to be found near agricultural fields on private land. This is a problem for public land hunters in Eastern Montana and it is made even worse of a problem when there is nearly unlimited doe tags that have no restrictions on where they are filled. Hunting the first week of the season may give you a chance to find one of the bucks that leave the public still on the public instead of watching him on the wrong side of the fence.

After opening weekend hunting pressure falls off dramatically. By the Tuesday of the first week you will almost have the forest to yourself. You will have a much easier time finding a hotel or getting the best camping spots.

The hunting is more difficult on opening week. The weather is often hot and dry. Buck are bedded down shortly after day light and move little until just before dark. It is not easy to find a buck in timber or a vast expanse of sagebrush and junipers when bucks are by them self and not moving. To consistently be successful takes a level of skill and patience with quality glass that many hunters just do not have.

The third week
As others have said the rut is in full swing. If you find a spot that has good deer numbers, the rut is a magical time of year to be in the field. Deer are moving, there is a much better chance of cold and snow. When all things come together there is the potential for some of your most memorable days afield. Just remember that most hunters are looking for that experience and hunting pressure will be heavy on the weekends and will not subside nearly as much during mid week.
The rut is a big advantage for some one going into an area blind. Preseason scouting, finding places that others over look and hunting the back country is much less of an advantage. In short the rut shifts the needle of success more towards luck and away form hard work. Most of us would like to work less and get lucky more often. Just remember that when everyone is getting lucky no one really is.
Sometimes during the rut a good buck will make a mistake and leave private land tailing a doe onto nearby public. This was a good hunting strategy before the doe slaughter on public. Now does quickly learn that jumping the fence and bedding on public is not a good way to survive. I have sat on public 200 yards form the alfalfa and watched as the does and bucks never leave the safety of the field. Very frustrating.
When my ancestors first came to SE Montana they quickly learned that if you controlled the limited amount of water you could also control the grazing on most of the surrounding public land. Today if a landowner can keep a substantial percentage of the does on their private they can also control most of the bucks on the nearby public during the rut.


To answer your question. If you are coming in with little knowledge from out of state you far better off hunting the third week. If you have access to private land with a substantial population of does the third week is a no brainier. The more knowledge you gain on where you are hunting the less of an advantage the third week will be.

On a side note. This year with the late season both bucks and does will be starting to move to public winter range the last weekend. If there is nasty weather, hunting public near unhunted or lightly hunted private land could be very rewarding. If the weather is nice you could however find that the bucks are still on private resting up and nearly nocturnal.

 

[Gonewest]

Thanks for all the replies! A lot of good info.

The weeks I'm able to go is the week of 11/3 or 11/17. Sounds like 11/17 is the popular choice.

 

[JLS]

An excellent synopsis by antlerrradar.

Just remember that when everyone is getting lucky no one really is.

I got a laugh out of this, but there’s a lot of truth to it.

 

[Pagosa]

I have seen some dandies around late November, it would be an easy decision. I have had better luck on both elk and deer later in the rifle seasons, and I only hunt public land. Enjoy your trip to Gods Country

 

[MT.PERCHMAN]

3 rd week !

Bring chains for all four wheels. Shovels and a wench just in case . Montana can be nice and then Nasty in the same 24 hr. period.
Best of luck to you guys !!

MT.PERCHMAN

 

[Mtnhunter1]

Listen to antlerradar, his views on the SE are spot on.

I will add that most resident MT hunters will be waiting for the rut before they get serious about planning their hunt. This mirrors the 3rd week suggestion by most of the above posts. In the past, as antlerradar stated, the hunting pressure is quite light in the days between opening weekend and the start of the rut. I have always enjoyed these less pressured days as I do not like to hunt during the busy times. Last year, my wife and I hunted our usual early period and was astonished to find hunters in all of our usual spots. I can't even imagine what the hunting pressure would be like in these areas during the last few weeks of the season.

So, Gonewest,,,, Hunt early for less hunting pressure during the pre-rut, "OR", hunt later during the rut with the majority of the hunting community.

From all the chatter, I am assuming that the SE will again be a busy place this fall.

 

[thusby]

I typically get in the 1st or 2nd week of the season. The mulies are with the does still and patternable. I've found bucks that walk the same drainage every morning and evening. The whitetails are running does and you might get a crack at a nice one cruising through. It doesn't get much better.

 

[Gonewest]

Thanks for the advice guys!

 

[MTLivin]

3rd week without question! And if you are lucky it will be snowy and cold, some of the biggest deer hit the ground when all 3 of those line up

 

[MNWhitetail]

We hunted 3rd week last year and I was very pleased with the amount of deer we were seeing. Tighten up your boots and you will find them. Good luck, wish I was going this year!