Muley hunting around Miles City, Mt

[Pagosa]

In Crook County WY (adjacent to Region 7) the Wy Game and Fish said pronghorn and deer (whitetail and mule deer) were way down roughly 50% and elk and turkeys are doing great, which seems on par from working down in Weston, Niobrara, and Crook counties this summer. But everything is fine just north of there in Montana and they still issue 7500 pronghorn tags with the option of buying additional doe tags.

In R7 the past two years and I see more mule deer than whitetail, but it doesn’t seem that anyone cares about whitetail

To the originator of this thread I would look at hunting in a different area if you want a reasonable chance of seeing deer or just spend your time fishing or birding hunting. Best of luck

 

[antlerradar]

I disagree. The boys up in R/1 got a unit changed to LE just a few years ago.

There are not going to be any substantial LE units in region seven. If region seven starts to go LE it will not be long until the entire state is LE and FWP knows it. For as long as I can remember Regions 6&7 have been used as the relief valve for when times were tough in other regions. Now that western regions are ether LE or need to be, 6&7 can no longer handle the pressure.

 

[antlerradar]

LE units are managed for trophy opportunity, general units are managed for more hunting opportunities/conservation income. Thats the way it works. You can choose to hunt LE only if you'd like. Maybe Montana should go to an all points system where you need to wait 15 years to draw a good tag. That should make you happy... hunting 5 times in your life. Im sure all of you guys only shoot 350" bulls and 180" muleys or dont pull the trigger. The hate hunters get for harvesting a perfectly legal animal in a legal unit, not designed for trophy potential... blows my mind.

Even the most hawkish people like me are not advocating LE that would require 15 years to draw a tag. Every other year for Mule deer would do wonders and I would push for a change in season and other restrictions first.

 

[antlerradar]

Im sure all of you guys only shoot 350" bulls and 180" muleys or dont pull the trigger.

I have higher standards than that.

 

[tzone]

I think you are misguided along with many on here. @tzone I love to hunt mule deer limited entry has not been brought up much but it would be effective. There is a lot that could be done before limited entry comes in to play but we aren’t far from it if we continue. If you adjusted seasons at all you can provide a lot of opportunity. Accessible land would have to recover first. FWP would have to be straight with the public. It could be easily done with the right people in charge.

Getting the right people in charge is the key.

But I think many, many people are perfectly happy shooting a forkie or a 2 year old of any kind. I'm more interested in getting the kids deer than I am getting one for myself these days. So I'm fine with a freezer pleaser (doe) and helping them when I get the call.

 

[antlerradar]

However limited entry is not a statewide solution. That’s the death of hunting and a model for the utah way. Weapon and timing restrictions are all that’s needed. And no doe killing on public land unless a unit has over population on public

I don't know that I would characterize LE as a model for the Utah way. Other states are LE, Utah is the champion when it comes to also including buy your way to the front of the line tags.

 

[tkhuntsman]

Hello all. Planning on doing a rifle mule deer hunt around the Miles City, Mt area this fall. Looking at hunting HD 704 mainly but depending on pressure and deer numbers, may check out 705 and 701 as well. We've never hunted this area before so was just curious if anyone had any incite on how the deer populations are in the area and also the hunting pressure. The biologists that I've spoke with make it sound like there's lots of deer as long as were not trophy hunters. I'm going to assume since its so close to Miles City there will most likely be lots of hunters but that's to be expected. We are FAR from being trophy hunters, just looking for a chance at a couple decent Muleys. Planning on getting there around the end of the first week and prob only hunting for 3 days or so. Thanks in advance and good luck to everyone in the woods this fall!!

Well between bad winterkill and poor management and overhunting good luck. I hunted antelope out there last Oct. Didn't see much that would make me want to chase mule deer in that country. Once upon a time there were lots of big mulies in those parts but that's just a back in the day thing now.

Hello all. Planning on doing a rifle mule deer hunt around the Miles City, Mt area this fall. Looking at hunting HD 704 mainly but depending on pressure and deer numbers, may check out 705 and 701 as well. We've never hunted this area before so was just curious if anyone had any incite on how the deer populations are in the area and also the hunting pressure. The biologists that I've spoke with make it sound like there's lots of deer as long as were not trophy hunters. I'm going to assume since its so close to Miles City there will most likely be lots of hunters but that's to be expected. We are FAR from being trophy hunters, just looking for a chance at a couple decent Muleys. Planning on getting there around the end of the first week and prob only hunting for 3 days or so. Thanks in advance and good luck to everyone in the woods this fal

 

[antlerradar]

Well between bad winterkill and poor management and overhunting good luck. I hunted antelope out there last Oct. Didn't see much that would make me want to chase mule deer in that country. Once upon a time there were lots of big mulies in those parts but that's just a back in the day thing now.

Sad but true.

 

[YoungGun]

I don't know that I would characterize LE as a model for the Utah way. Other states are LE, Utah is the champion when it comes to also including buy your way to the front of the line tags.

Give UDWR their due though when it comes to the data they collect and actually utilize. They're actual centuries ahead of FWP in using biology and facts to back their decisions versus licking their finger, holding it in the wind, and telling everyone mule deer trends haven't changed a bit. Limited Entry or General, we could be so much better if we let science lead our regs versus politics and pleasing the every man.

 

[MNWhitetail]

Few things I love more than watching an “Eastern Montana Deer” thread blow up! I’ve seen less emotion at weddings and funerals. The only way it could get better is if the OP added that he was looking forward to shooting deer a long range with his new 6.5 Creedmoor, but I digress….

To the OP, if you hadn’t already noticed, folks are pretty passionate on here about eastern Montana mule deer hunting. Short story, it used to be amazing. Then TV personalities like Eastman (and Randy too, but he gets a pass) told the secret and non-nonresidents (who account for about 15% of the hunters but are almost all from Minnesota) are shooting ALL the marginal bucks and have essentially ruined the state’s deer hunting. Especially in the eastern part of the state because the same 15% of the hunters who are exceptional marginal buck killers are also too lazy to drive more than a few miles past the state line. There are also a whole lot of people who show up late summer/early fall (because why plan in advance?) who create an account, don’t contribute anything, and on their first day post something like “heading to Montana for a deer hunt, any recommendations on the Eastern part of the state?” Those same posters also never try the search function (because it’s been covered dozens of times) then disappear after gleaning as much local intel as possible and never post or contribute again.

That being said, I too have hunted the eastern part of the state (2018) and will say this - our group of four saw almost 100 deer in one morning hunt. We saw several bucks that would have been around 120in and elected not to shoot any. We then packed up and drove to central Montana (which we found out from the locals had also been ruined by Minnesota hunters) and hunted the timber for elk and deer. It is really cool country and is a fun deer hunt if you like relatively easy walking, are a road hunter (gasp), or enjoy looking at a lot of deer. From my experience and the experience of others, it is not a place you will likely find a wall-hanger if you are into that sort of thing. That is of course dependent on how you define “wall-hanger.”

Good luck and whatever you do, please take some time and let us know what you did and how you did it. We would love to know!

(Changing from location in bio) Ouch!

I have hunted SE MT a couple years. First year was great for numbers. Second (2021) was not and it was bad. We were in NE WY the year before that (2020) and they were in tough shape at that time. Drove through WY last year to the bighorns and numbers from roadside were not good.

I got a tag this year and will not be in the area.

Enjoy the scenery and the company you keep - I would not expect fantastic hunting. There are a lot of (road) hunters in region 7. Good luck and have fun to anyone headed that way.