New Hunter in Montana

[Medic1199]

Hello all!
Moderators, this is my first time posting so if I missed any rules please let me know, not trying to step out of bounds.

My question is this: I'll be hunting in Montana for the first time this fall, and I've been looking for areas where I think I have a chance of obtaining an elk. The original plan was for my brother and I to backpack in and then DIY hunt for a couple of weeks. However, due to budget constraints as far as obtaining gear that's capable of withstanding cold temperatures overnight and still being lightweight, we've since changed to day hikes. I've watched just about every video on Youtube I could find and have followed a lot of the advice I've read on the Hunt Talk forums. That being said, I'm still wondering if I'm missing anything? I'm not asking for honey holes in certain units, just general advice about the area I'm going into. Also, while tagging a bull would be amazing, my brother and I are primarily concerned about obtaining meat for the family. I have a general elk combo tag and my brother will have a deer/elk combo.

Specifics:
I am an experienced hunter and backpacker who used to live in Colorado, but have lived in Missouri for the last 8 years so I'm not fool enough to think I can go waltzing into the mountains and not be affected by temperatures and altitude. Hence the reason why I'm here looking to see what I've inevitably missed. My brother and I are also in good shape, but again, altitude is no joke to a flat lander, especially when carrying out elk quarters.
The time frame we will be hunting is November the 12th-23rd. I've rented a National forest cabin for about half that time in unit 314, just on the border of Big Creek so I have access to the both the north and south regions. From most of my research it seemed to appear that area was my best chance of filling a tag and still having a warm shelter to return to.
We will be hunting with a .458 socom and a 30-06 rifle, so max accurate range is going to be sub 400 yards for the 30-06 and 200 for the .458. From what I understand there is a lot of timber in this area so range isn't going to be our biggest problem but rather staying downwind?

Finally is there any other areas I should consider? I'm using a toyota tundra and I will have chains, so I will have a slightly better ability to get further back to trail heads etc. I will also have a freezer in the back of the truck as well as camping gear, so it will have a decent amount of weight. And yes, I'm very aware of the possibility of bears, and am preparing for that, but hopefully that time of year won't be as big of a problem.

Thanks for any possible advice and good luck hunting this fall!

 

[Muley_Stalker]

Well hell! If you don't want my honey hole I won't tell you.

 

[Pagosa]

You can realistically expect to have less than a 10% chance at getting a bull. Expect very tough hunting.

 

[Medic1199]

Haha If it's as closely guarded as they are here in Missouri, it'd take way more then I make to crack that. Although if you have any suggestions for places to look I'm all ears. I'm certainly willing to put in the boots on ground time in once I get there. I'm not trying to tag a record setting animal, just provide for the family and have a fun time doing it. Haven't had a vacation in two years so really looking forward to this. Are there other units I should be looking at instead? Please keep in mind that it would have to be limited to what ground I could cover in a single day. And like I said I'm in good shape so miles isn't the problem, altitude will get me first.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

Maybe someone will PM you. Giving that info on a public forum usually ruins the area.

 

[Medic1199]

Yeah, that's why I was trying to keep it generic. I had read that wolves were hurting the population in areas, so I was hoping I wasn't going to jump into an area where the population had been decimated.

 

[MontanaWild]

There are elk in that unit no doubt. You'll see hunters but big bulls get shot every year in some weird heavily pressured areas. You'll definitely be looking for those small nasty pockets the elk will go do or try to let other hunters push the elk to you. Good luck on your hunt!

 

[ccc23454]

Nov 12-23rd...wow but might help with bears? gonna be pretty cold freezer/generator may be a waste. Bring extra Handwarmers!

C

 

[Medic1199]

@ MontanaWild-Cool, glad to hear I'm not jumping into an area with super depleted elk numbers. I'm used to looking for those nasty pockets here in Missouri, never have been able to get used to tree stand hunting. Something about it is just so boring to me. lol Thank You!
@ccc23454-Yeah that was my thought, although that isn't why I picked to go that late, it's simply the only available time frame my brother and I could get off. The freezer is more for my benefit as far as being able to carry frozen veggies etc and make stew in the cabin at night. It'll be cheaper on us and I've lived off of Mountain House for weeks at a time before, it wasn't pretty. Real food ought to taste pretty amazing. And if I am lucky enough to get an elk, I'll need it crossing back over the plains, weather in the Midwest can be as temperamental as a jealous girlfriend.