Region 7 Montana

[antlerradar]

Your goal is way too high for SE Montana or any where for that matter for a first time mule deer hunter. Now days a 170 bucks are few and far between on Public land. It could take a lifetime to get one that good on public. Could it happen on your first mule deer hunt. Yes it could. A high school kid could also put a Randy Johnson fastball in the seats. If I had to bet on one of the two I would take the high school ball player.

If I was in your situation I would not pass on any buck that is better than ear wide and antlers that don't look spindly. I would not worry about score or points. Holding out for a 150+ for your first mule deer is a sure way to set your self up for disappointment.

Be prepared for snow and cold. SE Montana in November is not a place I would associate with mild weather. It could be sunny and 60 or it could be a foot of snow and 20 below.

Scouting in September to get familiar with the surroundings is a good plan. Just remember that any bucks you see in September could be miles away come November. If you do happen to see a big deer scouting, change your plans if you can and be there first light on opening day.

I hope you have a great time hunting with your son. Montana is about memories, just not ones with big antlers.

 

[antlerradar]

We have shot some great bucks, but also 5 to 6 year old deer that were 140 type deer and wouldn't have gotten any bigger. I wish I lived there, because I think that if you were able to spend a bunch of time you would be rewarded.

Rich

You are right in that there are plenty of deer that will never get much better than 140-150 even if they live to old age. There are also plenty of deer that have the potential to top 175. Timmy is also right. With Montana's season it is very unlikely that those bucks will survive there third hunting season when there antlers are 160+. Most of the time the better bucks die at age two when they are a nice ear wide four point.

 

[timmy]

We have shot some great bucks, but also 5 to 6 year old deer that were 140 type deer and wouldn't have gotten any bigger. I wish I lived there, because I think that if you were able to spend a bunch of time you would be rewarded.

Rich

I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit and I’ve seen one 170 on public in Montana the last 10 years. Private land different story on highly managed land. Thank goodness for landowners that manage their land.

 

[antlerradar]

I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit and I’ve seen one 170 on public in Montana the last 10 years. Private land different story on highly managed land. Thank goodness for landowners that manage their land.

I agree. The last ten years have been tough. Thirty/forty years ago I would see 10+ 170+ public land deer a year and one or two really big ones. Now I am happy to see one a year and the really big ones are just about extinct.

 

[Shangobango]

Thanks for all the input thus far. This is exactly what I was looking for and exactly what I needed to hear. I know a lot more about what to expect now than I did before I started the thread. If you want good info you have to ask the people that have it.

I just want to reiterate that I am not hung up on a score. I just want to find a mature buck with a rack that I like. One that “does it for me” if you know what I mean.

My son is not going to be as picky as I am. I just want him to get in on some action and shoot something that will excite him.

I hope he gets hooked on western hunting so we can do many more trips out west in the future and hopefully some of them with decent trophy potential.

Be prepared for snow and cold. SE Montana in November is not a place I would associate with mild weather. It could be sunny and 60 or it could be a foot of snow and 20 below.

When I said mild I was more talking about the elevation and terrain. I researched past weather during the time period during which we are going to be in the area. Saw some -9 degree days without windchill during that two week period in the past several years. I am hoping for decent weather but not counting on it. I am purchasing an Alaknak with a stove and vestibule in the next couple of months. I am going to bring another backpacking tent for overflow storage and in case we want to use it overnight if the situation arises.

We have good quality clothing. Merino base layers in light and heavyweights along with plenty of insulated outer layers. The weak point in both of our clothing related gear at this point is boots. That will be remedied in the upcoming weeks. I don’t think the Lacrosse Burly’s are going to cut it.

This is going to be a total learning experience when it comes to optimizing our gear for these type of hunts as well. I think we will be pretty well prepared. Learning is a lot of the fun. We have to start somewhere.

 

[Stubaby]

If it looks like this and you pass, you’ve made a mistake. I got to hammer this buck at first light then cross paths with Antlerradar right at dark the same day(great day).
This buck grosses between 168”-171” and was on some BLM in region 7. I’ve seen some older and heavier bucks on public but most seem to be crabby on one the front or are missing a “G” or two. Heck, lots of bucks don’t even have G1s.

I’m historically a shoot first kind of guy but if you have time take a picture or video of the buck with your phoneskope. Then look at the picture or video with a realistic eye. Most of the time you will realize that it’s not as big as you think. That being said when they are big it’s obvious in a second.


That pic Gomer posted is still a shooter in 7. Most guys shoot a 125-130 class buck and think it’s 155-160.

 

[Stubaby]

Just for fun. If you see this buck on a ridge would you shoot it? Second question what does he score? Art, how old do you think it is?

 

[Shangobango]

If it looks like this and you pass, you’ve made a mistake. I got to hammer this buck at first light then cross paths with Antlerradar right at dark the same day(great day)View attachment 137124View attachment 137125View attachment 137126. This buck grosses 171” and was on some BLM in region 7. I’ve seen some older and heavier bucks on public but most seem to be crabby on one the front or are missing a “G” or two. Heck, lots of bucks don’t even have G1s.

I’m historically a shoot first kind of guy but if you have time take a picture or video of the buck with your phoneskope. Then look at the picture or video with a realistic eye. Most of the time you will realize that it’s not as big as you think. That being said when they are big it’s obvious in a second.


That pic Gomer posted is still a shooter in 7. Most guys shoot a 125-130 class buck and think it’s 155-160.

Awesome deer! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Shangobango]

Just for fun. If you see this buck on a ridge would you shoot it? Second question what does he score? Art, how old do you think it is? View attachment 137128

The velvet is going to throw me off but I’ll give it a whirl.

4 year age class, 163 inches.

 

[Shangobango]

And yes I think I would probably shoot it on this upcoming trip.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

@Shangobango, Don't worry about your dates. The first two weeks in November will probably work out perfect for you and your son. Mule deer buck groups will start to break up around the end of October and then start roaming around a bit. The mature bucks, if there are any, will have their favorite places to go while the younger bucks will start to pester the does. So the bucks will be moving! You will see many other hunters and most of those will be from out-of-state like you! After Nov 10th, the hunter numbers will begin to increase with each day and you will start to actually see MT license plates in numbers.

Being prepared for snow and cold would be recommended. As stated, it could be beautiful 50-60 degree fall weather or blizzard snow storms and cold as hell, or even both in the same day! Be prepared for extremely bad roads if moisture falls, the mud on the two tracks is no joke!

SE MT is a magical place to be chasing critters in! I hope that you and your son have a grand adventure!

Good Luck and Shoot Straight,,,,,,,Mtnhunter1,,,,,,,,PS: Plans have been known to not go as planned, might have to have your son by your side for the whole two weeks!

 

[Shangobango]

@Shangobango, Don't worry about your dates. The first two weeks in November will probably work out perfect for you and your son. Mule deer buck groups will start to break up around the end of October and then start roaming around a bit. The mature bucks, if there are any, will have their favorite places to go while the younger bucks will start to pester the does. So the bucks will be moving! You will see many other hunters and most of those will be from out-of-state like you! After Nov 10th, the hunter numbers will begin to increase with each day and you will start to actually see MT license plates in numbers.

Being prepared for snow and cold would be recommended. As stated, it could be beautiful 50-60 degree fall weather or blizzard snow storms and cold as hell, or even both in the same day! Be prepared for extremely bad roads if moisture falls, the mud on the two tracks is no joke!

SE MT is a magical place to be chasing critters in! I hope that you and your son have a grand adventure!

Good Luck and Shoot Straight,,,,,,,Mtnhunter1,,,,,,,,PS: Plans have been known to not go as planned, might have to have your son by your side for the whole two weeks!

Thank you.

Oh that would be awesome if he could stay the whole trip. More time together and a strong young back to help pack!

 

[Stubaby]

One Fourty Six. That’s right 146. I killed him with an arrow a month after that picture. I doubt he would ever break 160. Ever. Like many people say——if you are hunting just for numbers or what other people think then you are hunting for the wrong reasons. Shoot what makes you happy. Or just a bunch of coyotes and a whitetail. Either way good luck.

 

[Shangobango]

How old was he?

 

[Stubaby]

How old was he?

Not sure. Older than 3. Younger than 6? Inside spread is 19”. G4’s are like 5”. It takes a deer who has good everything to pull a tape past 170. That’s why Boone and Crocket for typical is net 180. A typical frame with all the deductions taken away from asymmetry is a bIG deer.

 

[LostinOregon1]

Stubaby, great buck.

Rich

 

[Shangobango]

Great buck no matter what he scored.

I feel like I really managed to come off as a score obsessed hunter when nothing could be further from the truth. The last thing on my mind when I am preparing to shoot a deer or even assigning trophy value to a deer is “What will it score?”. I was just trying to get a baseline.

My favorite “trophy” is a 115 inch 200 pound 4 year old Swamp buck from some insanely pressured public ground here that I shot with my bow. Hunted him for almost two straight weeks. I have bigger on the wall but there is no bigger in my heart at this point.

 

[brockel]

Great buck no matter what he scored.

I feel like I really managed to come off as a score obsessed hunter when nothing could be further from the truth. The last thing on my mind when I am preparing to shoot a deer or even assigning trophy value to a deer is “What will it score?”. I was just trying to get a baseline.

My favorite “trophy” is a 115 inch 200 pound 4 year old Swamp buck from some insanely pressured public ground here that I shot with my bow. Hunted him for almost two straight weeks. I have bigger on the wall but there is no bigger in my heart at this point.

You planning to hunt the Custer by ekalaka or by broadus?

 

[antlerradar]

The velvet is going to throw me off but I’ll give it a whirl.

4 year age class, 163 inches.

I am going to say he may be older and he might if he is lucky make 150.

 

[Shangobango]

You planning to hunt the Custer by ekalaka or by broadus?

I’m not sure how much I will hunt the Custer. I am planning on setting up my first camp closer to Ashland and Birney.