Montana HD 455 - Beartooth WMA

[bailey68]

I'm hoping to revive the elk and deer hunting HD 445 thread. Has anyone hunted this district either archery or rifle in the last couple years, and care to provide some information on their experience. Thanks

 

[Nameless Range]

Never hunted there. But camped at Log Gulch last weekend and drove up to the WMA gate. You can't tell from the photo, but there are elk, whitetail, and mule deer in the frame of view.

Like a mountain Serengeti.

 

[bailey68]

Nice photo

 

[teej89]

man that photo is a beaut!

 

[JLS]

The area is devoid of wildlife. Woofs ate everything.

 

[Southern Elk]

Beautiful country Nameless Range!

 

[Nameless Range]

Thanks guys.

I've had friends who've had both the deer and elk tags. They're difficult to draw.

 

[Art Vandeley]

There are so many rattle snakes its dangerous. I would look elsewhere.

 

[zachthebowhunter]

Also dont even consider going over he mountains to 392..... no decent mule deer to be found there on a general tag with a 100% permit

 

[zachthebowhunter]

In all honesty, my brother and his cronies do an archery whitetail hunt in there every year and they say there are some really nice whitetail and mule deer in there and I know guys who have pulled great bulls out of there as well.

 

[SteveE]

If you read the writting on the upper crapper walls you will see the frustrations of the beartooth eched in. Makes for a good giggle. Big beautiful drainages with decent numbers but it has its draw backs.

The lower gates close before archery season so the horseback comment is spot on. Its a looonngg pull.

The beartooth has cattle on it all summer. It is split into 3 areas which they rotate. They take the cattle out at prime elk rut time. If the rotation is on the center section you will hike the miles in to be greeted by about 5 cowboys on horseback with 10 dogs complete with barking and yelling to move the cattle out.

Which brings you to the final problem with the beartooth. The back side is encompassed by two large ranches that allow minimal hunting. Prime rut time will have 10-20 rigs with horse trailers at the trailhead. When this mass moves in the elk head for private.

Ive been in there by myself some years and other years its a zoo. Timing is important and the grazing lease can kill it. Seems everybody has figured out prime rut dates and its plumb full during that time.

Rifle tags remove that pressure and snow forces a migration back into the WMA where they winter.
Last 10 years the whitetails have really moved in and mule deer numbers are down.

It is a beautiful area!!

 

[goat haunt]

I lucked out and drew a 455 deer tag with a buddy. I have spent about 8 days in the unit scouting and had a cow tag 2 years ago. I have talked to the biologist and my hunting partner has talked to someone on Rokslide. Just looking to see if anyone would like to PM me and share some more information. It seems like half of the hunters go after each species. I am not species specific. Any info would be great.

Thanks

 

[SteveE]

I drew it also. If you are not species specific focusing on whitetail will get you the most action packed hunt. The muleys are around but nothing like the whitetail. I've seen some good whitetails in there recently. Not so much for muley bucks. I've heard rumors that the mountain lions population is high in there which might explain the muleys. Idk. I did see a cat mid day at elkhorn creek traihead this spring bear hunting.

The whitetail will be down on the cultivated at night and use the creek bottoms to move up for bedding. It is good any direction from those fields. Best whitetail I've seen was behind the house towards the lake. I plan on spending a bunch of time in there and waiting till the end. I drive a green chevy crew cab. Say hi if you see me and i will share my notes. Should be a fun hunt for you two.
Good luck!

 

[PJ0311]

I heard the same thing about cats from the manager of the WMA when I had the tag. He also confirmed what I was seeing, Muley numbers were way down compared to a decade ago. Whiteys are everywhere, though. The area behind the house holds a decent amount of whiteys but I found them just about everywhere I hiked in the unit. The area around the border of the wilderness held a lot of deer, very few of them were Muleys. The comment about rattlesnakes is no joke, I ran into quite a few. Good luck, I passed a couple of whiteys that were better than the one I shot but such is life. It's a beautiful area to hunt.

 

[JLS]

I lucked out and drew a 455 deer tag with a buddy. I have spent about 8 days in the unit scouting and had a cow tag 2 years ago. I have talked to the biologist and my hunting partner has talked to someone on Rokslide. Just looking to see if anyone would like to PM me and share some more information. It seems like half of the hunters go after each species. I am not species specific. Any info would be great.

Thanks

If your hunting partner is named Justin, you might tell him the least he can do is reply with a thank you when is given information on a hunting area.

Good luck this fall. It's a fun tag to have.

 

[JLS]

If I had this tag, I would bowhunt for deer and go as high as you can get. I was unable to bowhunt it the year I had the permit due to some family circumstances that took higher priority.

There are some great muley bucks there.

 

[goat haunt]

I apologize, yes he is my partner. He has had some stuff going on. I think he was going to send you a couple more questions. Thank you from both of us.

 

[goat haunt]

Thanks for the information. Will do. I drive a white GMC extended cab. I am hoping to draw a cow tag so that I can spend all season in their with a real chance of filling the freezer.

 

[MT_BWHTR]

Maybe this will revive this again..... My girlfriend and I both drew the cow tag this year. Would really like to just concentrate during archery season, so if anyone has hunted it in the last year or two and cares to share any info, it would be much appreciated. Sounds like we may be able to get our whitetail fix as well?

Thanks in advance!

 

[belly-deep]

Maybe this will revive this again..... My girlfriend and I both drew the cow tag this year. Would really like to just concentrate during archery season, so if anyone has hunted it in the last year or two and cares to share any info, it would be much appreciated. Sounds like we may be able to get our whitetail fix as well?

Thanks in advance!

Not without drawing a buck tag