Area 410 Montana -

[jore07]

Just wondering if any of you have had the opportunity be up in this area this year. My dad has a cow tag for 410 and we will be heading up Tuesday. Not looking for any spots or anything as we are familiar with the area (just been a few years). I was just wondering if anyone has been seeing any lately and also how the deer activity has been, as we both have general deer tags as well. Thank you in advance for any advice / help.

 

[jore07]

Also, if any of you guys are planning on being in the area and want to meet up and grab a beer or something let me know. We'll be there Tuesday through Saturday. Thanks again and good luck to everyone.

 

[MThuntr]

elk numbers are good...deer numbers very low. EHD is beginning to take quite a few. No rut activity yet.

 

[Hawkeye]

PM Sent. Good luck!

 

[MHMT]

Spent most of my summer working there but haven't been lately. Plenty of elk running around, didn't see a ton of deer, but did see a couple of pretty nice muleys on the big BMA.

 

[awapiti]

Yes, I got my cow opening day. You might have to get off the roads. I did not see anything within a mile of roads. A few deer were seen, still in bachelor groups. Good luck!

 

[jore07]

Thanks guys, I didn't expect such quick replies. Hoping to have the same success that awapiti is speaking of. How were the crowds awapiti?

 

[awapiti]

Thanks guys, I didn't expect such quick replies. Hoping to have the same success that awapiti is speaking of. How were the crowds awapiti?

A lot of deer hunters, on the roads or within a quarter mile.

 

[jore07]

Thats kind of what I figured. Hopefully we can run into a cow first then we'll see about the deer. We plan on getting of the beaten path a bit as usual so we should be okay. Congrats on yours by the way. Good to see some people having success. Last time we had a tag up there seemed like we saw more people than critters..and mostly non residents. That was fine just seemed odd is all. Anyawy thanks again for the info..and good luck with the remainder of your season.

 

[huntRme]

This is my favorite area to hunt. Look for the mule deer along the top of the breaks...they come out of their little hide-aways in the evening. Look for whitetails and elk down in the willows in the river bottom. I don't know how high the water is now that the lake is full and if my favorite spots are under water or not.

 

[jore07]

I always forget about whiteys in that area. Thanks for the reminder any luck on them there in the past? I've been wanted to get one for awhile, just never really had the oppurtunity or patience to pass up a decent mule when I see one.

 

[huntRme]

Most of the people I talked to while in the area said the same as you...that they forgot about whitetails. I don't know the current condition of the whitetail population after that hard winter last year and getting hit two years in a row with disease. The elk hold really tight to the cover (willows), and get out on the islands as well. Last time I was there I was surrounded by three herds and couldn't see even one animal.

The real limiting factor in 410 is the weather/mud. The weather needs to be dry or cold so you can navigate the unimproved roads. I'd always heard war stories of the Missouri Breaks mud and was always very concerned about being able to get out of that country once I got in. Had some close calls. Got my whitetail on one day when I finally made it out there and it was ten days before I felt confident enough to go back after my elk. Got my cow one day when the roads were frozen, but when I went back the next day to pack her out the roads began to thaw and were like glass in the morning and mud in the evening.

 

[EasternMTHunter]

The bottoms have come out of the water and after our last week up there at the end of September the elk were starting to use the bottoms again, especially where the new willows were coming up. My buddy and I both shot 6x6s this year but we didn't see to many deer. Quite a few less than last year, but the forage from after the burn last year may be allowing them to spread out and be less concentrated. We did see one nice wide 6x7 muley. We also saw 2 lions this year as well. I would be surprised if you had a hard time finding a cow as long as you get away from the road. My facebook page has quite a few pictures of the bottoms but they are back in late August. The CMR had 2 guys up there working on the roads with a grader and a dozer, which got at least the CMR part of the roads in better shape, especailly 316 at the bottom.