Montana 313

[Scott85]

Moving from Hawaii back to Virginia has took a toll on my wallet so I couldn’t be as adventurous as I wanted to be. A buddy and I have applied for a big game combo in Montana and I’ve been looking at maps till I’m blue in the face and I think I’m going to head to 313 and then maybe 317. Looking to have a good time enjoy some scenery and maybe see some animals. I have a good idea of where I want to go in these units and if a legal bull or a mature buck happen to cross paths with me that will be good too. Sorry for the long hiatus from the forum but life gets in the way some times. I also got promoted back in September!

 

[Gerald Martin]

Congrats on the promotion and enjoy your hunt!

 

[SBAHunts]

welcome back, congratulations and good luck this year. Still working on my Montana plans

 

[kwyeewyk]

Welcome back to the mainland, my wife's cousin and her husband did the same move from HI to VA a few years ago, they were pretty glad to get off the island. Been researching MT for a couple years out, 313 on my list for deeper look. Haven't seen much of it, but spent a day when I worked for FWP trying to round up a small herd of bison they had at a facility they wanted to move. We chased them around with about a dozen people, horses, atvs, never could get them to go down the mountain. Beautiful area what I've seen of it.

 

[diamond hitch]

last I heard 313 had been severly decimated by the wolves. As in 19000 reduced to less than 5000 or something like that. That was 8 years ago. Check with the FWP biologist.

 

[kwyeewyk]

last I heard 313 had been severly decimated by the wolves. As in 19000 reduced to less than 5000 or something like that. That was 8 years ago. Check with the FWP biologist.

Here's an article, now they're up a bit, so they're "over objective." I believe it was Buzz who said somewhere that MT manages elk like knapweed...I honestly have no educated comment on the numbers or management, just kidding around.

Famous Yellowstone elk herd rebounds two decades after wolf reintroduction

The Northern Yellowstone elk herd, one of the most famous and closely watched in the world, is finally growing at a healthy clip.

trib.com

 

[diamond hitch]

My experience is that Mt FWP manages their income and kind-of outfitters. I doubt that they have a clue how to manage game.

 

[Straight Arrow]

last I heard 313 had been severly decimated by the wolves. As in 19000 reduced to less than 5000 or something like that. That was 8 years ago. Check with the FWP biologist.

Not merely wolves, but also bears and, most concerning, by way too many tags being issued. It amounted to an elk reduction tsunami.

 

[406dn]

I've posted earlier that I drew the 313 bull tag last fall. I figured that since I could dedicate a lot of time, that my chances at a nice bull were good.

It is AMAZING how scarce the brow tined bulls were. The bull to cow ratio is as bad as any herd in the state, based on what I witnessed. I did enjoy hunting down there. It is great country to get around on a horse. We saw cow elk most days, sometimes big herds.

IMO, all bull hunting needs to be by permit and the number should be very low for a while. I don't think it will anywhere near what it once was.