My observations as a first time DIY’r to SE Montana for mule deer. I’m fortunate to live and farm and own considerable land in so Iowa. We have the ability to micro manage our whitetail herd as a vast majority of our land it bordered by the Missouri River, and 3 separate large chunks of state game refuge land. As a whole, our deer don’t leave and see little pressure from anyone besides ourselves, and the few others we allow to hunt our land. For as long as I can remember, for the most part, anything under 150” gets a pass and we all shoot as many does as we need to fill our freezers. Recent bouts of EHD has hurt us, but as a result of our management, we‘ve all been able to take numerous 160” to even a few 190”’s over the years. That’s my background on a micro scale.
Fast forward to this year. I’ve hunted elk in Montana and Colorado and been successful, but never in my life hunted mule deer. Freshly re married, with a new child on the way, I didn’t have the time or funds for a long drawn out hunt this year. I was fortunate to draw a statewide deer tag in Montana. I can be at the SE border from my house in 9 hrs so that was the natural plan.
I arrived last Friday and to be completely honest, I was blown away by the numbers of deer I saw as soon as I crossed the border. Both road kill and on the hoof. To put it in perspective, in 2008 on our farm, the DNR issued us unlimited depredation doe tags on our farm in and effort to reduce numbers. That year, with archery equipmen, about 12 of us suggessfully tagged out on 122 deer in a 2 and a half square mile area. I mention this to clarify that I’m used to seeing a lot of deer.
Back to this years hunt. Arriving at my destination, I was super excited having seen so many deer and a good handful over 4 1/2 on the drive in. Now I had heard about the road hunting pressure, but I was completely blown away the first Mornings hunt. Electing to spend a little time behind the wheel familiarizing ourselves with the country before wading in we saw lots of deer......and lots of orange. The highway we drove in on and didn’t pass another car for 5 min was littered with trucks pulled off the sides. Folks were even parking in the middle of the highway standing over their hoods to glass. Trucks would roll to a stop while a blur of orange jumped out and hopped the fence in hot pursuit of venison. I guess I’d been warned, but didn’t really believe it would be that way. We attempted one stalk on a solid 150” deer only to have it blown out of the country by screeching tires and slamming doors. Saw a couple other nice bucks far away, but they were on private.
After about 2 hrs of this, I’d had enough. We found a large tract of rugged blm that connected to several other tracts. We hiked in 3.5 miles and located a good group of about 15 mulies working there way back up a draw about 1000 yards off. Mostly does with 3 dinks in the group. My buddy who was just along for the experience asked what I wanted to do. With time constraints back home and looking around at the soundless, endless beautiful place we were in, I told him; “after this am, it seems foolish to pass on something now I’d shoot the last day”. He agreed. We spent the next 2 hours working the draw with the wind in our favor going from 1000 yards off to settling on a well hidden knob 150 yards from the group of the bedded deer. When they got up, the shot was easy. Walking up, the bucks antlers were small, but the pride I felt inside and the experience we’d just had were as big as the 193” non typical that hangs on my wall back home. We’d come, put in the effort, did it the right way and witnessed some of the most beautiful country and wildlife behavior I’d ever seen. We packed him up and headed for the truck 3.5 mIke’s back. Upon arriving shortly after dark, my buddy slaps my on the chest and says “just listen”. We go silent.....and that’s it, that’s the beauty...nothing. Not a motor to be heard, no back up alarms, no airplanes, trains....absolutely nothing but the stars and the sky. “This is what its about” he says, and I couldn’t agree more.
I’m sorry to drag this out so long. I guess my point is I understand the frustrations of lack of management for bigger deer, but at the same time, you all have no idea how much I appreciate the opportunity to come to your great state and experience this. That deers horns won’t be going to the taxidermist, but my growing family will enjoy consuming that deer and it will help sustain my family on wild meat another year. The opportunity and experience are a trophy that will never go away in my mind or heart.
...) some years back. I won that battle but the war continued on, a no win situation..........
