Montana Tree-Stand Hunting

[RuralMT]

Good morning one and all. Having moved to the NW corner of the state several years ago, I've come to the realization that the tactics that worked so well down in the rest of Montana's mountainous regions don't work as well up here, namely spot-and-stalk tactics. For those of you who haven't ventured up here to hunt, our forests more closely resemble a coastal rain forest than the more open hillsides around Dillon. Still-hunting definitely works and has put me on numerous deer, but I'm often left wondering how many deer simply scooted out of view undetected, as even the critters themselves struggle to move about silently.

My question is this. Do any of you that hunt up here, let's say in Lincoln, Sanders, or Flathead Counties, employ ambush tactics like tree-stands or ground-blinds? In my sojourns, I've come across several areas that I'd dub "ungulate highways" with numerous exit ramps leading to Holiday-Inn-like bedding areas. I can't help but think that hanging a stand in such areas would be highly productive, as it would mitigate the scent factor and all but eliminate the noise issue. Yet, I haven't come across anyone up here that hunts like this. If anyone in MT or the ID Panhandle hunts from a stand or blind, would you mind sharing your experiences, both good and bad? This might be my project for next season. Thanks for all intel in advance!

 

[Ben Long]

Yep. All my hunting has been in NW MT and the ID panhandle and most of my whitetails have been taken from ground blinds. Started playing with tree stands last years. WTD are jsut so high strung that I mix in a lot of sitting with my still hunting. Use natural materials to build small blinds. mostly to break up my background. i hate to sit. but that's what it takes with wtd much of the time. I mix in a lot of calling rattling to spice it up. Of course tracking when snow is good.

 

[RuralMT]

Excellent to hear, thanks Ben. It makes perfect sense, as countless whitetail are taken from stands across the country. Do you build multiple blinds during the scouting season and if so, are you placing them along travel corridors or over water/food sources?

 

[Ben Long]

Most of my blinds are very low key. I own a pop-up blind but have never used it. Usually I try to use some natural feature like a rootwad, a big old stump, or a thicket of dog hair. I may saw down a small fir and tie it up with p-cord. All this is usually to have something behind me, not in front of me. If I put something in front of me, it's just to hide my legs, which like to wiggle. I want to have clear vision, clear range of motion for my rifle. Location is basically upwind and above of some travel corridor. Perhaps a natural funnel, a creek bottom, a logging road or an edge of a clearcut or burn. Someplace with an encouraging level of sign and an edge between cover and open. Maybe i'll have several spots to sit over the course of a day, but I try to pick the best one for sitting the last two hours of the day. That's when the magic seems to happen. I can sit 90-120 minutes but that is about it for me. I try to set up within 100 yards of where I expect the deer to show up, so I have a fairly simple shot from the sitting position. Last year I blew it twice because I rattled in two nice bucks within 20 yards, but could not move without being busted.

 

[Ben Long]

Places I hunt are forest, not farms. So "feeding areas" means something different. Fall deer are nibbling twigs off shrubs, which are scattered well throughout the forests. They don't have to go far. So I look for rubs, scrapes and even the faintest trails. Trail cameras help, but it's big country and hard to scout it all.

 

[MITCHMO]

I shoot most of my deer here(Michigan) in heavy timber from a climbing tree stand. Seems to be very effective and moving often keeps the deer from zeroing in on you. Keep a small saw in your pocket and limb the tree as you go up. Practice will make it a quiet operation. Obviously carrying a heavy stand up a mountain doesn’t sound like fun but i thought I would at least mention it.

 

[RuralMT]

I shoot most of my deer here(Michigan) in heavy timber from a climbing tree stand. Seems to be very effective and moving often keeps the deer from zeroing in on you. Keep a small saw in your pocket and limb the tree as you go up. Practice will make it a quiet operation. Obviously carrying a heavy stand up a mountain doesn’t sound like fun but i thought I would at least mention it.

Thanks again fellas. You've definitely given me a good place to start, as far as confirming the sit-and-wait in thick timber idea. I believe I'll be using my December stretching out my upland tag and scouting out more territory. Mitchmo, do you have any safety concerns with climbing stands? I know they're extensively used, but would it be foolish for someone inexperienced with them to try and teach his or herself?

 

[RuralMT]

Last year I blew it twice because I rattled in two nice bucks within 20 yards, but could not move without being busted.

That in and of itself is enough to convince me on the method!

 

[MITCHMO]

Thanks again fellas. You've definitely given me a good place to start, as far as confirming the sit-and-wait in thick timber idea. I believe I'll be using my December stretching out my upland tag and scouting out more territory. Mitchmo, do you have any safety concerns with climbing stands? I know they're extensively used, but would it be foolish for someone inexperienced with them to try and teach his or herself?

Absolutely! Climbers are scary as hell. It takes time to get good at using them and looking for good trees. As an example, I know wet bark on a red oak is terrible. They never fall but they can slip and make you poop your pants with a couple inch drop. Learning to get the angle set right, and having the two halves tied together makes them fairly safe. Follow the directions on strapping your feet in. The bottom half can be dropped if you don’t. To me, it’s a very practical piece of equipment and given that you respect the dangers, you will love it. I sit in mine at least 25 times each deer season. I’ve used them for bear as well. They are also way more comfortable than a traditional hang on. I own 4 and I like the summit stands the best. They are light as well. If you don’t like climbing with them, just use it as a hanging stand. Also, sharpening the teeth with a file sure helps them bite in.

 

[BuzzH]

I've debated for the last day on whether to post this, mainly because it will give away some of the knowledge its taken me a long time to acquire, and because I'll probably sound like a complete hack to guys that know whitetails in NW Montana way better than I do. I also don't hunt all over NW Montana and have a focused experience in the area I hunt. However, I have talked a lot with others that hunt all over NW Montana and we are usually close to being on the same page.

As much as I've been tempted to hunt tree stands or blinds, I just cant make myself do it. IMO/E the deer are just too mobile and really aren't glued to any one area. Like Ben Long said, the food sources are just not limited and literally, one area is just as good as the next. I also feel/know that the buck whitetails I hunt are migrating in due to weather. The deer are much more spread out in the summer and early fall and congregate in mid-late fall due to snow. Finding those areas that they concentrate on is the key when they move from higher elevation summer areas to the fall/wintering areas.

Where I hunt, I've very rarely killed a buck that I have seen previously, and all the best bucks I've killed were shot the first time I ever laid eyes on them. I think the bigger bucks cruise non-stop and don't have much of home range. I think they just run the ridges, draws, edges like Ben Long also noted until they find a doe they're interested in, then they lock down with a single doe. I think that the mountain bucks don't really have a home range, and if they do, it all changes when the rut starts to kick in.

IMO, hunting day after day on a certain trail in NW Montana is too much of a crap shoot. Its just not limiting enough, compared to say, a creek bottom surrounded by open prairie in Eastern Montana. The creek bottoms narrow it down and funnel deer. While the whitetails do travel the ridges, edges, and creek bottoms in NW Montana, they also tend to spend considerable time mid-slope feeding, bedding, etc. That's not to say I don't think sitting a trail in a tree stand/blind wouldn't work, but it just limits me too much.

What I like to do is sort of a modified still hunting. I force myself to move slow, and if anything I usually move to fast. I also let the conditions dictate how and where I hunt. If I have good snow, and its quiet I hunt ridges that are more timbered with less visibility that I know hold good bucks. Its not hard to slip in on mature bucks given the right conditions. I also like to hunt those places when its windy or raining. The wind and rain mask movement and hold scent down. Plus, I've noticed that where I hunt the deer feed like a S.O.B. when its raining. I tend to cover ground a bit faster when the conditions are favorable for it. IMO/E, the more deer you look at while you can, the better chance you'll have at finding the buck you want. No better time to look over deer than when they're the most active.

If its noisy snow or just sort of a normal day, I go to places where I can watch scattered timber or semi open hillsides. During the time frame when bucks are the most active, say November 12-18, I see a lot of bucks mid day just cruising ridges and side hills. I would say 75% of them are alone. Activity seems best from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. but when the bucks are in this cruising mode, its best to just plan on being out doing something, somewhere, all day long.

IMO/E as the rut moves closer to November 18-24 range, I spend a lot of time focusing on wherever the does spend time. The perfect scenario is when I can find an area that has 4-10 does in and I can watch that spot from rifle range. Sounds easy, but those spots are few and far between in the timber. The bigger bucks will move in and out of the does and there have been times when I've seen 5, 6, or more bucks move through, check out those does and then move on, never seeing them again. I did this very thing this year, and have done it in the past. I killed one of my best bucks that way a number of years ago and watched the buck I killed and another one just as big for about 30 minutes working through the does. They fought a bit and were chasing each other all over the place. One finally presented a shot and I took him.

Also, while still hunting during this time frame, if you see a doe running for no apparent reason, its likely running because a buck is on its heels. When I see that, my rifle is in hand and ready. The best buck my brother has killed was shot that way. I saw a doe hauling the mail right toward us with a buck right on its heels. I stopped it with a single grunt from a call and Matt nailed him at about 50 yards. I did the same thing in 2008 while hunting solo, again a single call to stop him.

I also find that the mature bucks get wayyyy tougher to hunt after about the 24th of November. I think they're both locked on single does and a bit tired from the rut. They also seem to push the doe they are with into thicker trees/brushy creek bottoms and that's just tougher hunting. The does also seem a bit edgier that time of the year as well. I have shot a couple better bucks after the 24th, but IMO/E, it just gets tougher the later in the year.

Another real challenge is just being able to see a deer, judge it, and then get it killed. For the most part, again IMO/E you will have exactly one chance at the deer you're looking at. That can be tough, sometimes you choose right, sometimes not. I've shot a few deer I thought were better, and I've also not shot deer when I've tried to judge them better that I wish I would have just shot when I had the chance.

As much as I want to believe I really get what's going on with the WT's where I hunt, I still feel like I have another lifetimes worth of learning to do. One would think 39 years, around 150 whitetails taken by my family and a few friends, I wouldn't still sometimes feel like an amateur. Killing public land, mature whitetails, in the forested areas of NW Montana is no joke. It takes a long, long time to even begin to figure it out. Probably why I have a hard time hunting many other places.

 

[RuralMT]

I've debated for the last day on whether to post this, mainly because it will give away some of the knowledge its taken me a long time to acquire

Well I sincerely appreciate your willingness to share. You mentioned 39 years of WT experience up here; any advice is appreciated, as I'm on the exact opposite end of the spectrum with only 4 successful seasons under my belt in my new home. It's gratifying to see that I'm doing some things right, even if I feel like I failed on any given day in the field.

I spent most of my season still-hunting an area that I consistently found does in while grouse hunting back in September. Each trip out, I'd find a new trail or defunct skid trail to follow and mark beds, scrapes, and rubs into onx. I was quiet enough on one occasion to walk to within 20 yards of a smaller 4x4, but he never presented a shot, and I only saw him one other time throughout the rest of the season...quite a mobile buck as you suggest. He's the reason I got to thinking about placing a stand on a trail; I found a rub-line I presumed to be his.

So in your experience, lack of site fidelity is tied to lack of concentrated food sources? That alone makes these deer dramatically different than the ones showcased on tv shows, haha. My instinct to hunt the does paid off and matched your observations, which is comforting.

That's not to say I don't think sitting a trail in a tree stand/blind wouldn't work, but it just limits me too much.

I can relate to the feeling; try as I might, I just can't sit for an entire day like some of my relatives that hunt the thick woods of southern Arkansas. I'm good for the morning hours, but tend to get restless by mid-day and I'll inevitably try my hand at still-hunting through where I think they're bedding. I tend to see plenty of animals, but more often than not, it's their white tail waving goodbye after an errant step that snaps a twig.

Also, while still hunting during this time frame, if you see a doe running for no apparent reason, its likely running because a buck is on its heels. When I see that, my rifle is in hand and ready.

Again, I like when I accidentally do something right, haha. This is exactly how my tag was filled this year, albeit not on my biggest deer to date. After 45 minutes of nothing, she came busting out of the thick stuff, constantly craning her neck in the direction she fled. I got ready the moment I saw her and shortly thereafter out he trotted; a simple mouth bleat got him to pause long enough for a lethal shot.

Buzz and everyone, thanks immensely once again for your advice. Many of the hunters I run around with tend to plan trips out of the area to fill their tags; I want to figure it out up here and this definitely helps!

 

[Deleted member 20812]

So in your experience, lack of site fidelity is tied to lack of concentrated food sources?

Yes. This is exacerbated during the rut by lack of deer concentration in general. Bucks need to move to find does.

 

[RuralMT]

To me, it’s a very practical piece of equipment and given that you respect the dangers, you will love it.

Are you climbing up into your tree before daylight? Also, do you practice that shot angle during the off-season?

 

[RuralMT]

Absolutely! Climbers are scary as hell. It takes time to get good at using them and looking for good trees. As an example, I know wet bark on a red oak is terrible.

In your opinion, what is the ideal tree, as far as species, diameter, etc.? I'm running through my options in my head and am curious how the trees up here would hold up, namely their bark. Ponderosa, for instance, has thick, scale-like bark that you can peel off in chunks. The bark of Lodgepole pine, however, is thinner.

 

[RuralMT]

Yes. This is exacerbated during the rut by lack of deer concentration in general. Bucks need to move to find does.

This would seem to imply a more mobile approach to search out does, as Buzz discussed above. So many options...

 

[MITCHMO]

Are you climbing up into your tree before daylight? Also, do you practice that shot angle during the off-season?

Yes I do try to get in early and climb up in the dark. I do have to be aware of shot angle in a stand. More so with a bow, but aim for the exit and it will be fine. Also remember it’s horizontal distance that matters. So don’t shoot too high.

I really like climbing pines as they have soft bark and the stand bites in. Shaggy is a little noisy but climb slow and it’s fine. It’s hard bark that’s the issue. That and trees with a lot of big knots on the outside. I climb trees from 10” dia to stuff I can’t quite reach around with both arms. I’d say a 16” tree is about perfect. I do prefer a stand with a bar in the front to sit on while climbing. It’s also a nice platform if sawing branches on the way up.

I have one climber that is set as a hanger that stays in the swamp. I just climb the tree branches. I have a seat that is easily removed and I just take the seat and leave the frame up there all year. Works great.

 

[BuzzH]

Yes. This is exacerbated during the rut by lack of deer concentration in general. Bucks need to move to find does.

True story^

 

[westbranch]

I hunt in the ID Panhandle and really struggled to get on the whitetails this fall. It was my first year really putting some time in, the last two years I only did a couple half days. Most of the people I talk to that consistently shoot bucks around here are doing it on private land with a lot of human activity around. A lot of does that draw in bucks during the rut and not much "hunting" is done. I saw very few people in the national forest in November. On the weekend of Nov 16-17, I drove 10 miles of forest road to the spot I was hunting spot Saturday morning and saw no other vehicles. Driving out on a different road about 12 miles and I saw 2 vehicles. So it seems like a lot of the locals are not even going back to these thick wooded areas. Bucks do seem to move through these areas though, I found one T shaped ridge with 5 good scrapes spread over about 1 mile. I still-hunted through there twice and saw nothing. I did see a couple good spots for stands and have been researching tree saddles so I can at least be mobile. I messed around with some calling as well.

Ended up with only seeing one deer that was running away from me in 5 days of hunting. I saw way more elk and moose than deer this fall while hunting. When I was done hunting a week ago I was frustrated said that I never needed to hunt mountain whitetails again. But a day later I was searching on strategies and looking at Onx for other spots to check out. So I appreciate the tips and experiences posted above.

 

[RuralMT]

Most of the people I talk to that consistently shoot bucks around here are doing it on private land with a lot of human activity around. A lot of does that draw in bucks during the rut and not much "hunting" is done. I saw very few people in the national forest in November. On the weekend of Nov 16-17, I drove 10 miles of forest road to the spot I was hunting spot Saturday morning and saw no other vehicles. Driving out on a different road about 12 miles and I saw 2 vehicles. So it seems like a lot of the locals are not even going back to these thick wooded areas. Bucks do seem to move through these areas though

This has been my experience as well. With so much public land it's not hard to get away from the crowds, even with minimal effort. I've been chasing grouse in the thick stuff since I tagged out a few weeks ago and its evident the animals are there. Don't give up!

 

[3855WIN]

Y’all ever take a stand watching a clear cut in NW Montana? That’s an awesome way to hunt in the Deep South.