Montana Wilderness Whitetails

[rmyoung1]

Any of you guys/gals specifically target whitetails in a Montana wilderness area? I'd kind of like to take a wilderness whitetail buck as all of my bucks in the backcountry have been mule deer. Any suggestions? Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, perhaps? I've seen a bunch of whitetails in the neighboring Beartooth WMA.

 

[----]

I just pulled up a list of the wilderness areas in the state, and feel pretty confident you could do well in every single one of them except for the Lee Metcalf and Absaroka.

 

[El Jason]

PM sent

 

[Topoman]

Any wilderness areas in western MT will have them, except perhaps the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness - that's rocky, mountainous terrain with low deer density and almost all mulies in my experience. I wouldn't bother there.

FWP has a "Hunt Planner Map" where you can toggle layers of land ownership, hunting units, WMAs, etc., and they have distribution maps for game species as well, including Whitetails.

 

[BigHornRam]

Elevation plays a big part. One mountain complex I hunt that is not in wilderness but near one, you can about draw a line on it. Above that line you will find only mule deer. Below it you will find only whitetail. Deep snow will push the mule deer lower in those years. Aspect matters too. Thick north facing slopes you will find whitetails higher up. Good luck. Sounds like a fun quest for you!

 

[----]

Any wilderness areas in western MT will have them, except perhaps the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness - that's rocky, mountainous terrain with low deer density and almost all mulies in my experience. I wouldn't bother there.

I've seen a handful in some of those canyon bottoms. It definitely wouldn't be my first choice for a whitetail hunt, but I bet you could make it happen in there.

 

[mtmuley]

I've seen a handful in some of those canyon bottoms. It definitely wouldn't be my first choice for a whitetail hunt, but I bet you could make it happen in there.

Kinda what I was thinking. I've seen sheds that guys I know find over there. I've killed some mountain whitetails, but not in the Wilderness. mtmuley

 

[BigHornRam]

Kinda what I was thinking. I've seen sheds that guys I know find over there. I've killed some mountain whitetails, but not in the Wilderness. mtmuley

They are only in the Idaho part of the Selway Wilderness.

 

[mtmuley]

Yeah, "over there" meant Idaho. mtmuley

 

[Brian in Montana]

You might have a look at the Welcome Creek Wilderness. I've seen some WT's in there, but is some super nasty country to get around in. Not all that "welcoming" - pun intended.

 

[rmyoung1]

Sounds like a fun quest for you!

Yeah, I don't why my brain functions like this these days but it does. This Montana whitetail quest is part of a bigger hunt goal of mine: To harvest each of the five North American deer... all within designated wilderness areas.

I certainly appreciate the tips & suggestions.