Nick711
New member
Soon to be first time elk hunter here, so please forgive and advise me if I violate posting etiquette. I'm planning a first time DIY MT elk hunt in MT for my father-in-law and myself. Our only big game hunting experience up to this point is black tail deer hunting on the west coast.
We will be hunting the general rifle season from October 23rd-30th - skipping opening weekend. Preseason scouting is not an option for us this year so we're heavily relying on information gained from others and using onX Maps to e-scout (using Randy's method) to identify potential spots. Given that it's our first time both elk hunting and setting foot in Montana we are keeping our expectations within reasons and are approaching this trip as an investment towards building towards success. Our primary objectives for this year are: 1) Putting boots on the ground to gain experience for future hunts in MT 2) Hopefully seeing some wildlife even if its from a distance and 3) Figuring out what we need to improve on for next year (shape, gear, scouting & hunting techniques, etc).
We are considering hunting the Centennial Range because a few friends with MT HD 327 experience have provided us with some first hand experience advice. My concern is that their experience is based on hunting late November and might not apply given that we will be hunting late October. From what I've read the Centennial Range has something of a hit-or-miss reputation with considerable and unpredictable movement of elk between Montana and Idaho. Therefore, I'd like to get cast a wider net in the hopes of making a decision on where to hunt based on a larger sample size of feedback.
So my questions for the Centennial Range are:
1) Are there a significant amount of resident elk in this HD or is it more of a transition HD for migratory elk?
2) Is hunting success heavily weather dependent?
3) Thoughts on if the Idaho season having being opened for a few weeks will have pushed elk into this region. The ID season for the zone that boarders HD 327 closes October 28th, can this pressure be leveraged? Will the elk push back into ID when the MT season kicks off?
4) I have multiple "potential spots" marked spanning the entire width of the HD from West to East. Any general location advice - Don't waste time between X and Y - is appreciated in helping me narrow down ~50 miles worth of range. Even if it's something as simple as - elk are predominately present on the western (eastern) portion of this range.
5) Are there a lot of ATVs/Quads roaming this territory?
6) Advice on road closures
Any other advice that I probably haven't considered is appreciated as well. Thank you in advance for your feedback and I wish you the best of luck on the upcoming season.
We will be hunting the general rifle season from October 23rd-30th - skipping opening weekend. Preseason scouting is not an option for us this year so we're heavily relying on information gained from others and using onX Maps to e-scout (using Randy's method) to identify potential spots. Given that it's our first time both elk hunting and setting foot in Montana we are keeping our expectations within reasons and are approaching this trip as an investment towards building towards success. Our primary objectives for this year are: 1) Putting boots on the ground to gain experience for future hunts in MT 2) Hopefully seeing some wildlife even if its from a distance and 3) Figuring out what we need to improve on for next year (shape, gear, scouting & hunting techniques, etc).
We are considering hunting the Centennial Range because a few friends with MT HD 327 experience have provided us with some first hand experience advice. My concern is that their experience is based on hunting late November and might not apply given that we will be hunting late October. From what I've read the Centennial Range has something of a hit-or-miss reputation with considerable and unpredictable movement of elk between Montana and Idaho. Therefore, I'd like to get cast a wider net in the hopes of making a decision on where to hunt based on a larger sample size of feedback.
So my questions for the Centennial Range are:
1) Are there a significant amount of resident elk in this HD or is it more of a transition HD for migratory elk?
2) Is hunting success heavily weather dependent?
3) Thoughts on if the Idaho season having being opened for a few weeks will have pushed elk into this region. The ID season for the zone that boarders HD 327 closes October 28th, can this pressure be leveraged? Will the elk push back into ID when the MT season kicks off?
4) I have multiple "potential spots" marked spanning the entire width of the HD from West to East. Any general location advice - Don't waste time between X and Y - is appreciated in helping me narrow down ~50 miles worth of range. Even if it's something as simple as - elk are predominately present on the western (eastern) portion of this range.
5) Are there a lot of ATVs/Quads roaming this territory?
6) Advice on road closures
Any other advice that I probably haven't considered is appreciated as well. Thank you in advance for your feedback and I wish you the best of luck on the upcoming season.
