Over Crowding in Montana Archery Elk

[peterk1234]

I ain’t screwing this guy…

View attachment 241573

I think you need to add "with" because this is about to go horribly wrong.

 

[shrapnel]

There is something to be said for being close to the road. As I was headed to a spot early Thursday morning, a huge trophy elk crossed the road in front of my truck. REMEMBER, what you shoot, you have to get out of there!! Screw the grizzlies. Im more worried about getting it out. This big boy was as big as a Belgian work horse!!! Drag it, LOLOLOLOL. One hind quarter probably weighed 150-200 lbs. Debone it, of course. Food for thought.

I think you need to add "with" because this is about to go horribly wrong.

This is the reference, someone doesn’t think much about grizzlies…

 

[duckhunter10]

unit 43 in co was crowded

 

[Cornbread]

OK, STOP LEAPING!! I said "screw the grizzlies" only to focus on the point of how do you get a huge animal out of the woods. Boy, do some of you go off the deep end. You missed my whole point, just to attack me. OK hahaha. Ya spending too much time on the computer. Who cares whether it was a 200lb rear quarter or 100lbs. It's a hell of a lot of weight. And at 68, it would be impossible to get it a mile out of the woods up hill. Chill out. I haven't seen many bowhunters while out scouting on numerous BMAs, but what do I know?

 

[Deleted member 20812]

200 lb hind quarter...that's funny.

This. The bull I killed in the Salmon River a few years ago had an enormous body. Bone in hinds were 88 pounds.

 

[Drake4]

I haven't seen many bowhunters while out scouting on numerous BMAs, but what do I know?

Obviously not how much an elk hindquarter weighs.

 

[Alexvd]

Hello Montana Archery Elk Hunters,
I’ve got my first general elk deer combo tag for Montana. I’m planning a September archery hunt. Coming out from TN and this will be my first MT hunt. I’ve seen a lot of comments about over crowding in several areas, specifically the Crazies, Big and Little Belts. They all seem to have a lot of access on public land so it’s believable that it’s crowded. My questions are: will it be that crowded in archery season? Are any of them less crowded? Should I scratch them off my list and keep driving west?
I’ve hunted Colorado the past 3 years and it’s hard to imagine it any worse. I’ll be 63 this season and I can hunt steep and deep but realistically my pack out limits how far I can go. My initial e-scouting it looks like you’d be hard pressed to get more than a couple miles from a road in those areas.
I’d love get some feedback on the subject.

Did you do hunt OTC units in Colorado? How many people did you run into? And how was Montana different if you ended up going?

 

[Alexvd]

I have only hunted Montana one time (2 years ago) but I didn't feel it was crowded during Bow season. I have however also hunted, Colorado, Idaho and Utah. Don't always assume the farther you go in the less crowded. Bow hunters I feel in general are the more adventurous hunters. I camp on a good Forest Service road and hunters for the most part go to the end of the road and start the hunt. But there is often miles of neglected good Elk hunting spots not far down that road and not necessarily that far off it. Use the hiking trails but get off them and go cross country and you will find pockets of Elk. I wasn't seeing big herds but I found elk and had opportunities my first time there and I was 70 at the time and hunting alone. They would very frequently respond to a bugle but getting one to come in was another story. Just knowing a basic bugle may not be good enough to get one to come in but it is a start to locating them. If you want to really learn to call them in see some of the Elk Nut's videos on you tube and try to learn the language.
Good luck.

Great info!

 

[Alexvd]

unit 43 in co was crowded

What is your idea of crowded? Looking into Colorado hunting

 

[Ought Six]

Hello Montana Archery Elk Hunters,
I’ve got my first general elk deer combo tag for Montana. I’m planning a September archery hunt. Coming out from TN and this will be my first MT hunt. I’ve seen a lot of comments about over crowding in several areas, specifically the Crazies, Big and Little Belts. They all seem to have a lot of access on public land so it’s believable that it’s crowded. My questions are: will it be that crowded in archery season? Are any of them less crowded? Should I scratch them off my list and keep driving west?
I’ve hunted Colorado the past 3 years and it’s hard to imagine it any worse. I’ll be 63 this season and I can hunt steep and deep but realistically my pack out limits how far I can go. My initial e-scouting it looks like you’d be hard pressed to get more than a couple miles from a road in those areas.
I’d love get some feedback on the subject.

Hi @WhitetailHillbilly, curious how your Montana trip went? Did you get into elk or kill an elk? Was it crowded?

 

[Tinner2216]

@WhitetailHillbilly Which part of Montana did you end up hunting?

 

[Ought Six]

@WhitetailHillbilly Which part of Montana did you end up hunting?

Damn can’t leave us hanging like this

 

[PaulRevere]

@WhitetailHillbilly Which part of Montana did you end up hunting?

Your mom

 

[Dust Rider]

Not looking for your honey hole or gps location but could you help a Bro out? I’m all about going deep to get my first bull but it would be cooler if you pointed me to the best location.

 

[gaswamp]

great thread

 

[Tinner2216]

Your mom

Really? Phrased the question wrong, was wondering how the hunt went, not the location. Thanks for the polite response tho! (That is sarcasm)

 

[Ought Six]

Really? Phrased the question wrong, was wondering how the hunt went, not the location. Thanks for the polite response tho! (That is sarcasm)

Your mom

I think the guy was hunting elk, not cougars