Rocky Mountain Front Late Season

[406Family]

I'll be in the Dutton area for Thanksgiving with the in-laws and I'm going check out the front near the Choteau area. Anyone have any experience up there? I've never explored the area before, and would appreciate any advice.

Lots of hunters? Elk still up high?

Thanks!

 

[JBS]

The wind blows. Lots to see. Lots of elk have moved to the front country by then. Good luck.

 

[MTGomer]

The wind blows. Then the wind blows. Before that the wind blows.
When the wind gets done blowing, it blows some more.

It is a beautiful, unique place, but if someone didn't mention it yet, sometimes it gets a little windy.

 

[mgiuliani]

Start practicing your lean to the west against the wind to stay upright.

 

[MtnMuley78]

Lots of hunters, lots of wind. Some big bulls come out but so much of the front is private ground or special permit WMA's it's hard to hunt. If there's no snow in the back country the hunting is really slow.

Beautiful area and the chance of a giant but opportunities are limited.... and get ready for wind.

 

[MooseCaboose]

It's gonna be cold

 

[Muley_Stalker]

It's gonna be cold

And windy.

 

[Ben Lamb]

And yer gonna get et by a grizzly. or woofs.

 

[mtmander]

go have fun , always nice to see new country

 

[farbedo]

My grandmother was from Dutton. We hunted out of Augusta and did OK over the years. I never went further north. You will have lots of company in the form of hunters. You will have, as noted above, lots of wind. Up to 100 mph. You haven't lived until you get pelted by 100 mph driven snow. It is refreshing. It could be colder than a well diggers ass.

One time a buddy and I packed out a spike bull he shot. All he had was a Toyota hatchback car. It was -22F when we left my parents house near Ulm. Why they let us go, I'll never know, other than to teach us a lesson (we were in high school). The blower motor quit in the car and we couldn't defrost the windows on the trip home. I had to stand on the front bumper to give us enough traction on the hills, with tire chains. We stopped at the Buckhorn bar in Augusta and called my father to come get us and the elk. Froze our asses off, but the bartender took pity on us and served us alpines with our burgers. Good times.

Jeremy

 

[406Family]

You haven't lived until you get pelted by 100 mph driven snow. It is refreshing. [/QUOTE]

Haha, Something about the wind blowing through you down to your bones is sort of refreshing.

Thanks for the info guys. If I'm lucky enough to survive the grizzly attack, hopefully the wind wont take me away.

 

[MtnMuley78]

The game check station in Augusta is staffed with some absolutely first class people. Stop in there see where elk are getting shot and ask their opinions.

There is always Haystack Butte, I'm not giving a secret spot away by any means but there's a decent amount of state there and they elk may be there you just never know. Just be extremely mindful of private boundaries because I can 100% say you will be watched.

Good luck

 

[MooseCaboose]

Just be careful of boundaries around haystack and know that you will get in trouble if you corner access out there.

The last week on the front is usually productive for elk if you catch them moving.

 

[bigozzie]

I second the griz comment, more and more griz activity. Don't be too far from good roads when the weather turns bad.
Love that country, it doesn't get much better, take the fly rod and catch some nice browns if the wind isn't blowing too hard.
oz

 

[Ben Lamb]

FWP's bear bio for the Front posted this photo of 13 bears together not too long ago:



This is the stuff that keeps Mo Greene up at night with the tremors & sweats.

 

[.280 Remington]

Ben,

Did he say where the pic was taken?

 

[HSi-ESi]

FWP's bear bio for the Front posted this photo of 13 bears together not too long ago:

It's like a feeding frenzy, all circling around like sharks. Cool pic.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Ben,

Did he say where the pic was taken?

He didn't but other pics make it look like it was around the Teton (Choteau) area. He said that one of the matriarchs was headed back up the mountains to den. Good news that they're getting sleepy.

 

[Southern Elk]

Note to self...don't hunt near Choteau.

 

[MooseCaboose]

I saw 4 Griz during a two day deer hunt near Choteau. There does seem to be a lot more of them around than there used to be not that long ago.