SE montana

[Shangobango]

You are right that was a poor choice of wording. It’s borderline not fair chase. But come hunt and have fun enjoy the area and the experience.

Thank you. Sorry if my reply was a little strongly worded.

 

[Shangobango]

Honestly just go hunt and enjoy yourself and your time with your kid and get off of the Internet as far as hunting advice goes , if you need more info on the area call the area biologists, if you need maps get OnX. Your not gonna get the answers your looking for
On here . I wish you and your boy the best of luck

That's exactly what I intend to do.

For the record I only ever asked one question on the open forum regarding this area and that was " What size buck would I be foolish to pass up" or something to that effect. The answers I got were very helpful in allowing me set realistic expectations. We are very likely to end up taking whitetail bucks on this hunt rather than mule deer.

Doing the research and figuring things out is a lot of the fun of this whole experience for me. I don't want or expect to be spoon fed info. I am more interested in someone sharing the history of the area and general info about the resources and landscape in the area than any info specific to hunting.

Antlerradar hit the nail with his response above, the critters will seek out the best feed. When mother nature decides to turn off the spigot, the critters will leave the public lands and head to "Greener pastures" on the private. This issue is compounded with the public lands livestock grazing allotments. When the feed dries up, the livestock will focus their grazing on any and all remaining feed that is available within these pastures,,,such as the north facing shaded slopes. Throw in a trillion grasshoppers and you have the makings of a perfect storm for there being minimal biggame critters located on the public accessible lands. So, pray for rain!

That is good info. I have wondered how much affect the grazing allotments had on the area. It figures that the impact are magnified by a dry growing season.

 

[Shangobango]

Shane I think you've been here long enough that you know everyone of these threads goes this direction. Don't get so bent outta shape its only Monday morning........

Fwp is the problem along with everyone participating in the deal if they're hell bent on filling their 1k tags on nothing more that a 3yr old buck..... there's been countless comments and instances even on this site over the years that solidify it.

If people don't want to catch shit then ask a better question that, what's it like in November? or deer numbers good? or what's a decent expectation of deer 160 or 185? Or do they die when it's dry?

Relax it's only Monday

After working 13 of the last 14 days every day as morphed into Monday....

 

[antlerradar]

A trillion grasshoppers is a gross underestimate. Worst grasshopper year I have ever seen. As for grazing, I don't want to go back to the higher cattle numbers of the 80's and 90's but I would sure like to go back the deer hunting we had back then.

 

[8andcounting]

A trillion grasshoppers is a gross underestimate. Worst grasshopper year I have ever seen. As for grazing, I don't want to go back to the higher cattle numbers of the 80's and 90's but I would sure like to go back the deer hunting we had back then.

What is different ? Serious question . Season was still through the rut wasn’t it ? Is there more hunters now ?

 

[8andcounting]

More deer and less outfitters then ?

 

[antlerradar]

Shangobango, You have a good time exploring some great county. Just don't get your expectations up. Twenty years ago I was concerned about the number of quality bucks on the Custer. Now it is not just the quality but the number of deer also. Martin is right. Finding a big deer on the Custer is slightly easier than finding Sasquatch. I can count the number of 170 class bucks I have seen on Custer in the last twenty years on my hands and still have plenty of fingers unused. Someone will get lucky this year and it could be you.

 

[antlerradar]

What is different ? Serious question . Season was still through the rut wasn’t it ? Is there more hunters now ?

More hunters that hunt harder/longer with better gear. In some cases more pressure on the surrounding private.(Bucks, Mostly mature bucks that left the public to rut made it back). Landowners on the side creeks have all but quite planting dry land alfalfa. ELEVEN THOUSAND REGION WIDE DOE TAGS OF WHICH FAR TOO MANY ARE FILLED ON THE CUSTER

 

[antlerradar]

It’s a shame that sportsmen that should care about a resource think this is a joke. An uncontrolled rut hunt with high powered rifles that runs the entire length of the rut isn’t funny and borderline not sporting. It’s a recipe that benefits private land and not public hunters.

We should all be paying attention to timmy. Especially the part about the rut benefiting those commercializing hunting on private land.

 

[Shangobango]

We should all be paying attention to timmy. Especially the part about the rut benefiting those commercializing hunting on private land.

I am interested in the specifics of that. I'd like a better understanding.

I respect and appreciate the fact that you both are legitimately concerned about the state of things up there.

 

[Shangobango]

More hunters that hunt harder/longer with better gear. In some cases less pressure on the surrounding private.(Bucks, Mostly mature bucks that left the public to rut made it back). Landowners on the side creeks have all but quite planting dry land alfalfa. ELEVEN THOUSAND REGION WIDE DOE TAGS OF WHICH FAR TOO MANY ARE FILLED ON THE CUSTER

What is the explanation for so many doe tags? Is it related to CWD or what? My son and I both have the tags. Mine will go unfilled but I'm not going to tell him what to do with his.

 

[antlerradar]

What is the explanation for so many doe tags? Is it related to CWD or what? My son and I both have the tags. Mine will go unfilled but I'm not going to tell him what to do with his.

It is not the number that is the problem but that there are no restrictions on where they are filled. Region 7 is a big place. If ninety percent of those doe tags were filled on the private land along the river bottoms there would be little effect on the deer populations on the public.

 

[Shangobango]

It is not the number that is the problem but that there are no restrictions on where they are filled. Region 7 is a big place. If ninety percent of those doe tags were filled on the private land alone the river bottoms there would be little effect on the deer populations on the public.

I see. Man that seems like a ton of tags.

 

[MTGomer]

Just a reminder that we can have opportunity and big deer. We all can hunt this buck for 45 days during his rut. Except it’s with a bow. We could all rifle hunt him every couple years, but not during the rut. He is under 40 miles of the 5th largest city in the USA.

Sure, he has different genetics which allows him to be a bit bigger, but this isn’t a 3 year old deer. Imagine SE Montana with 4-7 year old deer. It would be incredible.

 

[antlerradar]

What is different ? Serious question . Season was still through the rut wasn’t it ? Is there more hunters now ?

We can not under estimate the effect of the elk. In the past many places that were good buck hunting are now filled with cow hunters, hunters with bull tags and friends looking for a bull for there buddy. All of them have a buck tag in there back pocket and the deer that are in those places don't stand a chance. Also hunters that use to hunt deer in those places see all the elk pressure and go some place new. In the past those new places may have been over looked.

 

[MTGomer]

The national weather service radar has been showing that it’s raining in SE Montana. But it’s not rain, it’s insects, including grasshoppers.
Pretty wild.

 

[Hem]

A trillion grasshoppers is a gross underestimate. Worst grasshopper year I have ever seen. As for grazing, I don't want to go back to the higher cattle numbers of the 80's and 90's but I would sure like to go back the deer hunting we had back then.

The plague reaches across the state...they have mowed down my paltry 5 acres. Its disgusting to walk around. They are everywhere. Pray for a winter like we used to have 30 years ago. This would help at so many levels. Thinking about flooding my property and planting some Brown trout

 

[Shangobango]

The national weather service radar has been showing that it’s raining in SE Montana. But it’s not rain, it’s insects, including grasshoppers.
Pretty wild.

View attachment 149119

I was wondering what was up with that being there every time I check the weather up there....

 

[runningmt]

Honestly just go hunt and enjoy yourself and your time with your kid and get off of the Internet as far as hunting advice goes , if you need more info on the area call the area biologists, if you need maps get OnX. Your not gonna get the answers your looking for
On here . I wish you and your boy the best of luck

Keep positive, you’ll have a blast out there.......as far as the Trolls on this site that can’t help but poke fun at people for wanting to hunt SE MT, just ignore them, or better yet block them. A couple things are most likely true:

They only hunt what they can see from the truck

They think somehow there should be a 200” buck around every corner

They are just plain Trolls......there’s lots of them everywhere, including HuntTalk

 

[homers]

Seems like this group did ok