Seeley lake area

[hansontyrel]

I have never hunted the area but from my camping trips to the area, one of the most gorgeous areas I've ever been. Breathtaking, can't even imagine being able to hunt it!

 

[Bullisticks]

2point,

I'll offer up some advice on the Seeley/Swan/Blackfoot, mainly because even if I do, most guys are not going to put the effort in that it takes to truly learn how to hunt whitetails in the timber.

My family has hunted that area since the late 40'-early 50's. We had a family cabin on Sperry Grade for a long time, right on the Blackfoot.

First off, if you're used to hunting whitetails in the timber, you're a leg up on 80% of the people. As I'm sure you know, you can pretty much take everything on the "hardcore" whitetail shows that the hosts "know about whitetail" and throw that chit right out the window. The deer in that country, at least the stuff I hunt never see a corn field, soy bean field, or even a hay/alfalfa field.

I'll also say that in the broad swath of that area that I consider "my" country, there is nobody alive that has spent more time in there than I have....just a simple fact. My family and I hunted, fished, trapped, hiked, etc. to the point that there isn't a draw, ridge, road, spring, creek,or trail that I don't know about. Literally thousands of hours of time spent. I've also kept detailed journals and have every single animal we've ever killed in there since 1978 plotted on a large map. I don't have the map in front of me, but I believe the last time I counted everything up, its 38 elk, 114 whitetails, 15-16 mule deer, a black bear, and a mountain lion.

Growing up, I didn't hunt anywhere else hardly at all, maybe a trip or 2 a year for pronghorn or mule deer...but the vast majority of time was spent in the Seeley area.

Don't fall for the "you have to go further back than the average joe"...that's just not true. In fact, a friend of the family, who also hunted the same country, killed many 140+ class whitetails from the truck. The guy was a great hunter, but in his older age, had terrible tremors, that were so bad, I don't know how he killed anything. But, he, like our family, really understood what makes those bucks tick, learned through years of experience.

The bucks in there are in my opinion, not possible to pattern. The bucks that develop any kind of a "pattern" are usually dead by the time they are 2 years old. I think the way the older bucks, or at least the bucks that live longer, do so BECAUSE they aren't able to be patterned. I have talked extensively with some very good whitetail hunters from Missoula, Seeley, etc. that all agree with this. Most all of us that have killed older bucks, kill them the first time we ever lay eyes on them. The WT in the mountains are just more mobile, always on the move, and this ridge is just as good as the next one.

I also think during the late pre-rut through early rut is the best time to hunt them. I think the WT, and in particular bucks, are spread out over a lot of country. The weather definitely concentrates does, and if you get good snow high (above 5500 feet) the does move to more winter range type areas. But, I have seen whitetail while hunting elk there, in some incredibly deep snow and in some places that really leave me shaking my head. When you get that snow in that pre-rut/early rut time-frame and the does are bunched up...that's magic. There are also those days, where it just seems like somebody just throws a switch and every other deer you look at is some kind of buck. When that happens, stay out all day. I've shot most of my deer between 10 AM and 2PM...but I stay out all day.

I primarily still hunt, and its really hard to move to slow...and really easy to move too fast. I have some areas where I will sit and wait for bucks cruising ridges, draws, and saddles. I have other areas that I hunt heavy timber, similar to elk. There are definitely areas that seem to hold deer more than others. You'll learn those spots as well as when and how to hunt them, by spending only one thing, and that's an asspile of time. There are no short-cuts to success, its just a function of paying attention, learning and having the confidence to hunt areas that many other guys hunt once and never go back.

I can tell you that very few people have hunting big bucks in that country down to any kind of "science"...its just not easy. But, the first time you kill an old WT buck, with those black antlers rubbed on pine trees, its hard to hunt anything else.

Mountain whitetails are a beast all their own...and hunting them successfully, year in and year out, is not something many do...and even fewer do well.

I don't regret a single minute of the thousands of hours I've spent hunting them wishing I had hunted mule deer more, elk more, etc. I always feel an incredible sense of accomplishment when I get the drop on a mature buck from that area. They live in tough country, are hunted pretty hard, and yet survive to old age.

Good luck, I don't think you'll regret hunting there. Ben Long made a good point though, I don't think we'll ever seen the population spike like we did during the 1990-2000 time frame. The FWP tried as hard as they could to destroy that resource, just like most everything else they "manage". Luckily, whitetails are resilient enough they survived the slaughter and are making somewhat of a comeback.

I'm not hunting seeley perse, but close too, Belmont creek up nine mile prairie, looking for elk, muleys and whitetails. Found some really nice ground, but I'm new to hunting by myself and figuring things out. The last 2 days, I have logged over 10 miles of hiking and glassing up there but to no avail, I have identified food, water, bedding sites on onx but I admit I'm a noob when it comes to hunting and hiking, my dad was in poor health and he couldn't hike so I always drove around with him. He passed away last year, and I'm just now getting into hiking and hunting. Any pointers on that area?

 

[PaulRevere]

2point,

I'll offer up some advice on the Seeley/Swan/Blackfoot, mainly because even if I do, most guys are not going to put the effort in that it takes to truly learn how to hunt whitetails in the timber.

My family has hunted that area since the late 40'-early 50's. We had a family cabin on Sperry Grade for a long time, right on the Blackfoot.

First off, if you're used to hunting whitetails in the timber, you're a leg up on 80% of the people. As I'm sure you know, you can pretty much take everything on the "hardcore" whitetail shows that the hosts "know about whitetail" and throw that chit right out the window. The deer in that country, at least the stuff I hunt never see a corn field, soy bean field, or even a hay/alfalfa field.

I'll also say that in the broad swath of that area that I consider "my" country, there is nobody alive that has spent more time in there than I have....just a simple fact. My family and I hunted, fished, trapped, hiked, etc. to the point that there isn't a draw, ridge, road, spring, creek,or trail that I don't know about. Literally thousands of hours of time spent. I've also kept detailed journals and have every single animal we've ever killed in there since 1978 plotted on a large map. I don't have the map in front of me, but I believe the last time I counted everything up, its 38 elk, 114 whitetails, 15-16 mule deer, a black bear, and a mountain lion.

Growing up, I didn't hunt anywhere else hardly at all, maybe a trip or 2 a year for pronghorn or mule deer...but the vast majority of time was spent in the Seeley area.

Don't fall for the "you have to go further back than the average joe"...that's just not true. In fact, a friend of the family, who also hunted the same country, killed many 140+ class whitetails from the truck. The guy was a great hunter, but in his older age, had terrible tremors, that were so bad, I don't know how he killed anything. But, he, like our family, really understood what makes those bucks tick, learned through years of experience.

The bucks in there are in my opinion, not possible to pattern. The bucks that develop any kind of a "pattern" are usually dead by the time they are 2 years old. I think the way the older bucks, or at least the bucks that live longer, do so BECAUSE they aren't able to be patterned. I have talked extensively with some very good whitetail hunters from Missoula, Seeley, etc. that all agree with this. Most all of us that have killed older bucks, kill them the first time we ever lay eyes on them. The WT in the mountains are just more mobile, always on the move, and this ridge is just as good as the next one.

I also think during the late pre-rut through early rut is the best time to hunt them. I think the WT, and in particular bucks, are spread out over a lot of country. The weather definitely concentrates does, and if you get good snow high (above 5500 feet) the does move to more winter range type areas. But, I have seen whitetail while hunting elk there, in some incredibly deep snow and in some places that really leave me shaking my head. When you get that snow in that pre-rut/early rut time-frame and the does are bunched up...that's magic. There are also those days, where it just seems like somebody just throws a switch and every other deer you look at is some kind of buck. When that happens, stay out all day. I've shot most of my deer between 10 AM and 2PM...but I stay out all day.

I primarily still hunt, and its really hard to move to slow...and really easy to move too fast. I have some areas where I will sit and wait for bucks cruising ridges, draws, and saddles. I have other areas that I hunt heavy timber, similar to elk. There are definitely areas that seem to hold deer more than others. You'll learn those spots as well as when and how to hunt them, by spending only one thing, and that's an asspile of time. There are no short-cuts to success, its just a function of paying attention, learning and having the confidence to hunt areas that many other guys hunt once and never go back.

I can tell you that very few people have hunting big bucks in that country down to any kind of "science"...its just not easy. But, the first time you kill an old WT buck, with those black antlers rubbed on pine trees, its hard to hunt anything else.

Mountain whitetails are a beast all their own...and hunting them successfully, year in and year out, is not something many do...and even fewer do well.

I don't regret a single minute of the thousands of hours I've spent hunting them wishing I had hunted mule deer more, elk more, etc. I always feel an incredible sense of accomplishment when I get the drop on a mature buck from that area. They live in tough country, are hunted pretty hard, and yet survive to old age.

Good luck, I don't think you'll regret hunting there. Ben Long made a good point though, I don't think we'll ever seen the population spike like we did during the 1990-2000 time frame. The FWP tried as hard as they could to destroy that resource, just like most everything else they "manage". Luckily, whitetails are resilient enough they survived the slaughter and are making somewhat of a comeback.

My partner and I are headed to your old stomping grounds to chase whitetails for the next four days (with doe tags too). I found this old post and found it very informative. Thanks for always being a great resource Buzz, I bet all those years at sperry grade were amazing.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

My partner and I are headed to your old stomping grounds to chase whitetails for the next four days (with doe tags too). I found this old post and found it very informative. Thanks for always being a great resource Buzz, I bet all those years at sperry grade were amazing.

Good Luck on the hunt.

I might have poked around in that general area a time or two and have to say that Buzz was spot on. One addition, the whitetails won't only be found in the bottoms and the lower ridges. You can find them right up to the muley and goat country.

Thanks for reviving the thread as I had not read it, good stuff.