Toggle between terrain, satellite, and topographic views, 1st choice license applications and licenses drawn, Draw odds for resident and nonresident applicants, Harvest stats by hunt_code, manner, season, sex, type, Average # of days between precip or snow event, Probability of other weather events (thunder, hail, etc) by by month. Apr 6, 2016. Northern Carter and southern Fallon counties were particularly hard hit by EHD, with a widespread outbreak that resulted in significant mortality. Hunters are encouraged to submit samples for testing, particularly in the Libby CWD MZ, so FWP can better assess the status of CWD in northwest Montana. The most recent population estimate . Does anyone care to share their previous hunting experiences in the area. I saw around 60 fawns per 100 does during my pronghorn survey flights this summer, which is good fawn production, he said. Overall pronghorn numbers both north and south of the Little Belts (HDs 430 and 490) continue to recover from declines we saw following the harsh winters a few years ago.. Regulations vary between hunting units and sometimes within the same unit. The regulation in HD 340 has changed from either-sex mule deer to buck mule deer only on the general license and a limited number of B licenses. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Sample submission is voluntary throughout Montana. As snow covers the ground up high, the elk migrate lower to ensure they still have ample feed to continue packing on the pounds for what can end up being a long Montana winter. InHDs 502, 525, 555, 575 and 580, spring surveys showed mule deer numbers in these districts were similar to the previous year. HD 331 is no longer open for harvesting antlerless elk on the general license on public land. Hunter Shooter58: Hope this web link helps you, Huntershooter58: Your welcome ! I have hunted the. The recruitment rate for mule deer fawns this spring was below average at 42 fawns per 100 adults, also a result of the drought. Some areas of HD 331 were affected by the Alder Creek Fire last year, which means reduced forage and cover in some areas and enhanced forage in others. Despite good grain production and some opportunistic moisture in the spring, brood survival appears to be relatively poor. Drought conditions reduced the quantity and quality of forage available to deer during spring and summer 2021. Similar to mule deer, whitetail fawn recruitment this spring was below average at 44 fawns per 100 adults. For the northern portion of Region 5 in HDs 516, 536, and 546, numbers are average to below average. Total number of 1st choice applicants that were successful. Of the three, blue and ruffed grouse make up the majority of the mountain grouse population. With the conditions being so good, birds will be able to make a go of it just about anywhere and will not necessarily be in the typical places that hunters would find them on a normal year. Fawn production looks good again this summer after our third consecutive mild winter. With room to spread out, its important to know how the elk tend to migrate around through the area. The hunts take place in the Missouri Breaks on both private and public ground. That broke the 900 unit into a bunch of different units. Montana Unit 700-20 Bull Elk. HH. Near Great Falls, biologist Jake Doggett says that elk are doing well in the Highwood Mountains and Devils Kitchen hunting districts, where numbers remain well above long-term averages. 14. Dont assume the HD you have hunted for the last several years is the same as it used to be. Most southeastern Montana counties experienced localized die-offs. As a result, bird populations are expected to be stable in this area and similar to last year, around average or slightly above average. Create a free account to read the rest of this elk hunting note! A man's Gotta Do What a Man's Gotta Do! Drought has likely impacted brood success, especially in areas lacking riparian areas. Continued concerns about declining native goat herds necessitate this conservative allocation. Brood success in eastern areas appears to be good in areas that received precipitation in spring and early summer. Create a free account to read the rest of this terrain note! #13. The past winter provided temperatures near average, but variable amounts of precipitation. Research the latest Montana Elk Hunting Draw Odds and Harvest Data for Unit 705. You can identify these with the DPP or RtQUIC labels on them. north and west of Deep Creek in For that matter, any Elk hunting in this Unit at all? The exception lies in the northwest part of the state where many region 1 areas and parts of region 2 areas continue to struggle with their elk populations. If you intend to use scents to either mask human odor or as an attractant for deer and elk, you should be aware there are regulations on which ones you can use. Buck ratios are at average levels (46:100), and fawn ratios remain below average, likely due to drought conditions. Elevations vary from 5,200 ft. to 7,200 ft. Create a free account to read the rest of this terrain note! I thought about bow hunting it this year. This was influenced primarily by extremely low fawn survival through last winter due to extreme drought over the past two years. Elk Hunting in Montana HD 700 - Missouri Breaks-Prairie . For more information, visitfwp.mt.gov. If a bear hunter would like to know the age of the bear they harvested, they may look on MyFWP, or call their local area biologist. Does that sound confusing? Any surplus licenses first will be distributed through the surplus list (the deadline to sign up was Aug. 7, 2022), and finally, if leftover licenses remain, they will be sold over the counter on a first-come, first-served basis. Hunters need to be aware of some regulation changes passed by the Fish and Wildlife Commission this winter. There are districts, or units, in the eastern half that have fewer elk roaming about, but those that are there are easier to spot with the wide-open spaces. With this years precipitation and good growing season this year, fawn recruitment is expected to rebound next year. However, in HD 311 pronghorn numbers are within average and fawn production was low. The percentage of four-point or greater bucks harvested was up in 2021, and its anticipated to be similar results this fall. The 2021 elk survey in the Bears Paw area was above the 2019 survey and over twice the 15-year average. Generally, mule deer populations remain above average in the eastern third of the region as well as the areas north of Highway 2. Location Colorado Looking for general information on Mt unit 700 archery (798-21), Would like to exchange a few PM's or talk to someone who has hunted the area and/or knows the area well and wouldn't mind sharing some thoughts about access, camping, hunt strategies etc. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Theyre happy to help and can often get you pointed in the right direction with just a few simple tips. Not looking for spots but just some general information. # Successful. Poor recruitment last year, little available habitat and some severe late snowstorms have had an effect on birds. White-tailed deerspring surveys in HDs 502, 525, 555 and 575 showed a modest uptick in over-winter fawn survival in 2022, which should result in some improvement of whitetail numbers for the upcoming hunting season. Overall,black bearnumbers appear to be steady in northwest Montana. A few districts where elk habitat and numbers are very low and difficult to find offer either-sex harvest on a general license. Sage-grousecounts this spring showed numbers to be at a 10-year low. Hunters should read the regulations and become thoroughly familiar with these new boundaries and the regulations and license opportunities for them. 700 N Larrabee St Unit 1702 has 3 shopping centers within 1.2 miles, which is about a 3-minute drive. Note: hunters may possess a total of seven Deer B Licenses in any combination. There have been many hunters, with amazing shooting abilities, that have put 2 or 3 bullets into the vital organs before their bull fell. Good luck in the draw! Big Game Hunting - need help on Elk hunting in MT-district 700--fort peck-cmr - I was rewarded with a rifle permit for bull elk in region 700,701,703. . Elk counts have also been increasing in the Tendoy Elk Management Unit, where elk are expected to be widely distributed. However, survey efforts suggest declines over the past two years. Visitfwp.mt.gov/cwdfor more information. For any further questions, consult your local area biologist or the 2022 hunting regulations. This winter has been really good for precipitation across Montana, and if it keeps up, the Breaks units should have a really good horn growth year. Create a free account to read the rest of this access note! Buck-to-doe and fawn-to-doe ratios remain below average. a deer with an antler or antlers at least 4 inches long as measured from the top of the skull) may be harvested in Region 1. Although the 2021 drought has passed in much of the region (with Garfield County being the exception), its effect on southeastern Montana deer populations remains apparent. After that it dried up got hot and wasnt enough feed to keep em on public and hunting got real tough. The Hunt Started this Morning! The western portion of the region remains in severe drought conditions for the second year in a row. The second option is to hunt elk in one of the general units. Ive seen some very nice bucks come out of this area during the last several seasons,said Jay Kolbe, FWP wildlife biologist based in white Sulphur Springs. A ranch like Elk Creek Adventures. Hunters in other regions are required to submit the hide and skull to an FWP official within 10 days of harvest so FWP can collect a tooth for aging. Cedar City, UT 84721 Outside of these areas, elk numbers are generally low, but numbers have been increasing at a moderate rate, accompanied by a gradual expansion into previously unoccupied habitat. When a healthy bull can tip the scales at over 1,000 pounds, it means your harvest will be a bit more than what you would get from a deer hunt. Let other hunters know when bears and/or fresh sign are observed. Scattered pockets of EHD were also observed along the Milk River from Glasgow to Malta and out on the prairie habitats in the eastern portion of the region, added Williamson. In the eastern portions of the region, sharptail numbers are expected to be fair to good. Do you have landowner tags, lease land, or have an lodge? Elk numbers in the western Little Belts and eastern Big Belts have increased the most, despite the liberal hunting regulations that have been in place there for some time, said biologist Jay Kolbe. Observed Elk Objective o Objective for observed elk by survey unit Objective Status o Below, Within, or Above the objective range Objective Status (Percent) o Within objective range . FWP biologists will be collecting wings from hunter-harvested sage-grouse, mountain grouse and gray partridge, also known as Hungarian partridge, in several areas of southwest Montana. Id love to talk to your son about his experience in unit 700. Pronghorn numbers in the greater Augusta area and locations near the Birdtail Hills continue to show stability in numbers, although slightly below long-term average observations. The general elk license is valid for spike bull or antlerless elk in HDs 702, 704 and 705 (but not valid on the Custer National Forest during the general rifle season). Please review thefwp.mt.govwebsite for the most up-to-date information on surplus licenses. my mom had a tag last year and opener went from mud and snow to -20 over night in the 5days it took her to shot one. Just north of Bozeman and Livingston, the Bridger Mountains run north and south. Overall, numbers during spring surveys showed the region-wide population at 31 percent above long-term average. The miles and minutes will be for the farthest away property. Drew this tag last year. Hunter surveys indicate 498 elk taken in HD 700, and about 762 in the Custer Forest Elk Management Unit (HDs 702, 704 and 705). Hunting unit 411 captures the northern part of these mountains and the surrounding foothills. As a result of two seasons of CWD management hunts and CWD mortality, theres been a substantial reductionabout 75 percentin white-tailed deer numbers in the Ruby Valley between Sheridan and Twin Bridges. Mountain grouse: dusky, ruffed and Franklins. You are using an out of date browser. remains above its population objective of 400 - 600 elk with just under 700 elk observed in surveys this past winter. Distribution and hunter access to elk will depend mostly on weather. JavaScript is disabled. Additionally, adding a specific forum name to any of these searches can produce even more results (e.g., "Montana elk unit 317 Rokslide" or "Archery elk Montana unit 317 Hunt Talk"). or CMR Refuge. Elk numbers remain robust throughout hunting districts in the Livingston area, though elk distribution may be challenging for hunters. Visithttps://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/mooseformore information. Elk distribution will likely change from now through the archery season and again during general rifle season due to changes in vegetation, snow levels and hunting pressure. Its the hunters responsibility to know where they are at all times, and what the rules are for that area. Let me know your thoughts, and any info! On windy days, sharptails will generally stay on the leeward side of a hill, out of the wind. The number of elk observed during post-season aerial surveys currently numbers approximately 7,500 elk (Figures 1, 2, and 3). Spring surveys for HDs 502, 515, 525, 535, 540, 575 and 580 indicated near-record numbers of elk in most of those areas. Kolbe also reported that pronghorn populations are also doing well. Contact the applicable land management agency (i.e. Just received my Montana elk tags in the mail. Mule deer populations in HD 321 (formerly 321 and 334) appear steady although very low density. Starting with Elk Hunting in Montana: Know Before You Go, Prime Elk Hunting Unit 1: Snowy Mountains District 411, Prime Elk Hunting Unit 2: East Bridger District 393, Prime Elk Hunting Unit 3: South Little Belt Mountains District 540, Start Now for Your Montana Elk Hunt of a Lifetime, Busy Farm Finds Support in LandTrust Partnership. These dates are provided only as a general reference.Check current regulations or use FWP's online Hunt Planner for specific dates.. 2023 SEASON . Hey, just following up on this thread to see how you did? If hunters want to be successful, scouting and understanding wolf behavior is important. No significant mortality events were reported in the region for mule deer. Williamson went on to say that the favorable winter, combined with already high deer numbers observed over the last few years, has led to numbers remaining above average across much of the region. 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