Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Thanks Montana (solo backpack elk) and 2013 season

Right at the end of October I found out that I would have most of November off, which meant that something out west needed to hold a tag for me. It had been a couple of years since I had hunted out there but knew that I didn't want to go to Colorado, so I checked the Wildlife departments of the states that held both Elk and Mule deer and found that while expensive, Montana still had some leftover combo tags. Sounded good to me so I bought my tag and then headed up to work for the next few days knowing that I basically would plan on the way there.

5 days later on the fourth of Nov. I started the nearly forty hour drive with a stop about 10 hours in to get my gear. I hadn't had time to pack before I left for work, so I stopped by my place quickly threw the gear I thought I would need in the truck, picked up a rifle that was getting a new stock inletted for it, remounted the scope, zeroed, put a couple of rounds on the 475 yard plate to make sure the data was still good, ate lunch with a buddy, picked up my tags and got back on the road. I did most of the planning in my head while driving and generally it was unaventful until I reached South Dakota and it started snowing pretty heavy-




Made a stop at Cabela's for some Mountain House meals and other small items that I was lacking-



Drove most of the night until I started to dose off and pulled over at an exit and caught a couple hours of sleep. Woke up to this-



Stopped in Rapid City, SD-



at a place called Tally's, had a fantastic breakfast-



And continued on. Just a wee bit cold....



Thirty something hours later I crossed into Mt...
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I really had no idea where to go as I had never stepped foot into Montana, but searching online pointed to some general areas. So I kind of just threw a dart at the map and said I'll start there. My plan was to hit up a couple of the Game & Fish departments and see if I was on the right track. I passed one of the National Forest Service offices and turned around. They were pleasant, however not that much help. I'm sure they get tired of all the "where's the deer/elk" questions. I stopped into the Billings office and met a gentleman there that was a huge help. Really above and beyond. When I speak to people I try to have places already in mind and questions written down, never "where's the ______" questions, however, this gentleman put X's on the map and spent almost an hour pouring over the maps with me. Oddly enough his #1 suggestion was in the same drainage that I had placed that "dart". Sweet! Was good to know that a bit of research and planning paid off. If you're reading this Sir, thank you.

Back on the road for a bit until my stomach started growwling, so a quick stop at a great brewery in Bozeman-
[img]http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx87/Vereor1/image_zps35f4fea1.jpg[/img]


A Bison, bacon, blue cheese burger did the trick-
[img]http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx87/Vereor1/image_zpsf7d5bda8.jpg[/img]


And I finished up most of the drive that night, and just a bit the next morning. Stopped to get some gas and started talking with the store owner, and when he found out that I was solo backpacking he pulled out a map and asked where I was headed. I told him and he said that's where I was going to suggest. He also circled a couple of other areas if the first didn't pan out. Class act all the way. This would become the standard everywhere I went in Mt.

Finally reached the trailhead on the fourth day of traveling. Quickly wrote down a packing list-
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to be continued......