Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Bob Marshall Wilderness Hunt

I'm planning to hunt Elk and Mule Deer here in a few years and would like input about hunting the Bob and any reputable outfitters that you would recommend. It can also be in the Scapegoat and Great Bear too.

Many thanks,

Paul

Not long ago there was a pretty good discussion of it on this forum. Lots of interesting opinions/experiences shared in that thread.

I'll put up a link if I can find it again.

Tag

I hunted the Bob last year with a couple of forum members out of the backpack section. In just over a week in the backcountry didn't see so much as an elk track, let alone and elk. Still the best trip of my life and I'd go back every year if funds allowed. Can't help you with outfitters in the area though we did see several on our trip out. I can't imagine paying big bucks to hunt the area we did, just didn't see the game populations I expected. Locals were all complaining about limited population numbers.

I walked over 80 miles in the Bob last summer, on both sides of the Divide. The only elk I saw was on a ranch on the drive into Benchmark. I don't remember seeing an elk track either. Saw lots of mulies and a few whitetails though. Mostly does.

We hunt the bob every year during the "early season". If your looking for huge numbers and awesome hunting it isn't the spot to be.

Yes there are elk and you can hunt them during the rut. But is it the best hunting in montana..... NO!!!!

Every year we pull a bull or two out of there.... But that comes with multiple trips in and several, several days in there. The appeal comes from being able to hunt the rut in Montana with a rifle. Its the only chance we get if we dont bow hunt.

Is it a fun trip.... Every year!! without worry!! But dont think you are going to have good chances. A guy i work with has done a guided trip for 4 years now and has only shot one elk(only one presented to him) and not a great one at that....

This is just my opinion..... Take it for what its worth. You will hopefully find me in there this year early season trying to find a bull as i am not the greatest bow hunter yet.... But that is just because i can get in there..

Doing a fishing trip in there next year. Have hiked quite a bit of the Bob Marshal.

Yes, definitely better elk and deer areas in Montana but awesome country.

I would skip going after game in the biggest wilderness areas like the Bob Marshal, and Selway/Frank Church. I live a few hours from each of these and the truth is that they don't support enough wildlife for my liking.

On the flip side I live in an area of lots of timber and brush cover and lower elevations but theres an healthy number of elk and moose and other game, and it's along an Interstate highway. I can access deep drainages that are roadless and yet be close at home with an resonable expectation of coming across big game.

Go back farther into an wilderness doesn't always assure better experiances or hunting. There are some really good public areas to hunt and just go out for the experiance and it's not costly at all. DIY all the way unless your strapped for time.

Thanks for all the input and suggestions. Am starting to look in SW Montana and WY.

Here is a link to an earlier thread: Wolf Problems

I had a great experience in the Bob last fall. I hunted with the Rich Ranch out of Seeley Lake from September 26th through October 5th. On September 29th I shot a nice 6x7 that I would NOT say that was a typical bull in the area.

Our party of 6 killed 5 elk (6x7, 6x6, 5x5, and two 3x3s) and a mule deer. I had a mule deer tag, but did not see a buck the whole trip. Some of the guys saw one from camp, well above the mountain goat they had been glassing.

I heard tons of bugles (heck, they kept me up at night), and had several chances at elk. I saw one set of wolf tracks, one set of mountain lion tracks, and tons of grizzly tracks and scat.

If you want a big bull, you probably should hunt elsewhere. For a backcountry experience, it can't be beat!