Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Snowy Mountains MT

In my ever long quest every year to find a permit to put in for i have looked at the snowys a lot. I have always wrote them off due to the lack of public access to the MTN's. This year in my info quest i have ran across an article about RMEF buying a small parcel of land just to get access to the forest service land in the Snowys.

They opened it to the public this year on opening day of rifle and i was wondering if anyone used this access point this year? How was the trail maintained? Im looking at doing a Backpack hunt into the middle of the snowys but wont get a chance to hike them before the deadline for the tag.

Any info would be appreciated.

I can't find it now, but I swore I read somewhere there would be a well marked trail leading to the small overlap of the property and the NF land so as to not create a trespassing issue.

My guess is the trail is good through the property then other disburse from there.

Yeah i have looked at several articles and havn't found much info on it. I think after putting together the info i have i have found a general area where the trail head might be.

I would love to find a map or more info or talk to someone who has used it. Its only 10 yards wide....... I would hope its marked well.

As a disclaimer, I did not try the access this year, though I hunted the area. From speaking to the neighboring rancher, he said the access is off Red Hill back to the west into the Big Snowys. It is to the north of Half Moon pass. I personally have not had much luck seeing any sign that high up during rifle season. Been into half moon without having cut a track. I would think bow season would be a different story.

I believe FWP was going to put in a parking lot and trail through the bottleneck.

Here is a map of it, GPS coordinates of the access point are in the screenshot.

Hey twin,
Just wondering if you applied for the 900-20 unit for MT. I am also researching this area and applied for 900-20.
As if this is not reason enough, check this out.
http://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2012/11/missoula-hunter-bags-gigantic-bull-elk-in-snowy-mountains/

I have found a little info, but not much here as the access to this area is somewhat new.

That bull was killed 20 miles away from that access in very different terrain/circumstances. Absolutely no comparison to public land in that part of the Snowys and the public that the guy who shot that bull hunted.

You can say that again, not to mention the proposed trade of said land. I really hope if/when the trade occurs, hunters get land of equal value. That 2,700 acres is worth far to much to elk hunters.

The Judith Basin Back Country Horsemen has been asked by the forest service to go in there this summer and GPS a trail that would allow horse passage. We hope to get it done by fall if we can then give the info to the forest service to put on their budget requests. If it is approved it may take couple years or longer to get it started. Right now we were told there is only a 20ft part of the land that accesses the forest service.

That land is important to elk hunters who have access to a plane. The local police chief is leading the fight to prevent the land exchange, but he also has a plane. The land to be exchanged for is of more value to the general hunting public who don't have a plane. The BLM is looking at other routes into said land so if that happens the exchange would be unnecessary.

It's important to all hunters, the $700-800 for a supercub or 'copter is well within reach to most given what we pay to hunt out of state. Beyond that, the area proposed that we (public) would receive already has access.

Acre for acre that is some of the best elk country in the nation and we should treat it as such. If the swap doesn't go through it will be interesting to see the reaction from the owners.

I agree the area in the Snowies is, from all account, great elk country and I would be more in favor of keeping it public if it was accessible to more than a few. However, like I said the BLM is looking for new routes into the land it would be exchanged for so it may be moot.

I assume that 8x8 elk was taking in the BLM at the far west side of the Big Snowy's. Regardless it looks like there is some good genes in the area along with some favorable terrain to hunt in.

If I draw the 900-20 archery tag I will be researching this unit more and possibly the Highwood Mountains range. Just wondering, it looks like there are two or three possible access points into the Big Snowy's if I'm not mistaken? Is there a better area to access this range to go in 2-5 miles. I may be hunting solo. Also how are the mule deer doing in this area as I know many areas have lower deer population due to weather and disease?

I would appreciate any and all info on this as I have never hunted MT before.

The Highwoods can be good, but over the last few years I have seen more large 5th wheel trailers than elk in there during archery season.

You can access the Snowies on Red Hill Rd at the newly acquired land from the RMEF, Crystal Lake Rd and there is a Rd. on the south side that you can get to east of Judith Gap.

The mule deer and whitetail pop. are way down since '11. A hard winter than disease has take their toll. There will be no doe tags this year.

Just a Hunter

I have heard the Highwood's can have some pressure. I know the deer have been hit hard in this area. also looking on satellite image and MT GPS card there are an abundance of cattle and stock tanks throughout the area. Not sure how I feel about this, but this area also seems to have a lot lower elevation and many coulees/draws. The reason I was looking at this area is because I heard this area is over objective and supposedly has a good amount of 350" + bulls here. Also I may be hunting solo... so it may be easier for me to hunt this area.

However, The Big Snowy's seem like it may be a better overall hunting area for less pressure and better deer. The drawback is that It may be a lot further hike to high elevation for elk. I have seem some pictures of the muley's taken in this unit by some outfitters.. really nice bucks. Is there much competition from outfitters there?

Thanks

Also I will be backpacking in 3-5 miles, make base camp and hunt from there. I would rather hunt from a tent any day over a camper or hotel. much easier, to wake up and hunt in my opinion. So many people waste so much time and energy hiking in and out, and a lot of times they don't even get into game.

I am not familiar enough with the Snowies to give much advice there. The Highwoods are somewhat smaller, but the mtns can get between 5000 and I believe 9000ft. I'll have to check my map to confirm that. There is little road access, but I can get into my favorite spot with a 2mile hike getting me about 1-1.5 miles from the road. There are other places that will take you further in and from all accounts the elk are there, but I was having luck seeing them where I was going so didn't bother. Now with the crowds pushing the elk out I may have to go further in if my knees can stand it.

From the roads if you hiked 3-5 miles in the Highwoods you would be coming down hill to another road or completely out of them. The Snowies are almost like a long ridge and you could get in that far I believe without coming out of them.

Thanks Just a Hunter, I have been checking out some maps, topo's, and satellite views. I also have the MT GPS chip and I noticed that the Highwood's range is smaller which would be great for me being a solo hunt. Also it looks like it might be a little drier in that area so finding water might help I'm guessing. Just need to find that little isolated or overlooked area that nobody wants to go to.

I did find a little more on the Snowy's. It sounds like the north side may be better, but a healthy hike in and out with an elk.

I also found where that big bull from the picture came from in the BLM. That is a very interesting area. seems like a very unique hunting opportunity. I did call a helicopter charter service and found that a trip in and out with an elk could be up to $3000 where they actually take the whole animal out. Looks fun with all the elk in that area and the ride in, but with all the publicity of that area now it seems like there could be some competition in a relatively small area. Looks like it could be just an expensive hunting trip though.

Are the elk talking at all in the first week or so of archery season? Looking at last years weather from opening week of archery it looks like it was very warm. just wondering would I be better off to hunter early and beat the crowds or hold out for cooler weather? Thanks again for all the info.

There is plenty of water in the Highwoods. Springs seem to be in every drainage. Surprisingly there are fish in many of them.

The elk seem pretty silent when it is warm, but get a few frosty night and you can go to sleep listening to them on bugle. The older bulls seem to be getting educated and don't always respond to a bugle since so many people are bugling for them. I have had better luck getting them in with a cow call or a combo of a cow call and bugle.

A few years ago I got a MT Elk Decoy. That helped some. I got a shot at a 5 pt after he saw the decoy and turned away from the sound I was making. I missed though.

Thanks for all the great info.

I will definitely be adding a decoy to my arsenal this year.

Is there cattle grazing in some of these drainages?