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Thinking of heading back to MT to hunt elk this fall. Hunting public land not sure if I should go first week and a half of archery or gun opener. The area I hunt most of the public land critters move into private early November. When I was out there with a bow in 2017 I did see elk and called in a cow but missed.

I do have a place to stay and hunt in 270 but drive to a general area for most of my hunting. Weather being a factor against hunting with the gun. It can get nasty in the Big Hole pretty fast.

Also considered finding a spot to antelope/deer hunt with the bow and not pursuing elk this year...


Thoughts or considerations?

I feel you will have your best chance of tagging a bull in archery season. Early season is good but Sept. 20th +/- is a great time to be in the woods, the elk are usually rutting hard and easy to locate.

We find that elk get pretty hard after the first few days of rifle. Weather also effects them, most of the elk in my area are gone with the first snow, they migrate through a path that’s primarily all private.

We have taken 6 bulls in archery and 3 in rifle over the past 10 years. Have also have also had many more missed opportunities in archery compared to rifle. I hunt SW MT, good luck in your choice!!

That's the time I was in MT back in '17. Last week of September through the first few days of October. The hunting was good for first western experience.

I had hoped that early season may provide less pressure than the heat of the rut.

I won't be picky either, if I can take a cow I will.

CBB: Indeed since the introduction of Canadian Wolves "things" have changed drastically in the Bighole and in all the areas I am familiar with here in SW Montana.
For several decades I used to archery Hunt the Bighole and a time or two in the East Fork of the Bitterroot.
In the Bighole we would encounter 2 to 5 mature Bull Elk a day on our 10 day back country archery Hunts.
Once the Wolves were established I Hunted for 3 years and never saw a mature Bull and saw very little sign and next to no Elk at all!
Did see and hear Wolves though.
The Wolves have changed things - the habits and old traditional haunts of Elk have changed drastically!
And NOT in the Hunters favor.
This fall on our horse aided back country Rifle Elk Hunt where we traditionally see a fair number (100 to 500) of Elk on the Rifle opening week in the past, we saw 3 Elk and two Wolves!
On our drive to the trailhead (65 miles) two days before the Rifle opener we saw four herds of Elk on private ranches numbering 600 to 800 animals (total)!
NO HUNTING - for humans anyway!
The VarmintWife and I were delivering Canada Goose breasts to G.O.'s Jerky Barn out in the Blacktail Valley this past Monday and we saw two Wolves hazing Elk and Deer at the edge of a huge private ranch!
This was just 4 - 5 miles from my home - in the middle of the day!
As we returned from our chore the two Wolves were still "hunting" the Elk/Deer who take shelter on these private lands near human habitations. I believe, to nowadays, lessen predation by Wolves.
Good luck (you are going to need it on public lands anywhere in western and south western Montana for Elk).
I recommend two trips to try and maximize your "chances" - a week in mid-September for Archery Hunting and return for the first full week of the Rifle season.
Again best of luck to you.
There are fair numbers of Elk out there they just have learned to "protect themselves" by taking up residency on private lands/ranches.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanka for the response VG,

Your assessment is 100% spot on with what my great uncle tells me about SW MT and the wolves. In my 8 days of hunting in 17 I encountered about 18 elk while I was actually hunting. 2 raghorns and 2 really nice bulls. Unfortunately due to my inexperience I wasn't able to work the bulls very well.

All of those elk were encountered over 3 of the 8 days I hunted. I call it a success due to my lack of experience.

Unfortunately 2 trips just isn't doable for me. It's a one and done hunt for me. I'm starting to lean toward Sept 4th -17th. With the drive time from PA that will give me about 8-9 days to hunt. I have quite a few starting spots from my previous adventure. I'll keep thinking about it.

My backup plan is thinking about heading out to MT this summer to visit my uncle and fish and just hunt deer in the midwest this fall.

Varmit guy said it well, wolves have drastically changed ek hunting in SW MT. A good bull doesn’t come easy, wolves and a increased number of people in the woods certainly guarantee it. I think you have a good date range for rut activity.