I'm going to hunt vicariously through you guys this year

I'm with you on that.

we went to Alaska and fished this summer, so no elk hunt for me.

in hindsight..... you shoulda come fishing with me! =/

my elk buddies returned Friday. they went 1 for 3 in 1st rifle, Colorado. shot a 6x5 last morning of the season. some other guys who had already tagged out were kind enough to use their horses to help them pack it out. you meet some nice folks, elk hunting. hows that to brighten up your day?

Today is the opening day of General big game season here in Montana. I won't be going out until the wind stops blowing and it cools down. I am sure the local elk will catch hell this morning though.None of the local guys around here go to the mountains anymore,(where it is cooler and there is snow) when there are plenty of Elk near home.,
The local Elk aren't any easier to get and kill, but are way more easier to get out of hills and prairies.
There is a check station in town and I will see what is happening.
A good week long hunt in the high country would bring back many good memories though.
This guy had 13 cows and performed daily just out of town until I think an archer got him when he headed for the hills and crossed into a fishing access! (just a rumor though)

Ken

Bwinters, you shouldn't do this, it's just going to get us pissed off even more.

Because you know somebody is going to ask. Then the pissed off part is going to go up exponentially again.


Somebody's tag line goes like "Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it."

Bill, I backpacked-in yesterday. Started in rain, which turned to snow. Got up this morning to 4-5" on the ground, stout wind and 24* temps. Glassed and hiked quite a bit through some familiar haunts. Zilch. Hiked out and am going to let the weather turn less windy.

When I saw your name on this thread I expected to see a pic of a big bull when I opened it...grin.
Wind has been brutal. Hard to keep my Tacoma on the highway last night on the ride home from work.

Itdbe alaight!

Blowin' 35-40mph here all day and doesn't look it's supposed to stop until Tuesday.


Drinkin' beer and watching college football. Cat's and Northern Colorado are tied with a minute to go....

Got some nice big steaks at Safeway today. They'll be cooking on the grill shortly! No more chasin elk for me.

At around 430 pm today the check station south of Darby had 16 elk come thru. They were expecting it to pick up.

....And I thought I'd do the same with you..... I enjoyed your elk hunt stories from last year and the year before. Sorry to hear your hunt got screwed up this year... I was really hoping to hear some good results and stories this year about your 270w Montana... I was also all paranoid yesterday evening, as I left my rifle in the back seat of my pickup while I went into a local Walmart to get some rainX and windshield wipers for my new to me pickup.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...346526/no-name-brit-draws-blood#comments

Bill,
I didn't realize you had wrote the other thread "Gone...". I will contribute to it later with some photos of the truck, some of my thoughts, and prevention ideas for others and my self in the future. I need to work on my list of stuff now.

[img]https://imgur.com/a/qH7zb[/img]

Lipsey's exculsive 275 Rigby
160NPT's & Reloader 19
It works!!!

You need to post one of your "Tennessee" bucks!

Not one of my better posts. Never post when your pissed about something......😎

I don't know if a 270 will work 😉

Why didn't you go?

Here is the pic. Good shooting!

Very nice!

Still waiting on Brad.................

Thank you Sir!

Montana opening day bull.

Very nice! There has to be a story with that rifle............. Do tell.

Worked a logging road with my daughter and I noticed an elk butt sticking out from a pine tree. I glassed it and saw it was a small bull about 340 yards out. Found another bull bedded near him that was mostly covered up by a small pine. We snuck to a rock outcropping that was about 260 from the bulls and watched the first bull bed down with only his head and neck exposed. We couldn't see the second bull at first but I got my daughter set up with her little Ruger 7mm-08 on the bipod and planned to wait for the first bull to stand. He was content so I moved around the rocks some and found the other bull bedded about 10-15 yards below the first one but still obscured by trees. I could tell it was a bull but the rack was partially covered and any elk would have worked so I didn't even think to study it. I went back to her and planned to let her shoot the first bull and backup if necessary and then take the second bull if it presented a shot. About 15-20 minutes before dark they still weren't standing even after some cow calling so I worked around to see if I could find a better angle for a better shot opportunity for my daughter on the second bull. I left her lined up on the first bull to be safe and when I got to where I could see the second she said the first bull was on his feet and his chest was clear. With my direction she took the shot. At the shot the second bull stood up and I shot him as he was getting up. Both bulls went just a few yards and presented a follow-up shot opportunity which we took advantage of. Four shots fired and four holes later we had two bulls down within 75 yards of each other. Proud dad moment.

I felt a little guilty killing the bigger bull but it just worked out that way. I didn't actually realize he was the bigger of the two till we walked up on them.

We got horses in the next day to get them out and I am going to town to buy another freezer tomorrow

I'd shoot either one! Great job.

MedRiver--great job! Getting a double with your daughter. How tough was it getting 2 bulls out?

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/12187767/2/early-british-mauser

Thanks! It was easy. They died 700 yards from the road. Quartered them then came back with horses the next day. Not sure I will ever duplicate that again.

Got a bull opening day here in MT with my Kimber 6.5. How do I put a picture in?

I have no idea. But would like to see it!

I spent the 1st week of the season with a friend in the South central part of the state, except for Thursday, it was hot, dry and windy,.... though we saw some elk they were on private land we couldn't go on, no shots fired.
I'll be back in Mid November to hunt with my boys and will hope for better weather.

Not MT, but my trip started with another group of 5 hunters that decided to camp in the same meadow. So much for getting away. It's public land, I understand, but I wouldn't camp right by someone else miles away from the trailhead. Nice fellas at least, just a different idea of solitude. To say that small area is not big enough for that many hunters is an understatement. Then, it seems the resulting deadfalls from the Spruce Bud Worm kill 15-20(?) years ago has gone into overdrive. 5+ years ago it wasn't an issue. 3-5 years ago getting through the woods was doable. Last year was tough. This year was off the charts. Not sure how I'd hold up to crawling over hundreds of deadfalls to move meat a mile or so to where a horse could get to it. Then, talking to an old guy who has also hunted the area for years, it was apparently a zoo during archery and muzzleloader. Result: lots of elk sign from about a month ago. Hiked countless miles, tried high, low, black timber, relocated to other side of ridge, saw zero bull elk, and only one cow. Time to find a new area to hunt. Glad I put in for WY preference point. But as you know, finding a place to hunt while living across the country is daunting. Already looking at maps, using GoHunt, etc.

We put in for WY PP last week. Would like to go back to Montana but gotta say my favorite elk hunt was last year in WY. And heck I only shot a cow!

I'll likely still go to CO due to family connections and the fact that we all get together for that trip. However, I may try to add a hunt in MT or WY. Not sure I even know where to begin. Read the regs I guess, then use GoHunt. I would have loved to shoot the cow I saw. Had my truck and coolers with me to bring meat home. Of course I had a bull only license.

My boys did well...

HEY , SHRAPNEL, WELCOME BACK... Boys did a fine job.. Keep us informed.. Missed your posts!!

Nice story. Cool drop tine.

I drew an either sex tag for the prairie area south of town, excluding the CMR. After putting the sneak on a group that was too far to make out size in the pre-dawn light, I realized my hip problems are still worse than expected, so I dropped a run-of-the-mill 6x7 rather than hold out for a monster. It helped that I was just over 1 mile from a friend's place; he brought out his tractor with loader and lifted the whole thing into the pickup. It was a very large bodied bull, though; I maybe have room in the freezers for two huns!

This is "Winner Winner a big ELK dinner", haha Congrats to both

Thanks guys. Great memories for sure.

Looks like others are having some success too. Snow in the forecast and cold temps so hopefully my wife and son can seal the deal later this week as well. We'll see.

I am sitting at home right now watching it snow hard! I am hoping my ranch manager son calls telling me the Elk are coming off the Switchback Ranch next door.I can be up there in less than an hour. Then the work starts!
I plan on hunting all the rest of the week anyway with the snow we are getting.
I wish our friend handwerk was here now!

Ken

Couldn't find an elk for my son so went deer hunting on Saturday. Turned out ok

Yes sir it did! Thanks for posting.

I need some more knowledgeable Montana hunters to step in with an answer to my question. I have elk hunted in Montana as a non-resident with the combo license, deer/elk for the last two years. My question is "is there any where in Montana that that elk permit allows me to shoot either a bull or a cow?" I called Montana G&F but the 2 ladies I talked with could not give me any information to answer my question. The permit is labeled as "General Elk License". Thanks

I am no authority on Montana's Elk regs., but in my mind, a general tag means that in my area, I am entitled to either a cow or a spike bull. If I go further south to the Forest Service land, the same tag entitles me to either sex elk. The main thing is each area, or a lot of areas have different requirements as to what you can shoot.
Then there is the "shoulder" season tag that is good only on private land. Also for cows only. (I think).
I live in South Central MT, and I can only talk about my area. I would suggest you call the Fish &Game offices in the area you want to hunt for the best,accurate info. Otherwise, get yourself a current hunting map and regs and go over each area and see what is available.
I am reasonably sure that a General tag is the same for both Residents and Non-Residents.
I do have a friend from out of state on this forum that knows the regs. Probably better than I do!
Maybe he will read this .

Ken

You need to refer to the regulations, but short answer is “yes”.

FYI, you have a license, not a permit. A permit is in addition to a license.

Ismith, I had a 3 part piece of paper, one part was for the wt that I killed, here in Texas we call it a tag . The 2nd part says "General Elk License", this is what goes on the elk that gets killed. I would still have left a 3rd part that says "Do Not Validate. This is not a tag,".

Now, since I have already called Montana G& F and could not talk with anyone that knew anymore about my question than I do, would you please tell !e exactly who I need to talk to??? A phone number would be nice.

After a second call, what can be killed with a "General Elk License," is determined by location!

Correct , that's what I was trying to say. I referred to my area in south central mt. (Region 5). Region 5 office is in Billings. All of that info is available on the hunting regulations. If you don't have the regs., you can look at them page by page on their web site. Each region on the map has it's own exceptions to the general regs. I think the regs. I quoted earlier are the more common ones.
If you need any more help, I can try to explain via pm easier.
Ken
PS that third section is just a blank tag. It is just part of the page your
tag is on.

Thanks, kennymauser. I think I have a understanding of it now. A hunter that thought he knew told me our elk tags, license,or permit, what ever you want to call it was good for bull or cow

This is very simple... it's a district by district thing. You need to know where you will be hunting:

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/huntingGuides/dea/

Under "Deer and Elk" click on the PDF: Individual Hunting District Regulations

It's not a forgone conclusion you can kill a bull or cow in every area... there are plenty of areas that are "brow tined bull" only areas.

Brad, that was our situation, nothing but brow tine bulls were legal.

DLALLDER, didn't FWP mail you a copy of the regulations with your license? They used to do that, would be silly if they dont do that anymore.

Ismith, we got nothing but the license and one page informing us the license did not allow us to trepass and other common sense information

Bwinters: I am tagged out on Deer so now I am concentrating on Elk here in SW Montana - my scouting/Hunting the last several days shows MANY (most?) Elk are now concentrated behind fences on private land.
Yesterday I counted just over 1,000 Elk (several dandy Bulls included!) on one private ranch and 140 Elk on the next ranch I passed.
Its a little tough Hunting on public lands now with these Elk and their new habit of seeking refuge from Wolves and Hunting pressure on the private lands.
Humorous story - late last week one of my long time friends called me early that morning and asked me to sight in his 300 Weatherby Magnum (I absolutely HATE shooting this particular lightweight 300 Weatherby!) so I drive to the construction site he's working at and pick the gun up.
When I get there he states he needs the Rifle sighted in and back to him by 3:00 P.M. THAT DAY!
I suck it up and change my days plans and head to another friends private Rifle range.
I like to use this private range when sighting in my various friends "magnums" because no one can hear me curse after each shot!
Anyway I get it sighted in and back to him by 3:00 and off he goes on a "Hunt".
It turns out he had been invited onto a private ranch to "Hunt" Elk there.
He bagged a nifty 6x7 Bull Elk less than an hour after I dropped off his freshly sighted in Rifle.
Sadly MUCH Elk Hunting here in SW Montana is no longer based on what you know, where you go or how you Hunt but on "WHO you know"!
Anyway I have been promised some Elk steaks once this big Bull is butchered.
I did also see two beautiful Fox yesterday (one mostly black in color) while scouting and one very well furred Coyote.
Hope you can get out and get after the Elk next year.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Just the opposite from everyone I know in the Dillon area VG. Seems anyone that wants and elk and is willing to put out a slight bit of effort has killed one. I would suggest you get away from private, roads and your truck, lace up a good pair of boots and you will be able to find a bull.

SW Montana. Covered lots of difficult ground on foot. Had a great time. Saw lots of elk opening week, unfortunately they were all on private ranches (saw over 400). Game warden told the same story when we talked to him. Some sign for the first few days on the public land and some elk taken but the elk quickly became scarce. Very little snow and unusually warm temps where I was, although very high winds at times and lots of hunters opening weekend.

Wow, sounds like Oregon.

Pintlar: I will pass your advice along to all my Elk-less friends, who for the most part are NOT road Hunters as you imply - I doubt your advice will soothe their sore feet and angst.
I have four close friends with Elk so far from this county - two were taken on the private grounds and the other two taken back on opening day/weekend (14 - 15 days ago).
Other than that its been quiet in my clique of twenty+ other Elk Hunting friends.
How about you had any luck yet?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Bull elk and buck deer in the freezer along with 2 archery whitetail does.

I can think of 14 guys I know with bulls from the Dillon area, another 4 with cows. With the snow they said is was quite easy.