permits

Got all my apps. in for draw. June 1 is the deadline for elk deer and antelope. Hoping to get one of the 25 rifle/archery-either sex tags for the area just on the other side of the hyway. Last year there were 166 applicants for 25 tags. My second choice was for the archery either sex tag for the same area. Last year there were 29 applicants for 180 permits so I think I have a good chance for that one. If I get one of those tags I have about 9 sections of land to hunt there. The rancher said they had 30 bulls on their property last year. The only question is will they be there when I'm there?

For goats I put in for my ussual areas right here. We have some nice bucks here. Last year the ranchers nefew shot one that just missed the book. 15 1/2".  Then another guy shot one that was 17". Well in the book. 3 yrs. ago a buddy and I put a stalk on a herd of goats, about 100 head. 1/2 of them were bucks, And out of those 4 were wallhangers and atleast 2 were book bucks.

Didn't put in for any deer tags cuz my dad is coming out this year and I didn't want to have a tag for an area he couldn't hunt.

So now I'm in for Antelope, Elk, Moose, and Bighorn. Gotta Love Montana.

ORIGINAL: deadeyerik
So now I'm in for Antelope, Elk, Moose, and Bighorn. Gotta Love Montana.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah....keep rubbing it in that you live in one of the best "outdoor pursuit" states in the country!!!, and yes, I'm jealous. Don't forget to think about us "little people" when you fill your tags.

How large are those 9 hunting zones?

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

I don't wanna put words into 'rik's mouth, 'nep' ... but ... I interpret his "nine sections" statement to mean "nine sections of land," using the ancient and well-planned system devised by T. Jefferson, and applied to most of the land west of Ohio, as the Northwest Ordinance wuz implemented ...

Each section is one mile on a side, and contains 640 acres ... so ... nine sections would be approximately 5,760 acres ... a small-to-medium-sized ranch, for Montana, I'd guess ...

Add in the fact that there's prolly some steep 'n' deep, and it could mean a LOT of walkin' ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

you are absolutely right O. Except for the steep and deep. It's pretty nice country. Not too hilly. It's right here in Columbus so it's not in the mountains yet. And I will of course be thinking of you guys after I fill those tags because that is when the rubbin in really starts.

ORIGINAL: deadeyerik

you are absolutely right O. Except for the steep and deep. It's pretty nice country. Not too hilly. It's right here in Columbus so it's not in the mountains yet. And I will of course be thinking of you guys after I fill those tags because that is when the rubbin in really starts.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

OK, 'rik ... I din't really know how close to Columbus you hunted ... I remember that area well, from last year when we took the g'daughters to Yellowstone and other places ... after we crossed the Beartooth, that topography from Red Lodge and the rest of the way home looked perty much like a pool table ...

Seriously, your terrain there is quite similar to ours around here ... we've got a little of whut sum folks call "mini-badlands" ... but it doesn't really compare to the real thing, and lots of rollin' hills and such ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

I put in for antelope,moose,bighorn and goats.The wife put in for antelope.

OTU,
I found these ranches when I was out yote hunting. Talking to one rancher she said they had 30 bulls on there property last year. They were eating their hay. I'm gonna hit these properties hard archery season. They were really happy to have me hunting yotes. The lady lost a bunch of chickens and was real excited when I called to get permission. I made some good brownie points.

Dan,
Good luck on those tags. I might be looking you up towards the end of june. I have some relatives coming to Bozeman then. Maybe we can get a cup of coffee and tell some lies.

Deadeye,
 It's amazing just how many ranchers really hate elk out there. They put all that money into hay and the elk tear the fences down and trample up the alfalfa and it ****es them off. I have heard alot of them say shoot 'em all. If the tags were not so bad, I'd be there tomorrow.  LOL

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

They really aren't too bad. Something like $650 for elk and deer combo. Plus you get small game and fishing. The tricky part is drawing a NRtag.

deadeye,
 check out my post of the mt lion vs bighorn in glacier nat park.  650 aint bad for both, but like you said the draw. hunting fool can help me out with that end of it I guess.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

It's a 50-60% chance to draw a elk/deer combo with no points. The deer alone is 20%. And I don't know what the elk is. probly close to the deer at 20%.

I'll be looking forward to it deadeye and good luck with your tags.I think I'm going to be heading to michigan the end of this week I'm going to get our boat , four wheeler and buy a new four wheeler.Mind blew up last fall.I sold our 20' boat so I can get a new bike.The boat I'm bring back is a 15' alum boat maybe we can get some lake fishing in this summer deadeye

Ok, 'rik ... when Son #1 and I applied a couple of years ago, seems as if we "bought" a point ($20?) ... and we got drawn on the first try ... his wife asked him why he needed to spend the extra for the deer tag, and his rationale wuz that he wuzn't gonna go out into the woods and mountains, and see the Buck of a Lifetime, and not have a tag to shoot (at) it ... I agreed, and we didn't see that buck, but had a lot of fun ... if/when I do it again, I'll do the same thing ... get both, and even take a fly rod along to try out the Gallatin ...

The price is a bit much (when we're used to payin' a mere $20 for our tags here in Nodak), but I'm guessin' I've mebbe got about one more of that sort of physical challenge left in me, and I'll prolly do it again in a year or so ... (since both My Bride and I have drawn both elk and moose in the OIL lotteries, all that's left is sheep, for me ... but those odds are about 3,000 to one against me, or worse ... besides, after one year of moose as the mainstay of our diet, and anticipation of another year of the same, mebbe she'll be interested in some elk to fill the freezer ... do ya think that excuse will work?)

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

O, Sounds like a as good an excuse as any.

Dan,
Look forward to getting together. We are going back to Wis. July 4. Hope you have a good trip.

No moose tag for me

My buddy and I drew our antelope tags today for the hard to draw area where we hunt mulies in Wyoming.  I already had a friend out there scouting the area and he says there will be a lot of good bucks to choose from.  I want to get a real good one and have it mounted for $600 over in Cody.

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

Congrat's top, to you and your buddy for getting the dope tags.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

congrats on the tag, topgun

is it better to pay $600 for a mount, or is the guy in Cody just better?

It's not that far above the going rate for a mount and he (Jim Marsico) is as good as they get.  His main work is sculptures when he isn't doing taxidermy and he has done mounts for big museums, including the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody and I believe the Smithsonian in DC.  He was doing some animals Jim Zumbo shot when we dropped off my buddies Shiras moose in 2007.  He also did a full body mount of the Bighorn ram my buddy shot out southwest of Cody a few years ago.  He isn't cheap, but he is more than worth the price.  He will also include the caping so it is done to his satisfaction.  If I shoot a good one, I will call him and have it to him within three hours or so for caping because antelope are real tough to do properly because of hair slippage!  Now all I have to do is get out there and shoot one!!!

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06