Montana 'Shoulder Season?'

[MtPockets]

Does anyone have any information on Montanas 'Shoulder Season'?

I've been trying to get the hunt coordinator on the phone with zero success. I know he's busy, so I'm not going to fault him but I'd really like to get out hunting.

Any information would be awesome.

Thanks


Ron

 

[Topgun 30-06]

This link has everything you need to know to hunt the shoulder season:

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks :: Montana Elk Shoulder Seasons

 

[MtPockets]

Thanks, Topgun, but the information I need is not there.

This is primarily a private property hunt, and I believe the hunt coordinators have information on private landowners who are allowing access.

Guess I'll just have to load up and go...

Worse case scenario is that I spend some time getting to know a new hunting area.

 

[Spedray]

Hoping to get out in a few weeks. Anybody having any luck seeing elk? Heard there was tons of interest in these hunts. Only live two hours away so will probably be going every weekend till I can hopefully kill one.

 

[Catahoula]

My daughter lives in that area & her friends have been doing very well on that hunt. Lots of elk meat going in the freezer!
Thanks, Kirk

 

[Clubhunter]

First off do you think they will have a shoulder season for 2016-2017?
Do you have to pull a tag for a particular area to be able to get in on this?

 

[FEENIX]

First off do you think they will have a shoulder season for 2016-2017?
Do you have to pull a tag for a particular area to be able to get in on this?

Yes!

COMMISSION APPROVES EXPANDED SHOULDER SEASON OPPORTUNITIES

02/24/2016
At its Feb. 11 meeting, the Fish and Wildlife Commission approved elk shoulder seasons in 43 hunting districts for the 2016/2017 hunting season. Final information on these shoulder seasons will be available online by the end of February and at all license providers in mid-March in the 2016 Deer, Elk and Antelope Hunting regulations.

(http://fwp.mt.gov/news/newsReleases/hunting/)

However, final details is not yet available.

 

[Clubhunter]

Thanks Feenix.

 

[Clubhunter]

Have any of you had a good experience hunting this season? The reason I ask is that I am trying to plan a hunting trip somewhere out west with my 16 year old son and I wanted a hunt that you had a higher than average success rate. Do you contact the Hunt Coodinator now to find out who owns the private ranches? Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

[Jeremyc]

It is brand new so there are a ton of questions about it. We won't know how well it works for a few years probably

 

[Broz]

Have any of you had a good experience hunting this season? The reason I ask is that I am trying to plan a hunting trip somewhere out west with my 16 year old son and I wanted a hunt that you had a higher than average success rate. Do you contact the Hunt Coodinator now to find out who owns the private ranches? Any guidance would be appreciated.

Expect plenty of hunters wherever there are elk, for the shoulder seasons. The hunt coordinators will be so busy they may not call back. Most, if not all the proposed "shoulder seasons" in MT are antlerless only. Once the pressure is on the herds may move back from roads and the pack out can be long.

Find a list of the proposed shoulder season areas for 2016. There are many. Then try to find out what ranchers are allowing access. Some do, many get tired of the phone ringing off the wall and do not participate. From what I have seen it can be a zoo. Not what I would call a quality elk hunting experience.

If you go for the later season, also be prepared for what you will find when field dressing a bred cow. Some feel it is not pretty.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

 

[FEENIX]

Expect plenty of hunters wherever there are elk, for the shoulder seasons. The hunt coordinators will be so busy they may not call back. Most, if not all the proposed "shoulder seasons" in MT are antlerless only. Once the pressure is on the herds may move back from roads and the pack out can be long.

Find a list of the proposed shoulder season areas for 2016. There are many. Then try to find out what ranchers are allowing access. Some do, many get tired of the phone ringing off the wall and do not participate. From what I have seen it can be a zoo. Not what I would call a quality elk hunting experience.

If you go for the later season, also be prepared for what you will find when field dressing a bred cow. Some feel it is not pretty.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

Well said Jeff!

I wish those ranchers allow manage hunts like you did or just extend the hunt as cow only "IF" the quota has not been meet.

Calling the shoulder hunt a zoo is an understatement.

There were 5 BMAs that participated but once they were pressured to ran into the bordering NF where it is not permitted to go after them.

Ed

 

[Broz]

Well said Jeff!

I wish those ranchers allow manage hunts like you did or just extend the hunt as cow only "IF" the quota has not been meet.

Calling the shoulder hunt a zoo is an understatement.

There were 5 BMAs that participated but once they were pressured to ran into the bordering NF where it is not permitted to go after them.

Ed

Thanks Ed. I got an email from out local biologist this past week. The late management hunt alone here, there were 78 antlerless elk taken on just 4 ranches. The nice thing about the management hunts is only a few hunters at a time, no chaos and over 100% success rate. But this was not good enough for MT FWP. Go figure. Oh well, we sure tried.

Jeff

 

[Clubhunter]

Sounds like they should rename this hunt Shoulder to Shoulder Elk Hunting Season. I am going to strike this off my list of hunts to do.