Hey ya'll, my brother has a bit of a hook up on elk near Boseman. I'm looking for someone who can either help us decide on where and what to do or even an experienced elk hunter to accompany us on a hunt this sept.

thanks, BigJim

Hey Jim,

Unfortunately I have no experience in Elk, or Montanna or the US in fact, but I would love to accompany you on a hunt.     :D

Big Jim,

I would encourage you to contact Dan Toelke, the bowyer, He is a super nice guy and lives on the flathead indian reservation in Montana I am sure he would be happy to help you or know what direction to go.

Blessings,

Dan

The good news is, non-res deer and elk combo tags are pretty much OTC after the drawing, and putting in for the drawing is pretty much 100% (unless you make a booboo on the app)

The bad news is, the reason those tags are so easy to get as a non-res is becuase elk and deer numbers are at an all time low around here.  Length of winters, severity of winters and increased predation (wolves) is very much to blame.

I don't live or hunt around Bozeman.  There and around Butte has herds that have fared better than further west, and NW.

I would call MT FWP and see about a non-res putting in for a permission on the north side of the CMR (I believe it's a 632 area permission, it's in The Pines, ridge 5,6, and 7)  Hunting Elk on the CMR is just fun.  At least you'll get into elk.  I'm hoping to draw a pemission there this fall.  If I do, I'll be there the week of the 15th.

Oh, you might as well do the combo, deer/elk tag.  That's where they allocate the biggest number of tags, just elk, or deer is much lower draw odds.  Truthfully, you'll probably get here and hunt deer anyhow.

Don't waste money on a Hoochie Mamma call, or one of Primos' bugles with the blue cap.  Every elk in Montana has wised up to them.  Learn to really master a diaphragm call.  I'd also track down Mike Lapinski's books.

Oh....

I'm great at elk hunting.  But I suck at killing elk with a bow  :D

I've hunted the last two years in NW Montana and agree with everything Don says in his initial post, including getting Lapinski's books.

Thanks for the help, we will be applying for the elk/deer combo tags. I believe we are pretty well set on the area and it is near boseman. Just looking for someone who may have vast elk knowledge (especially in that area) and interested in sharing or hunting.

thanks, bigjim

Get hold of Mark Baker. He lives in Livingston.

I know nothing about finding elk during archery that far east. I would highly recommend multiple bear deterrents though. Some years, depending on their food sources, the grizzly bears get really mean, and there are a lot in the Bozeman area.

Thanks for the info guys. we sent of our apps today.

bigjim

Malachi,

You're as bad as your Uncle Jake  :D


I can't believe you actually killed an elk around Missoula.  I thought all that was left down there was hippies.


BigJim, you might try and track down Doug Campbell too.