Montana hunt 2020

[Texasbuckeye]

New guy here from Texas. Have my first elk hunt planned in Montana, unit 314 or somewhere close around there. Been lurking in here a while mainly for gear and clothing ideas, and been listening to podcasts and looking over maps and trying to find good places to scout, so wondering if there is anyone with knowledge of this unit or surrounding units and if they would be willing to go over some maps with me and see if what i am thinking is legit and let me know if I am totally thinking wrong.
I am used to whitetail hunting and have no experience with elk, but been doing lots of training on the flat land here in Texas and feel that should be a pretty good replica of the valleys and river bottoms in Montana. Since I have a bit of time before 2020 I figured I would take the slow and steady course rather than try to rush things and risk injury.
Any other inputs or experiences you all could help with would be very appreciated. Look forward to getting a taste of the elk meat every talks about!


Btw, if your blood is boiling about right now, please realize this was a sarcastic and terrible first post, mainly in response to another post I saw on here today. I am a new guy who will be going on his first elk hunt in 2020 in Montana, but other than that, the rest of the above was just a joke. Just trying to break the ice and say thanks for all the info over the years I been lurking. Hope to be able to contribute some info in the future, but for now, just waiting to get some info and experience!!

 

[Andrew11]

Welcome. Good luck on your upcoming elk hunt. I would just make sure that you are aware that this unit has a high density of grizzly bear population. Not trying to scare you away from it but just be aware of it.

 

[Kevrod3]

Get a hold of all the Elk Nut stuff, Corey Jacobson stuff, Joel Turner stuff and Steve Chappell stuff you can! Thats a good start! Check out the Elk University from Elk 101.

 

[Texasbuckeye]

I have elk university pulled up on my
Phone, just haven’t pulled the trigger yet. My wife thinks I am crazy for trying to learn about something I want to kill...reminds me of the movie “best of the best” where the opponents had to “I know everything about you” prior to
Their match style exhibition.

Anyway, my hunt will be with an outfitter since this will be my first time. Have some experience WT hunting in TX and OK but this is nothing similar, and I am so looking forward to it. They have access to 8 miles of river bottoms and mountains in units 314, 315, and 393. I know those are crowded areas but I figure since it will be with an outfitter we will be using private land. Not many folks in camp at that same time and nearly every review talks of the numbers of elk, antelope, and WT deer.

 

[juan trueno]

Forget the outfitter, go it alone and spend all that money on cool stuff that you’ll still have after the hunt.

 

[Texasbuckeye]

It isn’t just me going. My newbie hunting brother is also going and he has virtually no gear and little hunting experience. We want to wet our teeth on one and will probably do DIY many times to follow....see one, teach one, do one

 

[Jon Boy]

What outfitter are you going with?

 

[Texasbuckeye]

We are booked with Keith and Steve miller through Montana whitetails. We have an elk-antelope combo hunt planned oct 31-nov 6, 2020. Will be right at the start of the WT rut but we both have whitetail hunting available locally for us, so we skipped that this time.
Looking forward to it.

 

[tntrker]

I went last year in 313, just across the river from 314, same dates pretty much with a guide. Do not get your hopes up on seeing a Whitetail or any big Mulies there, from what I seen and heard while there for that area. There was a guy who had been in that general area DIY with 2 other friends for 2 weeks prior. His friends left with no luck and he happen to fit in an opening with our guide. He was after a WT and Elk. Changed his mind and took a Mule deer after the negative report of Wt's there. We saw tons of elk cows and Muledeer does all week. It was my 1st time and had a blast. CARDIO!! We stalked my 5x5 2 1/2 miles and I still had to settle for a 660 yrd shot. It was warmer than normal, as I understand, but we got snow a few scattered days. I took this bull after watching him on Tuesday , at 300 yrds, being saved from me by a pack of wolves that scattered them, then Thursday at 390yrds fighting another bull. We saw the herd bull and I waited on him to show himself and he never did. Friday midday I saw him again and passed on stalking the herd bull to connect with this one again, since we danced all week I felt connected to him. Saw the mule deer fighting as well and put a stalk on him. He bedded down and I got 250 yrds from him, peeked over the ridge above him, the ridge on my left in pic, and the guide rolled rocks down to get him to stand up. Biggest Mule deer I saw all week...

 

[Texasbuckeye]

Yeah I don’t know exactly where we will be hunting, I think he has lots of space and some crop land to hunt on, so I am going in open minded. All else, we will see some beautiful country, and that is going to be part of the fun.

Nice kills. If I can connect on an elk I will be thrilled. If I come away with a better understanding of elk hunting I will be stoked. If I come back and say “this type of hinting isn’t for me” my wife will be happy. I don’t think the third is gonna happen

 

[tntrker]

Yeah I don’t know exactly where we will be hunting, I think he has lots of space and some crop land to hunt on, so I am going in open minded. All else, we will see some beautiful country, and that is going to be part of the fun.

Nice kills. If I can connect on an elk I will be thrilled. If I come away with a better understanding of elk hunting I will be stoked. If I come back and say “this type of hinting isn’t for me” my wife will be happy. I don’t think the third is gonna happen

yep, Already got a 2021 Wyoming hunt booked. I thought I'd go get a guided hunt or two in to get the basics down then DYI from then own. I guess I waited too long cause as I've hunted all my life, I'm not confidant I could hike everything back out with a kill to boot. It's be EXTREMELY hard seeing how to do all that without sleep would be incredibly tough. At night, I'd be too paranoid every little squirrel, chipmunk, raccoon, was a bear wanting to make me poo by the morning..