Montana - Hunting American Prarie Reserve - PN Ranch Block Mgmt

[cshire]

Coming out for cow elk in the 400 zones and interested in access to various areas and having a quality hunt, not crowded by other hunters.

Any experiences with the APR-PN Block?
Easy to reserve or always full? I believe they allow 6 hunters per day?
Anything an out of state, first time in MT hunter should know to stay out of trouble and not piss off the locals?

 

[Dos Perros]

Are you sure they allow elk hunting?

 

[cshire]

I think so? That is not something I want to make a mistake on.

Their website says hunting in accordance with MT FWP regulations, I can find maps of the open areas, nothing says no elk or other species restrictions. Adjacent public areas are open.

APR does have one block unit, Blue Ridge, where there are additional lottery drawings for Elk tags

But I would say deciphering MT requirement online is not as easy as some other states.

 

[MT257]

What part of the apr are you looking to hunt? I know sometimes reservations can be hit or miss

 

[cshire]

PN ranch block, north of Winifred, on the MO river, MO river breaks.
Planning to hunt public land and then found about Block Mgmt areas - wondering if they are a good option as they would be additional acres in the area I plan to hunt anyway
My (cow) tag is good in any 400 unit, except the CMR refuge, all of 410 and 455 and north half of 417.

 

[MTJake]

APR Does not allow elk hunting on its PN Ranch BMA.

http://fwp.mt.gov/export/blockManagementMaps/r4/16_APR_PN_Ranch_2020.pdf

 

[MT257]

PN ranch block, north of Winifred, on the MO river, MO river breaks.
Planning to hunt public land and then found about Block Mgmt areas - wondering if they are a good option as they would be additional acres in the area I plan to hunt anyway
My (cow) tag is good in any 400 unit, except the CMR refuge, all of 410 and 455 and north half of 417.

So you have the 410-00 cow tag?

 

[cshire]

APR Does not allow elk hunting on its PN Ranch BMA.

http://fwp.mt.gov/export/blockManagementMaps/r4/16_APR_PN_Ranch_2020.pdf

Perfect and thank you very much!
I don't know how I missed that but am very glad to have the info and not make a huge ethical and expensive mistake!

Thanks again.

 

[cshire]

So you have the 410-00 cow tag?

no - I have the Elk B 004-00 tag. Unit 410 is excluded along with 455, north half of 417 and CWR.
and all Nat'l Forest lands - BLM, State, BMA only.

 

[Dos Perros]

FWIW, I've emailed and razzed them for not allowing elk hunting. You could, too. The APR is not regionally popular, at least as far as I'm aware.

 

[mTNhunter86]

FWIW, I've emailed and razzed them for not allowing elk hunting. You could, too. The APR is not regionally popular, at least as far as I'm aware.

I hunted the breaks this year and saw tons of anti-APR signs on ranches and rolling through towns. What creates the animosity? I don't know enough about the situation to have much of an opinion but, as a hunter, I can't say I am against what they are doing. I spent a lot of my breaks hunt on APR landed that enrolled in block management.

 

[cshire]

I hunted the breaks this year and saw tons of anti-APR signs on ranches and rolling through towns. What creates the animosity? I don't know enough about the situation to have much of an opinion but, as a hunter, I can't say I am against what they are doing. I spent a lot of my breaks hunt on APR landed that enrolled in block management.

www.upom.org

For the other side of the story from some locals.
I'm from out of state, won't pretend to understand the complexities or politics of the situation.
Happy for the access while available.
Will let the locals sort out their local issues.

So how was your hunt? Bow for Elk or Deer? Any general info you would care to share?

 

[Dos Perros]

I hunted the breaks this year and saw tons of anti-APR signs on ranches and rolling through towns. What creates the animosity? I don't know enough about the situation to have much of an opinion but, as a hunter, I can't say I am against what they are doing. I spent a lot of my breaks hunt on APR landed that enrolled in block management.

I used to hunt up there quite a bit, something like 6 years out of 8, and made some friends in the area and have spoken with some other sportsman casually.

They are buying ranchland from folks who have been in business for a long time, generations. It's for sure willing seller willing buyer, but they are in turn driving up the land prices and making it tougher for the remaining generational ranchers to compete as they are continually squeezed. Folks are concerned a way of life is going away and could regionally disappear. Some believe things like that are worth more than money can value.

Additionally, while they allow some access now, it's not guaranteed in perpetuity (I guess nothing really is), and they have really dodged the question "if I support your growth now, can I hunt forever?" There is a good reason to be suspicious, IMO. I would not be surprised if in 50 years they closed off all hunting access for good.

 

[mTNhunter86]

www.upom.org

For the other side of the story from some locals.
I'm from out of state, won't pretend to understand the complexities or politics of the situation.
Happy for the access while available.
Will let the locals sort out their local issues.

So how was your hunt? Bow for Elk or Deer? Any general info you would care to share?

Thanks for the link. Interesting stuff. I agree with you - as an out-of-state hunter I'll keep my mouth shut.

Generally speaking - it was a great hunt. Saw lots of elk. It was big country and came with a learning curve. I think the best general advice I could give is to keep in mind when you start seeing elk that not all the elk you see are going to be "huntable." It took us a day or two to wrap our brains around that concept. Seeing an elk two miles down the coulee wasn't helpful when you start realizing how difficult the terrain can be to traverse.

I had the 620-20 tag. So elk/archery (and of course deer because it's a general unit for deer). If you're hunting those units PM me and I can give you some more specific general advice to those units.

 

[Gila]

Posted in the conservation forum....

 

[goathunter]

www.upom.org

For the other side of the story from some locals.
I'm from out of state, won't pretend to understand the complexities or politics of the situation.
Happy for the access while available.
Will let the locals sort out their local issues.

So how was your hunt? Bow for Elk or Deer? Any general info you would care to share?

That's a bad source to cite, UPOM is way worse than the APR. And the APR is just the issue they use to sell their anti corner crossing, anti stream access initiatives.