MT Archery Qs

WPFY543

FNG
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
72
Location
Western WA
Hoping someone with experience around the Bozeman area can help me with some general guidance. As always, not looking for your secret spot.

I have harvested a few elk with a rifle in CO, but am excited for my first archery hunt in MT this September. Work forces me to be a weekend warrior and I will be staying back in Bozeman during the week. I expect that the majority of my time will be spent hunting solo as friends have their own hunt plans. Expectations are reasonable and just getting into elk is my primary focus. I used to live in Bozeman so I am familiar with SW MT, but I did not get a chance to hunt big game.

Question is this - I have been e-scouting about 3 hours from Bozeman but have I overlooked good terrain for an archery rookie? I've got a few spots picked out but don't have my hunt plan finalized. I don't want to make the mistake of passing elk to get to elk. I also don't want to waste precious time in the truck when I could have boots on the ground. Plan is to truck camp, keep hikes relatively short, and stay mobile.

GoHunt has been a great resource, but I think it scared me off from the areas within an hour of BZN due to ridiculous crowds, more grizzlies, and heavily pressured elk. Appreciate any general guidance and, again, don't want anyone giving up their spot. Just trying to decide if I should refocus my hunt area given my goals and limited time.
 

aachey

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
211
Location
Pennsylvania
Last year was my first elk experience in MT, hunting with my uncle. He's been hunting there for probably 30 years. I would say our better spots were public land next to or very close to private ranches. Usually wouldn't have to go more than a mile or two, or in certain circumstances much closer. When we hunted big pieces of public, we definitely put in miles chasing bugles. We ran into more pressure on the smaller pieces, and honestly it was worse during the week than the weekends. That could be circumstantial tho.
 
Joined
Nov 17, 2016
Messages
34
Location
Montana
E-scouting can only get you so far, especially if you're located around a college town/ a more populated town. here There's typically a ton of young ripe college kids willing to go the extra distance and hike. With today's knowledge of "go a mile more than the typical person and that's where the elk are", it's all about learning where public access points are. Then based on that figure out where elk like to go. It's all about spending time in an area, and the more time you spend in the area, the more you learn about their behavior in respect to pressure. I think it's pretty unrealistic to just plop in a new area and expect to kill something (unless you're super lucky). It's all about the time you spent in the area learning about their behavior.
 

ELKhunter60

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 26, 2018
Messages
190
Location
Sparta. Michigan
Hunting elk within an hour of Bozeman - especially without knowing the spots is a pretty tall order. There are A LOT of MSU kids that want to do the same thing. Go to class and then head out hunting for a few hours....

I would not spend a lot of time trying to figure that out. The trail head I park at is 1.5 hours from Bozeman and then I hike in 6 miles with my gear for 8 days. That seems to work ok. There are a few elk and a few people. Get away from town and away from the roads if your serious about hunting. If it's 1/2 social event and 1/2 hunting - stay around Bozeman and search for some hidden corners that don't get hit as hard as most of it.
 
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WPFY543

FNG
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
72
Location
Western WA
Thanks both for the advice. Certainly don't have expectations that I am going to drive in and kill a bull. Just trying to figure out where to start the learning process. Sounds like my initial hunch that getting a little distance from Bozeman may be the right one.
 

cgasner1

WKR
Joined
Mar 12, 2015
Messages
893
If you can I wouldn’t skip a evening hunt just because it’s close to town time in the woods is how your gonna fill a elk tag


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WPFY543

FNG
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
72
Location
Western WA
If you can I wouldn’t skip a evening hunt just because it’s close to town time in the woods is how your gonna fill a elk tag


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Ya thats a great idea. I'm usually done working by 3 or 4 so I can hunt the evenings around town. Just like the college kids :)
 
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