MT Unit 455 Beartooth Game range advice

Joined
Nov 13, 2018
Messages
23
I had the great fortune of drawing a once in a lifetime tag. I've been getting in shape like crazy as I won't have horses or pack llamas for this hunt. I was wondering if anyone familiar with the area could give me pointers. Im a Montana resident and will be scouting it this summer/fall. I've always been a meat hunter and put in for this unit based on some friends who hunted it years ago but I was hoping for some advice from someone more current. Thanks to anyone who replys to this post. Your time is greatly appreciated
 
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slick

WKR
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Feb 13, 2014
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This is a once in a lifetime mule deer hunt in MT?


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OP
T
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Nov 13, 2018
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The draw odds are around one percent with just the straight draw. This doesn't include the points system which would even make my odds worse.
 

Mw01313

FNG
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Oct 2, 2016
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I hunted a piece of private in 455 in 2017. It is veeeeery close to the game range. Don't know if my experience will be applicable, but we saw a ton of deer. I would assume as light as the pressure is on the game range it would be the same. We shot the 2 biggest deer we saw. I am sure we could have killed better deer, but we weren't being too picky. Beautiful country. What are the dates on the game range hunt?
 

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BuzzH

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I had the great fortune of drawing a once in a lifetime tag. I've been getting in shape like crazy as I won't have horses or pack llamas for this hunt. I was wondering if anyone familiar with the area could give me pointers. Im a Montana resident and will be scouting it this summer/fall. I've always been a meat hunter and put in for this unit based on some friends who hunted it years ago but I was hoping for some advice from someone more current. Thanks to anyone who replys to this post. Your time is greatly appreciated
Have you considered shooting a whitetail? I would if I had that tag.
 

mtblackdog

Lil-Rokslider
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Feb 3, 2017
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202
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Montana
Not a major trophy unit. But you should find a good buck or two. A 160 class 4x4 should be shot if you find one.
 

Legend

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Jun 13, 2017
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Not a major trophy unit. But you should find a good buck or two. A 160 class 4x4 should be shot if you find one.
I second this advice. Just because it is a hard draw does not mean it grows big mule deer.
 

Flatgo

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Aug 10, 2015
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I’d focus on a whitetail in there if it was my tag. I’ve seen some crankers come out of that unit... and I am almost exclusively a mule deer hunter
 
OP
T
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Nov 13, 2018
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Have you considered shooting a whitetail? I would if I had that tag.
Absolutely I've considered shooting a white tail. I'm normally a meat hunter so the first buck that's as big or bigger than the does it's with goes down for me. But I want to show some restraint this year. So I'll shoot either species.
 
OP
T
Joined
Nov 13, 2018
Messages
23
I hunted a piece of private in 455 in 2017. It is veeeeery close to the game range. Don't know if my experience will be applicable, but we saw a ton of deer. I would assume as light as the pressure is on the game range it would be the same. We shot the 2 biggest deer we saw. I am sure we could have killed better deer, but we weren't being too picky. Beautiful country. What are the dates on the game range hunt?
Great bucks! Thanks for the encouraging pictures. It's a general season so I have all five weeks to go get them.
 

alecvg

Lil-Rokslider
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Mar 3, 2012
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MT
I wouldn’t hold out for a monster, 160” plus should certainly be shot. I’ve seen a handful that big in the velvet up there, but nothing bigger.
 
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Messages
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4 of us had the tag in 2018 hunted hard through out the season holding out for big muely buck, we all ended up shooting a whitetail the last weekend of season. The best bucks we saw were in the burns and very difficult to find. We were all disappointed to say the least, if I hunted it again I would be in Elkhorn creek looking a big whitetail. Fish and game should list it as a whitetail tag not a trophy tag at all. Good luck.
 
Joined
Jun 25, 2014
Messages
454
I've bow hunted it(455) a few seasons for elk. Saw one muley buck was all but wasn't anything to write home about. Not sure what it would be like in the month of November and if they migrate in. A buddy of mine sent me a pic that was sent to him from this past season that was a pretty good deer. As for the unit itself I have horses I take everytime in there. We put in a camp at he elkhorn creek back country camp ground which is 4 miles from the elkhorn creek campground and you cant drive any farther than that. Once we got base camp set up we usually spiked out a few days on BLM and Nat'l forest closer to the private ranch on the east and south sides of the wma and that is about another 4 miles from base. You get cell service up in the high ridges so if you get anything you have a chance to call for help. The other thing is if you can catch the wma manager checking the camp grounds he'll haul your kill back to your truck. I did see one of the biggest black bears I've ever seen in my life eating on an elk carcass so theres also the chance at a trophy bear. I apologize I wasnt able to give you much info on the deer hunting but as far as the area goes i know it pretty well now. lots of whitetails in the bottoms but id leave those for the old guys :) jk. I did forget to mention the BLM and Forest are open to take a good bull too with your rifle.
 
Joined
Nov 1, 2018
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Location
Whitehall, MT
I've bow hunted it(455) a few seasons for elk. Saw one muley buck was all but wasn't anything to write home about. Not sure what it would be like in the month of November and if they migrate in. A buddy of mine sent me a pic that was sent to him from this past season that was a pretty good deer. As for the unit itself I have horses I take everytime in there. We put in a camp at he elkhorn creek back country camp ground which is 4 miles from the elkhorn creek campground and you cant drive any farther than that. Once we got base camp set up we usually spiked out a few days on BLM and Nat'l forest closer to the private ranch on the east and south sides of the wma and that is about another 4 miles from base. You get cell service up in the high ridges so if you get anything you have a chance to call for help. The other thing is if you can catch the wma manager checking the camp grounds he'll haul your kill back to your truck. I did see one of the biggest black bears I've ever seen in my life eating on an elk carcass so theres also the chance at a trophy bear. I apologize I wasnt able to give you much info on the deer hunting but as far as the area goes i know it pretty well now. lots of whitetails in the bottoms but id leave those for the old guys :) jk. I did forget to mention the BLM and Forest are open to take a good bull too with your rifle.
I don’t believe there is any BLM land in that unit and I’m pretty sure you need to draw the elk permit to hunt it. I don’t have the regs in front of me at the moment but I’d hate to see someone kill an elk in there without the appropriate license.
 
Joined
Jun 25, 2014
Messages
454
There’s BLM that borders the northeastern end. It’s not in the unit so that’s where some guys would camp. I’m just saying it’s an option if you were looking for an elk.


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Joined
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I don’t believe there is any BLM land in that unit and I’m pretty sure you need to draw the elk permit to hunt it. I don’t have the regs in front of me at the moment but I’d hate to see someone kill an elk in there without the appropriate license.

Sorry forgot to quote lol


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Joined
Mar 21, 2020
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If you shoot a bull on that blm land you better have horses, its a long walk to the truck I've done it 2 times from the very top of bear gulch and not down the steep trail. The long rout probably 9ish miles, try that when it's about-5 degrees 😳
 
Joined
Jun 25, 2014
Messages
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If you shoot a bull on that blm land you better have horses, its a long walk to the truck I've done it 2 times from the very top of bear gulch and not down the steep trail. The long rout probably 9ish miles, try that when it's about-5 degrees

I hear that.


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Deadfall

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Oct 18, 2019
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Montana
455 is open to whitetail hunting with a general tag during the archery season.

I would definitely not shoot a little 160 inch mulde deer on that tag!

There are bigger deer then that hanging out relatively close to the house right now as I write this.

There's 160 inch whitetail up there for God's sake.
 
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