MT vs ND

pluckem

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Buck tags in MT are not OTC and for the most part not unit specific on the east side of the state. There is only one special draw unit/hunt on the East side of FT Peck. All other units in region 6 & 7 are covered with the General Deer Tag. You have to apply for the tag in the spring and the last 2 years applications #'s were higher than tags so there was a chance you wouldn't draw.

A 3-7ish years ago MT raised NR tag prices and it coincided with a huge drop in deer numbers from a couple bad winters so there was a period of years where the general tags did not get spoken for during the draw. These were then sold OTC until they ran out.

The OTC available doe tags are unit/region specific and based on population and management goals of the unit.
 


8andcounting

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Buck tags in MT are not OTC and for the most part not unit specific on the east side of the state. There is only one special draw unit/hunt on the East side of FT Peck. All other units in region 6 & 7 are covered with the General Deer Tag. You have to apply for the tag in the spring and the last 2 years applications #'s were higher than tags so there was a chance you wouldn't draw.

A 3-7ish years ago MT raised NR tag prices and it coincided with a huge drop in deer numbers from a couple bad winters so there was a period of years where the general tags did not get spoken for during the draw. These were then sold OTC until they ran out.

The OTC available doe tags are unit/region specific and based on population and management goals of the unit.

Your on the right track but the tag hike was 2011 . Until 2 years ago there was surplus tags but it’s still good draw odds. I got turned down for the big game combo this year but I got on the alternates list for deer and got a deer combo that someone returned . The region 7 doe mule tags are not otc, they are on a draw but there’s been large number of surplus and will continue to be . They are good for all of region 7 which is huge . And region 7 like much of Montana has a unbelievable amount of public land with blm and state , not to mention million acres of block management. If you can’t get a 20-22” mule deer buck on public in Montana you aren’t much of a hunter . Get onX maps on your phone and go kill one it’s easy

- - - Updated - - -

Many regions in Montana do have otc whitetail doe tags also for $75 for a NR
 

8andcounting

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If a 22 incher on public is easy, you must be shooting 26-28 inchers on private?

No . We’ve got a few 25-26” but most in the 20-24” range . Private land doesn’t always mean bigger deer . We see a lot . And see no hunters . Spot we hunt gets pretty rough in the breaks and the big ones are deep in
 

Headhunter

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there isn't alot of deer in 3A1 (Whitetails)......they are coming back from the bad winters, to a more normal level. G/F doubled buck tags though this last year cause of "CWD" i very safely assume........we dont have enough deer for the buck tags they allowed. So one step forward 2 steps back. What they should do is have a seperate draw for Mule deer in 3a1. They are out of control and competing with the Whitetails. This is also a result of the bad winters of 2009/2010 and 2011/2012. if the G/F wants to "shoot them all" as usual.......kill the damn mule deer off. We have Mules living where historically its always been whitetails. as for Montana totally different deal way bigger state and the NR draw means you can hunt anywhere not in just a specified unit. Advantages to both ways of doing things.
 


5575

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I've never deer hunted MT, but know many who do.
From what I've seen, it's a great place if your freezer is low on venison. Far as trophy potential, I think you have just as good of a chance right here at home..
To tell you the truth I've never known anyone to bring a big ass buck home from MT. Usually it's a meat buck muley that gets a ride back.
 
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8andcounting

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I've never deer hunted MT, but know many who do.
From what I've seen, it's a great place if your freezer is low on venison. Far as trophy potential, I think you have just as good of a chance right here at home..
To tell you the truth I've never known anyone to bring a big ass buck home from MT. Usually it's a meat buck muley that gets a ride back.
Your right . It’s a great fun place to go and see slot of deer and there’s public land everywhere but most bucks shot are small 4 points or smaller but it’s a fairly easy tag to draw and I like to hunt every year not once in 7 years . I got a 161” mule buck in central Montana this past season . Nice wide tall 5x5 with good eye guards . We hunt private and he was by Far the best buck I saw and this was peak rut 20th of November
 

Zogman

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Headhunter glad to see you are posting again. I always liked your experience and point of view. Enjoy the ride it gets a little bumpy at times. I am sending you a pm with a question.
 

Kurtr

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there isn't alot of deer in 3A1 (Whitetails)......they are coming back from the bad winters, to a more normal level. G/F doubled buck tags though this last year cause of "CWD" i very safely assume........we dont have enough deer for the buck tags they allowed. So one step forward 2 steps back. What they should do is have a seperate draw for Mule deer in 3a1. They are out of control and competing with the Whitetails. This is also a result of the bad winters of 2009/2010 and 2011/2012. if the G/F wants to "shoot them all" as usual.......kill the damn mule deer off. We have Mules living where historically its always been whitetails. as for Montana totally different deal way bigger state and the NR draw means you can hunt anywhere not in just a specified unit. Advantages to both ways of doing things.

that’s crazy the whitetail generally out compete mule deer most places they are together. There’s whitetail every where so a few more mules I would say is a good thing
 

Headhunter

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Kurt, yes theoretically whitetails should out compete mules , I've read up on that subject for this very reason cause i dont understand it...............Before the shit winters there were a few pockets of mulies as there are in other units but once the whitetail herd got killed off mulies took over. So only thing i can say is we need to shoot less whitetails cause like you said.....Whitetails SHOULD out compete the mules so that is why we should give out more mule tags......Whitetails are not re built enuff to even bully the mules. It is weird.
 


Kurtr

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Seems like that’s winning though mule deer are better and there’s whitetail every else
 

lostinnd

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Eastern Montana may not have the number of trophy mule deer that come out of Western ND but at least you can hunt every or almost every year. Waiting 5-7 years to hunt Western ND really sucks.
 

8andcounting

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Eastern Montana may not have the number of trophy mule deer that come out of Western ND but at least you can hunt every or almost every year. Waiting 5-7 years to hunt Western ND really sucks.
Exactly
 

PrairieGhost

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I think the answer is attitude and habitat. In the Badlands everyone is a rancher, but out on the prairie where you see ranching in Montana you don't in North Dakota. If they can squeeze their John Deer between the rocks and it don't tip over on the hills it's going to get plowed in North Dakota. Also ranchers don't pay much attention to a few deer, but catch one with a mouthful of corn or beans and the legislator is going to hear "we need to reduce deer numbers".
 


8andcounting

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Both western nd and almost anywhere in Montana are great places to get a respectable mule deer but I’m not waiting 7 years to hunt
 

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