Montana Unlimited Units

Hey there fellas. I've been pretty seriously considering trying my hand in the unlimited units next year. I've read a ton of posts and forums so I somewhat understand the pros, the cons, and how little of good information the public is willing to hand out (and rightfully so). I've also done quite a bit of e-scouting and considering more than one unit at this point, but I have one I'm pretty keen on.

So I'm going out on a limb and looking to get any and all information y'all are willing to hand out. Books, people to talk to, needed gear, etc. I know I need good boots!

I'm a pretty experienced hiker and backpacker and consider myself in pretty good shape.

Appreciate it ahead of time!

If you're a resident just go for it.

If not a resident then it's still expensive for what it is. A low success rate hunt. You're going to need to be in good shape.

I would take a season, and just hike the area to check your e-scout skills. If you can find them, then $1200 tag gamble odds go up.

I'm watching this thread. I am tired of hunting for a place where there are not a hundred other hunters there. Been in Montana since 1998 and found more hunters than animals.

Old Rooster said:

I'm watching this thread. I am tired of hunting for a place where there are not a hundred other hunters there. Been in Montana since 1998 and found more hunters than animals.

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Is it just me or does it seem like this season is particularly bad?

palmtree191 said:

Is it just me or does it seem like this season is particularly bad?

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Its been rough

palmtree191 said:

Is it just me or does it seem like this season is particularly bad

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What do you mean bad? Quota was hit pretty quick in a couple of the units.

Too over crowded?

shooter22 said:

Hey there fellas. I've been pretty seriously considering trying my hand in the unlimited units next year. I've read a ton of posts and forums so I somewhat understand the pros, the cons, and how little of good information the public is willing to hand out (and rightfully so). I've also done quite a bit of e-scouting and considering more than one unit at this point, but I have one I'm pretty keen on.

So I'm going out on a limb and looking to get any and all information y'all are willing to hand out. Books, people to talk to, needed gear, etc. I know I need good boots!

I'm a pretty experienced hiker and backpacker and consider myself in pretty good shape.

Appreciate it ahead of time!

Click to expand...

GO!!! You're in shape, you've done the e-scouting, you have ideas on where to go....only thing left is to burn that boot leather my friend.
I listen to my buddy's talk about hunting all the time. They e-scout, send links, what if we did this, what jf we did that, this spot looks good, etc....imagine how much more hunting you did if you just went hunting instead of thought about it. The call to experience the unknown is hard to resist. It's happened in your head so many times. Make it a reality. This is how you find good spots, by ditching the computer skills and going out and getting after it. I say go hunting buddy! I would.

Tagging in

A guy I know slightly has extensive backpacking experience South of my location. He tagged out on a nice ram about a decade ago in one of those unlimited areas. My sense is that he spotted some sheep while backpacking and then went to that specific area to tag out. But, he probably spends more time than you have just being in there. While I can't give you any sheep advice I can say that generally, there will be a lot of hunters on public land anywhere a person can reach over a few days hunt. I spent four days hunting elk in the Breaks of HD 700 with a couple of dozen other hunters around. Don't think we heard more than 3 shots. That being said, if you have better intel than the average person, it sounds like a blast.

We hunted every year in the NE part of Montana, I won't tell any closer than that because if you want to wreck a hunting area just tell a lot of people where it is and that will be the end of a good area. Every year the 3 of us got decent bucks and the topography was fairly gentle, I doubt the top of the humps were more than 500 or 600 ft and did not see while walking very many hunters, we were spot and stalk so if a lot of people are around there is a good chance others would blow out your buck before you got there. 90% of the hunters we saw were road hunting and it was pretty wide open so when we walked we would typically go 5 to 10 miles for the morning hunt and the same for the evening. we found pockets that bucks liked, one of those pockets would have in the evening about a 30 % chance of having a good buck hanging around which I think is very good odds. We havent been back however for 10 years or so due to the high price of out of state tags and to drive there you have to go to the end of the earth and then keep going

What is "unlimited" mean? Open access for anyone?

The OP is talking about the MT unlimited "over the counter" sheep units.

The sugestions of getting onto those uunits in the summer and hiking them is a good one, you may think you have a plan but its more brutal than you expect. The first try we made was not doable for me, I have 6-8 miles in my ankle a day, and that was not enough with the plan we had. Grizzly has to be a major part of the plan as well!! I have a couple friends that have taken rams in those units and it is awesome but takes dedication.

The word is out though, there are a large bunch of the athelete hunters online that are sparking a lot of these younger guys to that hunt bit I get the desire to get away, when I was in high school we could bow hunting a main basin all season and maybe run into another hunter once, now it's a parking lot everywhere, you have large horse camps hunting small areas that can't even support them let alone the other 20 camps withing 2 miles.

Something has to change in MT, I have friends who are having crops wiped out by elk but the neighbor won't allow hunting so their are far to many elk then you have units that are litteraly stripped, you see an elk and there will be 4 side by sides and 3 chained up truck on its tail. Don't know but it's frustrating to stuggle to find a little mule deer buck for a kid to actually hunt his first year, units as a kid we could just go get a deer there aren't even tracks anymore.

Our first hunt in Montana was in 1960 or 61 and all the people in Montana were/are great and still are. That hunt was in SW Montana for sheep in an unlimited area. Very rugged country. I will never complain about the number of hunters, but just thank the good people of Montana for having us. Best of luck to anyone who hunts the unlimited areas you will earn any animal you get!