Before I get sick or too old I want to go bowhunting trophy whitetails at this place figuring a two week minimum time slot during the rut. If what I want is there, I'll make the time.

I'm a DYI hunter and if anyone is familiar with the place, I'd like to know about hunter access avenues and general area info.

Although I can pay for access, I much prefer to hunt like the avg Joe, and go for as little as possible. My ploy if successful, to write a book about how YOU can do it too!!!

I am seasoned at going to new places and making a go of it but this is an extreme hunt for me as it is so far and further north than I'm use to. Different country too.

I specificly want to hunt the genetics of this particular area so please don't tell me about Milk River.

I'd appreciate some info if ya have time.

it's beautiful country, but getting crowded. i live in central montana, and all of the flathead people come out here to hunt deer!



p.s. i grew up along the milk river, and that's where i've seen some of the biggest deer in my life. don't discount the area simply because it isn't surrounded by the majesty of the rocky mountains.



edited to remove antelope. of COURSE they wouldn't hunt antelope in flathead!

nc, the flathead area is awesome but if I were going after trophy quality mulies it would be in the Fort Peck area. Just my opinion

for once, i agree with ol' jimmy -



i know you are asking specifically about flathead, but the trophy potential is much better farther east. fort peck, the missouri breaks, the area around lewistown has HUGE mule deer with VERY wide racks. i am not a trophy hunter, but if i were, i would look there first. plenty of miles of public access as well, vs. western montana which is closing up due to private ownership.

Ncboman: An admirable undertaking you are planning there! Good for you. Yes there are some huge Whitetails there in Flathead county - I have seen them!
Let me relay this one particular Whitetail I saw on a wall there! Every year I would travel to Montana during spring, summer and fall for various reasons. Big Game Hunting in the fall, Gunshows in the summer and Varminting in the spring. Along with the occassional family trips to Glacier Park and The National Bison Range in Moiese (Flathead County). Anyway many years ago I got to know one of the fellows at the Ronan Sports Shop and bought Berger bullets and Varmint Rifles from them during my travels. They had a monster Whitetail, I mean a MONSTER Whitetail in the shop mounted on the wall - for years! It placed well up in the Boone & Crockett all time listing! One year (about 1998?) I cruise into the shop and the Whitetail was gone! The fellow there said it had sold! For $5,000.00! I had previously gleaned from them that, that Whitetail had been killed not far from Ronan, Montana. Now I also am pretty familiar with the Milk River country and I have never seen a Deer anywhere near as massive and impressive as this Flathead County Buck! I have Hunted N.E. of Flathead County many many times for Whitetails, Varmints and Bears. Having said those things and not being real familiar with Hunting in Flathead County I think I would opt for two weeks on the Milk River and a chance at a very good Whitetail with a bow over there!
That is plan"A"!
Plan "B" would be to go Hunt Flathead County for two weeks during the rut (November 14th through the end of the season November 28th this year) AND also making another trip out in early-mid September for 2 additional weeks of Hunting during the Archery Only Season! The Archery season this year runs from September 4th through October 17th. This way you will have more time to scout and find country to your liking. There is lots of National Forest land and private land intermingled in that huge county. I am not much of a bowhunter but even with lots of animals there in Flathead County I can think of a lot of places that are more conducive to bowhunting. Places that have more defined travel routes (trails) and feeding bedding areas. Lots of places in Flathead County the Whitetails just roam around more like in circles than, to and from routes! The livin is very easy for Whitetails in Flathead County! I have a close friend and Hunting partner that lives about 5 miles from Kila, Montana. Now and then a monster Whitetail Buck travels through his 20 acres, and lesser Whitetails are always seen there. He doesn't even Hunt there! He goes over to Jordan, Montana to Hunt Deer (Rifle) and takes his horses out for Elk on occassion in southern Montana?
Its dangerous to drive at night due to the Deer on the highways in Flathead County. When passing through there I try and plan my trips for the day time!
Plus in Flathead County there is a large Indian Reservation there. Lots of animals, Deer & Moose, get poached (year round) off the reservation. Often the arrestees are Indian folks!
I wish I had some more helpful information for you - I just don't! The Montana Bowhunters Association I am sure would be glad to assist you and give you more specific information in your quest for one of those heavy horned Flathead County Bucks! Good luck.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

thanks guys. I will study your advice.



here's why flathead county. The shape of the rack is distinctive and is nearly perfect.







here's another view. notice the upsweep.

pretty hard to argue with that logic!

here's an old picture from maryland. it looks much the same in terms of symmetry and MASSIVENESS!



of course, this mulie from central montana ain't taht bad, either!

Ronan, Mt. is not in Flathead County. It is in Lake county and also on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Check a map..... a PLACE to start looking for a nice whitetail is in the McGregor Lk. area, Tally Lk., and @ Olney, Mt. Those areas receive a lot of pressure from the road hunters so get out and walk a bit.

excellent Md buck. bowkill???

while I like shooting about anything with the bow, mule deer aren't the object of my desire.

whelen,

do you have any links to good maps showing public lands?

Besides the upswept beams, the Petry buck also has G2's that are the longest tines, something few other B&C class bucks can claim. I LIKE that. I would assume some of those characteristics still in the area.

I once had a reference to exactly where the Petry buck was killed but lost it when the old puter slung a rod.

While the end object is a B&C buck with a bow, success to me doesn't hinge on it. Growing up dirt poor as I did, just having the wherewithall to go to where I believe these genetics are is a feather in my cap. Once I arrive and begin to put some dirt under my feet, my satisfaction levels will already be very high. I have learned to love the dance.

as far as i know, that marryland buck was a rifle kill. i got the picture from a guy along with another nice buck that he got 30 or so years later.

NC Bowman,

Good for you, stick with your plans. You'll have FAR more public land hunting opportunities if you expand your search in counties around Flathead compared to trying to get on somewhere along the Milk River.

I would only concider altering the plans if you get good PROVEN access along the Milk...doubtful.

Proof? Buy a Montana Atlas and Gazetteer from Delorme (www.delorme.com) go to pages 66, 67, 68, 82, 83, 84. Check out the public land in Flathead, Lincoln and Sanders counties.

IMHO (and the opinion of many others) Why don't people see many huge whitetails in NW Montana but see them more often in NE Montana? Trees, lots and lots of trees.

The hunting will be much harder in NW Montana for sure. That's why most of us go to Eastern MT to hunt deer (I do!). Its tough to hunt for something you can't see very well AND you will have to budget some time scouting for good areas to hunt. The area is so massive that it will take some dedication and hiking to get to find a good place that will not have pressure. Minimize the time by getting a Gazetteer, BLM 1:100,000 maps and looking on TerraServer.

Get a GPS and learn how to use it to stay off of private land (if you can find any!).

DO NOT hunt in Tribal lands!! The boarders are clear on the maps.

There's a nearly fool proof method of getting away from other hunters in Montana.
1) Get over 1 mile off the road and you've left 80+% of them behind.
2) Get to where the evil ATVs can't go. Most ATVers stay on the logging roads, but the one or two dip-spankers who drive all over creation will ruin your hunt in a hurry.

If you don't know how to (I don't!) learn to rattle. John Barsness recommends this method for hunting big whitetails in NW Montana.

DO IT! We all expect pictures of your massive kill on Dec. 1, 2004 and autographed books.

Al

>>>Good for you, stick with your plans. You'll have FAR more public land hunting opportunities if you expand your search in counties around Flathead compared to trying to get on somewhere along the Milk River.

I would only concider altering the plans if you get good PROVEN access along the Milk...doubtful.<<<

i'll admit that having grown up here, i might know more of the places to go. in any case, i have never had an access problem at all.

>>>There's a nearly fool proof method of getting away from other hunters in Montana.
1) Get over 1 mile off the road and you've left 80+% of them behind.
2) Get to where the evil ATVs can't go. Most ATVers stay on the logging roads, but the one or two dip-spankers who drive all over creation will ruin your hunt in a hurry.<<<

ncboman, listen to AL in that one! it is the truth!