Montana antelope

[akdd]

I am planning to go to Montana next week to hunt antelope again. I am planning on spending a couple of days around Augusta and if I don't do any good there I might go east of Lewistown around Winnett.
Was wondering if the Montana people had hunted any of the block management areas around Winnett. I have been in contact with MFWP and the BMA,s that I will probably look into are Chain Buttes which is around 191,000 acres or the East Indian Buttes which is 89,000 acres. Another one I might check out is Chimney Rock which is 8,600 acres. Any info would be appreciated.

[red]

I don't have any information for ya, akdd...just best wishes for good hunting.

[CopperHead]

Sept 18, 2008 17:55:09 GMT -5 red said:

I don't have any information for ya, akdd...just best wishes for good hunting.

Ditto here good luck!!

[royden]

akdd - best I can say is good luck!

I can say this though, and maybe it will help. I got one customer who I set up antelope hunting around miles city (200 miles south of Lewistown, but farther east also) on sept 5th - 7th. The 8th has been my "rut is in" day for this area. The rut was in full swing, but the bucks were not chasing does one-on-one. At the same I went to Shelby (200 miles North of Lewistown, and not too far from were you want to go). The rut was not even kicked in yet - at all, zilch, zippo, natta. I personally thought the rut would be going around the 10th, however one local bowhunter watching the antelopes figured around the 17th. If he is correct they may still be rutting farther north in the state and a decoy may still be effective.

The place I scouted had probably 150 antelope, and I scouted another area 10 miles east that had at least as many. The antelope were very spotty with miles and miles of no antelopes to be found and then congretations of them in a few square miles (feed and water dependent I think).

My hunt was a good scouting mission with an eye for next year, but could not close the deal (I missed a doe at 35 yards, wind maybe, jumped the string maybe, maybe just a bad shot - I dunno).

If you are interested give me a call and I can set you up with the two best area's I saw up there.

royden
406-889-5591

[akdd]

Royden, thanks I might give you a call if Lewistown does not work out. I am commited to a couple of days inAugusta as I have friends there. Talking with MFWP sounds like there is a fairly high population around Lewistown. I will let you know how it turns out.

[royden]

There is and they are fairly big bodied (for antelope) also .... just don't remember how bowhuntable they are. I'm gonna be elk hunting this weekend and all next weekend, but should be home every other night so leave a message and I'll get back.

Let me know how Lewistown looks will you? The bad part about Shelby was that there are not a lot of choices ... with only 3-4 good area's to hunt, in a week I could easily teach all the antelopes to be heads up - a couple of days would be ok, but I needed more options for a week long hunt.

[akdd]

Well I am back from home after chasing antelope. Had a great time. Never did get one but put did get in quite a few stalks with close encounters. Just never could get everything together at the same time. Put a few miles on the knee pads. Seen a lot of antelope. Spent the first couple of days kind of scouting around. I just hunted the block management areas did not ask any of the ranchers if I could hunt the private ground. The first day I went east of Lewistown and hunted on #98 Teigen Ranch BMA. Seen a few bunches of antelope on it and some doe mule deer but I think that it might get hunted pretty hard as it straddles highway 200. Went from there to north of Winnett to #36 Chimney Rock BMA and spent the night. Seen two bunches of antelope there and shot a gopher but it looked like it would be better for deer and elk hunting than antelope. From there I went north of Lewistown on highway 191 to Bohemian Corner. Checked out #155 the 0 bar N Ranch BMA south of the Highway it held a few antelope but it is real poor terrain for stalking just about all farmed ground. Next went further north and looked at #146 Rocky Point BMA which is 4000 acres. It is a pretty good area see some mule deer and antelope on it. It is a mixture of farmed ground and breaks has some good ground for stalking. There is another BMA that adjoins Rocky Point ( #136 Westland East Side) that I seen quite a few antelope on but did not hunt is as it is one that requires reservations and there is not cell phone coverage so I could not call to make reservations this one might be a good area. From there I went north about another 6 miles to #33 East Indian Buttes BMA. I think this was the best area that I was in. No farm ground just grazing. There was a lot of water around between the stock tanks and the natural water so the antelope are not concentrated is small areas. This is the area where I spent the most of my time. Went in on the Mussellshell trail about 6 miles and camped at Jakes Reservoir. Not thousands of antelope around but there was quite a few. First day I drove around until I would spot some antelope in a stalkable position and then try to stalk them. But after that I would just go to where there was terrain that looked good for stalking and start walking never had to go very far until I was seeing antelope. Usually what would happen is you would see one bunch and start stalking them and before you got up on them there would be another bunch in sight. This could cause you to end up quite a long ways away from the truck as each bunch would be a little further away and the next thing you know you have a 5 mile walk back to the truck. I did not do anything other than spot and stalk hunting. But I would see antelope around the same waterholes everyday so you could probably set up a blind and get one that way. If the blind did not cause them to change waterholes. All in all had a great time.

[akdd]

One other thing that I did do while I was in Ronan was to look up Dan Toekle. I used to trade guns with Dan years ago when he was running the gun department in the local sporting goods store. Anyway I got to check out his shop and shoot some of his bows. Dan puts a lot of care into his bows and they are a dream to shoot. Ended up ordering a 62" Whip from him. Now I can't hardly wait until he gets it done. Will be about 6 weeks.
montanabows.com

[BT]

Thats 2 years in a row that the speed goats got your goat
Third time is a charm I am told!

[akdd]

Yes, the antelope won again. However I do plan on giving them another chance next year.