Dirt2

I'm looking for input from anybody who's hunted elk in this area or lives there.

1) Are elk densities there comparable to the rest of the breaks?

2) Why only 15 bowhunting tags for the whole district? This number is very low compared
to the rest of the breaks?

3) Are the bulls less call-shy here than in the rest of the breaks? Due perhaps to the
limited numbers of bowhunters?

4) How many gravel roads in the area? I drive a Geo Metro, so I'm slave to paved or
gravel roads. I just need to get to a jumping-off point, then I'll backpack 5-10 miles in
to the hunting area.

5) Any other info you may have is welcome.

Thanks.

121553

Hi dirt, I really know nothing of 680 other than being near Great Falls. I did look at some of my maps and road access appears to be no problem and seems to be a lot of flat land and state land available to hunt. If you plan on hunting 680 I suggest in calling the great falls BLM office and obtain a BLM map of the unit as these are most helpful in identifing land ownership, topo and road access. All or most of those hunting units in 400, 500, 600, and 700 have an abundance of unlimited tags avaliable for elk, deer and antelope. I'm hunting just to the east of unit 680. I'll be in units 410 and 700 where the mussleshell river and missiour river comes together. With a 900 antelope tag you can hunt in hunting units begining with 3,4,5,6,or7 and shoot up to 2 goats. As far as deer goes, its as many tags as you want to buy.
Why 680? Just curious why that one stands out to you? Good Luck, Bobby

Dirt2

Thanks for the reply. 680 stands out because it only allows 15 bowhunters, draw odds are like one in 13. All the other north breaks units (620, 630, etc.) allow 100-200 bowhunters, and those units you hunt allow unlimited bowhunters and wind up with 500 or 1,000 guys running around. My first thought was that there weren't a lot of elk there, but for rifle tags 680 allows about the same number as the other breaks units, so the elk must be there.

I still have to get hold of the biologist out of Havre, seems like he's out surveying game this time of year and I haven't caught up with him yet.

Anyhow, my thinking, purely theory mind you, is that if only 15 guys are running around in September in 680, as opposed to 100 or 1,000 in other districts, maybe those 680 bulls are less shy about calling. I like the idea of chasing those breaks monsters, I've done some hiking in 620 and in 410 during the summer, but if they won't bugle it really knocks a lot of the flavor out of the hunt in my opinion.

In my honey holes in western MT, the bulls don't live to the same advanced ages so aren't as big as the breaks bulls, but even so I've seen 6 PY bulls in 3 years of bowhunting (the biggest was a 340ish monster that is a whole other story). Also, these bulls I hunt are far enough back that they still bugle a lot. I'm really mixed on going to the breaks if the bulls won't bugle, even if 350-400 bulls grow on trees out there.

Anyhow, if you hunt 700 tell me, do the elk densities drop off as you head east away from the 'Shell? How are elk densities around that Hell Creek area? I drove all the way over to Jordan one weekend a couple years ago to drive in to Hell Creek and hike out into the breaks. Unfortunately, the skies opened up as I drove in to Jordan, and my Geo just doesn't do gumbo clay so I was screwed.

121553

Dirt, I think thats a great ideal getting hold of the biologist. See about previous harvest reports also. The way I think is the reason they have unlimited in many areas is because there is too many animals. If 680 only allows 15 hunters, why is that? Is it because the herds are down? Thats why I say its a good ideal about asking the biologist. I heard the same thing from a ranger here that hunt units 410 and 700 and he said that you'll see some descent bulls but they are non vocal due to the pressure put on them. 410 and 700 may draw a lot of hunters but I like to think that few go where I go, even if there are a lot of animals, I won't hunt if its crowded.
I am tring to combine an elk hunt with antelope and maybe a mule deer but it may be too much game and may just keep it simple and hunt elk and a antelope. I am leaning towards 410 more than 700.
Do you live here in montana? Where abouts do you hunt in western Montana? Good luck, Bobby

Dirt2

I live in Hamilton, I hunt just about everywhere. I don't mean to be vague, but I've scouted or hunted almost every corner of Region 2 plus significant parts of Regions 3,4,6, and 7. My mainstays are probably in the Bitterroot and Big Hole.

Have you hunted antelope with a bow before this season? What tactics do you use? I'd like to get into it some day (with the bow I mean), I killed a buck last year that will just miss B&C (how many times have I mentioned that, not that I'm proud or anything). My biggest obstacle to hunting antelope with a bow is that their rut overlaps the elk rut, and I'd rather hunt elk. Someday if I get good enough not to use up the whole bow season on elk, I will try antelope.

121553

Your just about due south of me. I'm here in the Kootenai national forest between eureka and rexford, 7 miles from the border. I have never been fortunate enough to get drawn for an antelope tag so to tell you the thruth I have no ideal what I am doing when it comes to bowhunting goats, I'm just hopen to find a stupid one. If I can't find one, then I am obtaining an otc tag for them and see about getting one during the general gun. Antelope bow starts aug 15 and the rut here in the NW for elk usually takes place mid sept., but if they are in the rut over there at this time, I just might have to re-evaluate my prioities and persue wapitis during archery season. Its a good day drive for me to get there as I'm going to do some scouting when I get back from fla. Bobby

Speedgoat

Dirt,
I'll have to take a look at my map and see where 680 boundaries are, if it's the area east of big sandy and north of the river, i have hunted deer there, not for elk necessarily, but i sure didn't see any elk, the further west you go, the elk densitys are not as good, and i would theorize that is why there is not as many permits, Also , i don't think there is as much timber either for the elk to hide. As far as elk bugling goes, they keep bugling in the breaks, but mostly after dark. I would sit out in the tent listening to them bugle all night, only to shut right up at 1st light. Now for the roads, good luck in a geo, that country is good ole montana gumbo, there is a fairly decent road out of big sandy, but it detiorates as you go
east. If you've ever spent time in the breaks, any extensive rain, or wet snow with a thaw, get out while the gettins good.

Speedgoat

Dirt,
One consideration for you is to float the missouri through your area, carrying your gear along with you. I have done this quite a bit in past years. There is a canoe floating service out of fort benton, who will also do a pick up for you. If your interested, i can get his number. You could put in a canoe at loma, and take out at judith landing, no finer way(especially without a 4 wheel drive to hunt the area. This will also get you away from the roads, you can hike the breaks from the shore in, and if your successfull, the drags downhill all the way. I allways used a l7 ft. canoe, packed a camp stove, dry box with gear, tent, and all the necessitys. With 2 of us we still had room for a couple deer.

Dirt2

Thanks Speedgoat, that line of thinking on boats sounds good. I'm not a boat person at all, but if I could get somebody to drop me off and then pick me up at some specified later time that would work. The 680 draw is about 1 in 13 or 14, so it'll likely be a few years before I pull the tag.

District 680 includes McClelland Ferry and runs down past Bullwhacker Creek to Cow Creek. Where Cow Creek runs in is the eastern boundary of 680, then you're in 620 (I think). I'm kind of betting, like you say, that the elk densities die off as you head upriver, but probably there are some elk from maybe Bullwhacker Creek on down. According to DeLorme's maps there is a lot of timber in that vicinity.

While I'm writing that last, I realized another reason I focused on 680. I just love that name, Bullwhacker Creek. It's currently my favorite placename in MT. Other great names: Bloody Dick Creek (there's a PC move on foot to change this name, if they do it's time for all of us to join the militia), actually I'm going to stop and go start a new post asking people for their favorite placenames.

I've had some real adventures already with the Geo on those gumbo roads, but never gotten hopelessly stuck yet.

Bobby, I haven't intruded into Region 1 much yet. My whitetail scouting has taken me north right up to the south edge of Region 1. I have backpacked into the Bob a couple times.

BareBack Jack

Dirt2,boy did you pick some no-mans land there.You best bet would be to hunt east on the river to cow crick,there are elk in this area not many but there are some.There are few roads and the ones that are there I would not take a Geo.I have fished on the Winifred side down acrross from area 680 and on the other side about 3 miles down stream from the ferry.To me it seems the Breaks kinda come down to the river and flaten out.This would be you best bet to find elk feeding and mating befor heading back in the breaks.680 is on the back side of 417 and there is elk all over the river on the south side.I will be out that way this weekend hunting turkeys and I will ask some of the landowners out there that hunt if they have ever hunted lk over there.