Some Montanans will tell you that opening day of hunting season each fall is
a bigger holiday than Christmas, birthdays or the Fourth of July. Because
for them, opening day is not just about family and tradition, it’s about the
heritage of a place, the thrill of a hunt and the challenge of a sport.
Montana is blessed with some of the largest population of big game wild
animals in the country, besides perhaps Alaska. Elk and whitetail and mule
deer roam the entire state, from the bottom lands o far up into the
mountains. Antelope, the other of the three main big-game animals, can be
found throughout the open, low valleys, especially in the eastern two thirds
of the state. And it is not just the animals that are so prized by hunters,
but the expanses of scenic wild lands on which they live.
The makeup of Montana’s hunting season is a complex schedule in which
different areas are open at different times, with different restrictions —
so make sure to understand the state regulations before you go. You can hunt
on both private and public land, but you must have permission to hunt
private land before you do so.
The state’s regulations are part of an overall management strategy to
ensure that big game populations are around for a long time, and offer
hunters a variety of hunting options. Before the main season, you can hunt
for elk or deer with a bow and arrow — yes, that is still a very popular
method of hunting in Montana. During the main season, most areas are open to
hunting primarily with a standard rifle. And in some areas, where hunting
pressure may be low or animal counts high, the hunting season can extend
past the regular end date.
Many people hunt for the meat, which is more tender, flavorful and lean
than most supermarket beef. Along with that tradition of hunting comes a
tradition of cooking!
But for some hunters, their main aim is a tough hunt, and so they chase
other animals. The mountain lion is perhaps the most elusive creature in the
woods, and the hardest to shoot. Other hunters will go after mountain goats
and big horn sheep, in search of their elegant and regal horns, though few
of these permits are given out each year.
If you’re new to hunting, maybe you’d like to hire an outfitter or guide
to show you the way. Stalking game is not easy, and moving in close enough
to take a sure shot is harder that it might seem. Hunters spend years honing
their skills and developing the experience to be successful, and for a new
hunter, a guide can help speed up the learning curve. Plus, with one of the
state’s many gifted outfitters, you can experience the Montana backcountry
like you never thought imagined, complete with comfortable sleeping
quarters, warm campfires and good eatin’.
Hunting in Montana is steeped in history and lore. But it is also steeped
in a deep tradition of conservation — in fact, in many regards, hunters and
fishermen were the first conservationists. The Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation, one of the pioneering sportsman-based conservation groups, was
started by four Montana hunters several decades ago and today is one of the
largest such organizations in the country.
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