Montana Land Questions

[jimikinz]

Hello,

I am looking at a couple properties to purchase, one of which is in MT. It will be something that I can escape to for hunting each year, but not much else.

I am NOT going to be bringing CA with me, if that worries anyone, I'm trying to get away from CA as much as I can.... :surrender: :rotf:

The property I am asking about here is in eastern MT, along the Musselshell north of Mosby where the 200 crosses the river. It is 25 acres fronting the river to the east. It is in hunting unit 700.

Does anybody have any impressions of this area? It is hard to tell from photos, but it looks to be mostly flat, with some timber along the river, and again on some of the hills to the east.

What is the elk, Mule deer, Whitetail deer, antelope, etc. hunting like? It seems like a non-resident general elk/deer tag is reasonably easy to draw. Is that correct?

I know that this is all pretty open-ended, but I'm trying to put as much info together on each of the properties that I am looking at. :thumbsup:

Thanks!
Jim

 

[BrownBear]

A bud speaks highly of the whitetail hunting in the bottoms in that region. He also reports all sorts of water rights rodeos on the Musselshell. What does that means in your specific location? Dunno.

I also recall that he listed all sorts of extra tags you can get for whitetail in Montana. That would be great news.

In all my time in Montana, I've learned it's like a lot of other places only moreso. Private land access is dicey and depends a whole lot on making friends and proving yourself over time. Public land is public land.

 

[Kootenai]

Easiest method to answer your questions is to contact the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. They are the experts.

Mark
NW Montana

 

[lowcsp]

The land around there is mostly flat and not much water, trees or grass with a lot of private land and blm mixed. the hunting would be better further north up by the missouri breaks for elk and some great white tail hunting but the elk hunting is bow hunting only unless you can wait 10 years to draw a rifle tag.

 

[BrownBear]

Good insights, Steve.

I wouldn't buy that land, Jim, without a personal visit, and preferably a couple of longish visits in different seasons. The land might be good for small game, but in the general region of the Rockies 25 acres isn't going to support lots of large wildlife, and certainly not all the time.

For example we have 280 acres of "prime" wildlife habitat including a mile of river front further south in the Rockies. It really is prime until you hunt it.

After a thorough deer hunt one day, I generally have to wait 5-7 days before they return and settle down to a normal routine. We have elk too, but they're really seasonal. Hunt the land once, even for deer, and the elk are gone for no less than a couple of weeks. It's not that the place is too small for good habitat, rather it's just not big enough to encompass the animals when they're pushed even a little. Heck, our neighbors have 1250 acres and they can hunt deer a little harder, like maybe two days in a row before letting it rest a week. And the elk are gone for up to two weeks even when you drive through in a pickup, much less hunt.

 

[jimikinz]

OK...that is some really good advice. I have to make sure that I don't make an emotional decision, because I really want o own some property, but I'd hate to regret it.

Thanks very much.

 

[fort fireman]

I don't think you would ever regret owning property. Remeber land is one thing they just arent making anymore. :grin: It just might not be the best for hunting. It might me good for homesteading though. You say you want to leave CA behind.

My wifes folks are from Great falls ,Helena and Boulder area . From my few visits to Montana i noticed, the further east you go the flater it gets and the less trees there are and the windier it gets. Saw a ton of ringnecks though(in the flat grsslands) and wished like crazy I had a shot gun. Right up until a rooster took off right out from under my horse. Then I got to have alittle rodeo fun of my own. :grin:

 

[Rod Lassey]

Pretty area, with a very small population--- Mosby, Grass Range, Sand Springs, and the rest of Garfield county is the least populated area in MT. Hiway 200 is the only main road through the area, but you can drive half the day on it and meet half a dozen vehicles. Rolling country, kind of breaky, big ranches. To the west is Lewistown and the Snowy mountains, which is a very nice area---got and uncle and a cousin who live there.

I would really recommend you see what you're buying before taking the leap---depending on the land and location, it might not be suitable to build on. On the other hand, if you're looking for solitude, you've come to the right place.

Rod