Montana Outfitter Journal

Montana Guided Elk Hunts- Opening Week

2012-02-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

Guide Jason Warren (left) and Jim Moore with Jim's opening week bull.

Jason's meadow strikes again. After a week of hunting hard and keeping after it, Jim and his guide Jason had many close encounters and saw lots of elk but did not connect until the evening they were sitting the same meadow Mark shot his bull opening morning.

"I knew the bulls were coming out in that meadow still so we decided to sit it till dark, no matter what." Jason said.

Jason's hunch was right when a bull came out early in the evening. Jim took aim and dropped the bull in the meadow.

Putting in some Miles for an Opening day bull

2012-02-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

Opening Morning found guide Remi Warren and hunters Andrew and Joe Ekstein waiting on a high mountain meadow where Remi had been watching a large herd of elk with multiple bulls the entire week before. Unfortunately the elk did not show according to plan so the group hiked to the top of the mountain and down the timber on the other side where they had seen some elk in the morning.

It was a long strenuous hike but it paid off as a bull bugled in the canyon. The hunters set up and one of the bulls came out in an opening in the trees 500 yards away. Andrew set up on the bull and made an excellent shot dropping the bull immediately. While they were skinning the elk another bull continued to bugle to the cows just up the ridge.

Remi packed half the meat out that night planning to hunt the area for Joe's bull the following day. That next morning there were two bulls within range but the high gusting winds and trees made getting a shot impossible. they cut the elk off in the timber with the majority of the cows walking within 30 yards of the hunters. Unfortunately the bulls slipped out a different way bugling as they moved through the timber and disappearing.

Andrew and Joe enjoying a rest in the backcountry meado

Opening Morning Bull

2012-02-01T10:52:00.000-08:00

After watching a bachelor group of five bulls enter a meadow every morning for over a week, Guide Jason Warren was excited to take his hunters Jim and Mark into the meadow now dubbed Jason's meadow to try and ambush one of the bulls first thing.

As they moved in on the meadow, true-to-form the bulls were out. The hunters snuck in and the first bull to give Mark Sicles an opportunity went down with a perfect shot. They had a bull down just after sun-up on opening day. The rest of the day was spent packing the bull out of the meadow.

Montana Elk Hunt - Opening Week Trophy Bull

2012-02-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

Brian Secrest took his first bull with guide Darren Steel while hunting a herd of elk the Montana OutWest Crew had been watching before the season. A few days prior Mike Marchese and Brian had got into a big herd of elk and had some fleeting shots as the elk moved through the trees at close range. Not connecting, the group kept after it and got back into a big herd of over 100 animals a few days later. Brian was able to anchor the largest bull in the herd.

"After the bull went down we were all jumping up and down!" Brian said, "It was one of the most exciting moments I have experienced, my legs were tired but I sprinted up to the bull after I shot him. I could not believe it I finally got my first bull!"

After taking pictures, the crew made quick work of packing the bull back to the truck.

Montana Archery Combo Hunt - Tagged Out

2011-10-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Billy Martain had a great week of archery hunting with Montana OutWest Outfitters. On the first day he stalked a Pope and Young class 160 inch mule deer but the buck busted out before he could get a shot. Later that day a smaller buck stepped out and gave Billy a shot he could not pass up a thirty yards.

The next few days were spent chasing elk. Billy got into elk every day and had a close encounter with a big 6x6 at 30 yards but there was just too many limbs in the way for a shot.

Two days after the 6x6 a bull was just screaming in a canyon chasing cows. Remi bugled the bull in text book and Billy smoked him as Jason filmed the hunt.

The last two mornings Billy wanted to chase bear to fill out his last tag. He opted to borrow Remi's rifle for the hunt. The first morning of the bear hunting they closed the distance from four miles to 300 yards on a giant black boar. Unfortunatly Billy missed the bear.

The next morning Remi decided to go to a little easer to get to area for bears. Twenty minutes into the morning a nice brown phase bear came out of the brush 90 yards away. Billy was able to anchor the bear and fill all three of his Montana Tags. The best part is the deer, elk, and first bear Billy shot at were all captured on video!

Oh Yeah, can't forget about some mid-day grouse hunting either.

New Lodge

2010-12-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

The New Lodge

A comfortable camp, first class meals, and great company is all part of the experience with Montana OutWest Outfitters

The Elk Hunting Experience

2010-12-08T16:43:00.000-08:00

As elk hunters, being successful is only a small part of the trip. Although Jim has harvested many elk, our experience on this trip will be one to remember. On the first day of the hunt the mountains were socked in with fog. We worked our way up the mountain as far as we could. After spotting some elk in a meadow we stalked in for a shot. The pitch of the meadow made it hard to see the elk so Remi climbed a tree to get a look at the bull only 60 yards away, hidden by the contour of the meadow. He decided to wait the elk out until they offered a shot. After a short wait the bull gave Jim a 100 yard shot and Jim made the shot count.

As darkeness fell Remi built a fire and skinned out the elk. That night the clouds cleared and the full moon illuminated the snow. It was so bright no flash lights were needed for the walk out. It truly was a great elk hunting experience.

Set up on Elk

2010-12-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

Paul puts some elk in his cross hairs waiting for the 5x5 we stalked in on to move out into the open for a shot. Cliff took a tough shot at a nice bull the first day of the hunt but unfortunately did not connect. The Father son team had a great hunt seeing a ton of elk and a lot of close calls.

They got the whole Montana -big sky hunting experience. including roasting sandwiches over an open fire for lunch while glassing in the fog and the cold.

Trophy Mule Deer-Montana Non-typical

2010-12-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

After hunting hard and passing on a lot of trophy bucks in unit 270 Tony was able to get his crosshairs on this great non-typical deer. Hunting with his son Shane they covered the area looking over multiple trophy bucks every day. This buck presented Tony with a 400 yard shot right before the end of shooting time. Tony made a great shot droping the buck on the ridge. The hunt was captured on video and will be featured in an up-coming web epiosode. The buck scored over 183 B&C Gross.

Last Evening Bull

2010-12-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

After his Dad took a nice mule deer buck, John and Remi headed out for the last eveing into an area where they spotted a few nice bulls that morning. After a long hike in, Remi Spotted a bull across the canyon in the timber. The two moved in and set up for a 450 yard shot being unable to get any closer. John took his time and made a great shot on the bull.

Being so far back, dinner was made out of some of the elk's backstraps as Remi skinned and quartered the animal. Jason and Bart came in with the horses at dark to help get the bull out. After a long and tough hike back the hunters finally made it back to camp around 3:00 in the morning.

Mule Deer from unit 250

2010-12-07T12:07:00.000-08:00

After taking his elk Enrique also harvested this great 4x4 buck on the last day of the hunt. To top it off the whole deer hunt was captured on film (stay tuned for the launch of our Montana OutWest webisodes Coming mid January).

While chasing the buck the evening before the deer had given us the slip. After a long stalk the deer disappeared until right before dark. The next day the buck was back, this time pre-occupied with some does allowing Enrique time for a shot. Enrique got steady and made a great 350 yard shot.

Elk hunting in Montana

2010-12-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

Enrique and his son John had a great week of hunting in Montana. At 60 years old Enrique walked through the mountains like he was a walking in the park. On the First day of the hunt we spotted a group of five big bulls over four miles away. We moved in to find the bulls still feeding out in a big meadow. As we moved in closer the elk slipped into the timber. we decided to wait them out hoping they would come out in the evening to offer a shot. after a little while of waiting Remi caught the elk moving below 300 yards way in the trees. Enrique and John both set up on the bull but Enrique got off the first shot. He dropped the bull in his tracks with one perfectly placed heart shot.

First Deer Hunt- Two Great Bucks from Unit 250

2010-12-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

Cody and his dad Ed joined Montana OutWest for Cody's first big game hunt. With Bart as their guide the three set out in search of a trophy mule deer. Cody passed on some nice deer before harvesting this great 3x3. The buck presented a shot but by the time Cody got lined up the buck was on the move. Bart bleated at the deer getting it to stop offering Cody a shot. It was a great first buck and a great hunting experience.

The next day Ed was fortunate enough to harvest a huge buck. When Bart spotted this buck there was no questions it was a shooter. The buck had a heavy 4x4 main frame as well as a forked cheater. Including brow tines this 5x7 officially SCI scored 175 with a 170 inch typical frame. Both Cody and Ed's Bucks came out of unit 250.

Montana Elk Hunt for Gradutaion

2010-12-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

Justin took this great 6x6 bull on the first morning of his first elk hunt. We spotted this bull at over five miles away at sun rise. We worked our way in on the herd and got set up 250 yards away. something spooked the elk while we were set up and sent them over the ridge. We moved in to find two good bulls 100 yards below us in the timber. Justin got set up and took a well placed shot at this bull through the tree's.

Justin's dad Randy also shot at a nice bull two days later in a different area. After closing the distance from a 1/2 mile to 300 yards, Randy took the shot as the bull moved from the timber to the open (video to come).

Ratteling and Calling Mule Deer

2010-12-06T09:58:00.000-08:00

Hunting during the rut in a limited draw area has its advantages. This unit 270 mule deer was rattled and called in using a combination of grunts and doe bleats.We had to use calling tactics to call the buck over a property line to where we could shoot him. The big rutted buck came stomping in tearing up everything he could along the way, raking his horns on fences, a tree, and some sagebrush. He gave us a show before the hunter Art Hinckley took the buck. We captured the hunt on film with three different camera angles (video coming soon). The buck scored over 180 B&C Typical.

Photo update of some of the animals

2010-11-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

Week one Success Broken Down

2010-10-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

Elk kill Success 60%
Hunters shooting at a bull 5x5 or better 80%
Hunters with bulls in the crosshairs 100%
Hunter success on killing both an elk and a deer 40%
All of the hunters this week saw elk every day of the hunt.

Father and Son Elk Hunt

2010-10-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

Opening day found Joseph, Luke and their guide Bart in the mountains with a group of multiple bulls bugling in the timber. After chasing the group up the steep mountain and many miles to the top, Joseph got a shot at a nice 6x6 bull through the trees.

Two days later Luke took a Monster 5x5 bull at over 500 yards. The bull he took we had encountered numerous times during archery season. It was a mature bull with a wide heavy rack and great length on the front tines.

The two also each harvested whitetail deer to take home with them.

Montana Elk Hunt Opening Week

2010-10-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

Opening morning found Cameron and Doug 200 yards from a heard of elk 30 minutes into the hunt. there were two bulls in the group and close to 30 cows. Cameron had the shot and took a nice bull at 200 yards. The rest of the week was spent locating a bull for Doug. He saw elk every day and had a close encounter with a nice five by five that would not give him a shot with all the cows around.

Overall it was a great opening week with lots of snow and quite a few elk.

Montana Archery Elk Hunt

2010-09-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

The first morning of the hunt we got into a monster 6x6 bull but the elk wanted to be quite. The rut seemed like it was on pause. We stalked 40 yards in on a trophy 4x4 mule deer but he never presented a good shot. That evening we got into a herd with a nice 6x6 bull and called seven spike bulls in (the closest only eight yards away).

The next morning we bugled a bull in but got busted by the wind, never getting to lay eyes on the bull who was probably inside 100 yards. That evening we got back in on the nice 6 from the night before but he remained just over the rise. The third day the elk were quite again we tried a stalk on a bull but his cows busted us. The rut had seemed to be in remission for a few days and the elk were fairly quite.

Now when the elk rut goes off it really goes off. The morning of the fourth day found Shaun smack dab in the middle of a rutting elk herd. enticed by an estrus cow call his 5x5 bull came in to 45 yards and stood broadside allowing Shaun to put all his practice to use and hammer the bull right in the boiler room.

After shooting we stayed in position and continued to call just to see what would happen. We called in three more bulls - a 1x3 rag, a 4x5, and a 6x6 with the herd bull still bugling like crazy just over the ridge. It was awesome to watch how the satellite bulls came into the calls one by one to check us out.

First Time Bow Hunt

2010-09-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

Neil had one goal this week and that was to get his first bow kill. The first day of hunting he was in elk all day with two shots but to no avail. As veteran bowhunters know, a lot can still go wrong at 20-45 yards. After hunting hard for elk we decided to chase some whitetail deer. Neil scored on his first bow kill harvesting a whitetail from the ground blind. With a bow often times the first kill can be the hardest. Congratulations Neil on becoming a successful bowhunter.

Montana Archery Bear Hunt

2010-09-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

After spotting a bear while elk hunting I decided to find someone up for the challenge of taking a bear in Montana with a bow – Spot and Stalk. After meeting up with Ray we headed out for an evening hunt. The bear was still feeding on an elk carcass I had spotted him on the day before. We slowly stalked down to where the bear was. We had lost sight of the bear and figured he was in the thick brush where we last saw him headed. Little did we know, the big boar had circled around to the other side to watch over his meal. At about 15 yards away the bear busted out behind us and climbed up the nearest large pine. It could not have worked out any better giving Ray a 23 yard shot on the treed bear.

Archery Hunt Action

2010-09-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

This week was about as close as it gets without harvesting a bull. When you think elk hunting during the rut this week was it. There were several days where the elk were screaming all around us. We had cows come in to around ten yards and big bulls just 30 yards out of range. Jim had an excellent hunt full of action every single day. Sightings of the week included hundreds of elk, mule deer, whitetails, two moose, and a bear- not to mention the grouse!

Montana Bighorn Sheep Hunt

2009-12-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

Jim Gibbs of Wyoming harvested this great ram out of unit 250 during the last week of the season.

For more information about Montana sheep hunts and sheep hunting in western Montana, check out Montana OutWest Outfitters web site.

Click here for more Montana bighorn sheep hunting information.

Montana Whitetails

2009-12-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

Jason took this great buck during the peak whitetail rut the last week of the season.

Week Four Bull || Montana Elk Hunts

2009-12-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

The last bull of the season was taken by Cindy Harper. Having shot cow elk in the past this was Cindy's first bull. Montana elk hunting at its finest.

Montana Trophy Whitetail

2009-12-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

Ray Anderson took his best Montana Whitetail to date. What a great buck.

Trophy Montana Mule Deer

2009-12-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

This Montana Trophy Mule Deer has about as deep of forks as they come. This Monster buck came running in to check out a group of does across the canyon. The big Montana buck covered about 500 yards in less than an minute to check out a group of ladies he had spotted. Upon spotting the hunters, the big buck got wary and started to move out. The big mule deer stopped one last time when hunter Greg Johnson made a perfect 280 yard shot dropping the buck.

Greg hunted four hard days passing up over a hundred decent buck. His patients payed dividends when this big muley showed his face the afternoon of the fourth day. After passing several great bucks Greg finally found the buck he was looking for.

For more info about hunting this trophy area, hunting trophy mule deer in montana, mule deer harvest stats and click here.

Trophy Mule Deer

2009-12-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

This trophy mule deer has a great typical frame and an extra cheater off of its left side.

For more information on hunting mule deer in Montana, Trophy mule deer units, mule deer hunt statistics, Montana mule deer unit statistics, trophy mule deer pictures, and more click here.

Two Days of Hunting to Tag out

2009-12-02T15:07:00.001-08:00

By the next afternoon Gary had tagged out by taking his first deer as well. one shot with is lever action dropped the buck.

Montana Elk Hunting - Week Four, First Morning Bull

2009-12-02T14:43:00.000-08:00

On the first morning of his hunt Gary Schremp of Nevada took a great bull and his first big game animal to boot. After sneaking in to four hundred yards Gary compensated for the strong wind and made a perfect shot when the bull gave him the opportunity.

For more information about hunting elk in montana visit www.montanaoutwest.com

Eric's Buck- Montana Mule Deer Hunt

2009-12-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

Wanting to take a trophy mule deer, Eric opted to take a cow elk while the cow season was opened to focus on taking a great buck. The next day he got on two nice bucks. After still hunting through the trees, Remi spotted this great buck in the dark timber. Eric got prone and made a great shot dropping the buck in his tracks. Remi packed the buck back to the truck in his Kifaru pack.

Drop Tine Muley on the River

2009-12-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

The evening before the actual hunt started this great mule deer buck with a drop tine wandered into Jay's sights. One Shot put this out of place wanderer down. Although the river bottom is not typical of mule deer country Eric wasen't about to complain. As the saying goes, big bucks are where you find them.

Montana Elk Hunts - Week Three Bull

2009-12-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

The third week of the season found Eric Lungren & Jay Manganaro from North Carolina in the thick of the elk with their guide Remi Warren. Jay connected with this bull at 350 yards dropping it in his tracks. With over 200 other elk around and seven other bulls it was tricky getting an open shot at the bull with no cows around.

For more information about montana elk hunts, montana elk hunting, montana outfitted elk hunts, season dates, elk hunting videos and more - check out www.montanaoutwest.com

Double Nice for Nancy - Montana Whitetail Deer Hunts

2009-12-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

Nancy had a tremendous season not only did she take her first elk but she took the largest whitetail of her life while hunting with guide Brett Hinckley and her husband Ray.

Montana Elk Hunt - Crazy Horned Bull

2009-12-02T13:53:00.001-08:00

It is hard to pass up a bull with unique horns like this one because you know you won't see one like it again. Frank Teal of GA took this bull during the second week of the season. It's left antler has a ton of charter with that misshaped brow tine.

Long Road to First Bull- Montana Guided Elk Hunts

2009-12-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

Jay Worden of Washington fulfilled his hunting dream of harvesting a bull elk. After 13 years of hard hunting in Washington state Jay connected with his first elk. He made a phenomenal 500 yard shot to down his trophy. After missing a bull on the first day at 100 yards, Jay thought his chances at finally taking a bull were over. Two days later he connected with this bull. Two days after that Jay had a Monster mule deer in his sights but a few branches stood in the way of a great shot. While trying to reposition for a clear shot the monster buck slipped away in the fog and snow leaving only great memories of the bucks huge rack behind.

Icy River Buck

2009-12-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

Bob Weber of Washington took this buck with a single well placed shot. Bob only had a small opening in the brush but was able to connect. His guide Remi Warren waded through the icy river to retrive the downed buck.

Jonh's buck

2009-12-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

Not only did John harvest his first bull he also harvested the largest mule deer he had ever taken. With the help of his guide Brett they put a stalk on the 3x4 deer and John made an excellent shot. Brett got the pleasure of packing the buck back to the truck.

Week Two off to a Good Start

2009-12-02T11:52:00.001-08:00

Brett Hinckley Guided female Hunter Nancy Anderson To her first elk. Nancy made an excellent shot when the bull presented a target for her. One shot and the bull dropped in his tracks 150 yards away. The unique bull actually had seven points on one side and six on the other.

Updates Soon

2009-11-21T17:53:00.001-08:00

For those of you that follow - it is hard to up date during the season but pictures and short stories of all the clients hunts will be up shortly after the season. Thanks and keep reading.

Montana Mule Deer for the Combo

2009-11-07T16:00:00.001-08:00

To top off his great bull Billy also took this nice 4x4 mule deer. We were able to capture the whole hunt on film. He took a great shot dropping the buck in his tracks at 330 yards shooting almost straight up a steep hillside. Check our website after the season for some of the new video's.

John Drops the Hammer

2009-11-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

John Molloy of California took a great 5x5 bull - His first elk - on opening morning. he made a great 350 yard shot dropping the bull in his tracks. After chasing hundreds of elk up and down the mountain all day they finally caught up to a bull that offered a shot. As the bull moved through the trees John's guide Brett bugled stopping the bull for a broadside shot.

Montana Elk Hunt Opening day Bull

2009-11-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Opening day on his Montana Elk hunt Billy Bouse of Texas smoked this great 301 1/8 6x6 at 513 yards. With the help of his guide they moved in on the bull after hearing it bugle just after John took his first bull elk. They quickly made a move getting in position for a cross canyon shot. Billy made a perfect heart shot dropping the bull in his tracks.

two down| Montana deer hunting

2009-11-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

Although Craig missed a monster buck the night before and before harvesting this one (which is very rare for him) he connected on this nice three point filling his tags by mid morning of day two. mule deer hunting in Montana doesn't get much better. tagging out before lunch of the second day means relaxation for the remainder of the week.

Craig's montana elk hunt

2009-11-01T20:55:00.001-08:00

Craig just keeps out doing it. This is his fourth year hunting with us and he has gone 100% every year. This is the second time he has tagged out by day two and the second bull he has taken on the first day of the hunt. This year he beat his elk harvest by four hours. It may have dies on the road- but unfortunatly the road was still over five miles to the truck.

Montana mule deer the next day

2009-11-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

Bruce followed up his bull with this tremendous 4x4 mule deer the next morning. The buck was pushing some does when Bruce dropped him in his tracks. We got the shot on video so look fo it after the season.

Montana Elk Hunting

2009-11-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

Bruce of Louisiana took the first bull of the day, a nice five point. This was his first elk hunt and his first bull was taken after a hour of hunting. We had a long pack out but were able to get both the bulls out in one trip with a combination of game carts and pack frames.

Four Aces- Opening Day Montana Elk Hunt

2009-11-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

Opening day, four hunters & four bulls down by the end of the day. Two were taken at sun-up first thing the other two were taken that eveing - including a great 301 1/8 6x6 (a monster buck was also missed in unit 250 on opening day). That was three five by fives and one six point. By the morning of day, two hunters had filled there deer tags. The rest of the week was just as good the other hunters tag out on deer by day four on day five another hunter joined us and took a nice bull elk.

Week two is already off to a good start as the elk hunter taged out on a bull this morning.

As of today we are 100% success with the average hunt for elk being one day. the count is six elk and four deer for two elk hunters and four combo hunters.

More posts of the individual elk will be on there way, it is just hard to update so many animals during the season when you get in after a long day of hunting.

Montana Archery Whitetail

2009-10-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

Montana OutWest Hunter Brett Hinckley took this whitetail buck with his bow. He was sitting in a double bull blind in a feeding area when this buck stepped out at 15 yards. Brett Smoked the buck and he didn’t go far. The Rage broadhead left a huge exit wound that put the buck down in short order.

A Big Montana Mule Deer Harvested by a Female Archer

2009-09-27T09:41:00.001-07:00

9/22/09 After looking through the Montana record book this buck very well could be one the largest bow killed mule deer by a woman this year, as well as the top three or four killed by a woman with a bow in the state (all-time). I won’t make any promises but I will keep an update on this buck as the official score comes in.

Jamy Simonsen was lucky enough to draw a coveted unit 270 mule deer tag. Having spotted a great buck that would have scored around 180, I had her come out for the day to see if we could find the buck. After spotting the buck we put three different stalks on him with no avail. We decided to go check another area when we spotted the buck she ended up taking. As Jamy drew back to shoot, the buck bedded offering no shot. Jamy remained patient and waited for over an hour for the buck to stand and offer a shot. She made a perfect shot and the buck fell about 40 yards away.

It was a great trophy and to top it off I got the whole hunt of film.

For More info on hunts check out www.montanaoutwest.com

Montana Elk Hunting At Its Finest

2009-09-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

9/26/09 The week of elk hunting couldn’t have ended any better. Every day we had bulls with in 45 yards but most of the days there were just no clear shots through the trees. We even had two big six points battling it out 35 yards away but still offering no shot. After the week of hard hunting we had a ton of action every day, one miss and one bull on the ground.

On the day of the harvest, Jon was up to bat. We got into a group of close to 150 elk with over 10 bulls in the group. They were bugling and running around like mad. The rut was on and the action was hot. We spotted one huge six point in the 320 class but there were other good bulls running around as well. We chased the elk up the mountain as they pushed cows getting closer and closer with every set up. When we reached the top, I let out an estrus cow call which a bull bugled to. I set Jon up, dropped back and bugled. The bull got fired up. The bull came in but held up bugling 40 yards away and out of sight. I picked up a stick and started to rake a tree. The bull got pissed off and came in right to Jon’s lap. At 20 yards Jon took his shot. The bull only went 37 yards from the shot. It was a great bull and I don’t think Jon could have been any happier.

The week ended with two deer and one elk down including one bull missed. We are still 100% shooting for the year on both elk and deer.

For more info on a montana elk hunt check out www.montanaoutwest.com

First Day Deer and First Whitetails For Two Hunters

2009-09-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

9/19/09 With the dream of harvesting his first whitetail and elk with a bow Jon Lesperance of Phoenix, AZ got his hunt started right by taking a nice buck on his first evening in the blind. A group of six bucks fed out into the field giving Jon a shot at one of the bucks before the evening had ended.

9/21/09 Mike Marchese of Reno, NV also harvested a whitetail buck two days later. Although we spotted a big buck the day earlier, he opted to take the first buck that offered him a shot after 15 minutes on stand. His buck was a "slump breaker" since he had not harvested in a while. It was also his first whitetail.

My Own Montana OutWest Combo Hunt

2009-09-14T23:17:00.000-07:00

Having a week with no clients really is no different than a week with clients. I am still in the hills, the only difference is that I am holding the bow. Although one of the biggest rushes for me is to call in a rutting bull for a client, it was fun to pick up the bow and chase the bad boys around for myself.

The past few days I have hunted alone and called big bulls into 40 yards or less but all the bulls came straight in as usually happens when you don't have a caller. Although the bulls were close they presented no shot. This evening however, one of my guides Brett Hinckley came along to call for me. It was cool to get to see what it might be like on the clients end of the hunt (being in the shooters positions).

After spotting a group of elk mid-day, we waited until evening to move in on them. As we closed the distance in the timber I caught a cow no too far away. We got down and set up. We began to cow call using a lot of estrus whines in the mix. It is amazing how realistic my Carlton Call sounds, it is hands down the best call on the market to imitate a cow in heat.

As the cows closed in around us I let out a soft bugle with no threatening overtones. Immediately the bull responded. after a series of cow calls I bugled again. This time the bull answered more aggressively. I responded in the like, escalating the intensity of the situation. when the bull responded with an aggressive long chuckle I interrupted his bugle with my own chuckle sending him over the edge.

The bulls next bugle was close. All the sudden behind a stand of trees 60 yards away the whole forest seemed to come crashing down as the bull raked a small tree. I could see the tree moving but i still coulden't see the elk. I repositioned to make sure that the shot would be broadside because it looked like it was coming straight for where I had called from.

I signaled Brett to rake the tree behind him. It sounded so realistic it really sent the bull over the edge taking his frustration out on the little tree. Brett one again raked his tree like a pro - following it up with a bugle. It was all the bull needed to send him right into our set-up. as the bull crested the hill I drew back seeing his horn tips waiting for his shoulder to clear a small tree in between us.

The bull focused in on the decoy by Brett and had no clue I was honing in on him. I let out a mew and stopped him at 18 yards. I settled the pin behind his shoulder and let the air out of him. It was a perfect double lung shot. the bull only ran about 45 yards and expired in a matter of minutes.

A big buck and a nice bull to boot, my combo elk deer hunt was a success. It was a great feeling to fill another tag on a great animal.

For more information about our combo hunts check out http://www.montanaoutwest.com/

As soon as I get some time, a lot of this years hunt videos should be available on my website and YouTube channel so please check back a little later in the year.

As always I love to hear feed back about the website, videos, blogs, and articles.

you can reach me at hunt@montanaoutwest.com.

Happy Hunting,

Remi Warren

Montana OutWest Outfitters

http://www.montanaoutwest.com/

Monster Mule Deer Buck

2009-09-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Although unit 270 is said to have gone down hill the last two years, there are still some smokers to be had. Yesterday I was able to hang my tag on the trophy of a lifetime - a 215 inch muley that I harvested with my bow. After getting permission to hunt on a piece of property where I heard a big buck was hanging around I headed out to see for myself if there was a trophy hiding in there.

The area was open and the buck seemed to move to the fields down below after dark to feed. We started out on the top of a ridge by sun up but had only seen one smaller four point. We continued to stay as high as possible when a group of nine buck spotted us from a quarter mile away and took off. I got the spotting scope on them and saw the big buck with them. They were headed straight up the mountain and as wary as they were it was not going to be easy to close the distance.

I climbed/ran up the back side of the steep mountain where they were headed hoping to cut them off. As I crept over the top, I spotted the group of bucks below me 135 yards, but I didn’t see the big buck. I laid down on the hill to wait them out for about a half an hour until they moved out of sight. Once they moved I got up to close the distance and caught a glimpse of the big buck lower by a lone tree. As I circled down and around I saw the group of buck moving over a small ridge off to my left. I continued to stalk down to the tree to see if the big buck was there.

I got to 65 yards from the tree and saw a 3x4 bedded there sleeping. I decided to go see if the big buck was with the other deer before sneaking into the tree just in case he had joined back up with the group. Not seeing the big deer, I decided to stalk into the tree.

At about 20 yards away I spotted the bucks horn tips bedded just before he stood up. The 3x4 had known something was up but the big buck never saw me. He was tucked up under a pocket between the rock ledge and the tree nearly invisible. The bucks bolted out to the side hill across from me. I grunted and they stopped. I ranged the buck at 47 yards, drew back, released and let the air out of him. The buck’s body was the biggest I had ever seen. It was like shooting at an elk. He far out weighted the buck that stood next to him. He ran over the ridge and disappeared. I gave him a few minutes then went over to see if I could spot him. I found him, head laying down about 90 yards from where I shot him from.

It was definitely the biggest buck I had ever killed. His mass and tines were unbelievable. We took some pictures then packed him out. We ran a quick tape on him last night but it was just a rough score, it came out to 215 inches, with a 200 inch typical main frame. A super deer for a bow kill. After caping out the skull I was off again to chase elk for the evening. Although we only had a few hours we spotted one bull and had some elk respond to the calls.

This morning while out I called a bull into 40 yards but he never presented a good shot. Not many places you can kill a monster buck and get on a bull within 24 hours.

For more information about hunting in the trophy mule deer area check out http://www.montanaoutwest.com/muledeer.html

For information about our combo elk & deer hunts check out http://www.montanaoutwest.com/bitterrootelkhunts.html

First Blood

2009-09-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

Day two of the Montana archery season and the first bull is down. Brian May the Real Hunting Magazine hunt winner scored on a nice bull on his three day archery hunt. We callled the bull in to 20 yard and captured the whole thing on tape. It will make a great video and will hopefully be posted to the web site soon http://www.montanaoutwest.com/video_placeholder.html. The bull came into the cow calls and was coaxed with help from the Montana Decoy.

NEWS FROM THE HILLS

2009-09-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Archery season is almost upon us and the season is looking like it will shape up nicely. Horn growth is up this year because of the moister we have been getting and it looks like we may be able to harvest some wolves this season if everything holds through.

The first client will arrive this weekend and start their hunt Sunday. We are focusing on taking a good mule deer. I will keep everyone posted throughout the season.

The posts have been fairly sparse this past month because I have been out in the hills everyday since August first. I, like many Western hunters, apply for tags in almost all the western states. I focus on seasons that are in either August or December/ January so they don’t conflict with the Montana hunting seasons.

This year I hit the jackpot drawing four awesome big game tags. I had a Nevada early season elk tag where I took a monster 382 velvet bull, a Nevada deer tag where I took a great non-typical type three point buck with my bow, a California deer tag where I harvested a really heavy 3x4 with popcorn burrs. I also had a Nevada antelope tag taking a nice buck with my bow on the last and only day I had to hunt it. By August 20th I had four trophies down. I then spent the next eleven days helping friends and family fill their antelope tags getting my dad on a nice 78 inch goat and my buddy Brett on a stellar 80 inch goat with 15 ½ inch horns. I also helped put my friend Ross on a huge mule deer in Nevada for a 15 yard bow shot the last day in August. It has already been quite a season to say the least. I am praying that we can keep the momentum going for the Montana archery and rifle season.

Pictures of my trophies will be on there way. To read the story of my bull make sure you pick up the next issue of Real Hunting Magazine. It should be a good read.

- Remi Warren
Montana OutWest Outfitters

Montana Outfitter Tags Still Available

2009-06-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

With many states draw results coming out soon, whether you will be hunting elk and deer this year has been reduced to the results of these last few draws. If you happen to not draw a tag in another state and are still looking for a hunt, you are in luck. We still have some Montana Outfitter Sponsored tags available. At the last check we had close to 500 permits available so it looks like we will be able to book hunts till September for this year.

If you are looking for a hunt and your other plans didn’t pan out then give us a call. We will be happy to let you know what we still have available. This may be a great opportunity to find your self in the elk mountains this year. For more information check out our website at www.montanaoutwest.com

Scouting Underway

2009-06-05T00:17:00.000-07:00

Although only spring the scouting has already been underway. Although not fully developed in the horn department game numbers are proving strong. We have had a fairly decent spring and the snow pack still looks good. If the nutrition last through the summer horn growth should be substantially bigger than last year especially for the deer. The new grasses came up about average as opposed to last springs later full growth and long winter.

So far we have seen some tremendous bulls. During the second week of June while out scouting around, we spotted three bulls traveling together. The first had fairly small horns starting, this year’s small four or five point rag. The other two bulls on the other hand were tremendous. Already sprouting five points, thick beams, wide spread and great length in the brow tines. The bottoms on both these bulls are the makings of 320-350 bulls, so long as their tops keep up what the bottoms have started.

In our minds these bulls will already be some prime targets during archery season as we will keep tabs on these monsters throughout the summer. However they have a long time to travel out of the area before the season.

The deer numbers are looking strong. We have seen a few bucks in both units that may have some promise but it is still too early to tell.

We still have openings for this Archery season and tags will still be available until September. If you don't have a hunt lined out for this fall, contact us, we have one early archery opening where you could be the first one chasing these big bulls.

For more information about hunting visit www.montanaoutwest.com

About this Outfitter Journal

2009-05-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

I would first like to thank you for checking out my blog. Since this is my first entry and a new feature to our web page I would like to talk about it's purpose. As an outfitter I spend hundreds of days in the field every year not only hunting but scouting as well. I see some awesome sights and gain valuable insight that helps our clients become successful in the fall.

This blog will feature not only stories of our scouting trips and client’s hunts but pictures, videos, magazine style hunting stories and useful hunting tips and information that can be taken with you no matter where you hunt. Think of it as an online hunting journal of sorts.

A Little Bit About Myself

As an outfitter and avid hunter I spend almost every day from August 1st all the way into January either guiding hunters or hunting for myself (which as you will see in the coming months, I get quite a bit of hunting in on my own). Every year I hunt in quite a few Western states including Montana, Nevada, California, Idaho, New Mexico, and Arizona. My passion is archery hunting but I do a bit of rifle hunting as well.

This blog will not only incorporate what we see in our day to day scouting and hunting but hunting tips and articles as well as some of my personal hunting adventures. Aside from outfitting I also work as an outdoor writer and have a regular tips and trick column in Real Hunting Magazine (http://www.realhuntingmag.com/). Some of the fully designed articles can be found on my Web site at http://www.montanaoutwest.com/. Some of the text for the stories will also be available on this blog.

I hope you take this opportunity to get to know me and my operation. My love of hunting is what got me into outfitting and nothing is better to me than getting to share a hunting experience with others. I strive to make every hunt the best experience possible for my clients, a philosophy that is the cruxes of how we operate.

I hope that you enjoy this section and as always I am interested in your feedback. If you would like to send me an email or have any questions feel free to contact me. My email address is hunt@montanaoutwest.com

Thanks and Happy Hunting-
Remi Warren