Montana is an exceptional place to hunt big game. Before going into this area, I was told the road I was looking at on the map wasn’t a county road -even though the road was clearly marked and named on OnX maps, Montana Cadastral maps, and my good old-fashioned atlas. I had planned to go as much as possible, but lady luck was on my side for the draw and for the hunt. Alas, this group was not going to do that. It also made me a bit nervous for the rifle season. Until you’ve been here it’s hard to comprehend or describe. On day 6, September 14th, the day before the bighorn sheep rifle opener, we found a ram that looked like, the one. My hunt for the famed Missouri River Breaks bighorn sheep was accomplished on trip #3. We offer fully GUIDED HUNTS on about 100,000 acres of PRIVATE RANCH LAND and have permits on over a million acres of federal land. The morning I left my camp it was misting, and we had a tough time making it a couple of hundred yards from our established campground to the county (gravel) road. Ultimately, getting to the area that held the sheep I killed was no easy task. I had two friends along who had experience with bighorn sheep hunting. Anybody that knows anything about bighorn sheep hunting will tell you that this area is arguably one of the best in the world when it comes to producing trophy rams. If I could go back in time and give myself one piece of advice, it would be to visit this area more often. The sheep were released on Dec. 17, a day after capture operations began on the south side of the Missouri River near Winifred in Hunting District 482. Ultimately, I made the decision to pull the trigger that morning and as quickly as the hunt started, it ended. Sheep in the Little Rockies of the Fort Belknap Reservation travel between and are connected to the Missouri River Breaks population. The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is over 350,000 acres, but access to where the sheep are isn’t as simple as you’d think. Me either… This portion of the Breaks is known as the Upper Missouri River Breaks. The sheep, shot in Hunting District 680 north of the Missouri River, was officially scored by a Boone and Crockett Club judge last December. Side note #1 – don’t forget your significant other’s birthday. I was able to stretch my legs, navigate a lot of country and look at some sheep up close with a weapon in hand. The first two hunts were a good warm-up for the rifle opener. I had a friend that came through the Breaks the other day and he say a herd of Bulls. Browse all our hunt stories here. What if you draw? I learned through my experience that drawing the Missouri River Breaks bighorn sheep tag was the easy part and that the details of the hunt were way more complex than I had ever imagined. Bottom line, if you’re not good at navigating around difficult public access and don’t want to pay a trespass fee, you may want to consider applying to a different district. Will you be ready? Since Justin Sheedy pulled the trigger on a huge bighorn ram last hunting season in the Missouri River Breaks it’s been a waiting game. You’ve been warned…. Records and score aside, when the season is over you’ll be left with the memories of the hunt and hopefully a new love of how good sheep meat is! Our hunting locations are in a sparsely populated area in Montana located in the Northeast corner of the state. This area is know as the Missouri River Breaks. Back to our expectation’s discussion – these guys knew I had to make that decision on my own and were awesome about leaving that decision solely on my shoulders. Montana Missouri River Breaks Sheep Hunt with John Alderson Huntin' Fool TV Season 01 Episode 02 - Alaska Moose. Knowing the landscape prior to drawing would have really helped my knowledge and overall comfort level on this hunt. I had planned to go as much as possible, but lady luck was on my side for the draw and for the hunt. The landscape seems barren and uninhabitable at first glance. Behind the scope, the ram looked amazing. Long range hunting with long range rifles while hunting in Montana. Looking back, I’m not sure why I hesitated to pull the trigger right away. Use of this site is subject to certain. CHASE HILL OUTFITTERS is a full service outfitting business in one of the most famed MULE DEER, WHITETAIL DEER, BIG HORN SHEEP and ANTELOPE hunting areas in the world, area 680, the MONTANA MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS. My patient hunting partners watched as I lay prone doing nothing. Often with a special bighorn sheep draw comes high expectations. High trophy potential mixed with unrealistic expectations, can lead to a less than desirable bighorn sheep hunting experience. The state issues few bighorn sheep tags for rams. It’s a tag so coveted that it once went for nearly a half million dollars at auction and consistently sells every year for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Whatever your motivation or goals are, stick to them and you’ll probably have the Missouri River Breaks bighorn sheep hunt of a lifetime. need help missouri breaks unit 410 by: brian can someone help me out in the breaks. Wanting to shoot a big ram isn’t a bad thing but know that even the best areas in the world don’t hold trophy animals around every piece of sagebrush. The sheep were captured on the south banks of the Missouri River Breaks in bighorn sheep hunting district 482, an area with a productive sheep herd that has grown past population objectives. It’s also home to special draws for moose, sheep, goat, bison, elk, antelope, and more. Building Safety & Security-Smoke & CO2 Detectors, Missouri River Breaks Bighorn Sheep Hunt - Lessons Learned. The fall is highlighted with our main hunts: MULE DEER, WHITETAIL, BIG HORN SHEEP and ANTELOPE. This was game-changing information to have! So, I ended up contacting the county commissioner. Many a jet boater has spent a long night beached on a sand bar they didn’t see until they ran their boat on to it. Based on … Is it too soon because it was opening day and I didn’t want the hunt to end? If you’re someone who applies for tags out west, you probably know about the Breaks sheep tag and you probably agree that it is somewhere around the top of anyone’s list to draw. After making our stalk, we were within 150 yards of our ram. This usually points towards a physical barrier like a big mountain range, but in the case of the Breaks it means physical access to where the sheep are. This is almost too close to call. Hunting District 410 - north of the Crooked Creek Boat/Marina road had a big fire in July from about the road north towards the bottom of Crooked Creek (6,0000 acres +). On the top of that list, and arguably at the top of the list in the world, is the bighorn sheep. Big Sandy, Montana 59520
Also, the FWP and BLM managers I spoke with couldn’t answer if the road was or wasn’t public either. They helped keep me grounded, realistic, and really made this hunt fun. My son and drew the 410-01 cow tag for archery. The Missouri River Breaks is a huge chunk of undeveloped land surrounding 150 miles of the National Wild and Scenic Upper Missouri River drainage in northcentral and northeastern Montana. We had accessed a small piece of BLM that would lead us into two large public land areas that held a lot of sheep. Order online here. What do you want your experience to be? Alaska Moose with Luke Berman Huntin' Fool TV Season 01 Episode 01 - Utah Rifle Elk. Before you apply for your next “dream tag,” take a minute to think more about what you could be getting yourself into. According to recently released court documents, the undercover agent approached Lewton saying he had a bighorn sheep tag for Hunting District 680 (Montana’s Missouri River Breaks). I had planned to go as much as possible, but lady luck was on my side for the draw and for the hunt. Was he big enough? Others hunting bighorn sheep, have not been so lucky. A hunter from Utah has raised the value of big-game hunting with a record bid of $480,000 for a special Montana bighorn sheep permit. CHASE HILL OUTFITTERS is a full service outfitting business in one of the most famed MULE DEER, WHITETAIL DEER, BIG HORN SHEEP and ANTELOPE hunting areas in the world, area 680, the MONTANA MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. It’s been known to trap folks for weeks and swallow vehicles whole. A full jar is optimal for a hunter who plans to use up many favors, or cookies, from said jar. The State: Arizona. Gumbo – Is not your everyday mud. The Missouri Breaks is home to the largest bighorn sheep herd in the state and also the place where a … Breaks gumbo is a special mix of slippery and sticky. In 2018, I drew this permit…. • Fort Musselshell Outfitters offers premium Montana big game hunts from the mountains of central Montana, to the remote and rugged Missouri river Breaks, to the eastern plains. The first two hunts were a good warm-up for the rifle opener. At first light, we found our guy, but he was feeding near the edge of a BLM section. Another point to note is the accessibility of where you are going. On Dec. 17, FWP and partners released 50 bighorn sheep near these storied landmarks along the South Fork of the Judith River in the eastern Little Belts. After watching the ram all afternoon, we made a game plan for the next morning. Bowhunting for elk in Montana's Missouri River Breaks brings you to a wonderland of scoured knobs, gumbo buttes, and wide, wild coulees. After five days of hiking, glassing, and jet boating we had yet to turn up a mature ram, but the season was young, and I had an eight-day trip planned for the rifle opener. Want to read a little more? Residents are spoiled with low tag prices, ample species to pursue with over the counter (OTC) tags, millions of acres of public land, and seasons that last for months. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Based … The sheep — five young rams and 45 ewes — were captured on the south banks of the Missouri River Breaks in bighorn sheep hunting district 482, an area with a productive sheep herd that has grown past population objectives. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Eyes fixed to our spotting scopes, we watched this band of rams at 365 yards for over five hours. 30+ years of experience. This hunting district includes both “a resident bighorn sheep herd as well as transients that migrate from the south across the Missouri River,” according to the Billings Gazette. Before you head out - Find out what our favorite Top 5 Bows from ATA are. The sheep — five young rams and 45 ewes — were captured on the south banks of the Missouri River Breaks in bighorn sheep hunting district 482, an area with a productive sheep herd that has grown past population objectives. Named for the rugged badlands-like terrain that breaks from rolling Montana prairie to the upper Missouri River some 2,000 feet below, the Breaks are known for producing trophy bighorn sheep. I believe the area is doing OK for moisture. I figured, if I wasn’t in the running to draw for another 10 – 20 years, why bother. The first two hunts were a good warm-up for the rifle opener. Our fully guided Missouri Breaks archery elk hunt is the stuff dreams are made of, and the excitement of our rifle mule deer hunt and rifle whitetail hunt will create memories to last a lifetime. Need the best in navigation when it counts? If you’re not careful, it’ll feel as though the bar is set before you even start your hunt. Missouri River Breaks Bighorn Sheep Hunt – Lessons Learned. The sheep — five young rams and 45 ewes — were captured on the south banks of the Missouri River Breaks in bighorn sheep hunting district 482, an area with a productive sheep herd that has grown past population objectives. The Tag: Arizona Strip 13a Mule Deer. Hunt Bighorn Sheep in the beautiful Missouri Breaks with Redbone Outfitting. Much of the prime sheep habitat is tricky to get into and physically demanding. Bighorn sheep hunting on the Fort Belknap Reservation resumed in 2014 and since that time included 3 hunts with rams that scored 191 … Our family-based business has been providing outstanding trophy big game hunts for over 20 years. We both work in the oil field and schedules got changed so we only have about 3-4 days to hunt there now. Bill and Renita Brown
My hunt for the famed Missouri River Breaks bighorn sheep was accomplished on trip #3. We talked a lot about mass, length, overlay, how well he carried his mass, full curl, three-quarter curl, etc… This was good information, but all I actually wanted was someone to tell me that this was a no brainer and that I needed to shoot this ram. In times like these, having great optics matters. Local store prices may vary from those displayed. I was lucky enough to have a really good group of guys with me on my trip. After a good conversation with them, I found out my desired road was indeed public, but not as far as it showed on the map. You can find out how to draw in Montana by visiting your local Fish, Wildlife and Parks office or by going to fwp.mt.gov. Call Bud at 406-370-5419. Products shown as available are normally stocked but inventory levels cannot be guaranteed. The hunt takes place near Fort Peck Reservoir, which is bordered by the Charles M. Russell Refuge, surrounded by BLM land. He was in a band of smaller rams and stood out like a sore thumb among the other three and four-year-old sheep. MULE DEER PAINTING “MISSOURI BREAKS RECLUSE” (11X14) & COMPANION MULE DEER BRONZE “TIMBERLINE RECLUSE” (100% FULLY DONATED) CRAIG PHILLIPS ORIGINALS Craig Phillips P: 406.827.3702 W: www.phillipsbronze.com BOOTH #419 DONATION: 2019 marks 30 years since Craig has been donating with WSF! During capture work, FWP staff and volunteers collected biological samples from the sheep and outfitted each animal with a GPS collar. Phone: 406.386.2447
As fall rolls around, we move into BIRD HUNTING. Montana is an exceptional place to hunt big game. The elk harvest on the Monument almost matches its famous neighbor — the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge — … Early spring is application season in Montana, which is quite arguably more important than remembering your significant other’s birthday. Access very remote hunting areas by boat on Ft Peck Reservoir. We guide archery and rifle hunts in the Missouri Breaks area. The Breaks consistently produce some of the biggest bighorn rams in the country but this once-in-a-lifetime tag may take twenty years or more to draw. We not only hunt PRAIRIE DOGS and RICHARDSON GROUND SQUIRRELS, but also COYOTES, RACCOONS and BADGERS. Residents are spoiled with low tag prices, ample species to pursue with over the counter (OTC) tags, millions of acres of public land, and seasons that last for months. This drastic contrast in geography is what gives the Breaks its identity. Am I doing this tag justice? My hunt for the famed Missouri River Breaks bighorn sheep was accomplished on trip #3. The sheep population there is … Armells Creek Outfitters specializes in trophy elk and mule deer hunts in the coveted Missouri Breaks and Judith Mountains of Central Montana. I’m here to warn you that you can draw and you should start preparing now, even if the odds are stacked against you. At Chase Hill Outfitters we begin our season with Varmint Safaris. FREE SHIPPING on most apparel, footwear and Swate Fishing orders over $99. Applying for a tag (tag, aka permit, license, special draw) is a simple, but important, process if you want to hunt more regulated species like Big Horn Sheep. It doesn’t help that the Breaks has had a few of the largest hunter-harvested rams ever killed in the world harvested in the past decade. The sheep, shot in Hunting District 680 in Montana’s Missouri River Breaks north of the Missouri River, was officially scored by a Boone and Crockett Club judge last December. We'd be hunting in one of America's newest national monuments, the 375,000-acre Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, a wonderland of rough canyons, timbered ridges and badlands that drop into the remote White Cliffs section of the Missouri River. If you get worked up about what other people expect, you’ll probably leave the Breaks with regrets. We could … You will have opportunities for SHARPTAIL GROUSE, SAGE GROUSE, HUNGARIAN PARTRIDGE or RING NECK PHEASANT with plenty to choose from. However, only one of those two had ever killed a sheep. You probably also realize how difficult it is to draw this tag, so it’s not shocking that my expectations of drawing were so low that I had put absolutely no research into this species or area. Check out GPS here. Bi-pod down, and everyone in place, we looked him over one last time. The lack of water (springs, streams, ponds) in the Breaks makes long hikes difficult due to the amount of water a person needs to pack with them. Most notably, the Missouri River Breaks, “The Breaks” bighorn sheep tag. Making the decision to pull the trigger with the Missouri River Breaks bighorn sheep tag of a lifetime proved to be more difficult than I had expected it to be. 43 Chase Hill Drive
Side note #2– All of the myths about gumbo are true. The hunting area encompasses approximately 8.5 million acres. Have you ever crossed Stafford Ferry on the Missouri River? And best of all, it's all public land If you do accidentally draw a coveted tag, you’ll need a full “cookie jar” if you expect to be gone a lot in the fall. These hunts book up quickly with many of our repeat clients and friends. Sign In for Lot Closing Notifications 3 - 2 - DAY / 3 - NIGHT CARP FLY-FISHING FOR TWO ON THE MISSOURI RIVER IN MONTANA (100% FULLY DONATED) G Wild Sheep Foundation 2 - DAY / 3 - NIGHT CARP FLY-FISHING FOR TWO ON THE MISSOURI RIVER IN MONTANA (100% FULLY DONATED) DONATION: WSF President & CEO and Jet boats are a popular way to access these sheep, but this wild and scenic stretch of Missouri River can be tough to read. The hills in the Breaks are steep (in some places nearly 700 feet) and unforgiving. Billings hunter Jim Tuell poses with the record-book bighorn sheep he shot while hunting in the Missouri Breaks in October. We offer fully GUIDED HUNTS on about 100,000 acres of PRIVATE RANCH LAND and have permits on over a million acres of federal land. Phone: 406.386.2445 (fax)
For me, the lesson learned was that I had an experience of a lifetime. Cookie Jar – The imaginary jar that one fills with good deeds. Here I was in the middle of the Breaks, with some of my best friends on a beautiful day, with a mature sheep in my crosshairs.