Montague Suggestions

[Matt in AK]

Leaving this weekend for a week at Montague Island for blacktails (got tags) and brown bear (registration hunt).  We'll operate off a boat with a Zodiac.  Any suggestions for tactics on either species?

[GillDog]

I am going to school at UAS in Juneau. I took my buddy out yesterday on Douglas Island here and he shot his first deer. The conditons are good here. The snow is coming down and the deer are starting to rut. We were in the bottom of the alpine in the snow and we ran into a nice spike in the bottom of the bowl. I would recommend that you get a deer call. I like to hunt the alpine personaly so I hunt a little above the snow line. I think now though you will have just as much sucess if not more if you stay low and hunt muskegs and call. About the bears, I am not sure about Montague island but when I am on Baranof island the exciting thing about calling deer is you never know what you are going to get. Quite often you call in bears )

[Daveinthebush]

Most of the people that I know do the same thing.  Hunt the upper alpine medows and as the snow works down the hills so do the deer.  I also noticed that any hump in the terrian with trees on it usually has deer beds on it.  You can't really hunt them alone.  The deer probably scoot right out the back side as you approach the front.  Might be a good way for 2 hunters to hunt though.  One sits for a half hour as the other wanders through a couple of humps.  Then he sits and a half hour latter the other hunter wanders around.  Works on Adirondak deer! :grin:

Bears are where you find them and when you least expect them. :roll:  If a bear gets you Matt can I have Tundra Walrus?

Gilldog:  Welcome to the forum.  Great place and great guys to chat with. Hope you like it here.

Dave

[Matt in AK]

Thanks fellas.  Some good advice....I hope.  I'll take lots of pics and post 'em here after the hunt.  I did buy a call and I'll try it out.  I used to have pretty fair success calling in mulies back in Colorado.  If nothing else, it'll be an adventure.  

Dave -- if the bears get me, the Tundra Walrus is all yours :wink: .  Of course, if she finds out we're calling her a Tundra Walrus, and/or trading her on the internet,...we're both dead men :twisted: .  Next time you're in Anchorage, dinner's on me...and that'll be the bribe that I hope buys your silence.

[Paul H]

Some buddies hunted Montague last year, and mentioned that there are alot of bears on the island.  They had one deer carcus taken off their hands, and were charged by a large boar.  This year they are going back with bear tags as well as deer tags.  I haven't heard how their hunt went, but they should be back from it.

[bearhuntr]

Matt,
If there is no snow, check out (glass) the tops of any draws above treeline. The rut is just now starting and the does may or may not be recieving the bucks. Rest assured that if the first couple of days finds does fleeing bucks, the big boys will be up towards the top. As to calls,
I use a single reed "bear call" by carlton to call does in (Go figure). A buck grunt call will make the big boys nervous, and, well you know the drill. I would guess that it will only take a few minutes of glassing and an hour of hiking to become acclimated as to the deer status quo. Shoot the deer...leave the gut piles lay...observe from a distance...stalk your bear. It will hopefully be that simple. Have a great hunt and be safe.
best,
bhtr

"The .338 Winny IS ENOUGH GUN!!!!"

[Matt in AK]

Again, my thanks.  I'm looking forward to this adventure quite a bit.