Elk 620, 621 and 622
Today’s Elk herd in these three units are becoming less of a highlight in Eastern Montana than compared to years past. It seems like every 5 years is a new low for both quality and quantity of elk along with hunter experience. No matter where you hunt, hunters will usually complain about some aspect of the hunt, but this has gotten to new levels, and rightfully so.
Numerous areas throughout these three units could produce eye popping bulls with some breaking the 400 mark every so often with several over 360. There were many successful cow hunters during both archery and rifle season with many at least seeing or getting an opportunity. Today, I would consider anything around or above the 320 mark a great bull. There are a few places holding up better than others, but I think it’s better to say they are not as bad. With Mule Deer numbers drastically low, this could bring slightly less pressure for those with rifle elk permits, but still expect to see plenty of orange in the field during October and November.
I am not sure if locals can remember this much of a low point for the three units combined especially 620 and 622. Many can argue why and what needs to be done, but the truth is the elk numbers and quality are way down. 620 and 622 has had a lot of ground enroll into Block Management and other places were opened to some limited access that were closed in years past. With the recent shoulder seasons, this brought numbers far lower than just a few years ago. These changes appeared to be a good idea for a few years, but we are now seeing the consequences of less elk. Use extreme caution if you have been building elk points over the years and burn them on a rifle permit for either of the three units mentioned. Some hard-to-reach places and private ag fields not enrolled in Block Management are still holding some elk. As usual, 621 has fared a little better simply because it has ground that is harder to access.
These units have a lot of access from both the Fort Peck/Missouri River and from up top. Some elk will utilize the rolling hills covered in sage but expect company if you watch them for long. Depending on how much rain this area receives in the summer, they can become very dependent on the Fort Peck/Missouri River and local ag lands for water. Besides hunting pressure, available water sources seem to change elk patterns more from year to year than anything, especially those that are not living on the islands. On years of scorching heat during the early archery seasons, they will use the water sources almost daily. As the season progresses and temperatures drop, elk will start rutting and become less predictable to water. I think it would scare some folks to see how many elk hit the water’s edge of Missouri River and Fort Peck at 2 in the morning, especially on dry years when everything between the river and stock ponds on private ag lands is dried up.
Going into 2024, I am sure there will be a fair number of cow tags available even though myself and many do not know why. Unlike Mule Deer, history has shown how easily Elk can survive under almost any environmental condition and quickly bounce back if given the chance. With the terrible drought of almost three years and almost no reaction to quota adjustments during that time frame, let’s hope for some adjustments going forward and these elk can get back to at least half of what they were, if not more.
Again, use caution if you have been building points for a lot of years and burn them now, or consider a different unit especially if you have 15+ points. If the area gets a lot of rain, it will not hurt and there will probably be a handful of fairly good bulls but overall, the area is struggling and hard to justify average number of points needed for a rifle permit. 320-330 is the new 360 we were accustomed to 5-10+ years ago.