2010 HUNTING GENERAL INFORMATION

Outfitter sponsored elk and deer licenses are available for non-residents. The Outfitter sponsored license is a guaranteed license. You must apply to Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks for your Outfitter sponsored license through an Outfitter. The deadline for purchasing an Outfitter sponsored license is March 15. Non-resident hunters also have the option of applying for elk and deer licenses through a drawing system. The drawing system does not guarantee you a license. Application can be made through Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks, www.fwp.mt.gov. The application deadline for the elk/deer draw is March 15. The drawing takes place mid April.

Archery only season begins the 1st Saturday in September and runs through mid October. Archery hunters must have a “bow and arrow license” for the archery only season. Our wilderness archery hunts are 7 day hunts. (1 day in, 5 days hunting, 1 day out). We hunt 1 guide to 1 hunter and take only a couple of bow hunters a year. The dates for the 2010 wilderness archery hunt are September 3-9.

The early season rifle elk/deer wilderness hunt is a 7 day (1 day in, 5 days hunting, 1 day out) hunt, primary target elk. However, if you have a deer or bear tag they are fair game with no extra charge. We hunt 1 guide to 2 hunters, take 6 to 8 hunters on a trip and only offer 3 hunts in Hellroaring for the early season.These 3 hunts book very early. The dates for the 2010 early season wilderness hunts are September 14-20, September 22-28 and September 30- October 6.

The general season rifle elk/deer wilderness hunts are run out of our backcountry camps, Independence and Bassett Creek.

The Independence hunt is a 7 day (1 day in, 5 days hunting, 1 day out) hunt. This hunt takes place the first week of the general season. The dates for the 2010 general season Independence hunt are October 22-28.

The Bassett Creek hunts take place in the Greater Yellowstone Area near Gardiner. These hunts offer a limited number of hunters an opportunity to hunt the migration corridor near the Yellowstone Park boundary. This is the time of year when the elk typically migrate out of the park to winter range, offering hunters the opportunity to harvest trophy bulls. The Bassett Creek hunt is a 7 day hunt (1 day in, 5 days hunting, 1 day out). We hunt 1 guide to 2 hunters and take 4 hunters on a trip. The 2010 dates for the Bassett Creek/Greater Yellowstone Area hunts are October 22-28, October 30- November 5, November 7-13, November 15-21, and November 22-28.

Our Bighorn sheep hunts are in unlimited sheep tag areas north of Yellowstone National Park.These unlimited sheep permit areas guarantee you a tag. Sheep permits can be purchased by calling or emailing Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks, 406-444-2950, www.fwp.mt.gov . You must specify a sheep area when applying for your sheep permit. If you are booking a Bighorn sheep hunt with Absaroka-Beartooth Outfitters, please contact us (406-579-3866) for information on our sheep areas before you apply for your permit. The area and the expertise of my guides make it the best opportunity in the lower 48 to kill a ram.

Our sheep hunts out of Independence are a 10 day (1 day in, 8 days hunting, 1 day out) hunt. This is a progressive backpacking hunt. We hunt 1 guide to 1 hunter and only book 2 sheep hunters a year. These hunts often book 2 years out. The dates for the 2010 Bighorn sheep hunt out of Independence are September 14-23.

Our sheep hunt out of Gardiner is a 7 day hunt. This sheep hunt is day hunting. We hunt 1 guide to 1 hunter and only book 1 sheep hunter a year. The season dates for the 2010 Bighorn sheep hunt out of Gardiner are September 15 through November 28.

Mountain goat tags are by special drawing. Call or go online to Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks (406-444-2950, www.fwp.mt.gov) to sign up for the special tag drawing.

Make sure you apply for Area 323 or Area 329. These two areas have the highest probability in the state for drawing a goat tag. The application deadline for goat tags is May 1. Tag drawings are the last week in June. The tag fee is refundable if you do not draw a goat tag. Our goat hunts are a 7 day (1 day in, 5 days hunting, 1 day out) hunt. We hunt 1 guide to 1 hunter. The dates for the 2010 goat season are September 15- November 28. Please contact us (406-579-3866) after you have drawn a mountain goat tag and we will be glad to schedule your hunt.

Moose tags are by special drawing. The application deadline for a moose tag is May 1. Our permitted moose areas are 316 and 516. However, there are a very limited number of moose tags available for these two areas so it is not easy to draw a moose tag. Our moose hunts are a 7 day (1 day in, 5 days hunting, 1 day out) hunt. We hunt 1 guide to 1 hunter. The dates for the 2010 moose season are Sept. 15- Nov. 28.

Fall black bear licenses are available for purchase through Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, www.fwp.mt.gov. The deadline for purchasing a fall black bear license is August 29. Currently, we do not offer spring black bear hunting.

Bison tags are by special drawing. The application deadline for a bison permit is September 4. Our bison hunts are 4 day hunts. We hunt 1 guide to 1 hunter. There are 3 hunting time periods for bison, Nov.15 – Dec. 31, Jan. 1 – 22, and Jan. 23 – Feb. 15. The drawn tag specifies the time period you are allowed to hunt. If you draw a bison tag, please call us (406-579-3866) for a guided hunt.

Late Season Elk tags are by special drawing. The deadline for applying for a special elk permit in Area 313-11 is June 2. These are 4 day hunts (Friday – Monday). The hunt dates are specified on the drawn tag. The late season runs the month of January. If you draw a late season elk tag, please call us (406-579-3866) for a guided hunt.

Fair chase hunting in the Montana wilderness is a challenging and memorable experience. We have experienced guides who know the area and very good horse and mule stock for packing and riding in the mountains. ABO’s early season camp, Hellroaring, is located in Bull Moose Meadow, 8 miles north of Yellowstone National Park. We operate two general season camps, Independence and Bassett Creek. Independence is located 55 miles south of Big Timber at the head of the Boulder River. Bassett Creek is located north of the Yellowstone National Park boundary near Gardiner. Our backcountry camps are some of the best in Montana including comfortable accommodations and a great cook.

Special note: We base out of a hunting lodge above Yellowstone National Park during the Greater Yellowstone Area and Bassett Creek hunts. This allows us the flexibility to choose our accommodations based on weather and elk movement.

Fair chase hunting on private land is also available through ABO. We offer a very limited number of hunters the opportunity to hunt elk, mule deer, white-tail deer, black bear, mountain lion, upland birds and turkey in distinctive settings. You can choose to hunt on the picturesque Lazy E-L Ranch (www.lazyel.com) just outside Roscoe, Montana, along the meandering banks of the famous Milk River or in the remote sagebrush and grassland Big Sky country near Glasgow, Montana. Each of these elite locations offers an abundance of game.

Whether you are looking for the challenge of a wilderness hunt or the exclusive opportunity for hunting on private land, Absaroka-Beartooth Outfitters is committed to giving you the best possible hunting experience.