General Season Elk and Deer Hunts in Montana
Back country rifle hunts
Classic western hunting near the Bob Marshall Wilderness accessed by horseback only. Elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, black bear, wolf hunting in a spectacular valley beneath the Contintental Divide
General Season Weather
By the end of October there will be snow in most of the basins and higher elevation areas. As we transition to November we experience high fluxuations in temperatures.
Two Medicine River Country
There is a wide variety of terrain and cover that we hunt, include open ridges, vast natural meadows, high alpine basis, and tightly protected drainages. The valley floor is heavily timbered.
Two Medicine Camp
This camp is in the far north east corner of the Bob Marshall in the shadow of Glacier Park. It is a 6 mile ride into this back country camp, accessed by horseback only.
Two Medicine Game
This area is rich in game, but it is wild and rugged country. We pursue elk, mule deer, white tail deer, black bear, wolf, and if you are fortunate enough to get a tag – moose.
Guided Late Season Hunts in the Bob Marshall Wilderness
The general hunting season in Montana opens state-wide around the third week of October. We break down our early season camps on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River and move to our general season camp on the Two Medicine River in district 415. From this back country camp we hunt elk, mule deer, white tail deer, and occassionally black bear, through the first week of November. This is a rugged and remote of elk country as you’ll find anywhere in the US. As you can tell from the pictures, it’s a highly varied mix of timbered and open country, with a healthy mix of 10 year old burned timber mixed in. The South Fork of the Two Medicine River forms the main valley floor, where camp is located, and we hunt the many drainages coming east from Two Medicine Ridge and west from the Continental Divide.
Openings as of 5/11/26
| October 23 – 29 2026 | October 30 – November 5 2026 |
| 1 available | 2 available |
Elk & Deer Hunting the Two Medicine Country
While this camp is only about 7 miles from the trailhead, it is certainly in a rugged and remote area. You have to know where to go to hunt and the secret trails to get there – it’s not for the casual hunter. We spend a fair amount of time in the summer clearing trails of downfall and brush to ensure we can get to our hunting areas when we set this camp at the end of October. We don’t see a lot of other hunters in this valley, so the elk don’t behave as they do in high-pressure areas. We see and harvest elk most any time of the day in this area. The bulls generally are solo or in small bachelor herds separate from the cows. Occassionally we find a younger satellite bull hanging out with the cows, but the cows tend to form up in herds of a dozen and stick to themselves. We use horses extensively in this camp to get to the areas we hunt each day.
Landscape & Elevation
We use horses extensively in this camp to get to the areas we hunt. It’s a huge valley, in excess of 100,000 acres, with only a few official trails and our hunting trails. We generally leave camp in the dark ride for 1-2 hours to get to a basin or ridge. Our areas may be hidden basins at the base of the continental divide, broad windswept open ridges, or secluded parks in green timber. Once we leave the horses we are glassing and on foot the rest of the day. We spend large parts of the day using field glasses looking over the vast valley walls and floors as the elk are often moving as they go about their day. We’re hoping to catch them or intercept them in a spot we can get to, which is no sure thing in this rugged country. We may cover a couple of miles on foot before returning to the horses at the end of the day.
Elk
These elk are mainly resident elk. We do have the occassional migratory bulls come out of Glacier Park. By the time the general season opens in this area the bulls have left the cows and formed up bachelor herds of 2-6 bulls. Some of the largest bulls go solo. They will be in areas where they feel the safest and have the best food sources to restock the energy they burned during the rut. The elk inhabit all sorts of terrain, so we have to figure out where they are based on weather and other factors. The elk we harvest are solid, heavy beamed animals. This district is an antlered-only area.
The moose population, like the elk and deer, has been gradually increasing. If you are lucky enough to draw a moose tag here, we know where a few good bulls are hanging out and would love to get you on one.
Deer & Bears
The mule deer love the high ridges in this area and will stay until the snow comes. The mule deer bucks aggregate into bachelor herds in the summer and pick areas high up in scree slopes and ridgetops to avoid predators and flies, and enjoy the cooler temperatures. We catch them in many areas, often crossing passes between higher ridges. The bucks can be impressive, and for those willing to climb a mountain these are well worth the effort. The mule deer will hang around in the highest elevations before dropping to the foothills when the snow gets too deep for them.
We encounter some pretty impressive whitetail bucks in the valley also. These are heavy, solid deer and have become well adapted to this country. The whitetail bucks have become a reliable presence in the valley, with increasing size and quality of the bucks. Whitetails don’t appear to migrate and have a developed an extra-special toughness to make it through the difficult winters here.
There are a few good black bears in this area. Additionally, we have harvest a good share of wolves and it’s a unique trophy to get if the opportunity presents itself.
Two Medicine Camp
We take up to 4 hunters in this camp, with a full compliment of staff (guides, packer, cook) and riding and packstock. As with all of our hunting camps, we have private wall tents with wood stoves for our guests and a main mess tent, or cook tent, for feeding everyone. We tend to have larger tents to quarter the staff and camp supplies. The camp sits in the valley floor of the South Fork, nestled in the mature spruce tree forest and a small meadow. It protects us from the most aggressive winds, but the tents still feel it when the wind gets blowing up high.
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Gear for Late Season Hunting
There is a lot more detailed information on the specific weather and gear recommendations in the Hunting Gear document nearby.
Consider that you will be hunting mostly in late fall conditions in Montana. Our October days are cool, cloudy, often windy, with the occassional snow squall blowing through. The nights will generally be below freezing. We are layered up for very cold, dark rides in the morning and peeling off layers as we start to hike. Snow is should be expected, so you will want warm boot pacs that are rated for zero degree temps.
Hunting Trip Rates 2026
Hunt Type |
Season / Location |
Duration |
Price |
| Guided Hunts 1 - 3 (elk, deer, bear combination) |
Early rifle season Wilderness |
8 | $7,100.00 |
| Guided Hunts 4 - 5 (elk, deer, bear combination) |
General rifle season Wilderness |
7 | $6,300.00 |
| Guided rifle hunt (mule deer) |
Late rifle season | 5 | $2,675.00 |
| Guided hunt – Big Horn Sheep | Late rifle season Ranch |
5 | $5,000.00* |
| Unguided Hunts 1-3 -DROP CAMPS- (elk/deer combo) |
Early rifle season Wilderness |
8 | $3,300.00** |
* 5 Day Minimum, price reflects 5 day hunt
** Note: Unguided hunts require a 2-person minimum in party.