Cottonwood Outfitters – Private Hunting Ranch Hunts for Antelope, Whitetail and Mule Deer in Montana

Welcome to Cottonwood Outfitters, one of the largest providers of guided rifle and bow hunting in Montana.  Our hunting land varies tremendously and includes river bottoms, hay meadows, rough badlands, and high ridges. There are plenty of terrific vantage points for scoping out the area during your hunts. In past years, hunters on our land have maintained a success rate of over 95% on both deer and antelope.

Guided Rifle Hunts MT

If a rifle is your hunting weapon of choice, we offer plenty of exciting guided rifle hunts. Our guides will help you get the lay of the land and assist in tracking down the best game. Our deer hunts and combination deer/antelope hunts are 5 days long. Guided antelope hunts are three-day trips.

Archery Deer and Antelope Private Ranch Hunts

Fully-Guided spot-and-stalk bowhunting trips in Montana

Our archery deer/antelope combo hunts, just deer or just antelope hunts are a great time.  The deer tag is easy to obtain through the draw. Antelope archery requires a special permit to be drawn which is also close to 100% chance of drawing.  Our archery combo hunts are 6 days, deer 5 days.  Our archery hunts are favored among many.  Bachelor groups of deer and rutting antelope bucks fill our ranch landscapes.  Deer and antelope populations are doing great on our ranches and we are ever so optimistic that they will continue to strive.

Spot and Stalk Whitetail Bowhunting in Montana

The best methods for hunting these early season mule deer is spot and stalk.  It’s a true test to ones patience and drive when hunting these unpredictable animals.  For those that choose to hunt whitetail, tree stand and ground blinds will be your best method.  Antelope strategies vary depending on the time period.  If the rut is on and in full swing, decoys work well.  If it’s hot, ground blinds at water holes are always promising.  And of course the traditional spot and stalk across the prairie country can be beneficial using rolling hills and draws to sneak close.

Many of our hunters book for a deer hunt and add an antelope making it a combo.  One must draw a deer tag which historically is 100% success on drawing.  Antelope hunting requires an antelope permit which is also applied through a draw.  Drawing success has been increasing substantially for these antelope permits and is now close to 100% as well.  Combo hunts last 6 days, Deer hunts 6 days and Antelope 4 days.

Montana Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Season

Antelope season starts approximately the middle of August.  Hunts will be conducted starting then till the end of the month for antelope.  Combo and Deer hunts will start at the beginning of September and last throughout the month.

Guests will stay at the Cottonwood ranch in a nice ranch house with showers and furnished bedding.

Guided bow Antelope hunt at Cottonwood Outfitters in Montana

Hunters will travel to seven or eight ranches using four-wheel drives for transportation. It is a “spot and stalk” type of hunt, and you should expect to see 50 to 100 antelope per day with 15 to 20 bucks.

Antelope require a permit to be harvested in Montana. To hunt an antelope during archery season with Cottonwood Outfitters, you must successfully draw permit No. 900-00. For hunting antelope during rifle season, hunters must successfully draw permit No. 700-00. Would recommend purchasing bonus points to help with draw.

As with all of Cottonwood Outfitters’ hunts, your game will be skinned and caped, with capes frozen and meat taken to the locker plant.

A partial payment of 30 percent is required to book a hunt. Both rifle and archery antelope licenses are available on a very limited draw, and the annual application deadline is June 1.

Hunting Packages

Archery September 6th – October 10th – 2 hunters per guide

• Archery Deer/Antelope Combo – 6 Day – $6,150
• Archery Deer – 5 Day – $4,750
• Archery Antelope – 4 Day – $2,500

Rifle October 24th – November 27th – 2 hunters per guide

• Rifle Deer Pre Rut – 5 Day – $4,950
• Rifle Deer/Antelope Combo – 5 Day – $5,350
• Rut Hunt Deer – 5 Day – $5,350
• Whitetail Rut Hunt – 5 Day $5,350
• Antelope Rifle Hunt – 3 Day $2,000