Montana Whitetails

Montana Whitetails is a fully licensed and insured outfitter (License #11547) operating 10,000 acres of private leases in Park County, Montana—in deer hunting district 315 along the Shields River, in the shadows of the Crazy Mountains. Elevation ranges from 5,100 to 5,600 feet across their hunting areas.

The flagship offering is bow hunting for Pope and Young class whitetails. Their river bottom habitat concentrates mature bucks in the 120"-140" range with realistic opportunities at 140"+ trophies. Hunters consistently see 50-60 different bucks per week and shot opportunities on 9-10 "shooter" bucks weekly.

• •65%+ success rate with bows; close to 100% get shot opportunities
• •Limited pressure: Only 70 hunters per year across 10,000 acres means fresh, undisturbed hunting
• •Mature buck emphasis: Age structure is 3.5 to 5.5 years—mature bucks are the rule
• •Average harvest weight: 160-180 lbs field dressed
• •Healthy buck-to-doe ratio sustains the population year after year

All stands are placed in year-to-year high-traffic corridors proven over time. Stands range from 15-25 feet high, mostly ladder stands for safety. Setup focuses on soft wood areas (cottonwoods, poplars, aspens) typical of Montana river bottoms. Most shots come between 10-30 yards. A rangefinder is recommended.

New stands are built each spring and existing ones are trimmed, moved, and maintained. Guides monitor buck movement throughout the week and adjust your stand placement based on:

• •Wind direction
• •Current buck sightings
• •Yearly travel corridors (fence lines, field edges, river bottoms)
• •Crop rotation patterns
• •Long-distance scouting for emerging activity

You're not locked to one stand—conditions change daily with wild, free-roaming deer, so guides move you to capitalize on fresh sign and activity.

Each lease varies in size but all contain several hundred acres of river bottom with mixed timber, agricultural land, thick bedding cover, and established deer populations. Every ranch holds Pope and Young trophy whitetails. No ranch is over-hunted. Areas rotate yearly to maintain herd quality and buck age structure.

Elevation and habitat diversity—from river bottoms to ridge edges—means whitetails have quality food, cover, and security with minimal hunting pressure.

Hunters are assigned to a single ranch for the week. You can hunt all stands on that ranch but aren't restricted to the same stand daily. Bow hunters hunt river bottom leases; rifle hunters use dedicated gun hunting areas.

Up to 8 hunters per week are accepted, but annual limit of 70 total hunters keeps pressure extremely low. Each hunter gets their own hunting area within the ranch.

"I saw a TON of deer every day, saw about 9 or 10 shooter bucks, probably 100 smaller bucks. Bill and Keith did everything they could to put me on a shooter including moving stands where I asked them to. Killed a beautiful 10 pointer on the last half hour of the last night." – Joseph Layton, NJ

"Montana Whitetails really understands what it takes for bowhunters to be successful. What was amazing to me was the number of fully mature bucks that I saw, not to mention the shot opportunities!" – Jason Fuller, Michigan

Hunters regularly report seeing hundreds of deer per day—mule deer, whitetails, antelope, elk, moose, black bears, eagles, grouse, pheasants. It's not uncommon to see 25+ bucks in a single evening sit.

The lodge is comfortable with satellite TV and quality accommodations. Betty's cooking is well-reviewed across testimonials. Breakfast and lunch are basic fare; dinner is substantial. Trout fishing is available right outside the lodge in the Shields River.

Owner/Outfitter: Keith Miller (Lic. #11547) Phone: 717-512-3582 (7 days/week, 7am-7pm EST) Manager/Guide: Steve Miller (717-991-2258) Address: 104 Queen Lane, Livingston, MT 59047

A free brochure is available on their website. They maintain a photo gallery of harvested bucks, hunting articles, and seasonal updates.