High quality bowhunting is what we are all about. Our operation was designed by bowhunters, for bowhunters. We have excellent hunting for mule deer, Pronghorn antelope and whitetails. Rifles are not allowed on the big game. Bowhunting lasts from the first week of September to the middle of November.
There are 12,000 acres of private land to hunt here. The hunting has been tightly controlled for a long time. There is excellent habitat and the terrain is very good for bowhunting. There are many Ponderosa Pine ridges as well as alfalfa fields. Even the open country has many rough ridges where it is possible to stalk or wait for the animals. Most of the country is open enough that it is not difficult to find the deer or antelope when they are feeding. We are in the process of adding some food plots that will help concentrate the deer. This will be especially helpful in areas far from the regular fields.
“There aren’t many places where everyone in your hunting party has an opportunity to harvest a quality animal on the same trip. Lightning Ridge is the premier destination in Montana, for bow hunters to spot and stalk mule deer.”
Kris Gerke
The mule deer are our most plentiful species of game, with numbers in the hundreds. During the fall they concentrate on the alfalfa fields. Waterholes work any time the weather is dry. The buck/doe ratio is high because of the limited numbers of animals that are taken. The bucks get a chance to reach their potential. Pope and Young class mule deer bucks are taken every year. There are a number of Pope and Young class whitetail deer and antelope also.
Pronghorn antelope are everywhere in the open country. They have really increased the last few years. Like all of our game, they have been only lightly hunted. Antelope move around a lot, but it is usually not difficult to find record book size bucks running around.
Almost everyone has chances to shoot. Some bowhunters hold off on the smaller bucks waiting for the big ones. Hunter success is very high.
The hunts are self-guided. We will take you around the ranch and show you the boundaries, roads, fields, waterholes, etc. We usually see a number of animals driving around, even in the middle of the day. By the time we are done showing you around, you should have a good idea where to start hunting. You will be provided with an excellent map of the property. A very limited number of hunters are allowed to hunt here. We try hard to make sure everyone has lots of elbowroom. Even with four or five people in your party, you will have thousands of acres all to yourself. The ranch has about 20 square miles for your party to hunt.
Applications for deer hunting licenses are done online. Applications need to be in to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Helena, MT by April 1. We do not have guaranteed licenses, so you must go through the drawing. There are a limited number of Landowner Sponsor tags available every year. The Landowner Sponsor tags are not a guarantee, but they do raise your chances of getting a deer tag. The cost of a nonresident deer license is presently $614. We can help you with the applications. Antelope applications need to be in by the 1st of June.
We are currently asking $2500 per bow hunter for 2024. Housing is included in the price. The way these hunts are set up, groups with more people will get some preference. We only take one hunting group at a time. Many of our bow hunters come year after year and that is also taken into consideration. Bring your buddies to hunt!
Gene Smith
Lightning Ridge
50 Camp Creek Rd
Olive, MT 59343
gdsmith@rangeweb.net
406-554-3423