We are located in the Big Belt Mountain Range northwest of White Sulphur Springs, MT, area number 446. We hunt 2 private ranches totaling 76,000 acres for elk hunting. These ranches include 7 main drainages, the largest being Rock Creek and Beaver Creek. The ridges and south slopes are covered with scattered timber and numerous basins. Elevations vary from 4,700 ft. to 7,200 ft. The tops of these ridges offer miles of open parks and benches, where much of our hunting takes place. The north slopes are steep with heavy red fir, lodge pole pine, and quaking aspen timber for cover.

In the 2002 through 2006 rifle seasons, 87 hunters collected 60 bull elk and 2 cows for a 69% success rate. 4 seven points, 34 six points, 21 five points, and 1 four point were taken. 34 whitetail bucks and 12 mule deer bucks were also taken, including 6 six points, 22 five points and 18 four points. Top bull grossed 377 BC points. 6 antelope were taken with a 14” average horn length. Shots were taken at 18 bulls and 19 bucks without connecting. Shot opportunities on 25 bulls and numerous bucks were also passed up.

In the 2007 season, 26 elk hunters harvested 11 bulls and 2 cows for a 50% success rate. 8 six points, 3 five points, and 2 cows were taken. 7 whitetail bucks and 6 mule deer bucks were also taken, including 1 six point, 8 five points, 3 four points, and 1 two point (western count). 7 bulls and 2 bucks were shot at and missed this season. Our hunters also passed up shots at approximately 15 bulls and 60 bucks in 2007. Hunters averaged seeing a minimum of 125 elk per week/per person, including 8 to 12 bulls. This was our 25th season on the Lingshire Ranch.

All hunts are 6 full days of actual hunting. We run 1 guide for 2 hunters with 6 hunters a hunt maximum. You will enjoy the vast amounts of hunting country the ranches offer through out the week. The ranches do not allow public hunting or road access. Our crew and the ranch crew are the only exceptions.

We run approximately 350 head of resident elk. These elk calve, summer, go through the rut, and winter on the ranches. The cow-calf ratio averaged 32% over the last 3 years, with a 7 cows to 1 bull ratio. A good flow of elk also travel on to the ranches during parts of the hunting season, due to hunting pressure around us.

The weather, other than extreme conditions, is not a deciding factor in our elk hunting. Our success is not greatly affected by 60 degree weather, nor do we depend on heavy storms and migration to move elk into our area. November snows do improve hunting, triggering the deer rut, concentrates the elk more, and makes tracking and spotting a lot easier.

These elk do not migrate, spending late fall and early winter in high, secluded parks and timbered ridges, where hunting pressure is minimal. These ranches offer 118 sections of this type of country, giving the option of letting some hunting country rest from week to week, and being a major key to our success rate on good bulls.

Most of our hunting is done by glassing, spotting elk feeding at first light, and then stalking to within shooting distance. If we have no luck spotting at daylight, we stillhunt slowly around edges of parks, benches, and fairly open ridges. In the evenings we set up where elk or tracks were seen that morning, waiting for them to feed into us or feed to where a stalk is possible. Due to the amount of open country, we work in on the elk only when you have a chance of getting close, clean shooting. You always have the option of passing up bulls due to size or difficult shot placement.

The mule deer hunting is done similar to the elk hunting, glassing, spotting, and then stalking to within shooting distance. Our mule deer population on Rock creek is increasing at this time. The mule deer bucks that we are taking are 22” to 26” bucks. The Camas Creek Ranch has a good mule deer population and great late season hunting.

I lease 11,000 acres of river bottoms for deer hunting in addition to the elk leases. It supports an estimated population of 250 whitetails. We do some still hunting and a lot of sitting for the whitetails. Natural ground blinds are used, and will be set up pre-season. We also use portable hay bale blinds and tree stands as needed. Hunters are seeing 15 to 30 deer per day, including 4 to 8 bucks in the river bottoms. This lease is included as part of your hunt, and used later in the week after you have collected an elk.

The ranches are fairly rugged with a lot of high parks and ridges. This is fair chase elk hunting in mountainous terrain. Weather and wind conditions, changing game patterns and hunter ability are beyond our control. You need to be well prepared and in good physical shape for this hunt, as we hunt hard to find the best bulls the ranches offer. We cannot guarantee an elk, but give our 100% best efforts. Our goal is for you to have an enjoyable, successful hunt.

The guides that help us are kind, courteous, seasoned hunters, and realize the importance of slow, quiet hunts and horses. We also have an excellent full time cook.

Horses are used for traveling in steep, inaccessible areas and places close enough to hunt with them effectively. 4x4 vehicles are used for getting to far ends of the leases, (15 miles) and for people preferring not to use horses. This amounts to 15 to 60 minutes of traveling before daylight to get into good hunting. They are also used during the day if we move to another hunting area before evening. Lunches are packed with us daily.

We drive to both camps, which are located 23 and 43 miles northwest of White Sulphur Springs on Beaver Creek and Rock Creek. At each camp one large cabin is used for storage and cooking. Four 12x16 cabins are used for living quarters, 2 hunters per cabin. They are furnished with beds, mattresses, 15,000 BTU propane heaters, propane lights, table, chairs, drying racks for boots/clothes, and gear storage. These cabins are well constructed, very warm, comfortable, and well winterized. A barn is used for horse gear, feed, and hanging meat.

All food, guides, stock, tack, and accommodations are furnished. You will need to furnish your motel rooms and transportation to White Sulphur Springs, Montana, before and after your hunt, hunting license, rifle, sleeping bag, personal gear, meat processing, and taxidermy costs. There is a butcher and taxidermist in White Sulphur Springs that can take care of your processing, shipping, and taxidermy needs, and are reasonably priced. We prepare all hides, heads, and capes for mounting.

There is a fine fishing stream at the Rock Creek camp. If you are a fisherman, you will need a light spinning rig or fly rod, and a small assortment of spoons, spinners, or flies. These trout will be mostly rainbows, with a few browns and brookies mixed in.

I will help you as much as possible on your travel arrangements. Transportation will be provided whether you drive or fly. Reservations are made on request. Helena is the closest commercial airport, with White Sulphur Springs being the closest town.

We suggest a 270. caliber rifle or larger with a minimum of 130 grain bullets for elk. In the Big Belt Mountains (area 446) a bull elk must have brow tines to be legal. We also ask you to not shoot any buck deer 3 points or under (western count) on these leases. We have had good results with this type of management, and with your cooperation will continue to do so.