Secret's Out, Part 2

A guide to Bozeman's best-kept hunting spots.

It’s been a few years since we spilled the beans on the area’s best backcountry ski tours (“Secret’s Out,” Winter 2022-23), and despite the backlash we wouldn’t change a thing. Sure, you have to get up a little earlier now to get first tracks at Lewis & Clark Caverns on a powder day, but c’est la vie in a burgeoning town like Bozeman. Heck, at the current rate developers are resurfacing the Gallatin Valley, who knows if there will even be a speck of open land left a decade from now. Thus, we’ve decided to let the real cat out of the bag before it’s too late. In this second iteration, we bring you Bozeman’s best, most closely guarded hunting spots.

Langohr Gardens
Hunters have all kinds of theories and preferences about the taste of game meat. Some people like the sagebrush flavor notes of a prairie mule deer, while others prefer the thick fat-cap of a grain-fed whitetail. But really, why take chances? At Langohr Gardens, you’re guaranteed lettuce-fed, sweet-pea-fattened, herb-finished venison that’ll taste better than the finest steak money can buy. Just remember the archery-, blowgun-, and atlatl-only hunting restrictions imposed by the City of Bozeman.

Logan Landfill
‘Round here, it’s all ducks this, geese that—but what if a guy wants to hunt other, more exotic bird species? Fortunately, there’s a landfill just down the road in Logan that brings in enough seagulls to fill an ocean beach. Between the sounds, the smell, and the swirling dust, you won’t even know you’re in Montana. For an authentic beach-day experience, bring a towel, cooler, and PB&J. The best part? You can dispose of the carcasses right on site.

Belgrade Gravel Pit
With gunshots ringing out from dang near every water body in the Gallatin Valley these days, waterfowl hunters have to get a little creative. Case in point: the Belgrade gravel pit. A few intrepid individuals with skid steers recently took it upon themselves to dig out hunting blinds into the pit walls—and they’re fair game for those in the know. You’ll want to leave your calls at home here—between the sounds of trucks downshifting on I-90 and heavy equipment operating nearby, the geese can hardly hear themselves think. Just remember your hard hat and steel-toed boots, both required for entry onto the premises.

The Gallagator
Black-bear hunting isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the Gallagator has long been a close-to-home honey hole for those in the know. While you can’t legally bait bears in Montana, there are no provisions against hunting over natural bait in the form of overflowing trash cans scattered along Bozeman’s back alleys. Just be sure to hone up on your bear ID to avoid accidentally shooting a Newfoundland or a rotund black Lab

Yellowstone Club
The proverbial gates are now open on southwest Montana’s best-kept road-hunting secret. With miles of paved roads snaking high into the Madison Range, it’s no surprise the Yellowstone Club has some of the best roadside elk and deer hunting in the state. Unfortunately, the physical gates still aren’t open, so getting in (and out) takes some ingenuity. Hunters with the most success have splattered themselves with drywall mud and piled like sardines into rusted-out work trucks to make it past Club security. As for getting out, that’s up to you.

The M
The best things in life are often hidden in plain sight, and the M is no exception. While it’s best known for the hiking, the hunting is equally as good—if not better. Astute hunters set up above the Kong fork, where deer traverse between timbered bedding areas to the south, and the mineral-laden painted rocks that make up the M itself. The most challenging part of hunting the M is finding parking. On a busy weekend during bow season, be prepared to park at Story Mill and bike to the trailhead. Better yet, rollerblade—your hands will be free for opportunistic pot-shots at deer feeding in front yards along Bridger Drive.