"Trophy Hunting on Private Land in the Heart of Montana"
Your host and licensed outfitter for Musselshell Outfitters, LLC, Randy Higgins, has been hunting, trapping and fishing since the age of 5. He is pictured in the top photo on this page (pictured 3rd from left) after a coyote hunt in 1978. The second photo is Randy with a wolverine he caught on a high mountain trap line in central Montana.
Randy was lucky enough to work as a guide for two of the first licensed outfitters in the State of Montana before starting his own outfitting business in 1993. He also worked for several years in Yellowstone National Park as a trail guide and wrangler at the Roosevelt location. Randy has guided and / or outfitted well over 3500 clients on hunting trips. Randy lives year round in the area he outfits and no outfitter has operated in the area longer.
Musselshell Outfitters, LLC is committed to the conservation of natural resources. With more and
more pressure being put on our natural resources every year, we realize the need
for good resource management and conservation. Contrary to the belief of many
local Montana residents, people who travel out of state to hunt put alot of hard
earned money into the local economy and into wildlife conservation. Mussellshell
Outfitters, LLC wishes to thank all hunting clients, past, present and future, for
putting time and money into Montana's local economy, and for putting time and
money into natural resource conservation. You are very much appreciated. Legitimate licensed outfitters were the first conservationists, they had to be, because their livelihood depended on it, and still does. This is our 27th year of providing world-class hunting
adventures.
We are full time, year-round, licensed Montana Outfitters. We offer quality hunting trips for serious hunters and have been on
National TV many times. With hundreds of references, we are
professional outfitters and guides. You will not find an outfitter who will work harder to make your trip a
success. We cannot guarantee game to any one as we offer free range
fair chase hunting. The best "guarantee" that you can get on a
free-ranging hunt is booking with an outfitter that has the experience of
hosting thousands of hunting clients over the past two decades and by booking
with a service that has taken quality animals for its clients in the
long run.
Our hunting guests are called to breakfast well before daylight
each morning of the hunt. After breakfast each hunter is asked
to make a lunch from items placed on the counter. This way each
guest can make as many or as few sandwiches as they wish and can
put exactly what they want on each sandwich. Some items placed
on the counter each day include fresh bread, turkey, ham, cheese,
peanut butter, jelly, mayonnaise, mustard, apples, oranges, chips,
granola bars, cookies and other
items. After lunch is packed and you are ready to leave, you will
meet your guide at the 4x4 rig. You will then go with your guide
to the area assigned by your outfitter. Your guide will spend
the day with you in pursuit of the desired game. Your guide will
keep you in the field all day unless you request to go back to
camp early.
Methods of hunting depend on whether you are
hunting with a bow or rifle and the game you are looking for.
Hunting methods will also change with the weather and the time
of year you are here. For your best chance of success, do exactly
what your guide tells you to do. All of our guides are licensed
by the state and know what they are doing. We train all our guides
to fit our operation. All guides spend considerable time scouting
game in the pre-season and all know the country. We never put
incompetent people in the field and call them guides. You will
find your guide easy-going, but serious about the hunt. If we
think that you are doing something, or failing to do something,
that may be hurting your chances of success, we will tell you.
It is then up to you to decide whether to take action or not.
As professional hunters we do not allow ANY alcohol to be consumed
during the day unless you choose not to hunt that particular day.
Drinking alcohol at noon means that you are finished hunting
for the day. Drinking alcohol responsibly after the day's hunt
is permitted.
Our hunting camp is located 60 miles northeast of Billings Montana in the Bull Mountains. Our camp is nestled into a canyon on private land and sits at 3200 feet in elevation. We can drive into our camp and do not need horses. We have one room bunkhouse cabins that sleep 4-8 clients each. We have a separate cabin adjacent to the sleeping cabins that consist of showers, sinks, and bathrooms. We have a lodge where clients relax and enjoy large buffet style meals. High speed wireless internet is available in the camp at no extra charge to all clients. All our packages include
the evening meal the day you arrive and continental breakfast the
morning you depart our camp. Our clients always look forward to meal
time after a long days hunt. Smoking is not permitted in the cabins, but there are smoking areas at the entrance of each
building. This allows hunters to stay scent-free if they wish
and allow smokers and non-smokers to get along well in this camp.
This is not a camp where the outfitter is absent for most or
the entire hunt - your outfitter is always in camp or in the
field guiding. The outfitter has to be there to make it happen....count
on it at this camp!
We hunt private land in the Bull
Mountains in hunting districts 590, 530, 513, 540, and 700. We also
lease a few State Owned sections of land so that we can hunt the area
when the game is on it. There is very little public land in the Bull
Mountains and most of the land is privately owned. We use pickups and
SUV's for transportation during most of the hunts. We do not use horses
as private ranch roads will get us into the general area that we wish
to hunt, then we hunt on foot.
This area is loaded with game. From
huge elk to antelope, muledeer, whitetail,Merriam's turkey, pheasant,
lion and prairie dogs the Bull Mountains has quantity and quality.
Elevation is from 3000 to 4500 feet in elevation. Terrain consists of
ponderosa pine trees, and vast rim-rock canyons. Feed is abundant with
irrigated fields along the Musselshell River as well grains and high
protein native grasses. The old time mountain men spent winters in this
area feeding off the huge buffalo herds and enjoying the mild weather
compared to the higher mountains. We spend a lot of time and money
finding the best places to hunt for each species we offer. You can see
the quality of animals that this country produces on the photo gallery.
If you are interested in a quality hunt in Montana contact us and we will be happy to discuss all details and options.