Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - December 2008 by Western Hunting & Fishing News

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DECEMBER 2008 Volume 5 Issue 10

4 Tips To Bag More December Waterfowl

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The Post-Season Blues Gift Ideas & Savings

Hunting Stories & Photos

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE •

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

Late Season Bowhunting Opportunities - BY BRODIE SWISHER

Brodie Swisher is a world champion game caller, outdoor writer, and seminar speaker. Check out his website at www.BroOutdoors.com.

y the time December rolls around many bowhunters have long since hung up their bows for the year. But for those who can’t ever seem to get enough, opportunities still await! That’s right. Whether you are still trying to fill the freezer, or maybe just looking for some cold weather whitetail action, December and January are your months to cash in on the late season bowhunting opportunities with B-Tags. .

Black Bear Hunter Man Kills Shoots Grizzly By Grizzly In Self Mistake MFWP Defense MFWP Shawn Damschen of Coram W hile black bear hunting was charged by an adult female grizzly bear while hunting in the Marias Pass area. on October 25th, Lawrence Lefebvre of Big Fork shot and killed what he believed was a black bear. When Lefebvre approached the dead bear, he realized that it was a grizzly. Lefebvre notified FWP officials immediately. Warden Chuck Bartos and Captain Lee Anderson investigated the incident and Bartos wrote Lefebvre a citation for killing a grizzly bear during a closed season. Anderson commended Lefebvre for doing everything correctly to resolve this matter once realizing he had made a mistake. Anderson noted that all hunters should review the characteristics used to identify black bears and grizzly bears. “If you aren’t absolutely sure, don’t shoot,” Anderson said. On November 12, 2008 Lefebvre appeared in Lake County Justice Court and pled guilty to shooting a grizzly bear during a closed season. This violation carries a maximum fine of up to $2000 and restitution of $2000. Lefebvre received a fine of $135 and 6 months in jail, which was suspended.

Damschen said that he was elk cow-calling when he heard a crashing sound. When he looked up he saw three grizzly bears, one adult and two younger bears, coming at him. Damschen yelled at the bears and the two younger bears ran off, but the sow lowered her head and charged. Damschen fired two shots from his rifle at approximately 10 feet and knocked the bear down. After he shot the bear, Damschen was joined by a hunting companion, who heard Damschen yelling. The two hiked out and used a cell phone to call FWP Warden Perry Brown and reported the incident. A few hours later, Brown and warden Kqyn Kuka met Damschen and his companion near the trailhead and accompanied them back to the site of the shooting. They followed a blood trail left by the bear and found the badly wounded animal moving in the brush. Brown had to fire a shot into the bear to dispatch it. The wardens upon investigating the scene found the shooting to be consistent with self-defense. FWP Biologists believe the two bears that ran off were more than likely 2 year-olds and should have a good chance of survival. Normally grizzly bear cubs stay with the sow for 2 years and separate on their own in the spring.

THE B-TAG BOUNTY Ample opportunities await the bowhunter that is willing to invest in the purchase of Deer B licenses. What is the Deer B license? “A deer B license is usually a license for antlerless mule deer or white-tailed deer, depending on the license type and hunting district. The deer B license allows you to kill a deer in addition to the deer you could harvest with you deer A license. There is no particular order in which the A and B licenses must be purchased or used. Most deer B license are available through the June 2 special drawing but some are available for purchase at License Providers, including FWP Online Licensing. A hunter may possess a total of only seven Deer B licenses in any combination.” (Montana Hunting Regulations – pg. 22) The river-bottoms and areas in and around Missoula and Ravalli counties are home to some great whitetail deer populations. While much of the land in these areas is private, prime hunting opportunities await the hunter willing to make the effort to secure hunting permission and to help landowners manage the buck-to-doe ration on their land. The 260-10 tag is the B license of choice for these areas. According to the MT hunting regulations, the 260-10 license is an over-the-counter B license for hunting with archery equipment only. The tag is valid in HD’s 204, 240, 250, 260, 261, 270, and 283. Up to five 260-10 Antlerless White-tailed Deer B Licenses per hunter. Valid September 6th – January 15th. (See MT Hunting Regulations Pg. 45 for more information)

Deer hunting in the late season can either be feast or famine depending on your access to food sources preferred by the deer in your area. Find the food and you’ll find the deer. Stands placed along agriculture fields can be a prime perch to watch the action as deer pour into the fields to feed. Also, look for suitable stand locations on travel routes to and from feeding areas. These travel trails will be important as hunting pressure often causes deer to avoid showing up in the fields until after dark. Deer hunting in Montana’s late season means dealing with cold temperatures. Extra care will have to be taken to ensure that you can endure the long hours on stand. When the weather gets downright nasty, there is no better protection from the elements than to put a pop-up style ground blind to work for you, and no one knows that better than Brooks Johnson of Primos Double Bull Blinds. Brooks shares some insight on how he stays warm in the midst of the super-frigid temperatures he experiences each season in the state of Minnesota. “I don’t really need wind protection since I hunt from a ground blind, so I focus on silence,” says Johnson. “When it’s really cold I like fleece over fleece, topped by fleece! I carry extra zip-up fleece tops for a blanket over my legs when it’s real cold. For my feet, I wear poly dress socks with wool over them.” Ground pounders hunting from the blind also have the luxury of putting a heater to work for them. “We run Coleman catalytic heaters with the 1 lb. propane cans in the blind in the winter,” says Johnson. “They provide 8 hours of silent heat without the risk of asphyxiation. I’ve been out in the blind with my 12-year old son with temperatures at 26 below and we were comfortable. We also throw a snow cover over the top of the blind for a white outside and dark inside and that insulates a little better.” So before you put the bow up for the season, be sure to take advantage of some hot whitetail bowhunting action on a cold day. What better way to fill the freezer and sling a few extra arrows? Who knows? The best hunt may be yet to come!

DECEMBER 2008

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note I

t was November 18th on a clear day in the mountains of Montana. I was out hunting early. As the sun started to rise overhead, I felt like it was a little unseasonably warm that morning, by 11am I was in a t-shirt and thought I was starting to get sunburned a bit. (At the end of the day, it was pushing 60 degrees). Yes, mother nature throws us curves sometimes when we are expecting different conditions out. The 2008 Big Game Season has been one of little or no snow cover in most areas of the state, and the harvest numbers show that. There were, however, quite a few nice bucks and bulls taken that I have seen. December should bring an extended elk special tag season for those of us who still have a tag in our pocket. So, the chance to put some meat in the freezer still exists. Although the elk season will be extended in some units, other units for elk continue to decline. As many blame the expanding wolf packs for declining numbers, and the amazing drop off of elk numbers where wolves are prevalent, common sense tells me that the numbers speak for themselves and having some type of harvest on wolves in these areas would be beneficial to elk and deer herds that are declining. Right now, the wolves have no fear. It will be interesting to see, as the comment period on wolf delisting was reopened and just closed November 28th. The winter months are here and there are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy. Steelhead and ice fishing should be very good this month. If you have not been ice fishing, give it a shot. It is a lot of fun, especially when the fish are biting. Thanks for reading! Enjoy and stay safe. Happy holidays;

Rick Haggerty Editor

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Temporary Outfitter Client Days Available On Beaverhead And Big Hole Rivers

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ontana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is now accepting applications from one-boat outfitters for temporary client days on the Beaverhead and Big Hole Rivers for use in 2008. The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission adopted rules creating a temporary client day system on the two rivers in 2005. The temporary client days are available to one-boat outfitters who are currently not permitted to outfit on these rivers and one-boat outfitters who are currently permitted to operate on these rivers, but want additional days. Under the rules, a one-boat outfitter is defined as an outfitter who operates no more than one boat and is the sole guide. Outfitters must also be licensed by the Board of Outfitters to apply for these days. The temporary client day system is based on the recommendations of the Beaverhead Big Hole Citizens’ Advisory Committee. The committee wanted to create an opportunity for one-boat outfitters without them having to purchase an authorized outfitter’s business in its entirety. The temporary client day system went into effect in 2006. The system allows one-boat outfitters to apply for a maximum of 60 temporary client days on the Beaverhead River and/or a maximum of 60 temporary client days on the Big Hole River.

This is the third year that FWP has implemented the temporary client day system. The rules state that after a one-boat outfitter has used temporary clients days for three consecutive years, the number of temporary clients days he or she may apply for in the following year may not exceed the highest number of temporary client days used in one of the previous three years. This will affect outfitters who received temporary clients days in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Outfitters should check their records to determine how many temporary client days they used in each of those three years. Information packets and applications are available from the FWP regional office in Bozeman Applications must be postmarked by December 31 and submitted to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Region 3, 1400 S. 19th Avenue, Bozeman, MT 59718 FWP will notify successful applicants by February 15. The temporary client days will be available for use in 2009. Commercial use rules are in effect on the Beaverhead and Big Hole Rivers. These rules require outfitters and guides on these rivers to obtain permits and pay required fees. For more information, contact Molly Wainwright at 406-994-6359 or mwainwright@mt.gov or Jerry Walker at 406-994-3552 or gwalker@mt.gov.

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DECEMBER 2008

CONTENTS & CONTACTS Late-Season Bowhunting Opportunities, Brodie Swisher When The Going Gets Rough, Diane Tipton A Blizzard Hunt Yields Results, Dave Romero Gear Review, T. Patrick Stinson Sausage 101 With Hi-Country, Mark Ward

Statewide Fishing Report, Chris Madsen Four Tips To Bag More December Waterfowl, Andrew Mckean Beating The Post-Season Blues, Jack Ballard Remembering Why I Hunt The Backcountry, Clint Traver Missoula Novice Enjoys Memorable First Season, Mick Earl Photos From The Field Traveler’s Corner, US Diesel Parts Hunting & Conservation News Rocky Mountain States News, News From Neighboring States Need A Place To Go?, Joe Esparza Calendar Of Events Sagebrush News: Winter Is For Whitefish, Chuck Robbins Christmas Gear Guide, Brodie Swisher Fly Tying Corner, Russell Parks

Montana’s Hunters and Anglers Have A Significant Impact On The Economy Spending $721 Million a Year Congressional Sportsmenʼs Foundation

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Please support the advertisers you see in this newspaper and let them know you saw their advertisement The entire contents is © 2008, all rights reserved. in Big Sky May not be reproduced without prior consent. The material and information printed is from various Outdoor News sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure. & Adventure. Thank Nor does the printed material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure. you!

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DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE •

Elk Season Extended In Southwest And Northeast Montana To Address Harvest Objectives MFWP

ZACH, CHRISTOPHER AND COOPER AUSTIN. THIS WAS TAKEN 20 MILES EAST OF MILES CITY ON THE POWDER RIVER. PHOTO MFWP

When The Going Get’s Rough BY DIANE TIPTON, MFWPS STATEWIDE INFORMATION OFFICER

It has been an autumn to remember, whether you’ve been watching

A fish culturist in Anaconda, Angela Smith, tunes out the bad news on TV, the Web and in newspapers and instead the weather or the financial news. takes evening walks with her two labs. Fortunately, the weather has been “Around town there has been a spectacular because the financial news pallet of bright oranges, yellows and reds hasn’t been good. and I’ve just tried to soak up the fall The financial world and the colors,” she said. condition of the economy have many With more wood stored this year people worried about their futures these than ever, plenty of hay and food, too— days. Brian Shinn, a Helena FWP enforcement Recently some Montana Fish, employee, said he tries to focus on what he Wildlife & Parks employees were asked can control. if their close relationship with the “This isn’t the first time we’ve outdoors helps them weather bad news seen a turn for the worse,” he said. “The and uncertainty. best things in my life are still free.” The natural world was, not Tom Shoush, a state parks surprisingly, on everyone’s list of manager in eastern Montana, agrees. He “assets.” enjoys those special moments that make Vanna Boccadori, a wildlife memories. biologist in Butte, said a rough economy “Have you ever seen a Lab’s butt makes it doubly important to her to spend wiggle just before the rooster pops up,” he time outdoors hunting and gathering asked. “The look in their eyes when they’re wood. bringing that bird back makes lean times “I also like to follow game trails seem fat.” to see where they lead, or poke around Living in the moment works for looking for sheds, bones and scat piles,” Jack Austin too. He recently took two of she said. “It’s all pretty simple, his three sons antelope hunting. inexpensive stuff, but like the commercial “Cooper found so many cool says, priceless.” rocks, bones and snake skins that they Friends and neighbors are were interfering with carrying his bb gun, important too, many said. One contributor which he wanted to pack from the start summed up the situation by saying it is and promised not to make me eventually time to put away “things” and reach out carry,” he said. “We explored some caves to others. Things “leave us empty” until and a bunch of freshly dug coyote dens too. the next new, pretty, fast, flashy, better, or Cooper made me a proud dad when he noisy thing comes along. correctly identified a deer track in the mud Jack Austin, a warden in Miles and knew it wasn’t an antelope because it City, said he often sees people who are had dew claws.” friendly and happy despite personal His son Christopher took two difficulties or the lack of what others practice shots with the .243 to prepare for consider “the basics.” his first year of hunting next year. “If the world’s economy crashed “We didn’t see a single antelope down around us, in some parts of Montana and I was not the least concerned about people would just keep going as usual,” the economy. With enough gas money to he said. “It’s comforting to realize that go even short distances, we will continue yes, there would be tough times, but I too to find great adventures without missing a could survive such a calamity.” beat,” Austin said.

hile the general 2008 big game hunting season will end on Sunday, Nov. 30, in an attempt to reduce elk populations, hunting for elk will continue in 18 hunting districts in southwest Montana and two hunting districts in northeastern Montana, MFWP announced today. “The elk harvest in some key areas was much lower than we hoped for,” said Quentin Kujala, chief of wildlife management for FWP in Helena. “Once again, a lack of snow and cold weather—and some difficult public access issues—played a significant role in keeping the harvest below our elk-management objectives.” Kujala said that while there are other areas of the state where elk numbers remain over objective, those are typically areas where public access has been difficult and FWP does not expect that to change. “We’re asking for hunter and landowner help in those areas that will remain open,” Kujala said. “Hunter harvest across landownership is needed to help get elk numbers in line with population objectives.” The season will run Dec. 1 through Dec. 21 in FWP Region 3 and December 1 through Dec. 14 in FWP Region 6. The FWP Commission, however, can close any extended season in any hunting district on 24-hour notice. Those closures would occur if the total elk harvest objective in those districts is achieved or if bull harvest gets to a level where a closure on bulls would be necessary. Region 3 will be tracking harvest on an area-by-area basis to assure that the average bull harvest of the previous 4 years is not exceeded. If the bull harvest limit is approached in an area, that area will be closed to all bull hunting, but the antlerless portion of the season will remain open. To aid in that effort FWP is requesting all successful hunters in FWP region 3 to call 1-877-397-9453 (1-877-FWP-WILD) within 24 hours to report sex, age and location of harvest. While Kujala encouraged hunters to participate he also cautioned hunters not to expect to find the hunting easy. Elk are challenging to hunt and the lack of snow has and will add to the difficulty unless conditions change.

Kujala reminded hunters that have received brucellosis blood sample test kits for the southwest Montana hunting districts to carry those with them and please return samples as per the included instructions. In addition, several kiosks containing collection kits have been placed at common access points. Hunters that have not received a kit are asked to pick one up. Hunters who have already harvested an elk in 2008 with their general elk license are not eligible to purchase a second general elk license, but they can purchase one of the available A9/B12 licenses that are available for two districts in Region 3. Some Block Management Areas may not be open for the extended season. Hunters are urged to contact the regional FWP office to determine whether or not a BMA is open for hunting elk during the season extension. Following is a summary of the hunting districts with extended seasons: Open to hunters Dec. 1 – 21, with a valid general-elk license consistent with the 2008 elk hunting regulations in effect Nov. 30 : 300, 302, 314, 315, 320, 322, 323 (outside the Wall Creek WMA), 324, 325, 326, 327, South of Dad Creek in 328, 330, 333, 360, 362, 390, 393. The A9/B12 licenses in the Region 3 districts that were issued through the drawing will remain in effect during the extension. Hunters will continue to be able to purchase over- the-counter A9/B12 licenses valid for Hunting Districts 315 and 393. Hunters holding brow-tined bull/antlerless permits valid for the Wall Creek Wildlife Management Area in district 323-10 will continue to be the only hunters allowed to harvest elk there. Open Dec. 1 – 14 antlerless only, and open to hunters with an elk permit valid for the specific district during the general rifle season in combination with a general elk license or an A9/B12 license valid for HD 622 : 622, 631 (A9/B12 licenses valid in HD 622 not valid on the CMR Refuge). All other hunting regulations apply during the extended season, including the need to have permission to hunt on private land. No other general hunting season extensions for deer or elk are planned at this time, Kujala said.

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A Blizzard Hunt Yields Results BY DAVE ROMERO

ell I think the Montana hunters are all going to have similar stories considering the storm that rolled thru here. My wife and I debated about taking our 8 month old along with us on my antelope hunt, as we watched the weather we knew this probably wouldn’t be a good idea so they stayed home this weekend. I set out in search of “Ol Wiley” on Saturday knowing that if it is windy in our town, I knew it would be much worse where I would be hunting. So with this knowledge I know what I can’t hunt or scout if I just stay home, so I head out with plans of using Tony Tebbe’s “cute little Duiker call” attached to my jacket hoping to call in a few coyotes or a red fox or two. The winds never let up in any of the areas that I passed and knew that it was just too windy to make an attempt at calling critters so I pushed on to the area where I would scout for antelope for Montana’s rifle season opener on Sunday. Well as luck would have it I find two coyotes mousing near a creek bottom and after a couple of shots with my Bushmaster Varminter it was all said and done a double and no calling. Now if you all are a lot like me, you just don’t get the satisfaction you get when calling in a critter but all the same one male and one female were taken, a breeding pair?....not anymore! I was however able to use the “Coyote Drag” I purchased from Loren Reese, talk about a great product. Unfortunately I had the PMAG full of 40 grain Nosler ballistic tips and not the PMAG full of full metal jackets and was unable to salvage the pelts! This was however the first coyotes taken with my Bushmaster and it performed well! So back to the other task at hand, scout for antelope for the following day opener. I arrive at my normal hunting area only to meet with several snow drifts and no other vehicle. Sign? This could be good or bad or am I just pushing it? These sorts of

AUTHOR, WITH ANTELOPE things really make you think when you hunt alone, but I thought I came all the way over here, I might as well check things out. The snow was somewhat deep in this area and I was not finding any sign of antelope. It was getting to be late evening and the winds and snow were still causing me grief. I wanted to make a giant loop but then I got that feeling in my stomach that I should just go out the way I came in and with thoughts of my daughter and wife at home, I think about these things a lot more than I used to. I turn back and the storm seems to have strengthened, I do however, locate three nice bucks and about 15 does. I make it to the highway and it is solid white! The winds are blowing snow sideways and for that matter, the road was not only white but it was a sheet of ice and the winds are pushing my full size Dodge all over the road, I put the truck in four wheel drive and drive only in third gear. Suddenly I realize that I am the only one on the road, I finally make it to the Interstate and everyone is pulled over on the off ramps. The 15 mile or so drive took me well over 40 minutes to make. The next 17 miles would prove to be even worse. I couldn’t hold up because the town I had a room in was 17 miles and the weather was not looking promising at all.

As you can imagine, thoughts of “why am I out here” and more importantly, “I need to get to a safe place” as thoughts of my daughter and wife passed thru my head. There were snow drifts ranging from 3 to 4 feet tall and solid ice and snow packed road surfaces as well and that sideways blowing snow that made visibility tough. I had to rely on the markers on the edge of the road to keep me between the lanes. A trip that normally takes about 45 minutes to drive had now taken me well over 115 minutes ,but I arrived in a town with no vacancy and parking lots full of truckers, THANK GOD I had made a reservation. I got settled in and called my wife to let her know that the Interstate had been shut down in the direction I had just come from and that I would sleep in and head home via another route in the morning. It just didn’t feel right risking it all for an antelope. Morning arrived and the Interstate was to open at 10:30 so I called home again and told my wife that I was going to go ahead and give it a try and locate a buck, but if it looked unsafe that I would turn around and head home. The roads were mainly clear and the snow was not accumulating so I thought I would give it a try. I arrives at the area I scouted the evening

prior only to find nobody had been in the area before me and that the antelope were not here either. So I make the loop and try another area. Camps had goats already hanging in camp, ATV’s and UTV’s were hauling antelope and bloody tailgates showed all the signs that the antelope had moved out of my area where the snow was deeper to the lower grounds with less snow and that folks here were having better luck. I locate a couple of herds, but they are on the run with ATV’s and full size vehicles in chase, they crossed our hunting district into the adjacent hunting district and were now gone. I continue to hunt, but have no luck locating antelope in this area and don’t hear any shots either. So with the day coming to a close, I call home and ask my wife if it would be better for me to stay one more night, as I have Monday off, rather than have to come all the way back out the following weekend costing me in gas and a room again. We agreed that it would be smarter to stay again and that hopefully my luck would turn around on Monday. Monday morning arrives, I get the Diesel all warmed up and head out in the dark. Now for that gut feeling, where are the antelope going to be? I decide not to give up on my area so I head back thinking that the previous days hunting pressure may have pushed them into my favorite spot. I arrive and again no tracks in the snow and I pass on two separate coyotes in hopes that just around the corner there will be antelope. I should have shot the coyotes! So I make a loop and arrive in the previous evenings area where others had better luck than I. It is now 8:45 in the morning and I take a position on some high ground to glass. It is a beautiful day, but no antelope in sight, I head over to another location a short distance away and I see a nice buck and two does. I shut the truck down and grab the 22.250 and head out. Just over the rise I can see the bucks horns, I sneak over and they take off. An adjacent road had a vehicle coming down fairly quickly and the antelope spooked. I take the shot and the buck goes down, I sneak in close enough to make a clean kill shot and it is all over. I say a quick prayer as I always do and then the limited work begins. I take a few photos, call my wife and baby girl and head out. By the way, the Loren Reese Coyote Drag worked well on the antelope and it didn’t hurt things that there was snow to drag on.

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DECEMBER 2008

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 11

gear review

Reviews provided by Montana Test.Com The Country’s Leading Outdoor Product Testing Site. Reviews are independent of advertisers and all products tested in real time hunting and fishing conditions. Montana Test .Com does not guarantee positive reviews to any manufacturer. www.mtBowHuntingreviews.com and www.bowhuntingreviews. net are part of Montana Test.com. Visit www.montanatest.com

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The Blade GTX Realtree® APG™ Boot

Recommend Yes...Buy Highlights: The Blade GTX Realtree® APG™ from Danner is one of the new hunting boots for fall 2008. From the day the boots arrived, they have been taking a shellacking. One of our testers has worn everyday since early September when guiding upland bird hunters. The Blade makes no excuses, working in hot dry temperatures, rain, snow, and slush, coming out at the end of the day delivering comfort and resiliency. The Blade is an UNINSULATED Gore-Tex lined hunting boot, with full-grain leather upper that offers waterproofness, a 1000 Denier nylon material mixed in that improves breathability and dries fast. Danner’s Terra Force™ lite platform is the key to its comfort and wearability with heel-to-toe energy transfer. The TFX Lite Outsole is a low lug pattern offering a sleek look, high performance and each boot weights a mere 48 oz. The Blade GTX gets high marks from our tester; this boot undergoes a beating day after day and never fails to live up to its toughness and durability. You can purchase at www.montanatest.com Drawbacks: None Rating: 6 Point...Great Tester: Chris Stinson Suggested Retail: $160.00

The SwingBlaze from Outdoor Edge

Recommend Yes...Buy Highlights: The SwingBlaze from Outdoor Edge is two blades in one, with a quick push of the lock button you are able to rotate between a drop-point skinner and the gutting knife. The blades are AUS-8 stainless steel. The gutting is 3.6 inches long and skinning blade 3.2 inches. The Blaze Orange handle is hard to miss and offers a non-slip grip for wet, cold, rainy weather and a rests in a nylon belt sheath. Both cutting edges are heat treated with Rockwell-C hardness. Chris, one of our testers, used the SwingBlaze on a Mule deer doe and reported that it performed as advertised. We were concerned that adding a button to the handle of a razor sharp multi-purpose skinning and gutting knife might not hold. Chris reported that it was a solid lock between skinning, gutting, and was impressed with the length. The SwingBlaze is just over 8 inches total and easy on the hand. Chris tantalized us with his field test, the rest of us are anxious to try it we will keep you updated. You can purchase at www.montanatest.com Drawbacks: None Rating: 6 Point...Great Tester: Chris Stinson Suggested Retail: $69.95

The Little Sure Shot Gun Rests™

Recommend Yes...Buy Highlights: A stable shot will improve your chances of hitting that trophy animal by fifty percent; the rifle range has proven a solid rest for your rifle, pistol, or black powder is a confidence builder. The Little Sure Shot Gun Rests™ allows you to bring that confidence along with you to the field. The Little Sure Shot offers two rests 6 1⁄2 inches long made of green polypropylene, and the gun cradle is cushioned with shock absorbing soft rubber. The Original is a closed end eyebolt, and the Big Mouth an open-mouth j-hooks that fits around odd shaped branches, posts, whatever is available. We used both on the companion Hickory Walking Stick™ You can adjustable each rest to the desired height with a quick twist. Sanded and finished by hand, the Hickory sticks are 59 inches long with rounded knobs, and fit hunters between 5’9” and 6’3”. The Hickory Walking Stick™ does double duty for steep hunting as a walking stick. You don’t have to struggle with complicated shooting rests, The Little Sure Shot proves it everyday. You can purchase at www.montanatest.com. Made in the USA. Drawbacks: None Rating: 6 Point...Great Tester: Chris Stinson Suggested Retail: Original Little Sure Shot Gun Rest™ $19.99 Big Mouth Little Sure Shot Gun Rest™ $19.99 Hickory Walking Sticks $14.99 An Original Little Sure Shot w/Walking Stick combo $29.99

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Kokanee Spawning Egg-Take Completed For The Year MFWP

he FWP-operated Flathead Lake Salmon Hatchery has wrapped up spawning operations for 2008. Kokanee salmon, a landlocked version of Pacific sockeye salmon, typically spawn October through November in Western Montana. FWP utilizes Lake Mary Ronan adult kokanee primarily for its egg needs. Lake Mary Ronan provides little or no habitat for natural reproduction and its kokanee fishery is supported solely by hatchery fish. “The run was very strong and sustained this year,” said hatchery manager Mark Kornick, referring to Lake Mary Ronan. “We collected about three million eggs as compared to only 1.6 million eggs last year.” Kornick and his staff recruit help from surrounding hatcheries during this busy time of year and estimates he and the crew handled 20,000 or more female salmon. They employ a very effective means of capture called a Merwin trap. The trap consists of a “lead” made of fine-meshed net directing the adult salmon to a holding area where the fish do not escape. The salmon are seeking spawning habitat this time of year near the shoreline, mostly at night, and traps can fill up with

thousands of salmon in one night’s duration. The Lake Mary Ronan egg-taking operation uses two Merwin traps and the trap’s efficiency can make for some long days. “It’s extraordinary, really.” Says Kornick, “In the location where we set the traps, the shoreline area is literally devoid of kokanee during the day, and the next morning, our traps are boiling with fish. That’s when the work begins.” The Flathead Lake Salmon Hatchery supplies 1.2 million two-inch kokanee for FWP Regions 1 and 2 waters. The hatchery also supplies eggs to other state hatcheries, notably Big Springs Trout Hatchery in Lewistown, for their regional needs. In successful years such as this, eggs are shipped out of state to facilities to fill their needs in times of shortfalls. “We’ve shipped eggs to most of the western states,” says Kornick. “It’s a reciprocal good neighbor policy that may someday aid the Montana fishing public if we should ever require a source of eggs.” Contact: Mark Kornick, Hatchery Manager, Flathead Lake Salmon Hatchery, 857-3744

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

Making Sausage 101 With Hi-Country From “Captain” Mark Ward

DECEMBER 2008

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All of the instructional videos were produced right at the plant in Lincoln and narrated by Dean Yonkovich, whose slow precise deliver helps to explain each detail of a given n afternoon of ice fishing process. ITEMS YOU WILL NEED: “It was a lot of fun to put these at Georgetown Lake can be a great • Ice fishing pole video clips together. Our hope is that way to spend a winter day. Kokanee, • Auger folks will get pleasure out of making rainbows and a few brook trout are • Ice tent (if you want to stay out of their own product and sharing it with some of the possibilities to retrieve ith the general deer and the wind their friends,” Johnson said. elk rifle hunting season over, successful at this lake. Some of the categories that • Mr. Buddy propane heater hunters will be looking for ways to the how-to videos cover include jerky Georgetown Lake is large; • Comfortable chair or sitting prepare their prepare the big game meat making, game bird jerky making, fresh 3,000 acres, and high at over 6,000 platform they harvest. ground sausage, dinner style sausage, feet. The lake is surrounded by the Steaks are great. Burger is sandwich/snack style sausage, smoked Flint Creek Range to the north and the BAIT TO USE: versatile. But there’s nothing like the fish, smoked game bird and how to allure of wild game sausage to perk up setup your smoker. Pintlers to the south. • Maggots your taste buds. Hi Country products are also available The Lake has four public boat • Rat Finkees With that in mind, I recently for sale on their web site but you ramps. • Shrimpo’s came across a web site of Hi-Country may also purchase their product at Located approximately 18 • Ratso Jigs Snack Foods, Inc., a Lincoln, Montana, many retail sporting goods, grocery or miles west of Anaconda, Georgetown company that has provided sportsmen convenience stores. with homemade jerky and sausage “We are proud to be a Montana Lake offers some great opportunities. WARM WEATHER GEAR TO TAKE products and expertise since 1976. company and we are even more proud • Carhartt overalls The address is www.hicountry.com. that we have built a business that now CONTACT INFORMATION: • Wool socks What is unique about employs over 30 people here in the PINTLER RANGER DISTRICT • Lines boots (White’s, Hi-Country’s web site isn’t just the Lincoln Valley,” Johnson said. jerky and sausage-making products The response so far to 406-859-3211 Kennetrek, Schnee’s) that they provide. It’s the instructional the video clips has been excellent. • Hand Warmers video clips the company has recently According to Johnson, “Folks tell us added to its site that tell you how to use that the free online videos helped them their spice, seasonings and brine kits. along the way and that are custom These online instructional video clips spices and seasoning products taste are perfect for the novice who has great.” always wanted to make his or her For hunters, it’s another way to own jerky or sausage, but didn’t know turn quality big game meat into quality where to begin. eating that can be enjoyed all year long. The free video clips range from one minute to 14 minutes in length, depending on the procedure being explained. “With the Internet, we thought it would be an ideal way to explain to folks who always wanted to do their own snacks whether it be sausage, jerky or smoking a batch of fish, ” said Jim Johnson, the founder of Mark Ward is known as the Captain of Hi-Country. the Montana Outdoor Radio Show heard “The videos are a collection statewide every Saturday from 6am - 8am. of knowledge and tips that we have Log onto www.montanaoutdoor.com to gathered over last 30-some years as we find a radio station in your area. You can have been producing our products for also read his weekly column in the people.” PINTLER MOUNTAIN RANGE FROM GEORGETOWN LAKE - USFS Thursday Missoulian Outdoor section.

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 13

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• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

Monta na Fishi ng Report BY CHRIS MADSEN, SPORTSMAN’S WAREHOUSE MISSOULA (406) 532-9000 e-mail: madwolf2@netzero.net

he geese are flying low, the Griz have just beaten the Cats again, and as I write this month’s fishing report there is more of a chance of rain than snow. Can it really be December? A dry, temperate November has stalled the start of ice fishing season this year, and by the time you read this, unless there is a severe change in our long term forecast, it will still be stalled. Hopefully by Christmas just about all of our water should be hard and the shacks and augers can come out of storage. If ice fishing isn’t your bag, most of our rivers will still offer some good opportunities for trout and whitefish, weather allowing. First, let’s look at some good early season ice fishing options GEORGETOWN LAKE: In western Montana, the first ice and often the best fishing occurs on Georgetown. There is finally some ice on this favorite winter fishing destination. Most anglers will fish small jigs like Rat Finkees, Ratsos and rocker jigs, tipped with maggots. For added flash try removing the hook from a Swedish Pimple or Kastmaster and running your jig as a dropper about six inches below the spoon. The flashing spoon will entice the fish in close, where they usually won’t be able to resist the tasty morsel suspended below. Generally the bite is best early in the morning, and usual hotspots are Piney point, Rainbow point, Denton’s point or the Sunnyside area.

CLEARWATER LAKES CHAIN: The Clearwater lakes will usually start to fish a couple of weeks after Georgetown, first up high on Rainy and Alva, and a bit later on the lower lakes like Salmon, Seeley and Harper’s. There is a lot of water to fish up here, and quite a few species to hunt. For trout, try Rainy, Placid, Harpers or Alva. Jigging Swedish Pimples, Buckshots or small jigs tipped with maggots is the preferred technique. Placid is also home to a good population of Kokanee, which are scrappy fighters on light tackle and readily take a glow hook tipped with a maggot or corn. If pike are your quarry, Salmon and Seeley have gained quite a reputation in recent years for kicking out some decent specimens through the ice. These toothy denizens are usually taken either by fishing dead smelt or herring on a tip-up, or jigging airplane jigs or Jigging Raps. Either way, dragging ten pounds of angry, slimy, toothy pike through a hole in the ice is world-class sport any way you slice it. BROWNS LAKE: While not the numbers fishery that Georgetown is, there isn’t a better place to catch big trout through the ice than Browns. Brown’s lake experts jealously guard their favorite baits and hotspots, but the observant angler will find that the time it takes to get the hang of things up here is well worth the effort. Try small spoons like Swedish pimple and Buckshots, or Jigging Raps for best success. Baiting with maggots or a bit of night crawler is generally a good idea as well. Carry lots of colors and sizes, and try different combinations until you hit on the right one. Don’t forget to set up a tip up. It may take some time to get it right, but you will be rewarded by trout that are often measured in pounds instead of inches. For those of you who prefer your water in it’s liquid state, there are still plenty of places to wet a line.

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FLATHEAD LAKE: Flathead will rarely freeze much in December, and fishing is often as good as it gets here. Lake trout cruise very near the shorelines this time of year, and can be caught from the boat or even from shore by the enterprising angler. Cast heavy spoons like Country Miles, Bomber Slabs and Kastmasters, and cover as much water around drop-offs, ledges and shoreline structure as possible. Even though the white fish bite never got going this year, fishing for them in December can be excellent as well, as these fish prepare to head downriver to spawn. Fish can be caught from the boat, or off of Polson Bridge itself. Jigging spoons, grubs or whitefish flies tipped with maggots will be the best way to fill the smoker one last time.

Concealed Weapons 12 Noon - Finished

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GPS 101 12 Noon - Finished

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Winter Mountain Lion 11AM - Finished

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AREA RIVERS: Our local rivers will still fish very well at times throughout the month. Ideally, pick a day when the air temperature is above freezing, and fish the warmest part of the day. Concentrate your efforts on holding water that is slower than what you would fish in the summer, and fish more deliberately as well, as trout won’t move a long ways to eat in water this cold, so precise drifts will be key. Often times a number of drifts through the same spot are necessary to coax a fish to bite. Expect most of the action to be subsurface, but you can do surprisingly well some times nymphing San Juan Worms, glo bugs and small bead head nymphs. The bite will not generally last very long, but a couple of hours standing in thirty four degree water is generally enough to take the edge off your fishing jones.

Ice Fishing Tactics 1PM - Finished

12/07

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Predator Calling 12/06-12/07 1PM - Finished Demonstration of hand and electric calls.

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Waterfowl Seminar 6-7PM Wherever you go this month, remember that winter in Montana can be dangerous, so stay warm, safe and smart when you head out. Fish with a partner, and make sure someone back home knows where you are.

12/11

This seminar includes call selection, decoy sets, and proper clothing. Come and join us for this very informative hour. FOR MORE SEMINARS IN MISSOULA PHONE: 523-9000

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DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 15

Four Tips To Bag More December Waterfowl BY ANDREW MCKEAN

Then you have to decide if you’ll be field hunting with decoys, hunting the water with decoys or either jump shooting or pass shooting these winter fowl. Here are four hot tips for each particular strategy:

don’t get serious about waterfowl hunting until the end of big-game season. Sure, the ducks are smarter by December and they’re not as well distributed across the landscape. But it’s the season when you can find epic concentrations of birds, and when the conditions are right, you can shoot limits in a matter of minutes.

You have to square your mind with the expectation that you won’t see ducks on every pothole and backwater slough. Many of those spots are frozen and many of the local birds they produced headed south back in October. Instead, in this late season you have to expect to hunt first for bird densities before you can hunt for individual flocks.

1. BIG-WATER DECOYING You’ll find tens of thousands of ducks and geese loafing on Montana’s largest rivers, and specifically those rivers kept ice-free by bottom-draw dams. Think the Missouri River below Holter and Fort Peck dams, the Flathead River below Kerr Dam and the Bighorn below Yellowtail Dam. But for all their abundance those big rivers can be hard to hunt. They’re scale requires large boats, lots of decoys, a dog that can handle strong current and icy water. And you have to pick your day. These big-water hunts are best on the coldest, foggiest days of December as rafts of ducks trade up and down the river and can easily be sucked into a decoy spread and a sweet call. You’ll encounter big orange-legged northern mallards, teal, a few pintails and a variety of diving species, plus all the goldeneyes you care to pass.

The best strategies are to either hunt the tail-outs islands or shallow gravel bars or to set up in backwater sloughs that remain ice-free. A combination of floating decoys in the water and a lineup of magnum shells on the shoreline is a pretty convincing spread in these spots. 2. FIELD HUNTING Consistently effective field hunting—mainly for Canada geese—goes hand in hand with big, ice-free rivers. Birds stay around these spots because they find safe loafing spots on the rivers and abundant forage in the nearby fields. To take consistent limits from field spreads is a matter of first patterning the birds—finding which fields they’re actively using—big decoy spreads and the weather. A field that’s hot as a firecracker yesterday will be a dud today if it’s covered with a thick blanket of fresh snow. It’s almost impossible to have too many decoys. In the highest-pressure spots—the Bighorn and Yellowstone valleys, the Missouri Valley around Townsend and Craig and the Fort Peck Indian Reservation below Fort Peck Dam—you won’t suck in geese (continued on page 17)

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Beating the Post-Season Blues

BY JACK BALLARD

iehard bird hunters can still hit the pheasant patches, turkey season is still open in eastern Montana. Waterfowlers are welcome to shiver away in their damp blinds and spread their decoys, but for the average big-game guy, hunting is finished until fall, 2009. Some still smile with the remembrance of magical days afield with family or might yet pump an enthusiastic fist when retelling the tale of killing a trophy bull. But most just file their guns back in the cabinet, repack gear in the garage and glumly wait for next year. However, no matter how the season unfolded, there are things that can be accomplished in December to assure a better hunting season next autumn. Right now is the best time to evaluate the whats, whys and wheres of this year’s hunting episodes to improve them for the future. Here are some things to consider in preparation for the coming season: 1) Gear alert - You’re in a better position to sort through your gear and decide what’s needed for the coming year and what might be donated to charity now than you will be in nine months. Make a list of needed items in the following areas: guns and shooting equipment, camping gear, optics, clothing and footwear, and vehicle accessories. Once you’ve decided what’s required for next season, you can shop at a relaxed pace throughout the year

and pick up necessary items at bargain prices instead of parting with a large outlay of cash just before hunting season. Regarding guns and shooting equipment, if you have new hunters coming into the ranks in your family, now is the time to start shopping for a great buy on a rifle. Watch for ammunition sales as well. Adding a bipod or range-finder to one’s cache of shooting gear is a great

investment and these items are sure to please any hunter at Christmas. Camping in elk country is one of the greatest delights of my life. On the list of necessary items for our elk camp are a new lantern and stove jack for one of the tents. I’m also in the market for another cot and a sleeping pad. For solo hunts, erecting my 12’x14’ wall tent alone is getting tedious, so if I locate a smaller,

lighter tent at a reasonable price, I’ll probably make that investment as well. Quality optics are one of the niceties of hunting that can really pay dividends under low-light conditions. If you’re considering upgrading your riflescope or binoculars, why not put them on the list with a budgeted price to purchase before next season if the opportunity arises? Kids grow (too quickly), boot soles wear and jackets get ripped on barbwire. After-season sales are optimal times to purchase clothing and footwear -as long as you’ve inventoried what you’ll need for next season. Items required for your hunting vehicle should be evaluated as well. About the only time I routinely use tire chains is during hunting season. Before next year I need to replace a broken crosslink. Behind the seat I have a portable jump-starting unit, but it’s getting along in years and is on the low end for power. Replacing it is on my list of vehiclerelated projects. 2) Pondering Places - We didn’t find many elk in the normal places in our hunting area this season. That seems to be somewhat of a trend, as the traditional hotspots were lukewarm last year as well, even though my son and I both killed bulls. For next season, we need to think about trying some slightly different areas. Although gas prices have moderated, I’m still looking for some spots close to home to hunt deer. We found a few worthy destinations this season, but before next year I’d like to scout out some more. Just after the season is the best time to evaluate the locations that you hunted. Making some brief notes in a hunting journal about the location and numbers of animals encountered is a smart way to plan for next season. It’s easy to think you’ll remember, but nearly a year’s passage will certainly fog your gray matter in September as you try to recall the specifics of this year’s hunt. Along with pondering the merits of previously hunted areas, now is an excellent time to sit down with maps to locate some new ones. It’s also the ideal time to figure out how to scout them once they’re identified. One of my perennial downfalls is pinpointing potentially productive hunting destinations on a map, then failing to scout them before the season opens. When that happens I tend to just throw up my hands and return to the same old places, some of which offered excellent hunting a decade ago, but have declined since. Summer hiking, fishing and camping trips are ideal ways to scout a new location. Last summer I made an enjoyable backpacking trip to twin high country lakes near an area that looked like a possible hunting destination based on my research with a map. As it turned out, the lakes gave up a number of husky cutthroat trout, but the area didn’t turn out to be quite the type of wildlife habitat that I expected. But the outing was a success from the standpoint of fishing, physical fitness and eliminating a destination from the year’s hunting itinerary. (continued next page)

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 17

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3) Setting a Schedule - Although Montanans enjoy one of the longest biggame hunting seasons of any state in the nation, it seems that the weeks fade much too quickly, with other responsibilities perniciously occupying days that could be better spent in the field. With the memory of this season in mind, it’s worth a few hours’ time to evaluate what got in the way of hunting. For me, it was writing articles, some of which could have been completed before the season opened, leaving more time for hunting. Readying my dwelling for winter also took some time, another job that I could have finished before the antelope opener. Although work and other responsibilities shouldn’t be neglected, a little advanced planning can do wonders to clear the calendar for hunting. Jotting some reminders of tasks to conquer before hunting season starts (and then doing them) is one way to scavenge some extra days in the field -- and I’ll take all of them I can get. Jack Ballard, author and photographer, publishes magazine articles and photos pertaining to camping, cross-country skiing, canoeing, hiking, hunting, fishing, children’s conservation education and the natural history of wildlife. In the past ten years his articles and/or photos have appeared in over 25 different regional and national magazines, including: Sports Afield, Paddler Magazine, Deer & Deer Hunting, Northwest Fly Fishing, Montana Magazine, Women in the Outdoors, VFW Magazine, WildBird Magazine, Colorado Outdoors, Birds & Blooms, and others.

Four Tips To Bag More December Waterfowl (continued from page 15) The best strategies are to either hunt the tail-outs islands or shallow gravel bars or to set up in backwater sloughs that remain ice-free. A combination of floating decoys in the water and a lineup of magnum shells on the shoreline is a pretty convincing spread in these spots. 2. FIELD HUNTING Consistently effective field hunting—mainly for Canada geese—goes hand in hand with big, ice-free rivers. Birds stay around these spots because they find safe loafing spots on the rivers and abundant forage in the nearby fields. To take consistent limits from field spreads is a matter of first patterning the birds—finding which fields they’re actively using—big decoy spreads and the weather. A field that’s hot as a firecracker yesterday will be a dud today if it’s covered with a thick blanket of fresh snow. It’s almost impossible to have too many decoys. In the highest-pressure spots—the Bighorn and Yellowstone valleys, the Missouri Valley around Townsend and Craig and the Fort Peck Indian Reservation below Fort Peck Dam—you won’t suck in geese with fewer than 100 decoys, and some of the most successful hunters bring 300 to 400 shell decoys to the

field. Keep in mind, too, that this is mainly a goose game; if you’re also interested in bagging ducks you’d better head to the river. 3. PASS SHOOTING One of my favorite methods of taking deep-winter birds also requires patterning, but it doesn’t take much gear. Find where the birds are leaving the river and where they’re returning from the fields, then set up on that flight corridor and wait for birds to fly over. The upside of this is that you don’t need dekes. The downside is that you need to be proficient at long, swinging shots. This puts a premium on hot loads, good chokes and good distance estimation.

4. JUMP SHOOTING You can also be successful this month if you just sneak up on rafts of birds and shoot them as they flare. This is most applicable to ducks, but can also work on geese. Simply find where they are loafing, either on big rivers or on sloughs and warm-spring creeks and other open water. You may need to glass these spots, pick out your approach and then execute a quiet sneak. When you do it right, you can take several birds in one rise, and you’ll give your dog a great workout on multiple retrieves.

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

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his season I had a reminder of why I hunt the backcountry almost exclusively. A good friend, who married into a large land holding family in the Big Hole, invited me on an opening day hunt in a limited access area. Being friends with all the people invited, I figured I might as well give it a go. I dusted off my lonely old wall tent, went through the laborious chore of packing a whole camp onto my trailer and headed south. Normally I am strongly against just showing up in an area and hunting. Since my buddy had done a good bit of the homework for me I felt somewhat okay arriving Friday and lightly scouting on Saturday. He had ideas on where he wanted to hunt opening day but after studying the area on Google Earth, I had my own ideas. In the wee hours of Saturday morning I headed out with my maps and spotting scope to be at a good vantage by dawn. I arrived at what seemed from my maps to be a good viewing spot about a half an hour before the light of day and got set up. As the brightness of morning grew I was rewarded with the view of two different groups of elk on finger ridges within 800 yards of my location. I watched them as they slowly fed back into the trees then I exited with stealth being mindful of the wind. We all converged from our perspective scouting trips back at camp. Counting both the groups of elk that I had seen as one, we had found two locations that were holding elk. We split up into two groups of three for the next morning then began planning our hunt. One of my seasoned comrades would take the drainage in the direction where the bigger group of elk had fed into the trees. I would pair up with the rookie of the group and we made a pact. He got to shoot at any elk we encountered and since I was already tagged out for wapiti, I would get the shot if we saw a mule deer buck. We would head up the finger ridge below where those elk had been and be in position before first light. The next morning came cold and early. We were heading out the door of the tent when we saw other rigs heading towards our spot. So much for exclusive land use. Frantic, we headed out hoping that these folks were not heading where we were. We passed them on the creek bottom trail and staggered our way to the finger ridge without our headlamps. As my partner and I started up the ridge, my buddy continued up his desired drainage. We were in position a full half hour before first light and the wind was perfect. As the dark gave way to gray, we could barely make out some elk milling along the tree line. About ten minutes before legal shooting the light from our rival’s headlamps could be seen about 300 yards up wind of the elk we were watching. At five minutes before

game time the lead cow turned to face the wind, smelled those guys and led the whole group away in a flash. My buddy in the drainage got to see a quick flash of a cow as they exited the ridge exactly where we thought they would. I’ve related this story to point out a few important facts. First and I believe foremost, situations like this almost never happen in the backcountry. When you put the effort into getting to a remote place, you are almost sure to have the whole show to yourself. Further, the elk in the backcountry are typically less wary and will hang out in the open a bit longer. Second, no matter where you are hunting, you have to constantly pay attention to the wind. All of the odor eliminating products and clothing in the world will never make you 100% scent free. Of course you should always do all you can to reduce your scent but you must play the wind to win the game. And finally, do your homework. If I had known that this section of the ranch was a part of the general block management instead of limited entry, I would have looked elsewhere for animals. I tried to cram for the exam by doing some light scouting the day before the season opened and we ended up failing the test. I went through all the work of packing and setting up a full camp and no one brought home any meat. I drove my truck (which broke down) and trailer two hours each way and put nothing in my freezer. If I had packed my backpack and drove a much shorter distance to hunt, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time and money and I would have had better odds of getting an animal. These are just a few of the reasons why hunting the backcountry is so rewarding. As December sets in most of the hunting in Montana has come to an end. The last thing on the mind of most people is getting ready for the following hunting season, but now is a great time to make the personal commitment to hunting the backcountry next year. You will have a whole year for preparation and maybe Santa will bring you some of the gear you may not have. I would like to end this month by congratulating a few fellow backcountry enthusiasts. Vince, Brad and my close friend Sparky all managed to harvest animals in the backwoods. Each of them has put a ton of effort into finding remote places and hunting them alone. Their reward, beside the experience, was three elk to grace their freezers. These three guys and everyone else who has busted their tail in the backcountry should be proud, whether an animal was harvested or not. I’d like to wish everyone a happy holiday season and I’d like to remind folks that time off from work can be spent watching wintering critters and testing new gear.

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 19

Missoula Novice Enjoys Memorable First Season BY: MICK EARL

ig game season can come and go awfully quickly for many avid Montana hunters. Between work, family obligations and weekend football games, five weeks just never seems like enough time to get your fill of big game hunting. For a 12 year old Missoula hunter, though, there will plenty of time for all of those other distractions. Macartney Earl, who just finished her Hunter’s Education classes in early October, had a big game season that was, while short, one to remember. I know that I’ll certainly remember it. I was there with her. I’m her dad. I told Macartney that we wouldn’t be going out on opening day. I didn’t want her first hunting memory to be one filled with trucks, headlights and hills covered with orange-clad people everywhere. Instead, I made her a deal. If she had all of her schoolwork done in advance, and turned in, I’d take her out of school to hunt one day during the week. She kept her side of the bargain, so on Thursday, October 30th, we set off well before sunrise. We headed to a little spot in the Blackfoot area, where I’d always seen a lot of

bucks. We started up the hill, and when legal shooting light arrived, we were in position. Down a logging road we moved, seeing does scattering everywhere. All at once, there was nice 4x4 mule deer buck at 90 yards. Sneaking into position, Macartney used a small tree for a rest, dropping the buck, in his tracks, with one shot. We had been hunting all of 45 minutes. I hoped that she didn’t think it would always be this easy! With her buck in the truck, we were headed back to town to get some lunch. School and church activities kept us busy for the next week, but we were able to get back out the following Saturday. We arrived at our hunting spot well after lunch, so we decided to go for a walk and a late afternoon hunt. We walked uphill to a road that we wanted to use for our hunt. Following the road, we rounded a corner and spotted several elk walking down the next ridge. Macartney got comfortable on the road, used our shooting sticks, and waited until a cow walked into an opening on the ridge. With one shot she dropped the cow, right in the road that we were on. This time, we had been hunting for about two hours.

MACARTNEY WITH FIRST DEER For those of you who have never experienced the look of joy, on your child’s face, when they’ve taken their first animal, it’s impossible to describe. Those of you who have, you understand. If you’re an avid hunter, harvesting an animal is always gratifying. But, helping and seeing your child harvest their first animal is an experience that I wish you could all experience.

With less than three hours hunting, my daughter was fortunate enough to fill both of her big game tags. Although her season was short, it has supplied me with memories that will last a lifetime. Five weeks can certainly go by in a hurry, but if you take the time to savor each and every hunt, you’ll remember them always.

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 23

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DECEMBER 2008

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Sapphire Ranch Offers Waterfowl Hunting For Disabled MFWP The Sapphire Ranch, southeast of Lolo, is now offering limited

Results From Third Week Of Big Game Season MFWP Warmer than average temperatures and lack of snow continue to

waterfowl hunting access for disabled hunters that have a Permit to Hunt from a Vehicle (PTHFV). Reservations and written permission are required to hunt the private land. The Sapphire Ranch is open to hunting on Wednesdays and Saturdays through January 14, 2009. The area offers vehicle access to several wheel-chair accessible duck blinds, and hunters with a PTHFV may bring up to two additional hunters with them. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) will issue reservations and permission to hunters with a PTHFV on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible hunters can phone FWP at 406-542-5530 on Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. Mark Reiling, owner of the Sapphire Ranch, hopes hunters will take advantage of this waterfowl hunting opportunity that is so close to Missoula. Reiling, FWP staff and a group of local volunteers helped build and paint the property’s duck blinds earlier this year. “This is a great opportunity for handicapped hunters who want to go waterfowl hunting, but in order to ensure access continues, it is the hunter’s responsibility to know and follow the rules and respect the land and the landowner ,” said Bart Morris, FWP Region 2 Access Coordinator. For more information, contact FWP’s Block Management office at 406-542-5530

hamper elk hunter efforts along the Rocky Mountain Front. “The number of elk brought through the Augusta check station is down by over half as compared to the 10-year average,” says Brent Lonner, Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologist. So far this season, hunters have brought in 92 elk compared to the 10-year average for this date in the hunting season, which is 208. For deer hunters, however, it’s a different tale. Hunters have checked in 113 white-tailed deer going into the fourth week of the five-week season. That compares favorably with the 10-year average of 116 animals. Mule deer numbers this year at the check station are 178, only slightly below the long-term average of 195. “Deer numbers have picked up a little,” Lonner says, “with the rut starting.” The elk rut peaked the third week of September. Now hunters need snow and cold to move elk into more accessible locations. While the numbers at the Augusta check station - FWP Region 4’s sole biological check station - apply only to a handful of hunting districts on the Rocky Mountain Front, they often mirror conditions elsewhere in north central Montana.

Fourth Week Continues With More Hunters And Success MFWP Montana’s 2008 general big game season continued with warm weather along with strong winds. The number of hunters also continued to rise while harvest rates seem to hold steady. At the Lavina check station, 258 hunters were check through on Sunday, which was about four percent lower than the same time last year. Hunter success rate was 31.8 percent over the fourth weekend versus 31.2 percent last year. Hunters harvested 48 mule deer, 26 whitetails and 8 elk over the past weekend. Hunters took 47 mule deer, 16 whitetails and 14 elk over the same weekend in 2007. Two whitetail bucks with inside spreads over 18 inches were checked through. The number of elk hunters is still high in the Castles and Little Belts although success was very slow this weekend. At Big Timber, 162 big game hunters checked through last Saturday despite the warm and windy weather. That was nine percent above average for that day. Whitetail and mule deer harvest was down this weekend compared to the same time last year. Twenty-nine whitetails (24 bucks and five does) were checked through compared to 35 whitetails last season. Thirty-five mule deer (25 bucks and ten does) were taken compared to 45 last year. On a positive note, nine elk were checked through. That is the highest number harvested since 2003. The elk were taken from a variety of areas including the Crazies, Little Belts and Breaks. Last year, hunter success rate was 64 percent on the fourth weekend. Hunter success rate for the fourth weekend this year was only 45 percent. The Laurel Fish, Wildlife and Parks check station was closed during the fourth weekend. Stay tuned for next week’s statistic report. At Columbus, 215 hunters checked through on the fourth weekend, again despite the warm and windy weather. That is 16 percent more hunters than the same period last year. Hunters took 62 mule deer and 32 whitetails. Eleven of the 32 whitetails harvested were adult bucks. Although few hunters are out looking for elk because of warm weather, one elk was harvested.

USFWS Reopened Public Comment Period On 2007 Proposal To Delist Northern Rocky Mountain Population Of Gray Wolves USFWS The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would reopen the public comment period on its proposal to delist the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains. Through a notice in the Federal Register published on October 28, 2008, the Service asked the public to provide comments and any additional information on the 2007 proposal to delist wolves by November 28, 2008. At this time, the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves remains under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. The area affected by this ruling includes all of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming and the eastern one-third of Washington and Oregon and parts of north-central Utah. Management of the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves is now governed by the same Endangered Species Act protections that were in effect before wolves were delisted on March 28, 2008. “The Service is committed to ensuring that wolves thrive in the northern Rocky Mountains and will continue to work with the states and the public to advance the recovery of the species,” said Steve Guertin, Regional Director for the Mountain-Prairie Region. The minimum recovery goal for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains is 30 breeding pairs and at least 300 wolves for three consecutive years, a goal that was attained in 2002 and has been exceeded every year since. The proposed northern Rocky Mountain population of wolves includes all of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, the eastern one-third of Washington and Oregon, and a small part of north-central Utah. Gray wolves were previously listed as endangered in the lower 48 states, except in Minnesota, where they were listed as threatened. The wolf population in the Midwest was delisted in early 2007 but that decision was reversed in court in October 2008.

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 25

Hunting And Conservation News Partnership Provides Trail Access To The Teller MFWP Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and The Teller, a non-profit

Big Game Seasons Close, Some Trapping Seasons Open MFWP Montana’s 2008 general

big game hunting season is closed. The general season closure includes hunting for fall black bear, elk, deer, mountain goat, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain lion hunting without hounds. The general antelope season closed November 9. Beginning December. 1, trapping for bobcat, marten, fisher and wolverine opens in some trapping districts. Trappers must have purchased their license by November 30 in order to legally take bobcat and wolverine. On November 1 beaver trapping began in trapping districts 1, 2, and 3; and otter, muskrat and mink trapping began in all trapping districts. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds trappers to check the furbearer regulations for details in the 2008-2009 furbearer season. The regulations are available at FWP regional offices and license providers and on the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov on the hunting pages.

conservation organization with a mission “to inspire, educate and demonstrate conservation in action” on 1,200 acres of its private land near the Bitterroot River, recently completed a cooperative project to establish public trail access to a portion of The Teller’s land. The trail is accessible from Woodside Bridge Fishing Access Site (FAS) near Corvallis. Traditionally, many visitors to Woodside Bridge FAS have walked along the trail area; however, many of these people were unknowingly walking on The Teller’s private land. The Teller/FWP partnership establishes formal, limited public access along the loop trail, ensuring year-round opportunities for hiking, bird watching and angling along this stretch of the Bitterroot. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed. As part of the project, new fences and signs were installed to define the boundaries of managed public access and to explain the access partnership and accompanying land use rules. “It was a beautiful morning to complete this trail project which has been months, even years, in the making, side by side with those so dedicated to The Teller mission, the Teller volunteers and our friends at FWP,” commented Lauren Ghiloni, Community Outreach Coordinator at The Teller. The trail enhancements were funded by FWP’s Private Land Fishing Access Program, which gives assistance to landowners that allow the public access on or across their lands to access streams or lakes. This is not the first time FWP and The Teller have collaborated; FWP helped The Teller establish a Block Management Program in 2007 that provides hunters with an opportunity to hunt deer, waterfowl and pheasant on The Teller’s private property. “The trail project and our Block Management agreement with The Teller are both important tools for public access, and the new signs and fencing help keep trail use separate from hunting areas,” said Bart Morris, FWP Region 2 Block Management Coordinator. The Teller provides conservation education programs and other recreational experiences, now including the Teller Trail, for private guests and public visitors.

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Reward Offered In Wanton Waste Of Wildlife MFWP Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is offering a reward for information about five deer that were wantonly wasted and dumped along the west end of Grand Avenue in Billings last week. Warden Courtney Tyree said someone removed only a small portion of the meat from two mule deer bucks and three white-tailed does, then dumped them on the shoulder of the roadway. Under Montana law, it is illegal to waste any part of a game animal that is defined as “suitable for food.” For big game animals, all four quarters above the hock, including loin and backstrap, are considered suitable for food. Anyone that has any knowledge of this unlawful act is asked to contact Tyree at 860-7814, call 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668). 1-800-TIP-MONT is a toll-free number where people can report violations of fish, wildlife or park regulations. Callers may remain anonymous. It is similar to the well-known Crimestoppers program and offers rewards for information resulting in apprehension of persons who abuse Montana’s natural, historic or cultural resources.

FWP Seeking Comment On Tongue River Railroad Easement MFWP Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on an environmental assessment of an easement that would give the Tongue River Railroad Company a right-of-way over land occupied by FWP’s Miles City Fish Hatchery. Last year, the federal Surface Transportation Board issued the Tongue River Railroad Company a permit to initiate construction of a rail line. The rail line right-of-way will cross the Miles City Fish Hatchery property. FWP’s environmental assessment examines the potential impacts to the hatchery during construction and operation of the rail line. Because the STB permit preempts other federal and state laws, only two options can be considered. FWP can implement a negotiated easement agreement with Tongue River Railroad Company, in which concerns would be addressed and mitigated. Or FWP can choose not to grant an easement, in which case the railroad company could initiate condemnation proceedings to appropriate right-of-way lands. The environmental assessment is available on online at fwp.mt.gov. Click Recent Public Notices. A public meeting to discuss the EA will be held in Miles City Nov. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Miles City Community College, 2715 Dickinson St. Written comments will be accepted until Dec. 7. Send email comments to: bsnyder@mt.gov; or mail to Bob Snyder; FWP Fisheries Division; PO Box 200701; Helena, MT 59620-0701. For information, call 406-444-2447.

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

Take A Snowcoach Tour And Experience The Beauty Of Yellowstone RANDY ROBERSON

robably the best place to begin is with the question, “Why snowcoach tours are growing in popularity, both swiftly and significantly?” I’ve been in the tour business in West Yellowstone for 25 years, providing snowmobile and snowcoach tours in winter, bus tours in summer and operating several motels. Early in, I decided that the only way to truly understand the significant shift in Park visitation patterns is to listen carefully to what visitors coming to Yellowstone want. What are they most eager to see and experience? I’ve always made a point, too, of talking with visitors after their experiences to find out what they enjoyed most and if there was anything that didn’t meet their expectations. I believe comments from Yellowstone visitors explain the robust growth of snowcoach visitation in each of the last two winters - a trend reflected in Park Service statistics and reported the past several months in newspapers both regionally and across the country. First and foremost, we see and hear each day during the winter just how excited visitors are to be entering a wonderland of snow and ice with steaming geysers, sparkling rivers, and wildlife around nearly every bend. Even before they get to the Park’s gate, it’s clear that visitors are most excited to see elk, bison, and other large mammals. Many have previously seen these majestic animals only in books and they’re absolutely thrilled to view them in the wild. Before our coaches depart, and especially as we approach the West Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, it’s clear that our visitors can sense that they’re about to experience something unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before. That anticipation only grows when our guides explain that Yellowstone combines more wildlife than anywhere in the Lower 48 states and more geothermal wonders-geysers, hot springs, mud pots and steam vents-than anywhere in the world. In essence, our visitors have arrived at the doorstep of one of the most magical places on the planet and they can’t wait to experience its beauty and learn what makes it so unique. At the same time, because Yellowstone is so outside their prior experience, particularly in the harshness of winter, many visitors are a bit unsure, even nervous about what awaits them. The first thing we notice is that they are relieved and delighted to learn that snowcoach tours are the answer to many of their trepidations: • On a snowcoach tour, they’ll be toasty warm even if Yellowstone’s temperature is below zero.

• They’ll be just high enough off the ground, with enormous windows all around them, that they’ll be able to see everything in all directions; • If they want pictures, they need only ask and their guide will pull over for them; • The guide is knowledgeable about Yellowstone’s wildlife, geology and history, so all the questions that arise during the day bring fascinating answers; and • Riding along in the quiet, heated comfort of a snowcoach, no one has to wear a helmet or ear plugs and there is no need to shout over the wind or engine noise. So it’s easy to talk with children, friends, and the guide at the front of the coach. • There’s no need for special gear or six layers of clothing. Just step out of the car and onto a snowcoach; • There are no disappointing surprises after traveling to Yellowstone for the once-in-a-lifetime trip to Old Faithful. Unlike snowmobile tours, which can be compromised by extreme cold or cancelled due to lack of snow, snowcoaches operate reliably no matter how much (or how little) snow the Park may have, and they’re always warm inside. In essence, snowcoach tours are increasingly popular because they’ve made touring during Yellowstone’s stunningly beautiful, but sometimes harsh and unpredictable winter season, safe, easy, comfortable, and enjoyable from start to finish. Many visitors also tell us the appreciate that our environmentally friendly snowcoaches are helping to protect Yellowstone by making it a quieter and healthier place for their family’s visit, for the Park’s animals, and for the future. There’s one other factor that we’re hearing a great deal about from our customers and that is affordability. They appreciate that snowcoach tours are considerably less expensive than equivalent Park snowmobile trips (roughly half the cost for example, to make the most popular round trip from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful). Randy Roberson is owner of Yellowstone Vacations. Visit their site at www.YellowstoneVacations.com.

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 27

Facts About The Private Land/Public Wildlife Rocky Mountain Council Meets Dec. 18-19 Elk Foundation In Helena MFWP RMEF Mission Statement The Private Land/Public recommendations to help achieve The mission of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. Acres Protected and Enhanced More than 5.4 million Number of Acres Opened or Secured for Public Access for Hunting and Other Outdoor Recreation More than 570,000 Areas Where We’ve Restored Long-Absent Elk Populations Kentucky – Eastern coalfields North Carolina– Great Smoky Mountains National Park Ontario – Various locations Tennessee – Cumberland Plateau Wisconsin – Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Number of Members: More than 155,000 Number of Chapters: More than 550 in the U.S. Number of Volunteers: More than 10,000 To Join Visit www.RMEF.org

Wildlife Council will meet December 18-19 in Helena at the Red Lion Colonial Inn & Suites, 2301 Colonial Drive, to discuss hunting and fishing access issues. On December 18, beginning at 1p.m., the council will review two surveys related to outfitting and private-land hunting access, discuss bridge access issues and determine the content of the annual report. The meeting will continue December 19, from 8–11:30 a.m. The 15-member council, made up of landowners, outfitters, hunters, anglers, legislators, and an FWP Commissioner, is appointed by the Governor and charged with reviewing FWP hunting and fishing access programs, offering

program goals, and addressing issues related to private land and public wildlife. Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting and observe council proceedings. A public comment period is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on December 18. For more information about the PL/PW Council, contact: Alan Charles FWP Coordinator of Landowner/ Sportsman Relations by phone: 406- 444-3798, or by e-mail: acharles@mt.gov.

Annual Hunter Harvest Survey Calls To Begin Soon MFWP Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ annual game harvest survey calls will begin December 8 and continue into early April of next year. Montana’s hunter harvest survey is an essential part of the hunting season cycle. FWP wildlife biologists and managers use the information collected during the survey to estimate the annual wild game harvest and to recommend quotas for upcoming hunting seasons. FWP wildlife biometrician Robin Russell said that about 80,000 Montana households are generally contacted over the course of the survey. Survey interviewers collect information on big and small game including deer, elk, antelope, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, turkey and upland game birds. This year the survey calls will be made from calling centers in Bozeman and Helena. The simple telephone survey generally takes about five minutes to complete.

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

Rocky Mountain States Planning For The 2010-2014 Big Game Seasons you like about Colorado’s big game seasons, or how you think they should be changed!

How Your Input is Used

Your participation will make a difference! Your ideas, suggestions, and comments will be used by the Wildlife Commission and Division managers, along with wildlife management data, to develop and consider alternatives for the 2010-2014 Big Game Season Structure. The season structure developed will help assure that issues of biology, recreational opportunities, and other important management needs are addressed.

How You Can Participate in Planning Sign up for E-news or Mailings—Updates and information will be distributed via e-mail or regular mail. Sign up to receive this information. Write To Us—Send your ideas and comments—at any time—by filling out the online form, sending an e-mail to wildlife.bgss@state.co.us, or writing to: Big Game Season Structure, Public Involvement Unit, 6060 Broadway, Denver, CO 80216.

What Is A 5-Year Season Structure?

Every five years, the Colorado Wildlife Commission adopts a big game season structure to provide an overall framework for annual hunting regulations. Each 5-year big game season structure addresses issues like the length and timing of seasons for different species and hunting methods, the general proportion of licenses that will be limited or unlimited, and the balance among different kinds of hunting opportunities. The current big game season structure ends in 2009, and the next cycle will cover 2010-2014. Ideas and comments from the public are crucial to this process.

How Does This Affect You?

The 5-year big game season structure sets the broad direction for dates, species, and methods, providing the overall framework for big game hunting activities in the coming years. This impacts—directly—hunters, landowners, and the many businesses that depend on big game hunting. In addition, the structure of the big game seasons has financial implications for all of the important programs funded by the Division of Wildlife, ranging from fish hatcheries to wildlife area management to wildlife education programs. Whether you are a hunter, outfitter, landowner, business owner—someone who cares about wildlife management in Colorado—you can help the Colorado Wildlife Commission make these critical and necessary decisions. Here is your opportunity to tell us what

Why A 5-Year Season Structure?

The 5-year season structure helps guide the Division of Wildlife’s management activities to keep game populations in balance with habitat. In addition, it helps the Division provide a broad range of hunting experiences to fit the varied preferences of hunters. The Wildlife Commission adopts a new big game season structure every 5 years. This time frame provides an opportunity to evaluate the current season structure in terms of management effectiveness and hunter satisfaction. It also provides you with the opportunity to plan for hunting seasons well in advance. Hunters can make vacation plans and arrange schedules; landowners can make land use plans; and guides and outfitters, restaurant and motel owners, and other service providers can make business plans with some certainty about future hunting seasons. Working within the 5-year big game season structure, the Wildlife Commission issues annual hunting regulations setting the number of licenses available in each game unit, defining allowable hunting methods, and addressing other specific management needs. These annual regulations draw on the wildlife data gathered by the Division of Wildlife’s biologists as well as issues raised by wildlife managers, hunters, landowners, and other concerned people.

Gray Wolf Status: Idaho’s Perspective in Idaho were removed, The Idaho Fish and Game temporarilyWolves it turned out, from the Commission Wednesday, November 6, directed Fish and Game staff to pursue hunting seasons in the fall of 2009 and ways to control wolves in areas where wild deer and elk herd numbers are depressed. Wolves in Idaho remain on the federal endangered species list, and wolf hunting seasons remain on hold. “We’ve been in a waiting mode for a very long time,” Commissioner Fred Trevey of the Clearwater Region said. Idaho Fish and Game waited for the state to get a role in wolf recovery, then waited for a delisting rule, and that lasted a fairly short time, Trevey said. Now Fish and Game is waiting for a delisting rule again to let state exercise management and control of wolves. The commission action included direction to the Department of Fish and Game to review conflict levels, population status and harvest objectives needed to set wolf hunting seasons in the fall of 2009 - if wolves are successfully delisted. Deputy Director Jim Unsworth laid out a timeline for the commissioners that could result in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisting gray wolves in Idaho and the Northern Rocky Mountains before January 20, 2009. That timeline includes a public comment period, review and a 30 day delay between publishing the delisting rule in the Federal Register and the rule taking effect. The commission action calls on Fish and Game to develop population estimates on wolves in wilderness areas, to develop and use wolf monitoring and estimation techniques, and to develop ways allowed under current federal law to control wolves in areas where wolves are affecting ungulate numbers, in the event that wolves are not delisted. “We’re not managing a national park ,” Trevey said. Commissioners discussed wolf conflicts in agricultural areas and rural towns, as well as areas where wolves are having significant effects on elk herds, such as the Lolo Elk Management zone in the Clearwater Region. “It’s too bad we couldn’t move forward with our plan to manage wolves like other big game species,” Unsworth said. “With our hands tied, we have to use what tools we can to deal with wolf conflicts.”

endangered species list on March 28. Federal protection was reinstated for wolves in Idaho on July 18, when U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in federal court in Missoula issued a preliminary injunction that returned the wolf to federal endangered species protection. The injunction was sought by parties to a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s earlier decision to remove gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains from the endangered species list. Rather than fight it out in court, however, U.S. Department of Interior and Department of Justice officials asked the court to drop the delisting rule and start over. On October 14, Molloy granted the motion to remand the delisting rule to the Fish and Wildlife Service. He also dismissed the lawsuit. That put the wolf back on the endangered species list. On October 28, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reopened the public comment period on its proposal to delist the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains. Meanwhile, Idaho’s wolf population management plan, state laws governing wolves, and wolf hunting seasons and rules are ready. But wolf hunting seasons remain on hold and no wolf tags will be sold until wolves are delisted. As of July 18, wolf management south of Interstate 90 had reverted to a section of the Endangered Species Act known as the 10(j) rule, which was amended in January. Simply put, the 10(j) rule allows states and tribes with approved wolf management plans some options to manage wolves to ensure the health of wild elk and deer herds. It also provides more flexibility to protect livestock and private property. The rule allows individuals on private or public land to kill a wolf that is in the act of attacking their stock animals (horses, mules, donkey, llamas, goats used to transport people and possessions) or dogs, except land north of Interstate 90 in Idaho, or land administered by the National Park Service, and provided there is no evidence of intentional baiting, feeding or deliberate attractants of wolves.

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 29

Rocky Mountain States Nevada Hunting Licensing Changing In this instant information age of cell phones, PDAs and PCs consumers are constantly connected and doing more and more of their shopping and buying online. In an effort to meet the demand of today’s on-the-go, tech-savvy hunters, the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) is moving to a “Point of Sale” (POS) or automated computer-based licensing system and with it, a stricter enforcement of Nevada’s Hunter Education requirement. By Nevada state law, any hunter born after January 1, 1960 must provide proof of Hunter Education – a valid certificate or a previous year’s hunting license from any US state or Canadian province that bears proof of Hunter Education – before purchasing a hunting license. When fully operational the POS system will function via a network of PCs and small countertop units located at NDOW offices and most license agents throughout the state. The system requires proof of Hunter Education be on file with NDOW or a Hunter Education certificate number or other unique identifier be entered before a license can be issued. Most Hunter Education certificates include a number, while some hunting licenses show a certificate number or bear a “unique mark” (e.g. a checked box) that signifies that a Hunter Education course has been completed. However some state’s hunting licenses, such as California, show no evidence whatsoever of Hunter Education. Beginning early next year with the 2009 big game tag application period and new license year, NDOW will not accept another state’s hunting license which lacks evidence of Hunter Education as proof of Hunter Education. Previous year’s Nevada hunting licenses that show proper proof of Hunter Education will continue to be accepted as proof of Hunter Education.

Hunters who are not sure if they possess the required proof of Hunter Education have a number of options to get it and plenty of time to do it. • Verify their Hunter Education record with NDOW at www.huntnevada.com. If NDOW doesn’t have the record in their database hunters can follow instructions on the website to pre-register their Hunter Education information, which will update their client record and allow them to purchase licenses and apply for tags via the POS system or online. • Contact the state where they originally took the course and request a duplicate certificate. Hunters can then either pre-register their Hunter Education information with NDOW or present their Hunter Education certificate when purchasing their hunting license. • Complete a Hunter Education course in Nevada or another state. After successfully completing a course, again hunters can either pre-register their Hunter Education information with NDOW or present their Hunter Education certificate when purchasing their hunting license. • New residents to Nevada can bring their proof of Hunter Education from another state to NDOW regional offices in Elko, Las Vegas and Reno and request a Nevada Hunter Education card free of charge. The hunter will then have a Hunter Education record in both states which should reduce or eliminate problems when purchasing a hunting license. Hunter’s who have questions, need to find a class or just want to learn more about NDOW’s Hunter Education program should contact an NDOW office or visit the agency’s website at www.ndow.org and click on the Learn and Participate or Hunter Education links.

Snowstorm Strands Black Hills Hunters With more than three

Stranded hunters were told they could contact private feet of snow in the Black Hills, the individuals to plow them out, but Wyoming Game and Fish Department cautions hunters to be they would be responsible for all costs and reminded not to cause wary of hazardous travel resource damage, or damage to conditions to avoid becoming Forest Service roads or property. stranded until conditions improve. The Wyoming Game and Fish Nearly 20 percent of the Department did not provide rescue annual deer harvest in Wyoming services, as that would be beyond comes out of the Black Hills the scope of normal duties and the during November, and over the Game and Fish has limited personnel and resources in the past several years this part of the Black Hills. state has hosted an estimated Hunters planning trips 8,000 deer hunters annually. to the Black Hills should check Unfortunately, the entire Black weather and road conditions before Hills region was impacted by a heading out. Hunters with severe snowstorm on November 6, questions about travel conditions when the area received more than should consult the Wyoming three feet of snow in some Department of Transportation locations. There is less snow at toll-free at (888) WYO-ROAD, lower elevations, and on the the Black Hills National Forest at southern edge of the hills. (307) 283-1361, or county road and bridge departments. Hunters should A number of hunters who also contact private landowners to failed to check, or heed, weather reports became stranded. The U.S. check conditions on private lands they are hoping to hunt. Forest Service coordinated rescue Hunter access to most efforts with the Crook County public land was very limited after Sheriff’s office. Priority was given the storm. Public lands that are to parties with children and persons accessible saw a notable increase with health concerns. Individuin hunter use after the storm. In als were given rides out on snow addition, many people were machines based on priority and observed “road hunting” in these manpower availability. No vehicles areas, and several trespass complaints were received and or campers were pulled out. The Forest Service did not plan to plow citations issued on nearby private land, as deer hunters tried to find any roads at the time.. places to hunt.

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

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Rewards Offered In Four Blatant Poaching Cases

MFWP

Four elk, including at least two trophy bulls, have been illegally killed and left to spoil in the Bull Mountains recently. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is offering a reward of as much as $1,000 for information that leads to a conviction. FWP Warden Lee Burroughs of Roundup said two bull elk were killed with guns before the rifle season started Oct. 26. One bull elk was found near Dean Creek, which is south of the Musselshell River between Roundup and Lavina. Only the head was removed and the rest was left to scavengers. The second bull, a six-point, was shot along Goulding Creek, southwest of Roundup and left to rot, he said. On opening day of rifle season, someone shot a six-point bull and a cow elk within a few hundred feet of a county road along Hawk Creek south of Musselshell, Burrough said. Both were left on the ground. Wardens were able to salvage the bull’s carcass and donate the meat. But the cow elk was spoiled, he said. All four elk were shot on private land. And all four apparently were

wantonly poached and left to spoil, Burroughs said. Under Montana law, people must have permission of landowners to hunt on private land. Shooting from a public road right of way is illegal. And people are prohibited from wasting any edible part of a game animal by leaving it to deteriorate. Poaching is a crime against all Montanans. Sportsmen are an important source of information about crimes they may witness while in the field. Anyone with a lead about the four illegally killed elk or any other poaching crime may call 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668) to speak to a warden and qualify for a reward. 1-800-TIP-MONT is a toll-free number where people can report violations of fish, wildlife or park regulations. Callers may remain anonymous. It is similar to the well-known Crimestoppers program and offers rewards for information resulting in apprehension of persons who abuse Montana’s natural, historic or cultural resources.

AUTHOR WITH MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS BUCK

Need A Place To Go? BY JOE ESPARZA

here can you go to hunt in Montana that provides you with opportunities for huns, sharptails, pheasants, geese, ducks, turkeys, antelope, deer and elk? (Of course, you need to draw tags for antelope and elk.) The answer is the Missouri River Breaks. What makes this area even better is that you don’t have to wonder if you are trespassing. This area, commonly referred to as “the Breaks” encompasses the upper Missouri River Breaks, which begin at US Highway 87 near Fort Benton, includes the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, and concludes at Fort Peck Dam. All told, this area is approximately 274 air miles in length and provides 1,475,000 acres (including Fort Peck Reservoir) of recreation opportunities

for the outdoorsman. If you think you need even more access, the lands that surround this area have additional BLM, State, and Block Management Lands available to the sportsmen. If you plan on making a trip to the Breaks you need to know a few things. First, if it rains, stay put! The gumbo mud in this area is famous for stopping even the hardiest of fourwheel drives. On a recent trip, we had to resort to chains to make it back to the main road. Secondly, this area is remote so you need to be able to take care of yourself by being prepared for the worst of conditions. Weather can change fast here and leave you a long way from your rig with little or no place to walk out and get help. (continued next page)

DECEMBER 2008 Stories of Success

On this trip, a friend scored a bull elk tag and shot one that we rough-scored at 330 B&C. My friend saw 11 bulls one morning and took the biggest one. In addition, he shot a 24 inch mule deer. Not bad for 10 days of hunting. I joined him later on his trip and was able to shoot a buck whose rack measured 22 inches wide and 20 inches tall.

When we took a break from the CMR Refuge, we hit some of the local BLM and Block Management lands and found great sharptail hunting. These birds didn’t seem to have received too much pressure and were flushing well inside gun range. This was great considering we weren’t hunting over dogs. We got into groups of birds numbering in the 40’s and 50’s, some of the best sharptail hunting I’ve experienced. Other members in our group saw even larger numbers of birds. Needless to say, it didn’t take long to get our limits. If this story motivates you to make a combo hunt, don’t forget your decoys. We saw so many geese and ducks we wish we had packed them. The geese were piling into stubble fields and winter wheat, and we didn’t see anyone else hunting. Just one more thing. We visited a local rancher who provides access to hunters, and we saw over 30 turkeys just on his place. When we asked if we could hunt, he told us, “Have at it.” Unfortunately, we ran out of time. The good news is turkey season closes on January 1. So if you’re looking for a good hunt, a fun hunt, and just not sure where to go, check out the Breaks. Remember to pack more than I did! Besides your rifle and shotgun, don’t forget the decoys and of course, plenty of ammo. Shoot Straight! Joe Esparza Joe is the owner of SportsmensAccess.com, a membership website that provides members with the most comprehensive database and mapping service in the state of Montana for hunting and fishing on public and private land.

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 31

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

Calendar Of Events ABSAROKEE Snowflake Festival: December 1 - 6

DEER LODGE Victorian Christmas at Grant-Kohrs Ranch: December 7

Snowflake Festival is lots of fun for the whole family! Fun filled days of shopping, Lighted Parade, Santa A Victorian Christmas at Grant-Kohrs National Historic Site Clause, Snowflake King & Queen Contest, horse drawn in Deer Lodge. This is an excellent afternoon family outing. wagon rides, Open Houses, and more! Music in the ranch house, children’s activities in the dairy Phone: 406-322-4505 barn and special demonstrations will be offered. The ranch is a perfect setting for family holiday photographs. White BIG SKY and red buildings, from rough log to Victorian gingerbread style make an excellent backdrop. Camera shy children RUST - Rails Under the Stars: forget the camera when wrapped up in roping ‘Woody’, the December 13 wooden calf, or while petting a huge draft horse. The first RUST is a nighttime rail event that features local and floor of the 23 room mansion will be decorated for the entire regional skiers and snowboarders who entertain the month. Take a sleigh or wagon ride with the draft horse crowd, showing off their newest tricks on the rails and funboxes that are illuminated in the base area. After the team around the ranch and warm up by the fire in the dairy barn with some hot cider or hot chocolate. The kids can fireworks show the crowd can visit parties held in the make home made crafts. Take a ranger led tour through the Mountain Mall. Phone: 406-995-5765 or 23 room mansion. Free admission year round. visit www.bigskyresort.com. Located 1/2 mile off Interstate 90 at Deer Lodge. E-mail: chadjones@bigskyresort.com Phone: 406-846-2070 ext 0 or visit www.nps.gov/grko

BIGFORK Annual Flathead Lake Polar Bear Plunge: January 1 The Polar Bear Plunge is every January 1st, 2:00pm at the Raven Brew Pub in Woods Bay on Flathead Lake. The Raven is open for those wishing to eat and drink. T-shirts are available to Plungers at $8.00 each. It is a family event to welcome the New Year with a chilling dip. Spectators are welcome. Phone: 406-837-2836. E-mail: axafca@yahoo.com

BILLINGS: Great Rockies Sportshow: January 16 - 18 The Great Rockies Sportshow and the Montana Outdoor Recreation Exposition (MORE) have merged to bring you the largest sport show in Montana and Wyoming. Each year international exhibitors from around the world travel to Billings to meet with outdoor enthusiasts. This three day event features fishing, hunting, boats, camping, travel, RVs, and more! Family activities include the kid’s trout pond, camp cooking seminars, hundreds of exhibitors, Wall of Fish, big game trophy displays, the Head and Horns Competition, Shed Antler display, shed antler Contest, fly fishing seminars, fly tying demos, hunting seminars, fly casting instruction, fishing seminars, horse packing plus backcountry seminars, photography exhibits, door prizes, adventure simulators and more! Held at the MetraPark. Phone: 406-580-3907 or visit www.greatrockiesshow.com. E-mail: bill@greatrockiesshow.com

BOZEMAN Gun and Hunting Trophy Show: December 12 -14

GREAT FALLS Annual Drop and Shop for Kids: December 13 - 14

LEWISTOWN Charlie Russell Chew-Choo:

Polar Runs depart at 5:00pm and 7:30pm Dec 6 ,Dec 13 Dec 20 Flathead Sled Dog Days is a 3-day event. Friday, The Charlie Russell Chew Choo a scenic and narrated January 2, is vet check for competing teams, mushers’ train ride. Travel over three tall train trestles and meeting and an assortment of fun and games for the through a half-mile tunnel. Boarding site is located community to become involved. Saturday is the 9:00am 11 miles north west of Lewistown just past the Spring race start for the first heat of 50 miles for the 12-dog Creek Trestle. Drive north on Highway 191 for 3 miles, teams and 25 miles for the 6-dog teams. Sunday is a turn left on the Highway 426 for 8 miles. repeat of Saturday. Both days are open to spectators. Phone 406-535-5436 or 1-866-912-3980. There will be food and hot beverages available and Visit www.montanacharlierussellchewchoo.com excitement for all. Come see these incredible animals doing what they love to do! MISSOULA Phone: 406-881-3200 or visit Frost Fever/Winterfest: January 31 http://flatheadsleddogdays.com. Frost Fever/Winter Festival - 5k fun run, sports events, E-mail: info@flatheadsleddogdays.com outdoor adventures, special events at Currents Aquatics Center. Phone 406-721-PARK, WHITEHALL or visit www.missoulaparks.org NRA Shooting Clinic: Fish Creek Gun

RED LODGE Christmas Stroll: December 5 - 6

The Christmas Stroll features free wagon rides, Santa Claus, candy for kids, music and refreshments such as hot cider and roasted chestnuts provided by downtown businesses. Many specials offered by Red Lodge businesses. Phone 406-446-1718 or visit www.redlodge.com

The Annual Drop and Shop for Kids is at the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center. While parents are busy preparing for the holidays, children in Grades K-5 enjoy three hours of activities and learning about aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The cost SEELEY LAKE is $10.00 per child and $8.00 for each additional child in the same family which applies to the regular admission fee to Seeley Lake Area Winterfest: the Interpretive Center. January 23 - 25 Phone: 406-727-8733 Winterfest will kick off Friday with a torch light parade followed by the annual bonfire to burn old Christmas HAMILTON trees. Throughout the entire event will be Snow Sculpture viewing and competition. As these creations Winter Gun Show: December 12 - 14 come to completion, it forms a unique activity for both One of the older gun shows in the state, running the sculptures and the viewers. The Dessertfest is a continuously for over 28 years. Guns, knives and old west wonderful evening for adults with a cross section of memorabilia and antiques. A family event. Held at the desserts and appetizers served with wine, beer, coffee Senior Citizens Center on the corner of Adirondac and and punch. For entertainment, there is an auction as North 4th. Phone: 406-633-2206 well as live entertainers. Winterfest encompass events and activities for the LAKESIDE whole family. Events might include Broomball, bonfire, West Shore Holidayfest: December 6 parade, dogsledding, cross-country skiing races, Held in the Lakeside School Gym. NO admission will be concerts and readings etc. Held in downtown Seeley charged at the door to enjoy the quality arts and crafts fair Lake, between mile marker 12 & 18. and participate in the extensive silent auction, as well as the Phone: 406-677-2880 or visit upbeat live auction of one-of-a-kind art works. Children can www.seeleylakechamber.com. purchase unique items for family in the ‘Kids-Only Market’, E-mail: slchamber@blackfoot.net where all items are under $7. Phone 406-844-3880.

LINCOLN New Year Snowmobile Poker Run: January 3

The Gun and Hunting Trophy Show offers hunting Sign up at the Snow Warriors Clubhouse to ride a variety of firearms, western collectibles, antiques, and western and Lincoln’s well groomed trails. Cash prizes are awarded for wildlife art for sale or trade. Big game trophy displays high and low poker hand and many door prizes are available and Boone and Crockett scoring by Fish, Wildlife and as well. Lunch, coffee, cocoa and pop are available for a Parks are part of the show, which features 300 booths donation. With 250 miles of groomed trails and lots of play with collectors from across the United States. areas, Lincoln is a great place to ride. Most of the winter Located off I-90 at 7th Street exit. South on 7th to trails can be accessed by snowmobile right from town. Early Tamarack Street, east on Tamarack Street. 5 blocks to and late season riders may need to trailer 3 to 6 miles from Gallatin County Fairgrounds. town. Once in Lincoln, turn north on Sucker Creek Rd, Phone: 406-586-6179 travel 3 miles to clubhouse. Phone: 406-362-4140. E-mail: BozemanGunShow@aol.com E-mail: mjparis@linctel.net

WHITEFISH Flathead Sled Dog Days: January 2 - 4

TOWNSEND Lion’s Club Perch Ice Fishing Derby: January 24 - 25

Weather permitting, anglers from all over try their luck at Canyon Ferry Lake for most and largest perch. Prizes for adults and kids. Food, fun and fish, Mother Nature provides the ice. Saturday: Perch Derby - Largest Perch Sunday: Team (4 people) - Most Pounds Lion’s Club Perch Ice Fishing Derby will be held on Canyon Ferry Lake. At approximately mile marker 70 on Highway 287, turn at Silos Inn and drive east to Canyon Ferry Lake. Phone: 406-266-5790

Club offers NRA Shooting Clinics the third Saturday of each month.

NRA Basic Pistol: This course is designed to teach the basics of pistol marksmanship. The course emphasizes firearms safety while teaching the techniques of sight alignment, breath, hold, and trigger control. This 10 hour course offers a solid base upon which a student can safely build their shooting skills and includes two hours of shooting time on the range. All course materials including targets will be provided. A firearm can also be loaned to you if needed. Ammunition is extra. Phone 406-287-2181

EVENTS TO SUPPORT WILDLIFE DUCKS UNLIMITED 12/11/08 Mission Valley Chapter Dinner Best Western Kwataqnuk Contact: Chip Kurzenbaum (406) 833-4345

TROUT UNLIMITED 02/21/09 Gallatin Chapter Annual Banquet Contact: Mike Haugh (406) 556-6796

RMEF EVENTS Elk Camp

Hunting, Fishing & Outdoor Expo March 5-8, 2009 Contact RMEF (406) 523-4500 1(800) CALL ELK (225-5355)

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 33

MOUNTAIN WHITEFISH ARE WIDESPREAD NATIVE MEMBERS OF THE TROUT FAMILY, EASY AND FUN TO CATCH AND, BEST OF ALL, DELICIOUS

Sagebrush News: Winter Is For Whitefish CHUCK ROBBINS

A local guide specializes in serving up genuine, cooked on the spot, shore lunches; everything from elk burgers to fresh caught deep fried fish—whitefish that is. He claims of all the many concoctions he serves over the course of a season most requested is...you guessed it... deep fried whitefish. By the way, smoked whitefish is also popular and delicious. Yes, I too know many anglers who despise finding a whitefish on the end the line; forget finding one on the plate. Not that anyone’s beating down my door for advice but to the former I say, chill out, whitefish, especially in cold water, are hard fighting and fun to catch; to the latter all I can say until you’ve tried it don’t knock it... Mountain whitefish are Montana natives and a member of the trout family—hard to believe I know but true. Here whitefish occur in most streams and many lakes and reservoirs throughout the western mountains. FYI, the current state record, 23 inches, 5+ pounds was caught last season in Hauser Reservoir. Whitefish range throughout western Wyoming , most of Idaho , northern Oregon and Washington ; in Canada whitefish abound in western Alberta , most of BC and even in a few drainages in the Northwest Territories Contrary to what you might hear at the local saloon biologists tell us whitefish do not compete negatively with trout—feeding mostly from the substrate while trout dine mostly in the drift. Proof positive: the pair has evolved successfully as neighbors for eons. Our whitefish season generally runs concurrent to trout season but in many waters season runs year around so

check the current regs. The daily limit is 20 with 40 in possession. While I catch (with a smile) whitefish incidentally almost every time I wet a line in western Montana , come winter I often target them. The reasons for this are simple: Whitefish are more active in cold water than trout thus bite better; and best thing is the colder it gets the better they taste. For fly fishermen nymphs—bead-head Pheasant-tail, Prince, Hare’s Ear—are hard to beat. Bait fishermen might try maggots and/or meal worms. Whatever your pleasure “on the bottom” is a good place to start. In case you’re interested here’s an easy to prepare favorite recipe: 2-3 pounds fillets (12-14 inch fish are best since any small rib bones missed in the filleting process tend to dissolve in the frying.) Enough oil to cover the fillets (I like peanut oil but any oil with a high smoke point works.) 1 cup flour 1/2 cup cornstarch 1 egg 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 cup water Salt and pepper to taste Remove skin; wash in cold water, dry on paper towels. Mix batter, coat the fillets. Heat oil (deep fryer or Dutch oven) Cook golden brown; place on paper towels.Top with lemon and/or tartar sauce...Enjoy!!!! Serves 4. Chuck is a freelance writer/photographer and fly-fishing guide. Author of four books, you can check out his latest Great Places Montana at chuckngalerobbins.com

Public Hearings Scheduled For Proposed Lake Five Fishing Access Site MFWP P

ublic hearings have been scheduled on December 3 in Hungry Horse and December 10 in Kalispell for the proposed Paul Taylor Fishing Access Site on Lake Five, four miles north of Coram. After an earlier public involvement process was challenged in court, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), Region One, agreed to hire an independent consultant to conduct a new environmental assessment (EA) for the purpose of establishing the Paul Taylor Memorial Fishing Access Site in the region. There are two potential locations on Lake Five in Flathead County (T31N, R19W, S9-10) for consideration of developing a fishing access site. FWP currently owns one of the properties; the other property under consideration would be purchased and/or traded from a private landowner. Development at the site would include parking, vault toilet, boat ramp, signs and gates, entrance road improvements, and a host pad. The executive summary and the draft EA will be available on November 21 at the following locations:

•On the FWP Web site at <http://fwp. mt.gov/publicnotices> ; •FWP headquarters office, 490 N Meridian Rd., Kalispell; •Flathead County Libraries: 130 6 th St. W, Columbia Falls, and 247 First Ave. E., Kalispell; •Montana State Library, 1515 E Sixth Ave., Helena; •Or call (406) 751-4579. Two public hearings are scheduled: December 3, 2008, 6-8 p.m., at the Hungry Horse Ranger District office, 10 Hungry Horse Dr., Hungry Horse, MT; and December 10, 2008, 6-8 p.m., at the FWP public meeting room, 490 N Meridian Road, Kalispell, MT. All interested persons are invited to attend, ask questions, and provide comments. The draft will be out for public review from November 21 through December 22, 2008. Please direct questions or comments to: Regional Parks Manager Dave Landstrom, FWP, 490 N Meridian Rd., Kalispell, MT 59901 or e-mail dlandstrom@mt.gov

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

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Reminder For Anglers MFWP

eneral fishing season on most of Montana’s smaller rivers and streams in the western and central fishing districts closed November 30. In the eastern fishing district, the season on rivers and streams extends year round. Fishing is also open year round on all of the state’s lakes and reservoirs. Emergency regulations are sometimes in effect to protect a fishery, for example when low water flows combined with winter freezing present a threat. Signs are posted on waters with emergency fishing regulations in effect. To check in advance for emergency regulations call 406-444-2449, or go to the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov under Fishing, click on Regulations and then on Emergency Fishing Closures.

Bull Trout Redd Counts Completed In The Flathead Congratulations System MFWP To Jay Evans Of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks field crews completed the 2008 bull trout redd (nest) counts between Corvallis September 24 and October 22. The index sections in tributaries for all 3rd Place In three major populations (Flathead, Swan, and Hungry Horse Reservoir) were surveyed this year, under good 2008 Bass conditions. The same stream sections are counted each year and represent a portion of the total bull trout Federation spawning-run. According to FWP Fisheries Biologist Tom Weaver, the National Middle and North Fork Flathead redd counts were above the recent average, counts in the South Fork Championship while Flathead and Swan drainages were below average for recent years. Finals! Flathead Lake population: This was the 29 th year of index Thanks to Kevin Hill for sharing the good news.

Look for more Bass Fishing News In Future Issues.

counts for the Flathead Lake bull trout population. These fish spawn in tributaries to the North and Middle forks of the Flathead River. The 2008 index count of 225 redds in the eight standard stream sections is well above the recent average, and the third highest count in the last 17 years In the North Fork, Trail Creek was the biggest producer this year

with 49 redds. In the Middle Fork drainage, Morrison Creek with 46 redds, and Ole Creek, with 42 redds, were the standout streams. Both these streams held the highest number of bull trout redds in more than 15 years. The total count for the four Middle Fork index tributaries (119) was the highest since 1989. Swan Lake population: This was the 27th year of bull trout redd counts in the Swan Drainage. Adult bull trout in Swan Lake spawn in tributaries to the Swan River upstream from the lake. The four annual index stream sections had a total of 395 redds this year, which is about the same as the long-term average but lower than in recent years. Biologists are closely monitoring the status of a recently detected lake trout population in Swan Lake. Information clearly shows that lake trout have been reproducing for several years and that considerable numbers of large, mature fish are present. If lake trout continue to prosper, changes to the fish species mix in Swan Lake and impacts to the bull trout population are likely to occur. Hungry Horse Reservoir population: This was the 16th year of monitoring for the South Fork Flathead/Hungry Horse Reservoir population. The four reservoir index sections have averaged 86 redds annually over the past 14 years, ranging from 42 in 1995, to 174 in 2006. The 2008 total of 74 redds is 14% below the long term average. The four Wilderness tributary index sections were not surveyed this year.

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 35 AL’S CYCLE

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• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

Christmas Gear Guide for Sportsmen Or Women BY BRODIE SWISHER

Brunton Headlamp

Time sure does fly by when you’re enjoying another season of chasing wild game. It seems like bow season just opened, and yet we’re already wrapping up another season of success. The end of another hunting season means that Christmas is right around the corner and it’s once again time for our annual Christmas gear Gerber Carnivore XP guide for sportsmen. Check out the The Carnivore tracking following gear for some of the year’s light gets an upgrade this year with hottest gift ideas for the sportsman on the new XP model. It’s 150% brighter your list…or of course, for yourself. than the original Carnivore. It’s three ashlights in one with Gerber’s SPOT Satellite Messenger flpatented blood tracking technology. One of the hottest new The light features a red-light-only products for outdoorsmen is the SPOT feature for preserving night vision, Satellite Messenger. Finally, there is and a 3-watt white L.E.D. Four life after cell phone signals die! Unlike AA batteries and a camo sheath are a traditional GPS device which only included. Gerber also offers several receives a satellite signal indicating new knives in their lineup that make your location, SPOT utilizes dual for the perfect gift for any big game satellite networks to receive your hunter. One of Gerber’s finest new location as well as transmit it along knives is the Freeman Stag Caping with pre-programmed messages to Knife with premium S30V steel the recipients of your choice. Backed and genuine stag handle. A brushed by one of the world’s leading mobile finish gives the caping blade a unique satellite companies, the SPOT satellite character straight out of the box network is currently employed by over and the S30V steel offers superior 50,000 governmental and industrial edge retention. The Stage Caper is clients, and averages a 99% message complimented by its brother, the Stag success rate. No matter where you S30V with Gut Hook. Both of these roam, SPOT gives you a vital line knives offer great looks and quality of communication with friends and craftsmanship. (GerberGear.com) family when and where you want it and emergency assistance when and where you need it. (Findmespot.com)

Treestand Safety Belt Ten years ago, Dr. Norman Wood of Mountaineer Sports LLC. fell 20 feet from his treestand. He broke his pelvis in two places and broke his left arm. He considers himself lucky to be alive. From this experience came the idea and design of the Treestand Safety Belt. The Tree Stand Safety Belt takes tree stand safety to the next level. It helps to ELIMINATE THE FALL, not react to one. It alleviates many fears and gives a sense of security that you can’t find with any other tree stand safety device. When standing, it helps to keep you from losing your balance. When seated you are securely held in that position. It is NEVER to be used alone; it must always be used in conjunction with a full body fall restraint harness. It is designed to help maintain your balance, not support your entire weight. Once you have used the Tree Stand Safety Belt you won’t feel secure without it. (Treestandsafetybelt.com)

A hands-free headlamp is one of the slickest tools the hunter could have in his or her pack. Having your hands free when you’re hiking to your destination in the dark is priceless! The folks at Brunton help make those long walks in the dark much easier with their RL 4 LED Camo Headlamp. The compact, lightweight RL4 is great for anyone who wants an excellent headlamp for all-around use. Plus, RL4 gives you a bright red LED light mode for night vision viewing. The light also features output to 49 ft., continuous use for 45 hours on high setting, and is water resistant. (Brunton.com)

SmartWool Socks I’ve worn SmartWool socks for the last several seasons and I can honestly say they are at the top of the game in protection and comfort for your feet. You won’t find better gear to keep you comfortable in all conditions than SmartWool. Whether you’re out tromping in rain, shine, heat or hail. It’s the best fiber in the world for cold and warm, wet and dry weather use, combining comfort and performance into one versatile package. Far from the itchy wool of yesteryear, Smartwool’s fibers are luxuriously soft. They come from New Zealand’s specially bred Merino sheep, whose super-fine fibers are as fit for pajamas as they are active-wear. Combine this with a production process that removes all itch and shrink and you get a layer you’ll never want to take off—even after the day’s journey brings you home. (SmartWool.com)

Outdoor Edge Game Processor

Neet Kart Game & Gear Hauler

Looking for an easier way to get your game and gear in and out of the backcountry? The Neet Kart is your answer. This unique 2-wheel in-line concept is a people-powered ATV. The Neet Kart allows you the ability to maneuver your game or gear through the backcountry and to go over obstacles without missing a step. Whether on a trail, or blazing a new trail, this cart is absolutely the easiest way to pack your deer, elk, or hunting equipment into and out of the rough country. Its storage/carry size is 6 ½” x 26 ½” x 40” and weigh just 40 1bs. (Neetkart.com)

I received the game processor several years ago from a family member and it has become one of the handiest tools I own. No more digging through drawers looking for a knife to cut up game. I simply pull the Outdoor Edge case off the shelf and I have everything I need. In fact, the Game Processor has everything you need for in-the-field care of game as well as the butchering chores. The kit includes a 3” caping knife, 4 ¼” skinner, 5 ½” boning/fillet knife, 8” Bowie-style butcher knife, 10” wood/bone saw, 5 ¼” shears, 10”x14” cutting board, three pairs of surgical gloves, and more. (Outdooredge.com)

Sitka Gear The Sitka line of clothing was featured in last year’s review and they have made it again this year with their new Celsius line of hunting gear. This system promises the highest level of air/moisture exchange unimpeded by coatings, laminations, seals or barriers. Soft-Shell systems pass more air and vapor in one minute than a waterproof breathable can pass in 24 hours. The new Celsius Jacket provides high-loft insulation in extreme cold without creating bulk. The Celsius Bib and Celsius Vest compliment the jacket making for the ultimate in performance-driven outerwear. Sitka also now offers two new backpacks to their line of accessories. The Sitka 14 Ascent and the Sitka 45 Bivy are both killer packs with tons of features. The Ascent is a ¾ pack that keeps your shoulders clean for comfort and ease of shooting. It features a low-profile design, easy access internal pocket system, and side pockets for calls, range finders, GPS, etc. The Bivy is designed for the hunter that plans to hit the trail and stay a while. It features a ventilated back suspension to control sweat, internal pocket system, spotting scope sleeve, meat/ oversize load system, and with 4500 cubic inches, it has tons of space. (Sitkagear.com)

Brodie Swisher is a world champion game caller, outdoor writer, and seminar speaker. Check out his website at www.BroOutdoors.com.

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 37

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• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008

401 South Orange Street, Missoula (406) 728-7766 www.missoulianangler.com

Fly Tying Corner Brought To You By The Missoulian Angler Fly Shop

Fishing Contests Approved For 2008-2009 Ice Fishing Derbies - MFWP Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has approved the following ice fishing contests for winter 2008-2009. Participants must comply with state fishing regulations, including daily and possession limits.

BY RUSSELL PARKS

FINAL 2008-2009 ICE FISHING DERBIES

Winter is finally here, meat is in the freezer, and it is now time to start tying those patterns for next season. While many people fish the “stars” of hatches; mayflies,

NORTHWESTERN MONTANA, REGION 1 December 27, 2008 - Sunriser Lions Family Ice Fishing Derby held on Smith Lake January 3, 2009 - Perch Assault held on Smith Lake January 17-18, 2009 - Fisher River Valley Winter Fishing Derby held on Lower, Middle & Upper Thompson Lakes, Crystal Lake, and Loon Lake January 24, 2009 - Perch Assault Masters Invitational held on Church Slough - Flathead River February 1-28, 2009 - 6th Annual Perch Pounder held on all of Region 1 waters February 7-8, 2009 - McGregor Lake Resort Annual Fishing Derby held on McGregor Lake February 14, 2009 - Snappy Sport Senter 9th Annual Lake Mary Ronan Derby held on Lake Mary Ronan February 21, 2009 - Perch Assault held on Middle Thompson Lake February 23, 2009 - Ryan Wagner Memorial Scholarship Ice Fishing Derby held on Murphy Lake February 28, 2009 - Canyon Kids Christmas Fund Fishing Derby held on Lion Lake March 7, 2009 - Perch Assault held on Lake Mary Ronan March 8, 2009 - 6th Annual Lower Stillwater Lake Ice Fishing Derby held on Lower Stillwater Lake SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA, REGION 2 January 17-18, 2009 - Pike on Ice held on Seeley Lake & Salmon Lake SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA, REGION 3 January 24, 2009 - Stan Shafer Memorial Ice Fishing Derby held on Clark Canyon Reservoir NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA, REGION 4 January 17, 2009 - 4th Annual Perch Derby held on East Fork Reservoir January 18, 2009 - 1st Annual Casino Creek Perch Derby held on Casino Creek Reservoir January 25, 2009 - Utica Rod and Gun Club and Oxen Yoke Inn Fishing Derby held on Ackley Lake January 25-26, 2009 - Lions Perch Derby held on Canyon Ferry Reservoir January 31, 2009 - Western Bar Ice Fishing Derby held on Willow Creek Reservoir February 14, 2009 - Valier Volunteer Fire Department Fishing Derby held on Lake Frances February 15, 2009 - V.F.W. Ice Fishing Derby held on Newlan Reservoir NORTHEASTERN MONTANA, REGION 6 January 3, 2009 - 2nd Annual Clinton Phipps Memorial Ice Fishing Derby held on Fort Peck Reservoir January 24-25, 2009 - 6th Annual Big Money Ice Fishing Derby held on Lower Beaver Creek Reservoir January 31, 2009 - Murphy’s 3rd Annual Ice Fishing Tournament held on Nelson Reservoir January 31, 2009 - Hell Creek Ice Fishing Tournament held on Fort Peck Reservoir February 21, 2009 - 13th Annual Ice Fishing Contest held on Fort Peck Reservoir

hoppers, and caddis... terrestrials are often overlooked. A good beetle or ant pattern will produce when the fish have seen every pattern you throw. Here is a very productive beetle pattern for you to try. Give us a call if you have questions, or to sign up for our winter classes in fly tying or rod building.

FOAM BEETLE PATTERN

Hook: Standard dry fly 12-14 Thread: Black 6/0 Body: Peacock Herl, six strands (you can also use a dubbing loop) Back: Black closed cell foam (a strip as wide as the hook gap) Post: Polypropylene Yarn, yellow orange mixed Hackle: Grizzly (twice the size of the hook gap) Legs: Pheasant, four knotted Step 1: Secure thread at eye and run to bend and then back to above point. Cut foam to a point and attach. Run thread part way down bend. Step 2: Tie in peacock herl. Twist with thread to form a rope. Wrap 2/3 of shank. Fold foam forward and tie down. Don’t stretch the foam too tight! Make two loose wraps with thread; pull tight, then two tight wraps. Lift foam and make a few wraps around shank just in front of wraps that secured the foam. Then go back over original tie in point with a few more wraps. This should build a gap for the post. Trim excess foam and make a nice rounded head. Step 3: Tie in poly yarn. Double and tie in the middle. Remember you are doubling so not too thick! Lift and make several turns around the base of yarn. Then make two to three turns in front and back of post. Step 4: Tie in knotted legs, (equal number on each side). The inner pair should be level with the hook bend and the outer with the hook point. Tie in hackle on far side of post facing backwards, shiny side up. Step 5: Wind hackle, five to six turns counter clockwise. Make sure each wrap is beneath the preceding one. Position hackle tip between head and hook shank and tie off behind eye. Whip finish head and clip thread. Step 6: Clip away any hackle facing downward. Put a drop of head cement at base of post and thread wraps. Clip post, about 1/4” long. Step 7: Go catch some fish!

DECEMBER 2008

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 39

• BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

DECEMBER 2008