Big Sky Outdoor News - January 2011

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS

JANUARY 2011

www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

Winter Steelhead Madness

Hunting the

Yukon Hell Hole

Proven Tactics for

PREDATORS

Attend a Boat Show

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JANUARY 2011

JANUARY 2011

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Sheridan with her first elk.

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Seeley Creek Nordic Ski Trails wintermt.com

The Seeley Creek Nordic Ski Trails are a series of linked ski trails. You can select a short, medium or long route.

These trails are groomed for skating.

No dogs are allowed on groomed trails.

Snowmobiles are prohibited. Parking is available for 12 vehicles. Maps are available at the Lolo National Forest District Office. These trails are groomed intermittently.

Length: 3 km of easiest, 12 km of more difficult and 3 km of most difficult trail Trail Begins: Trailhead on Forest Rd. 477 Trail Ends: Loop Area Map: Lolo Forest Visitors Map USGS Map 1: Seeley Lake East Township 17N; Range 15W; Section 27, 26, 35 Contact information: Lolo National Forest 3583 Highway 83 Seeley Lake, MT 59868 Phone: 406-677-2233 Web: www.fs.fed.us/r1/lolo Directions: Travel 0.5 mile north of Seeley on Highway 83, take Cottonwood Lakes Road to the east. Follow 0.5 mile to Seeley Creek Trailhead.

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T

he trail begins at the Lost Trail Ski Area, and follows the road up to Saddle Mountain. This trail is not groomed.

Length: 4.8 km of most difficult (mountain touring) trail

Trail Begins: Lost Trail Ski Area Trail Ends: Saddle Mountain Area Map: Bitterroot National Forest Visitors Map Contact information: Bitterroot National Forest 7338 US Highway 93 South Sula, MT 59871 Phone: 406-821-3201 Web: www.fs.fed.us/r1/bitterroot/ Directions: Take Highway 93, 90 miles south of Missoula. Highway 93 is well maintained.

JANUARY 2011

JANUARY 2011

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Spring Steelhead Season Opens IDAHO FISH AND GAME

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Snowmobiling In Deer Lodge wintermt.com

B

y the Clark Fork River on I-90 in a long valley between snow-covered mountains is the historic city of Deer Lodge. This easily accessible area is a hit with family groups as well as those looking for adventure. Enjoy wide open spaces under a big blue sky.

While in Deer Lodge you can visit the Montana Auto Museum, listed as a “USA Today” top ten must see car museum. The Montana Auto Museum is located in the Old Montana Prison Complex, which houses five unique museums inside its historic prison walls. The complex includes the Old Montana Prison, Powell County Museum, Frontier Montana Museum, Yesterday’s Playthings and the Montana Auto Museum. Their phone is 406-846-3111.

The snowmobile trailhead is eight miles southeast of the city center and has ample parking. 91.5 miles of marked and groomed trails lead to Champion Pass, the Continental Divide, Leadville, White House Campground and other points of interest.

Miles groomed: 59 Miles Elevation: 5,300’ At the trailhead; trails to 8,000’ Services: Food, lodging, fuel and vehicle repair in Deer Lodge. Snowmobile service and rentals are in Butte, 40 miles east.

Contacts: Pintler Ranger District Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests, 266 Warren Lane, Deer Lodge, MT 59722 (406) 846-1770 Deer Lodge Snowmobile Club Box 44, Deer Lodge MT 59722 Location & getting here: Deer Lodge is 80 miles east of Missoula and 40 miles west of Butte in westcentral Montana. Accessed from I-90.

Cover photo: Tony Butler with 18-1/4 lb. Steelhead caught while fishing with Jarrett’s Guide Service on December 9, 2010.

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Please support the advertisers you see in this publication RICK HAGGERTY and let them know you saw (406) 370-1368 their advertisement AMY HAGGERTY in Big Sky Outdoor News & PUBLISHER Adventure.

8591 Capri Dr., Helena Mt. 59602 They make it possible for us to bring it to you each month. bigskyoutdoornews@yahoo.com Thank you. www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

The entire contents is © 2011, all rights reserved. May not be reproduced without prior consent. The material and information printed is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure. Nor does the printed material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure.

VOLUME 7 Issue 10

PHOTO JARRETT’S GUIDE SERVICE

A

surefire cure for cabin fever, steelhead spring harvest season opens January 1 and continues until April 30 on many river segments, except parts of the Salmon, on the Little Salmon, the Snake above Hells Canyon Dam and the Boise rivers.

The steelhead limit is three per day, nine in possession and 20 for the season. Once limits are reached, the angler must stop fishing, even catch and release.

On January 1, anglers need a 2011 Idaho fishing license and steelhead permit.

Steelhead anglers may use only barbless hooks, and may keep only hatchery steelhead marked with a clipped adipose fin. All other steelhead must be released unharmed immediately.

Steelhead fishing on the: Clearwater River mainstem and Middle Fork from its mouth upstream to Clear Creek is open until April 30.

North Fork Clearwater River from its mouth upstream to Dworshak Dam is open until April 30.

South Fork Clearwater River from its mouth upstream to the confluence of American and Red Rivers is open until April 30.

Salmon River from its mouth upstream to the Lake Creek Bridge about six miles upstream from the mouth of the Little Salmon River, and from Long Tom Creek (about a quarter mile upstream from the Middle Fork Salmon River) to the posted boundary 100 yards downstream from the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery weir, near the town of Stanley is open until April 30.

Salmon River from the Lake Creek Bridge to Long Tom Creek (about a quarter mile upstream from the Middle Fork Salmon River) closes March 31.

Little Salmon River from its mouth upstream to the U.S. Highway 95 bridge near Smokey Boulder Road remains open until May 15.

Snake River from the Washington state line at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers upstream to Hells Canyon Dam is open until April 30.

Snake River upstream of Hells Canyon Dam to Oxbow Dam is open until May 31.

Boise River from its mouth upstream to Barber Dam is open until May 31. (continued on page 7)

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JANUARY 2011

Hunting The Yukon Hell Hole

JANUARY 2011

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BY S. L. MERRIAM

Moose hunting has never been described as easy. The terrain is often

“They knew it was a big bull, but didn’t learn how big until later that evening after they had man-handled the rack through the brush, back into camp.”

harsh and a successful hunter is faced with a formidable task when one is downed anywhere other than roadside. But, unlike an antelope, the bigger the moose the tougher the job of packing one out to a spot where it’s within reach of mechanical transportation.

Over the past millennium moose have evolved into long-legged animals well suited for travel in deep snow, wading and feeding in water and browsing the willows that grow along swampy bottomlands. Their eating habits and ability to successfully navigate the frigid north country landscape was created by evolutionary modifications that bulked up their body to provide less surface area in relation to total mass. A million years of adaptation has resulted in an animal that stands 6 to 7 feet high at the shoulder and can weigh from 600 to an amazing 1800 pounds. Their long legs allow them to easily step over most logs, while searching for willows and fresh, new growth on shrubs and plants. In areas with a human population the huge body, suspended well above the ground, makes them particularly dangerous when hit by a motor vehicle but, in the bush country of the Northwest Territories, the long legs make them very difficult to hunt as they traverse downed timber leaving short legged humans in the dust.

Werner Aschbacher, owner of South Nahanni Outfitters Ltd., headquartered in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, has learned a wealth of moose secrets after 15 years of guiding and has been responsible for a number of bulls that knock at the door of the SCI record book. Werner knows his clients must hunt in country where a bull can live over 10 years to approach record book size. He also knows that because these places are difficult to reach, the old bulls seldom if ever see hunters.

Werner’s concession is located in just such a remote area where the terrain consists of an old burn that is approximately 80 by 100 miles.

Twenty-five years ago, almost 12,000 square miles of forest burned but in these remote areas the government allows wildfires to burn unchecked unless a village is threatened. The re-growth of willows, softwoods and brush have engulfed the tangles of huge, old dead falls making hunters and guides alike describe their trip as “Hunting the Hell Hole.” Travel across this morass requires as much climbing as walking and after hunting over three miles from camp, stopping to cow call every 30 minutes – or 100 yards – whichever comes first, their efforts often coin a number of other, unprintable descriptions.

Human access to such places is limited and clear lanes where a bush plane can land are few and far between. The access problem is solved with a helicopter flight that sets guides, hunters, and gear in a small clear spot where a fixed wing plane could never land. A camp is established close to the landing location, near water and providing protection from the wind. On this trip, Tim Rae, from Edmonton, was guiding two of Werner’s moose hunters that had arrived from Germany, Jan Boenicke and his friend Gunther Greve.

Gunther was lucky enough to get his bull not far from camp the first day, so getting it back was a minor chore, if the work involved while retrieving a 1000 pound animal could ever be termed minor. After that first day’s excitement the daily routine was the same; get out of the sleeping bag at first light, cow call, make breakfast, cow call, get ready to leave camp, cow call one last time then start walking.

Their hunt took place during the first week of October, which is the end of the rut but although the cows were finished breeding, the bulls were not.

During this period the bulls wander, looking for that last receptive cow so the procedure was to cow call and get a bull’s attention then, when close, challenge him like a rival bull. What made it even more exciting was the thick cover where hunters often smelled the bull, in all his aromatic rutting glory, well before he became visible. Each day they saw three or four good bulls but Jan was looking for a big bull, not just a good bull, and after passing on each one the three continued across the burn looking for a monster.

While still dug deep into down sleeping bags the hunter’s third morning wakeup was a cow call just before dawn as Tim started the hunt while fixing breakfast. When the eggs were ready the three sat by the fire in camp shoes using the fresh, hot coffee to ward off the October Yukon morning chill. As Jan carefully raised the hot cup, the aroma of fresh brewed java was overpowered by the unmistakable smell of bull moose.

Just as the smell became obnoxious Tim sat up straight and asked, “Do you smell moose or is that just me?”

When Gunther replied, “I smell it too,” Jan nodded, carefully set his coffee down, and jumped up. When he ran around the side of the tent, Gunther and Tim followed suit running around the other side then met in the middle. All three could see the huge bull through a small clearing while the bull stood looking at them and was undoubtedly as startled as the hunters but was upwind and lacked a coffee aroma advantage. (continued on page 26)

10 Facts About Wintering Elk H

ere are 10 things to know about elk, winter and survival in the mountainous West: 1. Elk can maintain their normal body temperature even at minus 40 degrees F. 2. An elk’s winter coat is five times more insulating than its summer coat. This coat has two layers: a wooly undercoat and thick, long guard hairs. The coat on an elk’s back is so thick that snow often doesn’t melt there.

3. Each guard hair is waterproof and filled with microscopic air pockets that look like a honeycomb. When it’s very cold, an elk can make its hair stand on end, trapping more air and making its coat insulate even better.

4. An elk conserves heat by lying down with its legs tucked beneath it. This reduces heat loss through its limbs, chest and belly.

5. Cows and bulls often occupy different areas of their winter range. Bulls frequently retreat to high, snowy meadows where food is adequate—although not especially nutritious. Cows and calves prefer south-facing slopes that are free of snow and covered with nutritious grass.

This pattern results in better survival for cows and calves.

6. When snow accumulates to a foot or more, elk may give up trying to paw

through in search of grass. They begin looking for shrubs or forested areas where they can eat twigs and bark.

7. In the winter, elk eat less and rest more. This is a logical strategy for conserving fat reserves, but some biologists say elk actually rest more because their winter food—dry grasses and twigs—is harder to digest and requires more energy.

8. On cold, sunless days and at night, elk often seek thermal cover in thick brush and trees on north and east slopes. The foliage holds warmer air near the earth, catches snow before it hits the ground and serves as a windbreak. On sunny days, elk move to open south and west slopes.

9. If the winter is extremely cold, has exceptionally deep snow and lasts a long time, many elk may die. Those that survive will have depleted their fat reserves and may starve in that lean time before the new growth of spring begins.

10. Winter often pushes elk down to lower elevations, where survival of the herd can be further compromised by urban development and sprawl, land use changes, highways and other disruptions along traditional elk migration corridors and wintering areas. That’s why habitat conservation remains such important work for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its members, volunteers and supporters.

RMEF

Steelhead Season (continued from page 5)

In the boundary waters on the Snake River between Idaho and Oregon or Washington, an angler with a valid Idaho fishing license and steelhead permit may fish where the river forms the boundary between Idaho and Oregon or Washington, but may not fish from the shoreline, including wading, and may not fish in sloughs or tributaries on the Oregon or Washington side. An angler may have only the limit allowed by one license regardless of the number of licenses the angler holds.

Consult fishing rules brochure for exceptions and special restrictions. For more information on steelhead fishing in Idaho, check the Fish and Game Website http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.

Watch for details on our Steelhead Photo Contest in the February issue.

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ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net JANUARY 2011 th” same size. I usually get either 3/16 or I only say this because if you do ¼”inch. From this swivel a 3-5’ leader something wrong in a hole and mess up is run to a size 1-2/0 beak hook. One of the other anglers; they might not be real the best ways to tie this hook on is an nice and helpful! egg loop knot.

HOTELS AND MOTELS MATERIALS FOR DRIFT RIGS 1) Konkolville Motel Phone: (208) 476-5584 *Size 5 to 7 Cross-lock swivels Toll Free: (800) 616-1964 Fax: (208) 476-3268 *Corkies in small to medium sizes and 2) White Pine Hotel colors. Orange, pinks and reds are the Phone: (208) 476-7093 most common.

3) Riverside Motel Phone: (208) 476-5711 *Beak or Octopus hooks in sizes 1-2/0 Fax: (208) 476-7087 are the most used sizes. Make sure to 4) Helgeson Hotel Suites www.wefishhere.com pinch the barbs down!

Phone: (208) 476-5729 208-476-3791 Fax: (208) 476-5599 *1/4 or 3/16 surgical tubing and pencil 5) Best Western Lodge lead, both the same size.

Phone: (208) 476-9999

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Get Ready For Steelhead Fishing In Orofino If you are like me, with the general big game seasons wrapping up, and waterfowl now on the downward spiral, it is time to start making calls to see if the Steelhead are on the move.

Now, as of the time I am writing this, the outlook is very good, and with this recent warm up, the river flows should move new fish into the Orofino area.

BEST RIGS AND TACTICS Drift-fishing allows anglers to cover a lot of steelhead water in a short time,

BY NEAL M. COTE’

but it takes a trained hand and sensitive touch to tell the difference between the sinker jumping along the bottom and the gentle take of a steelhead. This method has many different variations and can be done from shore or from a boat.

The basic rig usually consists or a ½ inch piece of surgical tubing attached to a swivel. This tube will allow you to insert pieces of pencil lead that are of different lengths for different current flows so you can keep in contact with the bottom. Make sure you buy both surgical tubing and pencil lead in the

Typically, Steelhead hold baits in their mouth very briefly before exhaling them back into the current, often without the angler at the other end even realizing he’s had a “bite.” The problem is often worse with artificials.

Steelhead will take the phony offering of plastics, cork or foam and spit it back into the water faster than you can react.

Sometimes all it takes is a fresh cluster of juicy roe! It is the real thing compaired to a hard corkie, and fish will often hold it long enough for your numb hands to feel them and set the hook. Anything that gives you an extra split-second to set the hook is a very big advantage.

Using a slip bobber is also good and one of the easiest ways to take steelhead that I have found. It is very productive for anglers that have never fished for Steelhead, and it’s easy to see when a fish takes it.

With the slip bobber you are able to adjust the depth of your jig or bait so that it drifts just off the bottom of the river.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP If you are heading down for your first trip, it is a good idea to either team up with a friend that has fished the area, or buy a day from one of the many local guides

Places to stay are numerous, but make sure you call ahead because the rooms fill up real fast if the bite is on. If you have a camper there are also several options for you as well.

WHEN TO GO Anytime from now until mid March 2011 should be good. Make sure to check on the river and road conditions before you make the trip. You can get real-time flows on USGS web site for locations all along the river. The only thing that might put a dent in your plans will be the weather on the pass and of course if those big rig equipment movers get the go ahead in the near future.

Good Luck and maybe I will see you out there Steelhead fishing.

It’s a blast!

MAP COURTESY IFWIS AT IDAHO FISH & GAME

JANUARY 2011

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TRAVELER’S CORNER: Diesel Turbo Lifesaver

The Diesel Turbo Lifesaver can prevent costly turbo charger and engine damage at the fraction of the cost of a new turbo charger. But that’s not all it can do. It can also control your vehicles climate in the cold of winter or the heat of summer without having your key in the ignition, (especially good for people traveling with pets). The anti-theft security feature will also give you some peace of mind knowing that your truck will always be right where you left it.

T

he Diesel Turbo Lifesaver is a timed base device for cooling your turbocharger (turbo timer). Time is far superior than monitoring a thermocouple (pyrometer)/exhaust gas temperature gauge due to inherent inaccuracies in any thermocouple based system. These inaccuracies can be so severe that when you most need turbo cooling, thermocouple reading devices tend to shut your engine off when the turbo is still hot.

The Diesel Turbo Lifesaver control panel is very easy to use. It has a 3 position switch for user selectable engine run times of 3, 7, or 15 minutes.

For most vehicles and conditions, 3 minutes can be considered “city” use, 7 minutes as “ highway/tow” use, and 15 minutes as “extreme” use.

Another great feature of the Diesel Turbo Lifesaver is that it allows passenger compartment temperature control. When idling the engine, the Diesel Turbo Lifesaver powers the vehicles heating/ventilating/air conditioning system. You can use this feature to defrost your windows or to keep your cab cool in the hot weather without having to keep your key in the ignition.

This feature is extremely popular with those who travel with pets.

The Diesel Turbo Lifesaver has two stages of security. Stage one security is always enabled. The internal computer will stop an engine idle cycle any time the brake pedal is depressed. Stage two security is enabled by placing the toggle switch from the CPU (hidden during the installation process) in the on position.

When the CPU activates it cuts

fuel flow to the engine, so starting the engine is impossible, even if the thief has a key!

The Diesel Turbo Lifesaver is the easiest way to insure a long, happy life for your turbocharger.

The Diesel Turbo Lifesaver contains a fully operational computer with Innova custom software designed for timing, logic, and security functions.

This translates into some of the best functionality, reliability, and safety of any unit on the market. With the cost of most turbochargers running in the thousands, why not protect yourself by installing one of these units? Most units cost around $225.00 and take about an hour to install.

Available at Gomer’s-USDIESELPARTS 2400 Palmer Missoula, MT. 59808 (406) 728-7620 or 1-800-823-4444.

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Fishing With The Captain Mark Ward

BY JIM ABBS fedflyfishers.org

VERSATILITY

~Great for fishing, hunting, camping and adventure. ~Lots of gear space and a weight capacity of up to 750 lbs. ~Want to wade, just stand up. ~Accessories for any application.

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JANUARY 2011

ly fishing is a business of trade-offs and probabilities. For some, the most exciting part of fly fishing is the unmatched thrill of seeing an eager fish gulp your surface fly as it drifts over a suspected feeding area. In a split second, but yet not too quickly, you must set the hook or the fish will have already rejected your offering. This is what makes dry fly fishers so dedicated. The undeniable argument for nymphing --especially if there no hatch--is that 90% of the time trout are claimed to feed subsurface. Furthermore, if you are looking forward to spring, some studies indicate that subsurface feeding is predominant particularly early in the season.

So, with this line of reasoning, the nymph fly fisher will catch at least nine times as many fish as the dry fly angler, especially early in the year. To this end, the fly of the month is obviously a nymph; but more than that, it is a variety of nymph chosen to increase your chances even more. Based upon other studies of fish feeding habits (some good, some limited), it appears that especially early in the season (April, May, June & July in the West, for example), caddisflies are the predominant trout food, often with a 2:1 preference over the exalted mayfly; these studies were conducted in New York, Virginia, Oregon, California and Montana. So if you want even better luck, fish caddisfly nymphs!

However, it is possible to increase your probability of success further by considering the life cycle of the caddis fly, which include larval, pupal and adult (flying) stages. Of these the larval stage is in the stream for the majority of the caddis life cycle, up to over a year in some species, while the pupal and adult stages last but a few days each.

Obviously (depending upon species), the caddis larva is more available to the fish than other stages of the caddis and hence the most likely to catch fish.

The forgoing discussion should motivate you to tie some caddis larval patterns. To bring your caddis larva collection to a point where you are ready for spring, two slightly different patterns are described.

MATERIALS: Latex Caddis Larva Fur Dubbed Larva Hook: Sedge hook or English bait hook (Mustad 37160 or Partridge K2B), Sizes 10-16 Thread: Brown (6/0) Brown (6/0) Weight: Fine lead wire (0ptional) Fine lead wire (0ptional) Body Strips of thin latex, colored Fur or yarn, in colors noted with a permanent marker & underbody of floss Ribbing None Light brown rooster quill (stripped) heavy monfilament or tying thread Tail: None None Hackle: Just a few Lemon wood duck, brown partridge or guinea hen fibers, tied beard style Head/Thorax: Dark brown fur, peacock or ostrich herl

TYING STEPS -Lay down a base of thread.

-If weight is desired, tie a segment of lead wire on each side of the hook shank. This pattern is best fished near the bottom and often in fairly swift water.

-For the fur dubbed body larva, tie in the ribbing past the bend in the hook--at a point where the body will be started. Note: start the body further down the hook than in most other patterns to enhance the curved body of the drifting larva.

-For the Latex Larva tie in a strip of thin latex and light colored floss.

-For the dubbed fur pattern, dub a tapered body of fur for about 80% of the distance from the tie in point to the hook eye.

-For the Latex Larva tie in a strip of thin latex and light colored floss and wrap the floss to create a tapered body for about 80% of the distance from the tie in point to the hook eye.

-Create head with the fur or herl, with distinct difference in density, color or both from body.

-Tie in a few long soft hackle fibers underneath the body.

-Whip finish and put a drop of tying cement on the head.

East of the mountains if you want to jig when you are ice fishing, then I would recommend heading over to Canyon Ferry Lake or the Causeway on Hauser. Both lakes do a good job of producing perch for ice anglers. I would fish the south end by the Silos on Canyon Ferry Lake and I would fish anywhere up the Causeway on Hauser for perch and even walleye.

Walleye fishing is more of a challenge appy New Year! If you haven’t been ice fishing yet this season, on Canyon Ferry Lake, but some local then how about starting the new year on anglers have had success when they hit it just right. The regulated reservoir a frozen lake with your buddies? Ice next to Hauser Lake has also produced fishing is a great way to spend a day. A some good bites through the winter lot of anglers bring their kids; catching for kokanee salmon. For up to date fish on some of these trips is not the information on ice and fishing call Bob priority. Montana offers some of the best ice fishing and most of the time the Wards in Helena at 406-443-2138. toughest part of ice fishing is deciding Tip-up anglers can have their where to go. choice of fishing Lake Francis by Valier, There are really two kinds of Tiber Dam north of Great Falls, Nelson methods of ice fishing and you really Reservoir east of Malta and of course can separate the two methods by Fort Peck Reservoir. All these lakes talking about most lakes west of the offer good northern pike, walleye, and mountains and east of the mountains in Montana. Western Montana lake anglers perch fishing. If you want to catch ling then Fort Peck Reservoir would be your are content to sit on a bucket or in a best bet. portable icehouse and jig. They for the In all the lakes with exception most part, are going after trout, perch, or of Lake Francis, you can use live salmon. Using glow hooks tipped with minnows. Plus all the lakes allow you either maggots or corn seems to be the to fish with 6- unattended set lines per most popular choices. This year look angler. A popular way to fish is to set up for a number of lakes both north and a mile long trap-line with the tip-ups. south of Missoula to be popular spots Anglers that ice fish this way put each once again for anglers to fish through line in a different depth of water at first the ice. Bitterroot Lake, which is just west of Kalispell, is excellent for 16-18 then move most of their tip-ups to the inch kokanee salmon. Lake Mary Ronan depth that seems to be producing the best results. is also a great lake to ice fish for perch.

As always use extreme Crow Reservoir can also be good for trout and small mouth bass. For current caution when you are ice fishing as ice fishing and ice conditions on these lakes conditions can change quickly.

Call Roberts Bait in Great Falls call Dick Zimmer at or Westside Sports in Malta for fishing 406-675-0068.

Northern Pike anglers will head and bait information to Salmon Lake fishing tip-ups with smelt. Seeley Lake has produced pike but the larger ones have seemed to be taken by anglers in spear huts. Browns Lake is good fishing for trout and some anglers have been having success using egg sacks just off the bottom.

Mark Ward is known as the Captain of Georgetown Lake is always a good the Montana Outdoor Radio Show heard bet for ice anglers. It ices up early and statewide every Saturday from 6am - 8am. stays with good ice most of the winter.

Anglers like to jig with glow hooks Log onto tipped with maggots. www.montanaoutdoor.com to find a radio Small kokanees and pretty good station in your area. You can also read his size trout usually take advantage of their weekly column in the Thursday Missoulian Outdoor section. offerings through the ice.

H

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Keep Ice Fishing Safe Ice fishing turns angling into a year-round sport, but the element of ice

also adds risk.

The safest ice anglers are particular about their ice and who fish on water bodies they are familiar with.

Dressing to help prevent frostbite and hypothermia is essential, as is a basic knowledge of ice safety and ice rescue.

The old timers seem to be the most respectful of the ice. They urge their fellow anglers to know the water body they plan to fish; or to make certain they go with someone who knows that water and how the ice tends to form and change.

Other safety reminders: • Wear a warm hat that covers your ears.

In cold weather, 75 to 80 percent of heat loss from the body occurs from an uncovered head.

• Wear mittens--they are warmer than gloves and reduce the chance of finger frostbite.

• Check out ice conditions before you go.

Ask other anglers or local sources and take into account changes in the weather during the past 24 hours.

• Before you head out from home, tell someone where you plan to fish and when you plan to return.

• Carry a pair of long spikes on a heavy

MFWP

string around your neck. That way, if you break through the ice, you can use the spikes to grip the ice and pull yourself out of the water.

• Blue ice is usually hard. Watch out for opaque, gray, dark or porous spots in the ice that could be weak, soft areas. Ice also tends to thin more quickly at the shorelines.

• Watch for pressure ridges. These are areas of open water or thin ice where the ice has cracked and heaved due to expansion from freezing.

• Test the ice ahead of you with an ice spud bar or an auger.

• Take basic ice safety and rescue training and know the basics about hypothermia before venturing out on ice, especially if you plan to fish with youngsters.

• Don’t leave children unsupervised on the ice.

• Don’t forget that lakes and ponds do not freeze at the same thickness all over.

• Don’t forget that moving water—rivers, streams and springs—weaken ice by wearing it away from underneath. Avoid ice on rivers and streams, or where a river or stream enters a lake, pond or reservoir.

• Don’t forget the most unsafe ice usually occurs early and late in the season, when the weather is warmer.

conditions can really limit the amount of options an angler has. Ice fishing, steelheading in tail water hatchery holes, and tackle craft are a few of those options but for many of us, those things are just ways of killing time until the spring steelhead season kicks off.

Affectionately called “March Madness” by many, the spring season is the best time of year to have high number days when it comes to Idaho and eastern Washington steelhead.

The term “March Madness” is a great way to remember one of the hottest months for the spring season. It is also a great way to remember how nuts it can be on certain stretches of river during that month. A fact that keeps many Montana anglers who may be interested in trying this great sport “on the bench” every year, fearful of a phenomenon called “combat fishing.”

First let me address the issue for those of you who suffer from “combat shyness”, a common ailment among blossoming steelheaders. Combat fishing does not always have to be a bad thing. I have met some of the greatest people during these kinds of trips. In fact, years ago, when I became interested in spey fishing I received some great instruction and experience from some complete strangers on the banks of the South Fork that helped me to get off to a great start using that type of gear. I saw a group of obviously proficient fly fisherman hooking steelhead like they were bluegill (damn near every cast!) and being a guy who had only watched a few videos on the subject, I politely asked if I could watch and learn for a bit. It turns out these guys and gals were guides from Wyoming that have probably killed more fish than “whirling fish disease”. They insisted that the only way I was truly going to learn was to get in there and mix it up myself. Thanks to their instruction and good nature my very first cast into steelhead water with

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The lessons I took from that day have helped me to develop a couple rules when it comes to combat fishing situations and etiquette in general that have just plain improved my life. One, I try to get to my chosen hole before anyone else. Not to hoard it mind you, I do it simply to establish my right to be there. Second, I am happy to let anyone else fish with me. It’s just plain good river karma! If they are new and I help them, odds are I will have a grateful friend for years to come and if they are experienced fisherman, even better, I just might learn something on top of that. In either case after a few seasons operating in this fashion the result has been this, should I ever oversleep or have some logistical problem causing me to be late to the river, I can almost always find a friendly face that will take mercy on me and let me spend the day slapping the water with them. Something I am very proud of and grateful for. Of course there are always a few folks that are down-right unpleasant.

This is an easy fix. Simply avoid these folks like the plague. It is just plain ignorant during certain times of the year for someone to think they will have any prime spot to themselves. Don’t let people like this spoil what is supposed to be a fun activity. I have found that these folks are generally the exception and not the rule.

Another thing that every steelheader should try learn at some point is how to find fish themselves without relying on always following the crowd.

This behavior is an unnecessary crutch most of the time and really can limit our growth as proficient steelheaders. The crowds of fisherman are almost always behind or at occasion in front of the biggest concentrations of fish. When I was making my initial trips from Montana over to Idaho I often would hear steelheaders (continued on page 34)

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Montana Fishing Report

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Southwest Montana Fishing Report

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BY RYAN ONGLEY (406) 586-0100

Another year in review:

I still haven’t caught a ten pound trout on a dry fly, or a twenty pound steelhead on the fly, and these annual goals have gone unfulfilled for so long now that my odds are now about the same as Tim Tebow becoming the star quarterback the Broncos are hoping him to be. On the other hand, I did extend my ‘Consecutive Seasons without a Broken Fly Rod’ streak to a record eleven straight years. This was mostly due to the fact that my time on the water was severely limited due to my now fifteen month old son requiring most of my free time. That is the beauty of the wild goose chase: Sometimes you catch lots of big fish, and sometimes you break another rod and the truck doesn’t start at the take out.

There were plenty of places that didn’t get crossed off the list again this year, some of which I’ll sadly never get around to visiting. Worse of all, I managed to neglect a few favorite haunts again this year; this was the second season in a row without a Yellowstone trip.

Another year, for all it’s ups and downs, was another year spent fishing, and for that we can all be thankful.

So with that out of the way, let’s take a look at the first month of the New Year.

January is the peak month of our ice fishing season, as by now all of our lakes will have a solid, safe layer of ice.

The bite in most places will start to slow

by the end of the month, so the beginning of the year is the best time to get out, if you haven’t been already.

Here is a rundown of local ice-fishing options.

GEORGETOWN LAKE: As usual, the early season bite at Georgetown has been excellent, with plenty of ice and excellent action for trout with the kokanee fishing a little slower. Early season at Georgetown usually finds fish located around the remaining weed beds, and traditionally good spots to try are Piney point, Rainbow Bay, Denton’s point or the Pump House area. There are lots of favorite lures at Georgetown, but Swedish Pimples, Rocker Jigs, Hali Jigs and Rat Finkees are good choices to try. Often, size and color will matter more than the specific jig, so carry some in pink, orange, black and white or glow, and tip them with maggots or mealworms for best success. If you’re looking for the increasingly hard to find kokanee fishing the early morning hours seems to be the best.

CLEARWATER LAKES: The Clearwater lakes chain offers a little bit of everything. If trout are your quarry, Alva and Rainy are good choices for nice cutthroats. A small Swedish Pimple or rocker jig with a maggot should keep

you in business. Harper’s Lake is also a popular trout hole, it is regularly stocked with 4-10lb brood stock, and these fish provide excellent sport through the ice. They may not be the prettiest trout you’ll ever see, but five pound trout will allow you to overlook some aesthetic deficiencies. If perch or pike are your quarry, try out Salmon or Seeley. Most anglers will set up a tip-up rigged with a smelt, and fish a second rod with a jigging Rapala or Puppet Minnow for pike, or a tear drop jig and maggot for perch. Both of these are good bets for spearing pike as well, if that is your game.

BROWNS LAKE: What on earth would make a normally sane person spend all their waking hours staring through a hole on what might very well be the coldest, windiest slab of ice on the face of the earth? How about a five fish limit heavy enough to win the Bass master Classic.

These are trout we’re talking about, but you get the idea. Brown’s lake has more than it’s fair share of enormous trout, but they can also be notoriously difficult to catch, and I was only barely kidding about the wind. Most successful anglers will concentrate their efforts around the weed beds and points by the boat launch.

Successful baits include Powerbait, Swedish Pimples, jigging Rapalas, and rocker jigs. (continued on page 30)

Happy New Years!!

2011 is off to a roaring start.

Our snowpack looks good early on so as of now it looks like 2011 should be another great year in SW Montana. With the end of most hunting seasons and the holidays past us now fishing becomes the focus once again. Ice fishing has gotten off to a great start with good early ice and good action on many of our area reservoirs and lakes. Our area rivers which stay free of ice are also producing very nicely so far this winter. The solitude of winter fishing can’t be beat.

UPPER MADISON RIVER: Midge activity continues to be strong on the Upper Madison. Areas to focus on are between Hebgen and Quake Lakes and they Reynold’s Pass areas downstream to Lyon’s Bridge. Slower bankside pockets and pools have been full of midging trout since fall and most days risers are not difficult to find. #20 - #22 zelon midges in black, tan, and olive colors will bring many nice trout to net with patience and accurate casts. Nymphing is strong with midge pupae, #16 - #20 red copper johns, egg patterns, and san juan worms.

GALLATIN RIVER: Has produced well most warmer afternoons between about noon and 4 o’clock. Egg patterns, San Juans, midge pupae, small caddis pupae , or small mayfly nymphs will produce some trout. Usually open water will be available from downstream of Big

JANUARY 2011

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Sky and into the Valley down to around Cameron Bridge most winters.

Rainbows. As we reach into January the ice thicknesses should increase to the point where Hole in the Wall and Duck HYALITE RESERVOIR: The ice came Creek become accessible with safe ice. fairly early to Hyalite this season and These areas are a favorite for Perch and it’s been some good consistent action.

Walleye. Jiggins at depths of 25’ to 35’ Swedish Pimples, Rat Finkies, and Wooly are usually the tactics needed. Swedish Buggers, jigged with a maggot or piece Pimples, Halis, Jiggin Raps, tipped with of crawler have been popular rigs. I’ve maggots, perch eyes, mealworms, or heard of more grayling caught through the crawler meat are good options. ice this year so far than I can remember If you’d like to jump into the ice in years past. Jigging with smaller mayfly fishing craze stop into see us this year. nymphs such as pheasant tails, and We have a great selection of Frabill and lightning bugs have also produced on Eskimo shelters. Along with Marcum many days also. flashers and underwater cameras. These CANYON FERRY RESERVOIR: This electronics can double or triple your catch rates and I highly recommend to take a large body of water really just begins to look at them. They are much simpler to hit it’s ice fishing stride in January. Early on the areas around Silos had good ice and use than most think. Be safe out there and enjoy our winter wonderland. produced well for cruising large

North Central Montana Fishing Report Brought To You By Helena

BY RC PEARCE (406) 457-7200 e-mail: fishing167helena@yahoo.com

CANYON FERRY: Good safe ice at the south end. There have been some guys with their four-wheelers already, but be careful by whole in the wall. Trout fishing has been good off the Silos docks, about four to five feet under the ice, with glow hooks and Swedish Pimples tipped with worms. Try a mini wooly bugger as a dropper on your jigging rod, black ones seem to be working well.

The perch fishing has been okay with a Hali jig tipped with pink maggots. The walleye are in there, you just have to move around to find them. Here’s a trick you might want to try this season, take the hook off a buck shot jig, turn it upside down and put a Hali chain on it. This seems to work well. Ling fishing under the dam has been really good this year, use smelt or sucker meat and have fun.

HAUSER LAKE: Hauser generally takes a little while longer to freezeover due to current. But good news, the Causeway arm, where current is not as swift, has safe fishable ice up to approximately 8 inches

Trout fishing has been good with a Swedish pimple tipped with a little worm. Perch have been caught around the power lines while jigging for walleye. Ling have moved into shallow water at Black Sandy. Use a lindy rig with about a two inch chunk of smelt. Best results are typically being seen after midnight.

HOLTER LAKE: Still open water; by the end of the month there may be some safe ice. Just play it safe out there.

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REGULATING RESERVOIR: Fishable ice. Around 5” of ice.

Kokanee and perch fishing are probably going to be slow like the past few years. It was a good season for snagging so the Kokanee may be better but don’t bet on it. Ling should be moving in later in the month. Find a nice deep hole, fish on the bottom with some smelt or sucker meat.

Happy New Year. I hope this is your year to get that wall hanger!

Ice fishing is here, that means its time to go out, sit on the bucket, tell stories with friends and just have fun.

I love ice fishing, I don’t own a boat and with the ice, I can fish parts of lakes I didn’t touch all summer. If you have been thinking about trying ice fishing, it really is a good time. Yes, some days it can be the pits, but with the right gear and friends no matter if the fishing is good or bad it’s still a great time. First ice is generally good fishing. That being said, you should be jigging a little more aggressive than you would think. Pike and walleye are getting their feed on, fattening up for the long Montana winter. Trout are almost in their pre-spawn attitude.

While out night fishing for ling, a buddy of mine caught a pig native male rainbow and he was in spawn mode already, little early big boy.

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hunting coyotes in Montana’s foothills can be similar to hunting big Muley bucks throughout the state.

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Thursday - February 3, 2011 Calling during cold weather has the best effect, because the coyote is in, “energy conservation mode” while hunting is burning up his body storage and he is running on a empty stomach. This makes his more desperate to make a kill so he pushes his safety rules.

Coyotes calculate their moves to arrive in a position where they can ambush their prey. Predator hunters (and coyote hunters in particular) must locate where their prey eats if they intend to call him in for a “meal”.

Bedding and hunting areas often overlap so find an area that serves both purposes.

Calling locations are determined by many different variables. Coyote populations, calling pressure, the time of year, natural or artificial food sources, terrain, wind direction, the sun’s position and landowner permission are some of the main variables.

Coyote sightings help us determine if an area is “hunt able” or necessitates moving to an area that has a higher coyote population. The number of coyotes in an area can be determined by observing sign such as tracks and droppings. Also getting coyotes to howl can give you an idea of how many live in a given area. This is best done in the early morning or late in the evening by using a howler call. Talk to farmers, game wardens and others in the area to see where they have seen them most often. Farmers and ranchers are usually happy to have you shoot the coyotes on their land.

Start your own scouting in the area to confirm what you’ve been told.

Don’t spend a lot of time in an area with low coyote numbers unless you are limited by where you can hunt.

Artificial or man-made food sources are prime attractors in an area because the amount of food is far greater than nature can provide. These areas are real sleepers once you know about them.

Agriculture is changing, but the waste it provides is always there. My favorite

spots are cattle feed lots, grain bins, old buildings, weed and grain patches, water sources and areas where small game such as mice dwell in the ecosystem. Other livestock such as poultry and hog operations attract coyotes. Natural feed areas include prairie dog towns, wood chuck colonies and thick rabbit warrens.

Coyotes are like other predators - if they’re successful in an area they’ll add the area to their regular rounds.

Full camouflage is a must when hunting coyotes. The second most important camouflage is for your rifle. A bright and shiny rifle with a glossy black scope creates reflections and flashes that can be seen at great distances. Camouflage your rifle and your optical equipment before you go predator hunting.

Open country seems to produce the best during the early part of the season. Coyotes can be anywhere and the young are just getting out on their own and learning to hunt as a pack. These young coyotes haven’t been shot at yet and they are naturally curious. Later on in the season we tend to hunt closer to cover. Wooded draws, ravines, river and creek bottoms are all excellent locations. Coyotes tend to congregate in these areas to escape the bitter winter wind and a lot of their food sources are there.

As you gain experience calling and observing coyotes coming to the call you get a feel for their habitat and where they are at during different times during the day. This is one of the skills that will make you successful time after time – you have to call them in close enough to shoot them which means spending time in coyote habitat.

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18 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Extend Your Hunting Season With Predators

BY BRODIE SWISHER

AL MORRIS WITH COYOTE PHOTO - BRODIE SWISHER

A

s another hunting season draws to close, I can’t help but look back and relish the memories of what has been one of my best hunting seasons yet. After nearly five months of heading to the woods before daylight, I find myself exhausted.

Yes, I’ll admit it. I’m ready for a break.

This is the time of year that many of us catch up on some much needed sleep, sit around waiting on our deer to come back from the taxidermist, or work on that long list of honey-do’s from our spouse. While I highly recommend getting those chores done around the house first, don’t overlook the opportunity to extend your hunting season with the challenge of calling predators for a late winter hunting showdown like no other.

The lure of calling predators to the gun or bow has resulted in countless hunters heading to the fields in pursuit of some of nature’s most elusive critters.

There are a number of reasons why hunters succumb to the exciting sport of calling predators. One of the most common culprits is the chance to call and hunt an animal that is ultimately hunting you.

That’s right, when you start blowing that call, its go-time! The hunter becomes the hunted. There is something exciting about the idea of making a sound that results in a hungry predator coming to find you!

I talk to a lot of guys that have given predator hunting a try and for one reason or another, have been unsuccessful.

They are usually frustrated and ready to give up on the chance to kill a coyote or fox. I understand their pain because I was there once myself. Years ago when I first dabbled with the pursuit of coyotes I failed miserably time after time. Finally I’d had enough and I began to make a

JANUARY 2011

few phone calls to the few experts I could find on the subject of killing predators. I quickly learned that I commonly called too loud, too much, and too often. And that was just the beginning. I never paid attention to where and when I set up. I simply plopped down in any field that looked like it might be a good place to shoot a coyote. I soon learned that there were likely countless coyotes that had come to my calling location and slipped away undetected because of something alarming they saw or heard.

When looking to the experts for advice, one would have to consider Steven Reinhold. Steven is a Mossy Oak prostaffer and avid predator hunter.

Steven shares some words of wisdom with our readers through a Q&A session on the basics of extending your hunting season through the pursuit of predators.

Q: What are some ways you like to set up for calling predators?

Reinhold: “My favorite sets are field edges in the early morning hours. This is the best time to catch predators on their feet feeding.”

Q: Do you pay attention to wind direction?

Reinhold: “Yes. Wind direction is a big part of your set up; if you get winded the game is over!”

Q: What types of calls do you use?

Reinhold: “Mainly distress calls: Puppy Distress, Blackbird Distress, Cottontail Distress. I will also use a howler as well.”

Q: Have you used electronic calls? If so, how?

Reinhold: “Yes, electronic calls have been my main choice for my set ups for several years. The electronic calls are easier to change up calls on my set ups with the handheld remotes. Plus all of my favorite calls are right in the palm of my hand. When you add a decoy to your set ups with the e-caller, it makes a bad day for the predator on the prowl!”

Q: Do you use any type of decoy?

Reinhold: “Yes, decoys play a big part on my sets. I use mainly decoys that have motion to them such as Mojo Woodpecker. I’ve noticed by using the motion decoys, it keeps the animal more focused on it and less on the hunter! I also use a life-size coyote decoy as well on some of my sets.”

Q: Do you hunt with a rifle or shotgun?

Reinhold: “I mainly use a shotgun due to the areas I hunt in. Most of the shotguns on the market today, set up with the right choke tube, can give you kill shots out to 50-60 yards. I have two Remington 870 12-gauges in Mossy Oak Break-Up camo, set up with a Carlson HeavyShot Dead Coyote Choke tube. I also have a rifle. I prefer using my Remington 22-250. It is a good caliber, with less damage to the hide of the animal. (I’m planning on getting a Remington AR-15 in 223 caliber. On some of my sets, I will carry both my shotgun and my rifle depending on where I’m hunting.”

Q: How long do you call from a set up?

Reinhold: “Most of my sets range between (continued on page 22)

JANUARY 2011

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Extend Your Hunting Season With Predators (continued from page 18)

15 -20 minutes per set.”

Q: How far do you move between set ups?

Reinhold: “Where I live, it is flat terrain with little patch woods and open fields. For most of my sets, I use my truck to get from place to place. So it could be a half mile to 10 miles; it just depends on what farms I plan on hunting that day.”

Tools of the Trade I guess there will forever be a debate as to what works best, mouth calls or electronic callers. As for me, I love them both. There are days when I simply hit the fields with a call around my neck and go, but there also times that I like to mix things up and put an electronic caller (e-caller) to work. Both have their pros and cons and both have resulted in the death of coyotes too many to count.

I’ve had excellent results from the Johnny Stewart line of electronic calls.

The Johnny Stewart PM-4 Wireless Preymaster Caller (johnnystewart.com) incorporates all of the great features of the original Preymaster Caller with the added extras that predator hunters have asked for. The PM-4 Preymaster Caller is a remote operated unit with a wireless range of 100 yards (up to 250 yards at optimal conditions).

The handheld remote transmitter has a durable water resistant keypad with raised select buttons for each sound, making it easy to operate with gloves or in low light conditions. It operates on one 9-volt battery. The volume button is

conveniently located on the side and it also has a lanyard loop for carrying it in the field. The base unit has three slots that are compatible with all available Preymaster memory cards for up to 12 available sounds.

The memory cards contain the authentic Johnny Stewart sounds that have been digitally remastered. The Preymaster comes with 12 predator sounds on three cards.

I’ve used a variety of calls over the years, but tend to favor the open-reed style calls for their versatility. Open-reed calls allow for a variety of sounds to be performed with just one call. Closedreed calls however, are usually limited to one distinct sound. A few of the “light” sounding calls previously mentioned can be produced with calls like Primos Hunting Calls’ Mouse Squeaker and CatNip calls (primos.com). These are the calls I generally start my calling routine off with.

If nothing responds from close range, I pump up the volume and/or switch to a call capable of producing more volume to cast the call to greater distances.

No matter what style of call you decide to use, remember, to keep it real.

Go to great lengths to ensure that you pour a great deal of emotion into the call. Don’t get bogged down in what type of animal sound you’re creating. The predators won’t care. They simply want to hear the sound of something hurting. It’s what’s for dinner. Learn to be the dinner bell and you’ll be on your way to calling more predators on your next hunt.

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cfputah.com

BY JOHN BAKER, OWNER GREAT WEST GUNSMITHING

Now that big game season is over, we asked John Baker, owner of “Where Honesty & Quality Come Together”

ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

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Great West Gunsmithing what to do for our firearms care.

Here are his answers to our questions.

1. Now that big game season is over, what steps should I take for proper care of my rifle and/or shotgun? ·Even if the gun was brand new this season I recommend a trip to the gunsmith. New or old, a gun should be professionally disassembled, cleaned and inspected by a qualified gunsmith every couple of years depending on use. While most owners will clean a brand new gun before shooting it, in most cases they don’t take it all the way apart and remove the shipping greases and storage debris from places like the bolt and trigger.

A good thorough cleaning on a regular basis will keep many problems at bay. ·Clean your gun properly. This means not only technique, but with the right tools and products. oAvoid jointed rods and aluminum rods.

Use quality coated or carbon fiber/graphite rods. These rods are more expensive, but much less than the cost of a replacement barrel from a cheap rod. Aluminum and screw-together jointed rods collect fouling and become abrasive, and lack the strength to push a new brush many times. Buy good rods. oWith your quality cleaning rods buy and use only quality brushes and jags, avoiding the slotted plastic patch holders. Quality phosphor-bronze or nylon brushes will remove fouling better, and when they begin to travel the bore easily – replace it.

Quality jags give a better, faster clean than slotted patches. Jags are made for all popular shotgun calibers, too. Jags, unlike brushes, rarely wear out from use so buy good ones that fit your cleaning rods. oGo easy on the oil. It’s better to pull the gun out early summer and give it an inspection, applying more protecting lubricants if necessary than to put the gun away dripping with enough oil to last all of the off season. Many wonder lubricants on the market today will damage synthetic

stocks and other gun parts if allowed to soak in them for the next nine months. A little oil goes a long way. ·Whether or not you dry fire the gun before storage is a matter of preference. Most firing pin springs will not appreciably lose their power if stored in the cocked position. ·Store your ammo properly. This doesn’t seem gun related, but ammunition exposed to extreme swings in temperature and humidity can change the shape of the powder and its composition which can lead to squibs or over-pressure problems. Store it in a cool, dry place, not next to the water heater or behind the truck seat. ·Don’t store your guns in soft cases or gun socks if possible. These can retain moisture, and while our humidity is lower than many parts of the country why take a chance?

2. What can go wrong if I do not do anything to my firearm after the end of the hunting season? ·Aside from the obvious concerns about rust, as lubricants age they become sticky varnish and sludge, just like in your car.

As this happens it can adversely affect the trigger pull, the proper operation of the safety, and whether or not the firing pin has enough energy to reliably ignite the cartridge or shell. ·Extractors rely on a specific angle and profile to perform their job properly. If debris gets under the extractor, or fouls the hook of the extractor the gun may fail to extract and/or eject, causing a jamming situation. ·Some guns, generally semiautomatics and pumps may have bolt face damage that shaves a tiny bit of brass off each cartridge or shell. This brass usually ends up in the bolt, eventually blocking the firing pin causing misfires and broken pins.

3. How often can I shoot my firearm without proper cleaning or care? ·That’s a hard question to answer. While modern primers and propellants are relatively clean, the deposits left behind can cause problems. oMost centerfire rifles will shoot using (continued on page 31)

OUR CUSTOMERS SAY IT ALL!

STEVEN WALKER OF FRENCHTOWN WITH HIS 2010 BULL ELK. THE FINAL SCORE BY BOONE AND CROCKETT WAS GROSS 389 4/8, NET 367 0/8.

Uncle Keith’s Apprentice: Unbelievable Archery Hunt 2010

BY STEVEN C. WALKER

Opening weekend (September 4th and 5th) starts off quite slow with no

elk sign. I did almost bump into a muley doe as I was sneaking thru the brush and pines. We were both stunned for a moment, then she spun on an instant and was gone. Moments like these are good to share with Uncle Keith as winter sets in and we relive our hunting season.

Next weekend (11th and 12th) starts with a good show of fresh elk sign leading from a water source up the mountain. After climbing about two miles, I finally get a glimpse of elk hide in the trees below me. They are moving slowly down the mountain mewing and chirping, then a bugle. “YES!!” The first bugle of the season sure gets your hair on end and the blood pumping. I parallel track them while we cow-talked back and forth. But they are set on their destination and wind is changing, so I turn and head to where

I want to camp for the for the night. On the way I spot a bear at 27 yards, I draw back and I’m waiting for it to clear the brush, but notice other movement to the left; SHE has a cub in tow. I tell them “good travels” and up the mountain I climb.

Once on top I throw a bugle, get immediate response and can hear a bull coming. I set up and within 5 minutes I encounter my seasons first bull, but have no clear shot, so I watch him walk away. I set up my tent, have snacks and water and crawl into my bag for some sleep. “Wow what a day”.

Next morning I bugle back and forth with a bull, but the wind was swirling on top and he scents me. I head back down and hear the cows talking in the drainage below where I heard them yesterday. I throw a bugle at them and three bulls answer. One had a broke up sequence of a call (continued page 26)

I have used ‘Neet-Kart’ during the past three Montana hunting seasons.

The cart easily allowed me to transport three 150 pound plus elk halves on three 2-mile round trips in one day by myself. The cart when loaded is a breeze to balance and walks right over downed trees and rocks with minimal effort. On eastern Montana hunts for deer and antelope, the sealant-filled tire tubes performed in cactus and thorn country without any flats. Big game animals can be hauled cross-country faster with ..Neet Kart.’ than with a horse. I wish I had the cart 30 years ago. Doug Bolender. Kalispell. MT NEET KART - The unique 2-wheel in-line concept, a “people-powered ATV!” THE ADVANTAGES: -Save your back -Carry no weight -Affordably priced THE VERSATILITY: -Compact storage -Carry out your trophy -Haul Camp Gear -Emergency uses -Farm & ranch jobs -Environmentally friendly

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24 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Pheasants Forever’s Leopold Education Project Notches National Interpretive Award PHEASANTS FOREVER Aldo Leopold, a curriculum developed by Pheasants Forever’s Leopold Education Project, has been named the top interpretive curriculum by the National Association for Interpretation.

Exploring the Outdoors with Aldo Leopold received first place in the Interpretive Curriculum category in the 2010 National Association for Interpretation Media Competition. The Interpretive Media Competition promotes excellence in the delivery of natural, cultural, and historical interpretive services.

Pheasants Forever’s Leopold Education Project is an environmental education program based on the classic writings of the renowned conservationist, Aldo Leopold. Exploring the Outdoors with Aldo Leopold was a three-year curriculum project that debuted in the summer of 2009, made possible with a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Since then, many interpreters, educators and Pheasants Forever chapter leaders have been using the curriculum to get youth and families connected to the outdoors.

“Hats off to all Leopold Education Project supporters for their passion to connect others to the past and

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swing, and snow creating ideal conditions for trapping furbearers like bobcat and marten, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds pet owners to be mindful that there could be trapping activity in the woods.

“Trappers are similarly reminded to follow Montana’s regulations aimed at avoiding accidental pet captures and to use every precaution to avoid capturing a dog in a trap or snare,” said Brian Giddings, FWP’s furbearer coordinator.

While such incidents are uncommon, Montana law nevertheless requires traps on public lands to be set back at least 50 feet from a road or trail; 300 to 1,000 feet from a trailhead; and 1,000 feet from a public campground.

Knowing that regulated trapping activities can occur on public and private lands through February, dog-owners can take the following steps to further minimize risks: steps to further minimize risks: •Keep your dog on a leash or otherwise always under your control.

•Don’t let your dog wander off, especially out of sight.

“On the rare occasion when a dog does get caught, it would likely be in a foothold device that can be easily opened to remove the dog’s paw,” Giddings said. “Both dog owners and trappers care greatly about family pets. Trappers must take precautions when setting traps by ensuring that the trap set is legal and by always bearing in mind the recreational pursuits of other people sharing the outdoors.”

Trapping is a tightly regulated activity in Montana and most other states.

Currently, Montana has about 4,000 licensed trappers who contribute to furbearer management and wildlife research.

For more information visit FWP’s website at: fwp.mt.gov. Click “Trapping in Montana.”

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Hunting And Conservation News

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Trappers And Pet Owners Can Take Precautions To Avoid Accidental Dog Capture MFWP With furbearer seasons in full

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FWP Hunter Harvest Survey Is Underway

MFWP the natural wonders that surround us all,” said Janine Kohn, National Education Specialist with Pheasants Forever and ow that hunting season is National Coordinator for the over, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is organization’s Leopold Education Project, calling 160,000 hunters to gather harvest “Leopold’s objective was to ‘teach the information on this year’s hunt. students to see the land, understand what The survey asks hunters three he sees and enjoy what he understands,’ questions: which district did they hunt, and that’s exactly the philosophy that went how many days did they spend there and into the creation of the award-winning what did they harvest? curriculum Exploring the Outdoors with Wildlife managers call the Aldo Leopold. research vital to setting the next seasons The National Association for hunting limit.

Interpretation (NAI) is a 501c3 “The survey is also a useful tool not-for-profit professional organization to get other information,” said Keri Wash, dedicated to advancing the profession FWP harvest survey coordinator. “We of natural heritage interpretation serving record reports of where and when people members in the United States, Canada and have seen wolves and it helps with the throughout 30 other nations. Pheasants general wildlife distribution information Forever’s Leopold Education Project has that we gather.” been a member of the NAI for the past 13 The hunter harvest surveys will years. “We thank NAI for this award and continue through March. will continue to support the efforts of all interpreters in their quest to connect the public with history, nature and their communities,” Kohn said.

For more information on Pheasants Forever’s Leopold Education Project, contact Janine Kohn at jkohn@pheasantsforever.org.

If you value your fishing and hunting rights, JOIN us in Helena January 13th.

Environmentalists are trying to halt your right to fish and hunt.

N

Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife Hosting Town Hall Meeting in Helena January 13 Montana Sportsmen for Fish

and Wildlife will meet Thursday, January 13 at 6:00pm at Wholesale Sports in Helena. Wholesale Sports is located at 2990 N. Sanders Street off of Custer Avenue.

All sportsmen encouraged to attend this important meeting.

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Final Havre Hunter Check Station A Hunter’s Field Journal MFWP Figures Released MFWP - Region 6 hunters he meets in different areas to help him plan future hunts and obtain hunting access.

F inal figures compiled from the “Although big game numbers Lampton also uses his journal to FWP Region 6 hunter game check station were generally good across the Region, outside Havre show a higher number of white-tailed deer and mule deer were checked in as compared to other recent hunting seasons.

According to FWP biologist Scott Hemmer, the number of pronghorn antelope, elk, pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian (gray) partridge brought in was in each case less than the average checked in recent years.

This season 333 pronghorn antelope, 689 mule deer, 314 white-tailed deer, 33 elk, 707 pheasants, 156 sharp-tailed grouse and 50 Hungarian partridge were brought to the check station by hunters.

Hemmer said check station data indicate the 2010 antelope harvest was down 17 percent, the mule deer harvest was up 11 percent, the white-tailed deer harvest was up 24 percent, the pheasant harvest was down 32 percent, and the sharp-tailed grouse harvest was up 3 percent.

While numbers of elk and Hungarian partridge were also down this year, state biologists said not enough of these species come through the Havre check station to provide meaningful harvest trend data. FWP will also be conducting the annual telephone harvest survey this winter, which will give more accurate harvest information by species for individual hunting districts.

FWP Region 6 Wildlife Program Manger Mark Sullivan noted that mild fall temperatures and excellent habitat conditions during the first part of the big game season reduced movements and feeding activity by big game animals in many areas.

animals were not very visible during the first half of the season,” Sullivan said.

“Weather conditions changed abruptly during the fourth week of the season as temperatures dropped to well below freezing, and repeated snowfall made hunting conditions and travel difficult.

This caused animals to be much more visible and concentrated, but hunter numbers dropped in many hunting districts the last two weekends due to snow, cold and poor road conditions.”

Sullivan said FWP field personnel noticed a significant increase in big game hunter numbers in Region 6, particularly in the hunting districts between Glasgow and Havre. Most of these were deer hunters who may have been displaced from other parts of the state due to lower deer numbers in their traditional hunting areas.

New Information Sheet On Regulated Trapping MFWP

A

new information sheet, Wildlife Management and Regulated Trapping in Montana , addresses trapping’s time-honored tradition in Montana, laws and regulations, the role of trappers in providing information on furbearers, wildlife management and sustainability, trapping ethics, trapper education, avoiding non-target catches, and human and pet safety.

The pamphlet is available at all FWP offices, or online at FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov . Click “Trapping in Montana.”

M

ost of Montana’s big game hunting seasons are over by December.

This time of year hunters are catching up with each other, sharing stories and making future plans. For some it is also when they catch up on their 2010 hunting journal entries.

It is surprising how easy it is to find hunters who keep journals to document their days afield. The formats are diverse--pocket-sized spiral-bound notebooks, hard-covered lined journals, even folders or binders with room for maps, regulation books, photos and old hunting licenses.

“I use a 5”x7” spiral notebook with a hard cover my wife bought for me before I went to Alaska in 2008,” said Jared Lampton, a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks fisheries technician in Libby. “I taped a picture of her helping me pack out a mule deer on the inside cover.”

Some hunters say they keep a journal because it is satisfying to know, for example, where they hunted opening day of the general big game season in 1989.

Others record what they observed during the hunt.

“Recording the dates, locations, weather conditions and observations made during past hunts has helped me to get familiar with a new hunting area and to figure out how to increase my hunting success rate there,” said Dave Risley, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks fish and wildlife division administrator in Helena.

Risley records contact information for landowners and local area

plan future hunts and learn from his experiences.

“Say you find an area with an apparent travel pattern for elk. Keeping a few notes and a GPS waypoint or a sketch on a map helps you plan the next hunt so you get to that perfect spot at the right time,” Lampton said.

Lampton said writing about a hunt has also helped him to improve his hunting skills.

“I made a bad shot during bow season that should have been a slam dunk,” he said. “Fortunately I recovered the elk, but writing about the incident helped me figure out what went wrong in my preparation for the shot.”

Another long-time hunting journal keeper, Bob Gibson, a retired U.S. Forest Service supervisor in Bozeman, started his journal in 1948 at the age of 15. His early, brief entries gradually grew into pages filled with hunting stories and experiences.

He recently had his journal bound into four one-inch thick volumes.

Technology is also becoming part of hunt journaling. There are websites that offer an “electronic” journal format.

A few hunters use their hunting journal as source material for an end of season letter to their hunter friends. And some go wholly electronic and develop a blog site to record their hunting experiences and share them with anyone who is interested.

Whatever type of hunting journal suits you, hunters who journal say they are glad they have a record of their days afield.

“The joy and fascination I’ve had outdoors I’ve recorded,” Gibson said. “I also have had some great hunting buddies.

They aren’t here anymore, but they are here in my journals and some of their kids are too.”

26 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Uncle Keith’s Apprentice: Unbelievable Archery Hunt 2010 (continued from page 23)

Rocky Mountain Trophy

Big Game Records BOONE and CROCKETT CLUB

®

www.booneandcrockettclub.com Chadd Bohn Pronghorn 82-0/8 Natrona County, WY. 2008

Hunting The Yukon Hell Hole

(continued from page 6)

Gunther and Tim froze as Jan slipped back to the front of the tent, grabbed his rifle, loaded a round, and headed around back. Neither Gunther nor Tim had moved and remaining motionless which kept the bull from spooking but Jan’s reappearance changed things as the bull stepped into the heavy brush.

Attempting a shot through the opening where they first spotted the bull was of little use as the bull moved through brush so tall only his huge antlers remained visible. When the bull finally crossed another opening Jan had the crosshairs ready and fired.

The moose showed no sign of a hit but as long as it was standing Jan fired again when a second opening presented a shot. He fired a third time just as the bull disappeared into the Arctic version of a jungle.

The three took a moment to put their hunting boots on and Jan grabbed a hand full of ammo before they set off to locate the blood trail.

The sign was good and with Tim in the lead it took them just ten minutes to cover the 200 yards the bull traveled during his last run.

JANUARY 2011

They knew it was a big bull, but didn’t learn how big until later that evening after they had man handled the rack through the brush, back into camp. Tim did the measuring as the Gunther and Jan held the antlers and recorded the measurements. When they were all finished Tim said, “Wow he is big, really big and well into the Alaska Yukon Moose records. In fact, the score I get is close to 500.

This is a green score done with an old tape measure but this one is going to score way, way, way up there, high in the “Gold” category.”

(Later, back in Whitehorse, the bull’s green score was high enough, minus the estimated drying loss, to potentially rank in the range of #30 in the SCI record book.) After the 60-day drying time concluded the official measurement was made by Guy Antilla, official SCI measurer in Atlin, British Columbia and the monster bull scores 558 3/8.

like he didn’t know which end of his bugle to start at.

Number two has a very high pitched squeal with a low growl at the end.

Number threes bugle is made for recording. Low growl, three pitched squeal and chuckle at the end. “Yee Ha! I’m in ‘em now”. I continue calling, but they are moving away, so I pick up and start to follow. In about 150 yards, I catch movement, pull up my field glasses, “Holy smokes”.

The biggest bull I have ever seen on the hoof. He tips his head back and lets out a high pitched squeal with a low growl at the end, not the call I would expect from him. I can only see his right side and it is a huge whale tail. Adrenaline is pumping now. I continue down to where the two drainages meet and he turns his herd around and starts up the connecting drainage. The wind is now in his favor and it’s starting to get dark. I better pull out and leave that bull. It was the hardest thing I think I ever had to do.

The next two days at work I am a mess, that bull is on my mind. So on Wednesday the 15th, I get a break and go back to find him to no avail. When I get home, I go over my topo maps and make a plan for Friday.

On Friday the 17th I set up at the point where the two drainages meet. I wait without calling to see if they have moved back into this area. After three hours, I start up the eastside and within 50 yards spot a cow, so I sit down right in the game trail. While glassing her and counting 1..2..3....10 cows, two calves, two spikes and “Sniff-Sniff”. I turn to my right and I am EYE TO EYE with a young mountain lion sniffing my backpack, which I am wearing. I grab an arrow from my quiver and hold it in front of me. He just jumps back a bit, so I get my camera out of my belt pouch. He moseys over about 10 feet into the brush. I photograph him staring at me as though he has never seen a human before. Lucky his mom wasn’t around. Then he meanders up the mountain. (What a rush!) I still have to look at the photo to believe it.

I gather my senses and head up the mountain another mile or so, when I hear heavy footsteps coming my way from around the hairpin turn in the logging road.

A BEAR! He stops. I knock an arrow.

He jumps off the road. Wow! It’s getting dark, I better head back to my truck. I come across a cow at 35 yards standing broadside. I tell her “ your free to go; I’m looking for someone else”.

I had a meeting Saturday and a

wedding Sunday; so, Monday the 20th I’m back on the mountain. I find the herd and have two bulls bulging with me. Then I hear Him. (High pitched squeal and growl.) The other two bulls scatter. He stops about 85 yards out in the pines and firs and tears things up. He can’t see any elk, so he turns and heads east back up the mountain. As he gathers his harem, I follow staying back and below him out of site. He is getting the lead on me, but another bunch of cows are directly above me and on alert, so I hang back not to alarm them. I noticed the cows are now looking east. I stop behind some pines and looking east about a half mile out, there he is in full view. His huge rack swaying above the small pines. The cows above me drop over the south side of the ridge, so I start running to close the gap. I slow down, gather my wind, start glassing and find him a 100 yards ahead herding his cows. I’m creeping from tree to tree when I see his body behind a group of pines and firs. I use my laser to confirm his range. I’m at full draw, my pin is centered, anchor is good. He steps out, puts his head down for a bite of grass. I breath; relax; release. Good Hit! He lunges forward and runs down and across. I cow call. He hesitates then moves thru the trees. I lose sight of him and inch toward the place where he had paused. At this point I’m shaking and breathing hard realizing what I’ve just accomplished, The hardest part now is to do what Uncle Keith taught me: do not push.

So, I sit and listen for the final crash and give him another 15 minutes. Okay, I start walking a grid to try and pick up the blood trail and spot him about 65 yards across from me. What a sight! I walk up to him and at this point all the emotions of what has just occurred strike me. I grasp his rack and sit down to have some respectful words with the spirits regarding this majestic, incredible Elk I have just killed.

I will cherish this hunting journey with the Lion, the Bears, and this Beautiful Elk the rest of my days. Special thanks to my Uncle Keith for helping me become the hunter I am.

Reflections by Steven C. Walker

JANUARY 2011

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ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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28 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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JANUARY 2011

JANUARY 2011

Rocky Mountain States

New State Record Smallmouth

C

onner Peitsmeyer, 11, of Aurora probably won’t remember the chill of the 35-degree air on the morning of Nov. 12. What he will remember for a long time is catching the new Colorado state record smallmouth bass.

Conner was fishing at Aurora Reservoir with his dad, Michael Peitsmeyer, in the family’s fishing boat that Friday morning. A few days before, Conner had landed his first ‘big fish’ in the same area, a smallmouth that was more than five pounds. But nothing prepared Conner for the 20-3⁄4 inch, 6-pound, 8-ounce monster he would pull from the water that morning.

“We had caught quite a few big bass that week, so we knew they were in there,” said Michael. “When he caught that first big one, Conner told me he was shaking, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or from the excitement.”

Conner’s catch eclipses the previous state record smallmouth, a 21-inch, 5-pound, 12-ounce bass caught

by Carl Dewey at Navajo Reservoir in 1993.

The bass isn’t the only state record fish caught at Aurora Reservoir this fall. On Oct. 4, 20-year-old Jessica Walton, landed a 43-pound channel catfish at the

reservoir east of Denver.

“Aurora Reservoir has ideal forage conditions to produce very large fish,” said Paul Winkle, DOW aquatic biologist who manages the fishery.

“There’s an outstanding population of crayfish and yellow perch, which provides an excellent food source for fish to grow to enormous sizes.”

In the last decade, the DOW has stocked more than 135,000 fish at Aurora Reservoir, including trout, bass, catfish, walleye and wiper, helping to establish the 640-acre reservoir as one of the state’s most popular fisheries.

The youngest of three brothers, Conner said he loves angling so much that he had saved his birthday and Christmas money to buy his own fishing gear - a medium to light St. Croix graphite rod and a Shimano reel spooled with Berkley Trielene XL 6 pound test line.

The DOW issued Conner Peitsmeyer his Master Angler award certificate and patch, and added the record smallmouth bass to the Colorado State Fishing Records.

“Any time someone lands a new state record, it’s exciting for us,” said Greg Gerlich, DOW fisheries chief. “It’s even more exciting when it is a youngster that pulls in one of these big fish. This is yet another example of how anyone, regardless of age or experience, can have a great day fishing.”

F&G Commission Suspends Wolf Species Management Plan The Idaho Fish and Game Commission, in a telephone conference call Wednesday, December 8, suspended Idaho’s 2008-2012 species management plan for wolves.

The 2002 Idaho Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, approved by the Idaho Legislature and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, remains in effect as the foundation for wolf management in the state.

With wolves back on the endangered species list, the 2008 plan is moot, said Clearwater Region Commissioner Fred Trevey. It is uncertain when federal protection will end and Idaho will get back full management authority. It is also unclear what conditions will exist when wolves are delisted.

“Keeping the 2008 plan active during this period of uncertainty does not serve any useful purpose,” Trevey said.

The 2008 plan was developed when wolves were delisted for the five-year period during which the Fish and Wildlife Service would monitor progress of the delisted species.

“The 2008 plan was intended as an adaptive implementation plan for a delisted wolf population, as we have for all

big game species, but circumstances on the ground have changed,” Fish and Game Director Cal Groen said.

The commission called for continued pursuit of wolf control actions under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act for the protection of ungulate herds while wolves remain on the endangered species list.

Commissioners also postponed further consideration of the specifics of day-to-day state management until wolves are delisted. Once wolves are delisted, the commission will direct Fish and Game to revisit wolf management, consistent with the state’s 2002 wolf plan.

Colorado’s Wild With Hunting Seasons Over, F&G Takes To Turkeys Are Thriving The Air In a place with such rugged Wildlife Biologist Shane Roberts said.

Once nearly wiped out in the terrain as Idaho, it is almost impossible to Roberts is especially in tune with United States, wild turkeys have made an impressive comeback thanks to efforts of state game and fish agencies and non-profit sportsmen’s groups like the National Wild Turkey Federation.

In Colorado, the Division of Wildlife began working on strategies to increase the turkey population in the early 1980s. Since then, turkeys have been released, or colonized on their own, into most of the available habitat in the state.

Wild turkeys now live in 53 of the state’s 64 counties. Colorado’s turkey program ranks among the most successful species conservation efforts in the agency’s history.

“Right now we have more wild turkeys in more places in Colorado than ever occurred here historically,” said Ed Gorman, small game manager for the Division of Wildlife. “The success of turkeys in Colorado is primarily due to their adaptability and high reproductive capability.”

count wildlife or do trapping work without the aid of aircraft.

Helicopters buzzing around at low altitudes tend to annoy hunters and stir up game, so Idaho Fish and Game avoids conducting aerial surveys until hunting seasons are over.

In the Upper Snake Region, the majority of big game seasons are over by the start of December so Fish and Game will now begin to use hired aircraft for wildlife management work, taking care to avoid areas where hunts may still be open.

The relatively mild weather of the past few Decembers had Fish and Game biologists hoping that they could begin work before animals started to migrate to their winter ranges, but this may not be the case.

“Winter hit hard and early this year causing animals to start to migrate sooner than in recent years,” Regional

big game movements because the first project he has slated for this winter is to capture and put GPS collars on 30 moose and 30 elk as part of a joint project between the Wildlife Conservation Society, Idaho Transportation Department and Fish and Game.

In addition to using helicopters to trap moose and elk, Fish and Game will also be trapping mule deer later this winter as part of an ongoing study to monitor winter survival.

Along with trapping, hired helicopters are also used to conduct aerial surveys of various deer and elk populations. All of this work requires low-level flying that can be dangerous.

Over the past decade, aerial surveys have resulted in minor and serious injuries to Fish and Game personnel and the deaths of three biologists and two hired pilots.

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Rocky Mountain States A

Another New Species Settles In Lake Mead

nglers hoping to net a few threadfin shad to use as bait when fishing for Lake Mead’s striped bass have been finding more than they bargained for. In addition to catching threadfin shad, anglers also have been catching something different, something new. According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), what anglers are finding in their nets is the gizzard shad, a species of fish that is new to the Lower Colorado River System.

Native to the eastern half of the United States, gizzard shad are now found in several western waters. In the Colorado River basin it’s believed the fish arrived from an accidental introduction into New Mexico’s San Juan RIver. Gizzard shad were first discovered in Lake Mead’s Greggs Basin in 2007, the same year quagga mussels were found in the Lower Colorado River.

“We believe the gizzard shad in Lake Mead came from Lake Powell through the Colorado River. During a fish sampling project in August 2009, we found the first indication that gizzard shad are now reproducing naturally in Lake Mead and are probably doing so lake wide,” said Jon Sjoberg, NDOW Southern Region fisheries supervisor.

During recently completed studies at Lake Mead NDOW fisheries biologists found that 58 percent of the catch was comprised of gizzard shad,

which accounted for 44 percent of the biomass in that survey. In addition, “the average body condition of striped bass is probably the best we’ve ever seen. So the stripers are currently benefitting from the gizzard shad’s presence,” Sjoberg said.

Gizzard shad are an important forage fish for various bass species. They are filter feeders that spend most of their life consuming phytoplankton and insects.

Their preferred habitat generally consists of silty, sandy areas in lakes and rivers because they require sand in their diet.

Gizzard shad grow very rapidly and can reach lengths up to 20 inches though they average between nine and 14 inches in length. During the spring spawning period female gizzard shad can lay more 350,000 eggs.

“We will be conducting larval studies on gizzard shad to determine what their populations are doing and to identify the areas they choose to inhabit at Lake Mead. Right now young gizzard shad are very abundant which has been a benefit for stripers of all sizes, and for anglers, but it’s typical for a species to exhibit a boom cycle in a new environment. We don’t know if Lake Mead can sustain these large numbers of gizzard shad over time, and we’re not yet sure what the gizzard shad’s ultimate impact will be. We can only hope their introduction will be either neutral or beneficial to the fishery.”

Tip To Poaching Hotline Lands Two Accused Poachers In Jail A

SOME OF THE UTAH DWR OFFICERS INVOLVED IN A RECENT POACHING CASE SHOW THE ANTLERS THEY CONFISCATED. THE BUCK DEER HEAD THE OFFICER IS DISPLAYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PHOTO WAS ALLEGEDLY TAKEN BY ONE OF THE POACHERS JUST HOURS BEFORE HE WAS ARRESTED. UTAH DIVISION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES PHOTO

tip on the state’s poaching hotline has allowed wildlife officers to break a major poaching ring in Utah.

“We’re happy that our officers caught these individuals before they killed any more deer,” says Captain Tony Wood with the Division of Wildlife Resources.

Even though officers are happy with the arrest, they say there’s still a lot of work to do to curtail poaching in Utah.

With only 48 patrol officers in the state, Wood says the DWR doesn’t have the resources needed to catch everyone on its own.

“We need the public’s help,” he says.

Jarod Birrell and Balenda Gutierrez are the latest Utahns to find themselves behind bars because of poaching violations. Birrell of Magna and Gutierrez of Pleasant Grove are being held

2011 Nonresident Application Booklets Now Available More than 13,000 nonresident must apply for deer and antelope. big game application booklets for the Applications for the drawings for both 2011 hunting seasons are being mailed out this week to hunters who applied through the mail for the 2010 hunting seasons.

Big game application information is now on the Game and Fish website http://gf.state.wy.us and the majority of hunters are now applying online. Hunters who want a printed application booklet can contact the Game and Fish at (307) 777-4600 or request an application from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 5400 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne, WY 82006.

Resident application booklets are available at Game and Fish offices and license agents now.

A number of application periods begin on January 1. The nonresident application period for elk is the month of January, and January 1-March 15 is when nonresidents

resident and nonresident moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat licenses are accepted during the months of January and February.

Game and Fish license section manager Jean Cole said online applications have been steadily increasing.

“Hunters are applying online because they find it a more convenient way to apply and applying online helps ensure accuracy of the application,” Cole said. “From the Game and Fish Department standpoint, it is the most efficient and cost effective way for us to process applications. It also speeds up the drawings since more of the applications are processed online.”

Hunters with questions on hunting in Wyoming or the application process can contact the Game and Fish at (307) 777-4600.

in the Salt Lake County Jail. Each of them face potential third-degree felonies for poaching, and aiding and assisting in the poaching of at least 20 deer.

The animals were killed at various locations throughout Utah.

As the investigation continues, officers say additional charges might be filed. “And more suspects might be identified and arrested,” Wood says. “This case is bigger than these two individuals.”

A tip and five days of investigative work put DWR officers outside a business in Murray during the late night hours of Dec. 12, 2010. Other officers were waiting outside a home in Magna.

When Birrell and Gutierrez arrived at the business, the officers found a trophy buck deer that was allegedly poached just a few hours before. Birrell and Gutierrez were then arrested.

The deer was a trophy buck taken on a general-season hunting unit near Hurricane in southern Utah. Its antlers were massive, measuring nearly 30 inches wide. One antler beam had five points on

it. The other beam had four points.

“A legal hunter would have been thrilled to take this deer next fall,” Wood says.

The investigative work that resulted in officers arresting the pair started when someone called Utah’s Turn-in-a-Poacher hotline.

The hotline number is 1-800-662-3337.

The DWR staffs the hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Wood says many people who know about poaching activity in Utah are sickened by it.

“People are becoming less tolerant of poaching,” Wood says. “The state’s deer are a public resource, and poachers are stealing that resource from you.

“If you have information about a poaching case in Utah, please call us.”

Wood says he’s extremely proud of the work his officers did with the case.

“Some of our officers worked 40 hours without sleeping or taking a break,” he says. “The excellent police work they did saved a lot of deer.”

30 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Outdoor

Calendar BILLINGS GREAT ROCKIES SPORTS SHOW: 1/14 - 1/16 Held at the Metra Park.

Phone 406-580-3907

BOZEMAN GREAT ROCKIES SPORTS SHOW: 1/28 1/30

Call us today for the most Current Offers!

Held at the Gallatin Country Fairgrounds.

Phone 406-580-3907

Helena Cycle Center

1825 N. LAST CHANCE GULCH GULCH, HELENA

406-443-4631 • www.helenacycle.com

KAWASAKI CARES: Warning: ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing. Never carry a passenger. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Never ride on public roads or pavement. Avoid excessive speeds and stunt driving. Be extra careful on difficult terrain. Kawasaki ATVs with engines over 90cc are recommended for use only by persons 16 years of age or older. Kawasaki also recommends that all ATV riders take a training course. For more information, see your dealer, call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887 or go to www.atvsafety.org. ©2010 Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA

Western Montana Fishing Report

(continued from page 14) Fishing a partial or whole night crawler or a spawn sac on a tip-up is sometimes very productive as well. Try different combinations until you get it right.

FLATHEAD LAKE: East Bay had some fishable ice in December until some unseasonable rain did away with it. There is a cold front moving in as I write this that will hopefully set up some more ice. The perch bite should be good on small tear drop or rocker jigs tipped with maggots. Small Jigging Raps’ can work well for the perch when they are actively feeding. Lake trout can be caught on bucktail jigs, tube jigs and jigging spoons.

Putting some cut-bait on your hooks will increase the looks you get from hungry macs. Be careful on this lake as weather conditions can quickly change the quality of the ice from week to week.

For those out there who would prefer not to have to drill a hole to go fishing, never fear. Local rivers will still offer up some good fishing for trout and whitefish if conditions permit.

Any time we see a few days of abovefreezing temperatures, grab your favorite nymphing stick and layer fleece under your waders and head out to the Clark Fork, Bitterroot or Rock Creek. Most any tandem of nymphs will suffice, but

personal favorites include San Juan worms, glo bugs, Copper Johns, Brassies and Lightning Bugs. Keep your drifts slow and tight to the bottom. If you aren’t too snooty a trout fanatic, whitefish pod up in slower runs and bite readily during the winter, and are dynamite in the smoker. Most days the bite will last for an hour or two during the warmest part of the day, giving you plenty of time for that much needed second cup of coffee.

Have a safe and happy new year, and as always, resolve to spend more time fishing this year.

Send us your favorite fishing or hunting photos and they could be published in Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure.

e-mail: bigskyoutdoornews@yahoo.com mail to: 8591 Capri Drive Helena, MT. 59602

GREAT FALLS GREAT ROCKIES SPORTS SHOW: 2/4 - 2/6

Held in the 4 Seasons Arena at the Montana Expo Park. Phone 406-580-3907

HAVRE BEAR PAW BOWMEN ARCHERY SHOOT: 2/26 - 27

2 day indoor archery shoot.

Contact: Clyde Thomas Jr. 406-265-4572 or e-mail: clyde@bresnan.net

ICE FISHING DERBY: 1/29 - 1/30 Held on Beaver Creek Reservoir (Lower Lake) located in Beaver Creek Park, 15 miles south of Havre. Take 5th Avenue South - it turns into Highway 234 which runs right to the park.

Phone: 406-265-4383

LINCOLN 150 FUN RUN TO SEELEY LAKE: 1/15 - 1/16

Join the Ponderosa Snow Warriors and ride your snowmobile from Lincoln to Seeley, overnight in Seeley and back to Lincoln the next day.

Phone: 406-362-3334

TOWNSEND LION’S CLUB ICE FISHING DERBY: 1/22 - 1/23

Weather permitting, anglers from all over try their luck at Canyon Ferry Lake for most and largest perch. Prizes for adults and kids. At approximately mile marker 70 on Highway 287, turn at Silos Inn. Follow to lake.

Phone: 406-266-5790

Events To Support WILDLIFE

MULE DEER FOUNDATION 2/19/2011 Conrad Clinton Denney 406-289-0968

PHEASANTS FOREVER

2/03/11 Helena Carrie Scoles 406-431-1525 ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION 01/22/11 Polson Mission Valley Big Game Banquet Kelly Kost 406-240-1325 02/12/11 Kalispell Flathead Valley Chapter Big Game Banquet Tim Wold 406-212-7249

02/19/11 Billings Beartooth Big Game Banquet Scott Westphal 406-266-3042

Rob Marshall with his 2010 Antelope.

30 yard shot with his new Matthews, and magnus Broadhead, 40 yard recovery.

Cooking Corner Swiss Venison Schnitzel

FROM ROB MARSHALL OF HELENA Ingredients: 2 lbs. venison (or antelope, elk etc) filet or backstrap 3 large eggs 2 cups flour 4 cps fine unseasoned bread crumbs 1 lb. sliced swiss cheese (or pepperjack) 8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms 4 cups brown gravy Favorite seasoning 1/2 cup water Instructions: Cut backstrap or file into 3 to 4 oz pieces.

Using a chef’s or filet knife, cut and unroll meat to approximately 1/2 inch thick rectangle pieces. Now using a meat hammer and butcher block pound the filets from the center working your way outward until they are approximately 1/16 inch thick and approximately 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Season both sides with your favorite seasoning and place in the refrigerator for approximately 2 hours.

Dip filets in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs and fry each side for 2-3 minutes.

Place all cooked filets on jelly roll pan or baking sheet and cover with sliced mushrooms and cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted over filets.

Place portions on plate and cover with brown gravy.

Have a favorite wild game recipe? e-mail it to: bigskyoutdoornews@yahoo.com

Firearms Care (continued from page 22)

copper or copper jacketed bullets.

Copper is a relatively soft metal and under the extreme heat and pressure of being fired down the barrel some will be stripped away and deposited in the barrel. Since the rifling in a barrel will differ from barrel to barrel, copper fouling from a few shots can be minor to major. As the copper fills in the rifling there’s less room for the bullet to travel freely and this creates a restriction which increases pressure – much like putting your thumb over the garden hose.

Shooting the rifle will not remove the copper, as the lead core lacks the strength to strip it out, and every shot lays down a little more in the barrel. oShotguns suffer much the same issue, but rather than copper fouling it’s the plastic wad and shotcup that leaves deposits on the barrel and choke tube. Even in a smooth barrel the heat and pressure softens the plastic and forces it against the barrel walls leaving traces of it everywhere, especially at the forcing cone and choke. oCarbon fouling, the black stuff on your cleaning patches, can build up excessively but rarely causes a pressure problem because it can be shot out a little with every shot. What it does, however, is attract and hold moisture like a charcoal briquette. Since the heat from firing probably burned off all the oil inside the barrel, the bare metal now has a moisture sponge stuck to it that can cause rusting and pitting.

oDirty guns are also susceptible to damage or improper operation from dirt, dust, field debris in the bolt, trigger, safety and rust can form in places hidden from normal view caused by condensation, snow, rain, etc. oProper care also means making sure screws are properly torqued and inspection for damage to the stock and crown that needs to be addressed.

4. What should I think about before next year’s hunting season? ·The off season is the best time to get any work you want or need done. Waiting until the weeks leading up to the opening day to decide you want better sights installed, bedding, recoil pads, etc. is the wrong way to do things. If you want or need work done, do it or get it done now while it’s fresh in your mind and your gunsmith isn’t rushed to get jobs turned around. ·Buy ammunition. Depending on how much you shoot during season and practice, ammo is expensive. Every month or so between now and season buy a box or two of ammunition so you’ll have plenty and avoid any shortages. ·Invest in some tools. Get proper cleaning rods, wrenches and screwdrivers. You don’t need a full gunsmith load out to care for your guns at home. Proper screwdrivers will prevent damaged screws, a torque wrench will let you properly seat a bolt action in the

stock or properly tighten your scope rings without damaging the scope or stripping the rings. Bore guides are great cleaning tools, and get a proper bore light to check the barrel. A small cable style cleaning kit should be in everyone’s pack for those cleaning needs in the field such as mud or snow in the bore. Take the time to learn how to use it now, as the patches can be difficult to figure out in the cold and wind. ·Practice. Practice at the range and at home will make you a better shot. At home dry fire with snap-caps, or one of the newer laser units that lights when you fire. You’ll gain better trigger control and hold your gun steadier come season. Work on that follow through with your shotgun. Live fire at the range when you can to keep in practice and if allowed, don’t use the bench. Practice field positions. Practice in your hunting clothes when possible. This isn’t limited to guns, bow hunters need to keep skills sharp, too.

·Now is a good time to buy a new scope, or put a sling on your gun. With season over there will be plenty of sales and plenty of time to get the products installed and practice with them.

5. Any other comments? ·Ask around. Chances are there’s someone you know or someone knows someone, that would like to go shooting or hunting.

Many times these folks just need someone to show them how and learn to shoot and hunt. They may become one of your closest friends. ·Support our Sport. Find the local Friends of NRA and Sportsman’s Groups. Join in.

Buy some items at the banquets. ·If you frequent a ranch or stretch of BLM land, help out. Drop by and offer help with chores, or clean up the litter that accumulates on public lands. A little effort will go a long way toward your hunting and shooting success and access to prime spots.

For questions, contact John at (406) 422-0199.

32 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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JANUARY 2011

The Future Of Montana’s Big Game Animals is in Your Hands!

There’s never been a more important time for you to FIGHT for your hunting and fishing rights. Complete this application today and Join Montana Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife!

JANUARY 2011

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Snow Cold And Lions

Address: St.:

e-mail:

JOIN

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MONTANA SPORTSMEN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE ENSURE YOUR HUNTING FUTURE! 8 membership levels!

membership includes quarterly subscription to Sportsmen’s Voice magazine (4 issues), annual membership card, window decal , MTSFW ball cap and welcome letter from the MTSFW President, Bill Merrill

Zip: Phone:

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How did you hear about us?

January 2011

Youth 1-21 $12.00/yr Individual $35.00/yr.

Family $50.00/yr.

Lifetime Senior 60+ $350.00 MTSFW Lifetime Individual $750.00 P.O. Box 2243 The Spike $350.00/yr Missoula, MT. 59806 Satellite Bull $500.00/yr Herd Bull $750.00/yr To preserve, protect and enhance Montana’s fish and wildlife resources & outdoor opportunities.

And to ensure our American heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping through hands-on conservation efforts and RESPONSIBLE PREDATOR MANAGEMENT by Montana sportsmen.

Return this application with payment to:

MONTANA SPORTSMEN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE OFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION or join online at www.mt-sfw.org Update From Montana Sportsmen For Fish And Wildlife President in San Francisco and New York to tell the “smash mouth politics” it is costing us a lot. (the Montana guy with the Georgia accent!)

I would encourage anyone that has the means that loved wolves and what they do for the I t has indeed been an active month people of YOUR STATE how to manage its wildlife. It is all being done in the and feels strongly to make a tax deductible environment. I haven’t met a sportsman or on the Congressional front of Wolf delisting in Washington D.C. SFW is currently in the arena with Big Game Forever (SFW special initiative) and many other sportsmen and Ag groups fighting the wolf war in Washington.

The pressure to fix this situation has become immense and at some level we will see movement in Congress after the first of the year on this issue.

We were jointly (with several other large groups and western Senators) able to kill a very bad piece of wolf legislation proposed by none other than our two anti-hunting Senators from Montana, Jon Tester and Max Baucus. Their plan would have effectively removed the wolf from the ESA, but only in MT and ID. It also looked to be a major power grab by the federal government in this issue of state wildlife management. It also would have put the final say on any wolf plan solely in the hands of Sect. of the Interior – Ken Salazar’s hands, not our Governor or FWP Commission. Big Game Forever President – Ryan Benson said it best; “This week anti-hunting forces launched an assault on Congress. The Obama administration, Barbara Boxer (D) California, and John Tester (D) Montana are trying to pass one of the most harmful pieces of anti-hunting legislation in years. Anti-hunting groups and their friends in Congress added the language last Wednesday in a MUSTPASS appropriations bill to take away state management of wildlife. For the first time, this will allow anti-hunting radicals

name of allowing for management of wolves. DON’T BE FOOLED. The governors of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana met with the Obama Administration last week to finalize negotiations intended to return wolves to state wildlife management. Instead, the Obama Administration told the governors they planned on passing a different bill. The bill is dangerous for two reasons: (1) it takes away key constitutional rights of state wildlife management; and (2) transfers the authority to the Obama Administration to dictate to the states how to manage their wildlife. The Governors immediately rejected the bill and thought the issue was dead. Instead, Obama tried to sneak his language onto the spending bill last Wednesday. We caught the language and immediately began working to counter their efforts. The bill will likely go to vote this week.”

As you may or may not have heard, we defeated this measure as it did make it to a vote. The bill was not passed and has little chance of passing in the new congress. We have stepped up our efforts in support of HB-6028 (R- Denny Rehberg – MT) and SB-3919 that would give states the right to manage wildlife (wolves) again and end frivolous lawsuits that bilk billions of taxpayer and sportsmen dollars every year over this issue. But this effort has not been cheap. In order to lobby congress and play

contribution to MT SFW and earmark it for the Wolf issue. Or directly contribute online to Big Game Forever at www.biggameforever.org.

All the other western congressional delegates support our two bills on not the Tester/Baucus bill, which would leave the upper Great Lake states and Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona swinging in the wind.

So it is interesting how hard Senator Tester is pushing his anti-state’s right agenda in D.C. A letter, e-mail or phone call to his D.C. office would be appropriate to tell him how you feel about that.

MT SFW will continue to work with the other groups, our attorneys, and their lobbyists to keep this issue boiling at the forefront for the next legislative session.

Our membership continues to grow throughout Montana at a rapid pace thanks to you, the informed sportsmen or rancher and your family and friends. You can find information on us in this publication and soon on a radio station on your dial. We have currently ramped up efforts in Western MT with radio ads and also in Billings, Bozeman and Shelby and are working on deals to advertise in Kalispell, Helena and Great Falls. The money you donate is being used, in part, to battle the anti-hunting/fishing agenda and the pro-wolf radicals who falsely advertised out of an agency in California on several stations in our state last month. The actors were posing as Hunters and Ranchers

rancher yet that told me this.

We will also be meeting in Jan. to work with FWP on upcoming legislation and a road map of getting to where we all want to be: managing our wildlife as we see fit and saving our outdoor heritage.

We will be holding a “Town Hall” meeting in Helena on Jan. 13th at 6:00 p.m. at Wholesale Sports, 2990 N. Sanders Street. Check the website or Facebook page frequently for updated information on this meeting or contact the editor at Big Sky Outdoor News for more information on this. We’ll also be speaking at the MOGA (Montana Outfitters & Guide Assoc.) convention in Billings on Friday Jan. 14th.

SFW is committed to sovereign state rights to hunt, fish and trap on our public lands in Montana a well as protect our sheep, cattle and domestic pets from predation. If you agree with these principles and wish to save our family heritage, I encourage you to become a member of Montana SFW through the above membership card or our website at www.mt-sfw.org. Every dime raised stays in Montana to fund efforts for our lands and wildlife and to fight exploding predator populations that have had a severe impact in many, many areas on our wildlife and livestock growers.

Bill Merrill - State President Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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When your lion

Name:

City:

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Nevada and Mountain Lions go together like Mom’s and apple pie and

hunting crew includes the skills of a geologist, skilled at finding hidden deposits of gold among the rugged ridges and canyons of Nevada, how can you not be successful locating the golden pelt of a mature lion?

Their eyes were vacuuming the snow as they drove absorbing any information it had to offer. Cat tracks were yes you drive your Chevy. Nevada has of course the first order of importance and caps or quotas for the number of lions the second was deer tracks, because of their licenses issued for each Hunting Unit but association with cats. Finally Dave spotted they never reach their goal to the cap. More both in late afternoon. lions then hunters, then seems to be the Dave said, “Take a look at that, a problem within the mix. Cary doesn’t mind dead doe that they have been eating on. A the mix, after 5 years of searching he has closer inspection showed that a tom, put together an “A Team” for Nevada Lion lioness and kitten of the year had been hunting. The players are as follows: eating on the deer, and pretty well left only Dave Shillinger, the hound’s man what the birds could pick off for appetizers. with a premier pack of trained cat hounds.

Dave pulled out Black Jack as Randall Stoebero, a geologist by trade, he greatly enjoyed and seemed to gloat or brings to the table a wealth of information flaunt it in from of the other boxed dogs. as to where the Nevada deer herds winter.

Black Jack checked the track and Dave This is important because deer are a lions was with him. Dave said, “Mountain lions main food source, they don’t usually stray are like other large cats. It is not unusual to far in late winter from the herds. They have them fill their bellies, then only walk commonly take the larger bucks because a couple of hundred yards and lay down.” lions have a higher success rate on single In this case, the tracks split with animals then a doe fawn combination with the Tomcat going his own way. The tracks more eyes, noses and ear defenses to elude were not extremely fresh which would before getting close enough for a lunge. mean the run might be long, by now they Randall’s knowledge of the rough may not have a heavy belly to slow them and difficult to travel country comes from down, and with the tracks splitting I could years of walking the area looking for gold end up with dogs going both directions and and other valuable ore deposits in the vast we only have 2 hours of sunlight. I could difficult to access Nevada back country. have dogs split between cats and treeing Randall’s son Kylen, a mature young man during the middle of the night. With us all of 10 going on 20 years old, also came trying to find them by tracking. One along for the hunt and he was out of school important rule is to get to the cat fast. The this late February weekend. more dogs and people the more likely he Nature had blesses the A Team will stay in the tree. A single dog soon with 6-12 inches of fresh snow and Chevy changes to defense instead of offence when had blessed them with Dave’s 4 wheel the cat see’s what he is up against. drive truck with dog boxes, so they headed Dave’s experience shows, this for the back country around Wells in the was not his first Rodeo. Dave said this one Northeast corner of Nevada. Randall had looks like a great opportunity for disaster. taken them to where the larger deer herds’ We’ll pass this one but we will drive this winter and he had seen cats and cat tracks circuit again tomorrow, since we have many times before. good cat numbers in this area and we will In a short time they had crossed be able to confirm new tracks from old. two sets of tracks and pulled Black Jack They may even come back to this kill, but out of the dog box to “check for freshness”. it is so clean I wouldn’t bet on it. Dave Black Jack was Dave’s weakest nosed said,”Randall has shown us a place as good hound, and if he found it to be a good track or better than any place I have ever hunted there was no question it was a track worth in the last 5 years. There is no question we following. Black Jack showed little interwill get a cat no question,” est so they loaded up and drove the snow Early the next morning the A team covered back roads, never seeing a sole or was out bright and early pushing the Chevy another tire track. through the (continued on page 35)

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34 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Mule Deer Broadus

Here are a few tips that have helped me stay in spots where I at least have room to cast and still do better than the average bear.

1.) “March madness” will, most of the time, start in February and the crowds are typically a little thinner.

2.) Understand triggers for steelhead activity- Things like temperature and water levels should be your indicators not Facebook postings. When water temps start to creep up to or near 40 degrees fish will start to wake up. We do well when they start to hit 36 or higher for a few days in a row. Couple this with a decent jump in water volume followed by dropping and clearing conditions and odds are you will be in for a treat. You can get water level info on the USGS website for just about any river you want.

3.) Understand fish migration- This will help to get you fishing where the fish are and not where the fish were. Steelhead move anywhere from one to a few miles a day when migrating especially when jumps in water volume occur. A good rule of thumb when attempting to figure this out for a beginner is to go a few miles above the crowds and fish your way down stream until you bump into decent numbers of fish, hopefully, before bumping into high numbers of fisherman.

Often times it pays to be ahead of the crowd.

JASON DAVIS AND HIS LOVELY DAUGHTERS STAYING AHEAD OF THE CROWD AND IN THE MIDDLE OF FISH. PHOTO COURTESY TRAVIS DEBOER.

4.) Understand that there are more than two or three rivers over here to fish. Some of which receive very little pressure while supporting huge dependable runs of steelhead. Don’t get me wrong the Clearwater and Salmon are awesome, but

so are the other half dozen or so rivers in this part of the country.

5.) Hire a guide. This may seem like a shameless self-promotion but I truly believe it is worth it. In fact I do it myself from time to time. (Twice this summer while striper fishing and the knowledge I gained was more than worth it!) Make sure it is a guide who is into teaching and not just pulling plugs. (In less, of course, you have a boat and intend on fishing this way, or have a handicap limiting what you can do physically) The main thing I look at when I am picking a guide for myself is this- I want to learn something (effective) that I have a prayer of duplicating myself should I want to try, without an initial investment of thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. References are a great place to find out if this is the case.

6.) Keep a log! Very important even if it is as simple as writing down date, water temp, water level and hookup numbers (or lack of hookup numbers) on a calendar. I promise that it will pay you back in insight much sooner than you would believe.

Thanks for reading. I hope these tips help, and remember “spread it out a little” when it’s possible and “be cool” to each other when it’s not, this sport is supposed to be fun. Good luck during this “March Madness” it should be a good one. I am anticipating many strong double digit days and so should you! * Note: If you need a qualified hit-man go to www.GuerillaGuideService.com Again, shameless I know, but I just plain love my job and I more than believe in what we are selling. I would be happy to shave years off your learning, as well as show you some off the beaten path spots to explore. Spring is busy however and if we cannot accommodate your schedule for whatever reason we will do our best to set you up with somebody who can and subscribes to the above philosophies.

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(including myself) ask others things like “how was fishing” or “let me know when it gets good over there”. When we take this approach we might as well be saying “Let me know when the crowds are as hectic as possible so I can come over the hill and hear everybody say –man, you should have been here yesterday!”

•

• 35

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Snow Cold And Lions (continued from page 33) previous days tracks. By 8 am Dave had spotted a single Tom track crossing the road that ran down their tire track. He knew it was fresher than the prior afternoon when they drove through and made that track.

With a freshness check by Black Jack, Dave gave the Nod and said, “Let’s go get a lion!”

Dave methodically released his dogs from their holding boxes, Robin, Patches, Sue and assured each one knew the other dog was with them and they were all getting a good scent of the track, with Black Jack falling in line. The dogs worked well together and they really enjoyed running lions as a working team each doing their part to make the hunt successful.

The ruckus of the four dogs going in circles getting in that cat scent, with small barks and yelps all ended when the lead dog, Robin, which Cary called howler” did what she does best. She let out a howl from deep in her lungs that ran chills of excitement up Cary’s spine. He didn’t know if I could take another rush of excitement. He was still wound up from Dave saying,” Let’s go get a Lion!” in his 6 foot 2 deep voice.

At that the hounds were off like

two women going into a May D&F after Christmas sale. They were running around rocks and tree jockeying for their pecking order position. Howler would let out a beautiful sounding bay every few minutes that would echo up and down the valley.

This helps keep the pack focused as a working group, old and young learning dogs. By the time Black Jack got to the track it had been pretty well trampled by his first three dogs, but Black Jack was still 110% into the chase. He got used to the last position, and besides from there the view never changes.

To a hounds man there is nothing more beautiful then hearing his hounds on a warm cat trail, each sounding off, communication with the rest of the pack, showing their strength and dedication to the hunt. The bays would ring up and down the canyon across the crystal white sparkling snow left there during nature’s season of rest and rejuvenation. Dave grinned, a wide grin and mumbled quietly to himself so he wouldn’t be embarrassed, with the boys, “Those are MY dogs, and I am proud they are.”

Dave said,” Be certain you have your gear and radios, take it at a nice easy

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pace at first, there will be plenty of time for trying to run fast, tripping over logs, having limbs hit you in the face later. Save it, you will enjoy those hazards more towards the end when you really get wound up.”

We went out on the ridge and followed the dogs from above. Dave left his son Kylen in the truck with a 2-way radio, lunch and some sodas for his safety.

As the three men stepped right along they could see the hounds running in the bottom.

Randall said to Dave, “Your dogs are chasing deer!”

Dave replies, “No the cat track goes right through the area the deer are in.

They are running from the dogs, but the dogs are not chasing the deer,” From their bird’s eye view they even say a coyote run out and since they still had not seen the cat Randall said, “I think they are chasing the coyote.”

Dave replied, my dogs don’t chase coyotes, but when you get a pack running after a cat they tend to spook out anything in the area.

Cary thought how beautiful the canyon was below with its fresh blanket of white below, and so much game with

hound music provided a level of beauty he has never heard before. Robin with her strong perfectly executed howl as the leader, the others acknowledging her bay in smaller barks that remind her they are still there, staying right behind her. Perhaps providing the encouragement, saying, when you get to the cat we will be with you to back you up were a team, yes we are the A team!

Cary joked to himself the complete A team may not be just up on this ridge watching the action below. The balance of the A team may be down in the canyon chasing a lion with Robin in the lead.

As the hounds slipped farther up the canyon the men had to run hard to stay with them. Then the world changed!

Robin’s bays became continuous. The other dogs were also more noticeable as an individual noise; the volume was much louder now. Something had happened.

Dave quickly shouted, “Hurry they have him treed! I don’t want to lose a dog to a big cat. This is the time I was telling you about earlier, “Running fast, tripping over logs, having limbs hit you in the face and hazards like that. Now you will really (continued on page 36)

36 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

•

ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

JANUARY 2011

Snow Cold And Lions (continued from page 35)

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Persistence Pays With A Monster Muley

•

athy was not new to guns and hunting and had been shooting rifles since she was eight and shot her first antelope when she was sixteen. Since then she has put a number of trophy-size animals on the wall including, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, whitetail and mule deer. During this time she progressed from a Remington .280 to the 7mm Magnum, and now the .300 Ultra Mag equipped with a Limb Saver stock and a muzzle break to tame the recoil the Ultra is famous for providing.

The climb to the top of the steep draw required a break during which Gary spotted a herd of about ten bucks on the opposite ridge about 500-yards away. Two of the bucks were massive. The others were just great!

The buck was below the others and stood closer at about 460-yards. There was no cover between the hunters and the bucks; the 460-yard shot was the only option unless they wanted to walk all the way around the mountain. Kathy was already looking for a solid rest to shoot from as Gary glassed each buck.

He whispered to Kathy, “The low one, all by himself is the closet, at 460- yards.” Kathy put the crosshairs right on the top of the buck’s shoulder and sent the 180-grain Swift Sirocco bullet on its way. The bullet hit low and missed but with the echoes bouncing around the draw none of the bucks knew where the shot came from as the deer scattered. The missed deer was running at full speed right toward her as buck fever began to rear its ugly head.

She sat and watched as the massive antlers were headed right at her at a high rate of speed.

Things were happening too fast; the buck cut through the drainage and small timbered areas like a fast moving ghost.

Gary said, “Get ready for a shot whenever you feel comfortable. I don’t know how long he will run toward us.” At 260 yards, the buck came through an opening in the bitterbrush and Kathy put the crosshairs on the chest and jerked off another round. There was a thud and the monster disappeared.

The trio looked the area over thoroughly and didn’t find a single hair or speck of blood. They even used hydrogen peroxide to help locate the blood, but no luck. The next day they came back and searched below the area in case the buck had moved there while wounded. The buck was nowhere to be found.

Returning on the third day they headed up the original draw and found all ten bucks lying down close to where they had originally spotted the group. The buck they thought she had lost was there in living color. The bad news was she had missed the shot but the good news was they had found him again, and they would not repeat the same long distance error.

This time they would get closer.

Because of the wind they made a two-mile walk and climb to get down wind, above the bucks, in enough cover for a good stalk.

Over an hour had passed since they last saw the deer as they neared the rocky outcrop to begin their stalk. As Kathy peeked over the rim some of the bucks had moved and were up feeding including her buck.

The two discussed a route that would take them within 200-yards for a shot which was the distance where Kathy was comfortable. The rocky outcropping contained miniature barrel cactus that was almost invisible until your hand or knee happened to come down on one.

Finally, after not looking at the bucks during the stalk, she reached the two hundred yard mark and peeked through the bitterbrush. She could now see them but they couldn’t see her. It took a moment to find the big buck that was somewhat of a loner and he had distanced himself from the main group.

Kathy found a good rest that would keep her low but provide good visibility and as she got into position Gary whispered, “It is a little farther then we thought. He’s right at 260-yards; aim dead on, top third of the chest.”

Kathy acknowledged with a muffled, “OK.” Kathy was set, her breathing had slowed to a relaxed rate and the distance and lack of urgency allowed her to carefully place the crosshairs at the top third of the buck’s heavy shoulder. Her finger was tightening on the trigger ever so slowly as the buck fed unaware. The scope was steady now and the trigger pull was gentle so it didn’t pull it off the chest. Kathy thought to herself, “What a difference a good rest makes and shooting half the distance of the first shot.”

When the rifle cracked it was a replay of the scene two days prior. As her buck jumped out of sight while the other bucks scattered, she noticed another big non-typical running over the ridge with antler points sticking out all over. She thought to her self, “If I wasn’t so confident the shot was good, the next bullet would be yours. You will have to wait until next year. I’ll be back.” They waited until all the bucks were out of sight before standing up.

Gary got to the buck first with Kathy right on his heels. It was a sight! The monster buck had traveled less then 50-feet after the shot and fell on a game trail. The buck rough scored 290 3/8 and was 40 ½” wide, with at least 35 scoreable points. The buck would definitely challenge the Boone and Crockett scorer.

Persistence, a solid rest, and a touch of good luck put an awesome buck into the record book.

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 37

Don’t Wait! These won’t last!

BY S.L. MERRIAM

K

enjoy them and get wound up.”

Running down hill trying to keep in Dave’s long stride was difficult but no one complained, as they quickly ran into a thick timbered area, the dogs with a cat somewhere.

The noise in the timber was so loud you were required to cup your hand to your mouth and press against someone’s head for them to hear you.

Cary’s eyes were tracing every limb in sight for the cat. He wanted to see it in front of him, not over him. Even his chest ached, from the hard run in the cold morning air, as he gasped for breath, like the other two men. He was running on adrenaline, the likes of which he had never had before. Every sense he had was at high alert, for the cat could be right above him in the heavy timber canopy.

Randall shouted. “There isn’t a cat here!

Dave said, “You shouldn’t bet on that he is here or these dogs wouldn’t be.”

Just then Cary saw the umbrella hooked tail hanging down in the one of the pine trees.

He pointed and shouted, though no one could hear the shout the pointed finger is all that was needed. As the three slipped into position the tom seemed to get larger and larger.

His deep sharp growl through razor sharp teeth showed he was in no way ready to surrender to the noisy over fed four legged coyotes and 3 little men on the ground far below.

Dave always carried a .357 Magnum saddle rifle, which is a small rifle, but in Dave’s big hands it looked more like a BB gun. He gave it to Randall, as Dave quickly collected the three dogs in the area, in case the lion came down wounded. At that instant the lion came down from his perch and headed for the rocky cliffs edge, which was 150 feet above the canyon floor.

The tom stopped temporarily and Randall made a quick and clean shot that killed the lion and sent the cat free falling over the cliff. As Randall quickly looked over the cliff he found the 4th dog, Black Jack, standing on the same patch of white snow that was going to be the landing spot for this free falling cat.

Black Jack might not be able to keep up with the other dogs as far as nose skills, but he was smart enough to know where the cat would land and be there to greet him. Black Jack stepped back out of the way and let the dead cat fall in front of him. Then the excited hound jumped on the dead cat and fought like his was fighting for his life. Then he backed up sat wagging his tail and looked at the dogs and hunters staring down at him on top of the 150-foot cliff. Again he was the king of the show and he wanted the other dogs to know it. We looked at each other and laughed at the personality of each of the dogs.

And that ended the adventure I will never forget.

We still had snow and cold, and one lion and he was with us, the A Team.

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It was a brisk October morning on the Wind River Indian Reservation north of Lander, Wyoming, when Kathy and Gary Keene with their six year-old daughter Kali, were hunting mountains that had produced a number of large bucks for both in prior years. Twenty years earlier there was no control on the harvest of deer, elk and antelope on the reservation. Any time any method of hunting was the norm and the big game quality and population dwindled down to almost non-existent animals. Now 20-years after hunting control had been put in place both numbers and quality have retuned to what it was 50-years ago. Kathy had drawn a buck tag and the three were working their way up a steep hill to fill it.

38 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

•

Bob Ward & Sons New Gear Review

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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