Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - November 2010

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NOVEMBER 2010

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From The Editor Thank You To Ranchers And Landowners Who Let Us Fish And Hunt Their Land

After two weeks of trying to get close enough for an opportunity to take an

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elk during archery season, walking out to my truck that day, I couldn’t help but think about how grateful I was to be able to access land that was close to home and how cool it was to see the deer and elk on this property. Having several encounters with different bulls and to hear them bugling at first light kept me going back in to see if I could get closer.

As I reached my truck, I noticed a “No Trespassing” sign on the property adjacent to my hunting area. The small print read “Absolutely no hunting, fishing or trespassing on this property. Violators will be prosecuted.”

My first thought was irritation.

My next was in how I was glad the landowner whose land I was hunting on let people access their property. They are part of the Block Management Program which allows you to sign in and start hunting.

Thankfully, ranchers and landowners that allow hunters on their land recognize how much hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation impact each and every community in our state. Millions of dollars are spent each year in gear, gas, food and lodging, and that money helps keep local businesses open. Many jobs are supported by fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation.

Getting more people involved in outdoor recreation is critical to our future and our sport, and that means having quality places to fish and hunt.

As I drove home in the bright October sunshine that day, I looked to see if the ranch hand or landowner was out working. I wanted to personally thank them and to ask if they needed any help around their land. Although no one seemed to be around, I will go back and leave them a thank you card or a gift basket.

If you have access to a sweet hunting or fishing spot, don’t take it for granted. Be sure to obey the property rules and to say “thank you” if you can.

The Montana Fish and Game Agents work closely with ranchers and landowners and encourage them to allow access. It’s a win, win for us all if we can make it work. After all, we are all just stewards of the land.

If you are interested in participating in the Block Management Program in Montana contact 406-439-3100 or e-mail fwpr3bmp@mt.gov.

Thank you to all landowners that allow access to their lands.

Rick Haggerty Editor

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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 8

NOVEMBER 2010

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Are Bucks More Alert During Hunting Season?

S.L. MERRIAM

D

eer don’t read a calendar or keep up with hunting season updates and rule changes so why does it always seem like deer get smarter and more elusive during hunting season?

Most deer react to changes in activity levels in their core areas. For example, once you pressure a buck in a particular area he may vacate that area and not return for several days. Once he has been pushed out of his core area he will always use caution when returning to that area again since that level of caution keeps him alive.

The rut, winter weather and hunger can cause him to throw some of his caution to the wind in exchange for survival and a chance to breed.

Hunters venture into the woods during hunting season and deer that spend their life secluded in the deep woods don’t tolerate very much intrusion by humans into their realm. Even if you’re the only one hunting your property the resident deer access the property from many different directions and consider the acreage that makes up their core areas, security areas and feeding areas as their own private domain.

Older bucks that have survived a few seasons become nocturnal as a means to ensure their own survival as they feed, bed and travel between these various areas. They learn to travel during times and along paths where they will avoid humans as well as other predators. In their mind they just want to stay away from the human activity that spooks them. Hunters must enter the woods on opening morning as quietly as possible.

Chances are that the deer are already agitated from your scouting trips during the preseason.

I recommend using a scent drag device tied to your boot trailing a rag or pad laced with doe urine to cover your trail as you still hunt your way to your deer stand. Scent drag devices are commercially available at most outdoor stores, but you can make your own – it’s as simple as tying a rag to your boot with a shoe string, saturating the cloth with your cover scent of choice and walking to your stand. The scent of doe urine is stronger than human scent and serves (continued on page 37)

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NOVEMBER 2010

ELK HUNTING OUTLOOK

By Diane Tipton, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Statewide Information Officer

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ontana’s elk hunters have some good hunting opportunities ahead, according to the MFWP’s biologists who survey the state’s elk populations post hunting season and again in spring after elk calves are born.

“Elk numbers continue to be up in many portions of the state, especially central Montana,” said Quentin Kujala, FWP fish and wildlife division wildlife section chief.

Though elk numbers are good, elk harvests in the past several years have been lower in some areas of the state due to mild winters and late snows. Additional elkhunting permits and more liberal seasons have not altered that trend appreciably.

In other areas with grizzly bear and wolves and high predator to prey ratios, including the Northern Yellowstone, Gallatin Canyon, Bitterroot, and Madison-Firehole areas elk numbers have declined. In most areas with lower predator to prey ratios, elk numbers have remained stable or have increased since wolf restoration began.

“Also in hunters’ favor is the fact that the past two years have been especially good years for precipitation. We’re hoping this year for well-timed snow to move elk to lower elevations and to help elk hunters track them,” he said.

Here is an overview of 2010 elk hunting opportunities in the state.

-FWP Regions 1 & 2—Western Montana near Kalispell and Missoula In FWP Region 1, near Kalispell, elk herd recruitment is stable at 25 calves per 100 cows. Elk hunters should find good hunting in the Lower Clark Fork hunting districts and the Bob Marshall Wilderness districts of northwest Montana.

In FWP Region 2, biologists observed healthy elk numbers in the eastern half of the region. Elk numbers were lower than in past years south and west of Missoula. Season quotas for antlerless elk have been reduced overall in FWP Region 2.

A cold, snowy fall should help hunters enjoy a potentially good harvest.

-FWP Regions 3—Southwestern Montana near Bozeman Elk numbers have declined in a few hunting districts, but numbers remain

generally high and liberal hunting season packages are in effect. Spring recruitment was better than in recent years, but below the long-term average.

-FWP Region 4—Central Montana near Great Falls Elk populations in FWP Region 4 remain strong throughout the region. There is also a good distribution of older age animals. As always, FWP urges hunters to make their access arrangements well before they plan to hunt.

-FWP Region 5—Southcentral Montana near Billings In FWP Region 5, elk numbers are higher than last year and well ahead of the long-term average. Elk numbers are at management objectives on public property, such as U.S. Forests and on other lands where public access is available. On private lands, where public hunting is very limited or not allowed, elk numbers are growing.

-FWP Regions 6—Northeastern Montana near Glasgow On the north side of the Missouri River Breaks and in the Bears Paw Mountains elk numbers remain at or above the management objectives set in the statewide elk management plan. All elk hunting is by special permits in these hunting districts. Hunters who drew an elk permit will find most elk in secure habitats a mile or more away from roads or trails, so they should be prepared for long hikes and be able to pack an elk out. Elk densities are very low in the general-season elk hunting area north of U.S. Highway 2.

-FWP Regions 7—Southeastern Montana near Miles City The management goal is to maintain elk populations at a reasonable level to address landowner concerns and balance growing populations with available habitat in FWP Region 7. Elk populations continue to expand across the region.

South of Interstate 94, antlerless elk can be harvested by rifle hunters with a general elk license, except in the Custer National Forest. In hunting district 703, any elk can be harvested with a general elk license. The remaining elk hunting opportunities in this region are by permit only.

NOVEMBER 2010

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Conservation Groups Urge Stop to Wolf Negotiations In a letter to Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Joe Maurier, conservation organizations are urging state officials to stick with science in determining adequate populations of gray wolves, rather than negotiating with environmental and animal rights groups to allow surplus populations.

The agency is currently negotiating a settlement with the 13 groups who sued to keep gray wolves federally protected under the Endangered Species Act. These negotiations potentially threaten to weaken the state’s authority to manage populations of game and non-game species, presenting a dangerous precedent for other states seeking to manage wolf populations through their respective state agencies.

The letter, signed by Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation President and CEO David Allen, Mule Deer Foundation President and CEO Miles Moretti, and Big Game Forever/Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife President Ryan Benson, also decries the state’s failure to include sportsmen, farmers, ranchers and other stakeholders in the settlement processes relative to wolf control.

By excluding other interested parties from the discussions, the state is setting up a take-it-or-leave-it appeasement, after the fact, upon its sporting and agricultural industries. “Offering a public comment period after the negotiations are complete

will likely further drive a wedge between sportsmen and FWP and the environmental groups,” stated Moretti and Allen.

Among the concessions Montana leaders are reportedly negotiating with plaintiff groups is an outright departure from the science and the original public feedback used to develop the state’s existing wolf management plan. In addition to relisting the wolf, the state is being pressed by plaintiff groups to settle for higher surplus wolf populations in Montana.

Numbers over and above science-based wolf management plans will continue to threaten elk and moose populations as well as livestock which is unacceptable and unsustainable in many regions of Montana.

“Any proposal in closed-door settlement talks to increase the population goals in the plan will depart from both the science and public debate that went into the plan. This is one of the reasons we feel such negotiations are unwise,” the letter states. “We strongly reiterate that the past behavior of some of these groups since the inception of the wolf-recovery program calls for great caution in attempts at any negotiation with these groups—especially if such a deal is hatched to satisfy plaintiffs who shrewdly used a technicality to strike down a Federal decision.”

Weakening the state’s power to manage its wildlife populations including predators, Allen cautions, will likely serve to alien ate non-resident sportsmen and

parties in other states. Not only will this alienation likely result in a loss of state revenue as non-resident sportsmen and agricultural investors look to spend their money elsewhere, but any precedent set by removing state control over these surplus populations in Montana threatens to trickle down in other areas of the country, including other Rocky Mountain states and the Great Lakes region The letter also reminds Gov. Schweitzer and Director Maurier that these negotiations are very likely to be non-binding to third parties which may take up the lawsuit tactics of current environmental groups at any time under different names. This will not bring a resolution to the management plan for surplus wolf populations, as was promised to Montana when wolves were originally reintroduced into the state.

“Many of these groups have a very bad track record of saying one thing and doing another. They have over reached in this entire wolf recovery process, they know it and now they want to mysteriously settle. There is no way that one can assume they will honor their words, especially when they have done the exact opposite repeatedly in the past with this entire wolf recovery program. The bottom line is they do not want wolves delisted, they want to drag this process out, delay as long as they can and ignore what the science says about wolf recovery. We have asked them to share their science repeatedly and we have

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yet to see anything; one can only assume they have none. We do have scientific data and we are willing to stand behind it and settle this issue for good. Negotiating a settlement with such groups is very unwise and will most likely come back to haunt Montana,” said Allen.

“We feel that a Congressional solution is the best way to ensure management of wolves by the State of Montana and all other states across the country and puts an end to the one-sided litigation,” the letter continued. “We support the bi-partisan efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 6028, co-sponsored by Congressman Chet Edwards (D-Texas) and Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), which provides a common-sense approach to this issue. We also support a version of the House bill that has been introduced in the U.S. Senate, S.B. 3919.”

“We are a coalition of sportsmen groups, agriculture groups and landowners formed to seek a firm, permanent resolution to this issue. We fundamentally believe that it is the states that should manage wildlife, not the federal government. It is our intention to seek a remedy that will address the wolf issue for all states, anything short of that will only result in more litigation and more expense for the taxpayers. It is time that the real science and true state management process determine how all wildlife is managed in this country.”

The letter can be found on www.rmef.org.

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The author with his northern buck after following his own advice for successful whitetail hunting. Know the locations of several doe herds and monitoring their suitors that came to call.

Smooth Transitions For Deer Hunters

By Brodie Swisher, World Class Game Caller

With the long, hot days of Montana summer behind us, it’s hard to

Getting Started Using A GPS System

By Darlene Edge, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Lands Coordinator

O

nce you bring your new Global Position System, or GPS unit, home you’ll need to initialize it by inserting batteries and turning it on outdoors.

The first time it may take the unit a few minutes to locate itself. While the unit tries to lock into the satellites it will display the orbit of the satellites and their location in the sky or something similar. Brand name manufacturers--Garmin, Magellan, Lowrance, DeLorme, among others, use different software but all provide essentially the same information.

The unit’s software has “pages” of information, each with its own menu options.

If you have six to eight solid satellite locks and a good window, you should have an accuracy of about 15 to 25 feet. To “mark” your current location push “mark” and the unit will assign it a waypoint number, or you can name it--for example camp, truck, or elk rub.

Here are definitions for some other useful terms: Waypoint: a specific location (usually a latitude/ longitude or Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate) Mark: a function of recording your current location. “Mark” is generally a specific button on your unit.

Lock In: communicate with the satellite collecting data Coordinate System: the coordinate system is a grid system that helps you find your location on a map. The two most common coordinate systems are Latitude and Longitude (Lat/Long) or Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM): a grid-based method of specifying locations on the surface of the earth. There are books and online information on these systems.

Trackback – a return route.

believe that we’re a few weeks in to what is looking like another great deer season.

This time of year deer patterns and habitat is constantly changing so this month we’ll focus on how to recognize and adapt during this transition period. This should put you well on your way to scoring on your next big Montana whitetail in the NW corner of the state or in the river drainages across the bulk of the state to the Dakota boarder.

It doesn’t take long for mature deer to figure out that hunting season is back in full swing and during the early bow season deer patterns change quickly after the first few weeks of human intrusion.

The big bucks you’ve been glassing all summer will now make themselves a little less visible. Yeah, they’re still there, but most likely they move under the cover of darkness or during those last few moments as you sit on stand and the shooting light fades. If you can force yourself to limit the amount of pressure you put on a particular stand location you will greatly increase your odds of catching deer moving towards the fields during those last few moments of daylight.

“Deer are in a feeding frenzy in the early season,” says long-time deer hunter, Steve Stoltz. “Bucks will be in the open more during the early season than at any other time while in this pattern, so it’s a good time to hang an observation stand.

As the season progresses toward the rut, deer will enter the roaming and chasing phase. In the roaming phase, stands need to be close to bedding areas in the morning and close to feeding areas in the evening.

Young bucks will pass by more frequently as they will be traveling and checking does before they are ready to breed. Big bucks are patient and know when to begin chasing does.” Stoltz also recommends that hunters avoid worrying about being right on a deer trail if the wind is not working in your favor. “Let your calls and scent products do the work and bring that buck to you.” Stoltz reminds hunters that the second half of the roaming phase is best; the bucks seem to be super-charged prior to the actual peak rut phase.

A lot of guys plan vacation time to coincide with the peak of the rut. Sure, that sounds like a vacation in deer hunter’s paradise, but in reality, the 7-to10 days prior to the rut’s peak phase typically provides some of the hottest buck hunting activity. My wife asked me the other day why I haven’t been hunting quite as hard (daily) as I have in the past. I simply told her to enjoy me being here while she could. Come November, things will change. I’m putting my time, energy, and hunting effort into those few special days from November 3 to 11. That is when I plan to be around the office less and in trouble with my wife the most. Be on stand or in a ground blind every chance you can during this time of year. Don’t let it cause a divorce – but be there as often as your spouse allows.

So how do you go about hunting the actual peak phase of the rut? “Hunt the doe groups,” says Stoltz. “At this time of year, you’ll also want to hunt isolated incidents such as when a mature buck is bedded up with a hot doe. Set up on doe groups along the travel areas where deer move from feed to bed and bed to feed.

When a buck finds a hot doe he may hang out with her for 24-hours straight and not leave her.” Bottom line; find the doe groups this time of year and you’ll find your buck. Check with wildlife officials in your area for a close estimate of when the rut historically peaks in your region. The rut varies drastically from one part of the country to the next and the rut may peak in mid-November in one area then mid-December further south and even January along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas.

Another factor to keep in mind is that all does are not the same age. This means does of different ages cycle into estrus at different times. There are early does that can come into estrus and breed as early as mid-October, but this isn’t the norm. Does are usually bred in mid-November, or in the case of the deep-south, mid-December to mid-January.

Remember that un-bred does will usually cycle again 28 days after their initial estrous cycle and young does and fawns often cycle late as well. (continued on page 17)

NOVEMBER 2010

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Deer Hunting Outlook MFWP Montana’s deer populations lands. As a result, “Deer B” licenses, are holding steady across the state for the which allowed hunters to take additional most part, with some declines reported in the western portion of the state, though the buck harvest has the potential to be good in the west.

“Although deer numbers have declined in some portions of the state, the deer population in general is holding fairly steady. If the weather cooperates this fall, deer hunters should have another good year of hunting,” Kujala said. “The dips in numbers experienced in some regions were due to severe weather that reduced winter survival rates and fawn production.”

“In areas with strong mule deer or white-tailed deer numbers, we are hoping to see cold weather this fall and some good snow to move deer into the more accessible, lower elevations. That’s what we need for a good harvest,” Kujala said.

Here is a regional look at Montana’s deer populations: FWP Region 1—Northwestern Montana near Kalispell White-tailed deer experienced a significant increase in fawn survival and recruitment this spring--37 fawns per 100 adults--following a mild, dry winter.

Regional white-tailed deer herd growth is on the increase again after severe winter weather in 2008 and 2009 combined with predation and other issues reduced numbers. White-tailed deer are located throughout the forested areas.

For mule deer, survival and recruitment of fawns into the population remained stable this spring. FWP’s aerial surveys indicated 39 fawns per 100 adults.

Mule deer are located on mountain divides and alpine basins. Hunters should be prepared for all types of weather.

FWP Region 2—Western Montana near Missoula Near Missoula and the surrounding area, mule deer numbers are steady, while white-tailed deer numbers are below objective on accessible public

antlerless whitetails in years past, are not available to purchase over the counter this year. If the weather cooperates, the buck harvest has the potential to be very good.

FWP Region 3—Southwestern Montana near Bozeman Mule deer recruitment across the Bozeman area in general was moderate to declining. Numbers are healthy, but remain below historic highs.

FWP Region 4—Central Montana near Great Falls There are plenty of white-tailed deer, but in some locations mule deer numbers are average to below average.

Mule deer numbers from the Teton River north to Canada and from the Rocky Mountain Front east to the Marias River and Hill County line are generally good.

Numbers are not as good in the Little Belt Mountains south of Great Falls, and in the Lewistown area.

FWP Region 5—Southcentral Montana near Billings Mule deer numbers are generally 20 to 30 percent lower than average in the mountain foothills, but near the long-term average on the south central Montana plains.

Wet, cold springtime weather along the Beartooth Front from Red Lodge to the Boulder River has hampered fawn survival for the past two years.

North of the Musselshell River, along the flanks of the Little Belt and Snowy mountains, mule deer numbers this spring were significantly below the long-term averages. The result is a conservative bucks-only hunting season north of the Musselshell River and along the Beartooth Front.

FWP Region 6—Northeastern Montana near Glasgow Despite a severe winter and a good deer harvest in 2009, mule deer and white-tailed deer numbers remain high in most of the region, especially the Glasgow area along (continued on page 17)

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NOVEMBER 2010

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

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Name: Address: City:

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MONTANA SPORTSMEN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE OFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION or join online at www.mt-sfw.org

The Wolf War And Montana Sportsmen For Fish And Wildlife

BY JAALA WICKMAN

Welcome to November! The elk rut has already passed us by and now

in Dillon, Hamilton and Kalispell. Panelists included representatives from all aspects of the wildlife industry in we are in the midst of rifle season. I wish Montana and the Rocky Mountain Region. everyone a safe and plentiful season!

In a resounding chorus, the vast majority I am a 6th generation Montana of the approximately 200 people girl, and I’ve been hunting here my entire present implored Rep. Rehberg to carry life. My favorite bow hunting area is one their message back to Washington D.C. that I’ve hunted for ten years, and my They told of the economic toll: ranches father for 36 years. We first saw wolves having to sell off livestock because of in this area in 2007, a chilling precusor losses due to predation and low weight to the oncoming devastation. Each year on cattle at sales; outfitters having vastly has shown a drastic decrease in the elk reduced hunting opportunities and thus population, each year growing more being unable to provide work for their depressing. This archery season, I was former numbers of employees. able to see one bull, a mature 6x7, only Taxidermists are seeing their business go twice. We saw one other raghorn and two from primarily Montana game animals to cows in approximately 25 days of hunting. Asian and African game, with a Montana In a short four year time frame, the elk animal now being a rarity. Tax dollars, population in this area has plummeted. both federal and state, are being used to The anguish in seeing this kind of loss of pay for predation losses, but the monies wildlife is palpable and shared by all of set aside are lasting less than half the time our hunting friends and acquaintances. It they have been allotted for. Other is unbelievable that this devastation has attendants brought up their discontent with been allowed to happen. So, what can be the Equal Access to Justice Act where tax done? Here is an update on what Montana dollars have been used to pay for court Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife is doing costs incurred by pro-wolf groups. to try and halt the killing and restore our Rep. Rehberg listened to all concerns herds. brought up, and promised to do his part to On October 5th and 6th, with bring “common sense” back to the help from MT SFW, Representative wolf issue. He is endorsing and garnering Denny Rehberg hosted town hall meetings bipartisan support for HR 6028, to amend

the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to prohibit treatment of the Gray Wolf as an endangered species or threatened species.

Currently this bill, which was introduced

by Rep. Chet Edwards, a Democrat from Texas, has 14 co-sponsors; 9 are Democrats, 5 Republican. Senator Hatch from Utah has, along with four other Senators, sponsored similar legislation in the senate, SB 3919. Sportsmen and women need to contact their Senators and Representatives and tell them to support this bill in order to protect our hunting heritage!

I had the opportunity on October 11th to travel to Salt Lake City for an emergency wolf meeting with SFW and Big Game Forever. Representatives for all SFW chapters were in attendance, as well as Senator Hatch and Rep. Matheson who were both speakers at the event along with Don Peay and Ryan Benson. We were updated on the status of the earlier mentioned legislation. We are at a critical point in the wolf war, and we need to mobilize, to have friends and family members, both hunters and non-hunters, join in this effort to save our heritage, to speak up for states’ rights, and to continue to fight for what is right!

So, what can you do? Get online! Contact your Senators and Representatives, no matter what state you live

in. Get your friends and family involved.

Sign the petition at biggameforever.org.

The petition there is twofold. It states: We call on Congress to: 1. immediately and permanently delist wolves nationwide; and 2. place a moratorium on further wolf reintroductions We call on the States to: 1. immediately reduce wolf numbers to agreed upon levels in reintroduction areas and 2. manage for no increases in wolf populations in non-reintroduction states to address the alarming rate of disappearance of our big game populations We must be active, this is not the time to stay quiet and do nothing; get involved, join MT SFW, and help us fight the war!

Our Mission Statement: To Preserve, Protect and Enhance Montana’s Fish and Wildlife resources & outdoor opportunities and to ensure our heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping through hands on conservation efforts and responsible predator management by Montana Sportsmen.

Jaala Wickman -Founding Board Member and Director MT SFW

NOVEMBER 2010

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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.

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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.

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12 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Fishing Contests Approved For 2011 Ice Fishing Derbies Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has approved a roster of ice fishing contest for winter 2011. Participants must comply with state fishing regulations, including daily and possession limits. Most contests require catch-and-release fishing and participants in these contests may not keep any fish.

Ice fishing contests for winter 2011 include the following events.

WINTER 2011 ICE FISHING CONTESTS IN NORTHWESTERN MONTANA, REGION 1 Jan. 8 - Sunriser Lions Family Ice Fishing Derby on Smith Lake Jan. 22 & 23 - Fisher River Valley Winter Fishing Derby on Lower, Middle & Upper Thompson Lakes, Crystal Lake & Loon Lake Feb 1-26 - 8th Annual Perch Pounder on all of Region 1 waters Feb. 12 - 11th Annual Lake Mary Ronan Perch/Salmon Derby on Lake Mary Ronan Feb. 12-13 - The McGregor Lake Fishing Derby on McGregor Lake Feb. 19 - Ryan Wagner Memorial Scholarship Ice Fishing Derby on Murphy Lake Feb. 26 - Lion Lake Canyon Kids Christmas Fund Fishing Derby on Lion Lake Feb. 26 & 27 - The Perch Assault “Ultimate Assault” at Lake Mary Ronan on Lake Mary Ronan March 5 & 6 - 2nd Annual Bitterroot Bash on Bitterroot Lake WINTER 2011 ICE FISHING CONTESTS IN SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA, REGION 2 Jan. 22 & 23 - Pike on Ice on Seeley and Salmon Lakes WINTER 2011 ICE FISHING CONTESTS IN SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA, REGION 3 Jan. 29 - Stan Shafer Memorial Ice Fishing Derby on Clark Canyon Reservoir WINTER 2011 ICE FISHING CONTESTS IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA, REGION 4 Jan. 15 & 16 - 6th Annual Central Montana Perch Derby on East Fork Reservoir Jan. 22 & 23 - Broadwater Lions Perch Derby on Canyon Ferry Reservoir Jan. 29 - Western Bar Ice Fishing Derby on Willow Creek Reservoir Jan. 30 - Utica Rod and Gun Club and Oxen Yoke Inn Fishing Derby on Ackley Lake Feb. 12 - Valier Volunteer Fire Department Fishing Derby on Lake Frances Feb. 13 - V.F.W. Ice Fishing Derby on Newlan Reservoir WINTER 2011 ICE FISHING CONTESTS IN NORTHEASTERN MONTANA, REGION 6 Jan. 8 - 4th Annual Clinton Phipps Memorial Ice Fishing Derby on Fort Peck Reservoir Jan. 29 - Murphy’s 5th Annual Memorial Ice Fishing Tournament on Nelson Reservoir Jan. 29 & 30 - 7th Annual Big Money Ice Fishing Derby on Lower Beaver Creek Reservoir Jan. 30 - Hell Creek Ice Fishing Tournament on Fort Peck Reservoir Feb. 19 - 15th Annual Ice Fishing Contest on Fort Peck Reservoir

T

his month, I would like to provide you with two of my most requested lists, the Hunter’s Checklist and Vehicle Checklist when preparing to go hunting.

HUNTER’S CHECKLIST

-Cell phone in your vehicle-it just might save your life.

-Toilet paper, small bucket, and shovel in your vehicle-when nature calls -Hunting license (yes, check it again to make sure) so you can hunt when you get there.

-2010 sunrise/sunset tables-so you know when you can start and have to stop -Good pair of hunting boots and warm socks plus an extra pair of socks-there’s nothing worse than wet or sore feet -Sharp knifes, and a pack saw-one for the hide, one for quartering -Sharpening stone or steel -Game bags and a quarter-pound can of pepper and a spray can of Pam-they keep flies off your game after you field dress it -Rain gear-dry is better than wet -Extra clothing-it would be nice if you could take layers off as the day warms up -Plastic tarp-to place your animal on when cleaning or to cover up when transporting -Binoculars- they give you an edge and are safer than glassing from your rifle scope -Electrical or duct tape-to tape your license onto the carcass (after you validate it by cutting out the month and date) -Hunters orange sweatshirt or vest and cap-it’s the law, 400 square inches above the waist -Compass or GPS unit-if you want to get back to camp -Map of your hunting area-so you don’t trespass or get lost -Sighted in rifle and ammo-one-shot is the best hunt -Ammo carrier-makes things easier in the heat of the moment and keeps your cartridges clean -Orange marker tape- it helps you get back to camp and can help mark the site of your kill. Take it down when you leave.

-Five to 10 feet of rope-hundred uses -Small flashlight-helps before dawn or after sunset -Matches in waterproof case and small candle- it will help keep you warm if you need to start a fire -Energy bar-it helps you keep going and is light to pack -Leatherman tool-thousand uses -A good spare tire, jack and tire wrench-ever been stranded?

-Two pairs of gloves-in case one pair gets lost or wet -One pair of rubber dishwashing gloves, use when field dressing your animal -Two one-gallon jugs of water-many uses, including washing hands and washing out

carcasses -Sunglasses-if you get in a snow situation, you won’t be squinting all day -Warm cap-most body heat is lost through your head (with or without hair) Also put supplies into a fanny pack: a pocket first aid kit, small pkg. of trail mix, small water bottle, pocket-size emergency blanket, plastic garbage bag (cut armholes and head hole and you have a rain proof vest) small packet of fire starter, short piece of nylon cord to help drag game out, waterproof matches and a throw away cigarette lighter. An extra set of vehicle keys. Finally a camera-a picture is worth a thousand words

VEHICLE CHECKLIST

-Service your vehicle -Inspect serpentine belt (fan-belt) replace if worn or cracked (save your old one for a spare -Inspect your tires and check tire pressure, including your spare tire -Tire chains-make sure they fit and are in good condition -Two vehicle ramps.

-Flashlight with extra batteries for your map-GPS-compass.

-Tool box (Make sure all your tools are in order) -Jumper cables or Jump Start Power Pack -Assorted nuts-bolts-washers-mechanics wire-duct tape-electrical tape-wire ties -Extra oil-antifreeze-Automatic Transmission. Fluid-Radiator Stop Leak -High lift jack or come-a-long -Tow straps or tow chains-heavy rope -Snow shovel, ax-bucket-tarp -2x6 that is 1 to 4 feet long (Might help to put under tires if you are high centered) -Old carpet to lie on if you have to get under your vehicle -Old sleeping bag-blankets-firewood When packing your rig try and put the items you would use only for an emergency in first and the items that you will more than likely use in last.

Mark Ward is known as the Captain of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show heard statewide every Saturday from 6am - 8am.

Log onto www.montanaoutdoor.com to find a radio station in your area or read his column Thursdays in the Missoulian.

NOVEMBER 2010

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Fly Tying Corner: Plan-B

By Bob Bates - fedflyfishers.org

I

nto each angler’s life there comes a time when the guaranteed, favorite fly doesn’t work. That is the time to switch to Plan B. Lee Davison from Rigby, Idaho www.snakeriveroutfitters.com tied his version of Plan B at the 2006 FFF Conclave in Bozeman, Montana. I say “his version” because the original Plan B was developed by his friend and guide, Brenda Swinney, www.mightyreel.com/; however, the main similarity between the two is the name.

On the South Fork of the Snake River and other clean rivers stoneflies provide a good food supply for the fish. They are a big mouthful. If you are fortunate, like Lee, the stoneflies hatch over a long period of time: June to September. When they are ready to hatch the stonefly nymphs crawl along the bottom to a handy rock, log, shoreline or other object sticking out of the water. There they leave the shuck and eventually fly off to do their thing. The females come back to the river and fly upstream to lay their eggs. Sometimes they get too close to the water or fall into the water with no way to escape. It is then that the lucky trout have a chance to feast on them.

A floating line is used with this pattern. You can wade and throw it into good spots. Cast the fly to any spot where the stonefly might fall into the water. Don’t forget the general rule to cast the fly within 2 inches of the shore because fish frequently lay in the quieter water at the edge of stream.

MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT: Hook: Dry fly, size 8 Thread: Brown or black, 3/0 Tail: Antron yarn: cream, light silver or gray Body: Variegated crystal chenille, red and olive Over body: Brown foam 3 mm Under wing: Antron yarn, cream, light silver or gray Over wing: Deer hair Change the colors to match insects in your area.

Step 1: Tie on a piece of Antron yarn to make a gap length tail.

Step 2: Select a suitable color sparkle chenille, and tie it on at the bend. Move thread to a point about an eye length back from the eye.

Step 3: Wrap chenille forward, secure, trim excess and spiral thread rearward to a point in front of the point.

Step 4: Trim a piece of foam and secure it over the hook point. Use a wide tie in to attach legs. This will secure the legs and make them point outward instead of laying next to each other. Pick up front foam and spiral thread forward. Repeat the same tie in process for foam and front legs. Trim legs.

Step 5: Top view Step 6: Tie in Antron under wing. Trim excess fairly close to thread.

Step 7: Select a clump of deer hair, clean out under fur, stack and tie over under wing.

Have tips of deer hair about end of foam over body. Whip finish over wing tie in. Put a little head cement on the whip finish. Reposition fly in vise so it is upside down and put super glue on threads and chenille. It will make a much more durable fly.

Step 8: : Viewed from top or bottom you see legs and fluttering wings.

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Montana Fishing Report

NOVEMBER 2010

Sponsored By Boston Beer Co. And Summit Beverage

CHRIS MADSEN

Western Montana Fishing Report

RYAN ONGLEY

Southwest Montana Fishing Report

Brought To You By Missoula

Brought To You By Bozeman

BY CHRIS MADSEN, (406) 523-9000 e-mail: fishing-115@live.com

As the last warm, bluebird days of October quickly fade into distant memory, winter seems more like a certainty than a suggestion, and it’s easy to find ones self caught in an angler’s limbo. I always have to resist the urge to stew around the house, reliving fishing memories of the season past, while waiting impatiently for true winter and the start of ice fishing season. With the general rifle season open, and the deer and elk running for their lives, November always seems to be a sort of fishing no-man’s land, but don’t be fooled. Bait can be used on the rivers through the end of the month and the trout will be susceptible to a drifted crawler or “plunking” some garden hackle in the bottom of your secret hole. Fly fishing should be excellent until another arctic front moves in and locks the rivers up in ice. Although the number of great fishing options might be fewer, there is still some excellent fishing to be had this month, if you know where to look.

FLATHEAD LAKE: Flathead offers up some of the best fishing of the year for Macs and whitefish in November. Lake Trout are now routinely patrolling shallow water haunts, along shorelines with deep drop-offs. Casting heavy spoons like Country Miles and Krocodiles from the boat towards the shore is a great way to fill the cooler with some tasty trout.

BY RYAN ONGLEY (406) 586-0100

Another Year Winds Down Trolling with KwikFish, Flatfish and Hoochies is still a very productive method and will generally catch the bigger sized fish. If you get into a school of lake trout, parking the boat over the top of them and dropping down a large jigging spoon tipped with cut bait will bring good numbers of fish to the boat. While the whitefish never really came into the bays to crush perch fry, they should start to school up at the river inlet and outlet to prepare for spawning. Fishing can be red hot, especially in Polson Bay. This is similar to the summer whitefish season, except most of the fish are in shallower water now. Jigging small spoons, grubs, and whitefish fly rigs with maggots will produce some hefty stringers.

GEORGETOWN LAKE: Georgetown is another good choice before the ice starts to form. The weeds that plagued our best efforts all summer have started to recede, and fishing is excellent. Trolling Wedding Rings, Triple Teasers and Rapalas will work fine for both salmon and trout.

Fishing a night crawler just over the tops of the weeds that are left is a great way to fill a stringer full of fat rainbows. Fly anglers should strip leech and bugger patterns around the pump house, where big trout are often found this time of year dining on eggs. Your chances of catching a trophy brook trout fully dressed in their

brightly colored spawning regalia is also good. Georgetown is pretty high in the hills, so keep an eye on the weather, as storms can shut things down pretty quick up there. If the weather in October was any indication of what’s to come we may be ice fishing up here sooner than later.

BITTERROOT RIVER: The Bitterroot often fishes very well in November, especially for a freestone stream. Most of the Western Montana crowds are busy with big game hunting by now, and the ‘Root is mercifully people free. Good hatches of Mahogany Duns and BWO’s will persist until the weather really turns cold, and will often provide some epic dry-fly fishing. Nymphing the dreaded Bacon and Eggs (San Juan Worm and Glo Bug) combo is a good way to target fish feeding on brown trout eggs, and the aforementioned brown trout are sometimes remarkably susceptible to brown and yellow or ginger colored streamers. Gear fishing will be productive with rapalas and slowing worked spinners and spoons until the water gets too cold and the fish don’t want to chase them down anymore.

ROCK CREEK: Although the traffic can be heavy during November on Rock Creek road (continued on page 17)

C

an you believe it? 2010 is winding down. The season has been a quirky but fun one. Crazy weather and even more technical tactics were required on many of our streams throughout this year. With a warm beginning to our fall season it was a slow start last month as far as Big Browns on Streamers and Soft Hackles. Nymphing them up seemed to be working best early on. Hoping for some colder and nastier weather in November before the snow really starts to fly. Let’s look at some good bets for November.

UPPER MADISON RIVER: Look for Blue Winged Olive and Midge emergences to continue to be strong in the Wade Section. Concentrate on pockets behind rocks and slower currents with some depth near shore or in other pocket water environments. These emergences can be excellent most days from mid day to late afternoon. Obviously the BWO’s are partial to clouds and even a little rain or snow. Under the right conditions The Baetis activity can seem to bring every trout in the river up to the surface.

Subsurface nymphing will be good with Stones, baetis imitations, and midge pupae. San Juan Worms and Egg pattern will become a staple as well and remain so for a good part of the late fall and winter season. (continued on page 17)

NOVEMBER 2010

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or those of you who have already filled your tags during archery or don’t plan on heading out for the general rifle season, it is time to pick up your rod again and hit the water.

CANYON FERRY: Trout will be moving into the shallows as the water temperature drops. Try pulling crankbaits along ridges, points or off shore. Walleye are still a little deep, such as 40 – 50 feet on the North end, but are being picked up on bottom bouncers on the South end of the lake in 10 – 20 feet. Water temps are holding, but fish will be moving up as temps drop. Size seems to be increasing as we get later into the season, so they’re hungry, you just have to find them. Sporadic reports

HOLTER: Walleye fishing has been hot all summer from the Gates down river from 15-40 feet and should continue through the fall. Fish are on the move as the water temps have begun to fall below the 60º mark.

Try jigs tipped with crawlers or Gulp Alive seems to work well. Trout fishing has been slow, but will be picking up as the fish have been trying to fatten up for the Winter. Browns are spawning and will be tailing off and returning to deeper water. Below the dam crankbaits and spoons have been producing Walleye and trout; try using trout color patterns and Countdowns from Rapala.

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HAUSER: Walleye fishing is just coming around and should be producing well throughout November.

Pull bottom bouncers with a worm harness or a floating crankbait; slower is better, get to your depth by choosing the right weight. If you’re looking for Trout, make a quick trip to the Causeway and keep it simple- a slip bobber and a crawler should do just fine. While you are there, a floating jig head 18” from your weight tipped with a crawler might pick up some Walleye. Look for similar results at Black Sandy and White Sandy.

MISSOURI: Caddis and Tricos have been producing hatches early, but will be settling down with cooler temperatures. Move toward nymph fishing off the edge of slow water where the fish are waiting for an easy meal to come to them. Pheasant tail, Copper Johns, Birdsnest, and Ice Cream Cones have been picking up the Rainbows in 3 - 6 ft. Streamers and buggers should be working well in the faster water, be ready for a strike at the turn. If you are looking for bigger fish, find the deeper holes and TOM STEINBRENNER OF MISSOULA WITH RECENT CATCH IN OROFINO pockets and be patient and persistent.

16 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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NOVEMBER 2010

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Smooth Transitions (continued from page 8) I watched a buck mount a doe fawn in the middle of January a couple of seasons ago. The buck showed no interest in the fawn’s mother standing at the edge of the field watching the show. I would assume the mother had been bred a month or two earlier and that her late blooming daughter had just reached her first cycle.

During the post rut phase, you will find the big bucks scarce again but you can bet when they come across a hot doe, they’ll come alive. Watch for these late cruising bucks to be making scrapes and rubs near doe bedding areas. Scrapes that have been neglected will again become active. This particular phase leaves a small window of opportunity, so if you find sign of an active buck, you need to make your move quickly.

The key to making smooth transitions through the changing rut phases is to use your head and think like a deer.

What food is available? What particular food source is being used right now?

Where are the bedding areas? Moreover, one of the most important keys; what trails and travel routes are taking deer from Point A to Point B? Stay on the prowl and ready to move at a moments notice and you’ll be on your way to a season of success

Deer Hunting Outlook (continued from page 9) the Milk and Missouri River corridors.

Whitetail numbers are down in the northeastern corner of the region due to an outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, EHD, late last summer and early fall. Some EHD also occurred along the Milk River this summer, but it is unknown if this will have much impact on whitetail numbers during the hunting season.

Mule deer numbers are generally stable in most of the region, but antlerless B-tag quotas for mule deer decreased in Phillips County. In northern Blaine County, antlerless B-tag quotas for mule deer increased in response to deer depredation on private land.

FWP Region 7—Southeastern Montana near Miles City Mule deer populations are below the long-term average and white-tailed deer populations are above the long-term average.

Miles City and the surrounding area saw a severe and sustained winter that reduced mule deer numbers and recruitment. Overall the mule deer population across the region is 12 percent below the long-term average. Recent recruitment levels, a measure of animals that survive the first year of life, averaged 41 fawns per 100 adults down from typical averages of 60 fawns per 100 adults.

Western Montana Fishing Report (continued from page 14)

most of that traffic is the road hunters looking for meat to fill the freezer. You’ll never have the river to yourself but the chances of having to share your favorite runs is slim.

Browns are in full spawn mode right now and the rivers resident fish are highly susceptible to an orange egg drifted through their feeding window.

Dropping your egg beneath a small stonefly nymph or San Juan worm should keep you busy. Gear fishers can pick up fish using lures colored with golds, yellows and oranges.

Here again a slower retrieve will work better in the colder water temperatures.

shaping up as a banner year. Most of the fish look to be “A” runs heading up the Snake River system at this time but the Clearwater should still have an average season. And with the Salmon River running through a colder drainage, it is likely to lock up with ice at the end of November or the beginning of December, leaving more fishing opportunities on the Clearwater. A variety of techniques will work on both systems: pulling plugs from a boat, drifting corkies and roe, or bobber and jig fishing are the most popular techniques. Fly anglers should swing traditional wets or leeches, utilizing sink-tips as the weather gets colder

IDAHO STEELHEAD: Buying an out-of-state fishing license is borderline sacrilege for most native Montanans, but with steelhead pouring over the dams at a near record pace it might be time to reconsider.

November is generally the peak month of the fall season, and this is really

All in all, November is a favorite month for the hard-core and aspiring hard-core angler alike, so get out there and squeeze in a few more days of fishing that don’t require a 24” rod and an auger to enjoy.

•

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Southwest Montana Fishing Report (continued from page 14)

Streamer activity should remain strong until water temps cool too much. Then a dead drift presentation will be more effective.

YELLOWSTONE RIVER: Streamer heaven. Fish have been chasing streamers with vigor over here throughout October and it should continue throughout the month of November. With cloud cover BWO emergences have been strong and the fish have been very interested.

Nymphing is always a good bet on the ‘Stone. You just have to live with the fact your going to deal with some Whitey’s. Again as we enter post spawn egg patterns and San Juan worms should be included in everyones flyboxes.

BIG HOLE RIVER: Wow Wow Wow! What a season it was on the Big Hole. Late season emergences remained strong. BWO’s and October Caddis kept us busy over here throughout October. Look for BWO and Midge activity to provide most of the surface activity in November.

It’s just amazing when water is not an issue how well this river fishes.

Streamer activity as always is lights out on the Big Hole. It’s as if the man upstairs was a streamer addict and created this river for just that.

GALLATIN: Strong BWO activity has been there all fall on the Gally.

I’ve had some exceptional afternoons here when the weather is cool and cloudy. The streamer fishing picked up in mid October and should continue throughout most of November.

Keep soft hackles in mind on all our area streams. It’s a fun way to fish especially in the fall.

And the takes are exciting. Streamer wise go traditional ie: Buggers, Matuka’s, etc. But with so many new exciting large articulated patterns out there it’s tough for me to throw anything else. It weeds out the smaller fish and finds those large players we are all looking for.

18 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Best Places To Get Your “Rut” On!

BY NEAL M. COTE’

Jason M. Marsh Shiras’ Moose 140-2/8 Teton County, County, WY. 2006

Looking for an out of the way destination to find a big Whitetail Buck this year? Here are a few places off the beaten path.

W

ell, as you read this, the 2010 general rifle season will already be in full swing. If you are still holding on to your General Deer license, and want to find a big Whitetail to hang your tag on as the rut starts to crank up but not be stuck in the pack of other hunters, here are some less publicized places to check out.

Noxon is a little further west of Thompson Falls, which is a very well known Whitetail hot spot. Surrounded by millions of acres of Forest Service lands, it has all the things that big bucks need. You will want to locate clear-cut edges, openings and stream bottoms to start. Places to stay include the Lakeside Motel and for those of you who have a pull behind or pick up camper, the Cabinet Gorge RV Park.

Lewistown is another great place to look, as it is more known for its huge Mule Deer. There are many different types of cover ranging from alfalfa fields to rolling hills covered with Yellow Pine and Aspen trees. It is kind of like combining the best habitat from Western and Eastern Montana all in one place! There are several BMAs as well as tons of State lands that are fairly easy to access. Check out the Sunset Motel and The Calvert Hotel for good lodging and both are close to good restaurants. If you just want to see tons of deer, just take a short drive to the MFWP fish hatchery to the south of town! PS I would throw in your fly rod as there is some great fishing as well.

Havre, north of Great Falls, has some whopper Whitetails as well. It is near the whitetail Mecca of the Milk River (which flows into Fresno Reservoir), and though has had some trouble with Blue Tongue in the past, produces some monster bucks every year. The town is also very cool, as it was first started as a railroad hub and has an underground “mall” (on the north side of the city) that was a brothel at one point and a Chinese laundry thru the years. Lots of history here, as well as being home to Marc Marriani, Brian Schweitzer and John Tester. Access can be fairly easy, with several BMAs and quite a bit of state and BLM lands. There is tons of open farm country, which harbors some really good habitat for both Mule Deer and Whitetails in any available cover adjacent to these, but make sure to know where you are, as there is quite a bit of private land that you will need to get permission to access. Local motels include the El Toro Inn, Townhouse Inns of Havre, and the AmericInn Lodge & Suites of Havre.

Next on our list is Choteau. Near the Rocky Mountain Front, Choteau is well known for Antelope, Pheasants, and Mule Deer. Lurking in the many nearby river bottoms are some truly trophy Whitetails.

Access is a little more complicated here, as lots of the streams and rivers banks are private. There is still quite a bit of state and BLM land that can be found with the right maps. Also, there are a few BMA areas that are also close by. As for lodging, the list

includes the Gunther, Big Sky, and Bella Vista motels. Also for those of you that like to bring your camper, there is the Choteau KOA. Next is Shelby, perched just short of the Canadian border. Mule Deer are the primary target of most hunters that head here, but, as you can tell from the previous places, there are always huge Whitetails hiding in the wide open! You just have to be patient and look for the “hidey holes”.

Home to Jack Horner, one of the worlds foremost paleontologists, Shelby has fairly good access to BLM and state lands. Not as many BMAs here, but you have a good chance at gaining access on private lands if you ask first and make sure to follow all the rules laid out by the land owner. You can find good lodging at the Sherlock and Glacier motels as well as the Crossroads Inn. Last, but not least is Valier, which is sandwiched between the Rocky Mountain front and the high plains to the east. Lots of drainages leading out of the front are steep and deep as well as being off the beaten path. A word of caution here, this is home to some of the biggest Grizzly Bears in the state, and depending on what the weather is like, if it is still warm when this is published, this will not be for the faint of heart. Remote and rugged draws filled with Snow Berry brush and Cottonwoods are good hiding places, add access to alfalfa fields and a little water and you should find a big boy. You can find a place to stay the night at the Mountain Front Lodge.

So now that you have a few ideas, get out the maps, look on-line and find a few promising spots near these out of the way towns, and you could be closer than you think to a buck of a lifetime! Good luck this fall!

Contact information for lodging mentioned above: NOXON: Lakeside Motel (406) 827-4458 2955 Mt Highway 200, Trout Creek, MT 59874 Cabinet Gorge RV Park (406) 847-2291 30 Blue Jay Dr, Noxon, MT 59853 LEWISTOWN: Sunset Motel (406) 535-8741 115 Ne Main St, Lewistown, MT 59457 The Calvert Hotel (406) 535-5411 216 7th Ave S, Lewistown, MT 59457 HAVRE: El Toro Inn (406) 265-5414 521 1st St, Havre, MT 59501 Townhouse Inns of Havre (406) 265-6711 629 1st St W, Havre, MT 59501 (continued on page 26)

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Adapt For Big Bucks In Montana’s River Bottoms

BY S.L. MERRIAM

D

After years of hunting Mountain Muleyʼs in the western 1/3 of the state he was uprooted and became an immigrant of the eastern plains, but ready to learn about muleyʼs again.

an Goodnight had to draw on five decades of bow hunting experience when he came up against a strange problem while hunting big eastern Montana mule deer. He found very few trees on the plains and it’s tough for an archer to put up tree stands in the brush!

When hunting a new area, a bow hunter must rely on previously learned skills so Dan began serious scouting. After a few trips he came to the conclusion that his odds on the plains would be much better than trying to hunt in the sparse timber.

Walking the four miles of river bottom with a camera and notebook he covered the outer edge of the timber and brush paying particular attention to areas with access to a food source and adjacent cover on CRP ground. He had to use his successful methods that he used in western Montana and adapt them to the river drainages of eastern Montana.

Dan was looking for a deer super highway; not a trail with occasional use, but areas that indicated major traffic. He also kept an eye open for sheds to learn more about the bucks that inhabited the area during the winter months. Although these were mule deer, they acted much like whitetails and didn’t migrate for the winter. The only movement they made was to change their access to a food source, do different than his mountain muley experience it was very possible to find a buck in the fall in the same area that he had dropped his antlers the previous winter.

The fresh sign indicated a good food source was available and the deer were content to stay in the area.

Unfortunately, this only held true for the doe population, as the bucks were vagabonds, living in bachelor herds except during the rut. But, with almost thirty does living in the area, along with good feed there would be plenty of attraction for the bachelor herds or individual vagabonds to come to this area.

Evenings found him watching a

super highway from a distance and right on schedule, after two lead does came out of the river bottom, entered into a hay field and settled in to eat, a herd of over thirty deer walked the exact same track. If the same routine occurred during the rut, the big bucks would be drawn into the open to check current estrus levels.

The Montana archery season started September 4th and runs until October 17th so Dan wasn’t worried about time. September provided an opportunity to put up tree stands and develop ground blinds, so one by one, he put up stands in the big Cottonwood trees. He left a week or so between trips so the deer could get comfortable with the new disturbance as the last thing he wanted was to push them out of the country. He didn’t plan to seriously hunt until October, (his work schedule allowed him hunt all-day and rotate stands).

After all his scouting and careful placement of stands it turned out a natural stand he had located looked like his best bet. It was a large oil tank with a ladder on one end that had been abandoned by oil exploration crew’s years ago. The clincher was the deer were now using the old access road as one of their travel routes.

Dan spends non-hunting time working in his auto body shop and practicing. Auto bodywork develops strong shoulders and arms and simplifies shooting his 70-pound bow. His constant practice developed the theory that if he can hit the target at 70 yards it makes a shot easier at 60, a sure thing at 50, a done deal at 40 and always dead center at 30 yards. Dan shoots a Mathews Switchback XT set at 70 pounds, using Carbon express Maxima 100 shafts and a 100-grain, G5 Montec head.

By the time October arrived Dan had left the area alone for over a month.

Knowing the deer had lost their cautious nature because of his absence he arrived in the early morning darkness to climb his unique stand. He wanted (cont’d)

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to try the tank first as it was in a good location to view the deer traffic around the other stands. With head to toe Scent Lock coverage he quietly slipped into the area, put out a deer decoy then climbed the ladder into the nest he had built to break his silhouette.

At first light familiar groups of deer began to appear along with bucks he had never seen before in a later bachelor herd. He sat all day but never saw a buck he wanted. The fields were covered with a light skiff followed by a heavy wet dumping of snow on day two that provided a fresh map of the nighttime deer movement and countless interlaced tracks confirmed his stand choice.

As the first two does walked down the oil tank road they stopped when they saw the decoy and went on full alert, large ears checking for sounds and noses working the air. Walking stiff-legged toward the artificial intruder one touched it nose-to-nose then bounced backwards as if in play. When the decoy did not respond they spent long moments smelling the entire decoy then turned and started to feed. This must have been the signal for the unseen deer that stood back in cover to move down the trail as other does began to follow the exact same route.

Two new visitors had joined the does, deer that Dan had never seen before.

The first one was a nice 5x5 and the other a huge, long tined 4x4 that trailed at the very end of the parade. Recognizing the familiar, daily pattern as two adult does ventured out to check the area before the others emerged; Dan expected all 30 does and the two good bucks would soon be feeding around the oil tank.

As the deer approached the tank some inspected the decoy while others simply walked around it. As the group grew in size Dan felt like he was sitting in a feedlot with the closest deer feeding just 20 yards away while the furthest was only 60 yards out. Once they all arrived the big 4x4 fed amid a big group of does blocking a clear shot. With 32 sets of eyes looking in all directions Dan realized any motion he made while drawing the bow could easily be seen. They had him pinned down and a comment his wife made recently in the sporting goods store popped into his head, “You could look but you could not touch.”

As the herd fed away, an oppor-

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tunity opened up to draw for a quartering away shot. It was now or never and his motion spooked a doe but luckily, she quickly settled down. Being patient had its drawback as the buck fed from 40 yards to almost 60 before Dan could put the pin behind its shoulder. When the buck finally turned broadside to snatch a new clump of grass, Dan felt like it was teasing him by slowly taking away a shot.

Dan had been at full draw so long he had to either release or let the bow back down. The buck was still at 60 yards so he decided to take the shot but when he moved his hand along side his cheek, a finger caught on his facemask. He tried to push the mask out of the way with another finger but the elastic was new and tight. When it finally moved, the 60-yard pin settled back behind the front leg and he released.

The brightly colored fletching started out well above the buck but as if pulled by a magnet, it dropped lower and lower and finally struck the deer then disappeared from sight. The buck jumped and bolted while the does ran in every direction but the big 4x4 eventually headed for the river bottom. It stopped after 100 yards, holding his head lower than normal, and then stepped down into a shallow draw and out of sight.

Dan realized this was just like hunting mountain muleys, food source, bedding area, possibly water, but the road between them is the road to success that he adapted to in the flatland.

Dan sat there for almost an hour with binoculars shaking as he glassed the draw watching for the buck to exit. When the buck didn’t show Dan sat and waited another hour. As noon approached Dan finally felt brave enough to take a chance.

He didn’t want to spook the buck he just wanted to see if it was still alive.

Slipping quietly in the wet snow around the draw, planning to back off and out of sight if its head was up, he finally saw antlers and froze. Looking through his binoculars he finally identified the buck’s position and was relieved it was lying down. After more glassing, Dan finally realized the monster 4x4 was down for good and began a quiet celebration. He had come up against one of the biggest bucks in the river bottoms and won. The oil tank monster scored 177-6/8.

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FWP Seeks Comment On Proposal To Antelope Harvest Remove 12 Bitterroot Valley Wolves Slow On Opening MFWP

M

ontana wildlife officials are seeking comment on a request that would allow the state to remove up to 12 wolves from the West Fork of the Bitterroot River drainage in southwestern Montana.

Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission gave its initial approval to FWP’s proposal for the limited control action. Under the proposal, FWP will seek to obtain federal permission to allow 100 participants to act as agents of the state to take up to 12 wolves from hunting district 250 south of Darby.

FWP wildlife biologists believe wolves are contributing to a drop in the hunting district’s elk population from about 1,900 in 2005 to fewer than 765 today, or about 40 percent below the area’s elk population goal.

To carry out the proposal, eligible participants would apply for 100 permits to act as designated state agents to take wolves between Dec. 15 and Feb. 28, 2011.

Up to 10 percent of the participants could be nonresidents. Each wolf removal must be reported within 12 hours.

FWP proposes to remove about half of the wolves in the area and maintain the wolf population at 12 by allowing for additional take, if necessary, through 2015, contingent upon federal approval.

Authority to conduct wolf removals is permissible under the federal Endangered Species Act’s “10(j) rule,” which may allow for the removal of wolves within “experimental-nonessential” populations that cause unacceptable declines to other wildlife populations. The wolves in hunting district 250 are included in Montana’s experimental-nonessential population, which is generally located across the southern half of Montana.

FWP joined in a federal lawsuit in defense of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service’s 2009 decision to delist wolves in Montana and Idaho, but not in Wyoming.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula, however, reinstated federal protections of wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains on Aug. 5.

At least 525 wolves live in Montana and FWP had hoped to reduce the state’s year end wolf population to about 450 this year by using a combination of management tools, including hunting.

Comments on this proposal are due by 5 p.m. on Nov.10. To comment , visit FWP online at fwp.mt.gov . Click “ For Hunters .” Or write to FWP Wildlife Bureau; Public Comments; P.O. Box 200701; Helena, MT 59620-0701.

Under federal law the proposal must also be reviewed by a group of independent wolf and wildlife biologists.

The FWP Commission will take final action on the proposal on Nov. 18.

The recovery of the wolf in the northern Rockies is one of the most successful and rapid endangered species comebacks on record. In the mid-1990s, to hasten the overall pace of wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies, more than 60 wolves were released into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho.

The minimum recovery goal for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains was set at a minimum of 30 breeding pairs— successfully reproducing wolf packs—and a minimum of 300 individual wolves for at least three consecutive years. This goal was achieved in 2002, and the wolf population has increased every year since.

The wolf population in the Northern Rocky Mountain Recovery Area, which comprises parts of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, was estimated to be at least 1,706, with 242 packs, and 115 breeding pairs at the end of last year.

New Swift Fox Trapping Season Weekend Of Season Opens Nov. 1 MFWP MFWP - Region 5 A

ntelope harvest was relatively slow in south central Montana during the opening weekend of the 2010 season, despite an extra day to gather statistics at check stations.

For the first time in recent history, Montana’s antelope season opened on a Saturday this year – a day earlier than the traditional Sunday opening. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials operated three south central Montana check stations for both days, Oct. 9 and 10.

While the number of antelope checked by biologists was above the past two years, it remained well below historic averages. Hunters reported that muddy roads limited access to some areas on Saturday. And residual effects of a 2007 disease die off apparently continue to limit the number of antelope in the eastern districts of FWP Region 5.

Hunters who arranged permission ahead of time on private lands seemed to be satisfied with access, Paugh said.

However hunters who tried to gain access by knocking on doors Saturday morning had virtually no luck finding a place to hunt.

At Billings, more hunters stopped at the check station than last year, but they reported the same number of harvested antelope as in 2009.

FWP wildlife biologist Jay Newell of Roundup, who ran the Broadview check station, said the number of antelope licenses issued for districts north and east of Billings was lower this year than in previous seasons.

Biologists continue to notice the residual impact of a 2007 blue tongue outbreak in the antelope herd, he said. That disease, spread by tiny gnats, may be responsible for low reproduction north of Billings. License numbers were reduced this year to reflect fewer antelope in the field.

T

he first-ever swift fox trapping season in Montana will open Nov. 1, 2010, in a portion of Trapping District 6.

The Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission approved the new season at its August meeting. Commissioners set a quota of 20 swift fox available for harvest.

The limit for each trapper will be three animals.

Trapping District 6 includes all of FWP Region 6, but the swift fox trapping season is limited to portions of Blaine, Hill, Phillips and Valley counties that are legally described in the 2010 Montana furbearer trapping and hunting regulations.

“Basically, the portion of Trapping District 6 that is open runs from Rock Creek south to U.S. Highway 2, then westward along the highway to the Hill-Liberty county line, then north to Canada and then east to Rock Creek,” said FWP Region 6 furbearer specialist Ryan Rauscher, who has been monitoring the swift fox population in northeastern Montana.

“We have a healthy number of swift fox in Trapping District 6,” Rauscher said. “The last international census between Alberta, Saskatchewan and Montana in 2006 indicated approximately 1,200 swift fox in the northern population. Of that number, over 500 reside in Montana in suitable habitat across the Hi-Line. All indications are the population has continued to expand.”

Unlike coyotes and red fox, swift fox cannot be shot. “Swift fox are classified as a furbearer,” Rauscher explained. “The only furbearers that can be taken by hunting are bobcat and wolverine.”

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Hunters Are Carry And Asked To Know How To Report Signs Of Use Bear Spray Wolves MFWP MFWP State wildlife officials remind

hunters, landowners, hikers, anglers, OHV riders and others in the outdoors that they can help Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to monitor wolves this autumn by using the Internet.

Reporting wolf sightings helps wildlife managers know as much as possible about wolf locations and numbers. To report a wolf sighting, visit FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov . Click Montana Wolves to report details about where, when and how many wolves were spotted.

Wolf-reporting postcards are also available from FWP and most licenses providers and anyone can report wolf sightings to their nearest FWP office. The reports will be shared with biologists who track wolves.

For the latest information on Montana’s wolf population, visit the Montana Wolves link on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov .

Turn In Poachers

I

f you are thinking of hunting alone, let someone know about your plans, or better yet, hunt with a partner.

While you are out, pay attention to fresh bear sign, and abide by the golden rule of hunting in bear country: “get the game animal out of the area as quickly as possible.” A carcass left on the ground, hung up in a camp, or stored in a pickup bed may attract a bear. Bears are opportunists that take advantage of new food sources.

•Always assume that grizzlies are in the area and make certain your camps, cabins, and homes are bear proof, and that bear attractants are unavailable or contained.

•Always carry bear spray. Keep the spray within reach and know how to use it.

Hunters should report encounters with grizzly bears where the bear is aggressive or displays defensive behaviors toward people, livestock or pets. Contact FWP at 1-800-TIP-MONT, call the U.S. Forest Service, or contact an FWP bear management specialist nearest the area where the bear is seen: •Mike Madel, Choteau, 406-466-5100 •Tim Manley, Kalispell, 406-751-4584 •Kim Annis, Libby, 406-293-4161 X107 •K James Jonkel, Missoula, 406-542-5508 For more on safe hunting in grizzly bear country, see the FWP big game regulations.

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Details Sought in Turner-Area Elk Poaching Case RON SELDEN, MFWP M

ontana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials are seeking information from the public about the illegal killing of a 6x7 bull elk on the Woody Island Coulee Block Management Area (BMA) north of the community of Turner.

Turner is located about 30 miles north of Harlem on Montana Highway 241.

Havre-based warden Wes Oedekoven said it is believed the elk was shot on October 2. The carcass, which was left to rot, was found on a section of state land within the BMA. The antlers were not removed.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Oedekoven at (406) 262-2407 or the Turn In Poachers-Montana hotline at 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668).

Callers can remain anonymous and may be offered a cash reward if the information leads to an arrest.

Mistake In Hunting District 406 Deer Regulations MFWP A

typo in the Montana hunting regulations has white-tailed deer hunters ending their season prematurely in one hunting district north of Great Falls.

The general season in hunting district 406 for hunters with a single region antlerless white-tailed deer B license runs October 23 to November 14.

The hunting regulations mistakenly have the season for that one license ending November 7, when it should be ending November 14, the same season ending for all deer licenses in HD 406.

For more information on this or any Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 4 regulation, contact the regional office in Great Falls at (406) 454-5840.

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When you click the “Show Map” link, an interactive map opens that you can customize by “turning on” relevant information layers. Examples of the informational layers available include: species’ distribution; wildlife management areas; roads; county lines and more. The hunter can also specify one of three background data layers--aerial photo, public land ownership, or a topographic map.

Here are a few tips for customizing your hunting district map:

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Hunters—Don’t Forget A Map

BY DIANE TIPTON, MFWP

A

hunting map in the old days was a very personal affair. First of all, it was usually marked up some and no hunter wanted to share those special notes and arrows. Secondly, some maps were used year after year and had gained a certain patina. In a few lucky families, a hunting map might be passed from one generation to the next.

If you are thinking all this has been lost with the move to digital maps, you’d be wrong.

Though maps available on the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks website at fwp.mt.gov on the Hunting page are of the digital variety, they are not impersonal.

One type of FWP digital map is the interactive Hunt Planner . What’s unique about the Hunt Planner is you can download a printable map of a hunting district of your choice that you, as the hunter, customize to your liking.

To create your custom hunting district map, choose a species and a hunting district and then click the Search button. The Hunt Planner will reply with the species and district you chose and a link that says “Show Map.”

-click on the boxes next to the layers you wish to display, -click on the circle next to your preferred background layer, -click on the Refresh button located beneath the legend to redraw your map showing the choices you made, -click on the Print tool in the upper left corner of the interactive map to download your printer-ready custom map.

-Your printable map, in pdf format, will contain your customized choices and a legal description for that hunting district.

This map is handy to have in the field because it reflects the current year’s district boundaries and the district’s legal description for the species you chose to hunt.

While researching your hunt on the FWP Hunt Planner you will also find useful statistics such as the number of successful special drawing permits, harvest statistics, and population data for the species and district you specify.

Another type of digital map on FWP’s Hunting page are the 1:100,000 scale Montana Land Ownership Maps.

These are available under Hunter Access via the Hunter’s Toolkit link.

Download these maps annually for an updated map that displays public or private land ownership. The maps are designed to be printed on a large format printer by one of the print shops listed at the bottom of the web page.

Hunters lucky enough to have some of the coffee stained, creased hunting maps of yesteryear are fortunate indeed-doubly so because with a few mouse strokes and a click here and there they can also equip themselves with the latest digital map of their family elk hole.

Fast turn arounds

Plenty Of Bull Elk In Utah Utah Divison of Wildlife Resources Photo by Brent Stettler

I

f you’re new to elk hunting, the big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources has some advice for you.

Getting off the roads and into the backcountry is the key to finding elk during Utah’s general rifle bull elk hunt.

“As soon as the first shots are fired, the elk head away from the roads and into the thickest cover they can find,” says Anis Aoude. “If you want to be a successful elk hunter, you need to get into that cover too.”

Utah’s 2010 general rifle bull elk hunt kicks off Oct. 9, 2010. And permits for the hunt are almost gone.

On Sept. 21, 2010, about 1,500 permits to hunt on any-bull units were still available, but they’re selling fast. Permits to hunt on spike-only units sold out on Sept. 27.

You can buy an elk permit online at wildlife.utah.gov.

“The weather over the past seven years has been excellent for elk,” Aoude says.

“Most of the state’s herds are doing great.”

Based on surveys this past winter, Division biologists estimate the state has more than 67,000 elk. That’s only about 1,800 animals shy of a statewide goal of 68,825 elk.

Aoude says some of the largest elk herds are found on the Central Mountains (Manti) and Wasatch Mountains units in central Utah; the South Slope, Yellowstone unit in northeastern Utah; and the Plateau, Fish Lake/Thousand Lakes unit in south-central Utah.

Most of Utah’s elk hunting takes place on units that are called spike-only units. (continued on page 36)

NOVEMBER 2010

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28 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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NOVEMBER 2010

ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES Big Game Hunting Forecast

Bighorn Sheep Poacher Sentenced A

BRETT OF HAMILTON MT. WITH 41 INCH STEELHEAD TAKEN ON THE CLEARWATER RIVER, ID.

A

sk Colorado’s wildlife biologists to forecast the upcoming big-game hunting seasons and all seem to agree on the math: lots of animals plus summer moisture and good forage plus lots of hunting opportunities add up to good big-game seasons this autumn.

And the deer and elk, what kind of shape are they in?

“Very good,” Stephanie Duckett, Division of Wildlife terrestrial biologist in Grand Junction, said. “This summer has had good moisture so the forage is plentiful and of good quality, and animals should be in excellent condition.”

Going into the fall hunt, biologists put Colorado’s elk population at 280,000-plus. “We’re not `elk poor’,” said DOW Big Game Analyst Mary Lloyd. No, indeed; Colorado’s elk herd is the largest in North America. Statewide, the herd averages 24 bulls per 100 cows.

The state’s deer herds are estimated at more than 466,000 and have generally been regarded as being “back” for the last several years. In fact, deer herds may be even better than they were back in the day.

Steelhead Harvest Season Opens Soon On The Clearwater S

teelhead harvest fishing season opened October 15, on the Clearwater River upstream of the Memorial Bridge on U.S. Highway 12 near Lewiston.

The steelhead harvest season already is open on the Clearwater River downstream of the Memorial Bridge.

The harvest season opened September 1, on the Salmon, the Little Salmon and the lower Snake rivers.

The fall steelhead season runs through December 31.

The steelhead limit on the Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon is three per day and nine in possession. The limit on the Clearwater is two fish per day and six in possession. Anglers may keep 20 steelhead for the season. Once limits are reached, the angler must stop fishing for steelhead, even catch-and-release.

Anglers must have a valid Idaho fishing license and steelhead permit. They must stop fishing when the possession limit

is reached - even catch-and-release.

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.

In the boundary waters on the Snake River between Idaho and Oregon or Washington, an angler with a valid 2010 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.

For more information on steelhead fishing in Idaho, check the Fish and Game Website http://fishandgame. idaho.gov.

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Nampa man will spend six months in jail and pay thousands in restitution for poaching a California bighorn sheep in Owyhee County earlier this year.

Jake B. Fouts, 21, must pay more than $2,900 in court costs, civil penalties and restitution and, under work release stipulations, spend 180 nights in the Murphy jail. The felony conviction, handed down by District Judge Gregory Culet, also included a lifetime hunting privilege revocation, five years probation and the suspension of Fouts’ fishing and trapping privileges for the next five years.

Physical evidence and an eyewitness account of the poaching incident led Fouts to plead guilty to the felony charge. Initially, Fouts claimed the .22-caliber bullet that killed the bighorn ewe “must have ricocheted.” But when recovered, the bullet was in perfect condition, inconsistent with this claim.

Forensic evidence indicated that the bullet fired from Fouts’ rifle passed between the ribs of the ewe and across the top of the heart before exiting the chest cavity and lodging in the leg muscle. The pregnant bighorn died instantly.

Efforts to reestablish California bighorn sheep in southwest Idaho have been ongoing since as early as 1963. Over several decades, bighorn numbers in the Owyhee Canyonlands area have grown, and sheep have expanded into portions of their historic range, including the Reynolds Creek drainage where the bighorn ewe was poached. A limited hunting season for bighorn rams only is open each year, and the handful of available sheep tags is highly coveted by hunters.

Fouts killed the bighorn sheep just off the upper Reynolds Creek Road above Hemmingway Butte on February 21. An eyewitness contacted the Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office with information relayed to Idaho Fish and Game.

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NOVEMBER 2010

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Late-season Elk Licenses Available Unit 34 (portions of unit open; click here for map) -- Jan. 1-31, 100 licenses.

Nov. 3 in a first-come, first-served sale Unit 53 (except Cerro portion) -on the Department of Game and Fish Dec. 4-8, 50 licenses. website.

Only hunters who were Archery hunts, trophy bull elk unsuccessful in the regular drawings APRE/6 (six-point antlers or more on or did not hold a 2010-2011 elk one side): license are eligible to purchase the late-season licenses, which will be Unit 12 -- Nov. 21-24, 25 licenses. available only on the Department Unit 34 -- Dec. 11-15, 200 licenses. website. Hunters of all ages can Unit 37 -- Dec. 4-8, 100 licenses. purchase licenses beginning at 10 a.m.

The Department makes Nov. 3. late-season elk licenses available as Hunters are strongly advised biologists continue to assess annual to obtain an online customer account population and harvest information, or review their existing account, regional herd management objectives user name and password before the and additional harvest needs. Because sales begin. The sale is first-come, these assessments require information first-served and popular hunts sell gathered during fall aerial surveys out quickly. Available late-season elk and regular fall hunts, the licenses are license include: made available via online, first-come, first-served sale. Distributing them Any legal weapon, antlerless elk: through the normal draw process is unrealistic as it requires significantly Unit 9 (including Water Canyon but more time than is available to ensure not Marquez Wildlife Area) -all successful hunters receive their Jan. 1-31, 50 licenses. licenses before the start of their hunt.

More than 500 late-season elk hunting licenses will be available

Hunters Advised To Use Caution In Beetle-kill Areas H

unters are asked to take extra precautions this upcoming hunting season, especially in areas affected by the mountain pine beetle epidemic.

Beetle kill on some 2.5 million acres of forest brings with it the end result of more falling trees as the root structures die and lose their strength to support the tree.

The U.S. Forest Service offers these guidelines to help hunters and outdoor recreationists avoid risks: -Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid dense patches of dead trees that can fall without warning.

-If you are in the forest and winds increase, head to a clearing out of reach of falling trees.

-Park your vehicle and put your camp in an area where they will not be hit if a tree falls.

-If possible park close to a well-used road.

If trees fall across the road in the .

backcountry, you may be trapped. Having an ax or chainsaw along should be basic equipment in the event this does happen.

-Don’t rely on cell phones for safety since there is no cell coverage in many areas of the National Forests.

-And finally, be extra careful with fire as the increased acreages of dead trees add to the fire hazard.

Hunters should also be aware that a number of roads and campgrounds have been closed due to beetle activity and are advised to check accessibility with local forest service offices.

On a positive note, the Forest Service reports there are many places to hunt and camp on national forest lands.

To check on campgrounds visit: www. fs.fed.us/r2/recreation/camping/campgroundlist or call the local forest service office for information.

30 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Businesses, Sportsmen Unite on Hunting Economics Agenda NSSF ‘HUNTING WORKS FOR NORTH DAKOTA’ . . . The impact that hunting has on the economies of our nation and every state is massive. One state, North Dakota, thinks it’s about time everyone knows just how important that impact is.

A group of small businesses and sporting organizations from across the state have launched “Hunting Works for North Dakota,” a grassroots organization focused on communicating the roles that hunting and the shooting sports play in both the state’s heritage and economic health. “Many people don’t understand the cause and effect relationship hunting has on North Dakota’s economy,” said Rudie Martinson, executive director of the North Dakota Hospitality Association.

“Hunters directly support more jobs in North Dakota than many of the state’s biggest employers -- over 3,000 jobs -- and indirectly support thousands more.”

The newly formed Hunting Works for North Dakota partnership has more than 40 partner organizations and will be adding dozens more in the weeks and months to come. The effort is being supported by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Learn more about the organization at huntingworksfornd.com.

2010 Big Game Outlook - IDAHO By Jim Lukens, IDFG D

eer and elk in the Salmon Region should be in good condition as hunters head out this fall.

A wet spring and cooler than normal summer provided ample rainfall for grasses and shrubs. After heavy rain and then warm weather in September, plants are experiencing fall green-up.

This means that deer and elk may be able to find forage without having to move around a lot.

Mule deer fawn survival was higher than usual this past winter. Mule deer fawns fared better in the Central Mountain area (units 21A, 30, 30A, 29, 37, 37A) last winter and spring with 86 percent survival compared to the Mountain Valley area (units 21, 28, 36B, 36A), which had 64 percent survival.

Across the Salmon Region, hunters should see a fair number of spikes, which usually make up the majority of the harvest. The buck ratio in the Central Mountain area last December was 23 bucks per 100 does. The buck ratio in the Mountain Valley area was 16 bucks per 100 does.

Mule deer hunting in units 29, 30 and 36B should be good for folks looking for places with road access. Head to units 37, 37A or 36A if you’re looking for a horse-pack or backpack hunt.

An aerial survey of the Salmon Zone elk (units 21, 21A, 28, 36B) in February found continued declines in the cow and bull populations. The calf ratio was slightly better than past years with 25 calves per 100 cows, but the bull ratio had declined to 11 bulls per 100 cows.

Because of the continued decline in the population, a quota was placed on Salmon Zone B tags. As of the end of September, about 70 percent of the resident Salmon Zone B tags had been sold. Hunters can check on the Fish and Game Website for updates on zone quotas and tag sales.

Hunter success in the Salmon Zone general season over the past three years ranges from 12 percent in Unit 21 to 21 percent success in Unit 21A. Units 21 and 36B may be a bit tougher for elk hunting than Units 21A and 28. The Middle Fork Elk Zone is scheduled to be surveyed this coming winter. While the Middle Fork elk population has likely declined since the previous survey in 2006, general rifle success rates remain at 19 percent.

The Salmon-Challis National Forest and Challis BLM Field Office have completed their new travel management plans. Free maps can be picked up at Forest Service and BLM offices which detail

what roads are open and closed as well as specific seasonal or vehicle restrictions on certain roads.

As always, check with the Salmon Region Fish and Game office or refer to the regulation booklet for specific regulations prior to heading to the filed.

Jim Lukens is the supervisor for the Salmon Region

Photo: William S. Keller NPS

NOVEMBER 2010

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out. The shotgun is cleaned with the modified choke screwed in. The others t’s not a terminal disease, but are in the vest. it’s incurable to most. Just like malaria it We get up bright eyed and lies dormant for months then flares to a bushy tailed in the middle of the night fevered pitch. New medications, tonics, coated pills of penicillin and antibiotics are and stumble to the basement, rifling powerless against it. Symptoms have been through drawers in search of a 4-inch known to fade in the elderly, but only after plastic rod to insert into our shotgun decades of torment. The only known “cure” magazine. Then, we return to bed and is temporary, but it does provide immediate stretch out across the mattress with our mind at ease then glance at the alarm relief - Go hunting. clock.

It is noted to flare up in the Only five hours left – I’ve got to fall like the gout does after eating rich get some sleep. Everything’s packed and seafood. It has a wide spreading base like ready to go. Clothes and vest are laid out, an infectious virus – it seems to spread the coffee maker is set and the thermos is quickly around guns and gun cleaning open and ready, I’ve got gas in the truck, fluids. It may be affected by the turning the dog crate is in the back and I’ve got of the weather that puts a chill in the my license. License! Oh No! I forgot to air and it spreads extremely well as the buy a license. summer heat gives way to autumn’s grip, The infected hunter pulls on but long before autumn releases it to his pants and heads for the all-night gas winter’s icy grip. station 10 miles down the road. After This is an equal opportunity a quick greeting the words hang in the disease - it engulfs a pheasant, quail, air, “What do you mean you’re out of duck, deer, bear or elk hunter. Even licenses? Where? Franktown? That’s 20 javelina, pronghorn and sheep hunters miles from here!” are susceptible with the latter frequently An hour and a half later the complaining of especially violent hunter returns home and tries to lie down reactions to the malady. Though largely and get some rest. A glance at the alarm ignored by the media and government clock it’s one a.m. Three hours to go. researchers many people have called in That’s better than nothing. Breathing sick at work and it contributes to millions deeply, he feels his tired muscles begging of hours of lost job productivity. In some for relief, but his mind is the quarterback regions schools are forced to close down in this football game. He conjures up although no education goals are missed visions of two hunters following their as a result of the “disease”. dogs across golden grass and corn To their credit, most hunters stubble. Then, three roosters are in the air afflicted by the disease stoically resist and the adrenaline-fueled video starts its this annual affliction without seeking second feature. Three thirty – he finally assistance from medical professionals. falls asleep for a three hour nap that he They often suffer bravely and alone hopes will carry him through a 14 hour in darkened rooms where they fight day of rugged physical activity traversing on - tossing, turning and desperate for mountains and high grass. sleep. They stare at the ceiling and ask Anyone who has hunted for themselves questions like, “Did I pack more than one season cherishes similar the shells? Oh yeah, they’re under the stories, sighting-in, shooting contests seat. How about spare boots? They’re in and preparing for the hunt. As America the camouflage duffel. I wonder if John becomes more urbanized and more remembered to pack our lunch. Canteen! (continued on page 34) I’ve got to remember to dig the canteen

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2011 201 1 Pheasants Forever

2-GUNS-A-WEEK RAFFLE Brought to you by the Montana Habitat Fund

Total Value Of Prizes ~$70,000

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Prizes announced weekly include 2 of each: 1. Browning X-Bolt 30-06 2. Weatherby Vanguard 30-06 3. Tikka T3 Hunter 243 4. Rem 887 Nitro Mag 12/28 5. Ruger HM77 25-06 6. Stevens 200 243 7. Remington 870 Youth 20 Gauge 8. Browning A-Bolt II Medallion 300 Win 9. Tikka T3 Hunter 300 Win 10. CZ Red Head Mini 28/28 11. Weatherby Vanguard 270 12. T/C Venture 270 13. Henry H001 22 LR 14. Browning 12/26 15. Ruger 10/22 RB 16. Winchester M70 FW 22-250 17. Tikka T3 Hunter 308 18. NEF Pardner Pump 12 Gauge 19. Browning A-Bolt II Medallion 7 mm 20. Beretta Xtrema 2 12/28 21. Weatherby Predator 22-250 22. Ruger Red Label 28/26 23. Remington 870 Youth 20 Gauge 24. Stevens 200 308 25 Browning A-Bolt II SSA 223 26. Henry H001M 22 Mag 27. Browning Silver Hunter 12/28 28. Marlin XL7 30-06 Package 29. Ruger HM 77 270 30. Winchester M70 FW 7mm-08 31. Browning A-Bolt II 243 32. T/C Venture 30-06 33. Beretta Urika 12/28 34. Tikka T3 Hunter 270 35. Browning BPS 12/20 36. NEF Pardner Pump 12 Gauge 37. CZ 527 Varmint 204 Ruger 38. Rem 870 Express Super Mag 12/26 39. Marlin XS7 243 Package 40. Ruger 10/22 rpf 41. Browning Maxus 12/26 42. Tikka T3 Lite 30-06 43. Savage 93R17-BTVS-RJ 17 HMR 44. Stevens 200 30-06 45. NEF Pardner Pump 12 Gauge 46. Weatherby Vanguard 25-06 47. Ruger HM77 22-250 48. Browning BPS 12/28 49. Tikka T3 Hunter 30-06 50. Browning Maxus 12/28 51. Mossberg Silver Reserve 20/28 Gauge Set 52. Browning Silver Hunter 12/26

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More Hunting And Habitat Coming To 17 States Thanks To Open Fields Program PHEASANTS FOREVER developing new programs and states enhancing existing public access and t the habitat incentive programs. VPA-HIP first meeting incentivizes owners and operators of of the newly privately held farm, ranch and forest land formed to voluntarily give hunters, fishermen, Wildlife and hikers, bird watchers and other recreational Hunting outdoor enthusiasts access to land for their Heritage enjoyment. State programs that ensure Conservation land enrolled is viable wildlife habitat and Council, U.S. Conservation Reserve Agriculture Enhancement Program (CREP) lands Secretary Tom were given priority.

Vilsack “Some states in the pheasant Not only finding places to hunt, but quality places to hunt, are the top concerns for announced range already have phenomenal public many wingshooters. Photo: PF “Open Fields” hunting access programs,” Vincent said, funding grants for 17 state public access citing Nebraska’s CRP-Management programs yesterday. Pheasants Forever Access Program, Kansas’ Walk-in and Quail Forever, which pushed for Open Hunting Access, South Dakota’s Walk In Fields inclusion in the last federal Farm Areas and North Dakota’s Private Land Bill, call it the nation’s best effort to date Open to Sportsmen. “Through Open Fields, to simultaneously bolster hunting opportunities those programs can be even better. But it’s and improve wildlife habitat. equally important to expand the reach of Formally called the Voluntary hunting opportunities. Minnesota and Iowa Public Access and Habitat Incentive have 100,000 pheasant hunters, Program (VPA-HIP), Open Fields was respectively. Wisconsin has nearly 60,000. authorized by Congress for the first time Illinois has 40,000 upland hunters. To date, in the 2008 Farm Bill following coalition those states haven’t had ‘walk in’ support that included Pheasants Forever programs, but not for a lack of trying.

Thanks to Open Fields, such programs will and Quail Forever. Howard K. Vincent, finally become a reality across much of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National President and CEO, serves on the pheasant country.”

The 17 states and are: Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Arizona - $600,000 Conservation Council that advises the Colorado - $445,318 federal Agriculture and Interior Idaho - $400,000 Departments on hunting and conservation Illinois - $525,250 issues, and praised the Open Fields Iowa - $500,000 program. “Ask any hunter anywhere in the country, and they’ll tell you two things Kansas - $1,500,000 Kentucky - $651,515 concern them most. One, there’s not Michigan - $457,449 enough public hunting opportunity; and Minnesota - $582,367 two, it’s got to be quality public Nebraska - $1,091,164 hunting opportunity. With its wildlife North Dakota - $300,000 habitat improvement component, Open Oregon - $786,795 Fields addresses both concerns.”

Pennsylvania - $1,500,000 A total of 17 state public access South Dakota - $558,325 programs will receive grants totaling Utah - $84,837 $11.76 million through the Voluntary Washington - $836,999 Public Access and Habitat Incentive Wisconsin - $936,040 Program. This includes a mix of states

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Guide To Going Gutless RMEF E

viscerating an elk can be an unpleasant part of a hunt; the prelude to hard, heavy work packing out quarters. But the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering insights to a lesser-known, long-proven alternative. Gutless field dressing can save you time, weight and handling of entrails with no significant loss of meat.

This method also allows hunters to skip the traditional step of splitting and handling the spine, which can contain fluids associated with chronic wasting disease.

Here’s how: 1. With the elk lying on its side, begin working on the side facing up. Cut off the lower front leg at the knee joint and the lower hind leg at the hock.

2. Separate the front leg from the ribcage and the hind leg from the pelvis at the ball joint.

Many hunters do not skin the legs. Leaving the hide on helps keep meat clean.

3. Skin the side of the animal and remove the backstrap.

4. Strip as much meat from the flank, brisket, ribcage, spine and neck as you can, keeping the strips as large as possible. Remember, large pieces are easier to handle and keep clean than small ones.

5. Turn the carcass over and repeat the above steps.

6. Make an incision between the ribcage and pelvis to reach the tenderloins lying along the underside of the spine, and any internal organs you wish to keep.

To reduce weight, bone out the legs by flaying them open lengthwise on the inner side and removing the bones. When cool, sack or wrap the meat in clean heavyweight cotton.

For an excellent video on gutless field dressing, contact longtime Wyoming outfitter and RMEF supporter Ron Dube at 307-527-7815.

34 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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NOVEMBER 2010

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Spot And Stalk Montana’s Bucks

By S. L. Merriam

Spot and Stalk-Are your skills good enough for big bucks?

the season. You will learn to notice a flat deer back horizontal profile in a otherwise vertical lines trees in a forest background.

A deer throat patch, or ear, or above all hese are two completely movement they all will catch your attention different skills, but being strong in one and with practice. not in the other is equal to a 1 man team…

Confidence also comes from your short a member. having the right equipment and that The trick is to spot the deer before includes binoculars. they spot you.

“Good Binoculars will save your In large part, that enjoyment stems feet” is the expression I follow. I could from the gratification derived from every spend pages on types and sizes but there successful outing, gratification counted are so many variables that all I will say not just in the number of deer tagged, but is let a professional help you at a leading also in those passed up. During the first brand sporting goods store and you will two decades of my three decades as a deer learn which ones are best for your hunting hunter I made all the classic mistakes of a situation. greenhorn -- I sat up past midnight arguing During the course of a day’s hunt, the virtues of my favorite calibers, I hunted I probably spend three hours or so peering in clothing ill-suited for the conditions, I through the glasses, not just to look at deer, relied on a basic sense of direction to keep but to identify a curious shape, an outfrom getting lost and I counted on my of-place texture or understand a flash of young eyes to spot deer, no matter how far. movement in the brush. Deer have a unique And I took the first legal deer that crossed ability to blend into their surroundings, but my path, certain that it would be my only a good pair of binoculars can provide the chance of the season, I used it to end my contrast needed to make the animal stand hunt, “successfully.” out.

Learning curves usually start low A few seasons back, on the and end high. I definitely started low so opening weekend of the deer season, my the only way I could go is up as the years binoculars served me well by producing a and the deer passed. Taking the first legal fine 4x4 buck that I might have passed up deer is no longer critical because increased as just another stump through the heavy spotting skills have made multiple deer brush. In fact, at first glance, I shrugged spotting a regular occurrence. I believe to it off as just another rotting stump, but be successful in spotting there is a large something about the texture bothered measure of technique to learn, before and me. After several minutes of careful during the season. scrutiny I finally realized that the stump I start to prepare for the deer was indeed a bedded buck. Probing even season in early September by paying more intensely through the thick screen of frequent visits to a local game farm, zoo, branches, I finally made out the neck and or reading up on magazine articles like head of the animal and that allowed me this one to move your hunting learning to look for antler. Using a set of pocket or priorities back to the top of your daily bargain basement binoculars, the eye strain priorities. might have discouraged me after some By watching wander in and out of five minutes or more of peering intently cover, by trying to spot them when they’re through the specs, but with good optics I bedded down in brush, I train my eyes to finally made out the base of a fairly heavy pick up the flick of a tail, the turn of an ear, beam, heavy enough to convince me that I the glint off an antler tine or just a small was looking at, not only a buck, but a fairly patch of fur through the bushes. It’s a basic good one at that. This and many a similar truth that the more deer you look at before incident have reinforced my conviction the season, the more you see during (continued on page 36)

T

Another Opening Day (continued from page 31) removed from the joys of a life lived close to the land our hunting traditions and memories grow in value. That’s why we must create them now. It’s our duty not only to celebrate each new opening day, but to invite new friends to share them with us and infect a new crop of hunters with this wonderful affliction.

Anything less and “opening day fever” might be eradicated. No hunter who has ever contracted the “fever” would want that.

One last note - I can’t prevent you from having a stare down session with the ceiling on the night before open day, but there are some things that will help greatly: (1) Get all of your gear ready and loaded into the truck the day before the hunt.

(2) Check guns, ammunition, license, camera, bug spray and clothes. The less you have to do in the morning the better.

(3) Pack the cooler with what you need.

(4) Lay out the clothes you’re going to wear so you can just slip them on.

(5) Put a pad of paper by your bed so that you can write down items that you may have forgotten and get them off of your mind.

Don’t forget to have fun!

Good binoculars and a vantage spot that allows patient glassing is the first step on a successful spot and stalk hunt. Once the quarry is located, the stalk portion of the equation becomes a contest of skill and stealth. You are taken through a hunting experience explaining wind, stalking route selection, and deer movements, escape route locations and shot placement that provides a basic lesson in hunting country that often seems devoid of wildlife.

NOVEMBER 2010

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36 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Spot And Stalk Montana’s Bucks (continued from page 34) that I would no sooner leave camp in the morning without my gun or bow than without my binoculars.

After spotting the second half of the hunting success is the successful stalk.

All of this preparation and attention to detail is essential to effective make this stock the ultimate of out smarting the deer’s natural defense system that has kept him alive all of these years.

A great deal has been written about the stalk from clothes to wear to route to take. I will say that with practice you will improve, so you must start at the bottom to build your learning curve. Here are some issues to answer that will assist that curve in its upward process quicker.

Wind The wind or the scent and even sound it carries feed the deer’s two main senses, being his nose and his ears.

Everyone knows about his keen sense of smell, and it has a distance that it is effective depending on conditions. The other one is sound in the wind. The wind can help sound travel a further distance downwind further than you could ever imagine. Keep these two items in mind when planning your stalk and use the wind to your advantage, not the bucks.

Route Many times the cover available is minimal so you will need to make your

needed cover requirement to match the cover available. If possible use the sun if it is low on the horizon to assist you in your stalk. Deer don’t like staring into the sun anymore then you do. Do not be afraid to crawl! The dirt won’t hurt you and if you are in an area of cactus or other unpleasantries carry knee pads, heavy gloves, and possibly elbow protectors. I have even seen this done with a deer or antelope decoy brought along in the crawl where it was safe to do on private land. With your rifle sling holding your rifle under your belly you can easily cover 100 yards in a short time. Wear a brimmed cap to hide your bright white face, and you will be surprise how close you can get to the deer, while he is trying to figure out what you are if he sees you at all.

I highly recommend a bi-pod of some type, the 2 legged Harris type seem to be the most preferred because it is mounted on the rifle, and there when you need it. This will provide you with a steady rest for the rife anywhere you need to take a prone shot.

Deer’s movement Plan your stalk with the deer’s feeding or traveling movement in mind.

Don’t stalk to the place he was, but be ready as he comes to you and you have stalked to a good ambush point.

Deer’s likely escape route

NOVEMBER 2010

Plenty Of Bull Elk

(continued from page 26) Spike bulls are the only bulls you may take on these units. Plenty of spike bulls are available on these units. But once the hunt starts, the animals can be tough to find.

Deer’s attention “The success rate on spike-only What is keeping the deer’s attention, a doe, units averages about 16 percent,” Aoude other movement? Come in from behind and says. “Fortunately, you can do several things the deer may be looking away from you as to increase the chance you take an elk.” you slip closer. Coming in from above any Unless it gets cold and snowy animal is always a spotting and shooting before the hunt, Aoude says elk will be benefit. scattered at higher elevations when the season opens Oct. 9, 2010.

Ideal shot location “Elk are smart and wary animals,” Where is the ideal shot location? By the Aoude says. “And they’re sensitive to time you have answered the items above you know where the ideal shot location will hunting pressure. As soon as the shooting starts, they head into the thickest cover they be, and if it is feasible or possible to get to can find. To find success, you have to head that location. Keep in mind your shooting skill and how close you need to be to make into the backcountry and find them.”

The rut (breeding period), which the shot. Remember an animal lying down occurs right before the general rifle hunt only provides ½ the target area of one starts, can also make it challenging to find standing up.

The fine tuning process continues, spike bulls.

Being chased into cover by the because there’s something to be learned bigger bulls makes the spike bulls, which from every spot and stalk challenge accepted encounter with a completely wild, are already nervous, more apt to head back intelligent deer, but these days, I enjoy deer into the cover once the bullets start to fly.

“The larger bulls scare the spike hunting more than ever before and that’s bulls as much as the hunters do,” Aoude saying a lot. says. “Unless you get into the backcountry The ultimate win for me is not areas where the spikes are hiding, you’re sneaking in and taking a successful shot.

The ultimate win is sneaking in and taking probably not going to see many.

“The good news is, if you do get a successful shot with the deer not even into the backcountry, there’s a good chance having a clue that I am even in the county. you’ll be among the 16 percent who take a At that point I know I have earned the spike bull this year.” successful shot!

Keep in mind a plan B. What if he does spook, what will be his escape route, will he be in range, and so on.

NOVEMBER 2010

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Are Bucks More Alert During Hunting Season? (continued from page 5)

This buck mule deer may be laying down but it didn’t matter what position he is in his senses are constantly monitoring in every direction for his safety. as a great cover scent and attractant. I have watched from my stand as bucks catch that scent and follow the exact trail that I walked like a blood hound. I created a cover scent as well as a buck lure.

This tactic may help attract a buck, but it may prevent that same buck from detecting your presence. I’m not against pre-hunt scouting, but venturing into a deer’s core area right before the season can tip the buck off about your stand location and ingress route. Scout like you hunt - quiet and scentless. Use the scent trail while you’re scouting and you’ll be less likely to have the buck change his habit pattern.

Many hunters shoot their bucks on opening day, and after opening weekend the deer are on high alert. For hunters who focus on older bucks and wait to shoot their deer the hunting season turns into an educated waiting game hoping that scouting, stand site selection and perseverance will pay off in the form of an elusive trophy class deer presenting a shot opportunity. The deer will keep moving to avoid predators and human pressure.

Hunters have to put in the hours waiting in their stands so keep a positive mental attitude, stay still in your stand and be ready when the shot opportunity comes.

Midday is a great time to use spot and stalk hunting techniques.

There are risks involved – you may be

successful or you may spook the deer off of your hunting property. It all depends on how proficient you are at the spot and stalk game. Build your spot and stalk skills through practice in the woods during the off season. Learning how to stalk through the woods with stealth is critically important.

Bow hunters are generally better at this skill because they are range limited by their choice of weapon. Rifle hunters should learn how to stalk like an archer.

Stalking skill is a science in its self with odor control, how you walk a ridge and how to avoid stumbling into a buck’s bed and spooking him into the next county.

This is a skill built from knowledge and experience. You should never be breathing hard when stalking. Slow down and check the entire area after several steps to confirm that the limb sticking out of the tree ahead of you isn’t really a buck’s antler. If you’re doing it right you should never see a whole deer - you should only see something like a patch of white that appears to be out of place or a piece of antler. If you see the entire deer then chances are good that the deer has already seen you and is ready to run away.

Still hunting whitetails is extremely difficult. If you’re not confident in your spot and stalk skills then switch back to sitting in a tree stand. Your chances of success will be much better.

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Sporti ng G o ods, Montana Style

Hunting Rifles • Ammo • Bows Decoys • Calls Opticss • GPS • Packs Optic Boots • Camo Clothing • Footwear & More

Fishing

Rods • Reels Fly Lines • Waders Tackle Boxes • Lures Nets • Float Tubes Pontoon Boats Fishing Clothing & More

NOVEMBER 2010

Bob Ward & Sons New Gear Review Each month we select several products that are brand new to the market and may appeal to our Montana readers and customers

Ascent 8 Pack From Sitka Mountain

For those short trips where you are moving light and fast or you just don’t need much

more than the basics, the Ascent 8 fits the bill. A molded Nyospan hip belt is preformed for comfort, with a quilted, Aero Mesh back panel to keep your lower back dry. Hip pockets are strategically located for calls, range finders, wind indicators, or whatever other small items you need. It’s rigged and enabled for an internal hydration system, with hose clips running out on the hip belt for easy access. There are lashing web straps for miscellaneous items and two large compression wings to hug your load in tight to your back. Made with Optifade camouflage from GORE. It’s the first and only concealment system scientifically designed around the way a hunter’s prey views the world. It’s the only concealment system to combine a symmetry disrupting macro pattern with the fractal geometry based micro pattern designed to become nothing in the eyes of prey at engagement ranges of 20 meters and beyond. Style: 40005

Skeletool And Monarch Combination Pack From Leatherman At a mere five ounces, the Leatherman Skeletool has a

stainless steel combo blade, pliers, bit driver, removable pocket clip and carabiner/bottle opener. The Skeletool is just what you need in one good looking package. This special combination pack also includes one Monarch 200 and one Monarch 300 flashlight, providing multiple light sources when and where you need them. The Monarch 200 is the smallest Leatherman LED flashlight. Tiny and bright with a quick and easy tail switch for on and off. The Monarch 300 uses one battery, has 16 lumens, and is super durable yet lightweight with an anodized-aluminum body. Style: 831277

Prairie Storm™ Shotgun Ammo From Federal

Winter Sports Skis & Boards Boots/Helmets/Poles Outerwear: Jackets & Pants Hats & Gloves Winter Boots Snowshoes and Much More!

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Pheasant hunters demand fast loads for the open plains. Prairie Storm™ features a mixture of copper-plated lead (70 %) and nickel-plated FLITESTOPPER Lead (30%) delivered by unique rear-braking FLITECONTROL wad. Upland hunters now get the latest in lead shotshell technology in a load designed just for them. Even patterns and more pellets on target mean more pheasants in the game pouch. Every box of Prairie Storm™ sold will also give money directly to Pheasants Forever. With this new specialized ammunition, hunters know they’ll get edge-to-edge pattern consistency. And excellent retained velocity and energy means increased lethality.

Tanglefree Pro Series Full Body Canada Goose Decoys These full body Canadas are tough and durable, yet have a soft, subtle look that will finish flock after flock. A simple stake/base system makes these decoys easy to put out and pick up.

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SPORTING GOODS, MONTANA STYLE

All products shown are available at Bob Ward & Sons or online at www.bobwards.com.

Ammunition not available for online purchase.

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Ruger Hawkeye Rifles give you the EDGE!

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NOVEMBER 2010

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