Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - August 2009

BIG SKY

OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

AUGUST 2009 www.outdoorsmontana.com

Connecting You To The Outdoors

Cool Tools For Bowhunters

Monster Steelhead Techniques

FREE

New Elk Calls For

Magnum BULLS

The Early

Season Edge

High Tech Scouting For Big Game Hunting

2 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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AUGUST 2009

AUGUST 2009

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Magnus RackPack

Cool Tools For Bowhunters 2009

BY BRODIE SWISHER

T

he countdown to bow season begins as we enter the final weeks before our favorite time of year cranks up once again. We’ve practiced with our bows in the backyard through the smokin’ hot days of summer. The glassing, scouting, and trail camera photos have helped us narrow down where we’ll make our move on opening day. The time is now for one last check of your gear before you hit the trail.

Our annual product review for bowhunters will once again spotlight some of the best gear of the year to add to your pack to help tip the odds for success in your favor this season.

Iron Talon Ground Blind Hanger

One of the slickest new products to come along in a long time for ground blind hunters is the Iron Talon Ground Blind Hanger (autumnquest.net). This handy bow hanger is one of the simplest, most portable and versatile bow and gear hangers on the market. Its compact design allows hunters to carry it in their pocket, unlike other larger, pointed bow holders.

It is coated with a brightly colored PVC material that protects the hunter’s bow and deadens noise. The white color allows the hunter to see the hanger in the darkness of the blind for safe attachment and for finding in the field if dropped by mistake.

Unlike other bow hanging devices, you can place the hanger anywhere on the blind’s supporting rods, loops or pockets in an out of the way position yet easily accessible. In addition, it is a two-piece swivel design that allows the hunter to rotate their bow in just the right position to easily reach yet moving the broad-head away from the hunter for safety.

Another great new tool for the ground blind hunter is the RackPack (magnusbroadheads.com) chair from Magnus. The RackPack’s strength lies in its versatility. The pack allows you to escape the crowds and comfortably haul your ground blind, decoys, gear, or whatever you need for your hunt. Once you’re there, the RackPack converts into a convenient and comfortable chair allowing you to sit without stress or strain and to stay longer. After your hunt, the RackPack becomes a sturdy packframe, hauling your game out of the woods. The pack works equally well for other outdoor endeavors, such as predator hunting, duck and goose hunting, photography, and even hauling all your ice fishing gear. The RackPack truly allows you to go farther and stay longer.

BLOCK Fusion Target The BLOCK Fusion (fieldlogic. com) brings a proprietary new feature, Polyfusion technology that molecularly fuses polyurethane and polyethylene together to create the most advanced archery target on the market. This new proprietary Polyfusion technology has eliminated the need for internal banding.

This also increases ease of arrow removal by 50 percent over other Block targets.

That means less shooter fatigue and more time to shoot! The Block Fusion features the new Block Game Face on two of the four shooting sides. This new feature offers archers six game species (elk, deer, moose, pronghorn, bear and turkey) in various sizes, thereby allowing shooting to take place from short and long distances.

The other two sides of the Block Fusion will still offer the popular deer vitals.

Additional upgrades on the new Block Fusion are an internal Grip Pit handle that is designed right in the target. This makes the Block Fusion easier to handle and move from place to place.

Dead-On RangeFinder Tired of missing that simple shot?

Sometimes in the heat of the hunt, that simple shot leads to heartache and the one that got away because of an inaccurate estimation of distance. Dead-On Range Finder (deadonrangefinder. com) eliminates the miscalculations. I nstantly range animals hands free while at full draw, with no game spooking movement. Dead-On produces results accurately and efficiently, every time.

This unit allows you to range animals on the move or in thick cover. Simply bracket the animal while at full draw then use your pin to make the shot. The Dead-On Rangefinder works on all sights, any speed bow, in a treestand or on the ground, and is adjustable to work on all animals.

Mazdog Rip-Pod MazDog Outdoors, makers of top-quality outdoor products, introduces the RipPod Shooting System, (mazdog.com) featuring the ultra lightweight RipPod Shooting Stick that performs double duty as a trekking pole. The RipPod Shooting System is the most technologically advanced stabilization system on the market, featuring a revolutionary magnetic quick-connect system with adapters for bows and crossbows, as well as rifles, shotguns, video and still cameras, and spotting scopes. Thanks to its revolutionary design, the RipPod can be used standing, stalking or in a tree stand. The RipPod increases distance and reduces shot group sizes for experienced shooters while easing muscle fatigue.

For novices, it makes shooting easier and more fun, improving accuracy and increasing confidence. It weighs just 8.4 ounces and collapses from a length of 64” to 30”. It features a multi-surface tip for a sure grip on any type of terrain.

Rescue One CDS The Rescue One CDS (Controlled Descent System) (mountaineer-sports. com) is the only Treestand Safety Harness System that stops a bone breaking, possibly fatal, fall and then does what no other harness system can; allows a safe, controlled descent all the way to the ground. The CDS allows for controlled descent to the ground from up to 30 feet. It’s super strong, lightweight nylon harness system is easy to put on and easy to adjust. The unit easily installs on any tree and keeps user in upright position in the event of a fall. Now you can hunt with confidence knowing that should an unforeseen accident happen, Rescue One CDS will help make sure you go home alive.

Primos Bow Sling If you’ve had many long walks into the woods with your bow in hand, I know you’ve thought, “There’s got to be a better way.” The new and improved Primos Bow Sling (primos.com) makes covering a lot of ground or the long walk to your stand as comfortable as a stroll in the park. The Bow Sling is a must when the terrain gets rough. Your hands are free to climb hills or range the terrain with your binoculars. Your bow cams and string are also protected, so your bow will be ready when the shot opportunity arrives. Once you’ve tried it, you won’t be without it.

The bow sling fits bows 30” to 40”, snaps closed for secure carrying, has molded foam cups to protect your cams, and fits all parallel limb bows.

AUGUST 2009

Diamond Nuclear Ice Kids Bow

The Diamond Nuclear Ice (diamondarchery.com) is one of this year’s cool tools for the bowhunter-to-be.

I was immediately impressed when I saw and shot this tiny little compound at this year’s ATA show in Indianapolis. This ultra adjustable and extremely forgiving bow will give kids the taste of success they need to turn their fascination with Dad’s bow into a full blown archery addiction! The fully machined aluminum riser and cams coupled with beyond parallel limbs not only make the bow look more like dad’s, it performs more like it too, with arrows flying up to 200 fps. A single rotating module system allows for draw length adjustments from 14 to 24”.

Pivoting limb pockets not only allow for draw weight adjustments from 10 to 29 pounds, but help maintain proper limb alignment resulting in improved accuracy.

Don’t wait until the eve of this season’s archery opener to get your gear in order.

Take the time now to evaluate which gear will remain as must-have items and what can be tossed. And don’t forget to add a few of the previously mentioned tools to your bag of tricks this season. They may be just what the doctor ordered for success on your next hunt.

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

Archery Shoots MBHA August 2 Bowhunters Rendezvous Helena Lewis & Clark Archers Z Bar Z Sporting Clays 3-D Target Shoot 9am - 3pm August 2 Sunriver Valley Archers Summer 3D Shoot Sunriver Contact Robert Pasma, 406-467-3343 August 9 Electric City Archers 3D Shoot Great Falls E-mail Eugene Koppy at ekoppy@hotmail.com August 9 Lewistown Bowhunters Assoc.

Bonanza Shoot Lewistown August 15 Mission Valley Archers Members Only Shoot Big Sky Sporting Clays Polson Visit www.missionvalleyarchers.com

AUGUST 2009

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ON-LINE AT WWW.OUTDOORSMONTANA.COM •

Contents 6. High Tech Scouting For Big Game Hunting, Brodie Swisher 8. Gear Review, Pat Stinson 9. FWP Reminds OHV Riders To Ride Safely This Summer, MFWP 11. Traveler’s Corner, Gomer’s USDiesel Parts

12. Fly Tying Corner, Russell Parks 13. Smith River Management Plan Updated, MFWP 14. Montana Fishing Report 15. Clark Fork River, Neal Cote 16. Sagebrush News: Self-guided Hunt Insurance Plan, Chuck Robbins 17. New Elk Calls For Magnum Bulls, Andrew Mckean 18. Calendar Of Events 19. Early Season Tree Stand Set-up, Neal Cote 20. Advanced Float Techniques For Monster Stealhead, Travis Deboer 21. Fishing With The Captain, Mark Ward 22. Photo Page, The Boone And Crockett Club 23. August Antelope Hunting, Joe Esparza 24. Hunting & Conservation News 28. News From Rocky Mountain States 31. The Early Season Edge, Neal Cote 32. Montana State Parks Offer “Stacations” 35. Mountain Lion Special License Applications Due August 31, MFWP 36. Horse Riding, Packing Tips For Greenhorn Elk Hunters, MFWP 37. Camping At Black Sandy State Park, MFWP 38. Hot Spot - Brush Lake State Park, MFWP

Please support the advertisers you see in this newspaper and let them know you saw their advertisement in Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure. Thank you!

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RICK HAGGERTY (406)370-1368 AMY HAGGERTY (406) 370-2480 8591 CAPRI, HELENA, MT. 59602 bigskyoutdoornews@yahoo.com

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The entire contents is © 2009, all rights reserved. May not be reproduced without prior consent. The material and information printed is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure. Nor does the printed material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure.

VOLUME 6 ISSUE 6

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

BOW HUNTERS

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AUGUST 2009

Rocky Mountain High-Tech Scouting For Big Game Hunting Trophy Big Game Records BOONE and CROCKETT CLU LUB B

BY BRODIE SWISHER

Brodie Swisher is a world champion game caller, outdoor writer, and seminar speaker.

Check out his website at www.BroOutdoors.com.

®

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JOHNNY BUSH 182-1/8 B&C Ravalli, MT. 2005

BIGHORN SHEEP

PRIMOS ELK HUNTING SEMINAR Join us August 5th 5:30pm for a FREE elk hunting and calling seminar hosted by Dave Holder of Primos Game Calls Dave will be covering the following topics -Different calls types -Hunting set ups and scenarios Please come early, seating is limited -When to call and why

(406) 523-9000 2323 N. Reserve Street, Missoula, MT.

I remember my optimism plummeting heavily as my friend and I printed off Topo maps of the potential “honey-hole” we had discovered through our mapping software on the computer.

Seriously…What are the chances of actually scoring on an archery antelope hunt in a place we had never set foot on?

Yet with nothing more than a fist full of Topo maps, bowhunting gear, and the desire to shoot my first speed-goat, we made the 5 hour drive to eastern MT in search of the prize that would await us... hopefully!

I tried my best not to act surprised when we glassed several antelope bucks and a number of does at the very water-hole we had located by use of our computer mapping software… hundreds of miles away. It was on this day that I discovered the priceless benefit of high-tech scouting for big game.

TOPO! The high-tech tools used for that particular hunt were my laptop computer and the National Geographic TOPO! Mapping Software for the state of Montana. The software is a bit spendy, with a price tag of about $100. However, its value and function is priceless. The TOPO! program gives you five levels of map detail, from National Geographic Atlas maps to USGS 1:24,000 scale seamless topographic maps – the most detailed outdoor recreation maps available. TOPO! Maps are full-color, high-resolution scans of authentic USGS topographic maps, providing the best image quality available for printing. This program allows you to print custom maps,

complete with scale bar, north arrow, GPS grids, elevation profiles, and any other information you have added to the maps. A GPS receiver can tell you exactly where you are, but only a map can show you where that is. The TOPO! software allows you to easily transfer waypoints and routes between TOPO! and your GPS device to show you where you’re going, or where you’ve been. You can also purchase Adventure Paper, which gives you the ability to print your own custom waterproof, tear-resistant maps on your inkjet printer. This National Geographic TOPO! mapping software can be found at better sporting goods stores or by visiting nationalgeographic.com/topo.

Sportsmens Access One outfit that is doing much of the work already for hunters and outdoorsmen is Sportsmens Access.

Sportsmens Access is a portal website for avid hunters, fishermen, and other outdoors enthusiasts. Their mission is to provide you with information to “Know Where to Go!” This means providing information on the best access for hunting, fishing, and other sporting opportunities on private property, often overlooked and underutilized public lands, outfitters by species, lodges that cater to sportsmen, preferred vendors of outdoor goods and services, and other resources of interest to sportsmen. In addition, Sportsmens Access has teamed with an exceptional Geographical Information Systems (GIS) mapping company to create a state of the art interactive mapping system that’s called RAMTM. Sportsmens Access started (continued)

AUGUST 2009

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with the state of Montana, and plans to expand to other western states. They also offer subscriptions for those interested in hunting or fishing in Montana. Sportsmens Access members receive research reports outlining the best units to apply for permits, and all members gain access to searchable listings of outfitters and ranch properties that fit their interests.

See Sportsmensaccess.com for more information.

Online Mapping Google Earth is a virtual globe, map, and geographical information program that was originally called Earth Viewer, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004. It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography, and GIS3D globe.

Google Earth displays satellite images of varying resolution of the Earth’s surface, allowing users to visually see things like cities, houses, and landscapes looking perpendicularly down or at an oblique angle, with Perspectives as well Bird’s Eye View. The degree of resolution available is based somewhat on the points of interest and popularity, but most land (except for some islands) is covered in at least 15 meters of resolution.

Check it out at GoogleEarth.com.

ON-LINE AT WWW.OUTDOORSMONTANA.COM •

Maps.Live.com is another resource that allows you to get a bird’s eye view on potential hot spots for your next hunt.

Maps.live.com allows you to get and save maps and directions. It also offers a Yellow Pages search and GeoSearch - a Web search narrowed to specific geographic regions in the US and Canada.

Scouting Cameras Scouting cameras have evolved in recent years into what are now incredibly hightech game monitoring systems. So it is with the Smart Scouter camera. Smart Scouter sends you photos anywhere in the world! All you need is an internet connection or cell phone. This camera allows for scent-free scouting and no disruption to your hunting area. It saves you time and money with no travel expense of going to cameras for picture retrieval. The Smart Scouter works as a non-wireless device as well. Its Onboard CF (compact flash) card allows you to use your device in areas with no cell coverage. Smart Scouter gives you easy photo viewing and management at www. smartscouter.com. The Smart Scouter also uses an Infrared Monitoring flash system, which allows you to set your camera next to your stand location for precise game monitoring without the fear of spooking them with a white flash. While the use of scouting cameras for hunting is prohibited

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

in the state of Montana, they make for the ideal tool when hunting in other states and the need to save on mileage is at a premium.

GPS As with scouting cameras, GPS navigation opportunities have been revolutionized in recent years. The folks at Bushnell (bushnell.com) step up to the plate with their latest offering to aid backcountry hunters on their journey. With its large 3.5-inch color LCD screen, the new ONIX 350 GPS receiver provides a big view of the great outdoors. The ability to download high-resolution digital satellite photography and Topo maps lets the ONIX 350 bring navigation to life. The ONIX 350 features a new Almanac page that lets users view lunar and solar information to help determine the best fishing and hunting days based on sunrise/sunset times and moon phases.

The Solunar Edge™ Technology utilizes internal sensors that monitor barometric pressure and temperature to provide significantly more accurate information on animal and fish activity than traditional sun and moon tables. The internal sensors also provide a 12-24 hour weather forecast feature that gives current temperature and barometric pressure. It can track pressure trends for up to 24 hours and can track pressure history for up to 7 days. A storm warning alert is activated based on a

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rapid pressure drop of greater than 6 mb. The ONIX 350 also features a new Elevation page that provides not only the current elevation, but the ability to track your changes in altitude over time or distance as you hike along the trail. Elevation changes are presented graphically so it’s easy to see at a glance how much elevation has been gained or lost. For more personal navigation, users can download detailed AccuTerra enhanced off road maps which contain shaded relief for a highly accurate image of terrain grade and scale. The exclusive TruView™ Navigation screen layering technology displays satellite and aerial photos of your surroundings and all navigation aids on a single screen so you navigate by what you see – around you and on your GPS. The ONIX 350 can run up to 32 hours* on one charge of its lithium-ion battery. The SafeTrack feature puts the screen to sleep, but will continue to monitor your travels and indicate when you are off-track.

With all the advancements in technology available to big game hunters it would be easy for one to be fooled into thinking that he or she can spend more time at the desk and less in the woods. The fact is, the previously mentioned tools are designed to add to your woodsmanship skills…not replace them. No high-tech gadgets can replace your skills as a woodsman.

Knowing where to be, and when to be there will always prevail…of course, these tools just might help you get there quicker!

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AUGUST 2009

gear review

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

Masters Series™ Uvision™ Magnum Mallard Decoys

Recommend...Roll of the Dice Highlights: The new Masters Series™ Uvision™ Magnum Mallard Decoys are the newest from Flambeau. Uvision™ is a paint system that matches the reflectance of feathers of light visible to birds including ultraviolet (UV). The claim is, the colors look correct to the birds and they cannot tell the difference between a decoy and a real bird. I cannot tell you if this technology works, but I believe the science is sound. They did start losing paint and chipped on the first day of use, maybe half of them. I used the Decoys without mixing with others and birds decoyed if it was the UvisionTM is impossible to say. Wind direction dictates placement of Decoys and if the Uvision coating helps decoy birds I am all for it. We also tested The Classic Sleeping Mallards; they did not have paint loss. Sprinkling these in with other Decoys gives a claiming effect, and even with paint loss, they looked adequate.

Drawbacks: Paint Loss Rating: OK Tester: All Suggested Retail: $59.99 per Six

Bushnell 8 x 36 Excursion EX® Binocular

Recommend...Yes Highlights: Last fall and again this season I glassed the Bushnell 8 x 36 Excursion EX® Binocular. This is a sweet little piece of glass at just 21.5 oz with a ton of features. I guide for a living and my rig is my office on wheels, and the Excursion EX® stay with me. They continue to receive a good workout, but still look good with the beating I give them. The Binocular is deceiving it is so light and tough that you would think the quality would be missing. I can tell you the Excursion EX® is waterproof; multi coated, with BaK-4 roof prisms, open hinged with quick center focus. We have tested Binoculars with all the features of the Excursion® that cost much more than two hundred and fifty dollars.

This is a mid-size binocular and works on long treks in to the backcountry. Its quality and light weight are a mixture that works.

Drawbacks: None Rating: Good Water...Great Tester: Chris Stinson Suggested Retail: $259.95

E1L Outdoorsman Compact LED Flashlight

Recommend...Yes Highlights: The E1L Outdoorsman Compact LED Flashlight is a quality product and when you see the price, it had better be. The E1L is 4 inches long weighing just 2.8 ounces, with cap and pocket clip, I tested primarily as a head light. Powered by a 3-volt Lithium battery with 48 hours of low and 8.5 of high power runtime, the high beam is incredibly bright. Made of aerospace-grade aluminum, O-ring sealed this small light is built like iron. Included is a two push button output LED with a switch lockout preventing you from accidentally leaving it on.

This is the first product we have tested and reviewed from Surefire and from the minute it arrived, we knew we were looking at a quality product. I tested first on a four-day camping trip, clipped on my cap, and currently use around the house for general use. The E1L Outdoorsman is one of the finest flashlights we have ever tested and this fall we will use it for setting Waterfowl Decoys and Deer hunting.

Drawbacks: None Rating: Good Water...Great Tester: All Suggested Retail: $129.00

AUGUST 2009

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FWP Reminds OHV Riders To Ride Safely This Summer MFWP

S

ummer and fall are prime times for OHV riders to be out and that means risky terrain, injuries and unintentional violations are more likely.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds Off-Highway Vehicle users to brush up on OHV safety and laws this summer.

FWP offers an OHV safety home-study course at no charge.

The driver-safety training is a well-rounded orientation to OHV use in Montana, including how to handle different terrains and unexpected situations, and it is especially recommended for young riders.

“The risk of injury for 12-15 year old drivers of adult-sized OHVs is more than two times the average risk of injury for adult riders,” said Beth Ramsey Shumate, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks State Trails Grants and Interim OHV Coordinator.

Shumate said that according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 40 percent of OHV-related deaths involve youth 16 years of age and younger.

A print copy of FWP’s home-study training manual and course materials can be ordered by calling FWP at 406-444-4585, or on the Internet at fwp.mt.gov on the Recreation page. Click on Activities and then Off-Highway Vehicles .

To further improve OHV rider skills, or ’fit” a child to the recommended OHV size, go to www.nohvcc.org, or call 1-800-348-6487.

For more information on OHV use in Montana, contact FWP at 406-444-4585.

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AUGUST 2009

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Save Money & Improve Your Driving Performance With The Watchdog Economy Monitor Watchdog Economy Monitor Product #: 40402 1996-Up Vehicles (All w/ OBDII Port)

T

he WatchDog™ works on all 1996 and later vehicles with an OBDII port. The product comes equipped with a Set Up Wizard that calibrates the product to your vehicle in order to provide maximum efficiency and calculate wasted energy. The WatchDogTM serves as a digital gauge/monitor and features a valuable Driving Coach for gas and diesel powered vehicles. It features the ability to monitor over 20 vehicle parameters all while you receive valuable driving suggestions from the Driving Coach to maximize fuel economy.

DRIVING COACH: It is proven that drivers who change their driving habits to maximize fuel economy can see improvements up to 37% per gallon of fuel. Recognizing this fact, Bully Dog designed the first software of its kind into the Watchdog™, thus being first to market again!

The information is gathered from the sensors that each vehicle is equipped with from the factory. Information is gathered during operation in real time, the software then process the information.

As the information is processed, it is then used to serve as a Driving Coach guiding the vehicle’s driver to the most efficient, economical driving techniques in order to maximize fuel economy.

The Watchdog™ becomes a very valuable tool as a Driving Coach. A priority in today’s market place is saving fuel, getting every last tenth of a mile out of the fuel in the tank. The Watchdog™ features software that tracks the driver’s habits behind the wheel. As these habits show themselves, the software calculates the best remedy and then notifies the driver.

As a Driving Coach the Watchdog™ will recommend and suggest different driving methods to the user in real time as conditions and habits become apparent.

For instance, If the driver of the vehicle is repeatedly waiting until the last

minute before applying the brakes before coming to a stop, the software will recognize this and then advise the driver how they can improve their braking method and their fuel mileage.

DIGITAL GAUGE / MONITOR: The WatchDog™ Gauge offers a comprehensive digital gauge package including all standard PID or vehicle parameters included in vehicles ‘96 and newer. The gauge will display a combination of any four parameters with over 20 different ones to choose from depending on your vehicle. These gauges are all displayed at the same time on an easy to read digital display. The following is a list of parameters that the WatchDog is able to read from your vehicle. These parameters rely on sensors that your vehicle was equipped with from the factory, not all vehicles have all of these options available.

Real Time Fuel Economy • Average Fuel Economy • Trip Fuel Economy • Load • Coolant Temperature • Fuel Pressure (gasoline vehicles) • Fuel Rail Pressure (diesel vehicles)* • Manifold Absolute Pressure • Engine RPM • Speed • Timing Position • Air Intake Temperature • Mass Air Flow (grams/sec) • Throttle Position • Fuel Level • Battery Voltage • Ambient Air Temperature • Transmission Temperature • Boost* • IPW (Injection Pulse Width)* • Oil Temperature* • ICP (Injection Control Pressure)* Plus more! *Diesel Specific Monitoring functions

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12 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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AUGUST 2009

HUGE SAVINGS ON ‘09 KAWASAKIS SAVE $250 ON 2009 TERYX SAVE $300 ON 2009 MULE SAVE $600 ON 2009 BRUTE FORCE SAVE $1,000 ON 2009 KX Shop Early For Best Selection 2315 South Ave., West Missoula, MT. 59801

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Hunting Products For 2009 Honda EU2000iA Camo Generator

Features: 2000 watts (16.7 A) of Honda Inverter 120V AC Power Natural Gear™ camo exterior Super quiet - 53 to 59 dB(A) Lightweight (less than 47 lbs.)

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Fly Tying Corner: Gun Metal Pheasant Tail Nymph

By Bob Bates, fedflyfishers.org

P

heasant Tail Nymphs imitate several mayfly nymphs so you want to move the fly through areas where fish might be feeding on them. In shallow moving water I usually use a floating line and throw the fly upstream near shore and then work outward, wading if appropriate. (Too many anglers immediately wade into a stream so they can fish the far bank, and they scare near shore fish.) Let the fly drift drag free. This fly is not heavily weighted so you might need a sink tip line or non-lead weight on the leader to reach some fish. Lake fishing has its own approaches. Floating, sink tip and full sinking lines are all useful. If you are alone in a boat you can rig up five rods and be ready for a variety situations and water depths. One time a floating line, a pheasant tail nymph and cooperative rainbows made me late for dinner. This version of the Pheasant Tail Nymph might have worked better. Unless the mayflies are hatching you might have to go down for the fish. You want the fly to move just over the weed beds so use a countdown method to control the depth. If you start picking up weeds shorten the time you let the line sink. Also vary the retrieve until you find something the fish like.

Materials & Equipment: Hook: DaiRiki 075 #14-16 Bead: Glass gun metal blue bead Thread: Griffith shear thread 14/0, tan or brown Rib: Brown copper wire Body: Pheasant tail Throax: Peacock herl Hackle: Whiting Brahma or other soft hackles like partridge or pheasant Step 1: Smash the barb down so it will easier to put on the bead and release the fish you hook. Slide bead to front before putting hook into vise. (If your fly shop can’t get the beads try a craft store.)

Step 2: Start thread at about the midpoint of hook.

Step 3: Lay the copper wire on side of hook, and wind thread over the wire toward rear of hook. Stop winding just above the barb.

Step 4: Pull four natural pheasant tail fibers straight out from the shaft to match their ends. Cut them off and tie them on hook to give shank length tail.

Step 5: Wind thread forward to a little in front of mid shank. Make first wrap of pheasant tail cover the tie down thread. Wrap remaining pheasant tail forward to thread, secure and trim excess.

Step 6: Take one piece of peacock herl bend it around thread, secure it right at front of body and make a couple of wraps forward to a point that leaves a little space behind the bead. Tie off peacock herl and trim excess.

Step 7: Take one wrap of wire at the tail so the fish’s teeth will not damage it, spiral wire forward to front of herl, secure and trim excess. Wind the wire in the same direction as the peacock herl. Do a quick whip finish Step 8: : Push bead back and bring thread in front of it. Hold feather by tip, stroke most of the fibers back and tie it in by the tip.

Step 9: Wrap feather one turn stroking the barbs back as you wrap, secure and trim excess.

Step 10: Form a neat little head, whip finish and trim thread.

AUGUST 2009

•

ON-LINE AT WWW.OUTDOORSMONTANA.COM •

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 13

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Smith River Management Plan Updated MFWP to harass livestock and wildlife.

MFWPs released an updated land Others shared concerns over barking dogs recreation management plan for the Smith River State Park and river corridor.

The plan, which will guide future recreation-related decisions on the Smith River, retains a number of management practices that worked well over the years and identifies a few changes, some of which will require approval by the FWP Commission.

Among the management practices to remain the same as past years is the first-come, first-served boat-camp selection process.

“We considered changing to a random selection process,” said Chas Van Genderen, FWP’s Parks Division Administrator. “The public generally opposed this idea and recommended that it remain first-come, first-served.”

The one explicit change for upcoming seasons concerns pets. The new plan restricts dogs on floats to hunting dogs during hunting season and to service dogs only.

“The pet issue generated the most public comment,” Van Genderen said. “We heard from people who view dogs as an important part of their Smith River float experience, and we heard from floaters who observed dogs running loose on private

and dog excrement in boat camps.”

The updated plan also takes up the issue of human-waste management, but keeps the park’s offering of boat-camp latrines in place.

The public also commented on the difficulty of obtaining a float permit, and expressed concerns about increased public use of the river. This year, more than 5,700 people applied for about 900 Smith River float permits to float the 59-mile stretch of river.

FWP will recommend to the FWP Commission ways to improve the odds of obtaining float permits, including a waiting period of one full float season before applicants can reapply if they succeed in obtaining a permit to float the river between May 15 and July 15, the prime floating-season dates. Successful applicants could still apply for permits in the “shoulder season” before May 15 and after July 15, acquire cancelled permits for any launch date, or join another permitted group, Van Genderen said.

Other proposals to improve the permit application process include a Smith River Super Permit lottery, similar to the popular SuperTag lottery for hunting.

14th Annual Custom Knife Show & Sale August 14, 15, 16 Holiday Inn - Parkside 200 S. Pattee, Missoula, Montana KNIFE COLLECTIONS - LARGE & SMALL KNIFE MAKING DEMONSTRATIONS CUSTOM MADE KNIVES FOR SALE 1000’S OF KNIVES ON DISPLAY WORK KNIVES TO FANTASY KNIVES DOOR PRIZES & DAILY DRAWINGS

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14 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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AUGUST 2009

Mo nta n a Fis h i n g Rep o rt

CHRIS MADSEN

Western Montana Fishing Report Brought To You

By Wholesale Sports, USA

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

J

uly has been warm and dry for most of the month, but with the generous snow pack we had the fishing hasn’t suffered. A second good snow pack year in a row has the local rivers in great shape going into August. It should be a stellar year to fish your favorite hopper patterns tight to the bank in anticipation of an explosive rise. If we can continue to get a shot of cool rain every now and then we may even be able to avoid the dog days of summer. There are plenty of great fishing opportunities in western Montana this month, so let’s get right down to it.

FLATHEAD LAKE: If there is a better place to spend a hot August day than Flathead Lake, I’ve never been there.

The big draw for August is the much anticipated Lake Whitefish bite. If you’ve never fished for Lake Superior Whitefish, they are a cousin of the Rocky Mountain Whitefish. Lake Whitefish run larger than their river counterparts, with some as big

as five or six pounds, and are highly predacious. In August they move out of their deep water haunts in huge numbers, gathering in shallow bays to savage schools of perch fry. The fishing has a carnival atmosphere about it, with lots of boats fishing in close proximity, and most everyone, kids with Snoopy poles included, catching whities hand over fish. The ticket is to fish the bays (Elmo and Big Arm are good bets), in about 50’ of water. The standard tactic is to jig with a green colored, 1/4 or 3/8 spoon like a Kastmaster, Rattle D’Zaster or Buckshot Spoon, especially one with green prismatic tape on it. Other effective lures will include whitefish flies, tube jigs and Gitzits.

SEELEY AND SALMON LAKES: While these lakes are definitely not in their prime during August they shouldn’t be overlooked. The pike are still there and they still need to eat. Early morning is the best chance for numbers of fish. Get on the water before the sun has a chance to warm things up or the water skiers’ crawl out of bed, and you can catch fish still hanging out in their shallow water haunts trying to ambush baitfish. The standards such as Husky Jerks, spinner baits and weedless spoons are all good choices. Fly anglers can also do well with a sink tip line and a big ugly fly cast along the weed edges and drop offs.

GEORGETOWN LAKE: The lake is quickly filling near to the top with weeds, but fishing should stay strong through the month. Trolling wedding rings or spoons that run fairly shallow will be a good bet, as will still-fishing Powerbait around drop offs and rocky structure. A fly rod is really the weapon of choice up here, because in addition to the storied damselfly hatch, most evenings in August will give you a shot at Georgetown’s other marquee bug, the traveling sedge. The traveling sedge is a large caddis fly that emerges right at dusk, and will skitter around the surface of the lake like a motorboat, leaving a v-wake in its path.

Trout key on this movement, and attack these bugs with a vengeance. The key is to fish a large (usually a #8), extremely buoyant pattern and retrieve it across the

surface at a steady pace. Strikes are fierce, and it’s awfully easy to break off a pig under those conditions.

ROCK CREEK: With above average flows going into August this popular river is a great option for some mid day fishing when some of the other local rivers are slowing down in the blazing sun. Rock Creek is a great stream for casting your favorite attractor patterns on. The fish in this little river seem to have an affinity for bugs tied to look exactly like nothing but look a little like everything. From standard Yellow Stimulators to the Frankenstein foam and rubber legged creations that wander off the tying bench, a variety of flies will get the attention of the fish. A small nymph dropper tied to one of these larger flies will definitely up your chances of success. If you run into some of the picky fish on the river a size 16 X-caddis or smaller Parachute Adams will usually do the trick. Don’t be afraid to walk away from the road. Hike a little ways up or down river and you can get away from a lot of the traffic.

KOOTENAI RIVER: The Kootenai is another tail water fishery that’s worth taking a look at when the summer heat keeps you off your favorite local river. It doesn’t get as much press as it’s cousins but it ranks up there with the best of them as a quality fishery. It’s a big river so there is plenty of room to spread out. Wading and floating are both good options but floating allows an angler to cover more water. August is good month to throw hoppers on this river for the hard fighting resident rainbows. These larger than average meals bring the some of the rivers bigger residents out of hiding. A bullet head hopper with a nymph dropper is a good combo along with the usual caddis and may fly patterns.

BEAVERHEAD RIVER: I realize I’m not exactly giving away any family secrets by suggesting that you head over to the Beaverhead, but with Clark Canyon bank full for the first time in a long time the fishing has been hot since the opener. Now I’m not suggesting that you will show up and have the place all to yourself,

far from it, but the water flow from the dam has been stable due to the good snow pack this winter, and put a little pep back into the Beaverhead’s step. Hordes of big browns and rainbows are still ready and willing to take small bead head nymphs, and Trico spinners, caddis and hoppers will bring some fish to the surface, particularly downstream of Barrett’s Diversion.

Wherever you decide to wet a line this month, remember that August is a month when the early bird really does get the worm, so plan on getting on and off the water early. Stay safe, and don’t let the dog days bite.

RYAN ONGLEY

Southwest Montana Fishing Report Brought To You

By Wholesale Sports, USA

BY RYAN ONGLEY (406) 586-0100 HOPPERS AND ATTRACTORS

A

ugust brings in the dog days of summer and with it some very exciting fishing in SW Montana. Trout in our area rivers will be looking up to the remaining emergences of Caddis and Pale Morning Duns. (continued on page 34)

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AUGUST 2009

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The Clark Fork River

BY NEAL COTE Bite Me Flies Recreation and fishing opportunities abound!

B

oasting nearly 300 miles of river between its headwaters at the confluence of Warm Spring and Silver Bow Creeks near Butte and its mouth at Idaho’s Lake Pend Oreille, the Clark Fork river has tons of recreation and fishing opportunities for multiple cold and warm water fish species.

The Clark Fork begins as Silver Bow Creek in southwestern Montana, less than 5 miles from the continental divide near downtown Butte, then from the confluence of Basin and Blacktail creeks, it flows northwest and north through a valley in the mountains, passing east of Anaconda, where it changes its name to the Clark Fork. From there, the river runs northwest to Deer Lodge. The upper river grows from a small easily-waded stream at Warm Springs to a modest-sized river by the time it reaches Deer Lodge.

From Deer Lodge it flows generally northwest across western Montana, passing south of the Garnet mountain Range toward Missoula. Five miles east of Missoula, is the Blackfoot confluence where the Milltown Dam once stood for 100 plus years. The upper Clark Fork is characterized by meandering and braided channels with frequent oxbow back channels that move from open grassland into scattered pine forests and cottonwood bottoms as it nears Missoula.

The upper river is not as dependant on hatches as its downstream reaches and is perfect for streamer fishing. The upper river nymph fishes consistently, and is an excellent place to plop your favorite hopper pattern to the bank from late summer into early fall. The summer season also offers excellent caddis fly action almost the entire length of the Clark Fork.

Northwest of Missoula, the river continues through a long valley along the northeast flank of the Bitterroot Range, through the Lolo National Forest. It meets the Bitterroot River from the south-southwest approximately 5 1/2mi west of downtown Missoula. The lower Clark Fork is characterized by big riffles and long slow runs. It is a large river best fished from a boat with some wading around the riffles. The lower Clark Fork is prized for its opportunities to cast to pods of large rising fish. This section offers anglers the chance to target the some of the 20 inch plus trout the Clark Fork is best known for. It has predictable hatches and offers consistent dry-fly fishing from April through November.

You can expect scenic, open-water stretches with long bars and wooded islands, large eddies, deep holes, cottonwood bottoms, and low elevation pine forests with an occasional rock outcropping. Alberton Gorge is next, with some very large rapids.

In spring, many adventurous souls climb into rafts and float the rapids know locally as “the Gorge”. Not for the inexperienced, remember to book an experienced guide for your first trip!

Next is the meeting of the Flathead River from the north near Paradise. The Clark Fork starts to change from a medium river into a much larger river here. As it passes Perma, other fish species become available to the adventurous angler. Some of the larger sloughs hold large Northern pike and good numbers of Small Mouth Bass. Flyfishing for these warm water species can require some different gear , leaders, and flies.

They offer a great change from the trout of the upper sections. Don’t put your trout gear away just yet though as this section offers up some of the largest trout of the entire river! Just above the town of Thompson Falls in southern Sanders County, the Thompson River runs in. It is locally know as a great fishery itself, with some great early season Salmon Fly and Golden Stone hatches. Now right at Thompson Falls is the Thompson Reservoir where some good Small Mouth and Largemouth Bass fishing can be had.

It is a small reservoir with limited access, but can be a great place to spend the day, as it has easy access from the water right to some of the downtown restaurants.

At Noxon, Montana, along the north end of the Bitterroots near the Idaho border, the river is impounded by the Noxon Rapids Dam to form a 20 mile long reservoir. Known for its large Small Mouth Bass, it also contains some of the largest Northern Pike found in Montana. It also has a growing population of Walleye that have proven hard to catch, but some good fish have been caught by persistent anglers. The Clark Fork then crosses from Montana into Bonner County in northern Idaho near the town of Cabinet, Idaho.

Approximately 5 miles west of the Idaho-Montana state line, the river enters the eastern end of Lake Pend Oreille, near the town of Clark Fork. Below is Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 2009 fishing regulations.

CLARK FORK RIVER _____________ Upstream from Perkins Lane Bridge, near Warm Springs *Open entire year. *Catch-and-release only. *Artificial lures only. *Closed to fishing from boats.

Perkins Lane Bridge, near Warm Springs, to mouth of Flathead River *Closed to fishing from about 2 1/2 miles upstream from the confluence of the Blackfoot River to about 1/2 mile downstream, as posted. *Extended season for northern pike and whitefish and catch-and-release for trout open December 1 to third Saturday in May with artificial lures and/or maggots only.

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 15

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*Catch-and-release for cutthroat trout. *Combined Trout: 3 daily and in possession, none over 15 inches. *Northern pike: no limit. *Artificial lures only within a 100-yard radius of the mouths of Rattlesnake Creek, Petty Creek, Fish Creek, Cedar Creek, Dry Creek, Trout Creek and St. Regis River.

Mouth of Flathead River to mouth of Thompson River *Catch-and-release for cutthroat trout. *Whitefish: open entire year with maggots or lures. *Northern pike: open entire year with bait or lures. *Mouth of Thompson River to Idaho Border *Open entire year. *Combined Trout: 5 daily and 10 in possession, only 1 over 22 inches. *Cutthroat trout: 3 daily and in possession, no size limit. *Hook and Line: 2 lines with up to 2 hooks per line all year.

As for camping, there are tons of places to pitch a tent or park your RV. Some of these are just tent sites, but there are bigger campgrounds available. This list also contains basic directions for driving the length of the river by Mile Marker. Here is the basic list and there are more that we may have missed.

MM 0: Idaho Border.

MM 3.7: Heron, Montana.

MM 10.5 Junction with Montana State Highway 56 to Troy, Montana.

MM 11: Bull River Campground MM 14: Gas and store.

MM 15.5: Noxon, Montana.

MM 18.5: Noxon Rapids Dam. MM 26.7: North Shore Campground MM 27: Cabinet Ranger Station.

MM 28: Vermillion River MM 29-30: Trout Creek, Montana.

MM 41: Gas and country store.

MM 47: Fishing access and boat launch.

MM 49.5: Thompson Falls State Park MM 50-52: Thompson Falls, Montana.

MM 56: Thompson River, Junction with Thompson River Road MM 63: Big Horn Sheep Viewing Area.

MM 75: Plains, Montana.

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MM 77: Junction with Highway 28 to Elmo, Montana, and Highway 93.

MM 81.7: Paradise, Montana.

MM 85: Junction with Highway 135 to St. Regis, Montana, and Interstate 90.

MM 96: Junction with Highway 382 cutoff north to Hot Springs, Montana.

MM 109: Dixon, Montana MM 110.2: Junction with Route 212 to the National Bison Range, Charlo, Montana, and the Ninepipe Wildlife Refuge on Highway 93.

MM 116: Bridge over the Jocko River (Flathead Indian Reservation).

Lake Pend Oreille will be in the news a lot this year with a major effort to bring predator populations (rainbow and lake trout) in balance with a rapidly collapsing kokanee population. Quite simply, anglers need to harvest the rainbow and lake trout they catch to prevent the kokanee fishery from collapsing. There will be more details on specific harvest levels anglers need to achieve, but the bottom line is that anglers need to change their mind set from catch and release to catch and keep. Remember to get your Idaho Fishing license! They are available by the day or by season.

This offers an interesting fishery and a way you can maybe pay for that fishing trip! Every lake trout of any size and rainbow trout more than 13 inches long harvested from Lake Pend Oreille through March, 2010, pays $15.00! How Do you Get Involved? Go fishing and cash in! Lake trout of any size and rainbow trout more than 13 inches long from Lake Pend Oreille count for the $15 cash reward. Rainbow trout more than 13 inches caught in Lower Clark Fork River below the railroad bridge at Clark Fork (open all year) and from Lightning Creek, Grouse Creek and Pack River between April 1 and August 31 also are eligible.

Rules For Getting Paid: -Only rainbow and lake trout are eligible.

-Rainbow trout heads must be a minimum of 2 3/8 inches long from tip of nose to end of gill cover. Only whole heads with the entire jaw and throat area intact are eligible for payment.

-Cutthroat and cutthroat hybrids are not eligible. (continued on page 20)

16 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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ON-LINE AT WWW.OUTDOORSMONTANA.COM

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AUGUST 2009

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Sagebrush News: Self-Guided Hunt Insurance Plan BY CHUCK ROBBINS biologists, game wardens, individual Full of the vim and vigor, landowners (if you will be hunting private optimism and gullibility all red-blooded

HE WHO PLANS BEST HOLDS THE CARDS NECESSARY TO CONSISTENTLY TAG BULLS SUCH AS THIS...PHOTO CHUCK ROBBINS

youthful hunters possess, to say nothing of fires fueled to raging infernos thanks to heavy doses Jack O’Connor and other popular outdoor scribes of the era—four of us hopped in a souped-up ’56 Oldsmobile and headed West. The foregone conclusion: Upon returning the local taxidermist would have four muy grande bucks to mount. And by golly we did kill 4 bucks...Alas, muy grandes they were not.

Where did we go wrong? Well, for starters we did no research. We had no real plan and only a vague idea where we were headed. In a nutshell, barring Lady Luck, the hunt was doomed from the start.

In the decades since, countless successful self-guided hunts have taught me only fools go off half-cocked. While bad luck and bad weather often play a negative roll without adequate research and planning the hunt is destined to fail.

Sage advice: “Devote (at least) twice as many days planning and preparing as actual days afield.”

In our case, having never hunted mule deer before, we should have first contacted the appropriate agency. These days the internet is good for starters but nothing beats personal contact with

land), local taxidermists, game meat processors and even other hunters. Instead we wasted valuable hunting time chasing down bogus hot-tips offered at cafes, bars, gas stations and such when we should have been grilling real experts.

Information is out there in books, magazine and newspaper articles, maps, previous hunt statistics, draw odds, etcetera—take advantage.

But the where-to is only the beginning. Will base camp be a tent, trailer, motel, truck bed, whatever? Will it be necessary to back-pack, horse-pack (there are you know outfits out-there rent horses and tack); or does a 4X4, ATV or boat better fit the bill? As many of you well know some of the best hunts involve nothing more complex than drive to the hunting area (carefully chosen, planned and well-scouted), lace up boots and go for it. Should things not work out as planned (and trust me they don’t always) do you have a Plan B? Since that initial fiasco I’ve pulled off many a successful self-guided hunt alone but by far the most memorable and enjoyable involved a partner or two. Not only much safer and (continued on page 17)

AUGUST 2009

•

ON-LINE AT WWW.OUTDOORSMONTANA.COM •

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 17

Absolutely The Easiest Easiest Way To Move Game, Pa Packs, cks, Traverse Rough Country and Go Around Gates I have used ‘Neet-Kart’ during the past three Montana hunting seasons. The cart easily allowed me to transport three 150 pound plus elk halves on three 2-mile round trips in one day by myself. The cart when loaded is a breeze to balance and walks right over downed trees and rocks with minimal effort. On eastern Montana hunts for deer and antelope, the sealant-filled tire tubes performed in cactus and thorn country without any flats.

Big game animals can be hauled cross-country faster with ..Neet Kart.’ than with a horse. I wish I had the cart 30 years ago. - Doug Bolender. Kalispell. MT “The Easy Way Out...& Back”

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f your only elk bugle is a tattered piece of latex and an old length of radiator hose, then you need to get acquainted with a new generation of bugles. And only a few of them need your breath to work.

New elk calls come in just about every space-age polymer and handcrafted material you can imagine, and you can spend as much on a top-end elk bugle as you might on a pair of binoculars. But it’s also true that you can get a sweet-sounding, easy-to-use elk call for just a few bucks, and because so much more field testing and tuning goes into these new calls, there’s a good chance you’ll get them to work for you this fall in elk country, even if you’ve never mastered the blow-your-lips-off elk bugle.

The theory behind the calls is more or less the same. Some are designed to sound like cow elk, either looking for the rest of her herd or announcing her availability to a rutting bull. Others are meant to challenge bulls, and these are typically the bugling calls that make high-pitched keening wails ending in a series of percussive grunts.

Either way, these calls will work next month, when archery seasons for elk coincide with the wapiti rut, which kicks in early in September and peaks around Sept. 20 in many parts of Montana.

Here’s a roundup of some of the best, most unusual or bargain elk calls on the market:

217 Snowy View Drive • Libby, MT. 59923 Toll Free (877)690-4170 • (406)293-6712 Fax (406)293-9014 e-mail: neetseet@frontiernet.net • www.neetkart.com • Primos’ Hoochie Mama is probably the most popular of the new breed of elk calls that mimics the plaintive wail of a cow elk instead of the challenging bugle of a rutting bull. This is a hand-held call that you sound by pushing a plunger that forces air through a diaphragm. The sound chamber allows for more soft, nuances sounds than traditional mouth calls in the hands of most callers. The new Baby Hoochie Mama replicates the higher, shorter calls of calf elk.

• Hot Lips and Cow Girl are two additional Primos calls that behave like more traditional latex reed calls.

You blow them to mimic the chirps, mews and whines of an estrus cow, the idea being that if you can bring in a lead cow the herd bull often follows.

• Squeeze Me cow call by Wayne Carlton and Hunter’s Specialties is about as simple as calls come. You just squeeze the bulb of this hand-sized unit to get high-pitched whines and mews. You control the cadence, pitch and volume of the sound

by the speed with which you work the plunger.

• Carlton’s Estrus Whine is another Hunter’s Specialty offering. This model comes with either single or double reeds, which you blow through to create soft mews or shrieking cow whines. It also plays soft for close-in encounters.

• Bully Bull Grunt Tube from Idaho’s Bugling Bull Game Calls is basically an abbreviated tube, but the short version allows the guttural phrasing of a bugle to dominate the call, getting under the skin of a rutting bull.

• Widowmaker Cow Call from Mossback is similar to the Estrus Whine. Its high-impact plastic barrel is designed to amplify the mews and whines of estrus cows with a minimum of breath through the latex reeds.

Sagebrush News (continued from page 16)

comforting should one of you get hurt or sick but multiple hands, backs and legs trump packing meat alone every single time.

My outfit includes: first-aid kit, GPS and compass, binoculars (spotting scope), topo map(s), sharp knives, small ax/hand-saw, head-lamp (spare batteries for all battery operated equipment), rope, twine, tape, drinking-water filter and while it pains me to admit a portable weather radio and, yes, a cell phone. And it should go without saying but the place to learn GPS/compass/navigation skill is in the backyard not the backcountry; in warm weather toss in a cooler to pack meat.

And never ever leave home not tell someone where and when to expect you back.

Chuck is a freelance writer/photographer and fly-fishing guide. To check out his articles, books, blogs, photos and more go to www.chuckngalerobbins.com.

18 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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ON-LINE AT WWW.OUTDOORSMONTANA.COM

AUGUST 2009

Calendar Of Events

ANACONDA Anaconda Wildlife Expo: September 11 - 13

DARBY Darby Fun Day: August 15

BOZEMAN Bridger Mountains Raptor Migration: August 27 - October 31

Show/Microbrew Fest: August 7 - 9

HELENA York 38 Special Mountain Bike Ride: August 22

MISSOULA Annual Original Missoula Gun and Antique Show: August 7 - 9

Take a drive through the scenic Bitterroot Valley and enjoy the view of mountains and river on your way to ‘Celebrating Ride 38 miles among spectacular scenery and 35 artists in all. The artists are on hand to meet and One of the oldest and largest gun and antique shows in Community’ Darby’s Annual Darby Fun Day that includes mountains and three creeks. answer your questions. Anaconda’s own, Fred Boyer, Montana. There will be antiques, modern rifles, pistols, a 1-mile, 5K, and 12K fun runs (starting at Lake Como), is a nationally recognized sculptor and has been the Visit http://www.york38special.com/ ammunition scopes, binoculars, Winchesters, Colts, parade, community market, live entertainment, evening featured artist at many art shows around the country. His Sharps, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Springfield, dance, kids’ games and events for the whole family. works have frequently won awards for Best of Show and knives, civil war articles, cowboy and Indian artifacts, HELENA Phone: 406-821-3226 People’s Choice. Artwork on display at the Expo varies western artifacts, china, dolls, toys, lamps, jewelry, NWTF Women In The Outdoors: E-mail: julianmmt@blackfoot.net from photography, documentaries, watercolors, acrylics, bead work, books, art, horse bits, spurs, furniture, and September 12 oils and wood and bronze sculptors. Held indoors and The Annual National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) many more related items. Held at the of University of ENNIS outdoors in Anaconda. Phone: 406-563-4596 Montana Adam’s Center. Phone: 406-549-4817 Women in the Outdoors Event will offer a variety of E-mail: kim@westernwishesmt.com Ennis on the Madison Fly Fishing Festival: hands on workshops for women 14 and older. Some of September 4 - 6 MISSOULA the classes being offered are: Canoeing/Kayaking, Fly BOZEMAN Tie one on! Celebrate fly fishing in Ennis. Join an event that Fishing, Spin Fishing, Birding, Water Safety/1st Aide, Annual Montana Knifemaker Show: celebrates fly fishing and the town of Ennis on the Madison Personal Safety/Self Defense, Outdoor Photography, Montana Cowboy Mounted Shooting August 28 - 30 River. The mission of the Ennis on the Madison Fly Fishing and others. Through this event, women from all walks Features custom made knives from all over the United Competition: August 20 - 23 Festival is to create a venue for fly fishermen to meet and Part exhibition, part Wild West show, part competition. of life will be given the opportunity to experience the States and many from Montana. Demonstrations share their wide variety of interests, skills, and concerns Authentic cowboys and cowgirls dressed in 1800s period thrill of outdoor activities, gain knowledge without the featuring forging, sheath making, a question and answer clothing compete on horseback in a timed shooting event related to the sport of fly fishing and to support the Madison fear of intimidation or expectations and have the ability session on the art of custom knife making among River Foundation (MRF). Phone: 406-682-3148 with 45-caliber single-action pistols for real Old West to use materials/equipment necessary with the guidance others. Held at the Holiday Inn Parkside, or visit http://madisonriverfoundation.org entertainment. Concessions, seating and parking is of expert volunteer instructors. The event will include 200 Pattee Street. Phone: 406-543-0845 E-mail: mrfinfo@3rivers.net available. Held at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds in a breakfast and lunch along with a silent auction, door E-mail: GMWKnives@hotmail.com the Rodeo Arena. Phone: 406-763-4456 or visit prizes and raffles. Held at 1497 Sierra Road at Rossiter FORSYTH www.cowboymountedshooting.com School and Sierra Park in Helena. For registration Yellowstone River Duck Festival/Classic Car information call Susan 439-3658 or Cheryl 458-5078.

The Yellowstone River Duck Festival is downtown Forsyth’s biggest event. Check-out the cars! What’s new in microbrew? Come and taste some of Montana’s finest The count occurs from a helicopter platform located microbrew. The first thing to do is adopt a rubber duck for atop the ridge above Bridger Bowl Ski Area, about 25 $10; your duck will be entered in the Duck Race on the miles northeast of Bozeman. The flyway is noted for the largest concentration of Golden Eagles in the lower Yellowstone River, where it can win you a prize from $50 to $1,000. Phone: 406-347-5656 or 48 states, with peak eagle activity (sometimes more than E-mail: forsythchamber@yahoo.com 200 eagles/day) in mid-October. In addition to gathering important scientific data, the Bridger Mountains project GREAT FALLS provides opportunities for the public to learn about the ecology and conservation needs of raptors through State Park Hiking Series: August 22 on-site environmental interpretation.

5:00pm - 8:00pm Phone: 801-484-6808 ext 101 or Take a scenic drive along Kings Hill Scenic Byway and visit www.hawkwatch.org enjoy one of Montana’s true treasures. A Park Ranger will guide a 3 mile hike into Sluice Boxes State Park. Enjoy the BOZEMAN primitive status of this park as nature will surround you.

From Great Falls, MT take Hwy 87/89 east 19 miles to Hwy John Colter Run: September 5 89 junction. Turn right and head south towards Monarch, The John Colter Run at the Missouri Headwater State MT 9 miles to Evans Riceville Rd. You will see the state Park commemorates John Colter’s famous trek across park signs and turn right on the gravel Evans Riceville Rd. Montana. This is a cross country foot race. So, put on your running shoes and join the group for a unique and Take the gravel road about a half-mile and you will see the parking lot past the Riceville Bridge. Dress appropriately fun outdoor activity. Phone: 406-587-4415 for the weather and hike and bring plenty of water. If the or visit www.universalathletic.com weather does not cooperate we will cancel the hike. No charge for event. A Region 4 State Park Hiking Guide will CUT BANK be available. Phone: 406-454-5870 or visit Rendezvous Cut Bank: August 7 - 9 http://fwp.mt.gov/parks/calpark.asp Join the Cut Bank Creek Muzzleloaders for a E-mail: cdantic@mt.gov Rendezvous. Friday and Saturday - Registration Trailwalk - Hunter Course HELENA Sunday - Shoot off - Long Gong - Team Shoot - Prizes Open iron sights only - Patched Round Ball - Three Falls The Montana Wild West Fest: August 8 - 9 is a miss. Breakfast will be served. This is a fun family The Montana Wild West Fest is a two-day celebration of our event and all are welcome to participate Adults - $25.00 frontier history held at the historic Kleffner Ranch, 5 miles Juniors $10.00 - Family $50.00. From Cut Bank: West east of Helena. Events include a Wild West Town, complete on US 2 to the intersection of Secondary 358. Go south with frontier craftsmen, performing arts and entertainment, 1 mile to Raemaker Road and turn left, follow Raemaker wagon rides and good old fashion food as well as western merchandise and quilt show. There is also a Chili Cook-Off Road to the banks of Cut Bank Creek. and Victorian Fashion Show. Phone: 406-458-3700 or Phone: 406-873-3331 visit http://montanalivinghistory.org E-mail: nrduram@hotmail.com

KALISPELL Northwest Montana Arms Collectors Fall Gun Show: September 11 - 13 Large display of guns, antique, and modern and accessories for sale. Custom western jewelry, knives, and art. Held at Flathead County Fairgrounds located on Highway 2 west and Meridian Road, in the Expo building. Phone: 406-755-3980 or E-mail: pswillis@centurytel.net

LEWISTOWN Montana Trappers Association State Convention: September 17 - 20

Gathering of Trappers to show, trade, yearly awards, banquet. Open to all. Trapping demonstrations, contests, fur fashion show, dealer booths offering everything from jewelry to trapping lures. Free fur coat drawing to paid MTA members, 10 prize raffle drawing and auction. Held at the Fergus County Fairgrounds.

Phone: 406-376-3178 or visit www.trapperpredatorcaller.com

LINCOLN Great Grizzly Outdoor Expo: August 22 -23

Come join the fun in Lincoln. Raging In The Rockies Bugling contest, fly fishing seminars, dutch oven cooking demonstrations, 3-D archery shoot, Ducks Unlimited seminars, Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited, barbecue, live music Saturday in the park, vendor booths, and so much more!

It’s all happening in Lincoln.

Phone (406) 461-1243.

EVENTS TO SUPPORT WILDLIFE

Mule Deer Foundation 8/15/2009 Billings Contact: John Wilson (406) 256-4909

8/22/2009 Bozeman, MT Contact: David Rickett (406) 388-0230 8/29/2009 Helena, MT Contact: Judy Dellinger (406) 266-4524

Nat’l Wild Turkey Fed. 08/06/2009 Somers Wild Turkey Gun Bash & Banquet W Montana Longbeards Contact: Frank Brisendine (406) 857 3711

RMEF EVENTS

09/26/09 Harlowtown Upper Musselshell Big Game Banquet Contact: Linda Moe (406) 473-2471 10/03/09 Helena Big Game Banquet Contact: Rick Donaldson (406) 439-4905

AUGUST 2009

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 19

Early Season Tree Stand Set-up

Get Close In With

NEAL COTE, BITEMEFLIES

W

ith the fall archery deer season opening in September, now is one of the best times for bow hunters to do their preseason scouting. Your scouting must be done, well, early! In Montana, hunters should begin looking over their perspective hunting grounds in July and no later than August.

Location, location, location During this time, scouting should be done at a distance, early in the morning and late in the afternoon by glassing fields where deer are feeding.

Many bucks during this time are going to still be in bachelor groups and should be slipping into late summer feeding patterns.

Good optics are necessary tools that will help you by keeping a good distance from the deer, and will ensure that spooking deer will be kept to a minimum. Watching where and when deer enter a specific field will be critical information. Keeping a small log book and writing down all of the particulars on a certain buck will defiantly put you inside his comfort zone when choosing stand locations.

Studying topographical maps and aerial photographs is the next best way to identify potential stand locations by studying food sources and likely bedding areas as well as funnels, openings, ridge tops and valleys. What influences the deer’s decision making process the most is food. Find their preferred food source, and the deer won’t be far away. This is the constant for most of the season, because the does will always be where the food is, and as the season progresses, the bucks will follow.

Now that you have your scouting notes, locate an area that’s rich with trails and deer sign that you have picked out from observation. Notice where trails intersect, and find the smaller, less traveled trails. These are usually used by more mature bucks. Optimally, you’ll want to locate a tree that’s downwind of the trail, as your scent will alert the deer to your presence. Find a tree or trees that are far enough away to help with camouflage, but close enough for you to make an easy shot. Also, make sure the tree is rugged enough to handle your stand, and if possible, is surrounded by brush and other cover.

Ask yourself if you can access this spot without alerting that buck of your presence? If you have the best stand location, but the buck watches you walk to it from his bedding location, you will likely never see him, as he will now have you patterned just like you patterned him for the last few weeks! Morning stands will be set differently than evening stands so you can get to them without having to travel though the feeding areas. They are usually set closer to bedding areas, with more attention to wind direction.

The Set Up Now that you have your trees picked, the best way I know of getting up to the right treestand height are tree steps.

In some places, especially public lands, screw-in steps are not allowed, so strap-on steps could be used instead. Some steps I’ve found to be easier to screw-in to a tree than others. I’ve used the Ameristep Grizzly steps with much success. They are not difficult to screw into a tree with one hand while steadying yourself with the other hand. I know that the farther you twist the step into the tree, the harder they become to turn, but make sure those steps are solid. You don’t want them coming out while you’re stepping on them! This happened to me once when I was climbing up into a treestand and I can tell you from my reaction upon getting one of the other steps stuck through my hunting shirt and bruising a few ribs that I do not want it to happen again. If I had been a little less lucky, I might of gotten a punctured lung and never gotten out!

If the tree you choose as “the one” has limbs lower than where you want your treestand, you’ll have to take a little extra time in moving your safety belt up the tree with you as you screw in more steps to get where you want to be, and it is well worth the few extra minutes. A safety belt that has a clip of some sort is the most helpful in maneuvering up the tree while WEARING the safety belt. Trying to hold on to the tree and get your stands strap or chain hooked up without a safety belt is asking to get in trouble. Some of you will also have the option of taking a small hand saw and going “full on lumber jack,” changing the tree until it looks like a telephone pole. I would recommend not doing so, as it cuts down cover, among other things.

How high is best? I like to be 12 to 15 feet. The higher you go, the less vital area you have to shoot at and positioning your body for a good shot is much harder.

Remember, the easier the shot, the better.

Now that you have worked your way up the tree, you need first to decide how you want to get the stand up there.

There are many ways, but only a few that I consider to be really safe. I think the safest way to get your stand up is to tie one end of a rope to the stand and the other end to your safety belt and pull it up, just like you pull up your bow and pack.

Make sure the stand has the chain or strap wrapped around it and fastened or you will have one mighty racket while you’re pulling that thing up. This is especially true with chain-attach stands. I can just see the local monster buck in the area thinking to himself: “Oh crap, Mr. Expert is putting up another stand. Let’s not go that way from now on, how does the west field look?” One other way you could get the stand up is to strap it to your back. You (continued on page 26)

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Clark Fork River (continued from page 15) -Harvesting bull trout or kokanee is illegal, and will be investigated by a conservation officer. Know how to properly identify fish.

-Your signature is required. Anglers will not be paid if slips are not signed!

How To Check Your Fish In -Please clean your fish on the lake – not on the dock or the freezer!

-Leave the head of the rainbow or lake trout in the drop-off freezer, not the whole fish. You may put multiple fish heads in one bag.

-Ziploc bags, water-proof slips and pencils are provided at freezer locations.

-Fill out your name, mailing address, phone number, Idaho fishing license number and date of birth on one slip for each bag. You must sign the data slip to be eligible for the cash reward.

-Put the bag through the small hatch door in the freezer and close the door.

-A headless carcass is legal, so long as the tail is attached, by a special exemption from the Fish and Game Commission.

Normally it is not legal to

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have a trout, bass, salmon or steelhead (any fish with a length limit) in the field or in transit without the head attached.

Fish Head Freezer Locations *Holiday Shores Marina - Ellisport Bay *Hope Marine Services - Ellisport Bay *Anchor Gas - Garfield Bay *Hudson’s Bay Marina - Bayview *IDFG Field Research Station - Bayview *IDFG Regional Office - Coeur d’Alene Checks will be mailed to anglers twice a month. Be sure to fill out the angler information slip properly.

There you have it! So, while you are driving along the Clark Fork on that summer trip and think that you have little or no chance of breaking up your vacation with a little swimming, camping, rafting or fishing....well think again! The Clark Fork has just what you have been looking for.

he Steelhead are already showing up on the lower stretch of Idaho’s Clearwater River, and with this first push of smaller and very aggressive A-run fish comes the knowledge that their monster B- run cousins are not far behind! Time to begin the preparation and planning for another season to be spent harassing and capturing these majestic creatures.

For a lot of Steelheaders this will mean purchasing monster foot long bobbers, huge weights, and heavy lines to spool truck-wench sized reels that will rest on broom stick thick rods. After watching this practice year after year and seeing the marginal success it brings folks I say “lighten up!”

As a fifth generation Montana native who lives for Steelheading, I appreciate the fact that you guy’s have not only sacrificed a lot of time and money to be here doing a sport you love and that your dollars help out a local economy that greatly needs it. So I urge you to expect more from your trips. Just because the ten guys next to you are only pulling a fish or two a day out of the water does not mean you have to do the same. I consistently hear some pretty colorful language on the banks of this amazing river and I love it!

Want to know why? It’s because I’m on fish number 15 and the twenty guys next to me have collectively landed a total of about half that. Then to top it off I probably just showed up a couple of hours ago when they have been fishing since the Booty-Crack of dawn (It’s a wonder why I haven’t been stabbed). This is a common occurrence for me and the people I fish with. Here’s why, we use much lighter gear, simple as that.

Lighter lines, smaller bobbers, and much more delicate presentations consistently help me take more fish than the average Joe. I know what you’re thinking, “isn’t lighter gear harder on the fish because of long exhausting fights?” The answer is-not if you are using the proper

gear. A long (10 to 13 ft) Medium-light action rod as well as a silky smooth and reasonably fast reel are the keys to this type of fishing. The longer rod and smooth reel not only make the fight easier on the fish, but they allow you to cast lighter weights farther and use much lighter lines (8 to 10 pound test). Shop around and you can find rods and reels that fit the bill for under a hundred dollars each, or you can spend a thousand. I tend to use the former and even though I don’t like to plug gear or companies here are a few names and models to consider as a starting point, Pfleuger-Medalist reels and W.W.Grigg-GX1006LS or Gx10MLS rods, we have used and abused these products and found that for the price they perform quite well. There are also some amazing things happening in the world of center pin float rods and reels, and this gear is worth a serious look as well.

Now, what goes on the business end? This is where an open mind and out side the box thinking can pay off. Needless to say you start with a small Float just big enough to see and keep your smaller presentation up and moving (2 to 5 inch slip style or attached depending on water depth and tackle weight.). But what goes under that? Well with out giving away all my secrets, I’ll just say good things can happen with tandem rigs. We borrow a lot of our rigging ideas from our fly fishing experience and will often use this fishing style to present harder to reach fish with the same proven patterns we use on our spey rods. There are no limits, and remember if the if the ten guys next to you are using pink jigs with little success then try something different; perhaps something as simple as adding a Green Butted Skunk or flossing a bead three to four feet above that jig. (Diagram A) You might even try going as far as using long multi fly nymphing rig.

(Diagram B) Really, the possibilities are endless. So use your imagination and you may reap the rewards of being ahead of the crowd in method and better yet, hook-ups!

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Fishing With The Captain

ABSOLUTELY FACTORY INCENTIVES INSANE Going On Now On New Boats!

CRESTLINER

Mark Ward

I

like to travel from border to border in Montana throughout the year.

And, typically, I’m in a hurry to get to a fishing spot, hunting area or some event.

On these trips, I saw all the signs promoting museums and points of interest along the way, but never took the time to stop at them.

Last month was different. I had Maris, my nine-year-old daughter and William, my six-year-old son with me.

See page 34 for their photo.

The idea for the trip started with young William’s fascination with dinosaurs. He loves learning about them and I kept telling him that I would take him to the Fort Peck Interpretive Center that features a life size mount of T-Rex, a huge tyrannosaurus rex.

The town of Fort Peck is about 550 miles away from Missoula, so in between I thought it would be fun to stop into some of those places along the way that caught our interest.

So on last Tuesday afternoon, we started our journey along Highway 200. First stop was the Wolfkeep Wildlife Sanctuary. Located right across the Blackfoot River corridor off mile marker 11, only 16 miles from Missoula. I can’t tell you how many times I have driven by wondering what the place was all about.

So we saw live wolves for the first time in Montana and after 30 minutes, we headed down the road.

Next stop was just outside Lincoln where you can see a full-body mount of a 12-year-old, male, 830-pound, eight-foot-tall grizzly bear that was killed when it got hit by a pickup truck in 2007.

Next stop the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls. A one-hour anticipated stay turned into over three hours as we learned about their great journey, which also included how to start a fire without the aid of matches and how to make rope out of Indian Hemp.

Our travels took an unexpected detour as we decided to stop into Fort Benton and toured the Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument Interpretive Center. There we learned about steamboats and the animals that call that region their home.

Then we stopped at the Museum of the Upper Missouri just down the street and read about Twenty Tall Tales that were informative and entertaining.

It was on to Havre and the interesting guided Havre Beneath the streets, the City under the City Tour.

That night we camped at Beaver Creek Reservoir south of Havre 10 miles.

We pitched a tent and shore fished.

The next day it was down Highway 2 with stops in Malta at Phillips County Museum and Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Field Station located right next to each other. Down the road on Highway 2 was Nelson Reservoir where the kids played on shore for about an hour and then we were off to Fort Peck.

When we made it to Fort Peck we found the Fort Peck Interpretive Center to be fascinating. The next couple of nights we stayed at a cabin in the Pines area of Fort Peck owned by our friends Ted and Joy Toavs of Wolf Point.

Ted took us fishing the next day and we enjoyed catching walleye, bass, and even a carp. The next day we toured the Fort Peck Dam Powerhouse and headed back home on less-traveled highways that take you such metro towns as Judith Gap and Martinsdale.

We saw the wind farm south of Judith Gap where electric generating windmills stand tall as far as the eyes can see.

Out last stop was the Old Montana State Prison self guided tour in Deer Lodge.

In the course of our travels we found out first-hand some of the reasons Montana is the Last Best Place and as a added bonus it cost less than $500 which included the cost of gas, food, and lodging, made possible by the use of a tent and Montana hospitality along the way. I don’t know who had more fun on this trip my kids or me. We are already planning our next adventure of fishing and exploring Montana.

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. You can also read his weekly column in the Thursday Missoulian Outdoor section.

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 21

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Strong Fort Peck Walleye Spawn Aids Stocking MFWP

B

iologists took a near-record number of walleye eggs from Fort Peck Reservoir this year, which translates to large numbers of larval fry and fingerlings being available for stocking.

“The 2009 walleye spawning operation on Fort Peck Reservoir went extremely well,” said lead biologist Heath Headley. “In contrast to 2008’s relatively small egg-take, we surpassed this year’s goal of 80 million eggs. In fact, the final tally this year was 131 million eggs, which were collected in only a week and a half.”

Headley said that typical Fort Peck walleye spawning operations last throughout the month of April. But this year late ice cover prevented crews from getting out early. As it turned out, however, this spring’s gradual warming was very beneficial.

“This warming trend came at a critical time in April, as this is when we see a majority of the walleye spawning activity occur in the Big Dry Arm of Fort Peck Reservoir,” Headley said. “An increase in reservoir elevation also played an important role by allowing us to place our trap nets over a larger stretch of the reservoir to find suitable netting areas.”

Headley said FWP staff and volunteers were able to concentrate all of the nets within a one-mile area near McGuire Creek on the reservoir’s eastern shore.

“This near-record egg-take resulted in a good number of walleye fry (larval stage fish) being released back into Fort Peck Reservoir,” he explained.

The total number of fry released this year was 45.6 million from both the Fort Peck and Miles City fish hatcheries.

In addition to the walleye fry, larger walleye fingerlings are now being stocked throughout Fort Peck Reservoir. Headley said it’s still too early to know the total number of fingerlings being released this year as most are still in the hatchery rearing ponds.

“The number of fingerlings harvested from these rearing ponds greatly depends on the plankton production, which serves as the primary food source for these fry walleye,” Headley said. “It is quite comparable to growing crops. If the ponds experience warm conditions early on, plankton production can be really good. This means better growth and survival for the small walleye.”

So far there have been more than 500,000 fingerlings released back into Fort Peck Reservoir. If all goes right, many more will soon be on the way.

“It is important for anglers to understand that a good stocking or even a good reproduction year doesn’t always mean that the catch will be good in the upcoming years,” he said. “Those smaller fish still have to grow and survive through their first couple of year before anglers start to notice them on the end of their lines. But the good news is that the water level of Fort Peck Reservoir has come up seven feet since April, and that is definitely a step in the right direction.”

Headley said this additional increase in water levels means that shoreline vegetation around the entire reservoir will be flooded. That provides a greater amount of cover, as well as a wider array of food items for growing young walleye to eat.

22 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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AUGUST 2009

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Mariah, Age 12 “First Elk. Photo sent in by proud Grandma, Kathy Ferrari”

Brandon Frey of Missoula “Awesome Pronghorn on a Snowy Day” Nicole, Age 12 “First Mule Deer”

on Dream Hunt With Dad In South Africa “Beautiful Impala Ram”

Ryan Kibler, Butte “Missouri River Early Spring Fly-Fishing. Catch-n-release”

Bruce Fox with Daughter Jesse “Goat hunt in the Crazy Mountains, latter part of September.”

Penny Roy “Never Too Late.

1st Elk at Age 65.”

Collin Griffiths “Clearwater Steelhead”

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS TO BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE e-mail: bigskyoutdoornews@yahoo.com or mail to: 5625 Jeffery Lane, Lolo, MT. 59847

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AUGUST 2009

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 23

August Antelope Hunting

BY JOE ESPARZA the owner of SportsmensAccess.com, a membership website that provides members with a comprehensive database and mapping service in the state of Montana for hunting and fishing on public and private land.

Time to judge trophy quality

L

iving in Montana provides me with many things I’m grateful for, one of which is being able to chase antelope anywhere in the state with a bow in August! Aside from being one of the most enjoyable hunts I do each year, there are some reasons why this is one of my favorite hunts.

Antelope are in bachelor groups If you find one buck antelope during this time of the year, it is highly likely that you will find more than just one. Last year on the first day I was hunting, I saw over 30 bucks. They were in two groups of 16 and 15. Finding the bucks in groups like this let’s you very quickly sum up the trophy quality in the area. Later during the rifle season where pressure disperses the animals, it could take you two to three days to look over all the bucks in your hunting area. In addition, the pressure keeps these bucks moving so it’s tough to know if you’ve counted bucks that you might have seen earlier in the day.

Little to no pressure Last year I hunted a pasture that was three miles wide and seven miles long. I had approximately 21 square miles to hunt. The great thing was that I was the only one there! Because there was no pressure, the bucks I would see moved very little from one area to the other. They might move off to water, but without pressure their patterns were very predictable. During the three days I hunted, I saw no other hunter afield. What I did see were lots and lots of unpressured buck antelope. If I remember right, my totally tally of bucks in those three days was over 60.

Lots of game During this time of the year there is so much game to see: prairie dogs, sage grouse, coyotes, eagles, hawks, deer, and of course, antelope. I was able to closely scrutinize each buck and was able to plan multiple stalks every day. I usually average six stalks per day.

Seeing so many unpressured antelope makes it easier to judge the trophy quality of the antelope you are looking at. With your spotting scope, you have plenty of time to check out prong length, horn diameter or mass, and overall horn length. Here are some tips to remember when sizing up trophy antelope bucks: oLook for bucks that have horns that are roughly double the length of their ears.

The ears vary on pronghorns and are usually in the five to six inch range. oUse the eye ball as a way to judge the bucks mass. The eye ball on antelope is approximately two inches across. Many trophy antelope have base measurements of six inches or better. Use this two inch measurement to judge that mass of the antelope bucks you are spotting. oFinally, for the prong, you are looking for antelope that have at least three inches extending from the front edge of the horn.

You can use the ear length or distance across the eyeball to approximate this measurement.

More time in September for Elk

It’s really fun to hunt rutting antelope in September; however, it’s hard to pass up chasing bugling elk in the woods, too. For me it’s always nice to get my buck antelope on the ground and in the freezer in August so I can have more time chasing big bulls in the high country.

Provides a warm-up to the bow season The final reason for why the 900 series antelope hunt is such a great hunt is it gives me a goal to focus on and warm-up for the fall bow season. I can check out new equipment, broadheads, different arrows or releases. I also increase my shooting practice to be ready for the shots that are presented to me this fall.

Being out at this time of the year also is invaluable for helping me practice estimating distances.

The hunt I am describing requires a 900 series archery antelope tag. This year Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks will issue 5,600 of these archery antelope tags.

This is the first year FWP has put a quota on the number of 900 licenses sold. If you are drawn, you can hunt any region in the state, but only with a bow and arrow.

Hunters who draw this tag cannot use the tag with a rifle. If you didn’t put this year mark it on your calendar for next year to apply before June 1. Hopefully, this year I’ll be able to draw the tag again.

Shoot Straight,

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Hay Storage Strategies Can Reduce Crop Damage

BY RON SELDEN, MFWP

F

armers and ranchers now putting up hay can help reduce depredation by making stackpiles and haystacks less desirable to big game animals.

“One thing that seems to work is putting the lowest-quality hay, which usually includes most first cuttings, or straw on the outside of the stack or storage area,” said FWP Region 6 Warden Capt. Mike Herman.

“If you put your best hay deeper on the inside, it’s better protected from deer, elk or antelope.

Doubling up bales also can help because it makes stacks taller and harder to access. But we also realize that some producers have concerns about fires in

tightly stacked hay.”

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks can provide a limited amount of free supplies and materials to help eligible landowners protect hay and other crops from game damage. One of the eligibility requirements is that the landowner allows a reasonable level of free public access for hunting.

Applications for game damage materials can be obtained through any FWP office. In Region 6, offices are located at 54078 U.S. Highway 2 West in Glasgow; phone (406) 228-3700 and at 5165 U. S. Highway 2 East in Havre. The phone number in Havre is (406) 265-6177.

24 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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AUGUST 2009

Hunting And Conservation News Hunting & Conservation News Proudly Sponsored By

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Hunter Education Courses Scheduled For Libby And Kalispell MFWP Libby: Registration for the Libby Hunter Education class is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, 6:30-8 p.m. at the Libby Middle School Library. Classes will be held at the Libby Middle School Library from 6:30-9 p.m. on August 17-21; the field course is scheduled for August 24, 5 p.m.

Contact: Challis Crismore, 293-4562.

Kalispell: Registration for the Hunter Education Course in Kalispell is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, beginning at 9 a.m. and running until 3 p.m. at the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks headquarters on North Meridian Road. Classes will be held 6-9 p.m. at Flathead High School on September 14, 15, 16, and 17. The field course is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, and the test night is Monday, September 21. An adult course will follow the same schedule.

For more information call FWP at 752-5501.

All hunter education classes are free of charge and open to hunters and non-hunters alike. By state law, anyone born after January 1, 1985, must have completed the Hunter Education Course to buy a hunting license in Montana. The minimum age for hunting in Montana is 12. At registration, a parent or guardian must accompany students under 18 to sign the registration form.

Fall Hunter Education Course Set For Great Falls MFWP

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egistration will be 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sept. 8; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 9-11, at the Region 4 Fish, Wildlife and Parks office, 4600 Giant Springs Road. A parent or guardian must accompany each student 17 or younger to co-sign the registration card and liability release.

Classes will be 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sept. 14, 16, 17, 21, 23, 24 and 28 at East Middle School, 4040 Central Ave. A field day test will take place Sept. 26.

At registration, the parent or guardian will be asked to select a morning or afternoon time for the student on field day.

By state law, everyone born after Jan. 1, 1985, must complete a hunter education course before they can hunt in Montana.

For more information on this or any other course in north central Montana contact the FWP office in Great Falls, 454-5840.

FWP Seeks Public Comment On Recent Commission Actions MFWP Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on the 2009 early season migratory bird hunting regulations and on projects that would receive non-game tax check-off funds.

The tentative 2009 early season migratory bird hunting regulations approved by the FWP Commission at its July 8 meeting are the same as those in 2008 except for the following: Proposed season dates for the Rocky Mountain population of sandhill cranes for hunting with permits obtained in a special drawing would be Sept. 5-20.

Proposed season dates for mid-continent Sandhill Cranes would be Sept. 26-Nov. 22. Dillon/Twin Bridges/Cardwell special drawn permits would increase from 50 to 75.

Each permitted hunter would have a two-crane bag limit.

FWP Commissioners also tentatively accepted a proposal to fund several projects using non-game tax check-of dollars.

-An assessment of wildlife habitats targeted for future conservation.

-An inventory of rare and declining species.

-Loon conservation in northwestern Montana.

-Statewide bald eagle monitoring to track numbers and productivity.

-Statewide peregrine falcon monitoring to track numbers and productivity at historical nest sites.

-Publication of the “Birds of Montana,” a guide to the more than 400 species, and the “Montana Bird Distribution” book, a field guide that shows where bird species can be found in Montana.

Comments must be received

by Aug. 7 at 5 p.m. and may be sent to: FWP – Wildlife Division, Attn: Public Comment, P. O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701. To submit comments on the Internet go to the FWP Web page at fwp.mt.gov and click on the Hunting page.

Two Glasgow Youths Sentenced In Poaching Case MFWP

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wo Glasgow youths have been sentenced in Valley County Justice Court for illegally killing and abandoning five pronghorn antelope south of town last month.

Sawyer J. Hillman, 16, and Dillon T. Pankratz, 13, were driving around hunting gophers just outside Glasgow during the middle of the day on June 7 when they encountered the antelope on private land and started shooting. When the firing stopped, two bucks and three does lay dead. Each of the does had nursing fawns. All of the animals were left in fields.

Thanks to alert area landowners and other information, Region 6 Warden Sgt. Shane Reno and Glasgow-based Warden Ron Howell were able to quickly track down the boys for questioning. The youths were charged after confessing to the illegal acts.

Both Hillman and Pankratz were sentenced last week on five misdemeanor counts each of hunting during a closed season and five misdemeanor counts each of waste and abandon of a game animal.

Justice of the Peace Linda Hartsock ordered each of the boys to serve 24 months of juvenile probation, perform 100 hours of community service, pay $500 in restitution and $350 in surcharges, and complete a remedial hunter education program. In addition, both Hillman and Pankratz lost their hunting and fishing privileges for 24 months.

“We’re investigating these types of cases almost constantly all along the Hi-Line from Havre to Glasgow,” Howell said. “These big game animals belong to the public, and we set seasons and quotas to manage and protect them. Taking them out of season and leaving them to rot is a slap in the face to law-abiding hunters, as well as to all of our citizens.”

Howell asked that landowners and others keep a sharp eye out for unusual activity and suspicious people acting strangely in outlying areas.

“We can use all the help we can get to bring more of these poachers to justice,” he said. “Please call us if you see something that doesn’t look right.”

AUGUST 2009

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 25

Hunting And Conservation News Deer Hunting Montana Sets At Marias River Wolf-Hunt State Park And Quota At 75 MFWP WMA MFWP Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission set the state’s first wolf hunting season quota at 75 The FWP Commission recently regulated wolves today leading officials to say the approved a limited-access deer hunt at Montana’s new Marias River State Park and Wildlife Management Area, southwest of Shelby.

Hunters have until August 7th to apply online or by mail. Applications are available at all FWP regional offices or via the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov. Click Marias Deer Hunt Access.

“At meetings last winter, area residents stated their preference for a limit on the number of hunters using the new property,” says Gary Olson, FWP wildlife biologist.

Access to the new Marias River State Park and Wildlife Management Area will be allocated as follows: Archery Season - Sept. 5-Oct. 18, 2009 · 10 archers for the first 2 weeks · 10 archers for the 3rd and 4th weeks · 10 archery hunters for 5th and 6th weeks General Season - Oct. 25-Nov. 15, 2009 · 10 rifle hunters for the 1st week · 10 rifle hunters for the 2nd week · 10 rifle hunters for the 3rd and final week Each of the 60 hunters randomly drawn will be notified by letter of their access. Public access remains open for all other species - antelope, birds and fishing.

Maps of the property and general area rules are available online or at FWP’s Region 4 office in Great Falls.

For more information call the FWP Region 4 office at (406) 454-5840.

Points to remember: · Hunter may apply only once per year. · Hunters may apply for either the archery season or the general rifle season, but not both. · No party applications accepted. · Hunt periods will be allotted at the time of drawing and are not transferable. · Hunters must include their full name, address, phone number, ALS number and desired hunt method (archery or rifle) on the application. · Successful applicants will be contacted with hunt access information and authorized permission before the start of archery season. · Successful applicants may use any deer license valid in Hunting District 406. · All hunting will conform to regulations for hunting district 406, which has a three-week deer season.

historic decision represents a victory for wildlife conservation in Montana and for the often maligned federal Endangered Species Act. “Today, we can celebrate the fact that Montana manages elk, deer, bears, mountain lions, ducks, bighorn sheep, and wolves in balance with their habitats, other species, and in balance with the people who live here,” said FWP Director Joe Maurier. “ Montanans have worked hard to recover the Rocky Mountain wolf and to integrate wolves into Montana’s wildlife management programs. That’s always been the promise of the Endangered Species Act and we’re pleased so see it fulfilled here in Montana.”

Commissioners approved a harvest quota of 75 wolves across three wolf management units. For northwestern Montana, the commission approved a quota of 41, with a subquota of two in the North Fork of the Flathead River area; a quota of 22 was approved for western Montana; and a quota of 12 in southwestern Montana.

“Montana’s approach is by definition open, balanced, scientific and cautious,” Maurier said. “The quota of 75 wolves is conservative and respectful because it limits the total number of wolves that can be taken by hunters and it ensures that FWP can carefully monitor the population before, during, and after the hunting season to examine how the population responds.”

Wolf hunting-season dates correspond to Montana’s early back-country big game hunting season, which runs Sept.

15 through Nov. 29; and the big game rifle season set for Oct. 25 through Nov. 29.

Hunting licenses will cost $19 for residents and $350 for nonresidents. License sales are set to begin Aug 17.

“The people of Montana have done their part to make sure that wolves have a place to live and we owe Montanans our thanks,” Maurier said. “FWP, too, is well prepared to manage and conserve the wolf as part of Montana’s wildlife stewardship responsibilities.”

Officials caution, however, that the wolf hunting season could be blocked by groups that recently sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent wolf delisting. Such legal challenges prevented wolf delisting and a hunting season last year and could affect the sale of wolf

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The 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 northern Rockies’ “metapopulation” is comprised of wolf populations in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Today, about 1,645 wolves, with about 95 breeding pairs, live in the region, where wolves can travel about freely to join existing packs or form new packs.

This, combined with wolf populations in Canada and Alaska, assures genetic diversity.

In Montana, officials estimate that 497 wolves, in 84 verified packs, and 34 breeding pairs inhabited the state at the end of 2008.

Delisting allows Montana to manage wolves in a manner similar to how bears, mountain lions and other wildlife species are managed, guided completely by state management plans and laws.

FWP Awards Shooting Range Grants MFWP M

FWP recently awarded more than $300,000 in grants to enhance shooting-range facilities in several communities. FWP administered the shooting range grants program since 1989 using funds generated by hunting license sales.

Shooting-range grants were awarded to the: Broadwater Rod & Gun Club Butte Trap Club Central Montana Shooting Complex Denton Rod & Gun Club Fallon County Shooting Range Glasgow Fish & Wildlife Assoc. Trap Range Great Falls Shooting Sports Complex Havre Trap Club Hellgate Civilians-Deep Creek Rang Hellgate Civilians-West River Range Lewis & Clark County 4-H Mission Valley Shooting Club Rudyard Trap Club Valley County Rifle & Pistol Western Montana Fish & Game Whittecar Rifle & Pistol, Hamilton

26 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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AUGUST 2009

Early Season Tree Stand Set-up (continued from page 19) have to do much more moving around to get it off your back once the time has come for you to install it on the tree, but if your safety belt is set right, this can be done with little effort.

Okay, now you are up to the height you want, and now you need to get on with the setting-up before your legs give out from standing on those tree steps forever. The best thing I can tell you to do is to put in two tree steps at the same height right below where you want your stand for you to stand on while you’re attaching the stand. Then, position your safety belt in such a manner that you can relax and lean back on it and it will still hold you in position so you can do your work hands free of the tree. After this is done, all you need to do is put the stand up, being as careful as possible not to bring it into contact with tree limbs, metal tree steps and other things that will make noise. Once again, the need for quiet is important, unless you’re setting your stand up a month or two before the season starts. I try to be as quiet as possible even well before the season, as it is good practice if I have to move stands during the season.

Once you have attached your stand, step down onto it from the climbing steps. Trying to pull yourself up onto the stand may dislodge it. I will add a second friction strap on the base of the platform to keep it from kicking out. Once the stand is attached, carefully put your weight onto the stand, making sure you are always attached to the tree. Trim away any limbs or branches that will be in the way of your bow as you move for a shot. Don’t go “full on lumber jack” and cut every branch in reach, remove just enough so you can turn around with your bow and draw it without hitting anything. The more that you can leave, the better hidden you will be from that buck.

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Smaller screw in hangers that are plastic coated for silence are also great for hanging binos, calls, and your pack close at hand.

Make sure to attach a pull up rope to your stand for getting your bow and pack up to you. I always bring a spare one in my pack as well, just in case. If you are hunting public areas, a lock and cable for your stand can be very important. I have had some less than enjoyable trips into the woods and looked up in the darkness to find that my well placed stand is now placed somewhere else. Yes, I can hear you all grumbling now, there are still many people out there that feel the need to take other people’s things, and you know who you are. Just remember, what comes around goes around.

Scent Control In hunting areas that see medium to heavy pressure, the deer associate human odor with danger and give the hunter very little leeway for mistakes. Deer in areas with light hunting pressure are less conditioned to that association, and lapses in scent control won’t have the same consequences.

When you are out hunting, and you think “I am sitting facing the wind so I don’t need to worry about all that scent control stuff”, think about all the area downwind of you that is being polluted with your scent.

Mature whitetails learn to rely on their noses more than any other sense. A whitetail deer’s nose is to him what eyes are to humans, and he trusts what he smells more than any of his other senses. You can get away with many other things, but if he smells you, it will be over.

It is impossible to go totally undetected by a whitetail’s nose. So what we must do if we want to consistently arrow a mature whitetail deer is practice scent control. This means minimizing the amount of foreign odors we take into the woods with us. I see people make mistakes all the time that may ruin their hunt before they even step foot in the woods, most without even knowing it. Some of these things include wearing your hunting boots while you are pumping gas or wearing your hunting clothes to do anything other than go into the woods.

Certain things may never cross your mind, or seem harmless, such as warming up your truck while it is backed up to an open garage door. While you are inside waiting for a warm truck, exhaust fumes are steadily pumping into the garage, either absorbing into the hunting clothes you’re wearing as you walk through, or into the clothes and accessories you have laying around. These odors will serve as major alarms to a whitetail deer, especially a mature whitetail deer. A mature deer will detect these foreign odors much further away than you can imagine and slip away in the other direction without you ever knowing he is on the planet.

Take a scent free shower before each trip to the woods, including scouting. Use scent-free soap, shampoo and deodorant. Wash all hunting clothes, bags and undergarments in scent-free detergent.

I also use scent away dryer sheets. Take your clothes out of the dryer and directly into the scent-safe bag. Keep all clothing in scent-safe bags, including undergarments, boots, hats, and packs. Only remove them when you are ready to put them on to go into the woods. Be sure to spray yourself thoroughly with a scent-eliminating spray, heavily coating your boots. Don’t forget to spray your pack. I also spray anything inside the pack and all my equipment.

If you follow these steps you will see many more deer this season, and avoid dangerous situations that are associated with hunting out of tree stands.

AUGUST 2009

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Rocky Mountain States Find 2009 Colorado Big Game Bear Who Bit 2009 Return Of Hunting Early Elk Guides On Line Seasons Open In Hunter Located The Redfish August The first Redfish Lake sockeye NA is a powerful tool.

D unters who stalk big game H salmon of 2009 returned to the Sawtooth Preliminary results of saliva from Some early elk hunts open in western Colorado can find valuable information in the 2009 hunting guides that are now posted on the Colorado Division of Wildlife web site.

The 2009 versions of Big Game Hunting in Northwest Colorado and Big Game Hunting in Southwest Colorado can be found in the “Hunting” section at http://wildlife. state.co.us.

Included in the guides are hunting statistics from the 2008 seasons, hunting tips, regulation advisories, important dates, phone numbers for DOW and federal agency offices, descriptions of terrain, hunting outlook information and more. The Northwest Guide also includes information on bear and moose hunting.

Hunters can also obtain printed versions of the guide. For the Northwest guide, send an e-mail with your mailing address to: Randy.hampton@state.co.us, or call (970)255-6162; for the Southwest guide, joe.lewandowski@state.co.us, or call (970)375-6708.

August 1, most of them antlerless “green-field” hunts.

The early “green-field” hunts in six elk management zones - Palouse, Salmon, Lemhi, Beaverhead and Pioneer zones - are meant to help landowners reduce crop damage.

Early archery and any-elk hunts also start August 1 in the Snake River elk zone.

The green-field hunts are open only outside the National Forest Boundary and within one mile of cultivated fields.

They help reduce depredation problems and control populations causing crop damage by harvesting or discouraging animals in specific areas or portions of units.

August hunts, however, bring concerns about waste. Hunters have an ethical and legal obligation to salvage the edible portions of their kill. But meat spoilage is an important concern during typical hot August weather.

The key to preserving meat is starting the cooling process quickly.

Game animals should be skinned immediately and quartered in most cases and transported quickly to cold storage facilities. Early season hunters may consider using large ice chests to keep game meat cool and clean. Removing meat from the bones also helps speed cooling.

When cutting up the elk carcass, hunters must be sure to preserve the evidence of sex. If the head or antlers are removed, evidence of sex in the form of testicles, penis, scrotum, udder or vulva must remain naturally attached to the carcass or parts thereof until it reaches the final place of storage or personal consumption, or a commercial meat processing facility. Antlers or horns removed from the head must be left naturally attached to the skull plate where size, point or brow-tine restrictions apply, and they must accompany the carcass or parts thereof.

Hunters must have a valid 2009 Idaho hunting license and tag in their possession, and they are encouraged to review the 2009 Big Game Rules for additional details.

one of the bite marks where a female grizzly bear bit a hunter on June 28 returned a match to a radio-collared grizzly with three cubs.

The hunter was one of three eastern Idaho black bear hunters who got an unpleasant surprise on the morning of June 28 when their hounds surrounded a female grizzly with cubs.

The bear took after the hunters, knocked down Keith Klingler, 38 of Idaho Falls, bit him on the right arm and tossed him around. His brother, Eric Klingler dug his .44-caliber Magnum handgun out of his pack and took a shot at the bear, deliberately firing high to avoid hitting his brother.

He may have missed or only inflicted a flesh wound. A scheduled Idaho Fish and Game grizzly bear monitoring flight in early July in the same area located the collared bear and her three young cubs. All four appeared fine, said Daryl Meints, regional wildlife manager for the Upper Snake Region of Idaho Fish and Game.

Keith Klingler was treated at Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg for lacerations to his right arm. He had no other apparent injuries.

The Klingler brothers and Corey Raichart, all three from the Idaho Falls area, were hunting black bears with hounds on Bishop Mountain near Harriman State Park. They released their hounds on a scent, and the dogs soon surrounded what the men thought was a black bear. When they arrived, they quickly realized they had a grizzly.

The hunters reported seeing two cubs with the female grizzly. None of them noticed whether the bear was wearing a radio-collar.

Fish and Game officials will continue weekly monitoring from the air, but they do not plan to track the bear on the ground unless they get a mortality signal. Officials also recommend that anyone heading into the backcountry carry bear spray.

Valley on Thursday, July 23, 2009.

Two female sockeye salmon were captured in the adult trapping facility located on Redfish Lake Creek by employees of the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery and transported to the Eagle Fish Hatchery for pre-spawn rearing and observation.

The fish were about 22.5 inches in length and weighed 3.85 pounds each.

Fin clips on the adults indicate that these two are likely four-year-old adults from a release group that emigrated from the Sawtooth Valley in the spring of 2007; scales from each fish were taken at the Eagle Fish Hatchery prior to ponding and will later validate the exact age of the fish.

Fish deposit “growth rings” on scales as they age similar to growth rings on a tree.

In addition, genetic samples from a small portion of fin were taken from each female and will be analyzed by geneticists from the Eagle Fish Genetics Laboratory to determine where the fish will go - either release or incorporation into the captive broodstock program at Eagle.

Juvenile sockeye salmon that leave Idaho swim about 900 miles downstream to the Pacific Ocean and usually spend two to three years in the ocean. Adult sockeye begin their upstream migration to Idaho in the spring, typically arriving in the Sawtooth Valley in late July through early September. Sockeye salmon spawn in late September through October over graveled areas of lake shoals with upwelling water flow.

The Redfish Lake sockeye salmon was listed as an endangered species in 1991 and recovery efforts involving state, federal and tribal entities have been underway since this time to preserve genetic resources and prevent the extinction of this precious stock. The Redfish Lake sockeye stock is unique to the Pacific Northwest - noted for being the farthest-migrating sockeye salmon at more than 900 river miles, traveling to an area that is the highest in elevation (7,000 feet above sea-level) As of July 23, a total of 1,157 Snake River sockeye salmon have passed Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, the final dam on the upstream migration.

AUGUST 2009

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 29

Rocky Mountain States Special Sage-grouse A

Hunt Applications Open

pplications for the 2009 Special Sage-Grouse Hunt at Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, in northwest Nevada on the Oregon border, are now available on the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) website at http://www. ndow.org/hunt/apps/.

“The Sheldon Sage-Grouse Hunt is a popular hunt with only 75 reservations available for an early and late season. Last year the department received over 450 applications for the 150 available reservations,” said NDOW game biologist Shawn Espinosa.

The Sheldon hunt will be open for two weekends: Sept. 19-20 and Sept. 26-27. This is a permitted hunt,

with 75 permits awarded by random draw for each hunt. The hunt is open to both residents and nonresidents. The daily limit is two and the possession limit is four for sage-grouse.

Permit applications are available in a paper copy format via the NDOW website (www.ndow.org). Applications must be received by mail or in person by 5 p.m. on August 7, 2009 at the NDOW headquarters office.

Both residents and nonresidents must have an upland game stamp and either a hunting license or short term permit to hunt while hunting upland game in Nevada.

Five Bears Killed In Utah to Five black bears have been *Ifyouryouareagetforneara freea bearmeal.that’sThecoming bear has killed within 12 days in Utah.

The shootings started July 1.

In one of the five cases, a livestock operator shot a bear while trying to protect his cattle. In the other cases, the bears were shot by people who said they felt threatened by the animal.

Wildlife officials are concerned about the shootings. Bears are protected wildlife in Utah, just like deer and elk.

“People don’t appear to be seeing any more bears in Utah this year than they saw last year,” says Justin Dolling, game mammals coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

“And last year, no one outside of our agency shot a bear to protect themselves or others.”

Dolling says there are plenty of things you can do if you encounter a black bear. “Shooting a bear should be a last resort,” he says.

Dolling says black bears are usually more afraid of us than we are of them. That’s the first thing to remember if you see one.

“If a black bear knows you’re in the area, it will probably turn and run away from you as fast as it can,” Dolling says.

Three things can cause a black bear to change its behavior, though: *If you get between a mother bear and her cubs. *If you get between a bear and a dead animal the bear has been feeding on.

probably gotten used to finding a free meal because people have left food out where the bear could get to it. Or they’ve scattered food scraps and other litter around the campsite or the cabin area.

A bear’s drive for a free and easy meal can cause it to lose its fear of people.

If you see a black bear, call the DWR. You can reach the DWR at 1-800-662-DEER (3337) or by calling 911.

“We’ll send one of our officers or biologists to the area immediately,” Dolling says. “He or she will look the situation over and take the best action.”

However, if you can’t call the DWR because you’ve encountered a black bear at close range, Dolling says the best thing to do is stand your ground. Make yourself look as big as possible by holding your arms out. And make a lot of noise.

“Doing these things will usually be enough to intimidate the bear and cause it to turn and leave,” he says.

Dolling says if you are attacked by a bear, be aggressive and fight back.

“Use your fists, your backpack, rocks or anything you can get your hands on,” he says.

Shooting a bear should be a last resort. “If you have a gun and you’re attacked, keep shooting the bear until you’re certain that it’s dead,” Dolling says.

Natrona County Pronghorn Ties State Record A

Michigan hunter will always remember the 2008 pronghorn season in Wyoming when he shot a monster buck to tie the state record.

Mike Wheeler of Manchester, Mich., was on a combo mule deer/pronghorn hunt with a friend who owns 80 acres in Natrona County. The private land borders state and federal public lands. Both men had already had a successful mule deer hunt and stalked a couple antelope but could not get close enough.

On Oct. 3 they saw the trophy antelope on a ridge near Ormsby Road.

Wheeler’s friend was tired so Wheeler pursued the buck on his own. He finally harvested the animal on BLM land. This was Wheeler’s second season hunting pronghorn in Wyoming. He took an average sized buck his first year. “But it was nothing like the one I got this year,” he said.

“I knew it was big, but I didn’t realize it was anywhere near as big as it turned out to be. We were looking for a big antelope, and this one looked bigger than any other I had seen so I harvested it.

It wasn’t until I took it to the taxidermist that I realized how big it really was.”

PHOTO COURTESY BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB

Wheeler’s buck is now tied for the Wyoming state record with an official Boone and Crockett (B&C) score of 91-2/8. The minimum score to make the B&C record book is 82. Scores are based on length of horn, length of prong and four circumference measurements. The other pronghorn that ties for the record was taken in Fremont County in 1988.

Even though the horn length on Wheeler’s buck was not out of the ordinary, it was the mass of the horn that put it in the record book. His buck has base measurements of 7-5/8, with 2nd quarters of 9-1/8 on one horn and 8-5/8 on the other. Horn length is 14-2/8 and 14-5/8.

Information about Wheeler’s pronghorn is featured in Mike Eastman’s new book, “Hunting Trophy Antelope,” and on the Boone and Crockett Club Web site at http://boone-crockett.com. Click on the Trophy Watch icon.

Wheeler reports that the taxidermist just recently completed work mounting the head and it will be shipped to him soon and will be hanging in a prominent location on his living room wall.

30 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 31

The Early Season Edge

BY NEAL M. COTE

There are about a million reasons or excuses you can come up with

STRATEGIES FOR SMART SCOUTING How do you find out exactly for not hunting during the early season. what kind of animals are in the area, along During this time of year, hunters are with detailed descriptions of the exact dealing with an extreme environment times and dates those animals are moving? consisting of rattle snakes, biting insects, Simply spend a few evenings glassing a hot temperatures and the human scent known food source from a safe distance to factor. Later in October, the weather will scout an area. This method is not as high be much cooler and the bugs are not as impact, but it gets the job done. bad. Unfortunately, it’s this kind of Try to utilize the terrain to your thinking that can knock you right off a advantage when entering these open food giant whitetail, bull, or stud billy sources. Traveling along the edge of a antelope long before the temperatures timberline or staying out of sight by start to drop. In reality, choosing to tough walking through low spots and drainages it out and hunt during the opening days can prevent you from being picked off. of the season can provide you with the If you know where they are entering the ultimate edge. food source, try to hang your stand or Consequently, the early pre-rut ground blind well to the side of the known period is one of the easiest times to close entry point to avoid being picked off by the deal on a mature animal. Think about approaching animals. it: they are generally traveling together No matter what type of early in bachelor groups and sticking to a strict season stand or blind you’re hunting, feeding-to-bedding pattern. The rut is still how you enter and exit the area can have months away, unless we are talking about a huge impact on your overall success in elk, and the absence of intense outside the field. Sometimes the strait line route hunting pressure has not yet forced them to your stand is not always the best choice into a nocturnal schedule. With the right if you want to tag a trophy-class buck or game plan, hunting during the opening bull. You really need to get into stealth days of the season will enable you to at mode when choosing a route to and from the least know where the buck, bull or the stand to prevent those animals from giant antelope buck is, and best case let patterning you and switching to a you wrap up your first animal quickly. nocturnal schedule. In my opinion, how you approach and leave your stands is one EARLY-SEASON FOOD SOURCES of the biggest factors that separate luck Regardless of what phase of the from continually harvesting animals. pre-rut you’re hunting, locating the As mentioned earlier, when preferred food source is going to be one hunting flat and open areas you need to of your first steps. During the early utilize the terrain to shield your season, just about everything is green, and movement. This means stay along the the animals have a variety of choices. edge of the timberline and walk through However, some food sources are low points or ditches when approaching naturally going to draw more attention the stand. If you’re hunting wooded and than others, and these are the ones you hilly terrain, try to use draws and stay need to focus on this season. below ridgelines to avoid being sky-lined.

Food sources are going to vary In either situation, doing your homework according to terrain and the part of the and knowing where they generally bed state you’re hunting. In most areas, it and feed, along with how they travel shouldn’t be too hard to find green fields, throughout your hunting area, can pay patches of alfalfa, winter wheat or apples. off. This information will enable you to If you are hunting an agricultural area, carefully plan safe entry and exit routes crops like wheat and barley can be hot without walking through them and tickets. messing up the entire area.

One of the most important things Staying out of the line of sight and to remember is that food sources routinely utilizing the thick early season foliage change, and failing to switch locations to conceal your stand or blind will help can lead to a lot of uneventful trips spent make these setups very productive. It’s fighting mosquitoes. Knowing what food important to make sure everything is right sources are getting hit the hardest by with this type of stand, because sometimes your intended quarry will bring you one you only get a couple of chances to make step closer to connecting. Once you have things happen. Once a mature buck or bull pinpointed exactly where they are feeding, figures out he is being hunted, his daylight it’s time to turn it up a notch and start appearances in open areas will come to a putting together a game plan for opening sudden stop. day.

SETTING THE STAGE Hunting along the edges of open areas such as fields or agricultural plots can dry up your chances quickly. One of the main problems with this type of setup is entering and exiting these areas without educating your quarry. In many cases, these locations will be hot early, but it

doesn’t take long before all you are seeing during the daylight hours are does and cows & calves. When this happens, you need to switch gears and hunting strategies to meet changes in buck/bull behavior. The big boys will still be hitting the fields but will now wait for the cover (continued on page 32)

32 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Montana State Parks Offer “Staycations”

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hile many people across the nation may hope to save money by staying home this summer, Montanans are fortunate to be able to stay close to home and still enjoy diverse entertainment in beautiful settings. All they have to do is visit a Montana State Park.

Aug. 7 7 p.m.

Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park GPS: Are We There Yet? Steven Hamilton, scientist and teacher from Three Forks, presents a hands-on demonstration of the GPS unit and the world of geo-caching. Bring your own GPS unit if you have one. For details, call: 406-287-3541.

Aug. 8 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Giant Springs State Park Annual Community Artists Day Those interested in painting, drawing or photography are invited to join more than 20 local area artists to paint and sketch in Giant Springs State Park. Bring your own art supplies and seating. For details, call: 406-454-5858.

Aug. 8 7 p.m.

Missouri Headwaters State Park Rivers in Crow Country and Beyond Joe Medicine Crow, Ph.D, author, historian, teacher, and Crow elder, will present “The Rivers in Crow Country and Beyond.” For details, call: 406-994-6934.

Aug. 9 2 p.m.

Giant Springs State Park Chokecherries & Wild Edibles This presentation on chokecherries and other wild edibles is for children ages 5 to 12 years old. For details, call: 406-454-5858.

Aug. 15 7 p.m.

Missouri Headwaters State Park Montana Water Conservation Heroes: Past and Present Montana Watercourse staff Debra Earl, Rose Vallor and Janet Bender will present “Montana Water Conservation Heroes: Past and Present. For details, call: 406-994-6934.

Aug. 15 9 p.m.

Bannack State Park Star Gazing the Bannack Skies Tom Satterly, of the University of Montana Western in Dillon, will give a guided tour of distant planets and galaxies. Telescopes will be on site. Bring a lawn chair and viewing optics of your own. For details, call: 406-834-3413.

Aug. 22 7 p.m.

Missouri Headwaters State Park Life in the Flow: Adventures and Misdeeds in the Land of Three Forks Alan Kesselheim, nationally recognized author and Bozeman resident, will present “Life in the Flow: Adventures and Misdeeds in the Land of Three Forks.” For details, call: 406-994-6934.

AUGUST 2009

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The Early Season Edge (continued from page 31) of darkness before entering the open areas. This is where that scouting pays off, as you will already have those areas in between where those animals hang up just before they enter feeding fields. I have described these areas as milling spots, like a saddle just inside a tree line right next to the alfalfa field. The great thing about these spots is the animals will show up in them well before sunset and give you great shooting opportunities with plenty of light.

WATERHOLE HOTSPOTS Another deadly early season strategy involves finding the water sources where they are few and far between.

No farmer really likes extended periods of dry weather or a drought, but these conditions can be excellent for early-season bowhunters. Targeting waterholes during a drought is a high-impact strategy that can put the meat on the table. Deer, Elk and Antelope will hit remaining waterholes hard during dry weather, creating a predictable pattern that hunters can exploit. Even under normal conditions, early season waterholes are high-traffic areas due to the hot weather.

Elk and antelope are extremely vulnerable to this tactic, but don’t overlook them for muleys and whitetails as well.

When hunting a waterhole, try to avoid hanging a stand directly over the water source. These areas will sometimes congregate large numbers of deer and elk, which increases the chances of being spotted or winded. One of the best setups is to carefully position a stand directly between the bedding area and the water source. The animals will be a lot less jumpy while walking to the waterhole, and you will have a better chance of connecting with a veteran bruiser that hangs back until right at dark before entering. When the heat is turned up and the weather is dry, hunting waterholes can generate some of the hottest action of the entire season.

SCENT CONTROL One of the biggest problems an early season hunter encounters is addressing his or her scent. Hot temperatures and perspiration go hand in hand this time of year and can destroy your chances of getting close enough to that buck or bull to make a shot.

However, there are some steps you can take to avoid the agony of watching a giant run in the opposite direction taunting you, only remind you how close you really were to sealing the deal.

Being able to sidestep a whitetail’s nose is no easy task during the early season, so you better do everything you can to stack the cards in your favor. Elk can be even worse, as in most of the areas they inhabit, they rarely encounter human scent. One little whiff, and they are on to the next drainage.

Wash all of your clothing in a scent killing detergent, then either hang dry or use scent control dryer sheets. Once your clothes are dry, make sure you store them in a scent control bag or container.

Now comes the hard part, do not put those clothes on until you are at the hunting area! Make sure to take a shower before leaving the house using scent control soap and shampoo, and wear a light pair of clothes for traveling to the field. Once you get to the field, change out to your hunting gear and spray down with a scent control spray. Boots too, as they are touching the ground everywhere you go.

So what are you waiting for, start making plans for this up and coming season. You just might get lucky and get that first buck or bull in the first minutes of the season, freeing you up to hunt other animals that you never get the chance to. Strike first and you might not have to worry this year, and say to yourself “ I am not having tag soup again”! Good luck out there!!

AUGUST 2009

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 33

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Montana Fishing Report (continued from page 14) But most of the excitement will center around throwing attractor patterns, Terrestrial imitations, and the annual emergence of the Spruce Moth on rivers such as the Upper Madison and Gallatin Rivers. Weather and wind will play a big part in how good the fishing can be in the month of August. As the hoppers move down towards the river fishing will always be best with a little breeze to help get the hoppers onto the water. Vicious and exciting takes make for an exciting afternoon. Spruce Moths will generally be on the water from mid morning to mid afternoon and sometimes remain active on the water until early evening. Focus your attention for Spruce Moths on areas where Pine trees line the banks. West Fork to Ruby Creek is a great area on the Upper Madison and anywhere in the canyon stretch of the Gallatin is a great bet. I feel it’s important to carry a good arsenal of attractors and terrestrial patterns during the fishing in late summer to guarantee success. What works one day often won’t the next. Here are some of my favorite late summer patterns.

For Spruce Moths I prefer Daigle’s Spent Spruce Moth in a size #14, or an Elk Hair Caddis in a light cream to light yellow color in sizes #14. I carry a good selection of beetle imitations in sizes #12 - #16. And usually a half dozen different hopper patterns in sizes #8 - #12. Dave’s, Joe’s, Parachute, and Fat Alberts are among some of my go to hopper patterns.

Royal Wulffs, Trudes, Stimulators, are all must have attractor imitations. As well as Twisted X, and Twisted Sister patterns from the mind of Dan Delekta. I carry both of those patterns in sizes #10 - #16 in yellow, tan, olive, red, and purple. They are dynamite patterns.

Good strategies to follow in late summer will vary day to day. But experience has taught me after being harassed through most of June and July many trout will seek shelter in deeper holds in the middle of the rivers. You will still find plenty of willing trout near the bank. But definitely don’t neglect the heavier water out in the middle. Fishing a two fly rig is something I always do. You can fish an attractor with a beetle trailer or a Hopper with a beetle or ant trailer. And of course going Hopper dropper with a small nymph off the back can be deadly.

Pheasant tails, Copper Johns, Hare’s Ear’s, and Lightning Bugs are all great choices for your second fly. And don’t forget about the last of the Caddis and PMD’s. Just keep changing things up until you find success.

Fall will be here before you know it.

So get out there and enjoy the weather and the great fishing.

JESSE FLYNN

North Central Montana Fishing Report Brought To You By The Helena Wholesale Sports, USA

BY JESSE FLYNN (406) 457-7200 CANYON FERRY: What a season it has been for Canyon Ferry; and I wouldn’t expect anything less in August. If you are going to be fishing the south end of the lake be sure to bring plenty of bug repellent because the mosquitoes have been biting better than the fish have. Plenty of fish are being marked in and around thirty to forty feet of water during the day. Find points that reach into these depths and you should pick up trout and walleye both. Scott and I even located a good school of fish in 100+ feet of water right on the bottom but were unable to put any in the boat. A jigging spoon (3/4-1oz) is a very effective rig when fishing deep water. The fish that are suspending in 30-40ft will be most effectively caught by using lead core line, down-riggers, and or deep cranks.

HAUSER LAKE: A lot of small walleye are being caught out of Hauser. The kind we all like to eat. For the up coming month try fishing the shallow water using a bobber and a leech or crawler. This has been a good method of fishing and seems to be working best in the evenings. Trolling a worm on a slow death hook is a really good way to go. This hook creates an intense spinning action which trout and walleye seem to love. Rumor has it that Lake Helena has had the perch moving into it.

Little jigs and slip float rigs are a good way to go after perch.

HOLTER LAKE: Has not been fishing that well during the heat of the day but once the sun starts to subside the fishing picks up. Even the morning bite has not been producing as well as the evening bite.

So expect the same tendencies in August.

Worms and leeches are about 50/50 on productivity and in all actuality worms may be producing a little bit better than leeches.

I guess it all depends on who you ask.

REGULATING RESERVOIR: The fishing here has been nothing to speak of all summer long; don’t expect to have any record days unless something miraculous happens in August. I mentioned jigging in last months report and it seems that was not any more effective than trolling…so I’m at a loss. I guess the best advice I can suggest is to keep throwing wedding rings at them and see what happens. A wedding ring with some type of flasher rig is usually the most effective when fishing Konkani’s.

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uring early mornings when the grass is wet with dew, pheasant chicks can be found along roads or in open spots within and along field edges. They want to stay dry and do not run through wet vegetation. This is a good time to pick up some needed grit and seed and insects along the road. They prefer open cover when feeding, but heavier cover for loafing during midday. Woody cover is valuable to broods for shade, and its use is proportional to how high the temperature is. Small trees and shrubs are used more frequently than tall trees and hedgerows.

Broods use un-mowed grasslands and weedy cover for roosting.

“Plant Brood Habitat” When considering what you can do to help pheasants on your land, you probably first think of nesting cover and winter cover with food plots. Have you considered brood cover? Since brood cover generally consists of the nesting cover, little thought is given to specialized brood cover. But small plantings for the chicks may increase their survival over the standard grassy nesting areas. Since the chicks’ diet is over 90% insects, the brood cover plantings should be plantings for insects. Annual weeds harbor more insects than perennials plants.

Remember the winter food plot you planted this spring? Consider leaving half of it undisturbed next spring. By letting the annual weeds grow next spring you’ll attract many insects into the old food plot. It may attract the grasshoppers that you hate and the chicks love, but it will also attract the beneficial insects you both need.

“Summer Hardships” Summer is a time of relaxation for roosters but a tough time for hens.

The cock has completed reproductive functions, his annual molt, and has no chicks to raise. The hen is busy trying a second or third time to hatch a first nest, or raising young, and beginning her molt.

These drain the hen’s energy reserves to their lowest level of the year. By August she will lose 25% of her April weight.

More hens may die now than died last winter. Her chances of dying increases if she herself was hatched late last year, if last winter was severe, if this spring weather delayed her nesting, if she has had to re-nest again and again, and if this summer is hot.

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Mountain Lion Special License Applications Due Aug. 31 MFWP

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unters must apply by Aug. 31 for a special mountain lion license in order to hunt mountain lions in most of western Montana’s FWP Region 1 and Region 2 during the winter season, Dec. 1-April 14, 2010. Drawing results will be available in late September.

General mountain lion hunting licenses, for use in all hunting districts in central and eastern Montana’s Regions 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 and a few districts in western Montana, can be purchased throughout the license year. General licenses purchased after Aug. 31 require a five-day waiting period before they can be used.

Hunters may only purchase one general mountain lion license, or apply for one special lion license per year.

During the fall season, Oct. 25-Nov. 29, hunters with a special or general mountain lion license may hunt in any open district statewide.

During the winter season, special license holders may only hunt in the district

where their special license is valid.

Unsuccessful applicants for special mountain lion licenses will not be eligible to purchase a general license.

To apply for the special mountain lion license drawing: *Apply over the counter at any FWP Regional office by 5 p.m. on Aug. 31, *Apply online at fwp.mt.gov by 11:45 p.m.

MDT, Aug. 31; *Apply by mail by sending a paper application to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, License Section, PO Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620. *The mail-in application is available for download online at the FWP website under “Hunting.”

For details on Montana’s mountain lion hunting, check the 2009 mountain lion regulations available at all FWP license providers, FWP Regional offices, and also online at fwp.mt.gov under “Hunting.”

36 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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FWP Seeks Comment On Proposed Ice Fishing Derbies MFWP

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ontana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on proposed 2010 ice fishing derbies. Contest participants must comply with all applicable fishing regulations, including daily and possession limits.

Send comments by Aug. 14 to: FWP-Fisheries Division, Attn: Public Comment on Fishing Derbies, Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701, or by e-mail to: npodolinsky@mt.gov .

Proposed 2010 Ice Fishing Derbies : NORTHWESTERN MONTANA, REGION 1 Jan. 2 Sunriser Lions Family Ice Fishing Derby on Smith Lake Jan. 9 The Perch Assault on Upper Thompson Lake Jan. 16-17 Fisher River Valley Winter Fishing Derby on Lower, Middle & Upper Thompson Lakes, Crystal Lake & Loon Lake Jan. 30 The Perch Assault on Lower Stillwater Lake Feb. 1-27 Annual Perch Pounder on all of Region 1 waters Feb. 6 The Perch Assault - Fishers of Men on Lake Mary Ronan Feb. 6-7 McGregor Lake Fishing Derby on McGregor Lake Feb. 20 Ryan Wagner Memorial Scholarship Ice Fishing Derby on Murphy Lake Feb. 20 Snappy Sport Senter 10th Annual LMR Derby on Lake Mary Ronan Feb. 27 Canyon Kids Christmas Fund Fishing Derby on Lion Lake March 6 The Perch Assault - Lake Mary Ronan on Lake Mary Ronan March 13-14 1st Annual Bitterroot Bash on Bitterroot Lake SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA, REGION 2 Jan. 16-17 Pike on Ice on Seeley and Salmon Lakes SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA, REGION 3 Jan. 23 Stan Shafer Memorial Ice Fishing Derby on Clark Canyon Reservoir NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA, REGION 4 Jan. 23-24 5th Annual Central Montana Perch Derby on East Fork Reservoir Jan. 23-24 Broadwater Lions Perch Derby on Canyon Ferry Reservoir Jan. 30 Western Bar Ice Fishing Derby on Willow Creek Reservoir Jan. 31 Utica Rod and Gun Club and Oxen Yoke Inn Fishing Derby on Ackley Lake Feb. 13 Valier Volunteer Fire Department Fishing Derby on Lake Frances Feb. 14 V.F.W. Ice Fishing Derby on Newlan Reservoir NORTHEASTERN MONTANA, REGION 6 Jan. 2 3rd Annual Clinton Phipps Memorial Ice Fishing Derby on Fort Peck Reservoir Jan. 17 Hell Creek Ice Fishing Tournament on Fort Peck Reservoir Jan. 30 Murphy’s 4th Annual Memorial Ice Fishing Tournament on Nelson Reservoir Jan. 30-31 7th Annual Big Money Ice Fishing Derby on Lower Beaver Creek Reservoir Feb. 20 14th Annual Ice Fishing Contest on Fort Peck Reservoir

Horse Riding, Packing Tips For Greenhorn Elk Hunters ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION

I

f you’re a tenderfoot looking to use horses for your elk hunt this fall, do yourself—and your horse—a favor.

Follow these 10 tips from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and longtime supporter Smoke Elser, who’s been guiding and outfitting in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness for more than 50 years.

1. Consider taking a riding lesson before your hunt. Learn the basics of mounting and dismounting, reins, leg cues, proper balance and body position. A horse is not an easy chair—a little preparation and skill are required.

2. Be realistic. Even though your horse can carry you over difficult terrain, it cannot carry you over impossible terrain.

You’ll need to hike across the steepest, roughest areas. Hopefully, you’re in shape.

3. Stirrup length should be adjusted at the trailhead. Don’t be bashful about insisting on a comfortable fit that allows you to stand up slightly in the stirrups.

Having your knees hunched up can be miserable for you and your horse.

4. Horses are a means of transportation from point A to point B, not to the elk.

Don’t expect to shoot from atop your pony like Buffalo Bill. In fact, firing a rifle anywhere near horses can be disastrous.

Your actual hunt will need to be on foot.

5. Think about clothing. Bring boots that fit easily into stirrups and wear clothing that allows you to mount and dismount easily. For example, coveralls constrict motion and should be avoided. Keeping quiet and warm are factors, too, and wool clothing is both even when wet. Also bring a broad-brimmed hat to help ward off branches to the face and snow down the neck.

6. Let your guide do the saddling and unsaddling. Often hunters want to help but end up improperly cinching, dragging saddles through mud, disassembling bridles down to the last buckle, etc., causing extra work for the guide. Don’t pretend knowledge of horses and tack if you have none.

7. Always let your guide tie up your horse for you. Improper tying can result in a dead or injured horse if they get choked or tangled. More commonly, hunters return to find only the guide’s horse still there.

That could mean a long hike back for one of you.

8. Bring a rifle that fits easily into a scabbard. Oversized scopes or bipods will require disassembly and are impractical. If in doubt, ask your outfitter to recommend appropriate rifles and other gear.

9. Bring what you need, but you don’t need the kitchen sink. Nearly every elk outfitter has funny stories about hunters who insisted on packing things like ice skates, bowling balls, bathrobes, business suits and other nonessentials. But it’s really not funny—overloading is hard on a horse’s loins and kidneys.

10. Wallets in pants pockets tend to work themselves out when you’re riding a horse. Keep your elk tags and personal identification inside your shirt pocket.

Information and tips about elk hunting are regular features inside the Elk Foundation’s bi-monthly member magazine, Bugle. An annual membership, which includes a subscription and base-level support for RMEF habitat conservation efforts, is $35.

To join, call 800-CALL ELK or visit www.rmef.org.

AUGUST 2009

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FWP Seeks Comment on Proposed Campground Improvement Projects MFWP

M

ontana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is seeking public comment on proposed improvement projects for west-central Montana’s Placid Lake, Salmon Lake and Beavertail Hill State Parks.

At Placid Lake State Park, located approximately 6 miles southwest of the town of Seeley Lake, proposed improvements include installing electrical hook-ups at 13 of the park’s 40 campsites. A restroom courtesy light would also be added as part of the proposed electrical work..

At Salmon Lake State Park, approximately 10 miles south of Seeley Lake, the proposal calls for adding electrical hook-ups to all of the park’s 23 sites. The project also includes paving the park’s interior campground road and parking areas in an effort to reduce dust level in the park and direct vehicles to specific parking areas.

At Beavertail Hill State Park, located approximately 25 miles southeast of Missoula along I-90, the proposal calls for adding electrical hook-ups to all 28 campsites.

Draft environmental assessments (EAs) for all three projects are available for review and comment. You may view the EA at FWP’s website, fwp.mt.gov , under “Recent Public Notices” or request a copy by mailing FWP, 3201 Spurgin Road, Missoula, MT 59804; phoning (406) 542-5540; or e-mailing shrose@mt.gov.

Comments should be directed to Lee Bastian by mail at the address above; phone to (406) 542-5517; or e-mail to lbastian@mt.gov; and must be received no later than 5 p.m., Aug. 10, 2009.

ON-LINE AT WWW.OUTDOORSMONTANA.COM •

Camping At Black Sandy State Park Near Helena visitmt.com

O

ne of the few public parks on the shores of Hauser Reservoir, Black Sandy is an extremely popular weekend boating, fishing, and water skiing take-off point. This site is 43 acres and has an elevation of 3,835 feet. Pets are required to be on a leash, and there is a maximum stay of 7 days allowed. Longest trailer length is 35 ft. Boating, fishing, swimming, camping (no hookups), picnicking, bicycling, and biking are available.

There are 29 sites (4 additional sites are for tents) that offer both flush and vault toilets, boat trailer parking, maps, RV dump station, grills/fire rings, picnic tables, trash cans, drinking water, and interpretive displays. Groceries, laundry, showers, public telephone, are available adjacent to the park. There are 3 public golf courses and 8 museums located nearby in Helena.

Day use is $5.00 for a non-resident vehicles, camping is $15.00 per night from May 1 - September 30 and is $13.00 from October 1 - April 30.

Services offered: Boat Launch Campsite Established Fire Pits Handicapped Accessible Pets Allowed Public Restroom Toilets Trash Removal Activities offered: Beach Boating Camping Fishing Ice Fishing Ice Skating Lake Fishing Picnicking RV Camping Swimming Tent Camping Water Skiing Wildlife Viewing Directions: Black Sandy State Park is located 7 miles north of Helena on I-15, then 4 miles east on Secondary 453, then 3 miles north on Hauser Dam Road.

Contact information: Phone: 406-495-3260 E-mail: fwprg3@mt.gov

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 37

38 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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ON-LINE AT WWW.OUTDOORSMONTANA.COM

WHAT DO YOU SAY? GET YOURS TODAY

AUGUST 2009

The “HOT SPOT” PRESENTED BY BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS “Where to go, what to take, maps, and more.”

Brush Lake State Park MFWP

B

rush Lake is a deep, clear lake with white, sandy beaches surrounded by grass fields and linear stands of spring wheat.

Due to the mineral make-up of this lake, there are no fish. A day-use area is located on the northeast portion of the lake. This area includes a parking area, boat ramp and dock, vault toilet, picnic tables, firerings and a designated swimming area.

Vehicle length: Site is accessible Activities: Boating Swimming Hiking - 1.5 miles of trail Boat services Ramp (Concrete)

Call 443-7373 1-800-585-7397

3186 Hwy. 12 East, Helena www.onewaymarine.com

Miscellaneous Beach Picnic Site Fire Ring Grill (Pedestal) Picnic Table Sanitation/Water Garbage Bins Toilet (Vault) Fees Day Use $5.00 Non-Resident, Vehicle Location: 31 miles southeast of Plentywood.

Off State Highway 16, go east on Highway 258 (East Reserve Highway) for 16.5 miles, turn south on Brush Lake county road, go 1 mile.

(Lat 48.603, Lng -104.113)

AUGUST 2009

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ON-LINE AT WWW.OUTDOORSMONTANA.COM •

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 39

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*12 Months No Payment, No Interest Option. The Honda Power Equipment Mastercard® card issued by Wells Fargo Financial National Bank is a dual-line credit card. Special terms apply to purchases charged with approved credit to the Honda Power Equipment line of credit. No payments are required during the special-terms period. The no-interest option means there is no interest if the purchase is paid in full within the special-terms period; otherwise interest accrues from date of purchase at the regular APR. For newly opened accounts, the regular APR for purchases is 23.90% and the default APR is 27.90%. All APRs given are as of June 1, 2009. All APRs may vary. If you use the card for cash advances, the cash advance fee is 4% of the amount of the cash advance, but not less than $10.00. Offer expires 12/31/09.

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www.honda.com For optimum performance and safety, we recommend you read the owner’s manual before operating your Honda Power Equipment. Connection of a generator to house power requires a transfer device to avoid possible injury to power company personnel. Consult a qualified electrician. Not all dealers carry all products.

Consult your local Yellow Pages. © 2009 American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

40 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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ON-LINE AT WWW.OUTDOORSMONTANA.COM

AUGUST 2009

Bugs N Bullets Sport Shop 40 Sportsman Way, Butte, Montana 59701 Telephone:

406-782-6251 on-line www.bugsnbullets.com

Capital Sports & Western 1092 Helena Ave. Helena, MT. 59601 Telephone:

877-406-2978 on-line www.capitalsportsmt.com

“Home Of The Pros”

Archery Center Of Montana 1212 Longstaff, Missoula, MT. 59801 Telephone:

406-721-5537