OUTDOOR NEWS
Big Sky
AUGUST 2012
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SCRAPES And RUBS
UNDERSTANDING THIS BEHAVIOR CAN HELP YOU FIND DEER
10 TIPS FOR HUNTING ELK WEED LINE BASS FISHING
CRANKIN’ DEEP
FOR WALLEYE
TIPS TO SCOUT FOR MONTANA’S BIG BUCKS
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AUGUST 2012
One on One Elk Montana Style
Elk country, now the hunting begins.
By Michael Batease
Sponsored by Victory Archery
Reprinted with permission from Bowhunting.net. For more please go to: www.bowhunting.net
A
s we crossed over the state line into Montana my level of excitement jumped. I had never hunted Montana before and had been looking forward to it since the day I found out we had drawn the combo tag for elk and deer. I had heard great stories of big bulls and beautiful scenery. Roll on miles, roll on. After spending the summer talking with Wildlife Biologist and friends we had narrowed down the area we would hunt. It was only an 11 hour drive from my house to where we would establish camp and hunt from. Based off the info we had received from a couple of friends hunting the same area the previous week, we should be hitting the rut just in time. The first of October can be a great time to hunt rut crazed bulls in Montana. The pavement finally gave way to mountain gravel roads as we covered the final stretch to camp. I lost out on being the first shooter so I would
have to wait for my chance till the second morning. The first day found us in the middle of three bugling bulls and cows wandering around the mountain side. Man did my excitement level increase. The next morning I awoke to high winds and cooler temps. We drove to a vantage point that allowed us to hear any bulls bugling from five different areas. The wind made it tough, but I was able to lock in to one bull that was very responsive so I decided that was the bull I would go after. I spent the morning playing the wind and setting up four different times (continued on page 6)
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Tips for Hunting Colorado Elk 10 Tips For Hunting Elk Say What You Mean, and Mean What You Say!
Photo: David Hannigan, Colorado Division of Wildlife
F
... irst, let me say that there is no pure science to hunting elk. We are learning in a classroom that changes every day and a subject (elk) that can be very unpredictable in behavior. So the tips below are just that, tips. Read each one and then think about it as it pertains to the way you hunt or the way you want to hunt.
By Chris Roe Calling can be an important part of the success for many elk hunters each year, but the more successful callers are those that have learned to embrace being “specific” in their calling, rather than simply being “general.” What do I mean? A lot of folks out there have learned how to make elk sounds with their calls, and do a great job at “sounding like an elk” in their calling sequences. Unfortunately, however, many elk out there today – especially the mature bulls and cows – have become educated to “general” calling, and know the difference between hunters “sounding” like an elk, and actual elk out there talking to one another. While sending out your basic chirps and mews, and sounding like a group of cows and calves, can still be effective at times, try focusing your calling efforts to “say what you mean, and mean what you say.” Remember... basic chirps and mews (what most of us do with our Hoochie-Mama’s and other cow calls) don’t actually say
anything to other elk – they are simply basic contact vocalizations used by a group to stay in contact with individuals within their group. Because of this, many elk we’re “calling to” simply either ignore us (after all... we weren’t talking to them), or bugle at us to let us know that they’re around (hoping we’re interested in joining them). Instead of “general calling,”
try using vocalizations like “lost” mews, “assembly” mews, frustrated whines, etc. Those vocalizations speak to other elk, and ask – or demand – other elk to do certain things; i.e. respond vocally, physically come to the caller, relay a sense of urgency, etc. By focusing on these vocalizations, a hunter can separate themselves from the rest of the hunters in the field, and increase the level of consistency, and ultimate success, in their hunting and calling efforts.
Scent By Kim Herfurt
I am personally not big on scent locking clothing. I know that others depend upon it. Therein lies the problem. When I was a young boy hunting in the 60’s with my step-father, before scent locking materials, he always wore a red and black plaid wool coat and an Elmer Fudd hat that matched. He
By Jim Bulger, CDW probably harvested more elk than any man I know. Scent locking clothing gives many hunters the impression that they are immune to the elk’s phenomenal sense of smell and a false sense of security. There is no replacement for good personal hygiene in the field. How you accomplish that is up to you. My step-father used to wash in cold mountain streams. I personally prefer to take a hot solar shower occasionally during my hunt. I use unscented soaps to wash my clothes before the hunt, and unscented soap for my shower during the hunt. I never use scented deodorants or colognes...Here are some tips to help hunters contend with the elk’s sense of smell. Always try to keep the wind in your face as you hunt. Breezes tend to flow downhill early in the morning hours and then reverse as the earth warms. In general it is advisable to hunt up early and hunt down later. Often, when winds are swirling the elk will probably win, and there is little you can do to overcome the wind. However it will also be difficult for your quarry to determine where you are located. (continued on page 36)
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Events To Support Don’t Miss Capital WILDLIFE Sports & Western’s DUCKS UNLIMITED August 18, 2012 Montana State Convention - Great Falls Layne Krumwiede 406-350-0154 September 8, 2012 Bitterroot Valley Banquet - Stevensville Scott 406-370-6346 September 15, 2012 Upper Missouri Banquet - Townsend Donald Schauber 406-980-0567 September 29, 2012 Dinner Banquet - Missoula John Dilatush 406-830-0506
FREE Primos’ Calling Seminar August 23rd with Dave Holder Capital Sports & Western is hosting
a Primos Calling Seminar Thursday August 23rd at 6pm in Helena. Primos Pro Staff member Dave Holder will be conducting the clinic and sharing tips on how to effectively call in elk and deer. Dave will also be sharing general hunting tips along with a few of his MULE DEER FOUNDATION favorite hunting stories. In-store deals August 24, 2012 will be available on Primos game calls Lewis & Clark Chapter - Helena following the seminar. Seating is Steve Miller 406-439-6831 limited so please arrive early. This event is free and open to the ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION public. September 22, 2012 Capital Sports & Western. Lincoln County Banquet - Libby 1092 Helena Ave, Helena, MT. Toni Kinden 406-334-0134 406-443-2978 September 29, 2012 Big Game Banquet - Helena Joseph Cohenour 406-227-1144 October 13, 2012 Beaverhead Big Game Banquet - Dillon Tater McKay 406-683-4824
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AUGUST 2012
One on One Elk Montana Style on this smart old bull. The closest he came was 50 yards with no chance of a shot. By late morning the winds had increased and I knew the best thing to do was back out and come back after him on another day. The next three days were filled with high winds, rain and snow with not much bugling going on at all. We covered a bunch of country trying to figure out how these elk react to adverse weather. We put our heads together as we looked at the map. All of the canyons led to a Wildlife Management Area down low. My guess was they were heading for that area and we needed to relocate to cut them off. The plan was to take the bikes over to scout the new area before relocating camp. As I rode the trail along the ridge line the trees gave way to a burnt area that held promise. We decided to split
(continued from page 4)
Getting into position the author bugles. up to cover more ground and make good use of this evening hunt. I headed south around the nob as Rockie headed to the North.(continued page 34)
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After many years, I broke down and got a set of screwdrivers designed to work on firearms. I have been kicking myself ever since for the years of stupidity where I made do with regular tools. I asked Larry Weeks of Brownells, and Aaron Oelger of Midway USA, for suggestions as to what tools an average hunter could find useful. by Jeff Davis, Editor, Whitetails Unlimited
TIP 1: START WITH THE BASICS Both suggested a set of screwdrivers designed specifically for working on guns. The blades are ground differently and have a wider variety of sizes and widths to fully fit the screw head slot. They are less likely to break or slip out and scratch that gun you love. TIP 2: THAT SPECIAL MAGNETISM Larry noted that if you only have one or two guns to work on, to find the specific screwdriver tips you need and just buy those tips and a handle. Aaron noted that gunsmithing screwdrivers are magnetic, making handling small or very short screws much easier. TIP 3: EDUCATE YOURSELF Both companies have books and videos on specific firearms, and using these takes much of the mystery out of working on your guns. These references will also make it very clear what you should not do, and when you need to get your gun to a real gunsmith. TIP 4: HOLD STEADY Aaron suggested a tabletop gun vise or cradle to provide a solid place to work on or clean your guns, and a FAT Wrench torque wrench will prevent two common problems: screws working loose from undertightening and stripped threads from overtightening. In addition, a set of punches and a brass/plastic hammer will be needed if you decide to do more advanced takedown for cleaning or maintenance.
TIP 5: THE RIGHT TOOLS MAKE IT EASY Larry also noted several tools that make mounting scopes easier – one job that can easily be done at home with some simple tools. A reticle leveler, a set of ring alignment tools, and a scope lapping kit (along with the aforementioned screwdrivers) will ensure a solid, square connection between scope and firearm. TIP 6: KEEP IT CLEAN Both emphasized the importance of proper cleaning, using a good rod, solid cradle or gun vise, and proper technique — an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of gun disassembly later on. TIP 7: PLAY THE FIELD I’ve used both Brownells and Midway USA, ordering by phone and internet, and they are both great places to get what you need... TIP 8: PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. Take a catalog, mark the items you’ll want in the future and leave it for your spouse and children to use as a guide for gifts for your birthday, Christmas, or anniversary. You get what you want and they don’t need to rush to the mall the night before to buy something you’ll want to return. Everyone’s a winner.
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AUGUST 2012
Weedline Bass From The Inside Out By Babe Winkelman www.winkelman.com
Bprobably efore I dive into this subject, I should define what a “weedline” is first. You don’t even have to come to us. Just ship us your device, we’ll diagnose, and call with a repair cost. PLUS we’ll pay for shipping 1 way.
“A division of Bitterroot Wireless Inc.”
FWP To Start Statewide Fisheries Management Program MFWP Montana fisheries officials are set to AFWPdraftCommission plan will be presented to the embark on developing a statewide at the end of August fisheries management plan that will seek to establish goals and direction for fish management, habitat protection and improvement, fishing access and angling opportunities for the next five to 10 years. A statewide plan is essentially a “road map” for managing all of the state’s fisheries, said Bruce Rich, fisheries bureau chief for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Helena.
and a final plan, based on public comment and an environmental analysis, is planned for release by year’s end. Public participation is critical to the success of the plan,” Rich said. “FWP’s goal is to develop a plan with the public that will help to resolve some of the questions about suitable species for a particular drainage, desired fishing opportunities, habitat improvement priorities, and placement and development of fishing access sites.” FWP will schedule a series of public “The plan won’t be a substitute for regulation setting, but instead will provide meetings in September to solicit comments on a draft plan. Updates on the management direction and guidance to planning process are available on the FWP decision makers and the public in website at fwp.mt.gov. Click “Statewide particular river drainages,” Rich said. Fish Plan.” For more information call “It will also allow for flexibility and FWP at (406) 444-2449. discretion where necessary.”
A weedline is the edge of a weed bed where the vegetation stops and open water begins. It’s no secret that largemouth bass relate to these weedlines. The reason is simple. Weedlines provide bass with protective cover and they serve as excellent ambush points when bass are feeding. Most bass anglers spend the majority of their weedline time with the boat in deeper water while pitching to the outside weedline. That’s perfectly fine. The bass are routinely there. But what many anglers fail to appreciate is that a weed bed typically has t wo weedlines. One on the deep side and one on the shallow side. Sure, some weed beds go all the way up to shore – in which case there is no inside line. But more often, there’s a stretch of sandy, gravely or rocky bottom bet ween shore and where the vegetation starts growing. This “inside weedline” can be pure dynamite, so don’t overlook it.
Editor, Rick Haggerty fishing the weedlines for bass
As you move, pay close attention to the curvature of the weedline and focus most of your attention on areas where the weedline makes inside turns or juts out in little points. Bass like these irregularities. Also key in on spots where the weeds are the thickest. Generally speaking, the thicker the cover the better. If the inside weedline is a bust, then it’s time to give the outside weedline a try. Approach the deeper vegetation the same way you did in the shallows, ripping search baits to locate active fish. To do this, you’ll position your boat so you can cast nearly parallel to When I hit the water for weedline the weedline. Again, if you pop a fish, hope bassing, I like to start by focusing on there’s a school there and switch to your these inside lines. It’s often where the slow-presentation soft plastic rig. Move most aggressive fish are, and the bigger the boat out into deeper water and pitch fish too. Because water depths here are into the weed edge perpendicularly. shallow, I use lures that run up high and I think a lot of these weedline bass like to cover water fast. Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, feed on small bluegills, so I like bait colors weedless spoons lipless or shallow-diving that seem to emulate sunfish. Green and cranks and “dog-walking” topwater plugs pumpkin brown plastics are proven are great search baits for the task. performers. And for whatever reason, blue and purple colors work great too. Long casts, particularly in clear water lakes, are essential since boat presence in Sometimes the vegetation species vary bet ween what’s growing on the shallow that shallow water can sometimes turn a fish off. If you tag a fish on one of these side and what’s out deeper. Certain plant long casts, make a mental note of where species seem to be better bass magnets than others. Cabbage is my personal the strike happened in the retrieve. It’s favorite. But reeds, coontail, milfoil and likely that the bass had some pals with wild rice all attract largemouth too. him, so there’s a good chance of pulling Regardless of what types of plants are t wo or three from that general area. growing in your lake, keep an eye out for the plant color. Healthy, bright green To help boost your chances of this plants will almost always outproduce drab, happening, set the search bait rod down wilty, browning vegetation. and pick up your soft plastic rod. Use a Texas-rig worm, creature bait, Senko or Weedline bass fishing has always been one whatever your favorite presentation is. of my favorite things to do. If you haven’t Get a good cast’s length from where that done it yet, give it a try and I promise first fish bit and cast to that spot. Allow you’ll love it too. I hope some of the tips the bait settle straight to the bottom I’ve laid out here help you catch more fish. and let it sit for 10-20 seconds. If a bass And if you have any tips you’d like to share spotted the bait dropping from a distance, with the rest of us, feel free to post them let it sit, and repeat the presentation. on the Babe Winkelman Facebook page. No fish after a few casts? Keep moving and go back to that search bait rod. Good Fishing!
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NOW BOOKING FOR IDAHO’S “B RUN” STEELHEAD SEASON ON THE CLEARWATER RIVER
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Moments later, we watched as one of the longest walleye of my life rose up from the depths. In fact, Jeff’s...words were
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Canyon Ferry Walleye Trevor Johnson and his Dad BY TREVOR JOHNSON, KIT’S TACKLE F irst and foremost, I want to give a big shout out to all the amazing anglers and volunteers that make the Canyon Ferry Walleye Festival possible. We feel
so incredibly lucky to fish and compete amongst such a crowd of incredible and stand up anglers. So kudos to you all from Kit’s Tackle!!!
I have grown up tagging along with dad pursuing rainbows and browns on Canyon Ferry since I was two years old. We have spent countless hours casting out every nook and cranny of the lake, it has become second nature. With the trout being a blast, I used to joke with dad that this would be a perfect shoreline if walleyes were present. Little did I know, it wouldn’t be long before they showed up in Canyon Ferry. I will never forget watching my first walleye come to the boat in the crystal clear water on the north end of the lake. Since then, I have watched hundreds of great fish rise from the clear water to find our net. There is only one thing better than watching a big Canyon Ferry walleye rise from the clear water...watching them swim back into it A week before the tournament, dad and I headed out in pursuit of the elusive “Canyon Ferry Yellow Mountain Trout.” With last year being a very tough year and little reports of quality fish and low net counts, we were skeptical. In forty plus hours of pre-fishing the 2011 Canyon Ferry Walleye Festival, my largest fish measured in at a whopping 17.25 inches.
“...Trevor, that’s a HUGE walleye.” Although it would barely fit in the net, Jeff did a great job getting her in the boat for a photo and release video. Wondering how we could be any more excited we went on to pull over 40 lbs of weight during tournament hours. Talk about a couple giddy fisherman!!! Dad and I decided to take Friday off and give the fish a break before the big day. We worked up a game plan and decided to stick to it. When the TREVOR JOHSON TH alarm clock went off at 4:00 am on OWNER KITʼS TACKLE WI YE LLE Saturday morning, I had monarch WA RY FER 34” CANYON butterflies bouncing around my NT ME NA UR TO E TH CAUGHT BEFORE stomach. After launching the boat Starting to cover water down by the and waiting in suspense for the gun dam, dad pitched in with the Kit’s to go off, it was time to do what we do Tackle Yellow Perch “GLASS best...pull cranks (just kidding). On MINNOW” and thump...27 incher!!! about the fifth cast of the morning, I What a way to start, and such a great banged a healthy 22 incher to get our fish!!! By days end, we had two more confidence going. From then on, with fish over 25 inches, and I was so the good lord’s help, we managed excited all I could see was yellow!!! to catch all five fish including three Hoping this wasn’t a fluke, we were upgrades. Our smallest of the five fish right back at it the next morning and for Saturday was just shy of twenty dad put a 30 inch fish in the boat right inches which is an incredible bag of off the bat (the high fives were flying), good fish for Canyon Ferry. Our and we ended the day with a huge biggest was a gorgeous north end weight of walleye. Most anglers would beauty dad caught pitching the west be excited because of the big fish or shore around Painters Point. Happy finding them pre-tournament, but all I with the great day of fun together cared about is that the big fish STILL we had, it didn’t cross our minds EXISTED in my home water!!! I love we would be sitting in second place fish of all species in a way that is overall. hard to explain, but nothing gets my ...Sunday, we were the first boat north jiggin’ arm twitching like big walleyes and with every cast I was waiting in (it’s what keeps me up at night).Still flabbergasted at the great fish we had anticipation for that magic feeling. All of a sudden, with only two fish less caught, we needed to spend a few than 14” in the boat it was 11:30 am more days on the water “Jiggin’ the and we had to be back by 2:00 pm Dream” before game day. My good weigh in. With minor frustrations friend, Jeff Ingram, and I made it out Thursday morning...We didn’t as much starting to build we kept our cool and fished our hearts out. We had the as put down the trolling motor and on Yellow Perch “GLASS MINNOWS” my second pitch in...BAM!!! My rod loaded up - MAJOR snag...I looked at singing through the air in a maniac my rod, I looked at Jeff, I looked at my rhythm. With thoughts of pulling the rod, I looked at Jeff and then the head big ZERO we kept our spirits up and fished for Hero!!! We found a shore shake!!! “GET THE NET,” I yelled with the wind crashing into it (next page) knowing this was a big fish.
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and began our rhythm. In one pass we had two fish at 23 inches which felt great!!! I looked over at dad and told him how awesome this was to do together and we both teared up. I told him if I could ask God for one thing it would be a 29” walleye to end the day (why I said 29” I don’t know... didn’t want to get too greedy.) With only about an hour to spare I cast into a pod of carp close to shore and began to jig. On the third “pop” of the jig I bumped a fish and set the hook... nothing there. I told dad, “I pulled my jig into a carp but it sure felt like a walleye.” As I was just about to reel in my cast...POW!!! And I mean POW!!! Like no walleye I have ever caught... my drag squealed as the fish bolted up the shore. As dad grabbed for the net, I said, “don’t bother, it’s the same friggin’ carpholio!!!” Next thing I knew the fish was vertical to the boat and not coming up and I yelled “net dad, just in case, it’s acting like a huge walleye.” Never in my lifetime will I ever forget the feeling of seeing that white tail flash come up from the depths and the sounds of my dad’s excitement. God had granted me my 29 inch walleye to finish off the ‘12 Canyon Ferry Walleye Festival. ...We made it back with fifteen minutes to spare which was a smart move on our part and weighed our fish (saving the 29.5” for last, of course.) We kept it very consistent both days and weighed in over 21 lbs the first day and just under 20 lbs on day two. As the bite toughened up tremendously on day two we waited in anticipation for Dan Spence and Tianna Workman to return with their weight (Spence is an incredible fisherman I must add.) When they finally made it to weigh, I could barely watch as he pulled fish from his live well. I knew it would only take one big fish for Dan to pass our weight having five fish in his well. As he went for the last fish I held my breath and it was a nice fish but not enough...I looked over at dad and instantly teared up!!! The father and son team of Kit’s Tackle had just won the 2012 Canyon Ferry Walleye Festival. I have spent countless
nights dreaming of this top honor and to be able to do it with my dad is the true hook set..So cheers to my father for making me who I am and to the spiny yellow critters that I love so much!!! And of course, “Jiggin’ the Dream.”
Huge Lake Trout Caught by 84-year old at Flathead Lake Fishing Day MFWP
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Donna Commers has fished much of
her life, but hasn’t been able to go in recent years...Comers, 84, a resident at Lakeview Care Center in Bigfork, landed a 37-inch, 15 pound lake trout at the Fishing Without Barriers Day on Flathead Lake. Commers daughter, Barbara, helped her land the huge fish. Barbara says that her mother taught her how to fish, now she was returning the favor by helping her catch the biggest fish of her life. When Donna Commers was asked how she caught the fish she replied, “Well, I guess I was lucky.” A group of 61 anglers with disabilities participated in the 19th annual Fishing Without Barriers Day on Flathead Lake on June 21. About 25 lake trout were caught from fishing boats trolling on the lake. Anglers also caught about the same number of fish from the docks, including pike minnow, peamouth, perch, and largemouth bass. Anglers fished from boats belonging to Flathead Lake Charters (owned by Jeff Rach) and private craft...Anglers hailed from the upper Flathead Valley, Kalispell, Polson, Ronan, and as far away as Anaconda and Missoula. A casting contest, where anglers attempted to hook fish models with casting plugs, proved to be popular as nearly 100 people participated to win prizes...
• 11
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12 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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AUGUST 2012
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“Candy Cranks” Getting Deep with Little Walleye Dandies By Ted Pilgrim with Tony Roach
Walleye warrior Tony Roach feeds big summer walleyes a lightweight diet of downsized crankbaits.
Crappie candy. Bass bonbons. Smallmouth sweets. To ace fishing
guide Tony Roach, they’re walleye wafers, and as far as he’s concerned, these snack-size crankbaits might as well be packaged inside shiny foil wrappers, sold in the candy aisle at the grocery store. For all the fish know, modern mini swimmers like the tasty Rapala Ultra Light Shad may in fact be covered in chocolate; run one of these little morsels past a piscatorial sniffer, and you’re putting the bait in grave danger of an imminent crunch.
Which is in large part why Roach and his clients typically sport such goofy grins during the hottest months of walleye season—this being a time when most anglers struggle mightily just to scratch a few fish. During weeklong stretches when others settle for scraps—a fish here and there—Roach is busy feeding his pet walleyes a steady diet of bite-size baits, routinely putting up 20 to 40 fish days. And although walleyes at this time feast heartily on a virtual freshwater smorgasbord, the reality is that as food becomes most abundant, predators often turn increasingly selective about the species and size of their prey. BITE-SIZED BAITS As Roach explains, by July and August, newly hatched yellow perch, ciscoes and even young of the year sunfish, crappies and bullheads still aren’t any bigger than your pinkie finger. Moreover, just because a given fishery generates massive schools of perch, sunfish, bullheads, shiners and other forage fish, it certainly doesn’t guarantee walleyes will key on them all. If a large school of baitfish doesn’t frequent the depths, water temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels preferred by walleyes, they likely won’t often be targeted as prey. On the other hand, if you can identify the forage that appears on your sonar screen in and among larger (walleye) arches, triggering strikes suddenly becomes greatly simplified. Roach, who spends hundreds of hours on walleye (and forage) factories such as Mille Lacs, Minnesota, believes that the key to impressive summer catches goes beyond matching the hatch. Although this is a critical step, the other half of his success is all about depth control—placing the right baits within the precise levels at which walleyes hover. Put the two together, he says, and your livewell will operate at maximum occupancy all summer long. “TINY” TROLLING Once surface water temperatures reach 70-degrees, which can happen as early as June, Roach (and the walleyes) often evacuate structure in favor of deeper featureless flats or those flats associated with nearby hard-bottom edges. (continued on page 19)
AUGUST 2012
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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
• 13
FLY OF THE MONTH By Bob Bates www.fedflyfishers.org
John Kimura from Alturas, California did something different with his turkey wing quills. (At least it was new to me.) This was at the Washington State Council FFF Fly Fishing Fair...in Ellensburg, Washington. Somebody gave him two nice matched turkey wing quills. Instead of using them on a grasshopper or Muddler Minnow pattern he made a good looking soft hackle fly. He had tied this pattern before, just with different body materials. Soft hackle patterns are used in streams and lakes. When wading in streams, cast so it will sink a little as it drifts and let it swing toward shore. Sometimes a fish will chase a fly all the way across the stream and think about hitting it as it moves enticingly at the bottom of the swing. Hence the advice: Be patient at the end of the swing and vary the retrieve before casting again. Depending on where the fish are in lakes (shallow or deep) use floating to full sinking lines and a variety of retrieves. Try to remember what you did just before the fish hit. Strike indicators are also useful. One time on the Madison River...I cast upstream to let my soft hackle sink. My strike indicator stopped by a boulder and I thought “hang up.” But the “hang up” went crazy when the line was tightened.
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Usually in lakes there is no question about the strike. Materials list: Hook: Czech Republic barbless, DaiRiki 135, Tiemco TMC 2457 or other scud hook Weight: Gold bead Thread: Black 6/0 Body: Barbs from turkey wing quills, can use pheasant tail or turkey flats Rib: Copper wire, Ultra XS or S Hackle: Blue Grouse or Partridge. Tying steps: 1. Slip bead onto hook, and put hook into vise. 2. Wrap a thread underbody first. Put copper wire on hook. Fold back end of wire and tie it down to make it more secure. 3. Take 3 to 6 fibers out of wing quill and tie in by tip. 4. Wrap body forward to the bead. 5. Counter wrap wire to the bead, tie off behind bead and trim. 6. Whip finish and cut off thread. 7. Push bead back over thread and body. Reattach thread in front of bead. Prepare grouse feather by pulling off the real fuzzy stuff. Hold feather by tip and stroke barbs away from tip. Tie in by tip with dull side of feather toward hook. 8. Trim excess feather. John recommends using clean materials. His Blue Grouse was washed. Stroke fibers back as the feather is wrapped forward. Secure feather, trim excess and finish the fly with a small head between hackle and eye of hook. Can make the hackle a little sparser than shown. It is a fairly simple fly to tie, and it catches fish. The main point: Don’t get hung up on a particular color of material. If you think that another color or a different material might be more attractive to fish, use it. Then go out and test it. When you dazzle all the other fly anglers, give it a name and become the hero of the area.
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14 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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AUGUST 2012
Say Hello To Success: Where to chase the Fish this Month Brought to you by
Danny with a nice fish taken near Helena. Caught on a size 14 copper John Nymph.
Warm summer weather and lots of bugs in the air means excellent fishing throughout the rest of the summer. Throwing your favorite Hopper patterns on rivers and streams will get the big trout to rise and fight like crazy. There will be plenty of outstanding fishing all around Montana in August, so let’s look at a few spots for you to consider.
YELLOWSTONE PARK FIREHOLE RIVER
Water temperatures in Yellowstone’s Firehole and Madison Rivers are already at late summer levels. Waters like the Lamar Slough and Soda Butte are already fishing well, and hold native yellowstone cutthroat trout. Hoppers, ants, beetles and Morman crickets, as well as Green Drake activity will keep the trout active. Size 14 to 16 caddis of all forms work best right now. When the water warms it’s best to target the deeper pools and the riffle water, where the water is cooler and more oxygenated. The Beaver Meadow area, or any deeper gravel areas that stay a bit cooler in late summer are a superb place to fish. Dropping a black stonefly nymph into deeper pools will work. The trout wait for bugs to fall into the water then attack. A small beadhead dropper off the back of a Hopper are deadly. Spuce moth imitations are also a good bet here.
The late summer and early fall are some of the best fishing days here, and the scenery is second to none.
JEWELL BASIN
For those of you looking for a backcountry hiking and fishing experience, this is it! Located at the north end of the Swan Mountain Range, this designated backcountry has 15,000 acres of high mountains, alpine lakes, streams and waterfalls. Over 35 miles of well maintained trails connect 27 lakes, of which most have fishable populations of rainbow, yellowstone and weststlope cutthroat trout. Lakes are stocked every 2 to 5 years. Best lakes for yellowstone cutthroat include Wildcat Lake, Lower Big Hawk, Blackhawk, and Lower Pilgrim. Lakes that fish well for Rainbow trout are Birch, North and South Jewell and Martha Lakes. Westslope cutts are found in the Upper Big Hawk, Cliff, Seven Acres, Three Eagles, and Wildcat Lakes. Primary access to these areas is from Camp Misery, reached by following Hwy. 83 to the Echo Lake Rd, then up to the Jewell Basin Rd. No. 5392, or by turning into Krause Creek Rd. No. 5390. On the east side of JBHA trailheads originate at 5 different forest road accesses, including Westside Hungry Horse Reservoir Rd. No. 895. A combo spinner/fly rod
that will break down for hiking works best, and popular lures include Panther Martin, Mepps spinners, size 0, a small Thomas Cyclone, plus Hoppers and black ants; all work well to fool alpine trout on these lakes. August is the best time to fish these lakes, as the fish have finished spawning and their meat is firm and tasty. Remember to keep only what you want for a meal, and then release all other fish caught. Jewell Basin is only 10 miles long and 4 miles wide. Lakes are connected by a well marked trail system. None of these trails are extremely difficult hiking. Use a current USFS map and GPS system for safe navigating. Carry bear spray for protection, as bears will be active this time of year. Successful backcountry fishing trips begin at home with proper planning. Pack the best clothing to handle all possible weather. Leave a detailed plan if you plan to hike in alone.
BIG HORN RIVER
Bring all of your flies to the Big Horn River in August, as the trout fishing will be tremendous using a variety of tactics. Nymphs, dries, and streamers will all take trout here. Twitching a muted-pattern Rapala is also a good way to catch big fish. Spoons and spinners can work well in deeper runs or when you fish the Big Horn at night. Red, rust and orange San Juan worms will work on trout in the relatively warm waters of August. Good dry fly patterns include PMD Thorax and PMD Emergers in sizes 16 to 18. Streamer patters that are effective include the brown, black or olive Woolly Bugger in size 4 and 6, nymph pattern go tos are the Pheasant Tails 16 to 18 and Orange Scuds in 12 to 16. Consider floating the lower stretch of the river from Two Leggings to Hardin or below St. Xavier for some good fishing and few anglers for competition. If you are looking for a guide to take you on your first Big Horn trip, give Forrest Fawthrop a call at 406-459-5352 to experience a first class day of fishing on the Big Horn.
BITTERROOT RIVER The heat is on, and so are the hoppers on the Bitteroot River in western Montana. This will offer some of the best hopper fishing around in August. Light brown patterns will work the best with green and reds also effective. Hopper patterns size 2 to 8 work best. March Browns, Quigley, Cripple and the Green Drake. Whether it’s the mainstem, the West Fork or the East Fork, the Bitterroot is “hopper” water in August. It’s a classic run-rip pool water with lots of pasture land on both sides. Look for windier days to produce better hopper fishing, as the bugs are blown from the grass to the water.
ROCK CREEK Rock Creek will be hot this month. Water flows have stabilized and cleared making for some bodacious fishing here. A variety of flies will get the job done. Yellow Simulators work, or try a small nymph dropper tied to a larger fly, a size 16 caddis, or a smaller Parachute Adams to catch the attention of feisty big trout on this blue ribbon trout stream.
SALMON AND SEELEY
LAKES
Don’t overlook these waters this summer. Some big northern pike are still looking for a meal here. Get out early on these lakes, as summertime boaters will be out on the lakes. Husky jerks, spinner baits, and weedless spoons work well on pike. Bass are catch and release, but you can fish weeded bank edges to catch bass and pike here. Catch kokanee salmon in deeper water this time of the year, with 5 per day limit, 10 in possession. Northern pike has no limit.
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AUGUST 2012
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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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GEORGETOWN LAKE
A fly rod in hand is a good choice here in August, with the Damselfly Hatch. The Traveling Sedge, a large caddisfly that emerges right at dusk will make fish active at this time. The trout will attack these low flying insects with a vengeance right before the sun sets. Fish large #8 colored patterns. You will also have action trolling Wedding Rings or spoons in shallows.
FLATHEAD LAKE
In August look for the lake whitefish bite to be on. The fishing can be fast and furious and these lake fish can run up into the 5 to 6 pound range. The whitefish will move out of the deeper waters in large numbers and gather into shallow bays to gorge themselves on perch fry. Elmo and Big Arm bays are go to spots in around 50’ of water. You can jig with a green colored 1/4 or 3/8 spoon. A Kastmaster, Rattle D Zaster, or a Buckshot spoon work well. Other lures you might try would be tube jigs or whitefish flies. Lake trout fishing has been very good on the Flathead this summer. Fish the north end of the lake around the river mouth, as debris from runoff has cleared, and big fish are reportedly being caught now. Worden’s Flatfish, Yakima Bait in the glow white or double glow in the red/white will catch the bigger fish.
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For smaller fish, use the Dodger/Flasher hoochies combo or try some spoons and different color combinations.
LAKE KOOCANUSA
Rainbows in the 5 to 8 lb. range are the average right now. Troll the surface with streamer flies in some dark colors - silver and black, black/ white/gold are colors that are always good choices. Lyman’s in silver and black or silver with pink are also working well. The kokanee bite is now on. Find the schools of fish with your fish finder, and fish shorelines with Rapalas that imitate a small salmon. Remember bright days - bright lures.
FORT PECK
It’s all about the weather and wind conditions on Fort Peck. If it is calm, and you can get to your favorite spots the fishing is hot and will continue. Northern pike are very aggressive right now, as are smallmouth bass. Walleye will be in the 2 to 4 lb. range, perfect for eating. Look for walleye to be in 3 to 8’ of water. Bottom bouncing is working well; orange and chartreuse off the main lake points. Try Snow Creek Bay for walleye and for big northerns fish across the lake around Sutherlin. Perch catches are also strong. The smallmouth, perch and crappie are pretty much in these inlets and bays in shallow waters.
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Trolling with Rapalas or bottom bouncing and slow death rigs work well behind small Lindy weights at slow speed in around 10 to 20’ of water. Expect walleye to continue to fish well as reports have been good lately. If you want to get deeper, fish down riggers, deep crankbaits or try vertical jigging in around 30 to 40’ of water. Good trout fishing will continue on the lake through August. Enjoy some summertime fishing, and stay safe.
Steelhead Catch-And-Release Fishing Is Open IF&G Steelhead fishing is open, catch-and-release only for now, or opens soon in the waters listed below: Catch-and-release opened in the Clearwater River July 1, and fish are being caught. Clearwater River, main stem from its mouth upstream to the Memorial Bridge of U.S. Highway 12 at Lewiston. The harvest season opens August 1. In the rest of the Clearwater drainage the harvest season opens October 15. Clearwater River, main stem and Middle Fork Clearwater River: from the Memorial Bridge of U.S. Highway 12 at Lewiston upstream to Clear Creek. Fishing is prohibited between posted boundaries about 100 yards upstream and downstream from
List Price $56,595 $411Mo.* the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery Ladder and extending into the river channel about 50 yards. Fishing from the shoreline or wading along the perimeter of Dworshak National Fish Hatchery is prohibited. North Fork Clearwater River: from its mouth upstream to Dworshak Dam. Fishing from the shoreline or wading along the perimeter of Dworshak National Fish Hatchery is prohibited. Fishing from any watercraft or wading is prohibited between the posted lines about 150 yards upstream from the mouth of the North Fork Clearwater River and the Ahsahka Highway 7 Bridge. When fishing from the Ahsahka Highway 7 Bridge, it is unlawful to take any fish downstream of the railroad bridge. Fishing from the railroad bridge is prohibited. South Fork Clearwater River: from its mouth upstream to the confluence of American and Red rivers. Catch-and-release fishing for steelhead opens in the Snake and Salmon rivers August 1. Harvest season opens September 1. Salmon River from its mouth to the Lake Creek Bridge (about six miles upstream from the mouth of the Little Salmon River). Salmon River from the Lake Creek Bridge to Long Tom Creek (three-quarters of a mile upstream from the Middle Fork Salmon River). (continued on page 21)
16 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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2012 FALL MACK DAYS
LAKE TROUT FISHING EVENT ON FLATHEAD LAKE Sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks
September 21st November 11th
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with
10 straight days from November 2 - 11
NO ENTRY FEE! Entries taken until the last day of the event. Up to $125,000 in Cash, Prizes, Bonuses and Tagged Fish
•1-$10,000 , 5-$5,000 , 10-$1,000 Tagged Lake Trout Plus-Over 3,500 TAGGED LAKE TROUT $100-$500 •50 Lottery Drawings ($30,000) $200-$1,000 prizes One lake trout entry=one ticket in the lottery drawing •28 days/15 best day’s count for top angler awards last day is a separate day.
The last ten days from November 2th-11th-every day will be included as a fishing day and will make this a 28 day event. The last day will be a separate day with its own prizes. Prizes for teens (13-17), youth (12 and under), ladies only, captain’s prize, smallest lake trout, largest lake trout, spirit of the event, weekend prizes, golden angler award (70 and over), last day prize, bonuses, and lottery drawings! Fish every day or fish one day.
All it takes is one fish to win in the lottery prize drawings! Check out the prize list and entry form at
www.mackdays.com
Entry forms will not be mailed out.
Enter online at www.mackdays.com
or pick up entries at local sporting good stores - or you can even enter when you check in your fish at the check in stations during Mack Days. It is easier if you enter before the event begins. THERE IS A DRAWING ($200) FOR ANGLERS WHO ENTER ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 19TH AND TURN IN AT LEAST ONE LAKE TROUT.
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AUGUST 2012
Fall Mack Days Begins ---September 21st--Tons of fun fishing and up to $125,000 in Prizes!
A
utumn in Western Montana is right around the corner. That means the 2012 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event is fast approaching. It is time to get your fishing equipment-boats, poles, lures, etc. ready to go. Fall Mack Days on Flathead Lake will begin September 21st and end November 11th. Up to $125,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to anglers at the conclusion of the twenty eight day event. Anglers can fish any number of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for eight weekends plus fish for 10 straight days November 2-11th for lake trout. They can choose to fish every day, several days, or just one day. Every lake trout entered equals an entry in the lottery style drawing for prizes from $1,000 to $100. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes sponsor the event and it is sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Mack Days Events are used as a tool to slowly reduce the number of non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake. Native fish-bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout-numbers are just a fraction of where they once were in the Flathead system. They are an important part of Montana’s cultural heritage. These fish have been a part of the Flathead for thousands of years and it is important that their legacy continue on for future generations. ANGLERS COMPETE SEVERAL WAYS TO WIN CASH PRIZES IN THE EVENT. There are over 3800 tagged lake trout in the lake. One lake trout will have a $10,000 tag, 5-$5,000, 10-$1,000 and the remainder will be worth from $100-$500. Fish with the higher dollar values are tagged close to each event. You cannot see the tags. The tags are inserted in the muscle of the fish and the adipose fin is clipped. As the lake trout are counted or entered in the event fisheries staff watches for clipped fins-anglers sometimes will tie an electrical tie or use a rubber band around a tail or gill plate to mark them. A scanner is used to read the tags and the number is then matched to a value associated with the numbers. Information from the tags-such as movement and growth-along with population estimates is used by the fisheries biologists. The smallest lake trout entry continue to be a popular category with two $250 prizes given. There is a largest lake trout prize of $500 for the heaviest entry. The largest lake trout has to be over 36” and 24#’s to qualify. The ladies only category attracts more ladies every event. Top prize for the ladies is $300-with $200 going to second-and $100 to the third place lady based on overall totals at the end of the event. Other categories are the Youth, Captains, Weekend, Golden Angler (70 and over), etc. The last day has separate prizes from $500-$100. There are also prizes for the Top Ten Anglers based on their best 15 out of 27 days of fishing. The last day-the twenty-eighth- does not count for top ten but does count for bonuses. Top Ten cash prizes are from $700-$200. Bonuses accumulate as the anglers total goes up. The higher the number of lake trout entered the more they receive for a bonus amount. There is NO ENTRY FEE and the entry form can be found on the website www.mackdays.com –click on events or watch for entry forms at local sporting goods stores. The website has information on prizes, rules, fishing access, fishing tips, weather, management, Flathead Lake maps, and lake trout recipes. We encourage anglers to be safety minded while on the water. Have a cell phone (in a zip lock bag)-life jackets or vests (wear them)-dry clothing-safety flares, etc. Make sure someone knows when you plan to return. Make sure your fuel level is in the top third of the gauge. Always be weather aware-winds and waves don’t mix. Go to shore if needed and wait out a storm. Be careful out there!! For more about the event please contact 406-883-2888 ex. 7294.
AUGUST 2012
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ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net
Jim Johnson with a northern pike
FISHING WITH THE CAPTAIN By Mark Ward
Listen to Captain Mark Ward statewide every Saturday from 6am-8am. Log onto: www.montanaoutdoor.com to find a radio station in your area.
Montana is known for its excellent
trout fishing. It also has developed a great reputation for excellent walleye fishing. Everywhere I go folks around the state ask me about walleye fishing and where to go to catch them. Well, last month I had the chance to see how the fishing was on two of the most popular walleye lakes in the state. My trip started out with a few days on Canyon Ferry Reservoir. The annual Canyon Ferry Walleye festival was taking place so I took the opportunity to take the Montana Outdoor Radio Show on the road, or on the water, since we did our show live in my boat. Adam Strainer the FWP fishing technician for Canyon Ferry was my guest during the show. Strainer, who has a passion for walleye fishing was very enthusiastic about the current walleye fishery on Canyon Ferry. “The walleyes are starting to make a comeback and they are getting bigger every year”, added Strainer, “it is becoming a walleye wonderland”. It was hard to argue with him as the bite that weekend was definitely on and the winning team in the two-day tournament landed over 41 pounds of fish compared to just over 15 pound for the winners last year. The next stop on my walleye tour was Fort Peck Reservoir. Jim Farrington of Stevensville and I made the 450 mile trip to Hellcreek State Park, which is located 25 miles north of Jordan. We fished for four days and for the most part the fishing was good. Fort Peck’s walleye fishing has improved dramatically in recent years. Anglers are catching bigger fish including more of the coveted eating size of 15-18 inches in length. The fish are fat and healthy probably, because they are benefitting from an increase in the perch population. Walleyes prey on
Jim Farrington with a walleye
perch so the more of them, the more there is to eat. The water elevation on Fort Peck has remained high. The increase of water has done wonders for perch habitat, and because of this it has created a perfect situation for an increase in the perch population. However the 30 plus inch walleyes that put Fort Peck on the fishing world map have been harder to come by the last couple of years. This might be because they are having less of a problem finding food. A week later I returned to Fort Peck. This time with Jim Johnson from Lincoln and owner of Hi-Country Snack Foods. Once again, the walleye fishing was excellent but this time we had a great time catching northern pike and small mouth bass while casting swim baits into the shoreline. For folks who want to catch walleyes, let me offer you a couple of tips. If you are just starting to fish for walleyes then the south end of Canyon Ferry might be a good place to start. There are fewer snags and you might find out where they are biting just by looking for the boats. If you are wanting to try and fish Fort Peck, then I would recommend an 18’ boat or longer. Fort Peck is big water. I would also suggest hiring a guide for a day or two. They will teach you the lake and where to fish for walleyes including what tackle will be most effective. Outfitters charge around $400 a day for two or three people fishing in a boat.
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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
• 17
18 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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AUGUST 2012
Retrieving Injured
GATOR XUV 825i
Game
By Brian Dam
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You only go home with the game if you win the whole game. it’s a good position for a prayer! A The buck is distracted while tending the there lost track in tough terrain may require a
group of does so you sneak close enough for a solid, broadside shot. The down side is he won’t stand still while constantly following the does that are blocking the shot. The last thing you want is to have the lead doe see or smell you then panic and run knowing the big buck will certainly follow. The rut, that has fogged his brain, is the same force that will make him follow wherever they go. When the lead doe locks onto your movement, the clock starts ticking. When she turns to leave you know the 5-point will follow and soon disappear. Your only chance is to take the shot. It’s not perfect but you squeeze the trigger as the buck turns you hear the bullet hit. There is no way to be certain where it connected and a second shot is out of the question. You ponder your dilemma as all the deer vanish. What now?
MISSOULA
KALISPELL
TRIPLE W. EQUIPMENT INC. TRIPLE W. EQUIPMENT INC. 8571 RUNNING W. ROAD 3145 HWY. 93 S. MISSOULA, MT. 59808 KALISPELL, MT. 59901 (406) 549-4171 (406) 752-2828 Full Parts & Service Departments Before operating or riding, always refer to the safety and operating information on the vehicle and in the operator’s manual. Actual vehicle speed may vary based on belt wear, tire selection, vehicle weight, fuel condition, terrain and other environmental factors. *The engine horsepower and torque information are provided by the engine manufacturer to be used for comparison purposes only. Actual operating horsepower and torque will be less. Refer to the engine manufacturer’s website for additional information. John Deere’s green and yellow color scheme, the leaping deer symbol and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere & Company.
Welcome to the moral and legal options, both positive and negative, that will lead up to the attempted retrieval of a wounded big game animal. There are certain traits to remember, most wounded animals go downhill where travel is easier, but there are always exceptions. One was a wounded bull elk I was tracking in the snow, that kept traveling uphill. It turned out his front hoof was hurt and going uphill took some of the weight off the injury.
tad of divine intervention for a successful ending. Moral Obligation: You are morally obligated to pursue a wounded animal and dispatch it as quickly as possible, but this does not give you the right to enter private land without permission. Personal Obligation: You want to retrieve the animal and get him home quickly to preserve the meat and trophy. The longer it remains wounded the lower the quality of the meat, although antlers won’t deteriorate. Legal Obligation: The final word on locating wounded game came from an interview with Jen Williams, the Game Warden covering the Bozeman area, Region 3. Williams has an excellent understanding of both animals and people, and is able to keep things in perspective. “You are required to make an effort to pursue a wounded animal. If it has gone onto private land you must get permission from the landowner. If you do not have permission you can face a possible felony trespass charge.”
“There are both good and bad circumstances that can arise surrounding this issue, but before making any In such situations slow and patient tracking decisions, one must take a good look is mandatory. If you carry a roll of heavy at the evidence to confirm the facts are thread or flagging material tie it off where actually what is being told. Most times a hunter and landowner can work this out you begin to provide a visual clue to the and we don’t get involved.” Jen explains. animal’s path. Knowing the general “Then there are some cases that would direction can be helpful when the blood never get it worked out without our help trail peters out. There is nothing wrong with getting down on your knees to search due to tension and the prior confrontations each participant has experienced.” for blood, hair, tracks, disturbed leaves and broken grass. And while you’re down (continued on page 36)
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“Candy Cranks” (continued from page 12) The time to troll has arrived, and although many anglers connect the tactic with boredom and complications, Roach knows better. “If I have to choose between 2 to 3 fish on structure and 20 to 30 trolling, it’s kind of no-brainer.” Unfortunately, most trollers think they need to employ deep diving plugs or snap-on weight systems to achieve the proper depths of 10 to 35 feet. The problem here is that most deep diving plugs are the larger 4 to 6-inchers that don’t always match the sizes, shapes or species of forage preferred by walleyes. Most anglers assume that snack-size baits, such as the Rapala Ultra Light Shad or new #4 Shad Rap can’t reach those key depths; and even if they could, might not believe that walleyes and other fish actually prefer them to larger summer forage. Using a simplified system of leadcore-line trolling, Roach can put any bait at any depth, and keep it in the face of walleyes for as long as he wants. What if you could run your favorite #7 Rapala Minnow (Rapala “Original” Minnow) at any depth—10 feet to 50? Impossible, you say? Nonsense. Nothing is so depth-precise as Roach’s simplified leadcore program. And few summertime tactics are as simple to execute, or as deadly.
TACKLING TINY The deep diving program starts with a good trolling rod. St. Croix’s Eyecon series are elite yet affordable leadcore sticks built around a high-grade graphite-fiberglass blend. Eyecons employ special lightweight yet rock solid aluminum oxide guides with double-coated chrome frames, which guard against leadcore line wear. Their select graphite-glass blanks yield exceptional bite and “lure reading” attributes, key for detecting a fouled lure as well as signaling subtle bites. Another prime leadcore rod is Roach’s new signature series by Wright & McGill. Arm each rod with a solid line-counter reel, such as a Shimano Tekota 500LC or Daiwa Sealine. In all cases, Roach loads combos first with mono backing, then fills the spool with up to 10 colors of 18-pound test Sufix 832 Lead Core, a smooth, fast-sinking line he calls “the most manageable leadcore you’ll ever use.” To the end of his leadcore, he adds a 6 to 10-foot leader of 10-pound-test Sufix Elite, a lure snap, and finally, one of his sacred mini baits. Lures such as a #4 Shad Rap or Ultra Light Shad, Roach says, contribute mere inches of running depth to his leadcore—a minor factor, but an occasionally critical one. Roach continues his down-to-earth trolling dissertation: “Speed plus color equals depth,” he explains. “It’s that simple. Trolling at 2-mph gives you 7-feet of depth per color. So if I’m marking lots of arches at 21 feet, I might simply feed out 3 colors of leadcore. If I decide to speed up to 3-mph, the equation gets cut in half—or 3-feet of depth per color.” On a typical day, with three other anglers in the boat, Roach begins by staggering four rods at four different depths, each placed in a rod holder. Outside rods run shallower than inside lines, and all of them attach to Church Tackle Walleye Boards for maximum horizontal spread. As sonar and bites begin revealing depths of active walleyes, Roach tweaks depths by adjusting leadcore lengths (colors) for each rod. Some days, the majority of strikes occur at 21 feet down over 35, while others, such as sunny calm conditions put walleyes within a foot of bottom, requiring extra colors for a precise, near-bottom presentation. With a simple calculation, anyone can put any lure at any depth at any time. “See?” Roach quips. “Easy. And I can now run my favorite hatch-matching baits exactly where the walleyes want them. And that includes a classic lure like an original Rapala Minnow, or two of my hottest new favorites—the Ultra Light Shad and #4 Shad Rap. These bite-size baits swim with that masterpiece Rapala wiggle, and trigger bites from the most selective summer walleyes on the planet.”
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REPARING FOR FALL
By Nick Simonson, www.nodakoutdoors.com
Why does it seem like summer is busier than any other season of the
year? Is it because the warm weather makes it much more enjoyable to be outside, so that the days feel so fleeting? Is it because the rush trout, pike, walleyes and smallmouth has faded and now I’m just anxiously awaiting autumn so that I simply think the hours away while grinding my big muskie bait over some weed patch? Or is it because I’m a bad shot and I am procrastinating these three months to the dark side of the calendar only to face the music in October? Ah-ha! I’ll be honest. I am not a great shot. And I have only slightly more follow-through some summers in my shooting motion than I do in my efforts to improve my aim, at least until crunch time rolls around and the first hints of autumn roll in on the late summer breeze. But this year, it is going to be different. Though if I want my lack of hand-eye-bird coordination to improve, I have some hurdles to overcome. The last round of clays I shot was in August of last year and my shot didn’t get better as the autumn wore on. I couldn’t blame the few birds that got up in front of me either, as I saw about two dozen flush in shooting range, but managed to put only a handful down. I think there was a point in December where my lab, Gunnar, gave up on giving me dirty looks due to neck strain from doing so in each previous outing. There was a time I seemed pretty proficient in the field. I can look through my hunting journals and see days where I limited out, taking three birds on four shots, or picking up a pair on perfect shooting. Of course, these trips also occurred in the mid-2000s, with CRP at its peak and a string of warm winters to bolster bird numbers on even the fringes of the pheasant range. Maybe it was the fact that I could put up 50 roosters on a walk without a dog that made me seem so good. Those “good ol’ days” coupled with some less-than-accurate scorekeeping on my part might have led me to the mistaken belief that I was once a half-decent shot. But there’s no denying it now. My shotgunning needs work. For success in the field, I’m going to need time on the range. Practice makes perfect, or at least good enough so that my dog doesn’t laugh at me. As a result, I’ve joined a local trap club where not only can I get my time in behind a clay thrower, but also work on my rifle and archery skills. While the summer progresses, I hope to see an improvement in all three forms of marksmanship – for the sake of my pride and the animals I pursue. Because I am frugal – or as my wife would put it: “cheap” – the $40 membership fee has already factored into my summer scheduling. Each Tuesday night and those Sunday afternoons where I’m not on the road have been blocked off on my calendar in hopes of making every dollar count. So in a way, I’m somewhat “trapped” into shooting by my fiscal conservatism. Let me tell you, from what I remember about “the good ol’ days” all it took was filling the back half of summer with a box full of spent shells and a coating of orange-and-black dust in the field before you. My buddies and I would tear through cases of 7.5 shot like marshmallows at a campfire and before the end of August I had a collection of empty cardboard clay target boxes piled up in the back of my truck reminding me that the clays (like my ego after a bad night at the range) were “Fragile as Eggs.” However, when opening day came, at least I felt ready, which is more than I can say now. But with time and practice, I’ll get back to where I was – or at least to the level of “somewhat respectable” – if I ever hit that benchmark before. Maybe you find yourself in the same situation, wanting to be a better shot. The only way to get there is by practicing. Perhaps its time you trapped yourself into a more rigid regimen, or invited some friends along to the back forty and blasted your way through a case of target loads and some orange-domed birds. Undoubtedly, the more times you do, the better off you’ll be when fall hunting seasons come around...in our outdoors.
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View one of many videos on our website RANCH Two Seasons of the Bird Hunter by Bruce Auchly, MFWP U pland game bird hunters have two seasons every year: the fall hunting season and the summer worrying season. Photo by Kristi DuBois/FWP
Right now is the time to worry. Did the Memorial Day weekend snow hurt nesting birds? What about that hail a week ago? When and how often will game birds renest? Most Montana upland bird hunters look past the mountain grouse species and pay scant attention to sage grouse. Rather, they focus on Hungarian partridge, sharp-tailed grouse and ring-necked pheasants; or simply Huns, sharpies and pheasants. In June all three of these prairie birds usually hatch their eggs, and their success is largely weather dependent. That means bird hunters worry a lot about the weather, over which they have no control. The belief in bird hunting circles is that pheasants will renest several times if a nest fails for whatever reason, but Huns and sharptails will not. That’s not quite true, however. First a look at Huns, the least managed of the upland prairie birds. Wildlife biologists count sharptails on their spring leks, or mating grounds. And some biologists travel prescribed routes each spring, tallying male pheasants crowing. But Huns? They are left on their own and do quite nicely, thank you. Huns begin nesting in mid-April, with the peak of nest starts in mid-May. Each nest holds an average of 15 eggs. Hatching begins about June 1, with the peak of hatching during the third and fourth weeks of June. For those folks worried about a late May, or mid-June deluge, here is the important part: Huns will renest if a nest is destroyed or abandoned early in the nesting cycle. As for sharptails, nesting runs from mid-May to mid-June, with an average of 12 eggs per nest, which hatch 23-24 days after incubation begins. So for birds to hatch June 7, for example, the hen had to start incubating them about May 15. Again, contrary to some beliefs, sharptails will renest if the nest fails early in the nesting cycle. Finally there are pheasants, the bird that upland bird hunters seek by a wide margin, typically two or even three to one. Pheasants typically have 10-12 eggs per nest with an incubation period of 23 days. If the nest fails or is abandoned, the hen will try to renest again, and even, occasionally, a third time. It all depends on how close the eggs are to hatching. Sometimes this results in very late nests, which is why we occasionally see small pheasants without any color on opening day – this year Oct. 6. While all three upland bird species will renest, none will do so after the eggs hatch. That means, going back to worries about the weather, a spring snowstorm is not as bad as a July hailstorm. Eggs that have not hatched may be replaced by a new nest. But chicks that die from a wet, cold snap in June or a summer hailstorm will not be replaced that year. Another thing about renesting, the number of eggs in the second, or even third, nest will usually be fewer than the first attempt. And the later in the summer chicks hatch the less their chance of survival by the fall. So if worrying gets you through the summer, go ahead. It’s still many weeks till the fall bird hunting season.
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Duck Numbers Remain Strong As Habitat Declines Ducks Unlimited
T
he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released its preliminary report on breeding ducks and habitats, based on surveys conducted in May and early June. Total populations were estimated at 48.6 million breeding ducks in the surveyed area. This estimate represents a 7 percent increase over last year’s estimate of 45.6 million birds, and is 43 percent above the 1955-2011 long-term average. This year’s estimate is a record high and is only the sixth time in the survey’s history that the total duck population exceeded 40 million. “Early indications were that the mild and dry conditions experienced across North America this past fall and winter would negatively impact spring pond conditions and allow increases in grassland conversion rates, ultimately impacting nesting efforts this season,” said Ducks Unlimited Chief Scientist Dale Humburg. “Strong returning duck populations and late spring precipitation have brightened prospects for 2012 duck production. If nesting and brood-rearing conditions are favorable over the next few months, we could see another strong fall flight.” Habitat conditions observed across the U.S. and Canadian survey areas during the 2012 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey were characterized by average to belowaverage moisture, especially in the southern portions. Significant decreases in wetland numbers and conditions occurred on the U.S. prairies in 2012. The estimate of ponds for the north-central United States was 1.7 million, 49 percent below the 2011 estimate of 3.2 million and similar to the long-term average. Nearly all of the north-central U.S. habitat was rated as good to excellent in 2011; however, only the habitat in the Coteau region of North and South Dakota was rated as good in 2012, and no areas were rated as excellent habitat this year. Drastic wetland declines in western South Dakota and Montana resulted in mostly poor-to-fair habitat conditions. Conditions in most portions of the Canadian prairies declined as well. Residual moisture from prior years ensured retention of permanent wetlands on the Missouri Coteau in Saskatchewan and near the Saskatchewan and Manitoba border, but temporary wetlands retained little moisture due to a shallow frost seal
and below-average precipitation. The 2012 estimate of ponds in Prairie Canada was 3.9 million. This was 21 percent below last year’s estimate and 13 percent above the 1961- 2011 average. Total pond counts for the United States and Canada combined (continued on page 25)
Steelhead Catch-And-Release Fishing Is Open (continued from page 15) Salmon River from Long Tom Creek (three-quarters of a mile upstream from the Middle Fork Salmon River) to posted boundary 100 yards downstream of Sawtooth Hatchery. Little Salmon River from its mouth upstream to the U.S. Highway 95 Bridge near Smokey Boulder road. Snake River from the Washington state line at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers upstream to Hells Canyon Dam. Steelhead are rainbow trout longer than 20 inches in length. Only steelhead with a clipped adipose fin, as evidenced by a healed scar, may be kept. All steelhead with an intact adipose fin must be released. Anyone fishing for steelhead, except children under age 14, must have a valid Idaho fishing license and steelhead permit in possession to fish for steelhead. Children under the age of 14 may fish without permits if they are accompanied by a valid permit holder - any fish caught must be recorded on the permit holder’s card and counted in that person’s bag, possession and season limits. A resident child under 14 may purchase a permit and catch their own limit of steelhead. Nonresident juveniles 14 to 18 may purchase a junior nonresident fishing license and permit and catch their own limit of steelhead. The holder of a valid Idaho fishing license and steelhead permit may fish for steelhead in the Snake River where it forms the boundary between Idaho and Oregon or Washington, subject to the laws of Idaho. They may not fish from the shoreline, including wading, and may not fish in sloughs or tributaries on the Oregon or Washington side. The angler is entitled to have in possession only the limit allowed by one license regardless of the number of licenses in possession. Anglers should check the 2011-2012 Idaho Fishing Seasons and Rules for additional details.
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Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A...is supporting the National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD) again in 2012, and this year is giving away a Rhino 700 FI SxS with a full suite of Genuine Yamaha hunting accessories through its annual online sweepstakes.
This is the fifth year Yamaha has sponsored NHFD, and to honor this milestone,
Yamaha is giving away the biggest prize ever at: www.yamahaoutdoors.com/nhfday. The sweepstakes is being promoted at NHFD events nationwide and anyone can enter to win by simply registering online at through the end of October 2012. “The National Hunting and Fishing Day is an important reminder and educational tool promoting the significant and positive impact these activities have on our country,” said Steve Nessl, marketing manager for Yamaha’s ATV/SxS group. “Yamaha is proud to be involved with NHFD, and we look forward to giving away the new Rhino to some lucky outdoors enthusiast this fall.” Scheduled annually on the fourth Saturday of September, this year the celebration of hunting, fishing and conservation is set for September 22. NHFD serves as the most effective grass roots effort ever taken to promote outdoor sports and conservation. Yamaha, through its relationships with organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, Safari Club International, Buckmasters, NWTF and NHFD, among others, is a continued supporter of conservation efforts for outdoor recreational enthusiasts. “We’re thrilled to have Yamaha on for another year of support,” said Misty Mitchell, Director of Conservation Programs for Wonders of Wildlife museum in Springfield, Mo. — the official home of National Hunting and Fishing Day. “The ATV giveaway has been a huge hit amongst NHFD participants, and we look forward to another great turnout at all of our events nationwide.” One lucky entrant, 18 years-of-age or older, will win a 2012 Rhino 700 FI that is assembled in the U.S.A. and comes with a number of hunting accessories. Total approximate retail value is $13,387.40. No purchase necessary. The sweepstakes ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on October 31, 2012. The winner will be determined by random drawing. More information on NHFD available at www.nhfday.org. Complete rules, entry details and additional information are available by visiting www.yamahaoutdoors.com/nhfday and you can follow Yamaha Outdoors at www.facebook.com/yamahaoutdoors
National Hunting and Fishing Day Saturday, September 22, 2012
110 1st Avenue, Lincoln, MT. (406) 362-4333 Pets welcome
Service Proposes New Hunting Opportunities on National Wildlife Refuges in Fourteen States USFWS
Includes Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, MT with expansion of area for migratory bird hunting and big game hunting. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
T
he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposal to open one new refuge to hunting and to expand hunting opportunities at 16 national wildlife refuges in 14 states. If approved, the proposal would provide additional public hunting opportunities in fulfillment of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997. “The National Wildlife Refuge System offers some of the best public hunting and fishing around, helping to connect generations of Americans with this great outdoor tradition,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “Our goal is to increase hunting opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds, wherever these opportunities are compatible with refuge purposes.” Notice of the proposal was published in the Federal Register on July 11, 2012; the public has until August 10, 2012, to comment on the proposed changes. To comment on the proposed hunting rule changes, please visit http://www.fws.gov/refuges/hunting/ huntFishRegs.html... All but two of the refuges in the proposal are open to sport fishing and would remain so. For a complete list of the proposed changes visit http://www.fws.gov/. While definitions of hunting categories vary by refuge and state, migratory bird hunting generally includes ducks and geese. Upland game hunting may cover such animals as game birds, rabbit, squirrel, opossum and coyote. Big game hunting may include such animals as wild turkey, deer and feral hogs.
M. & N.J. Mishler USFWS
Under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, the Service can permit hunting and fishing along with four other types of wildlife-dependent recreational uses where they are compatible with refuge purpose and mission. Hunting, within specified limits, is permitted on more than 300 national wildlife refuges. Fishing is permitted on more than 270 national wildlife refuges. Other wildlife-dependent recreation on national wildlife refuges includes wildlife observation, photography, interpretation and education.
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Hunting And Conservation News The Future Of Montana’s Big Game Animals Is In Your Hands! Thereʼs never been a more important time for YOU to FIGHT for your hunting and fishing rights.
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Duck Numbers Remain Strong As Habitat Declines (continued from page 21)
showed 5.5 million ponds, a 32 percent decrease from last year’s estimate and 9 percent above the long-term average. This was the first time since 2008 that ponds dropped below 6 million. Of the 10 species traditionally reported, nine were similar to or increased in number from 2011. Two species (northern pintail and American wigeon) remained below their long-term average. Mallards, northern shovelers, blue-winged teal and scaup were bright spots on this year’s survey. For the first time since 1999, mallard populations have exceeded 10 million. Northern shovelers and bluewings again reached record highs (5.0 and 9.2 million, respectively). Scaup numbers showed improvement and are above 5 million for the first time since 1991, but still remain below the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) population goal. Only three species—northern pintail, American wigeon and scaup— remain below NAWMP goals. “This year I am reminded again of the dynamic nature of wetland cycles and what happens when several years of strong production line up with the possible beginnings of a drought cycle,” Humburg said. “As good as the population news is this week, waterfowl and wetland habitats continue to face significant long-term threats. The Farm Bill and North American Wetlands Conservation Act are up for renewal by Congress this year and both are crucial to our ability to conserve this critical habitat. We are also fighting to increase our investment in wetlands conservation by raising the price of the federal duck stamp,” said DU CEO Dale Hall. “Conservation is indeed at a crossroads this year.” Nesting habitat across the Prairie Pothole Region continues to decline, particularly following the mild, dry winter. In many places in Canada, the mild conditions allowed farmers to tile and return shallow
wetlands to production. On the U.S. side of the border, expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts, high commodity prices and other economic factors are not only pressuring wetland drainage, but also pushing conversions of grasslands to cropland. A recent report from North Dakota Game and Fish noted nesting cover in the state continues to decline. During their survey, biologists noted many large tracts of grassland and CRP land had been converted to cropland since last year. CRP acres in North Dakota alone have dropped to about 2.3 million acres, which is down about 30 percent since 2007. Projections are that more than 650,000 acres will be lost in 2012, and an additional 1.1 million acres will be lost in 2013-14. The loss of this critical nesting cover will be disastrous for breeding ducks, other nesting birds and hunting opportunities in the future. As always, fall weather and habitat conditions along migration routes will have a big impact on migration chronology and local hunting success. “Severe drought in some important wintering regions adds a bit more uncertainty about prospects for the fall. However, I am encouraged by the number of breeding ducks surveyed this year, and hopeful production will be at least average,” Humburg said. “As a waterfowl hunter, I am always optimistic. As a waterfowl biologist, I am realistic but committed to the conservation challenges ahead.” The FWS spring surveys provide the scientific basis for many management programs across the continent, including the setting of hunting regulations. The four flyway councils will meet in late July to recommend and adopt the season structure and bag limits for 2012-13. Individual states will make their specific selections within a federal framework of season length, bag limit and outside dates. Hunters should check their states’ rules for final dates.
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To preserve, protect and enhance Montana’s fish and wildlife resources and outdoor opportunities and to ensure our American heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping through hands-on conservation efforts and responsible predator management by Montana Sportsmen. All memberships are a tax deferral as SFW Montana is a no-for-profit 501 C3 entity
MONTANA SPORTSMEN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE Join online at www.mt-sfw.org
WA and OR Grouse Tips Sought in Two Habitat Maps Available Western Montana Deer Ruffed Grouse Society Poaching Cases MFWP MFWP’s game wardens are looking for tips on two separate deer poaching cases that occurred over Father’s Day weekend, one in East Fork of the Bitterroot Valley and the other in the Fish Creek drainage... In the Bitterroot, FWP game warden, Lou Utilizing US Forest Service data, potential Royce, reported that one mule deer buck ruffed grouse (and blue grouse) habitat was shot and abandoned in trophy mule has been mapped using GoogleEarth. By deer Hunting District 270, near Blacktail clicking the various combinations of data Point... layers, the viewer can see rough maps West of Missoula in the Fish Creek of National Forests within Oregon and Washington overlaid with colors denoting drainage, game warden Justin Singleterry reported that a white-tailed buck deer was potential grouse habitat. You can also shot and abandoned just off Fish Creek select various views (Map, Terrain, Road, one mile south of the Burdett Creek Satellite, or Hybrid) and zoom in to see Trailhead on private property. Warden greater detail. Singleterry responded to the scene after Pages describing NW US habitat, in word a neighbor found the deer and called the state’s TIP-MONT hotline. and photos, for each species are also provided. Anyone with information on either incident is encouraged to call RGS anticipates that users will be able to 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668). print copies of specific areas to investigate Callers can remain anonymous and may this fall for the presence of these two great be eligible for a reward up to $1,000 for gamebirds. providing information that leads to a conviction. The Ravalli County Fish and This is the first attempt at providing this type of information on such a large area... Wildlife Association is also offering a $500 reward for information that leads to a conviction on the Bitterroot case.
A joint project between the USFS and
RGS has newly available maps of potential ruffed grouse and blue grouse habitat on national forests in Oregon and Washington.
26 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net
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AUGUST 2012
ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES
Wayne Lewis, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Over-the-Counter Licenses On Sale Colorado Parks and Wildlife is reminding sportsmen that over-the-counter big game licenses are being sold...The licenses, which are for elk and bear hunting in the state...will be available through the upcoming hunting seasons or until supplies run out, depending on the license type. Over-the-counter licenses include the statewide bull elk tags for second and third rifle season, which are unlimited in number and available through the rifle seasons. Statewide archery either-sex or
cow elk licenses are also available as unlimited over-the-counter licenses until the archery season ends on Sept. 23. Archery, muzzleloader and rifle bear licenses are also available as over-thecounter license but bear licenses are capped and stop being sold when the set license quota for a specific unit is reached. Some bear units sell out quickly. A list of available over-the-counter licenses is updated every 15 minutes on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website at http://wildlife.state.co.us/Apps/WildlifeLicenseReports/BigGame/pdf/otccap.pdf... Colorado’s elk population is the largest in the North America with approximately 264,000 elk. Colorado also boasts more than 23 million acres of public land accessible to hunters. Colorado offers non-residents and residents the opportunity to purchase unlimited over-the-counter licenses for bull elk. In a select number of units, archery hunters can purchase both an unlimited over-thecounter bull tag and an over-the-counter antlerless elk tag. Hunters with questions about what licenses they can purchase and where licenses are valid can find more information on-line or by phone with one of the new Colorado Parks and Wildlife Hunt Planners at 303-291-PLAN. Hunt planners are hunters themselves and well versed in the opportunities available around the state...
ONE WOLF SEASON ENDS, ANOTHER OPENS
New Idaho Laws Affect Hunters And Anglers
The 2011-2012 wolf hunting seasons ended June 30; the 2012-2013 season opened July 1 on private land only in the Panhandle wolf management zone. Wolf hunters may use five tags - one wolf per tag. There is no overall harvest limit in the region. The wolf hunting season opens throughout the rest of the state on August 30. The wolf trapping season opens November 15 in six wolf zones. New wolf hunting and trapping seasons and rules are posted on the Fish and Game website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ public/docs/rules/bgWolf.pdf, and they are available on pages 66 through 69 in the 2012-2013 Big Game Seasons and Rules brochure. Wolf tags are available for $11.50 for Idaho residents and $31.75 for nonresidents. Hunting licenses and tags are valid for a calendar year; trapping licenses and tags are valid from July 1 through June 30. During the 2011-2012 wolf seasons hunters killed 255 wolves, and trappers 124, for a total of 379 wolves.
Several new and changed Idaho laws took effect July 1 that will affect the state’s hunters and anglers. The legislation: Adds a wolf tag to the sportsman’s pack, increasing the price from $117.25 to $124.25. -Includes nonprofit organizations that are qualified under section 501(c)(19) of the internal revenue code, as qualified to assist veterans who participate in Fish and Game’s special disabled veteran programs. -Incorporates a nonresident three-day fishing license into the adult nonresident hunting license with no change in the current license fee. This change will enhance the nonresident recreational experience for those who might also desire to fish while hunting in Idaho.
Steelhead Fishing... Steelhead Catch-And-Release Fishing Is Open See page 15 for details.
Game And Fish Commission Approves Changes To Mountain Lion Seasons At their July 10, 2012, meeting in Lander, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
addressed proposed changes to mountain lion hunting seasons in the Black Hills and Platte Valley. At this meeting, the Commission agreed to increase mortality quotas for hunt areas 9 and 31 in the Platte Valley and to create a new hunt area (hunt area 32) in the Black Hills near Hulett. Assistant Chief of the Wildlife Division Tom Ryder said that approved changes to lion seasons in the Black Hills will result in an increase in the overall mortality quota for the area. “The overall mortality quota for the Black Hills area will increase from 40 lions for the 2011-2012 season to 61 lions for the 2012-2013 season,” Ryder said. “The creation of a new hunt area and increase in quotas will allow the harvest of more lions to address public concerns including damage to livestock and conflicts on private land and provide additional recreational hunting opportunity for an abundant wildlife resource.” The newly created hunt area 32 was previously part of hunt areas 1 and 30. Hunt area 32 will have a mortality quota of 25 lions and will be open from Sept. 1, 2012, through March 31, 2013. The mortality quota for hunt area 1 will remain at 24 lions and the mortality quota for hunt area 30 will decrease from 16 to 12 lions. In the Platte Valley, the mortality quota for hunt area 9 was increased from seven to 12 lions and the quota for hunt area 31 increased from six to 11 lions for the 2012-2013 season. The changes for hunt areas 9 and 31 were a result of public comment gathered during the Platte Valley Mule Deer Initiative to address declining mule deer numbers. Changes to mountain lion hunting seasons (Chapter 42 of Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Regulations) will be effective for the 2012-2013 hunting season. The commission will consider all mountain lion seasons in the summer of 2013.
Fun, Inexpensive Fishing In Central Utah If you’re looking for a fun place to fish in central Utah, visit the waters along state Route 31. Route 31 runs through the Manti-La Sal National Forest...the route provides multiple camping and fishing destinations...Route 31 connects the towns of Fairview and Huntington. Cleveland Reservoir, Electric Lake and Huntington Reservoir (also known as Mammoth Reservoir) are within several miles of each other. And just below Electric Lake is Huntington Creek, one of Utah’s Blue Ribbon fisheries. All three reservoirs and Huntington Creek are easily fished from the bank. Brent Stettler, regional conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources, provides the following information for all four waters: REGULATIONS: Of the three reservoirs mentioned, only one has special regulations: At Huntington Reservoir, all cutthroat trout must be returned to the water. Huntington Creek is managed by special regulations that offer anglers several specialized fishing experiences. These include an area where only flies are allowed, an area where only artificial flies or artificial lures may be used, and an area where bait is allowed...
Biologist Justin Hart holds a cutthroat trout from Electric Lake. Photo: Brent Stettler
FISHING TIPS: A variety of trout species are found in the fisheries along Route 31. Huntington Reservoir is home to tiger trout and cutthroat trout. Cleveland Reservoir holds tiger, cutthroat and rainbow trout. Resident trout in Huntington Creek are predominantly browns with a few cutthroats in the mix.. Although fishing results are unpredictable, some generalities do exist: The best baits for rainbow trout along Route 31 are night crawlers and PowerBait. If you use PowerBait, the most effective colors are rainbow and chartreuse with glitter. Tiger trout and cutthroats are most easily caught using nightcrawlers, dead minnows or spinners. For years, the best spinner has been the Jakes Spin-a-Lure. Nightcrawlers continue to be the best bait. The best artificial fly patterns are leeches, wooly buggers, soft hackle flies and prince nymphs...
AUGUST 2012
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ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net
HUNTING with Ed Beall ---Why I wear ASAT camo and Kenetrek Boots--By Ed Beall, Owner of Capital Sports & Western and avid hunter
All Season All Terrain Camo. Some of us use or have at least heard of ASAT
camo. What is that stuff supposed to look like? Doesn’t look like any trees around here, or any bushes. How can that work for camouflage? It isn’t designed to look like anything familiar. It is designed to break up the human silhouette or blur the outline or shape of our bodies. If you take a black and white photograph of a person wearing ASAT camo, you will see that the outline of the person is very hard to distinguish. The effectiveness of ASAT camo starts with a light tan overall background with these random curvy black and dark brown lined patterns (that sort of remind you of the shape of an antler) layered over the light tan. Again, they don’t look like a pine tree, or willows or sage brush. Successful bow hunting demands that the hunter be able to conceal himself in a variety of terrain. A few years ago while hunting in the Gravelly Range, I had the first chance to try out this weird type of camouflage. There is a wide mix of cover. We hunted in heavy fir, lodge pole patches, sagebrush parks and aspen lined meadows. One of my most memorable elk encounters happened there. There were three of us and we had been hanging out for the afternoon waiting for a herd of elk to come back to this meadow. We had napped a while until we were wakened by the sound of a bugling bull! We were in the right place and right time. We set up quickly as the herd was moving pretty fast up the hillside, and was going to go right past us. With the three of us in a line, the first hunter was in a shooting position to see the herd as they first approached. The second was uphill a bit and doing the calling. I was last. The first hunter, Boomer, took the last cow as she walked by and she ran down hill at an angle right past me. She died about 60 yards after she was hit, 10 yards below me. King, was doing the calling, and I think he wondered what the heck was going on, since we originally agreed that no one was going to shoot a cow because of how far in we were. I slipped down the hill about 20 yards to get in front of the herd. The wind was right. The “lead cow” was making a lot of noise...she was heading straight at me. Turns out she was actually the “lead calf”. This young elk was leading the heard straight to me. I mashed up against the nearest tree and she came within bow length of me. Never saw me, never smelled me. Clearly the wind was right and I believe my camo did the perfect job of concealing me. Not only did the calf walk by at a bows length away, but the rest of the cows went by me at 5 to 20 yards. The bull was 30 yards down the hill. Perfect distance. Except for that little branch that I didn’t see sticking out in the path of my arrow!
The first time I heard about Kenetrek boots, it was about their well fitting winter pacs. Then they came out with hunting boots that were made in Italy. Italian boots have long been known for their fit and support in the backpacking and mountaineering world. I had to try them. At the Sports Inc show (our buying group), Joe Winjum pulled a size 11 off the try on rack and I slid my feet into them. Wow! They fit like a glove....like a glove on my feet. As I took my first few steps I could feel the “stiff” support underneath my feet and a slight “rocker” that sort of propelled me forward. An incredible firm, comfortable feel. The most comfortable boot I had ever tried on. Had to have ‘em. The prescribed 50 mile break in period seemed a bit much. A few miles a day on the trails of Mount Helena was my break in plan. I made it to about 25 miles when our family decided on a backpack trip into the Beartooth mountains. With a 40lb pack, severely steep terrain, lots of streams, rocks and wet grass, I completed the initial break in of my Kenetrek Mountain Extremes. Great traction, support and comfort. My feet were happy. The first archery season in my Kenetrek’s involved mud and water. Boggy, thick willow bottoms in search of bull elk. Combined with a waterproof gaiter my feet stayed comfortable and dry through a week of abuse. Impressively waterproof. Then into the steep mountains of western Montana....these boots outperformed all the others I have owned throughout my 41 years of hunting. (I started early). One of the steepest mountains I hunt, we’ll call it “Neverending Hike To The Bottom Mountain”, is known for taking it’s toll on seasoned hunters. By the end of the hunt your feet are hot, your ankles are achy, your knees are wobbly and your quads are trembling. (The next day you sit in the camp chair by the fire and recover with a beverage) The severe side hilling and switchbacking through the timber and parks just tears you up. Amazing boots! Happy feet. My quads still tremble. But my feet, ankles and knees are happier from the firm support they get from my Kenetreks. It would be fair to say that after that first year of hunting my boots were truly “broke in” and performing like they are built to. Since then, miles, mountains, streams, rocks and mud have only been the playground where I get my money’s worth out of these boots. Thick, full grain leather, padded soft collars, heavy duty midsoles, Wind-Tex waterproof membranes and high traction outsoles lead to extreme support, traction and waterproofing. I highly recommend them as a serious hunting boot, that is very comfortable and provides maximum stability. Slip your feet into a pair. Owning a pair of Kenetrek’s makes you feel good. Not only for what the boots do, but also because they are a Bozeman Montana company. Get yours at Capital Sports & Western Wear.
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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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28 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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AUGUST 2012
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Formulated for Excellent Diesel Engine Protection and Performance AMSOIL Synthetic Diesel Oil provides excellent protection and performance in both on- and off-road diesel engines for the original equipment manufacturer’s recommended drain interval. It meets API CJ-4 specifications and is suitable for both modern and older diesel applications. AMSOIL OE 15W-40 Synthetic Diesel Oil exceeds the higher performance demands of modern engines and withstands the stress of heat, soot and acids to HELP PREVENT DEPOSITS, WEAR AND CORROSION. AMSOIL Synthetic Heavy Duty Diesel Oil is ideal for use in a wide variety of light and heavy-duty applications, including agriculture, off-road construction, trucking, mining, industrial (pumps and generators) and personal automotive or commercial transportation. Whether it’s gas or diesel, we carry a full line of premium AMSOIL products for every vehicles specific needs, including transmission and gear oils. If you’re looking for the best protection for your engine, then just call one of the experts at Gomer’s Diesel / USDieselParts.com.
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AUGUST 2012
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SCOUTING BY TR AIL AND ERROR By Bob Humphrey Yamaha Outdoors
H aving trouble filling your deer tag? Are you Stuck in a rut during the peak of rut? Have all
of your hotspots gone stone cold? You can continue to do the same thing, hoping for a different result, or you could go back to square one and start anew. You probably did a fair amount of scouting before the season, but things have changed since then, perhaps significantly. A little in-season scouting might be just the trick, and the job is made that much easier with trail cameras. A lot of folks are using trail cameras to scout for deer nowadays. Most of their effort however, is directed to the pre-season. Once the season starts we’re too busy hunting to check our cameras, or we’ve already pulled them all. But in-season scouting can be a huge help, especially when things slow down. Deer change their movement patterns (if they even have a pattern) throughout the hunting season based on changes in food availability and stages of the rut. If you don’t keep up with those changes, you could be wasting a lot of precious hunting time in the wrong location. A classic example is the so-called October lull, when deer, especially bucks, seem to suddenly disappear for a week or so. The fact of the matter is, they’re still out there, and probably moving just as much. They’ve just moved to a different location. Soft mast is about gone and they’re shifting to hard mast. Carbs become more important and they shift from clover fields to corn fields. Another prime example is the rut. Bucks that have been regular to a specific area suddenly disappear. Meanwhile, “strangers” show up. And when the does start coming into estrus, a previously slow area can become a hub of buck activity. You can’t be in the woods 24-7, but your cameras can. The down side is, you have to check them regularly if you want to stay up to date on what’s happening. One way is to use transmitting cameras that send images either to your smart phone or e-mail account. That’s expensive, but you get the most current information with the least disturbance and effort. Another method is to hunt while you scout. Walking or still-hunting from one camera location to another. It’s more time consuming and labor intensive, but still fairly unobtrusive. A third option is to ride from camera location to location via ATV. This is often a better option if you have a trail system in place, particularly if the area receives any type of regular ATV use. The deer will be used to the sight, sound and smell of ATVs, and you can get in and out of the area, visiting all your sites in a relatively short period of time. Once you find where the action is, you can shift your attentions where they’ll yield the best results.
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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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30 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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AUGUST 2012
UNDERSTANDING SCRAPES AND RUBS
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By Jeff Davis, Editor Whitetails Unlimited
Understanding Scrapes
and Rubs can help you find deer in the fall and increase your chances of success. This deer behavior is driven by elevated hormone levels as the days begin to shorten in August, September and October (depending on the part of the country where a deer lives).
© Bruce Macqueen | Dreamstime.com
TIP 1. A “scrape” is an area on the ground created by a buck as a signal to other deer. Scrapes range in size from a square foot to the size of a car hood. A scrape is typically positioned five feet below an overhanging branch. There may be just one scrape, or a series of scrapes created by a single buck. TIP 2. A scrape is made by a buck to mark territory to all of the deer in an area, bucks and does. Scent from saliva and the pre-orbital gland on the top of the head are deposited on the overhanging branch, and urine and glandular secretions may be deposited on the scrape. Other deer analyze these scents, and often leave their own markings when visiting scrapes.
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TIP 3. An older buck will usually scrape more often than younger, less-dominant bucks, have larger scrapes and will typically start this activity earlier in the year. Dominant bucks will also be more vigilant in maintaining scrapes over time and will often maintain them after the peak breeding period. Preferred scrape areas tend to be used year after year. TIP 4. The sense of smell in a deer is much more sensitive than a human’s. The olfactory area of their brain is 1,000 times larger, there are many times more nasal receptors, and the nasal passage is eight times longer than ours. At a scrape, deer can tell doe urine from buck urine, when does are nearing estrus, and decipher dominant bucks from less-dominant bucks.
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TIP 5. An area with a lack of scrapes may have an out of balance buck-to-doe ratio or age structure, with too many does providing for less competition for the available bucks. These bucks do not need to continually define their breeding territory. TIP 6. Rubs are areas of trees that are worked over by a buck’s antlers, and bark removal or defoliation occurs. Rubs are not where deer have removed their velvet (which happens earlier in the year), but are more of a “sparring partner,” where bucks release excess sexual frustration and energy and leave scent marking from glands on the head. Usually young males use small, whippy saplings and larger bucks use small trees. TIP 7. Scrapes are often found near transition zones, bedding areas, trails and corridors and can mark territory borders that are used by multiple bucks. For bigger bucks, look for scrapes that open first, are larger, clusters of multiple scrapes, and scrapes that are freshened repeatedly (many scrapes are freshened during the night). TIP 8. After finding a good active scrape, you can make an your own scrape using artificial scents to make it appear that another buck is moving into an established territory. You will need to research and plan this well in advance of your hunt, and don’t overdo application of the scent. Remember, a deer’s sense of smell is much better than ours. Information courtesy of Wildlife Research Center’s Scrape Hunting Booklet.
AUGUST 2012
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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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The “MoJo” Dies Hard! By Rick Mowery Sponsored by Bohning Archery Reprinted with permission from Bowhunting.net. For more please go to: www.bowhunting.net
A
crisp fall morning in South Dakota and I have 2 tags for the Rosebud reservation. A whitetail buck and any doe. Figured I would just smack the first doe that showed up. The buck tag would be great to fill, but who am I kidding? After 30 years of bowhunting I had still not taken a whitetail buck. I’ve taken many big game animals but the whitetail buck has always eluded me. I was hunting with my longtime friend, Ken Byers of Byers Media. We’ve shared a few camps together and always have a great time. Ken dropped me off before daylight on a hilltop over looking a creek bottom. I crossed the creek and headed for the tree stand. It was gorgeous watching the sun rise as it lit up the ridge in front of me. I could see little silhouettes of animals moving from the top into the bottom, where I was set up. This shouldn’t take long at all! Figured I’d give the Primos can call a whirl. 1 bleat and out pops a pretty little spike. He was looking for the source of that noise, bringing him right in front of me at about 5 yards. After watching him for 5 minutes or so he continued on his way. What a great day I thought. Seemed like only moments passed before a couple of does stepped out of the tall grass to my right. I ranged them at 40 yards, moving to my left... perfect! After dialing in the Optimizer to 40 yards, I started to draw on the larger doe. Suddenly I caught movement to my right... NO WAY.. this doesn’t happen to me! Out stepped a nice, high tined 8 point WHITETAIL BUCK! I immediately switched gears and focused my attention on the crease just behind his front shoulder. I assumed he was on the same path as the does. He looked like he was but my real life experience with whitetail bucks is less than adequate. Re-ranging him never crossed my mind. After a few steps out of the tall grass, the buck stopped broadside and put his head down. Like I said, perfect! The arrow was away, heading right for that sweet spot... only about 4 inches TOO LOW! It blew through the opposite leg and I heard myself say out loud, “really?” The buck took 2 bounds and stopped. The does didn’t stop. They blew out of there like they were on fire. The buck kept looking back at the spot that stung him high in the front leg, then licking his leg and looking again. He had stopped behind a large bush (we call them tag elders in Michigan) and continued this looking then licking for about 20 minutes. I realized that I should probably load another arrow. Why did that shot go low? As I slowly nocked another arrow, I beat myself up trying to figure out what went wrong. As if on cue, the buck began moving around the bush toward me. If he stepped out, he would only be 25 yards away.
Was he really going to It was gorgeous watching the sun rise as it lit offer me a second chance? He was moving up the ridge in front of me. I could see little slowly with a heavy limp. silhouettes of animals moving from the top Closer, closer. He finally into the bottom, where I was set up. stepped out and faced directly toward me closing the distance even more. I was whispering, “turn.. turn..”, when suddenly he just laid down. He was 20 yards in front of me, laying down. I’d waited 30 years for a chance at a whitetail buck It may and here in the have course of about taken a 30 minutes, I few years was about to get but the a second chance. author’s An even rarer first opportunity. whitetail The buck had no was clue I was there, certainly but I needed to a keeper. get him to stand up. I came to full draw and let out a bleat... no response. His ears didn’t even turn towards me. That’s odd, I thought. So I wheezed at him, louder this time. Again, no response. I could see his entire chest, so I decided to take the shot. The arrow couldn’t have been more perfectly placed. In seconds it was over. He had flipped over, but never left his bed. The “Mojo” had come to an end, but it sure did die hard! After investigating the scene, the buck had come out of the tall grass about 12 yards further away than the does. Lesson – never assume! The spot where he stood for about 20 minutes behind the bush was soaked in blood. He was bleeding out and I can only guess that is probably why he laid down. There was a change in gear that I need to mention here. My PSE Axe-6, Easton ACC Pro Hunters, HHA Optimizer, G5 Tekan 3’s, TRU Ball Short-N-Sweet, Hunter Safety System harness, Sitka gear and of course Blazer vanes, have all served me well over the years. But the one new thing for this hunt was the HECS STEALTHSCREEN system. Does HECS work? Was it the difference? All I can say is that I believe it helped make the opportunity possible and I will be wearing HECS on every hunt from now on. The Mojo has ended!
32 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE
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BOB WARD & SONS NEW GEAR REVIEW } Ruger American Rifle™ “Delivers exciting features and outstanding accuracy at a very reasonable price,” Mike Fifer, Ruger President and CEO
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ATVs with engine sizes over 90cc are recommended for use only by riders age 16 years and older. Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For training and safety information, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs donʼt mix; avoid excessive speed; and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. ©2012 Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. All rights reserved. •yamaha-motor.com
It’s impossible to classify the Outbreak. Is it a 70 lb. compact, short axle-to-axle bow, perfect for hunting from a ground blind? Yes. Is it a smooth drawing 40 lb. bow that’s perfect for your young hunter? Yes. Is it a 25 inch draw length killer that’s perfect for her? Yes. The Outbreak is simply the most versatile bow Bear has ever designed, and its Dual Cam System can be adjusted without the use of modules or a bow press. Regardless of where this bow falls within its 50 lbs. of weight adjustment, it’s a Bear bow from top to bottom. Specifications: Speed (IBO) 308 FPS Weight 3.5 LBS
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or the upcoming seasons, hunters will have the opportunity to pursue wolves throughout Montana beginning Sept. 1 for archery hunting, Sept. 15 for backcountry rifle hunting and Oct. 15 for the general rifle season. The archery season will close Oct. 14 and the general season will end Feb. 28, 2013. Montana’s first wolf trapping season will run Dec. 15 through Feb. 28, 2013, but to participate all prospective trappers are required to attend a certification class to learn more about what it will take to properly harvest a wolf and the need to be prepared for the challenge. The minimum Montana wolf population estimates at the end of 2011 include 653 wolves, in 130 verified packs, and 39 breeding pairs. The minimum wolf count is the number of wolves actually counted by FWP wolf specialists, and likely is 10 to 30 percent fewer than the actual wolf population. “We are clearly aiming to reduce the wolf population in Montana,” said Ken McDonald, FWP’s wildlife bureau chief in Helena. “Last year we hoped to reach a minimum population of about 425 after the hunting season, but after more than five months of hunting the population still grew from the previous year. This year we sought, and the commission approved, additional management tools to help reach a social balance that better reflects biological realities and public tolerance and values.” While commissioners did not adopt a statewide wolf harvest quota, as they did in 2009 and 2011, they did set a quota of two wolves in Wolf Management Unit 110 and three wolves in WMU 316. Those WMUs are located near Glacier and Yellowstone national parks respectively. All harvested wolves are still required to be reported. For complete story visit fwp.mt.gov
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NO EXCUSE FOR IGNORANT LAWS
By Ted Nugent Reprinted with permission from Bowhunting.net. For more, please go to: www.bowhunting.net
A
lighted arrow nock is illegal in two or three states. The number one selling broadhead in the world is illegal in two or three states. It is illegal to hunt on Sunday, during the natural hunting season, in eleven states. Game wardens, sworn under oath to uphold and enforce the US Constitution, can violate the fourth Amendment at will, break into private property including a US citizen’s home or hunting lodge, and conduct a search without just cause or a valid search warrant. Armed federal agents of the US Fish and Wildlife Service raided Gibson guitars four years ago and again two years ago, confiscated precious imported wood worth more than a million dollars, have since failed to file any criminal charges, continue to hold the valuable guitar building wood products, caused American workers to lose their jobs and have severely hampered this iconic American manufacturer to conduct business. A family in Utah went bankrupt fighting the EPA and other federal agencies over false accusations, finally won in court but were then continually threatened and intimidated to comply with the order to vacate their private property based on fraudulent wetland claims where there is no history of moisture on the property. A longtime licensed lobster fisherman in Florida brought his hard earned catch to dock for thirteen years, the same way all lobster fishermen have always done, was forced to load the catch back onto his boat by armed federal agents with claims his containers were illegal, lost his catch to rot, then went to prison for six years. The man had never been charged or convicted of a crime in his life prior to this life wrecking horror story. A fine, decent, law abiding bowhunter in Michigan was cited and fined for having his bow in a case that wasn’t zipped up all the way. Another young Michigan bowhunter was cited and fined for illegally baiting deer after kicking some apples in an apple orchard a few feet closer to his treestand. A twelve year old deer hunter in Waco Texas was cited and fined for not having his hunting license with him after dropping his legally tagged deer off at the butcher. There is no law that says we need to have our hunting license with us except when we are hunting, but to fight this nonsensical charge would have cost ten or more times what the fine was, so the poor kid’s dad decided to plead no contest. Fred and Michelle Eichler were legally hunting alligator at night in Texas, with all the right licenses, permits, tags and all proper equipment when armed agents of the USFW service raided their hunting camp. It took many months of arguing with the USFW thugs before they finally admitted the charges were bogus. On Spirit of the Wild TV on Outdoor Channel for all the world to see, I hit a black bear in Alaska in 2009 with an irrefutably obvious non-lethal arrow that never penetrated the animal. Concluding the animal was not hurt, I eventually used my legal tag on a bear that I killed. After three years of feeling threatened with federal felony charges and outrageous costs by the federal US Attorney’s office there, I pled no contest even though, like me, the lifetime resident hunting judge from that region admitted in official court records that he had never heard of such a law that stated a “hit” bear is the same as a dead bear. Chris Bracket was cited and fined in Illinois for killing his bag limit of bull frogs with a bow and arrow. Jay Gregory of The Wild Outdoors was constantly badgered by federal USFW agents only because he aired a hunt on his TV show that allegedly showed hunters using the Rage broadhead in Idaho, where amazingly, the number one selling broadhead in the world is illegal. After managing the undeniable return of the Scimitar Horn Oryx to its healthiest populations ever in North America, a federal judge sided with an animal right’s maniac who stated on CBS 60 Minutes that she didn’t care if the animals went extinct, she simply hates hunting, and banned the proven methodology of sustain yield value by private landowners. With this bizarre, unethical law on the books, USFW thugs would arrest me on felony charges if I were to put a crippled Oryx calf out of its misery on my own property without waiting the minimum of 90 days to have the public determine if I qualified for the federal permits. In Michigan, small family farmers were forced to slaughter their private livestock based on the fraudulent Invasive Species Order that claimed hogs in their pens were “feral” and or “invasive”. Livestock intentionally purchased and raised under human control can by no stretch of reality quality as “feral” or “invasive.” Meanwhile, those innocent family farms are wiped out by jack booted thugs trampling the US Constitution and common sense. Wildlife management? Sustain yield scientific based regulations, or simply a government gone mad? I have heard from reliable sources that the USFW agency is infested with hunter hating animal right’s crazies who allegedly have bragged that they would, quote, “destroy this (hunting) industry. Only the guilty need feel guilty, but like a handful of courageous BATFE agents who blew the whistle on Eric Holder and his “Fast and Furious” crime spree, I pray to God that the good agents in wildlife agencies everywhere will do their American duty and out the rats in their own departments who would destroy the honorable conservation way of life in the last best place.
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One on One Elk Montana Style (continued from page 6)
I had only traveled about a half a mile when I noticed a big rock that I thought would give me a good vantage point to listen from. As I started making my way toward the rock I heard a faint bugle and thought it was Rockie. I popped my Herd Master reed from Bugling Bull Game Call, LLC into my mouth and fired off a bugle thru the Bully Bull Grunt tube. Three bulls fired right back at me. I took off my Eberlestock pack so I could get my bow. With my pack back on and my bow in hand I checked the wind to plan my approach. The wind was blowing down the soft ridge so I needed to move down wind and toward the bulls at the same time in a half-moon pattern. This is the best way to go after a bull when you are by yourself. The key is to move right away after each bugle while listening for a bugle or an approaching bull. After the fourth half-moon I knew I was getting close so I knelt down in the shadow of a burnt tree and nocked an arrow. As I looked over toward where the bugles were coming from I could see three bulls working their way in my direction with a fourth bull hanging back and screaming. I picked my tree I would draw on and focused on the bull in the front. My legs and hands were shaking as he picked his way towards the location I last bugled from. He was coming in perfect. These bulls had no idea I was there. Once the bull was behind the tree I drew back my Alpine F1 Fireball, settled in and the shakes went away. The bull stepped out only 25 yards from me. I settled my pin behind the shoulder and sent the Shuttle T tipped Victory VAP arrow on its way. The arrow disappeared on its mark.
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The bull whirled and trotted back to where he came from while the other two bulls stood there trying to figure out what just happened before heading back as well. I sat there for a moment to gather in the sights, smells and sounds of my surrounding. I can’t believe that all
just happened that fast. I walked over to where my bull was standing and picked up his tracks. As I followed the tracks a bull kept right on bugling. I caught movement ahead of me and noticed another bull working his way toward me. I knelt down and let him come on in to 30 yards. This was so cool. Four bulls called in within a matter of 15 minutes and a fifth bull still carrying on in the back ground. As I followed the tracks of my bull I could see a spike ahead of me that kept looking down at the base of three trees and acting nervous. He had found my bull for me. I walked to where my bull was lying filled with joy and excitement. I made quick work of him and was ready to get him off the mountain. One on one hunting for elk is such a rewarding experience but can also be filled with frustration. The keys to success are patience, having a game plan, moving after you call and the right gear to mention a few. Having a game plan put together based on the wind direction, terrain, the location of the bull and the ability to make adjustments to your plan as things unfold will make the difference between fresh back straps or tag soup. Knowing your hunting area is another vital piece of the puzzle. Elk hunting is not just an event that takes place each fall. It is an ongoing learning process. I live for elk hunting and spend the year practicing my calling, studying maps and talking with other elk hunters. My first trip to Montana has been a great experience and I look forward to coming back and locking wits with another Mountain Monarch.
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Tips For Hunting Colorado Elk (continued from page 5) Wool clothing has natural scent covering properties, but is not a scent lock. When I am in camp I never wear any of my hunting clothing. Cooking and campfire odors will be picked up in your clothing and be a dead giveaway for elk. When I return to camp, I place my clothing in a contractor size trash bag with a tie strip to close the top. I also include in that bag dirt from the surrounding area, pine boughs and any other plant material that might be appropriate...When I harvest a female of the species, particularly toward the end of the rut, I always harvest her urine. It is loaded with that musty estrus smell. I cap it in an air tight container and then when I am sitting on stand early in the morning I drip a small amount on one half of a female tampon and hang it in a tree or shrub next to where I sit. You can also spray a small amount on the soles of your boots to help “cover your tracks”. During archery season, a good tactic is to use a tree stand to get your human scent above the elk. Stay On The Stand Just A Little Longer Many of our elk hunters in Colorado are very familiar with the whitetail deer tactics used in the East and the South. But something about this big country we call the Rocky Mountains makes a person want to move and cover a lot of ground. You can spend more time walking and looking than you do hunting if you are not careful.
Retrieving Injured Game (continued from page 18) A situation can get a little complicated when you can’t find who owns the land or locate someone authorized to give you permission such as the land manager. When this happens your best option is to contact the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) for assistance. When an animal goes onto private property the situation is now under the control of the owner. If the property owner refuses to allow the hunter or Game Warden entry onto the property the animal can be left to die and rot. If the landowner allows the game Warden only on the land, but wants the animal to go to charity, the meat is donated and the antlers become the property of the state, not the hunter. If the landowner advises he wants the wounded or dead animal it is his as long as he purchases a license to match that animal. Williams explains technology now helps them sort out these situations using a chip for their GPS created by a Montana based company, Hunting GPS Maps. Many times, when there is no fence to easily define if the animal was shot on or had traveled onto private property after being wounded, the lack of a defined boundary makes their decision extremely difficult. The GPS chip can now show an invisible land border not defined by a road or fence. Hunters using this technology seldom get into a problem situation because of their awareness of such invisible property lines.
A shot at a deer, elk or antelope is not always the end of the story. It may be just beginning of a long day if you haven’t done your homework. The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks personnel now have the same technology a hunter can own to provide the necessary information that can keep hunters from needing FWP personnel, and very likely losing a wounded animal. The technology can even tell you how close the animal was to the line before you shot and exactly where you are hunting. While speaking with Matt Seidel, Marketing Manager for Hunting GPS Maps in Missoula, Montana, (208) GPS-MAPS, I learned about the contents available on the chip, and was truly amazed at the
amount of legal problems this information could prevent for a hunter, and the amount of hunting property this could open up for the hunter in a time that we always need more places to hunt. The best
part about it is that not all states are completed but they took care of us “Home Boys” first and have the whole state of Montana completed, but are done with or working on the others in the west. My first question was whether Matt was a hunter or just a salesman. He replied, “Hunter,” and I knew we were both on the same track.
What caught my attention was the ability to not only accurately separate private land from public land, but to provide the owner’s name so you know who to contact, even before you hunt or when you lose a wounded animal across a private border. The chip provides topographical elevation lines to assist you in understanding where the boundary is located and allows you to walk on the legal side of the boundary when there are no fences. In Montana some fence lines are referred to as “Drift Fences.” These are not a legal boundary, but were installed to keep cattle in a specific area, even though the landowner may own both sides of the fence. Without specific GPS information such a fence can easily be construed as a property line when it is not. A quick look at a GPS containing the Hunting GPS Maps data chip and you will know instantly whether it is private or public land. Making this $99 purchase the cheapest “Get out of Jail Free” card you ever bought. Annual updates are available for a nominal fee, although most property doesn’t change hands very often. With this chip you will always know everything necessary hunt trouble free. Read the September issue for more information about HUNTINGGPSMAPS.
Elk are big animals, but they can appear and disappear very easily in the slopes and ravines of their native habitat. If you have done your homework and chosen a good location to sit and glass the terrain, be patient and stay put just a little longer before you give up and head to the next place. Often, you may have glassed a location and seen not sign of elk but other hunters below have spooked them and pushed them right to you. Patience is a key part of hunting... Hunt The Entire Day Elk hunting is hard work - talk to any long time hunter of the wapiti. We leave camp way before dawn to move up the mountain to a good vantage point but many hunters return to camp about midmorning to eat some lunch and take a nap. This pattern is a human pattern, not one the elk will follow. The morning hunt needs to be one that takes you to a good glassing point well before daylight. You should have found several of these during your scouting trips and identified the benches or saddles the elk will use as crossing points from feeding areas to bedding areas or those “escape routes” used when they are bumped by hunters who slept in a little late. Midday is a great time to hunt, but the tactics change a bit. Around 11:00, many hunters are bored, tired and ready to head back to camp for a break or they decide to go find another place to hunt and head out aimlessly looking for new scenery. This additional movement by hunters can help you see more elk as they slip away from the human movement and move to better hiding places...Just maybe hunters heading to camp will bump some elk your way and have the animals move past your position or maybe you can watch the herd move into some timber and bed down. If they are undisturbed, you can set up for an evening hunt as they leave the timber to feed or plan a stalk into the timber after they settle down a bit. Your patience on the mountain during the morning and midday can help you develop a plan for the evening hunt. If you have seen elk going to timber, or watched a few head using a specific crossing point between two ridges, you can slowly move to your evening hunt location and get in place before the elk begin to move to evening feeding areas...Hiking the mountains is tough work and the less time and effort spent moving to and from camp and other potential hunting spots will allow you to extend your hunt physically...Staying on the mountain all day will allow you to save some energy for packing your harvest back to camp. Tune Up Your Body As Well As Your Equipment Many hunters spend time at the shooting range, combing the sporting goods stores for a new gadget or taking out all of their gear and checking it twice to insure it is in top working order - but they forget to “tune up their body” in preparation for the hunt. A good hunter can insure every (continued on page 42)
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Preserving Memories from
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*Finance offer subject to credit approval, applies to purchases of new Yamaha Motorcycles, ATVs, S&Ss & Scooters made on a Yamaha Installment Financing loan account from 7/1/12 - 9/30/12. Min. contract length 24 mos. max. 36 mos. Min. amount financed $5,000. Fixed APR of 3.99% to 12.99% assigned based on credit approval criteria. Monthly payments per $1,000 financed based on 36-mo. term are $29.52 at 3.99% and $33.69 at 12.99%. Offer good only in the U.S., excluding the state of Hawaii. Rhino Shown with optional accessories. Always wear your seat belt, helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. ATV models shown are recommended for use only by riders 16 years and older. Raptor 700R and YFZ450R recommended for experienced riders only. Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix; avoid excessive speed; and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Professional riders depicted on closed courses. ©2012 Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. All rights reserved. • yamaha-motor.com 8/12
And thanks to modern technology they’re smaller, cheaper and better than ever. And they provide a great way to record memories from the field so you can re-live and share them again and again. Here are a few tips on how to make better videos of your outdoor adventures. 1) Hunt/Fish/Ride With a Partner: You can’t be in front of and behind the camera at the same time. Having at least one other person present adds life to the production. Besides, it’s more fun having someone else along to share the adventure with. Communication between cameraman and subject is critical. Figure out ways to communicate ahead of time, whether it be hand signals, whispers or sounds, especially when hunting, where noise or movement could mess you up. 2) Shoot Plenty of Footage: This includes before and after any actual event. When fishing, get plenty of casting and reeling, not just a subject pulling in a fish. When hunting, try to get footage of a strutting tom or approaching deer. When riding, get conversations while gearing up or when stopping for a break. All that stuff will make for a better production later. 3) Shoot Steady: You’ll get your best footage with a steady base like a tripod or treepod, preferably with a fluid head. Shaky, hand-held video can be hard to watch. You may want to shoot some secondary “hands-on” action footage with a small personal camera like a GoPro attached to the subject. If your camera has a zoom function, don’t over use it as this too makes for unpleasant viewing. 4) Fill the Screen: Try to take up as much of the screen as possible with the subject. Again, if you have a zoom, you can zoom out briefly to catch wide angles of scenery or action. It’s even better if you can frame both the subject and the fish or game together. This adds realism and sets the scene. 5) Sound: Audio is just as important as video. It adds realism and excitement. Integral mics are acceptable, but remote, omni-directional mics help reduce undesirable camera noise. 6) Acting: If you plan to make a full production of your video, don’t be afraid to recreate some of the action that you may have missed. It helps to fill in the blanks. Intermixing facial close-ups with shots of approaching game help tell the story without need of narrative or explanation. Maybe you missed something that will add to the story, like the terrain or habitat features, setting up a blind, climbing to a treestand or launching a boat. ...Tape interviews as well. Get the subject to relate the action in their own words so you can mix it in with, or over-dub some of the action when editing. Explain things that aren’t obvious from your footage. 7) Clean the scene: Clean up the subject before you do close ups of any harvested fish or game.
Also avoid clutter in the scene and the background. Set the hunter or fisherman and their prize in a scenic pose, just as you would for a still image...
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Scouting for Buckskin You look for him, he watches for you. If he sees you before you see him, you may never see him. By S.L. Merriam
WHEN TO SCOUT: Some hunters enjoy scouting after the ridges. Know where such spots are located and catch the season because hard packed trails explain where the bucks disappeared during the season. Some like spring or early summer when the does and fawns are visible, which makes spotting quite easy. Most folks treat pre-season scouting like hunting and enjoy not having to carry a knife. This is the time when you will find bucks in the same places they will be on opening day. Preseason scouting becomes the strategy session for an opening day ambush since a year has passed since the last hunting season and undisturbed deer will have no need to change feeding times, patterns or locations. Get a bit careless however and the biggest bucks SCOUTING COULD BE CONSIDERED A DRY RUN will relocate and probably not return. WITHOUT A GUN: Scouting is one of the most CORE RANGE AND HABITAT: Determining the core range critical pieces of the puzzle and should determine of a buck provides the key to his living room door. A buck’s when and where you hunt. A scouting trip should not home range will vary from 100 to 4,000 acres depending on be treated as work, but something to enjoy as you cover and larger if he migrates. Does usually have a much watch deer and determine their daily routine. smaller range, especially with fawns born in early June. The Productive scouting can be as simple as driving biggest bucks probably won’t be found together with does around the perimeter of the area you plan to hunt and fawns nor in the same area but they both require basic while on your way home from work or at sundown. cover with accessible food and water. The benefit is that undisturbed deer hide no secrets. HEAVY COVER: A buck’s primary concern is concealment Silent observation will open up the mysteries of a when choosing a bedding area. Deer lie in thick grass or buck’s life during daylight hours. brush, beneath deadfalls, in timber and high visibility
big buck you are after as he is coming and going and 75% of the hunt is over. The entire buck’s feeding and drinking journeys begin at this main core area and don’t be surprised during the late summer if you find him in a bachelor herd. There are still a few months until the rut kicks in and the bucks no longer tolerate each other’s presence. In broken terrain bucks prefer to be up high when concealed. This allows them to see an approaching predator and when the rut kicks in they will use the same locations to watch for does. The problem you’ll have during the rut is that a specific buck might take up residence a few miles away from his summer core range while chasing does. Preseason scouting will target a specific big buck for pre-rut and post rut periods, but during the peak of the rut that buck may fall victim to a hunter that has never seen ‘your’ buck in a hunting area that may be miles away. You can see that after season scouting provides information as to where they were when pressure from the hunters pushed them. Pre-season scouting will tune your hunt location even finer and always provides “Plan B” material. (continued next page)
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Scouting for Buckskin (continued) Bucks are not averse to using several bedding areas within their home range depending on human pressure, wind, and emerging food supplies. During the majority of the year deer are king of the cat nappers, sleeping lightly and fully aware of their surroundings. During the rut however, when they are exhausted from nonstop breeding activity, they can become totally spent and oblivious to a hunter’s approach. This is why big bucks can suddenly appear within touching distance as you move through heavy cover during the peak of the rut.
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FOOD: Pre-season scouting just before sundown builds a solid knowledge base of deer locations as they react to cooler temperature at first light and again at dusk. A rule of thumb to follow: If it is cool enough for a long sleeve flannel shirt, deer will be comfortable enough to move. If you perspire wearing a T-shirt, the bucks will be lying in the shade where there is a breeze. Remember, early season food sources are different from late season food sources and the deer will switch locations depending on availability. Forbes and agricultural crops as corn and alfalfa are good early but most big bucks will visit at night because of the human activity. They may stage just inside cover until dark then enter the cover under the shadow of darkness. With rut time in November many general rules go out the window, and the buck can be anywhere at any time so just be alert as if you know he is near at all times because he may. Also spend more time glassing doe herds, they are the bait of the season. Late season hunting the agricultural crops are again a focus and for those not within reach of agricultural they will be focusing on south slope forbes (Forbes are the fresh, new, tender growth that appears shortly after the plant germinates. Think of bean sprouts as high moisture, crisp forms of food)., mountain mahogany and bitterbrush buds. They are 15% protein and 50% digestible which is very
important because the buck is done with the rut and trying to rebuild to be able to make it through the winter. To do so he must be in energy conservation mode, his life depends on it. As opportunity allows, deer may be found feeding for a short time on clover, apples, apple trees and other tree branches, acorns and forbes. Deer love this type of delicacy regardless of the plant. Deer will eat acorns depending on what other food source is available at the same time. Deer are opportunity feeders but they do remember where a particular food source is and when to be there to take full advantage of the source. Mature bucks can eat as seldom as once every 24 hours and lay up by a particular food source so that it is in easy reach for a quick walk, eat and return to his warm bed to chew his cud and move material from one stomach to another which generates heat for the wintering deer. In their feeding they must eat scrub bush limbs to be able to digest the soft foods that we see them eat, the sticks keep the 1st stomach food from packing like wet grass in a lawnmower. If this happened to a deer he will die with a full stomach. The enzymes in the first stomach move through this mass of greens to break down the material so it can go to the second stomach. If the enzymes can’t traverse the stomach material, it won’t break down and the material will never get to the second stomach and the buck will die of starvation.
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WATER: Good deer habitat usually has multiple water sources. A water hole stand is good only when water is limited or during the rut when bucks exert too much energy during the day. During the lush green early season when there is no rut, water would be usually your last choice for a watch but the cool green jungle surrounding water could be a perfect bedding area. As winter temperatures cool less water is required and a deer can sustain on snow quite well.
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COMPILING YOUR FINDINGS: Here is where you get the full picture of the big bucks life and where you can find him as quick as possible at the time you are hunting him. Hunting is 95% locating the game and 5% shooting, and that is why you do everything possible with pre-season and Post season scouting as a complete understanding of the bucks daily life. Remember last year’s scrapes, rubs and deer activity areas; history can repeat itself. A trail camera can tell you about nighttime activity you can’t imagine during daylight hours. Be extra careful not to disturb the areas you scout as a disturbance can have a big impact on the upcoming hunt.
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Tips For Hunting Colorado Elk (continued from page 36) piece of their gear is ready for service in a few hours, but our bodies take weeks or months of preparation to get ready for the rigors of a high-altitude elk hunt... Take Enough Time To Do It Right ...Taking the time to scout, check gear and then hunt at a pace you can enjoy is all a part of the overall experience of the hunt. My best hunts have been those that I took the time to properly prepare and then took the time needed to enjoy the hunt. Before the next season arrives, take some time to look at the calendar, plan a few scouting trips and then take the time off from work to enjoy the hunt.
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Place Yourself In A Situation To Be Successful By Aaron Bulger
Each year thousands of elk hunters head afield with the best of intentions to go the extra mile, hunt those great places they have seen in the past on scouting trips; be tough and hunt hard..Opening day can be successful for many people because the animals haven’t been pressured by hunters yet. Once they feel the increased pressure of hunters, all bets are off. They move to two places; private ground or further away from pressure. The only way to consistently be in the elk is to move with them. Personally, the tactic that makes the most sense to me is to be where they will be going, to hike in several miles from the road and then put in camp...This season try something new, if only for a night or two. Hike in away from the roads, vehicles, and other hunters and see if you notice any difference in the number of animals you see, the number of humans you encounter, and the amount of ground required to cover on a daily basis. I think you will find that sacrificing a little comfort will open your eyes to a whole other world. Develop Your Woodsmanship Skills Many novice hunters take to the woods each year with limited skills. That is OK, as you learn a lot from each experience in the field. But there are many skills you can develop at home before you take to the field that will save you time, effort and perhaps a missed harvest opportunity. There are many resources in print and online to help you improve your field skills. Several key skills for the elk hunter include: understanding scent control, wind direction, learning to read tracks and sign, etc... Stay Mentally Tough Let’s face it, elk hunting is a tough game. Elk live in big terrain among steep ridges. Finding them can require miles of hiking and at a time of year when weather can play a big factor in the overall hunt environment. Preparing yourself mentally is a big part of your hunt plan and your ability to be successful in the field this fall. In thinking about this mental toughness thing, consider yourself an athlete for a moment. You are one. You are training physically, improving your skills, studying the game and even getting coaching tips from other “athletes” and experienced
mentors. So, yes, you are preparing for your Olympic event and you need to bring all the tools and skills to the game. A relatively new aspect of athletics is the use of visualization when preparing for an athletic event. Sports psychologists have developed many sports visualization techniques for elite athletes that will work just as well for the hunter as you work to gain that extra edge for the hunt. Consider this technique for helping you through the tough parts of the hunt. In the months of preparation before your hunt, each night before bed, go to a quiet place; maybe your comfortable chair in the den or a place on the back porch where you can spend 10 to 15 minutes with your thoughts. Visualize the hunt, from the time you leave camp until you have your quarry in the crosshairs of the scope or you are at full draw. Visualize each step you have taken to get there, the trek up the mountain, the burning in your legs, the shortness of breath and the cold wind on your face. Build a mental picture of the thing you want to have, to do or to be. Visualize this quest in a step by step manner, seeing the effort you are making to get to this achievement and the day by day successes you are making to get there. See yourself reaching the top of the steep drainage, getting setup on your chosen ambush spot, seeing the elk begin to move at early sunrise and follow the drainage path you have chosen for your location. See the shot, the harvest and the grand culmination of all your hard work. This mental preparation, which began months before your hunt, will help you pull through the hard training times, the adverse weather on the hunt and the burning legs as you carry your harvest to the drop site five miles away. Enjoy The Hunt, Not Just The Harvest This tip is the true bottom line for this article. Let’s face it, you could go buy the best beef steaks available at the local market for less money than you will spend on this hunt. We no longer hunt to feed our families, we hunt for the enjoyment of the hunt and our opportunity to re-create ourselves for another year. Take a camera and take lots of pictures, enjoy the sounds and sights of the Rocky Mountains as they awake from an evening slumber, share this special time for friends, family or that new hunter you have taken into your mentorship to pass along this unique passion. Contributors Chris Roe is a Certified Wildlife Biologist by trade..As the head of Roe Hunting Resources, and Colorado’s Prostaffer for Primos Hunting Calls, Chris talks to thousands of sports-men and –women each year across the country about how they can be more successful in their game calling and overall hunting efforts... Kim Herfurt is a native Colorado hunter. He is a retired college professor and has been hunting big game in Colorado since he was a boy of 12. Aaron Bulger is an avid hunter and sportsman. He works as a Hunt Planner for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, assisting hunters in developing their game plans for the fall hunting season. He and the team of Hunt Planners can be reached by calling 303-291-PLAN.
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