Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - February 2012

OUTDOOR NEWS

Big Sky

www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

FEBRUARY 2012

IT’S ALL ABOUT

STEELHEAD! Winter Tactics

for KOKANEE

AND PIKE

Hardwater

FISHING

Quiet Time Strategy What to do when the gobblers hush during the spring hunt

READY TO RELOAD? Anniversary Bucks The benefits of reloading and how to get started

The amazing story of two hunters

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FEBRUARY 2012

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Article & photos by Jeff Davis, Whitetails Unlimited

F or many hunters, reloading is a mysterious and puzzling enterprise. While they may be interested, the jargon, equipment and procedures seem just outside their grasp, and unless they have a friend that already reloads, the mix of gear, expense and uncertainty keeps them from taking the plunge. However, reloading is a simple way to further enjoy the shooting sports, and no one should be intimidated from taking up the hobby.

As with any activity involving firearms, safety is a paramount consideration, but reloading is very safe as long as basic rules are followed. An internet search for reloading accidents was a frustrating endeavor, because I couldn’t find any. Three years ago there was an accident in a police department reloading machine in Canada that was reported, but that’s all I could find in a search of newspaper databases. I’m sure there are accidents, but they are rare.

I started reloading some 25 year ago, when I was shooting a lot of large-caliber handgun ammunition. At that time, cost was the primary factor, since it was easy to go through several hundred rounds in an afternoon, and I was young and had more time than money.

As often happens over time, my interests evolved, family and work took up more time, and I gradually spent less time at the range, and less time reloading, eventually selling my gear. Coming full circle, my son is turning into something of a range rat and thinking that I could put him to work loading his (and my) ammo, I looked into reloading again.

I reloaded to save money, and that again is a primary interest for me, considering my son’s ability to plow through ammo.

However, for the average hunter, saving money is not the primary consideration.

“We stress the value of adding to the hunting experience,” said Kent Sakamoto, product line manager for RCBS,

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I calculated that, with basic gear and including the cost of supplies, I would need to shoot 350-450 rounds to break even with the costs of reloading. After that, I would save about 65 cents per round over lower-cost factory ammo, more over premium ammo. I (or rather, my son) will be into the cost-saving column in June. However, I have a friend who is still on a box of 7 mm ammunition that he bought three years ago. He takes his rifle out before the season opens, shoots a three-round group that is always dead-on, and has taken his deer with one shot in each of the last three years. He has used just over half of the box of 20 rounds, and should be good for two more years at that rate. Can he benefit from reloading?

“Well,” Sakamoto laughs, “he’s never going to save any money. The benefits of reloading depend on each shooter. He would benefit from reloading if it adds to his hunting experience, and if he doesn’t enjoy it he should stick with factory ammo.”

Starting reloading just to have bragging rights about bullet size and speed is another area that reloading experts discourage. “If you don’t have enough power for the animal you are after, you should get a larger gun,” rather than load a smaller caliber to maximum loads, said Sakamoto. (continued on page 8)

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a leading source of high-quality reloading equipment.

“There’s a lot of good-quality ammunition out there that doesn’t cost a lot, and an average hunter needs to shoot a lot to see a cost saving. However, they can add to the satisfaction of a successful hunt by taking an animal with a cartridge they loaded themselves.”

cover photo: Frabill

To view more fishing photos from Frabill visit www.frabill.com

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The entire contents is © 2012, all rights reserved. May not be reproduced without prior consent. The material and information printed is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure. Nor does the printed material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure. VOLUME 8 Issue 11

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hardwater fishing

By Bob Humphrey

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he heart of winter is here and many folks in northern states will be venturing out onto the ice to ice fish and ride snowmobiles, ATVs and Side-by-Side vehicles. What follows are a few safety tips whether you’re venturing out on the ice on foot or (especially) on or in a vehicle.

Photo Bob Humphrey

• AVOID AREAS WITH CURRENTS such as stream or river inlets and outlets.

Moving water often means thin ice.

• AVOID AREAS AROUND BRIDGES AND PRESSURE RIDGES as ice may be thin or absent here as well.

• AVOID SHORELINE AREAS IF ICE IS CRACKED OR SPONGY, or any areas of thin, clear, honeycombed or dark ice, all of which can be signs of weak spots.

• CHECK ICE THICKNESS before venturing far from shore. Use your ice auger or some other device to make a test hole and determine thickness.

Continue testing as you make your way out onto the lake.

• NEVER CHECK THE ICE ALONE. For that matter, never venture out on the ice alone, period. Make sure you have a partner, so there is someone there to help if necessary.

• FOLLOW ESTABLISHED TRAILS. Traditional routes are usually established on the safest areas.

• TAKE ALONG ROPES AND PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES. Hopefully you never will, but if you should break through the ice...

• DON’T PANIC. Once the initial shock of ice-cold water passes, try to calm yourself.

• REACH FOR SOLID ICE. • Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard to help lift your body onto the ice.

• Once on the ice, ROLL, DON’T WALK, to safety.

Photo Bob Humphrey (Some information provided courtesy of the Maine Warden Service.)

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The Anniversary Bucks

FEBRUARY 2012

By Steven Banovic

Sponsored by: Victory Archery, BowTech Archery & Bohning Archery Bowhunting.net

S ome of you may recall last season I wrote about a bow hunt to my south central location in the Corn Husker state with my good friend Cory Yost from Michigan. On that 6 day archery hunt both Cory and I were blessed with harvesting magnificent P&Y bucks on the same day (November 9th) with-in hours of one another.

Cory’s dad (Jerry) who passed away short of a month of my first introduction with Cory 7 plus years ago would be watching over us in spirit during our archery adventure as the 2009 hunt would turn out to be one of the most unforgettable memories of my hunting career.

With all of the excitement that we both shared I made a commitment to once again meet Cory in 2010 at our Nebraska location. Believing that miracle do come to those who truly believe; I would have never been able to script the future events in the following year on November 9th of 2010.

Living in Arizona I found myself counting the days till I once again was hunting the cooler temperatures of the Midwest. Early forecast was 40’s for lows and highs in the mid 70’s.

Just my luck, warmer temperatures again with early and late in the day Rut action. If I could make it to a tree prior to sun rise I would then add to the hours spent on stand increasing my odds.

Nov 9, 2009 author (l) and friend Cory take their bucks minutes apart.

Arriving at 5:00am after a 15 1/2 hour non-stop drive, which I attribute to the use of my Gum-O-Flage Alert, I elevated a stand in one of my favorite drainage’s. I soon realized the Rut was much slower then normal on this day so meeting Cory at noon would be the plan for the afternoon instead of the all day duration I normally employ.

Days in the stand would pass but no sign of any mature bucks due to the unseasonable warm weather. A few smaller bucks had the does moving but the adult shooters were not moving during day light hours.

On the morning of the 8th I began a rattling sequence as soon as visibility allowed. To my amazement the first adult buck was on a string and closing the distance fast. The hair on this buck was all bristled up and his ears were pinned back in preparation for battle. I laid trust in my personal scent control with Dead Down Wind and Scent Lok clothing as he worked towards my stand position. This buck stopped directly down wind of my stand presenting me with a broadside 62 yd shot. Banking on this buck to close the distance even further I decided to hold off taking a long shot passing on this respectable 8 point. Minutes into this stand off he did not see his battler and walked off in the direction he originally came from.

With my decision not to take a shot at this buck, it would prove fruitful for Cory during his time on stand the very next day.

Nov 9, 2010 author drops this nice buck.

November 9th we awoke to 40-50 mph winds and once again warm temperatures. The wind reduced all hearing and rattling no matter how hard I tried proved useless. The morning brought a year and a half 8 point buck chasing a doe, a spike and doe to the east and in unison a spike chasing a doe to the west of my stand. All three does crossed the exact same intersection during all the chasing so I felt it was time to consider relocating my stand. In the past I have noticed movement at this location and felt with the high winds it would be the optimum time to reposition my stand.

Reviewing my watch it read 1:00pm and no movement for hours. I felt it was now the time to begin the removal of my stand from this observation perch and place it 70 yards closer to the intersection. The tree I needed to be located in was a tangled mess so cutting multiple large limbs was required just to allow a few shooting lanes. With sawing completed and limbs out of the way I then settled into my new location for the remainder of the day to find out if I would enjoy any afternoon movement.

Steve and friend Cory, one year to the day, minutes apart with father Jerry watching from above, celebrate their anniversary bucks.

At exactly 2:30pm I was able to hear faint steps in the dried leaves directly below my stand.

Peering from my 30 foot platform I was able to confirm this was a buck and he had good beam lengths. Realizing that this was the largest buck of the week it was not difficult to automatically switch into auto pilot. Quietly removing my BowTech Destroyer off the bow hanger I slowly pivoted the bow over my chest to properly get into shooting position. I then snapped on my release readying myself for the up and coming shot. I drew as he walked into my one and only shooting lane. I stopped the buck with a faint grunt from my mouth while settling into my anchor position. When he locked into his alert position I released the Victory V Force arrow hitting the tuff of hair I visibly marked prior to the shot.

The arrow passed completely through the body of this whitetail sticking the blood coated shaft into the ground. He then rodeo kicked his hind legs high into the air and sprinted out of site. (continued next page)

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I contacted Cory and tried to explain with the use of a poor phone signal the events that just unfolded. “I just shot my buck and it’s on the same day as last year.”

Cory talking over me while I was telling him my story he was trying to explain that he had just shot his buck as well. This conversation went back and forth with who shot what and congratulations were poured out to both once the air was cleared.

Cory explained the deer he shot had similar characteristics as the wide white horned 8 point that I passed the day before and I needed to travel in his direction to enjoy yet another November blessing that we were both involved in.

November 9th is the same day that Cory and I shot our deer in the 2009 season and 2010 would be no different. 2:31pm Cory harvested the exact 8 point buck that I passed the day earlier. I then shot my 10 point at a distance of 13 yards at 2:32pm. If I had not passed on the 8 point the day before, two bucks would not have been laid out on the ground within a period of a single minute. 4 P&Y bucks on the same day, there is only one explanation, Jerry.....!

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Thanks needs to go out to our father in heaven along with Jerry for involving me on the continuation with this November 9th blessing. How can anyone deny that Cory and I are not being watched over by Jerry? I am absolutely positive that I will be sharing more time on stand with the both of them on my future hunting trips. I owe this unbelievable miracle to the both of you. I would like to once again thank Cory for his true friendship and look forward to more future hunts together along with time in the field with Jerry.

New Ebook Store Offers Boone And Crockett Publications BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB Field Guide to P ublishing technology has changed Measuring and since Boone and Crockett Club released

November is my all time favorite month of the year and the 9th is by far the most unbelievable single date in that month. Any guesses as to what location I will be holding my BowTech come November 9th, 2011..........?

B&C eBooks are also available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Apple’s iBookstore.

Equipment Used: Bow: BowTech Destroyer Arrow: Victory Archery Vanes: Bohning Blazers Broadhead: G5 Montech String: Vapor Trail Release: Carter Scent Eliminator: Dead Down Wind Scent Eliminator Clothing : Scent Lok

its first book in 1893, but the legendary conservation organization is keeping up with the times through its newly launched eBook store.

Four titles are available now. Many more, including some B&C classics, will be added soon.

Visit the Club’s eBook store at http://booneandcrockettclub.directfrompublisher.com.

“Hunters and conservationists today absorb information in different ways, and we’re working hard to accommodate them,” said Julie Houk, director of publications for Boone and Crockett Club. “eBooks are another way that our Club can help maintain the highest standards in fair-chase sportsmanship, habitat stewardship and wildlife management.”

B&C titles available now as eBooks include Legendary Hunts and Legendary Hunts II, which are collections of amazing short stories. Also available now is the utilitarian A Boone and Crockett Club

Judging Big Game and the biography Theodore Roosevelt Hunter-Conservationist.

Prices range from $9.99 to $19.99.

Soon to be added eBooks include the B&C classics American Big-Game Hunting and Hunting in Many Lands, as well as the new Records of North American Big Game, 13th Edition. Also coming soon is Craig Boddington’s Fair Chase in North America.

Each title also is available as a printed publication from bookstores or directly from the Club. Order at www.boone-crockett.org or by calling 888-840-4868.

Purchasing and downloading an e-book requires a live Internet connection and an Internet browser. A buyer is entitled to download the purchased publication and view it either on a computer or offline with an E-Reader compatible device such as an iPad, Nook, Kindle, Sony Reader, etc.

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FEBRUARY 2012

Don’t Wait!

Hunt Pheasants Season Closes Pheasant Ecology: Effects of March 31st! & C hukars hu kars RLimitsANCH Hunting Pheasants Forever are likely with our variety of different covers, including gently rolling native grassland a lightly wooded creek bottom and grassy meadows.

Questions continually arise from both hunters and non-hunters alike about the effects of regulated sport hunting on ring-necked pheasants. These questions along with their answers provided by Pheasants Forever’s biologists.

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Ready to Reload Maximum loads are tough on both the gun and the shooter, and a small mistake or variance can be potentially dangerous. As for hunting, “How dead does that animal need to be?” He explains that with an adequate caliber, the largest bullet moving at maximum speed will not make a deer any more dead than a smaller bullet moving at less speed.

In talking to shooters about reloading, many of them also seem to think that there is a ‘magic load’ that will make them King of the Range. While it is definitely possible to refine loads and make you a more accurate shooter, practice is just as important. “Good factory loads are pretty consistent,” Sakamoto said. “Reloaders seem to shoot more, and that is important,” to accuracy. If you get 6-inch groups at 100 yards, reloading will not make you a 1-inch shooter. However, working at the reloading and shooting benches over time can make you a more accurate shooter, and if you are careful and consistent, you can find loads and fine-tune your rounds so that you will get better groups with specific firearms.

So while many hunters and shooters start reloading to save money, make them a deadeye shot, and be able to hunt with more powerful loads, the primary consideration should be that it adds to the overall enjoyment of their sport. Let the other benefits follow. I have been able to load ammunition for unusual firearms where it is sometimes difficult to find ammo on a store shelf, and I’ve even turned out very light loads so I can take my young daughter to the range and she can shoot the same rifles and handguns that my son does. After you get started, the opportunities seem to present themselves.

It Always Comes Down to Equipment So, how do you get started?

A good first stop is at the website of the National Reloading Manufacturers Association, www.reload-nrma.org. This is an association of the major reloading

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(continued from page 4)

companies who have banded together to promote reloading. They offer an easy way, at minimal expense, to gather information in one spot. They have available a step-by-step guide, a video, a collection of catalogs, and even plans for a solid, functional reloading bench that can be easily constructed at a nominal cost.

Their mailing address is Suite 300, Lake Oswego, OR 97035.

The website itself has a wealth of information, including a step-by-step guide, a guide to reloading safety, and even a list of NRA Certified Reloading Instructors so you can find an instructor in your area.

The Catalog of Catalogs, which costs $10.00, provides almost two dozen catalogs for equipment and components, including several reloading guides, complete with load tables.

There are a lot of options in components and equipment, and you should do some basic research, talk to people at your favorite sporting goods store and to people who currently reload before you get your checkbook out.

One convenient option offered by several manufacturers is a starter kit, with all the necessary equipment in one box. I used that option, with an RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit, which included a press, scale, powder measure, reloading manual, priming tool, hex key set, case loading block, case lube kit, powder funnel and deburring tool. The other necessary piece of equipment is a set of dies, specific for each caliber you intend to reload, and I started with a set for .30-06. I also purchased a case tumbler (for cleaning the brass) and a caliper (for measuring cases and finished rounds).

With bullets, powder and primers, I’m ready to reload.

SHOULD BAG LIMITS AND SEASON LENGTHS BE ADJUSTED WITH THE UPS AND DOWN OF PHEASANT NUMBERS? Remember that optimum management for any gamebird provides the greatest possible harvest while allowing adequate carryover stock for reproduction - something easily done with pheasants.

Ring-necked pheasants are promiscuous birds, and one rooster (male) may mate with as many as a dozen hens (females). Hunting just the males removes “surplus” roosters not needed for reproduction in the spring. In addition, since hens and roosters are easily distinguished in wingshooting situations, pheasants are managed much more conservatively than most other upland gamebirds—as the hen segment of the population is protected from hunting. Thus, adjusting season length and bag limits on surplus roosters will have almost no effect on future populations!

HOW IS PHEASANT HARVEST MEASURED? Reliable estimates of annual harvest are obtained by random mail and phone surveys polling 2-5% of the hunters. This data is extrapolated to estimate the season’s harvest. The percent of roosters harvested is determined by surveys of the post-season population. A low ratio of hens to roosters (3:1) indicates relatively few males were taken. A high ratio (10:1) indicates a very efficient rooster kill—a level of harvest seldom seen except in localized situations.

DURING THE SEASON, WHEN IS THE HUNTING SUCCESS, HARVEST AND PRESSURE THE GREATEST? In most cases, hunting pressure, success and harvest are greatest during the early part of the season. For example, Iowa’s greatest hunting pressure occurs in the first half of the 70+ day season, with 71% of the trips taking place during the first 30-34 days. It is common for 30-50% of the season’s harvest to take place during opening weekend in many states.

The effect of hunting pressure on harvest may be dictated by season length or available cover. Short seasons may have heavy pressure throughout. When cover is sparse, birds are concentrated, allowing the harvest of a larger portion of roosters. In contrast, an abundance of escape cover, such as provided by delays in crop harvest, can make pheasants nearly impossible to bag. These conditions can cause variations in hunting pressure throughout the season.

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HOW GREAT OF A PROBLEM IS LOSS OF CRIPPLED BIRDS? Each year, a segment of the pheasant population is crippled by birdshot and not retrieved by hunters. By using hunter interviews and check station data, biologists estimate an additional mortality of 10-35% of the retrieved kill occurs due to crippling. This additional loss of surplus males is inconsequential to future pheasant production.

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HOW DOES HUNTING AFFECT ROOSTERS IN A PHEASANT POPULATION? Survival of roosters in hunted populations is normally very low, but that is not a concern. In fact, hunters could harvest 93% of pre-hunt rooster numbers without harming the population.

However, such a high rate of harvest is very unusual if not impossible. The normal range is from 45-65%. Adding an average crippling loss of 10% means that 55-75% of roosters are often removed from the fall population. In states where significant harvest occurs (Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota), rooster kill averages around 70%.

Elsewhere, particularly in western states, fewer hunters and less interest usually mean a reduced harvest rate.

HOW IS REPRODUCTION AFFECTED BY HARVEST OF ROOSTERS AND HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE NUMBER TAKEN IS NOT DETRIMENTAL? A Michigan study in the early 1950’s indicated that a single rooster in a game-farm environment was able to mate with and successfully fertilize 49 hens. Other studies also indicate that the number of roosters available to fertilize hens during the spring is not of great concern. Many biologists feel that an ideal male:female spring sex ratio would be about 1:10, indicating both an optimal harvest and adequate males for reproduction. Spring sex ratios in most states with significant pheasant harvests average about one cock for every 2-4 hens.

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Desert Bighorns Thriving In Western Colorado COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF HUNTING ON HENS? It has often been thought that in areas of low pheasant numbers, frustration in finding roosters might lead to increased illegal hen kill. However, Iowa data suggests that more hens were killed in areas where pheasant populations were most dense, because increased pressure offered greater opportunity for accident. It has been documented that from 6-16% of the fall hen population is harvested illegally, with an average of 10 percent. While ethically troublesome, this loss shouldn’t cause biological concern.

Few states currently allow legal shooting of wild hen pheasants and there is little definitive data on how hen hunting affects reproduction. Some biologists have speculated that if more than 25-35% of hens were harvested, recruitment would decrease. The record is ambiguous - controlled hen seasons in Montana, Idaho, California, Iowa and Nebraska apparently did not limit reproduction, but data from Wisconsin, South Dakota and Minnesota indicate the opposite. Because of that fact and past traditions, we don’t hunt hens today.

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ransplants of desert bighorn sheep by Colorado Parks and Wildlife have helped to establish a thriving population of the animals in the Dolores River canyon in far western Colorado, biologists from the agency have found.

In 2010 and again in December 2011, wildlife biologists captured and transplanted the desert sheep from an area south of Slickrock to the middle Dolores River canyon about 20 miles to the north near the Paradox Valley. That location was selected because the area provides ideal habitat for the animals and few sheep had been spotted in that location over the past decade.

In 2010, 15 sheep fitted with GPS radio collars were transplanted, on Dec. 17, 2011, 15 more sheep, also fitted with collars, were transplanted. All but one of the animals from the 2010 transplant survived, and one animal returned to the Slickrock area. In addition, several of the transplanted ewes gave birth to lambs which have also survived.

Desert bighorns are native to arid regions of the West. These animals -- slightly smaller than the high-country Rocky

Mountain bighorns are well-adapted to desert canyons.

David Hannigan

As biologists tracked the sheep transplanted in 2010, they were pleasantly surprised to learn that the newcomers had found a band of desert sheep that were already living in the rugged canyon country.

“What we’ve learned is very encouraging,” said Brad Banulis, terrestrial biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife for the Montrose area. “There are more resident sheep in that area than we realized and the transplanted sheep have joined up with the existing herd.”

Sometimes established herds will not accept transplants. Consequently, the new animals must learn the new terrain on their own which often results in reduced survival.

Biologists now estimate that the herd in that area now numbers about 60 sheep, including the transplants.

Besides being welcomed to a new wild home, introduction of new sheep increases overall genetic diversity of the herd as the animals breed, another important factor for long-term survival, Banulis explained.

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FEBRUARY 2012

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Fly Tying Corner: March Brown Emerger

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he March Brown is an important spring mayfly. It is a reasonably sized insect so it is easy to imitate. The March Brown (genus Rithrogena ) is a clinger mayfly that is found in fast flowing streams. They are widely distributed through the western U.S. and Canada along the Pacific Coast to British Columbia and inland to the Eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Notable rivers around the western North America include McKenzie and middle fork of the Willamette in coastal Oregon, Yellowstone, Madison, the Henry’s Fork, Rock Creek (Montana) and Crowsnest (Alberta). There are some populations of Rhithrogena elsewhere, but hatches are not reliable. Oregon seems to have the earliest hatches in late February to March with higher altitude streams in the Rocky Mountains or Canada as late as mid-May. According to references, in faster streams the nymphs hang on to the bottom while the dun emerges underwater. Finally, the emerging dun is released from the bottom and floats to the surface. At the surface the dun’s wings need to dry before it can fly off. This is a great time for trout as they seem to delight in feeding on drifting emergers. The angler can take advantage of this and float the fly behind boulders, near eddies, along under banks and log jams. Use a floating line and a dead drift.

MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT: Hook: Dry fly size 8 Tail: Antron yarn, tan Body: Peacock herl dyed red Thorax: Hairtron, dark brown

Thread: Black 6/0 Rib: Ultra wire, brassy, red Wing: Deer hair

Step 1: Start thread a little more than an eye width behind the eye, and wind back to the bend.

Step 2: Tie on Antron yarn for tail. Wind thread rearward around the bend so the tail slopes downward a little. Then wind forward to about two eye widths behind the eye.

Step 3: Tie on the wire rib, and wind thread rearward over it to a little behind the bend. Bring thread forward to the bend. Keep the rib on top of the hook.

Leave thread at bend.

Step 4: Tie three peacock herls rearward of the bend, and wind thread over them to a point about 2/3rds shank length in front of the bend.

Step 5: Wrap peacock herls forward to the thread, secure and trim excess.

Step 6: Counter wrap the rib, secure and trim excess with cheap scissors.

Don’t use the sharp points of your good scissors. “Counter wrap” means to wrap the wire in a direction opposite to how the herl was wrapped.

Step 7: Take a small bunch, a little more than match stick, of deer hair, clean out the under fur and stack it. Tie the bundle at front of peacock herl with tips pointing backward. Trim flared hair at the 1/3rd shank length back from the eye. Wind thread over the butts Step 8: Put dubbing on thread and build up thorax. Use two layers to get a large enough thorax. It should be fuzzy to stand out more than the body.

Step 9: Grab deer hair and bring it forward over the dubbing. Tie it down right behind the eye. Hold up the deer hair and whip finish between the deer hair and the eye.

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Fishing With The Captain Mark Ward

Jim Johnson of Lincoln with Mark Ward

F

ebruary is supposed to be an “Ice already on the lake” month in Montana.

The months of December and January?

They are the months that the ice starts to form and take hold on lakes across Montana. That ice leads to some good ice fishing conditions in February. That is what normally happens, but as we have come to expect, when it comes to weather in Montana the term normal doesn’t always apply.

and the size of minnows that we would tip them with varied as we set them up. The deeper the depth, the smaller the minnow. The shallower the depth, the larger minnow. Walleyes for the most part would be caught in the deeper depths, and the northern pike we would target would be in the shallower water near the weed-lines. Pike tend to run with the bait once they take it, so when we set the lines up shallower we also distanced them from each other more.

All of the lines would be set about a foot to a foot and a half off the bottom in depths ranging from 8 feet out to 24 feet. Our strategy worked for the first 24 hours. We landed over a dozen pike and about a half a dozen walleyes. The fishing slowed as a cold front moved in the next 24 hours. Even with the slower fishing it was a lot of fun to finally get on the ice again. The local anglers I talked to expect the fishing to be fair on Nelson during the month of February.

Some lakes have had good early ice.

Lakes like Georgetown and Lake Mary Ronan have had good ice, but lakes by Helena and farther east have struggled to get a thickness of ice that is safe to walk on let alone drive an ATV or snowmobile on.

For the first time this year I went in search of some good ice conditions. I took the opportunity to head east the middle of January to hopefully ice fish on Nelson Reservoir. Nelson is located 20 miles east of Malta on Highway 2 and is also home to the Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs. A resort where in 1999 Hi-Line Promotions actually made the world’s largest hamburger. That hamburger, which was made out of Montana pure beef, reportedly weighed 6040 pounds and it made the Guinness Book of World records. It just goes to show that one never knows what they will run into in search of good ice in Montana. And there was good ice on Nelson Reservoir; about 12 inches of ice covered the lake.

So Jim Johnson and Denny Peterson from Lincoln and Sauger Steve Knudson from Billings and I set out to catch some fish. Nelson is known for its northern pike and walleye, as well as perch fishing.

Anglers may use live minnows and each angler is allowed 6 unattended lines. So, as you might imagine, it took a little bit of time to drill 24 holes and set up all the tip-ups that we were using and tip each of them with a live minnow. The game plan was to spread the tips-ups out in a number of areas on the lake. The difference in depth we would place the lines,

Sauger Steve-Denny Peterson-Jim Johnson Call Westside Sports (406-654-1611) in Malta for current ice and fishing conditions.

You can view pictures and a video of the trip online at: www.montanaoutdoor.com

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

Log onto www.montanaoutdoor.com to find a radio station in your area. You can also read his weekly column in the Thursday Missoulian Outdoor section.

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12 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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FEBRUARY 2012

ICE FISHING GUIDE TRIPS ICE FISH FOR TROPHY PERCH~TROUT~WALLEYE~LING Learn and use all the latest gear and technology. All gear, bait, transportation and elk steak BBQ included. All you need is your license and camera. One of the best experiences Montana has to offer! Feel free to give me a call about any questions...

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-It’s all about Steelhead

By Jim Neiberger

•

Every year, more than 150,000 steelhead return to Idaho’s waters for their annual spawning ritual in the freshwater rivers.

Endorsing Outfitter #8871 Wild West Fly Fishing P.O. Box 134 Livingston, MT. 59047

The Idaho state record steelhead is more than 30 pounds and was caught in the Clearwater River in 1973

Where do you begin to look for these amazing creatures?

E

arly season steelhead fishing is starting up so get yourself out there, especially if you have never tried to fish for this species. A steelhead is an amazing creature; few game fish can match their combination of beauty, fighting ability, and excellent table fare.

Every year, more than 150,000 steelhead return to Idaho’s waters for their annual spawning ritual in the freshwater rivers. They return because they are anadromous, which means they migrate from fresh water to the ocean then return as adults to the same water to spawn and carry on the cycle of life.

Idaho’s steelhead are often classified into two groups, A-run and B-run, based on their size and ocean life history.

Idaho’s A-run steelhead are usually found in the Snake and Salmon Rivers.

They return from the ocean earlier in the year, usually June through August, after spending one year in the ocean. They typically weigh four to six pounds and are generally 23 to 26 inches in length.

The B-run steelhead most often return to the Clearwater River, but some return to tributaries in the Salmon River. These fish usually spend two years in the ocean, and start their migration through Washington to Idaho later in the summer or fall of the year, usually late August or September. Because of the additional time in the ocean, they return as much bigger fish. Average B-run steelhead weigh between 10 and 13 pounds and are 31 to 34 inches long.

Steelhead grow even larger if they spend a third year in the ocean before returning to spawn. They are usually more than 37 inches in length and often weigh more than 20 pounds.

HOLDING WATER: Locating good holding water is the biggest ingredient to success. Regardless of what type technique you choose, to be successful you need to be fishing where there are fish. These sections of a river are where the fish spend the greatest amount of time while on their way to spawning grounds.

Late winter and early spring fish movement is determined by increased stream flows brought on by rain or snow melt. As the steelhead are moving toward areas with suitable spawning gravel, you are looking for a prime location to start fishing remembering that water temperatures have a huge effect on where the fish hold.

Prior to the actual spawning, steelhead will hold in the nearest dark water or in nearby snags, deadfalls, pockets, and long runs. Other areas to check are where two currents merge and the collision slows the flow of both currents so that a foam line or bubble line forms on the surface. Look also to where a riffle drops off into a pool or flat. Generally, the key characteristics of such water will be a depth ranging from three to six feet with a slower current speed.

RIVER BOTTOM MATERIAL IS ALSO A KEY FACTOR. Look for areas that have a balanced proportion of gravel and rubble. Gravel provides the suitable structure for spawning activities while larger rubble provides the necessary current breaks that allow the fish to rest. It has been my experience that if you hook a fish in a seam or current break one year, you will be successful year after year in the same spot. These areas are called preferred lies so mark these in your memory bank to return year after year.

Keep in mind that location will make or break your success. The stream you choose to fish and the specific section of that stream you work. Pick the wrong stream, and there may be few if any fish or, you may be there at the correct time, but you are fishing the lower end of the river while the fish are holding in the upper reaches. You might even be in the right pool or run, but if you are fishing the slow water and they are holding in the heavy current, then you are once again in trouble. Be flexible and be patient.

When all else fails, and the rivers blow out, keep any structure controlled tail waters in mind. Steady releases of water and clear flows are two things you can usually depend on during most times of the year and that translates into fishable numbers of steelhead. Minimum flows ensure that there will be enough water for them to run the river and hold in it. It’s always a good thing not to have to worry about whether the fish are present or not.

FISHING RULES: Steelhead season dates and catch limits can change each year depending on the strength of the run so check the regulations carefully. For updated information access the Fish and Game website at (http://fishandgame.idaho.gov).

NOTE: all fishing for steelhead requires a special permit and the use of a barbless hook. Only hatchery fish with a clipped adipose fin may be harvested and you must record all harvested fish on your permit immediately.

FEBRUARY 2012

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Best Winter Tactics For Kokanee & Northern Pike

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ell as I write this article, it is firing me up to hit the hard waters, except for one thing.....there just isn’t much ice!!!

Hopefully in the next few weeks this is going to change, as the late season archery and waterfowl season here in Western Montana are ending and my thoughts are turning to ice fishing.

So what species do you think are the highest on my list of fish to target thru the ice? Well the first may surprise you. I just love catching Kokanee salmon!!! Maybe it is because they are such good eating, or it is that they are hard to catch....

FINESSE: KOKANEE THINK SMALL and you are on the right track. Light 4-6lb test line and smaller jigging spoons like Swedish Pimples are some of my favorite choices. Rig a short leader below these with a Dot or a Moonglow ice jig, tip it with a maggot or two and you are good to go.

FINDING THE RIGHT COLORS for the day and water you are fishing can be a little frustrating at times, but if you experiment, you should find one that the fish like. Orange, Flo Green and Chartreuse are the primary colors with Pink and Glo White also making it to the top of the list.

USE QUICK BUT SHORT JIGGING MOTIONS WITH YOUR ROD. Sometimes you have to constantly be moving your rig to get those Kokanee to hit it! About half the fish you will feel hit the bait, another quarter you never feel, and the rest you will go to jig and BAM there is one already on!!

Moonglow Jigs Land Kokanee

GET ON THE ICE AS EARLY AS YOU CAN. With places like Georgetown and Mary Ronan the best bite is from about 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. Light is very important, so make sure to bring at least one lantern, extra mantles and plenty of fuel.

USE A SET OF COWBELLS WITH A WEIGHT ATTACHED AT THE BOTTOM END. Rig this up in an extra hole just outside your icehouse on a lightweight fiberglass fishing rod. The flash from the cowbells as they are

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jigged up and down and will draw Kokanee from a long distance as the light from your lantern shines off of them and can keep the school close for longer periods of time. If you can rig up a plastic flap on the end of the rod you have this rigged up on and there is a little wind, it will jig all on its own!!!

States Agree To Reduce Sturgeon Catch By 38% On The Lower Columbia River

ELECTRONICS CAN BE A GREAT HELP. With a flasher unit you will know when the schools are coming in and see how they are reacting to your offering. Marcum and Vexilar are the two most common on the market and can range from $150 to $300 plus. Do you have to have one? I will say that once you fish with one, you might not ever go without it!!!

wildlife directors from Washington and Oregon have agreed to reduce the catch of white sturgeon on the lower Columbia River, where the species has declined in abundance in recent years.

MY TOP CHOICES FOR KOKANEE. There seem to be debates as to where the best spots are for Kokanee. My top choice include Georgetown Lake, Middle Thompson, Mary Ronan, Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir, Lake Helena and there are many others that are sleepers that see little to no pressure. (continued on page 28)

WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

For the third straight year, fish and

Under the new agreement, the total allowable harvest of white sturgeon below Bonneville Dam will be reduced from 22.5 percent of the “legal-size” fish to 16 percent in 2012.

The new harvest rate will hold the combined catch by sport and commercial fisheries to 9,600 sturgeon measuring 38 to 54 inches long. Last year’s guideline for those waters was 15,640 fish, although only 14,488 were actually harvested.

This year’s agreement will reduce the sturgeon harvest in the lower Columbia River by 38 percent, following a 30 percent reduction in 2011 and a 40 percent reduction the previous year.

The abundance of legal-size sturgeon has declined nearly 50 percent since 2007, according to surveys by both states.

14 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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FEBRUARY 2012

Say Hello To Success: Where to chase the Fish this Month Brought to you by

A successful day fishing for steelhead with Jarrett’s Guide Service

on this lake. It was aged at 11 years old. Try using small jigs tipped with pink maggots for perch in around 6 to 12 feet of water on the north side of the island. Try using Berkley Power Bait on leadhead jigs to catch aggressive perch. Expect northern pike and trout in this lake as well. Use smelt on pike hooks and a steel leader for big northerns.

FRESNO RESERVOIR L

ook for excellent ice fishing conditions here in February.

Montana has experienced above normal temps for most of the winter and conditions should be more winter like here this month.

Most waters will be frozen over. All reports are that the fish are biting.

Here’s a look at what you can expect on these popular fisheries.

GEORGETOWN LAKE This lake will be great ice fishing this month. Look for big rainbow trout in the 2 to 3 pound range to hit during a day’s fishing and some in the 4 to 5 pound class. Use either artificial scud patterns or small flasher type lures, both tipped with maggots.

Fish around the pump house on the northeast side of the lake using Swedish Pimples or small tear drop type lures for good success with trout.

For the Kokanee fish pretty much the same lures. Tipping them with corn also gets results. Expect Kokanee to suspend around six feet below the ice.

Fish early from sunrise until around 10am for best results. Depending on the weather, you can normally expect up to 24” of ice this time of year, so bring your power auger.

SMITH LAKE Located around 10 miles west of Kalispell on US Hwy. 2, this lake will be ready to fish. Perch, Northerns and some trout will be ready to bite.

For big Northern Pike try suspending frozen smelt on a smelt hook below a big bobber. For perch use a small yellow or chartreuse colored leadhead jig with soft plastic tubed jig body, pieces of worm, maggots, waxworms, or perch eyes and you should find the fish. Look for channels around weedbeds. That’s normally where you will find the fish.

SPOON LAKE Another area to try while in the Smith Lake area is Spoon Lake, located 9 miles north of Columbia Falls on the North Fork Road. This lake will produce perch, brook trout, and some largemouth bass. Fish the southwest end of the lake straight out in front of the boat landing around the weedbeds using small jigs tipped with waxworms or maggots.

LOWERSTILLWATERLAKE Fifteen miles north of Whitefish on Hwy. 93, you’ll find some excellent perch fishing. In 2006 a 14-3/8 inch, 2.39 pound yellow perch was caught

Fresno should be ready to fish this month. This reservoir west of Havre will offer up some good perch, northerns and also whitefish. For whitefish try using a traditional flasher and dropper rig. The flasher can be a flashy spoon such as a Swedish Pimple or Krocodile, just remove the hook and tie on about 12 to 18 inches of light mono to a small jig or a Naked Octopus hook in size 6 to 8. Then bait the hook with a half a dozen maggots and drop the fish feast to the appropriate depth. Jig occasionally and get ready for a lite bite for these fish. Expect whitefish to average around 14 inches and be more cooperative to catch this time of year compared to finicky northerns and walleye. Whitefish also make for excellent table fare and fight pretty good too. The main bay off the boat ramp is good for whitefish and you can fish the main channel all the way up around to the corner from the dam to Kiehn’s Bay in around 30 feet of water.

Set some tip-ups along the shoreline fishing with minnows and you can expect to pick-up some big whitefish on your pike rigs.

CANYON FERRY Rainbow trout are fishing very well here and you don’t have to fish very deep for some action. Fish from 6 to 8 feet below the surface with jigs tipped with maggots or a piece of nightcrawler and expect some one and two pound rainbows on the other end. Fish early in the morning or last

light for best results. The Silos area is a good place to start. Try deeper water for perch and walleye success around thirty to forty feet of water.

Move around to find success at different depths again using Swedish Pimples, Jiggin’ Raps, Halis tipped with crawler meat, maggots or perch eyes. Pink, green and chartreuse are the colors of choice for lures.

HAUSER LAKE

Once again, it’s the trout that are consistent biters this time of the year.

Use Swedish Pimples tipped with a worm and move around on the ice at different depths for fish. Perch fishing should produce as well. Try using pink maggots and perch eyes. Reports of perch around the power lines area are pretty consistent. Trout will average around 16 inches, but expect a few bigger ones in the 24 inch category.

You may have to tolerate some windy, cold days there, but the fishing can be tremendous. Remember the ice-off is just around the corner!

NELSON RESERVOIR Expect to catch perch, walleye, and northerns on this water just east of Malta. Sucker minnows on tip-ups and spearing in 8 to 10 feet of water are yielding big northern pike. Expect some hefty ones in the 8 to 12 pound range. Good walleye that average 15 inches are normal here. Fish depths of 8 to 12 feet using minnows on your tip-ups. Yellow perch will be iced from depths of 20 to 30 feet.

SEELEY LAKE Over the years anglers have been quick to pick-up the tricks to catch pike here. Big northerns lurk in these waters as well as kokanee, brown trout, perch, whitefish, and an occasional largemouth bass. For northerns fish around the shoreline across from (continued on page 17)

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FEBRUARY 2012

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How to Make Muskie Spinnerbaits

by Nick Simonson http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/how-to-make-muskie-spinnerbaits.php ate last summer while scrounging for L replacement lure-making parts, I came

across a badly worn muskie spinnerbait which had been reduced to a bare lure head, trailer hook and just one of two blades. Recalling some spare black and red flashabou tucked into my desk drawer back home, I took what remained of the lure in order to revitalize it.Three weeks later, while standing in line at a schoolmate’s wedding reception, my brother called me from the water.

“Remember that black-and-red spinnerbait you redid,” he asked, “well, I just landed two muskies – a 43- and a 41-incher – on three casts with it,” he concluded, imploring me to crank out at least half a dozen more in a variety of colors and blade combinations for the next season.

Since then, I’ve been turning out big spinnerbaits to honor my brother’s autumn request, and they have been the highpoint of the lure-making season for me this year.

They’re an oversized twist on a classic bait for his favorite enigmatic fish. And the wide variety of blades, beads and skirt materials that can be used to customize the baits means we have many new combinations of thump and shimmy for the wary muskellunge in our favorite waters.What follows is a tutorial to help get you started making your own spinnerbaits for muskie success; from here you can downsize and make spinnerbaits for pike, bass and even mini versions for crappies.

MATERIALS 1 2.5-ounce spinnerbait frame with 8/0 hook and .051” wire 1 8/0 Mustad 354 Trailer Hook 1 Hank (20”) of Magnum Flashabou 1 #5 Silver Willow Blade 1 #8 Silver Willow Blade 1 Easy-spin Clevis (.051” holes) 1 Spinnerbait Swivel 12 5/32” Silver hollow beads (.051” hole) Size A Fine Tying Thread - Head Cement To start, secure the spinnerbait frame in your vise so that the wire points to your left. This will make it easier to dress the hook with flashabou and keep the wire out of the way as you assemble the skirt. Make a thread base in the small skirt divot between the lure’s head and the hook shank and apply head cement once complete (Figure 1). Next, select a 20-inch hank of magnum flashabou and cut it into two even 10-inch hanks. Select about 20 strands of flashabou and hold them up against the skirt divot on the lure frame so the divot is halfway between the ends of each strand.

Secure the strands of flashabou with a few wraps of thread around the tie-in area in the skirt divot (Figure 2). Form the main skirt by continuing to tie in new groups of flashabou strands adjacent to the previous strands, applying head cement to each new set of wraps for posterity. Ultimately, your skirt will be full and cover the entire circumference of the skirt divot, with no open spaces. Wrap the tie-in point with enough thread so that no flashabou is showing through and secure the thread with multiple half-hitches. Once the thread wraps are

secured, you can trim the thread and cement the tie-in spot liberally, forming an unyielding primary skirt (Figure 3). Set the main lure body aside to dry and secure the 8/0 trailer hook in the vise; tie in the thread near the eye of the hook, forming a thread bed, and apply cement. Select some flashabou from the remaining pile and cut it in half into two five-inch hanks. Trimming the ends of each clump of strands so that they are even will help produce a more secure tie-in point. Just behind the hook eye, begin tying the flashabou around the hook shank using even wraps (Figure 4). Once you have completely and fully formed the skirt on the trailer hook by tying in two layers of flashabou, trim the skirt material so it extends about an inch beyond the hook bend. Whip finish and cement the tie-in point for posterity. In an effort to keep the trailer hook in place, I like to use shrink tubing around the eye of the trailer hook. Once the cement is dry, slide a 1/4-inch-long piece of 1/4-inchdiameter shrink tubing over the eye of the trailer hook, so that one end covers some of the thread wraps and the other just covers the front of the hook eye. Using a butane lighter (carefully and after the head cement has dried – as it is VERY flammable, particularly in its liquid state) for a heat source, shrink the tubing around the hook eye and let it cool (Figure 5).You can now run the hook of the main spinnerbait through the trailer hook eye and position it in the center of the main skirt.

To complete the lure, we’ll add the blades and spacer beads to the empty wire arm.

Start by threading an easy spin clevis on to the arm, stopping after the first hole has been placed on the wire. Thread a #5 willow blade onto the clevis, so that the convex side of the blade is facing the body of the lure. Then thread the other hole of the clevis so that the blade is secured on the wire arm (Figure 6). Follow the clevis with 12 hollow silver beads, enough to allow the secondary blade to move freely without interfering with the main blade which we will attach next (Figure 7).

Let the secondary blade and beads rest against the bend in the wire while you grip the very top of the wire arm with needle-nose pliers. Bend the wire around the pliers so that the wire comes back and touches itself, forming a loop where you can attach your primary blade (Figure 8).

Attach the spinnerbait swivel to the hole in the main blade and the wire loop, using split-ring pliers to thread the swivel’s split rings through both points, forming a firm wire loop-swivel-blade connection (Figure 9). With that, your lure is complete (Figure 10)! Experiment with skirt materials, blade sizes and a variety of spinnerbait bodies in various sizes and head shapes.

Use magnum blades, Colorado blades and Indiana blades to give the lure more flash and vibration, or go with a single large blade for a different offering.The possibilities are endless, making these baits easily customizable for slow-rolling in the depths or burning just under the surface. With a simple substitution of components, you’ll have a selection of baits that are ready for whatever mood the muskies might be in on your favorite waters...in our outdoors.

FEBRUARY 2012

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

MUSKIE SPINNERBAIT TUTORIAL

• 17

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SEELEY LAKE

(continued from page 14) Big Larch Campground using tip-ups with sucker minnows, smelt, and squawfish in around 12 to 20 feet below the ice. For perch fish around weedbeds in 8 to 9 feet of water over a weedbed. Try a Glo-Hook or a Crappie jig tipped with maggots or perch eyes, covering lots of ice. A fish locator should improve your chances of catching a “gold mine” aka kokanee salmon. These fish are delicious table fare, but can be hard to find. Drop a Swedish Pimple with a Glo-Hook rig down to around the 40 foot range to find suspended kokanee schools.

There are some 12 to 14 inchers out

there. Fish Seeley early or just before dark, as big pike will move to deeper water by mid-day. Try Harper’s, Rainy and Alva lakes when in the area. These lakes offer some breathtaking scenery, solitude and premier fishing.

CLEARWATER RIVER ID If you can time a trip to this north-central Idaho river just after a rain or a slight warming trend, you will encounter some of the best steelheading in the Rockies.

February can produce some of the best fishing if weather co-operates.

When fish do move up the Clearwater, try fishing around the Dworshak Dam where steelhead will mill around. This is a good place to drift shrimp and roe baited jigs below bobbers. Another good place to fish is the confluence of the North Fork and the main Clearwater river right at the Dworshak Fish Hatchery. Fish tend to hold on the down water side of the confluence in the water that’s coming out of the North Fork. It’s a bit warmer than the main river water. Try drifting a Corky and yarn or do some bobber and jigging or by pulling pink and silver plugs. The river’s B run is on it’s way, and these fish will average about 12 pounds topping at about the 20 pound range. Fly fishermen will want to fling leeches or wet flies on sink tips or dead drift small nymphs and egg patterns. The Salmon River will also offer many miles of road accessible fishing. The stretch from Shoup, Idaho upstream to Salmon is the most popular.

GALLATIN RIVER

In the latter part of February, expect some warmer days to produce some extreme fishing in southwest Montana.

The Gallatin has fished well all winter.

Nymphing with Stones, small mayfly nymphs, caddis pupae and midge pupae are always pretty reliable. (continued on page 28)

18 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Staying Comfy on the Ice BY MICHELLE HOLDEN

Ice fishing is a sport that can produce a lot of big fish and can often be better fishing than on open water; if you know what you are doing.

S

WATCH THE WEATHER For an enjoyable trip with the family make sure you first and foremost always watch the weather. It will be the most important factor in making or breaking your trip. If a low pressure is moving through and it looks like your day will be spent in a storm, it is best not to even go.

The fish will not be biting and the family will suffer in the bad weather. Take time to watch the forecast for several days before you plan on fishing and if a high pressure is over the area and it is going to be ‘warmer‘ get out and enjoy the day!

SHELTERS A shelter is a great way to make sure you can stay perfectly comfortable on the ice and is a great way to help kids get acclimated to the sport as well. Having a shelter doesn’t mean you are stuck using it every time on the ice, but is nice to know it is there if the need arises. For this reason and moving to stay on the bite, a portable ice house is the way to go. Because you are wearing the right suit and boots, there is no need for a floor in your shelter. A Clam corp. Fish Trap portable house on a sled is the perfect shelter for your ice fishing adventure. An ice house is a convenience, however, if you are wearing the right outer gear, you can stay warm and dry in most conditions.

PORTABLE HEATERS

Whether or not you have a shelter, a good portable heater is important to have to warm up as well as dry off if you get any of your clothing wet. Using a device like the Mr. Heater is a good combo unit that allows you to cook over as well as heat with. Tip it over to boil some water for hot chocolate and tip it back to aim the heat at your legs or to keep your rod tip from freezing.

EYE PROTECTION Lastly don’t forget to protect those eyes. A good pair of glasses will keep the blinding rays as well as wind at bay. Even on an overcast day, the white of the snow and ice can at worst damage your eyes and best cause headaches.

hopping centers are warm, coffee houses are warm, the kitchen is always warm; but so can ice fishing! If you love to fish, ice fishing is one of the best ways to catch big fish and lots of them.

But if you hate to be cold, it can take away from the experience when you are not properly prepared.

What people sometimes don’t understand is in any activity the proper equipment, attire and expertise can make any condition bearable and even comfortable. Ice fishing is a sport that can produce a lot of big fish and can often be better fishing than on open water; if you know what you are doing. But if you are not comfortable you may never get out enough to learn to be a great ice fisher.

Companies are catering to ice fishers, snowmobilers, and more importantly women more than ever and there is some great gear on the market today.

SNOWSUITS When heading out to the ice there are several must haves to create a comfortable and enjoyable environment for yourself. First, it is well worth the money to purchase a snowsuit that is built for cold temperatures, wind and moisture. Ice Armor makes suits specially designed with the fisher in mind and better yet, with women’s sizes. The suits are water proof, warm and have padded knees and seats for extra comfort. Even more, they are now making suits that are buoyant in case of an unfortunate break through (note that with the proper knowledge of ice and the area you are fishing, this can be a scenario that is all but completely avoidable). For under $300 you can have an outfit that will last for years and work for many outdoor winter activities including snowmobiling and building snow forts with the kids.

SNOW BOOTS & TOE WARMERS Secondly, use a snow boot that is form fitting and lined for optimal comfort and warmth. Sorrels used to be the boot to have... for trudging from the parking lot to work, maybe. But they just don’t have the insulating value needed for sedentary fishing and sub-zero temperatures. Ice armor makes arctic boots as well with 1,000g Thinsulate; but so does Cabela’s with their Inferno which is lined with 2000g Thinsulate! Kenetrek makes a boot that would be a good multipurpose tool with the build of a hunting boot and 1,000g Thinsulate. Trying boots on before you buy is a good idea, especially if you are prone to cold extremities. In addition to good footwear, I always keep Grabber Toe Warmers handy. Since ice fishing involves more sitting than other sports, circulation is cut down to the toes. It is an inexpensive way to stay very comfortable on the ice.

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“Anyone can enter to win the ATV at any of our 2012 Great Elk Tour stops at sports and outdoor shows around the country,” said Steve Decker, vice president of marketing for RMEF. “Information about the tour is at www.greatelktour.org. We thank Yamaha for giving RMEF supporters an opportunity to win a great prize, and for supporting conservation.” Yamaha, through relationships with organizations such as TO SUPPORT RMEF MEMBERSHIP its RMEF, Ducks Unlimited, Safari Club AND FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS International, Buckmasters, NWTF and YAMAHA WILL JOIN THE RMEF NHF Day, among others, is a continued supporter of conservation efforts for GREAT ELK TOUR AND GIVE outdoor recreational enthusiasts. Not only AWAY A GRIZZLY 700 FI EPS ATV IN REALTREE AP HD CAMO does Yamaha support critical outdoors conservation programs, but it also runs its (MSPR: $9,499) own program – the Yamaha OHV Access Initiative – which has granted nearly amaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., a leading $2 million toward supporting safe, maker of ATV and Side-by-Side (SxS) responsible riding and open, sustainable vehicles for outdoorsmen, has partnered riding areas since 2008. with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation The Great Elk Tour is the Elk Foundation’s (RMEF) to help support its mission of premier traveling conservation exhibit ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. Through the partnership, showcasing mounts of some of the largest bull elk in the world. The display offers a Yamaha becomes the exclusive sponsor for the RMEF’s “Ride Right” program that better understanding of the habitat needs of these animals and how supporting the Elk delivers safe, responsible outdoors Foundation helps conserve elk country. recommendations through BUGLE magazine, the foundation’s official RMEF is leading a conservation initiative publication. that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres—an area larger than “Yamaha is proud to partner with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and their Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great efforts to communicate safe, responsible messages to sportsmen,” said Steve Nessl, Smoky Mountains national parks marketing manager for Yamaha’s ATV/SxS combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management group. “Yamaha is the leading ATV and conservation policy issues. RMEF manufacturer involved in the outdoors members, partners and volunteers, industry, and the Ride Right campaign perfectly aligns with our goals of fostering working together as Team Elk, are making responsible public messages and ensuring a difference all across elk country. Join us at RMEF or 800-CALL ELK. lasting access to our public lands.”

start on making plans for the upcoming season thanks to recent license-purchase and special permit-application deadline changes.

This year hunting and fishing licenses go on sale Jan. 16 and the deadline for residents and nonresidents to apply for deer and elk permits has moved up to March 15.

In past years, new hunting licenses would go on sale at the end of February and special deer and elk permits were due June 1.

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission recently adjusted the dates in response to public comment.

“Now resident and nonresident hunters will have their drawing results by mid-April, instead of the end of July,” said Ron Aasheim, FWP spokesman in Helena. “That gives hunters three additional months to make plans, scout hunting areas, get in shape, and talk to landowners.”

Resident and nonresident applications and information, including application success tips, are available online at http://fwp.mt.gov/” fwp.mt.gov .

Click “New Deadline – March 15 Deer & Elk Permits”.

Paper applications and information will be available from FWP offices and license providers by Jan. 18.

Hunters will also notice that the permit application packet has been revamped and simplified.

“We’ve heard for years that the application process is too complicated,”

Aasheim said. “In response to the deadline change we boiled down 120 pages of hunting regulations to an eight-page information and application packet.”

Montana’s traditional deer, elk and antelope hunting regulations will still be available in early April.

FWP continues to urge hunters to apply online. “It’s fast, it’s convenient and it’s always accurate,” Aasheim said. “The online system won’t allow you to submit an application that contains an error. This year, we’re really encouraging hunters to read the application information, and then carefully fill out a paper application to guide their online submissions.”

Aasheim said the best tip he can offer is to start hunting plans early, but hold off on submitting deer and elk permit applications until sometime after Feb. 16.

“There are many hunting districts with ‘pending’ quotas that won’t be finalized by the FWP Commission until Feb. 16.

If you are interested in applying for one of the pending hunting districts, check the FWP website after the Feb. 16 meeting, make your choices and then submit your application.”

Nonresidents who wish to apply for big game combination, elk combination or deer combination licenses and deer and elk permits for the ‘12 fall Montana hunting season can also apply online, download an application from FWP’s website or by mail. The application deadline is March 15.

Aasheim stressed that the deadline to apply for moose, sheep, goat and bison licenses remains May 1. June 1 remains the deadline to apply for antlerless deer B and elk B licenses and antelope and antelope B licenses. Montana’s upcoming hunting and fishing license year runs from March 1 to Feb. 28, 2013.

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Montana Wolf Mule Deer Production Lowest Harvest Reaches on Record 60 Percent Of NORTH DAKOTA GAME AND FISH Quota MFWP Aerial observations during the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s fall mule deer survey indicated production was the lowest since the demographic survey began in 1954.

Bruce Stillings, big game supervisor in Dickinson, said observers who accompanied pilots in fixed-wing planes counted 1,055 (1,613 in 2010) mule deer in the October survey. While the buck-to-doe ratio of 0.47 (0.45 in 2010) was similar to the long-term average of 0.43 bucks per doe, the fawn-to-doe ratio of 0.59 (0.72 in 2010) was the lowest on record, and was well below the long-term average of 0.93 fawns per doe.

“Three straight years of record low production and another severe winter in the forecast makes additional license cuts likely in 2012,” Stillings said.

The fall aerial survey, conducted specifically to study demographics, covers 24 study areas and 306 square miles in western North Dakota. Biologists survey the same study areas in the spring of each year to determine a population index.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reports

that about 60 percent of the statewide wolf quota of 220 wolves has been met in Montana’s 2011-2012 wolf hunting season.

A total of 100 wolves were taken during the regular archery and rifle seasons Sept. 3.—Nov. 27. The FWP Commission then extended the wolf hunting season until Feb. 15, or until the statewide quota is met. This season extension resulted in the harvest of an additional 33 wolves as of Jan. 11.

The commission will consider an additional wolf hunting season extension in the Bitterroot at its Jan. 19 meeting.

The FWP Commission has removed the requirement for wolf hunters to wear hunter orange during the extended season.

“Hunters may not realize that there are good, accessible areas for wolf hunting remaining, and that there are still open quotas,” said Quentin Kujala, FWP fish and wildlife section chief. “For those wanting to harvest a wolf, now is the time.”

For up-to-date information on the quota status of Montana’s wolf management units go to the wolf hunting guide on the Hunting page at fwp.mt.gov.

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Kujala reminds hunters that a wolf harvest must be reported within 12 hours of harvest by calling 877-397-9453 or 1-877-FWP-WILD. Check the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov for quota updates, or call 1-800-385-7826.

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Arizona Online Application Service Now Available For 2012 Elk, Pronghorn Hunts ARIZONA GAME AND FISH

The Arizona Game and Fish Department

has announced that the online application service for Arizona’s 2012 elk and pronghorn antelope hunt draw is now available.

Hunters who haven’t yet submitted an application now have the option of applying online by visiting www.azgfd.gov/draw and selecting the link to the online service.

The application deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012 by 7 p.m. (MST). Online applicants are advised to apply early and not wait until the last minute, in case any technical issues arise on deadline day.

Those applying online will have to pay the non-refundable $7.50 application fee (which is charged as part of the tag fee whether applying online or with a paper application). Also, a 2012 hunting license is required of all applicants to apply in the draw. If you haven’t already purchased your license, you can do so through the draw application process.

Great Falls Man Arrested, Charged on 5 Counts of Poaching MFWP

A Great Falls man was arrested on five misdemeanor counts of poaching last fall.

Russell Ross Rennick, of Great Falls was arrested by Fish, Wildlife and Parks game wardens after a two-month investigation.

Rennick was charged with hunting big game without permission, spotlighting, possessing more than one license, license fraud, and over limits. His bail was set at $2,500 and he was taken to Cascade County Jail.

Rennick allegedly shot deer illegally in Cascade and Meagher counties on more than one occasion last fall.

Assisting in the investigation and arrest was Great Falls Police Department, Animal Control and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

22 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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FEBRUARY 2012

Guns were HOT for Christmas T S. L. Merriam }

he old success story about rewarding those who build a better mousetrap is frequently seen in business and when talking to the gun folks at the Billings Cabela’s, and Hamilton’s Bob Wards, success was very apparent in gun sales this year as prices were reduced to spur demand.

Frank Higgins, from the Cabela’s gun counter in Billings, stated that Savage has really shaken up the gun world with the new Axis

Illegal Outfitting Case Nets $7, 215 in Fines & Fees MFWP A Havre-area man has plead guilty time suspended if he pays the assessment to multiple misdemeanor charges in and remains law-abiding. As part of that

connection with illegally guiding total, Wilson must pay $2,775 to the state hunters and violating other state wildlife for fees he received for illegal guiding protection laws. activities. He also forfeited his privileges to hunt, trap or fish for two years. In Kenneth Jay Wilson, 50, is a resident return for the guilty pleas, 21 other related of Laredo, a tiny community located misdemeanor charges were dismissed. about 10 miles southwest of Havre.

He recently pleaded guilty in Hill In Chouteau County Justice Court, County Justice Court to two counts of Wilson also pleaded guilty to a single harassing/chasing a game animal with misdemeanor count of acting as an a vehicle; one count of soliciting a outfitter or guide without a license. He nonresident to hunt without landowner was fined $835, must forfeit privileges permission; one count of soliciting a to hunt, trap, fish or accompany anyone nonresident to hunt without a waterfowl else in the field for two years, and must stamp; hunting game birds without a write an apology to an area landowner, license; one count of soliciting the whose property was hunted on without hunting of big game without a license; permission. As part of a plea agreement, and two counts of acting as an outfitter two other related misdemeanor charges or guide without a license. were dismissed.

For those convictions, Hill County Justice of the Peace Audrey Barger ordered Wilson to pay a total of $6,380 in fines, fees and restitution and sentenced him to four years in the county jail, all

“A total disregard for hunting laws was revealed during this investigation,” said FWP Region 6 Investigator Lennie Buhmann. “The situation needed to be addressed, and it was.”

mode, bolt-action rifle. The new offering beats the price of their famous, and old reliable 110, by $200, selling at a meager $400 with the camouflage patterned stock and topped with a quality Cabela’s brand, 4-12 scope. The new Axis sales registered a 15:1 advantage over the 110 model. The Axis is designed for youth and women with shorter arms using a reduced length of pull of just 11 1-2 inches rather than the standard of 13 1-2 inches found on most rifles. The rifle is becoming very well known for out of the box accuracy in this configuration. Spacers can be added later as Junior grows so it can be a lifetime hunting rifle. This model does not have the new Savage Accu-Trigger but the Axis trigger enjoys a good crisp let-off for accurate shooting.

Thomas Anderson, who manages the gun counter in Hamilton, explained their big seller was the Mossberg Trek at only $259

during a “Blow out” sale. This model comes with stick adjustments so the rifle can be set up at 11 1-2 inch or 13 1-2 inch with the included spacers. Anderson said both the Axis and Trek rifles are lightweight and chambered for non-magnum calibers available in .243, .270, .308, and 30-06. The Trek sold so well the store not only ran out but so did the Mossberg warehouse. Even with a $150 price difference both are an excellent buy. The extra $150 for the Axis is due to the addition of a quality scope, the reputation for accuracy and the camouflage stock.

Federal Ammunition joined the youth market quest and has come out with a better product than the factory light loads advertised by some manufactures. Federal has filled store shelves with a normal load offering reduced bullet weight, which will lower recoil. Normally, handloading was the only way one could achieve lighter and less punishing recoil from a 30.06 using a 125-grain bullet. Factory ammo was generally 150-grain or 180-grain since this popular caliber was offered in hunting guns after WWII. The new offerings have reduced the recoil of the 30.06 to almost the level of the .243 while still delivering plenty of knock down power for deer and antelope. This writer would recommend hunters switch the reduced recoil loads for the 30-06 to the 150-grain, if not the 180-grain bullet, to deliver an extra margin of power when elk hunting.

I would like to thank Frank Higgins of Cabela’s and Thomas Anderson of Bob Wards for sharing the sales information so sportsmen can make educated decisions on future firearm purchases.

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Bob Ward & Sons Gear Review

Pieps DSP Tour Avalanche an emergency only one thing counts: Transceiver Inunconditional, hands-on reliability

Before heading into avalanche terrain make sure you have developed the knowledge and proficiency to use an avalanche transceiver efficiently through training and practice. It is vital that you have a shovel and probe to complement your beacon as well as a companion who also has the knowledge, proficiency and equipment that you do to give you the best possible chance of survival should a burial occur.

Pieps DSP Tour Avalanche Transceiver: In an emergency only one thing counts: unconditional, hands-on reliability Style #495010 For technology you can depend on when the need arises, trust Pieps. They’ve been producing quality transceivers since 1972. The DSP Tour offers a state-of-the-art, compact and light system that perfectly complements a trained and well-practiced companion with a probe and shovel.

Features: -Maximum circular receiving range, digital, in all directions -Direction and distance indicators from first signal -3 x antennas for pinpoint accuracy -50 m search strip width -iProbe support -Exact self check -Mark function for multiple burials -Updateable to latest firmware

K2 Pilchuck Backside Kit with Shovel & Probe Get everything you need to take on the Backside of the

mountain with the K2 Pilchuck Backside Kit. This thin, lightweight minimalist pack can easily be worn while riding lifts and comes with the K2 Aluminum Probe 300 and K2 Rescue Shovel. This top-of-the-line backcountry equipment is just what you need in an emergency situation.

K2 Aluminum Probe 300 -300cm extended -Lightweight aluminum avalanche probe -Trigger pull handle and non-slip textured shaft for ease of assembly with gloved hands -Weight: 350g K2 Rescue Shovel -Lightweight multipurpose shovel acts as a sled, stove, dead man’s anchor and rescue shovel -Blade: 9 1⁄2” x 11” (25cm x 28cm) -Extended: 64cm (25 1⁄4”) -Collapsed: 28cm (11”) -Weight: 695 g

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Electro Amp™ Parka from Columbia Long days in bitter cold are no problem with the fully charged Electro Amp Parka wrapped around you. It’s loaded with everything you’d expect in a high-performing mountaintop jacket from waterproof zippers and articulated elbows to underarm venting and a removable snap back powder skirt. The built in Omni-Heat Electric technology offers instant heat at the push of a button to keep you fired up even after hours of shredding on wind-whipped slopes. The liner is a toasty stand-alone piece with Omni-Heat insulation, electric and thermal reflective technologies - along with a stain-and-rain repelling exterior. When you put the shell over the top, you have an impenetrable combination that will keep you comfortable in the worst conditions that winter can dish out.

View these and other fine products at one of 5 Bob Ward & Sons store locations including Bozeman, Butte, Hamilton, Helena, and Missoula or shop online at www.bobwards.com

Style #SM7854

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ROCK CREEK SNOWMOBILE SHIELDS RIVER/SMITH TRAIL visitmt.com CREEK SNOWMOBILE TRAIL Rock Creek Snowmobile Trail crosses

private property, please stay on trail.

Cooperative operation with Big Sky Snowriders and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. Trailhead is in Section 34, T3N, R10E on private property. Parking capacity for 10 cars.

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Wildlife Viewing Winter Sport Mailing Address: Gallatin National Forest 5242 Highway 89 South Livingston, MT 59047

Length: 4.7 miles of marked and groomed trails.

Phone: 406-222-1892

Activities offered: Hiking Nature Area Snowmobiling

Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/gallatin/ Directions: Rock Creek Snowmobile Trail is located 35 miles south of Livingston.

BIG CREEK SKI TRAIL visitmt.com T

here is no grooming from the winter trailhead at the end of Park County Road to Big Creek trailhead.

Additional skiing opportunities can be found above the trailhead. Park County’s Big Creek Road is plowed to the National Forest boundary where a winter trailhead has been established with parking capacity for 10 vehicles.

Do not block entrance to private driveway. Trail is shared with snowmobiles. Please respect private property adjacent to trailhead.

Activities offered: Cross-Country Skiing Hiking Nature Area Picnicking Wildlife Viewing

Length: 1.1 mile of easiest trail

Directions: Located 36 miles southwest of Livingston. Take Hwy. 89 S. towards Yellowstone. After Emigrant, you will see a sign for Mountain Sky Guest Ranch and Big Sky on the right. Take this road and follow it past Mountain Sky Guest Ranch to a closed gate.

Park at the gate and the trailhead is past Forest Service Cabin.

Trail Begins: Parking at end of road, 36 miles southwest of Livingston Trail Ends: Loop

Area Map: Gallatin National Forest Visitor Map

S hields River/Smith Creek Snowmobile Trail crosses private property, please stay on trail. Cooperative operation with Park County, Big Sky Snowriders and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Parking at Smith Creek Turnoff on private property; parking capacity for 5 cars. Parking at Shields Road Trailhead on private property; parking capacity for 15 cars.

Please respect private property.

Length: 17.8 miles of marked and groomed trails.

Trail Begins: Smith Creek Trail Ends: Northeast Wilsall Area Map: Gallatin National Forest Visitor Map

Activities offered: Hiking Nature Area Snowmobiling Wildlife Viewing Mailing Address: Gallatin National Forest 5242 Highway 89 South Livingston, MT 59047 Phone: 406-222-1892 Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/gallatin/ Directions: Shields River/Smith Creek Snowmobile Trail is located 20 miles northeast of Wilsall.

Mailing Address: Gallatin National Forest 5242 Highway 89 South Livingston, MT 59047 Phone: 406-222-1892 Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/gallatin/

∆ Big Creek Ski Trail

Map courtesy Rocky Mountain Map Gallery www.rockymtnmaps.com

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•

1 lb Elk steak (cooked & diced) 1 1⁄2 cup carrots (chopped) 1 large onion (chopped) 1 1⁄2 tsp chili powder 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with mild chili’s 1 13.8 oz pack refrigerator pizza dough 1 egg slightly beaten 1 tsp water 1 cup celery (chopped) 1 small package frozen peas (thawed) Salt & pepper to taste Olive oil

In skillet add oil and sauté carrots, onions and celery until tender. Add diced elk, chili powder, salt, pepper and tomatoes bring to a boil and simmer until liquid is just about absorbed. Place mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Unroll pizza dough make sure it will fit your 9 x 13 pan. In small bowl mix egg and water for an egg wash. Put pizza dough on top of mixture and then brush it with your egg wash, preheat oven and bake at 400 degrees for 15 -20 minutes until brown.

My Favorite Salad

Jay Petersen | Dreamstime.com

Gallitan Valley Elk Herd Before Wolf Introduction: 1,500 AFTER WOLF INTRODUCTION: 200 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP THIS, VISIT www.mt-sfw.org or www.biggameforever.org

5-6 Fresh baby spinach 1 cup black blackberries 1 cup cherry tomatoes 3 green onions sliced 3 Tbsp Walnut (chopped) Dressing: 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar 2 1⁄2 tsp honey 1 garlic clove (minced) 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1⁄4 tsp salt & 1⁄4 tsp pepper 2/3 cup feta cheese In large bowl add first 5 ingredients set aside. In small bowl add remaining ingredients except cheese, whisk together and drizzle over spinach toss and coat and then sprinkle with cheese and serve.

FEBRUARY 2012

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 27

Landowners, Partners Secure 1,050 Acres of Montana Habitat Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

L

ongtime volunteers of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Keith and Linda Ward of Huson, Mont., have finalized a deal to permanently protect 1,050 acres of area ranchland that serve as important habitat for elk and other wildlife.

On Dec. 16, the Wards placed their Checkpoint Ranch, some 20 miles west of Missoula, Mont., between Ninemile and Sixmile creeks, under conservation easement with RMEF.

The legal agreement restricts development in perpetuity even if land ownership changes.

Affected acres will always be, “much as they are today--farmland, ranchland and native wetlands, meadows and forests,” said Mike Mueller, lands program manager for RMEF.

RMEF brokered the deal, assisted with the legal processes and will monitor easement provisions annually.

“Checkpoint Ranch is one of the largest remaining private parcels in the area, and since it’s connected to adjoining federal and state lands, the conservation impacts of this easement are truly on a landscape scale,” said Mueller.

“Habitat fragmentation is a real concern with the increasing subdivision in the Ninemile area. By protecting this ranch, we’ve helped secure the viability of habitat across a much larger area.”

Habitat on the ranch supports an area elk herd of 150-200 animals. Elk are most abundant on the ranch during fall rut, winter and calving season--in fact, biologists say the ranch is one of the preferred calving areas in the surrounding region.

Many other game and nongame species also are commonly observed.

The easement does not provide public access. However, in partnership with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Dept.

(FWP) and RMEF, the Wards have developed an elk management plan and enrolled part of their property in a special FWP program that provides the public with limited, high-quality, herd-management hunting opportunities.

The 1,050-acre tract, part of the historic Scheffer Ranch now owned for 20 years by the Ward family, is actually protected via two different easements.

One 890-acre easement was partially donated by the Wards and partially funded by the Missoula County Open Space Bond Program. An adjoining 160-acre easement, which covers the original Scheffer Ranch homestead, was fully donated by the Wards.

David Allen, RMEF president and CEO, thanked the Wards for their generosity and credited three RMEF partners--Missoula County Commission, Missoula County Rural Initiatives and Missoula County Open Lands Citizen Advisory Committee--for “using open space bond funds to save an incredible piece of wild country in the kind of place that’s prone to future development.”

Supporters of the project included: Lolo National Forest, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Department of Transportation, Ninemile Wildlife Movement Area Working Group and Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Keith Ward, president of Bob Ward and Sons Sporting Goods, has served multiple volunteer terms on the RMEF board of directors. He is a past chairman of the board and has served a variety of leadership roles on committees.

The Wards also are active in many other Combined, the value of the Wards’ donations is approximately $2.7 million. conservation and sporting organizations.

28 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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From Finesse to Brute Force

(continued from page 13)

NORTHERN PIKE NOW FOR THE BRUTES. The other species is going to be a no brainer.....Northern Pike!!! I just love these fish, and ice fishing is probably the best way for someone who has never caught one to “break the ice”.

TIP UPS, WITH A SMELT. This is the simplest way to a Northern, and I would guess one of the most iconic fishing methods out there. Rig up with a Quick strike rig made from steel leader, add a smelt, and let it down to about 3’ from the bottom. Set your flag and the wait begins........Or you can rig up your ice rod with 8-12lb line, a slip bobber and a Quick strike rig with a smelt. If you are using more than one rod, depending on where you fish, put your bobber on the ice next to your hole so you can see it from a distance when a fish takes.

LARGER SWIMBAITS AND JIGGING MINNOW LURES. I personally like to go a slightly different way, using larger swimbaits and jigging minnow Swimbait lures.

Salmo Chubby Darters, Storm Swimbait Jigs and Tube jigs are my favorites. Colors will be from natural to “wow that’s bright!”

FINDING STRUCTURE IS IMPORTANT. Finding structure is more important with pike.

Weed beds, sunken humps and breaks from weeds to silt are the target locations. Searching is pretty easy, just keep drilling holes until you find the fish. I like to drill all the holes right off the bat when I get to the location

GALLATIN RIVER

(continued from page 17) Drifting and twitching some larger sculpin or streamer patters can reward a patient angler. Larger than average trout can be caught here in February below Big Sky downstream through the valley.

If you’ve never experienced winter fishing in the Reynold’s Pass and 3 Dollar Bridge areas, you’ll be amazed at the warmer afternoons, and how good the midge activity can be with plenty of rising trout just about behind every rock. Good dry patterns include Zelon midges in black, tan or olive sizes #20 - #22. Parachute Adams, Griffiths Gnats in the same size work well. Nymphying with Stones trailed

SWIMMING THE JIGS. Once all the holes are drilled, I move from one to the next swimming my jigs from the bottom to the top, jig about 3-5 times then one crank on the reel and repeat until the jig is just below the ice.

Strikes can range from very light to BOOM!!! Only spend about 5 minutes per hole then move to the next.

Salmo Chubby Darters FLASHERS AND FISH FINDERS. Flashers can be a huge help with this run and gun method, letting you know when a pike has moved in on your jig. A portable fish finder will let you know how deep and sometime if you have found the weed bed that you were looking for.

FEBRUARY 2012

by a midge pupae #18 - #20, Shop Vacs #16 - #18 or 3 Dollar Dips in red, brown or olive work too. Depending on the weather and air temps in late February, the break-up of the ice jams around Ennis can produce some exceptional early season fishing between Varney Bridge and the Burnt Tree take-out.

CREEK UPPER MADISON RIVER InRa OCK state chock-full of Blue Ribbon

where I am going to fish. Start shallow and work to 12-20’ of water. Early and late in the day are the primetimes, but I have caught fish all day long from certain spots.

If you are fishing with others, have them follow you and let down a smelt in the hole you just jigged up. You might have attracted a Pike, but it didn’t want the faster moving jig, but the smelt slowly falling down might be too much to resist.

•

trout streams, one of the best is Rock Creek. This beautiful river works it’s way through the Sapphire Mountain Range before joining the Clark Fork River off Interstate 90 near Clinton.

Take some #10 stonefly nymphs, Rock Creek stone, or Copper Johns and an assortment of beadheads to fish this water. This river has a healthy population of stoneflies and they are a year round source of food that trout will have a tough time resisting.

February can be a bit inconsistent when it comes to winter fishing here, but can also give you some spring like warmer days. Carry some miniscule midge patterns in the #20 - #22 range to drift over these picky rising trout.

Long leaders with fine tippets will help increase your chances. By March, BWO’s, skwala stones and small black winter stoneflies are all active in Montana’s rivers, especially the tail waters on the western slope.

FORT PECK RESERVOIR Stephen Mcsweeny | Dreamstime.com

GPS. A GPS can get you back to the hot spot next time, so don’t forget it in the truck!

WHERE TO GO: There are several places in Montana that are great for Northern Pike.

Ft. Peck is without a doubt one of the best big fish locations, but as I write this it is mostly open water!!! Nelson, Tiber, and Lake Francis are good bets east of the mountains. Noxon, the many sloughs of the Flathead River around Kalispell, Seeley, Salmon, Dog and LonePine reservoir on the west side are also good bets.

There are many others, but we will let you find them, or keep them secret!

I am hoping for colder temps and more ice in the next few weeks so I can get out on the ice soon.

Now which one do I want to try first? Finesse or Brute?

Although it’s been well above normal temperatures in eastern Montana this winter with many people fishing open water through December, we should see some very good ice fishing in most bays around the Fort Peck areas. Expect a mixed bag of species when you fish here. Normally big northern pike and walleye will be caught through the ice using tip-up caught on a live shiner minnow suspended a few feet from the bottom. Frozen smelt work well too.

Big walleye, northerns, lake trout and ling are fished using multiple lines on the ice. Generally, you’ll catch the walleye off the main lake points, and there are plenty of rock piles and cobbled shorelines that hold plenty of predators in various sizes. Look for lake action just outside of Rock Creek Bay using bright, colorful spoons and swimming jigs. Other fish swimming around in Fort Peck will be channel catfish, smallmouth bass, crappie, perch and sauger. If you want to experience the best of what Fort Peck offers in the winter, bring an ATV or snowmobile, pack all of your gear and stay for three or four days if you can.

There are many points to get out on the ice and you can cover more ground.

Watch the weather patterns this time of the year, as the wind can be fierce on Fort Peck. This water has trophy caliber brutes and is worth the trip!

FEBRUARY 2012

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 29

Quiet Time Strategy NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION nwtf.org

A classic spring turkey hunt requires locating a gobbler in the evening, then setting up on him before daylight the next morning. If the plan works, your calling will whip the bird into a state of excitement. The tom will thunder at you from his tree, fly down from his roost and then strut and gobble until he’s within shotgun range.

While they’re great when they work, such classic plans often fail.

Often, as the season progresses, gobblers stop responding to calls. They may be henned-up and unwilling to leave a sure thing, they may have been pressured by other hunters or they may have just shut up for no good reason at all. Whatever the reason, gobblers that won’t gobble can make classic setups exercises in frustration.

Two quiet time techniques will help you keep hunting when the birds shut up, you can stand hunt for toms or go with the cut `n’ run.

AMBUSHING WORKS! Deer hunters who love to sit in a stand waiting for a trophy to pass would be excellent candidates for the stand-style of turkey hunting. It’s really pretty simple. The hunter scouts the area and finds a place where turkeys often visit - feeding areas, dusting holes and strutting zones.

Strutting zones are the best spots to setup and wait for gobblers. All turkeys feed on nuts, seeds, grasses and insects, and dust themselves with dirt to remove parasites. However, only gobblers search out areas where they can strut and gobble to impress the hens.

Look for flat, open stretches of ground with tracks going in both directions and lines in the dirt where the gobbler’s wings scrape the ground as he struts.

Any openings that cross a hill such as logging roads, fields and cutovers are good places to look. Gobblers like to strut in high, open places from where they can be seen by hens.

When a likely place is found, set up in a safe position where the opening is visible and wait until a gobbler comes strolling by. Try calling a little every 20 or 30 minutes to entice nearby gobblers to come your way. A decoy may be a good idea as it acts as a visual beacon for birds passing within sight of your setup. A blind may also help conceal any movement you make from turkeys that are silently approaching.

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30 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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CRANE/YEW SNOWMOBILE TRAIL visitmt.com T he Crane Mountain Snowmobile Mailing Address: Trail is a cooperative operation with Flathead National Forest 200 Ranger Station Road Bigfork, MT 59911

the Forest Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the Flathead Snowmobile Club. This trail is 45 miles long and is intermittently Phone: 406-837-7500 groomed throughout the winter. Please be aware that dog sledding tours also Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/flathead use this trail.

Directions: Length: 45 miles of marked trail The Crane Mountain Snowmobile Trail is located on just south of Ferndale, Area Map: Flathead Forest Visitor MT. To access the trail from the north, Map head to Ferndale on Highway 209 and turn south onto Crane Mountain Rd at Season: the blinking light, continue down this 12/15 - 4/1 road for about 2 miles to the start of Forest Road #498 (Crane Mountain Activities offered: Road). To access the trail from the Hiking south, turn West on Porcupine Creek Nature Area Rd #10229 which is two miles south of Snowmobiling the town of Swan Lake, continue to the Wildlife Viewing intersection with Yew Creek Rd (Forest Winter Sport Road #9714) for the start of the trail.

VISIT WWW.GLACIERAVALANCHE.ORG FOR CURRENT CONDITIONS

FORD HILL SNOWMOBILE TRAIL visitmt.com F

ord Hill Snowmobile Trail is a network of trails in the Mullan Pass area. Caution, there may be B.P.A. administrative traffic on Randolph Creek Road, which is closed year round.

Length: 8.5 miles Trail Begins: Ford Hill Trail Ends: Loop Area

SLIPPERY JOHN SNOWMOBILE TRAIL visitmt.com

S

lippery John Snowmobile Trail begins at Slippery John Road 2191, Junction P, and continues to Beaver Creek Road 9974, Junction O. This trail connects to Route 7 and 14.

Length: 3.5 miles round trip; easiest trail rating.

Map: Township 19N;Range 31W; Section 25

Trail Begins: Road 2191

Activities offered: Cross-Country Skiing Snowmobiling

Trail Ends: Junction with Trail 7

Mailing Address: Lolo National Forest PO Box 460 Superior, MT 59872 Phone: 406-822-4233 Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/lolo/ Directions: Exit I-90 at the Taft Interchange. Go up Randolph Creek past the BPA sub-station to Mullan Pass and Shoshone Park in Idaho. You can go back to Lookout Pass and Taft via the abandoned railroad grade.

Activities offered: Snowmobiling Mailing Address: Lolo National Forest 3583 Highway 83 Seeley Lake, MT 59868 Phone: 406-677-2233 Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/lolo/ Directions: Slippery John Snowmobile Trail is located out of Seeley Lake.

FEBRUARY 2012

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

Quiet Time Strategy (continued from page 29) KEEP ON MOVING

STAY SAFE

The cut `n’ run is another way of locating toms. This aggressive tactic requires lots of walking, location swapping and assertive calling to locate a lonely gobbler that is willing to talk.

When using a technique like the cut `n’ run, safety and outdoor knowledge are especially important.

Keep a close watch on your surroundings and know who or what is in the woods. Move only when you’re sure there are no other hunters about, Slip through the woods quietly but and call only when sitting or standing rapidly, and call often with a series of next to a wide tree. This will not only yelps and cutts on a loud, high-volume keep you safe, but it will also help you call. A locator call mimicking a crow, be better prepared to quickly setup owl, peacock or coyote also works and should a tom respond from nearby. will sometimes get a response even if the gobbler isn’t lonely.

There is always the chance of coming across other hunters in the woods, After finding the bird, set up, call and especially if hunting public land. Hunt hunt just as if he had been roosted defensively and always identify the the night before. Use yelps, cutts and target before shooting. If you slip up purrs to seduce that trophy within on a turkey in the woods; remember, gun range. it could be another hunter’s decoy.

While decoys can be used in the cut `n’ run set up, many hunters leave them home when they know they’ll be walking long distances. Items in the vest can add up quickly when trudging miles through the woods, and repeatedly setting up and taking down decoys can become a real chore.

Twildlife|dreamstime.com

^

Ice Fishing Derby at Dredge Cuts Trout Pond Near Fort Peck The Fort Peck area offers some amazing

fishing and the Annual Ice Fishing Derby at Dredge Cuts Trout Pond should provide plenty of results. Don’t miss this event Saturday, February 18th. Fish for walleye, Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Burbot, Bass, Yellow Perch, Carp, or Sucker fish. For more information, contact the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce at 406-228-2222.

Fort Peck Dredge Cuts is located 3 miles north of Fort Peck on Montana Highway 117.

ENLARGED AREA

FISHING PRESSURE MFWP Year 2009 2007 2005 2003

Days Fished1 1,325 1,504 582 972

Trips2 31 23 12 23

State Rank3 250 188 365 271

Regional Rank3 16 11 24 18

1. Estimated yearly fishing use in angler days (one angler fishing one body of water in one day for any amount of time).

2. The number of times that a section of water was reported as having been fished (used to estimate the number of “Days Fished”).

3. How this section of water ranked among all surveyed sections in the state or region, based on “Days Fished” in a survey year.

Map Courtesy Rocky Mountain Map Gallery

• 31

32 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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FEBRUARY 2012

Idaho Fishing continued In the SALMON REGION anglers are still catching steelhead in the main Salmon River, primarily below North Fork, but colder weather and icing conditions are slowing the turnout. Good ice-fishing can be found at Williams and Jimmy Smith lakes.

Around the UPPER SNAKE REGION ice-fishing is great on Mackay Reservoir.

Fishing is good at Ririe Reservoir, too, but the ice is marginal. Ice conditions will change rapidly with colder weather. For stream fishing, a good place to go right now is the Big Lost River below Mackay Dam. In the SOUTHEAST REGION ice-fishing for trout is best found at Deep Creek Reservoir, Chesterfield Reservoir and American Falls Reservoir.

American Falls is known for slower catch rates but big trout. For pan fish, check out Montpelier Reservoir and Glendale Reservoir.

So far in the MAGIC VALLEY REGION this winter, ice-fishing is focused on a few good icy locations, where the ice is 5 to 9 inches thick. These can be found at Hot Springs Landing on Magic Reservoir, Dog Creek Reservoir and the “backwaters” or inlet area on Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir. Most anglers are not venturing too far from shore but are reporting decent catch rates. On the other hand, the Little Wood and Fish Creek Reservoirs have 12 to 14 inches of ice, and fishing is good.

Because of the complete lack of snow, it’s easy to get to the Big Wood River and its tributaries for stream fishing. The best fishing is normally between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on warmer days with nymphs and midges.

Other streams folks are hitting lately include the Little Wood River, lower Malad River and Rock Creek near Twin Falls.

If You Can’t Go Skiing Try Fishing Idaho Fish and Game

In the SOUTHWEST REGION the Boise River, South Fork Boise and Payette River near Emmett offer good stream fishing for whitefish. For rainbow trout, head to C.J. Strike Reservoir where it’s not frozen and below C.J. Strike Dam on the Snake River.

Ice-fishing for trout is good at Horsethief Reservoir, and the road is plowed though rough and icy. Lake Cascade has plenty of ice and is producing large yellow perch and some trout.

In the CLEARWATER REGION, steelhead fishing is still going strong.

Fish responded to the warmer weather and rain last week and moved out of Lower Granite Reservoir, and the fishing picked up. The higher temperatures have also kept the sturgeon biting, and people have reported catching some nice fish over the past three weeks.

The two best ice-fishing spots usually are Winchester Lake and Spring Valley Reservoir, but the ice conditions are hampered by the warmer weather.

In the PANHANDLE REGION, fishing the big lakes - Priest, Pend Oreille, and Coeur d’Alene - continues to be good. Boat launching is easy, the weather has been mild, and anglers have been doing well on lake trout in Priest, Chinook in Coeur d’Alene and rainbows in Pend Oreille.

Photo-Nick Stewart not much snow in the mountains, so maybe its time to trade Tthehere’s ski poles for a fishing rod.

The drier and warmer than average weather is providing plenty of good fishing opportunities in Idaho this winter. There’s ice-fishing in many parts of the state, but anglers need to watch local ice conditions that vary from place to place. Most rivers and streams are open year round, and the lack of snow makes access easy. Many ponds are regularly stocked by Fish and Game.

And the steelhead season is open on parts of the Clearwater, Snake, Salmon, Little Salmon and Boise rivers.

Until colder weather returns, ice on some of the most popular lakes closer to Coeur d’Alene is nonexistent or marginal. Look to Bonner and Boundary counties for lakes with good ice and fishing for perch, bluegill and trout. These would include Kelso, Hauser, Twin, and Round, Smith, Brush, Bonner, Dawson, Perkins and Robinson Lakes.

Popular ice-fishing lakes that need a bit more ice for ice-fishing are Cocolalla for perch and Spirit Lake for kokanee.

To find out when and where fish have been stocked go to:

http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/stocking/

FEBRUARY 2012

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 33

LINCOLN PART PARADISE, PART WILDERNESS Nestled in 2 acres of ponderosa pine Large, modern rooms • Kitchenettes Coffee pot, microwave, refrigerators Hot tub and sauna • Internet available Reasonable rates • AAA rated The heart of hunting, fishing & snowmobiling

LEEPER’S PONDEROSA MOTEL

110 1st Avenue, Lincoln, MT. (406) 362-4333 Pets welcome

Outdoor Calendar Sponsored By C’Mon Inn Bozeman & Missoula Lodge Like Atmosphere With Resort Amenities GLACIER NATIONAL PARK WINTER SIGNS SNOWSHOE PROGRAM: Offered twice daily on Saturdays and Sundays.

Free, two-hour, ranger-led snowshoe excursions of the winter environment in Glacier. Phone: 406-888-7800 ext 0 GLASGOW ICE FISHING TOURNAMENT: FEBRUARY 18 Competition ice fishing in the Dredge Cuts Trout Pond at Fort Peck Lake.

Phone: 406-228-2222

Events To Support WILDLIFE PHEASANTS FOREVER February 2, 2012 Helena Pheasants Forever Annual Banquet (406) 431-1525

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION February 2-4, 2012 28th Annual Elk Camp Las Vegas, NV Join 20,000 other conservation-minded hunters in celebrating elk country with HELENA RACE TO THE SKY SLED DOG RACE: three days of action-packed excitement!

FEBRUARY 10-15 February 11, 2012 Phone: 406-881-3647 Beartooth Big Game Banquet - Billings Gayle M. Sitter 406-208-4156 LINCOLN SCHOLARSHIP/CHARITY March 17, 2012 SNOWMOBILE FUN RUN: Hi-Line Big Game Banquet - Havre FEBRUARY 18 Riders travel a well-marked route on Jason McDonald 406-265-1574 smooth trails collecting cards as they go.

March 31, 2012 Phone: 406-362-3334 Bitterroot Big Game Banquet - Hamilton Jon Dale Miller 406-777-0214 MISSOULA SNOWBOWL CUP GELANDE NATIONAL WILD TURKEY CHAMPIONSHIP: FEBRUARY 25-26 FEDERATION Features spectacular ski jumping of up February 25, 2012 to 200 feet using alpine equipment.

Hi-Line Gobblers - Glasgow Held at Snowbowl.

Chris Johnsrud 406-263-7677 Phone: 406-549-9777 March 3, 2012 TROUT CREEK 21ST ANNUAL SNOWMOBILE POKER Missouri River Gobblers - Great Falls Bodie Grundel 454-1591 RUN: FEBRUARY 10-11 Phone: 406-827-4458 March 3, 2012 Big Sky Chapter - Bozeman WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS 100-MILE SNOWMOBILE FUN RUN: Nate Menuez 406-581-6740 FEBRUARY 19 60-mile ride on marked and groomed trails. Phone: 406-547-2301

Available At

Helena Cycle Center 1825 N. LAST CHANCE GULCH, HELENA Parts - Service - Sales 406-443-4631 • www.helenacycle.com KAWASAKI CARES: Warning: ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing. Never carry a passenger. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Never ride on public roads or pavement. Avoid excessive speeds and stunt driving. Be extra careful on difficult terrain. Kawasaki ATVs with engines over 90cc are recommended for use only by persons 16 years of age or older. Kawasaki also recommends that all ATV riders take a training course. For more information, see your dealer, call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-877-2887 or go to www.atvsafety.org. ©2012 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. BFEPS6X7C

Lava Mountain Trail #244 HELENA NATIONAL FOREST

T his eight mile trail was originally developed as a motorized Off-Road-Vehicle trail and is enjoyed by mountain bike enthusiasts as well.

The trail is wide in areas and has several steep segments. It also provides access to the Cataract Basin on the Deerlodge National Forest.

Access is via Grizzly Gulch Road #137, then Forest Road #4000 to Lump Gulch Road #4009.

The trailhead is approximately 1 mile north of Park Lake Campground.

Elevation Change: 800 ft.

Trail Beginning: 6360 ft. elevation Trail Ending: 7160 ft. elevation

For further information contact the Helena Ranger District at: Helena National Forest 2880 Skyway Drive Helena, MT 59602 Phone: (406) 449-5201 Email: r1_helena_webmaster@fs.fed.us

Read Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure on your mobile device with a free app at issuu.com use bigskyoutdoornews (no spaces)

34 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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ANNUAL

Foul Weather 3D Shoot lewisandclarkarchers.com

Sunday, February 19th Registration: 8am to 10am All shooters must be done by 3pm

Tons of Fun for the Entire Family!

• 30 Rhinehart targets • Raffles Games • Concessions -Food and concessions will be available -Dress for snowy and icy conditions -Awards given in all classes -Lots of raffle items

Held at Z bar Z Sporting Clays Directions: Take Exit 200 on I-15 (Lincoln Rd). Head west to Silver City. Turn south on Birdseye Road at the Silver City Saloon.

Turn west on marked dirt road for Z bar Z Sporting Clays.

Corner of Lincoln Rd & Birdseye Rd., Helena, MT Follow signs to designated parking area.

Brent Ricks 227-7243, Lesley Bergman 439-5146, Paul Cartin 439-2058 LOOK FOR THE BOWHUNTERS RENDEZVOUS ON August 5th, 2012

JAY SHERLEY OF HELENA ARROWED THIS AWESOME BUCK DURING THE 2011 HUNTING SEASON

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FEBRUARY 2012

My First Buck

by Brandon Reintjes

my first deer, but it was Imyt wasn’t first buck. I had been in the

area only briefly before the season opened and hadn’t seen much in the way of sign. I should have known the lay of the land better, but plans for several scouting trips always changed or got deferred at the last moment. I knew that the thick trees on the slopes opened up into a meadow toward the mountain ridge. Reaching the meadow, and hunting the gullies on the way, somehow became the goal in my mind as I set out on the morning of opening day.

In the dark, I followed an overgrown road that switch backed its way through brushy gulches. The dark gradually gave way to shooting light as shapes came into focus. All around me was an eerie stillness. I felt like I could move between branches, over roots, without getting hung up or making a sound. I followed deer trails and noted each hoof print in the mud, trying to glean as much information as I could from every track. I didn’t see so much as a single animal. As the morning grew later, every far-off rifle shot from another successful hunter felt like a judgment.

At the ridgeline, I kept close to stand of young pine trees to hide my profile and see if I could come across any bedded deer. I looked up from the rough grass to find three does staring intently at me. In front of them was a large buck directly facing me. I raised my 30.06 and sighted in on the buck, waiting for him to offer a profile shot. The deer were at least 200 yards away. I was standing prone in the middle of a field without anything to rest my rifle on and the contour of the field dropped into a large gulch where the deer could easily disappear into a stand of trees. As it was, I couldn’t see their legs or the lower half of their bodies. I would only get one shot.

The does ran and when the buck began to turn, I fired at the only part of him I thought I could hit, his neck. Unfortunately, I missed clean as the buck disappeared below the horizon line into the maze of the gulch below.

I hunted the following morning and saw no sight of the buck or any of the does.

A week later, I went out again. It was wet and raining softly as I dragged myself out of bed. I had no idea what it would be like where I was going to hunt. I arrived and it was still raining. I made a plan to walk a wide circle along the whole spine of the ridge, and end at the field. While I climbed up higher and higher, the rain turned to sleet and then to snow. I was warm from the climb and was just starting to wake up as the sun peaked over the horizon.

I could see each breath in the cold air. As I walked, I could follow tracks in the snow, seeing squirrels and mice, elk and coyote, a bigger track that could have been a wolf. Because of the snow and the wind that whipped against my cheeks, I stayed in the heavier timber, looking for animals bedding down. I came to the field and circled the edge, making my way to an isolated island of forest at the top of a ravine.

I was just below the place I had seen the deer last week. Snow was getting in my eyes. A snowflake blew in my face, circling around on an updraft like a pesky mosquito. As I raised my hand to brush it away, I turned my head slightly. That’s when I saw him. 25 yards away, hunkered down behind two small pine trees, the buck hadn’t seen me walking up behind him. All I could see were a huge rack of antlers poking out on one side of the tree trunk and a massive neck and shoulders on the other side. My body flooded with adrenaline and I slowly sank to a seated position. I sat there and watched him for 5 minutes, waiting for my arms to steady and wanting to see what he would do. There, in the snow, he shifted his head and I realized that he was able to oversee an enormous spread of the world around him. I was shocked that he hadn’t seen my approach, because it seemed like I had walked directly through his line of sight. Finally, I raised my rifle and shot him through the neck while he lay in his bed. He had small brow tines that gave way to four fine points on one side and five on the other, the rack broader than my shoulders. I was less than 100 yards from where I stood and fired the week before.

FEBRUARY 2012

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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EFFECTS OF HUNTING...continued from page 9

ARE THERE ANY COMPARISONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF HARVEST REGULATIONS WHICH SUPPORT THE ASSERTION THAT LIBERAL SEASONS DON’T REDUCE PHEASANT POPULATIONS? Research completed in Minnesota and Iowa shows that imposing hunting season restrictions has no measurable effect on future recruitment of pheasants. Biologists compared 27-year population trends (1964-1990) in two adjacent areas of similar habitat and weather conditions (upper two tiers of Iowa counties and the lower two in Minnesota). Hunting regulations were not similar. Minnesota daily bag limits were one bird less on average, and season length only about half that of Iowa’s. During four consecutive years, Minnesota restricted and even closed its seasons when severe winter weather reduced populations. Iowa, by contrast, maintained its liberal seasons (50+days), although the same magnitude of pheasant declines were evident.

In spite of the differences, Iowa and Minnesota had remarkably similar population trends over the 27-year period. The conservative management approach in Minnesota resulted in season restrictions that had little or no benefit to the population. From 1967-70 Minnesota severely curtailed or closed the pheasant season because of a string of bad winters. During those four years only 50% of normal harvest was achieved, leading to the loss of 2.4 million hunter hours and 400,000 roosters, which could have been harvested without a negative effect on future populations.

ARE THERE ANY REASONS FOR AN EARLIER SEASON? Yes! Population loss is continual. Earlier seasons allow birds that otherwise succumb to predation or other mortality to be utilized for hunting recreation. However, the progression of crop harvest and potential for unpleasantly warm weather are important consideration in an early opener.

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF RESTRICTING BAGS? Reducing bag limits will have little effect on pheasant populations. In most states, seasonal bag per hunter is only 2-4 birds. The only reason to reduce bags is to more equally distribute harvest among hunters. Considering the majority of hunters are active only during the first two weeks of the season, the effect of restricting daily bag limits would be minimal.

BOONE and CROCKETT CLU LUB B

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Records of North American Big Game Rocky Mountain Shiras’ Moose

DOES CHANGING CLOSING DATES AFFECT THE POPULATION? The argument has been made that closing hunting seasons earlier will prevent birds from being flushed from good winter cover into marginal areas where they are vulnerable to winter storms and predation. This may occur in some cases.

However, because of diminishing returns to hunters as the season progresses, later season closures have a minimal effect on current or future pheasant populations. Simply put, fewer people hunt in late season and affect only scattered pockets of cover.

WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE? In a nutshell-liberal, legal, roosters-only seasons do not harm populations. If seasons work as designed, the outcome is a reduced standing population of male ring-necked pheasants. Extensive research has shown this has little or no effect on pheasant reproduction and subsequent populations.

Need more information about enhancing pheasant populations? Try the Pheasants Forever Essential Habitat Guide — a handy reference on all kinds of pheasant cover, including shelterbelts, food plots and nesting cover. And, be sure to check with your local Pheasants Forever chapter, where you will find cost sharing, planting assistance, or just advice from a friendly chapter volunteer.

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Trophy WatchTM is a segment of Boone and Crockett Clubʼs website dedicated to highlighting the more significant or interesting big game trophies taken recently across North America, as well as trophies entered and accepted into the B&C records.

36 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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FEBRUARY 2012

PHOTO BOB HUMPHREY

TRAVELING TO HUNT

By Bob Humphrey, Yamaha Outdoors

P

lanning an out-of-state hunt this fall? Whether it’s the next state over, or across the country, here are a few tips to make your trip and your hunt go a little more smoothly.

LICENSES/PERMITS - Check, then double check to determine what licenses and permits are necessary for your hunt. A good starting point is the website for the state fish and wildlife agency of your destination. If you’re not sure, a phone call should get you what you need. If possible, obtain them before you leave. Most states now sell licenses on-line, allowing you to make purchase instantaneously, right from home or work.

Don’t wait until you arrive and hope you can find a license vendor. They may be hard to find. They may be closed or they may not have the necessary authorizations, especially for non-resident hunters. And don’t rely on private license vendors if there’s any question about which permits you do or do not need. They don’t always know.

FIREARMS - Check your weapons to make sure they are in good serviceable condition. Sight them in to make sure they’re still hitting where you’re aiming then give them a good cleaning and lubrication.

Store in a padded case while transporting. The vibration of road travel can wreak havoc on unprotected firearms, particularly their optics. It’s also a good idea to use a locked case. Each state has its own set of firearms regulations and in some cases it’s a requirement.

Most of the above also applies to archery equipment. Sight it in. Check all moving parts and tighten or lubricate where necessary. Then put it in a padded, locked case. Ridiculous as it sounds, some states require a locked case even on bows!!

ATVs - Much the same logic applies if you’re bringing your ATVs. Start by going through your machines from top to bottom. If you’re not mechanically inclined, this would be a good time to take your rig in for its annual tune-up and inspection. If you’re the do-it-yourself type, you probably have a checklist.

Go through it and make sure everything is tightened, lubed and in good working order.

Breakdowns are a hassle anywhere, but especially so if you’re far from home or the trappings of civilization. In addition to a basic toolbox, you should also put together an assortment of common replacement/repair parts like belts, fi lters, spark plugs, fi x-a-flat and/or spare tire(s) for ATV and trailer. ©2011 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates.

In the U.S.A., products are distributed by BRP US, Inc. Always ride responsibly and safely. Always observe applicable local laws and regulations.

Always wear appropriate clothing, including a helmet. Don’t drink and drive.

After loading your ATVs, set the parking brakes, remove the keys and strap your machines securely to the trailer. It’s also a good idea to cover your machines to protect them (especially lights and windshields) from bugs, dirt and rocks encountered while trailering at high speeds.

Map out your route in advance. Leave plenty of extra time and drive carefully.

FEBRUARY 2012

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Get Better Performance From Your Vehicle with Gomer’s/US Diesel Parts W

hether you’re using your truck for hunting, pulling your boat or just grabbing the groceries, your diesel engine places extraordinary demands on each internal component.

Big V6 outboards are notorious for fouling plugs. In the five years I’ve been with AMSOIL, I’ve yet to even breakout a spark plug wrench.

Steve Haynes #112 Professional Walleye Angler Most motor oils aren’t up to the task of providing adequate long term protection for your diesel engine, and may eventually lead to expensive repairs down the road.

For those that are looking for the absolute best protection and longevity for their engines, transmissions and drivetrains, we recommend AMSOIL synthetic oils.

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.

Improve your Fuel Economy with a Bully Dog GT

The Triple Dog GT (Gauge Tuner) is a vehicle engine tuner,

monitor, gauge and diagnostic device all in a single unit. The GT dramatically improves the utility of several vehicle applications by providing an increase in horsepower and torque and by IMPROVING FUEL ECONOMY THROUGH BETTER ENGINE TUNING. The GT monitors and displays over fifteen different vehicle parameters (PIDs) and it includes our all new Driving Coach feature which teaches end users to maximize their vehicles fuel economy potential. The GT performs vehicle diagnostics by reading and erasing diagnostic trouble codes; this level of vehicle transparency isn’t offered by any OEM or by any other aftermarket product. Also included is a performance testing feature designed to test a vehicles performance capability on the drag strip; couple this with our free PC analysis software and users can also determine vehicle horsepower. The GT does it all and it works on most late model diesel pickups including Dodge, Ford and GM.

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

Vehicle Repair and Installation Appointments We are always taking appointments for all performance upgrade installations and basic vehicle maintenance and repairs. Just give us a call at (800) 823-4444 to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed and experienced technicians.

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JOIN THE BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB AND RECEIVE A FREE BUCK KNIFE

With a One-Year $35.00 Associate Membership You do don’t n’t have to have a trophy in the records book to join the Boone Boo ne and Crockett Club, just a passion for big game and the desire to keep hunting them.

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FEBRUARY 2012

Be sure to mention this ad and receive your free Buck knife.

While supplies last.

HUNT FAIR CHASE

Join online at www.booneandcrockettclub.com or call 406.542.1888

Gray Repke - Mule Deer

Photo from Greg Merriam - Moose

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Photo from Greg Merriam - Dall Sheep

email your photos to bigskyoutdoornews@yahoo.com Records of North American Big Game, 13th Edition features: Listings of nearly 28,000 native North American big

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