Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - November 2011

OUTDOOR NEWS

Big Sky

NOVEMBER 2011

bigskyoutdoornews.net

Tactics For HUNTING The NOVEMBER RUT

Enter Your HUNTING PHOTOS In The GEAR GIVE-AWAY

To Shorten Skills The Distance

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NOVEMBER 2011

NOVEMBER 2011

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NOVEMBER 2011

Skills To

ABSOLUTELY THE EASIEST WAY TO MOVE GAME, PACKS, TRAVERSE ROUGH COUNTRY AND GO AROUND GATES

Shorten The Distance

Continue To Your Favorite Hunting Area Behind The Gate & Carry No Weight

“The Easy Way Out...& Back”

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In rough terrain... terrain ... with a BIG BUCK!

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When hunting big game you can never be too close for the shot. The closer you are the better your odds of an accurate, humane kill.

Learn how to put yourself in the proper position to make every shot count.

BY GREG MERRIAM

C RAWL LIKE A BABY We start out crawling then turn into a OUR CUSTOMERS SAY IT ALL! I have used ‘Neet-Kart’ during the past three Montana hunting seasons.

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semi-mature humanoid that walks erect.

As we mature our body is no longer suited for horizontal, four-legged travel. Our wrists don’t bend without discomfort and our knees don’t function well as back feet when traveling over rocks and thorns.

Our neck gets tired holding our head horizontal and when we get low enough not to be seen it requires military style elbows that can become injured quite easily. As painful as it may be for the aging hunter, crawling is overlooked as a hunting technique that produces close range shots on big game and can even be applied to jump shooting ducks. Getting close means a better chance of making the shot. While stalking a herd of 60 elk in Wyoming I couldn’t hide from 120 eyes so I crawled to 100 yards then shot both a bull and cow. Both tags were filled as the elk walked in closer for a better look at a creature they had never seen before.

BRIMMED HAT To crawl effectively certain equipment will make the journey successful. A hat with a brim hides your shiny pink face.

Your goal as you crawl is to resemble a coyote. This confuses prey animals. A single coyote watching a herd of deer, antelope or elk is not a threat, just something to watch. When cover is sparse there is no question your quarry will see you so your best defense is to become a non-threatening enemy. If they are watching as you crawl within range at 100-200 yards for a clean prone shot, who cares? If you carry a camouflage facemask, like archers and turkey hunters, use it. The whole idea is to hide your face.

KNEEPADS Thorns and rocks hurt. Kneepads solve the problem. The construction type works better than ones skateboarders use as they allow you to crawl and not just provide physical protection.

ELBOW PADS Don’t forget your elbows. When available cover runs out, the lower your body is to the ground the better. Crawling on your elbows reduces your profile. Animals

will not panic as they might when you are standing erect. To them you are a low risk danger and they will allow curiosity to get them closer to you. Wear complete camouflage to reduce your profile except when blaze orange is required.

RIFLE WITH A SLING Your rifle must have a sling to provide the ability to pull it tight to your body. The sling must work when crawling on your hands and knees so the rifle and scope don’t touch the ground. This leaves both hands to support your weight.

BIPOD A bipod or shooting sticks that are easily accessible provide a solid shooting position.

After crawling into range you are already prone and a prone body position will provide a rock solid shooting position.

PREPARATION TO SHOOT When in range it is time to act quickly.

When close, your game animal has the chance to determine what you really are and a stray gust (continued next page)

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of wind can ruin your hard work.

Slip the rifle off your shoulder and onto the ground. Staying low flip out the legs on your bipod and your rifle will be solid and ready to shoot.

ANIMAL LOGIC When crawling there are times to go fast and times to go slow. Start with slow and quiet. Once the animals spot you, the timer is ticking. As they try to ascertain what you are pour on the coal, once the lead animal decides you are a threat, their reaction will be to flee. If this happens, and you are in shooting range, lay low, roll out to one side, pull your rifle out, flip down the bipod and take the shot. Practice this maneuver ahead of time because such a move may be all you have to work with in a hunting situation. If the animals are too far out, your only option is to go at them as fast as possible hoping the big buck or bull will run a few yards then stop to see if you really were a threat.

What determines their reactions are a combination of factors ranging from hunting pressure to rut activity and the age and experience of the lead animal. Keep all of these factors in mind as you execute your crawl. Also keep in mind that you are an unknown threat. Many of the animals, besides the leader, can be curious and want to learn what you are. Because of this instinctive curiosity, it is not uncommon for an experienced leader to leave while a few stragglers remain for a short time to gain more understanding of a threat I have crawled over a flat plain with so little cover a grasshopper standing on his hind legs would be spotted. I knew all eyes were on me but the buck I wanted was at the opposite end of the herd. He stood much farther than where I felt comfortable shooting at a small target during a Wyoming crosswind.

One of the fawns walked towards me for a better look and I was surprised when the rest of the herd followed. The ultimate surprise came when I took the shot because the fawn was only 50 feet away. I was afraid he would spook at any minute and the herd would disappear in a cloud of dust. At my shot the buck that was originally at 400-yards provided me a standing shot at 187 yards. Following the curious fawn led to his demise.

DETERMINING THE ROUTE TO TAKE Glass from a distance to see the whole picture, noting where the animals are and the direction they are headed if moving or traveling as they feed. Pay particular attention to wind direction where the game animals are standing and watch for wind swirls. In heavy cover pick a landmark – don’t sneak past them!

The rule of stalking: Not close enough??

Get down and crawl. Game animals are extremely alert to a vertical man animal.

Add the shiny pink face and they flee.

An Online Tool Is One Key To Hunting Access

MFWP

Dale Hislop, Calgary Canada, and his bighorn ram hunt

M ontana’s some 23,000 landowners own nearly 60 million acres of private land, much of it with excellent hunting. The only catch is gaining the landowner’s permission to hunt. Montana law requires hunters to obtain landowner permission to hunt on all private property, regardless of whether the land is posted or not.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ HunterLandowner Stewardship Project is an online tool hunters can use to prepare for that inevitable meeting with those who own or manage properties they would like to hunt. It offers an interesting, interactive format and content that will help hunters and landowners rediscover shared concerns and common interests.

Some landowners are so sold on the project they have asked FWP for signs to post on their property to show they support the Hunter-Landowner Stewardship Project.

Landowners say the program’s focus on responsible hunter behavior and positive hunter-landowner relations is just what is needed.

“Hunters who take the course and earn the Hunter-Landowner Stewardship Project certificate are making an extra effort to be informed about issues that matter to landowners and that could impact the relationship between a hunter and a landowner,” said Alan Charles, FWP’s coordinator of hunter/landowner relations, who helped develop the content.

One nonresident hunter, Dale Hislop of Alberta Canada, described his participation in the program as a natural extension of his commitment to hunting in Montana and the personal relationships he’s formed.

“Landowners have multiple concerns that hunters need to be aware of,” Charles said.

“Some are relatively new--like noxious weeds being spread, increased fire danger, acres of beetle killed trees, while others are more traditional problems like damage to roads, gates left open and livestock management issues.”

The program is designed to help hunters gain awareness of a landowner’s concerns and to help landowners better understand hunters.

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NOVEMBER 2011

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2011 Deer Hunting Outlook

MFWP

M

ontana’s mule deer populations are generally at or below long-term averages across the state, especially in the eastern half of the state where the winter was particularly severe. White-tailed deer numbers are generally better, with good numbers in many locations except for areas in central Montana where deer experienced an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease late this summer.

FWP surveys show mule deer experienced major population decreases in northeastern Montana in FWP Region 6, especially in hunting districts 611, 630, 652, and 670.

In those districts, antlerless mule deer “B” licenses were reduced by more than 90 percent below last year’s levels in some cases. In southeastern Montana around the Miles City area, mule deer populations are below the long-term average, though white-tailed deer populations are above the long-term average.

“If the weather cooperates this fall, deer hunters overall will likely experience average hunting conditions at best,” Kujala said. “The dips in deer numbers experienced in some areas due to weather-related winter losses and reduced fawn production will take some time to climb out of.”

For more on deer hunting, please check the 2011 deer, elk and antelope hunting regulations available on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov.

Here is a regional look at Montana’s deer populations: FWP Region 1—Northwestern Montana near Kalispell: Hunting forecasts are pretty similar to last year in northwestern Montana. Following last year’s long and snowy winter, hunting seasons remain in a conservative package for deer. Age structure for bucks remains good so hunters should have opportunities to take older aged animals again this year. Hunting access is good in Region 1 but the habitats are densely forested and relatively steep so hunters should plan accordingly. FWP Region 1 surveys show 30 white-tailed fawns per 100 adults and a population on the rise. The mule deer population is stable with 31 fawns per 100 adults.

FWP Region 2—Western Montana near Missoula: Mule deer numbers in the Missoula vicinity are similar to the low levels that occurred in the early 2000s. White-tailed deer populations recruited a good fawn crop, despite the long winter, and white-tailed deer numbers show early signs of an upward trend in scattered locations across the region. Hunters may see a number of young bucks in many places this fall. (continued on page 35)

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NOVEMBER 2011

RMEF Reaches 6 Millionth Acre T he Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has recorded its 6 millionth acre of habitat protected or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

How much is 6 million acres?

•9,375 square miles •Larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined •Larger than 12 Great Smoky Mountains National Parks, or six Glacier National Parks •Lined up end to end, 6 million square acres would wrap around Earth’s equator 9-1/2 times •33 acres per RMEF member •Average impact of 608 acres per day throughout RMEF’s 27-year history “Six million acres is an amazing amount of conservation success in a relatively short amount of time,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Of course, it wouldn’t have happened without money, time and talent. That’s where our partners, volunteers, members, supporters and banquet attendees come in, and this is a significant milestone we can all celebrate together.”

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The 6 million-acre total includes 1 million acres of permanent land protection projects. Examples include RMEF land acquisitions transferred to state or federal management agencies to secure habitat and public access in perpetuity. Also included is 5 million acres of habitat stewardship projects, such as prescribe burning, forest thinning and management, weed control, water improvement and many other projects, mostly on public lands.

The official 6 millionth acre recorded was part of an RMEF-funded 560-acre prescribed burn at Devil’s Canyon on BLM lands near Cody, Wyo. Devil’s Canyon happens to represent several elements of RMEF mission. In 1998, when Devil’s Canyon Ranch owners closed a road crossing their property—the only road accessing 20,000 acres of public land beyond—RMEF joined with partners to purchase the 11,179-acre ranch and reopen access for public recreation including hunting. RMEF contributed to the acquisition then, and today continues to help enhance the area’s habitat through prescribed burns, forest thinning, invasive weed treatments and more.

The mission of RMEF is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat.

2011 Elk Hunting Outlook MFWP while increasing the odds of getting some fall snow to move elk to lower elevations M ontana’s elk hunters should where hunters can more easily track them.” experience some good hunting this year, especially in parts of western and central Montana, according to Quentin Kujala, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife section chief. FWP biologists annually survey the state’s elk populations post hunting season and again in spring after elk calves are born.

“Elk numbers continue to be up in many portions of the state, especially in parts of western and central Montana,” said Quentin Kujala, FWP fish and wildlife division wildlife section chief. “Recent winters have been long and cold, but not rough enough to affect elk populations in general.”

In other areas with grizzly bear and wolves and high predator to prey ratios, including the Northern Yellowstone, Gallatin Canyon, Bitterroot, Blackfoot and Madison-Firehole areas, elk numbers have declined. Areas with lower predator to prey ratios continue to host stable or growing elk populations.

“Hunters are going to see liberal hunting opportunities in parts of western and central Montana with the exception of some isolated areas. If the weather works in hunters’ favor, and they do some advance work to gain access where it’s needed, we should see a good harvest,” Kujala said.

“Good year-round precipitation in the past two years has worked in elk hunters’ favor,” Kujala said. “The abundant grass and vegetation increases growth and promotes over winter survival of elk--

Hunters may obtain a free Hunting Access guide from the FWP region where they plan to hunt and use FWP’s hunter tool kit on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov, on the hunter access page.

Here is an overview of 2011 elk hunting opportunities in the state.

FWP Regions 1 & 2—Western Montana near Kalispell and Missoula: Hunting forecasts are pretty similar to last year in northwestern Montana. Following last year’s long and snowy winter, hunting seasons remain conservative for elk. Age structure for bulls remains good, so hunters should have opportunities to take older aged animals again this year. Hunting access is also good in FWP Region 1, but the habitats are densely forested and relatively steep so hunters should plan accordingly. FWP Region 1 elk surveys show 16 calves per 100 cows, for a stable but possibly declining population.

In FWP Region 2, biologists observed an increase in elk numbers between Missoula and Butte in the spring aerial surveys, and numbers in some of these hunting districts are at record highs. Elk numbers remain below objective west of Missoula, and in parts of the Bitterroot and Blackfoot drainages. It has been an excellent summer for physical and antler growth, and a continued wet weather pattern (continued on page 24)

NOVEMBER 2011

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Pope and Young Club Announces 3 New World’s Records Pope and Young Club

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3 Elk Shot And Abandoned MFWP

Three new World’s Records were officially recognized during the Pope and Young Club’s 27th Biennial Convention and Awards Banquet in Rochester, Minnesota, this spring.

U p to $1,000 reward offered for information about the person or persons responsible for the recent shooting and abandoning of 3 elk in HD 339 on the Canyon Creek Block Management area.

Species: Score: Location: Bowhunter: Year:

Non-typical Coues’ Deer 127-1/8 Gila County, Arizona Nathan LaCost 2008

This Coues’ deer (the small subspecies of whitetail deer found in the arid southwest—Arizona, western New Mexico and northern Mexico) bested a World’s Record that had stood since 1989.

Species: Score: Location: Bowhunter: Year:

Typical Mule Deer 205-0/8 Hermosillo, Mexico George Harms 2009

This gigantic mule deer exceeded the previous world’s record that had stood since 1979 (a mule deer from Colorado).

Species: Score: Location: Bowhunter: Year:

Alaska-Yukon Moose 249-1/8 Earn Lake, Yukon Real Langlois 2008

Like the other two, this new World’s Record exceeded one that had stood for a long time. In fact, many believed the 248 0/8 bull that Michael Cusack shot in 1973 would stand as the world’s record Alaska-Yukon moose forever.

If you have information about this incident please call 1-800-TIPMONT You can remain anonymous!

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Up to $1,000 REWARD

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NOVEMBER 2011

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SCOUTING PAYS OFF

By S. L. Merriam

Don Carns took advantage of good scouting by his guide and connected with this 150-class buck on the first morning of his hunt.

D on Carns spent the last day of October flying from Montana to Canada, and then driving three and a half hours to Pierceland, Saskatchewan, where he would hunt with Northern Pine Outfitters.

Pierceland’s remote location is far enough removed from major population centers to allow for amazingly low hunting pressure, which can be non-existent in many regions.

As Don got closer to camp it became obvious why there were so many whitetail deer; there was good summer range and winter cover everywhere he looked. The agricultural crops on the flat ground provided food and there was abundant water from small streams and creeks. It really is a deer haven.

After checking in with Leona Kohl, the lady who runs the outfitting business, Don met his guide, Gordy, a native Canadian who is extremely knowledgeable about the land and the deer. Many years ago Leona’s husband Hans, started the outfitting business, building it into a solid operation based on hard work and honesty. With Hans untimely passing in 1999, Leona decided to share the business responsibility with Gordon Stacey. Gordon worked with Hans for a decade as head guide and knows the operation well. He also understands the area’s big game and where the animals can be located.

Gordy wasted no time explaining the game plan for opening morning; there were a number of ladder tree stands in areas that had shown a lot of deer activity the last couple of weeks and he explained to Don the best option was to sit opening morning.

He then suggested a specific stand where Don could cover over 200 yards of pipeline right of way along the four to six foot cut that created an opening through the heavy brush and timber. He explained the does like to feed in the cut as the sun reaches the ground promoting good food growth while they can stay close to escape cover. The bucks come there also, not for the food, but to check the does using the area.

Gordy offered, “Jump in my pickup, and I will take you near the stand so you can

see the area in the daylight.” Even though Don had just flown to Edmonton, Alberta, then traveled three and a half hours to Pierceland, he was eager to see the area he would be hunting opening day. Don quickly replied, “Sounds good. I’ll get my binoculars and meet you at the truck.”

It was early afternoon, and even though they saw few deer, there were tracks everywhere in the two-day old snow.

Gordy went to the place where he parked his truck well away from the stand then walked a quarter mile to a hill top where he explained, “Instead of going in there today, we will check from this hill and you will be able to see both the parking area and your stand. This way we are not tramping around leaving human scent.”

Don could see the ladder stand attached to a tree and even from this distance they could see deer near the stand and feeding along the right of way. Most of the deer looked like does along with a small buck or two but that was enough to get Don wound up meaning he wouldn’t sleep well the first night. His mind would be occupied counting deer instead of sheep.

It was still dark the next morning as he parked his rental car and got his gear ready. Up to this point the adrenalin rush of the first morning’s excitement had kept him warm. Now he noticed it was darn cold, probably about 10-degrees. He thought to himself, the colder the better, the deer will have to feed more and that will make them move. With the approaching rut, the increased movement would improve the odds of seeing a big buck.

The quarter mile walk in the darkness gave Don time to warm up and get acclimated to the cold and during the walk he spooked a few deer from the cut line. Once he climbed into the stand he organized his gear to hang on broken tree limbs left there for just that purpose.

When everything was settled he got comfortable and waited for the sun to break through the bare trees and hoped it would send a little warmth his way. The minutes dragged on (continued on page 18)

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NOVEMBER 2011

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Snowmobiling: Continental Divide NST Trail # 9 Bitterroot National Forest, USFS

T he Continental Divide NST trail is 25.0 miles long and occupies a portion of the southeast boundary between the Bitterroot and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests.

It begins at Chief Joseph Pass and ends at Beaverhead-Deerlodge Trail # 374.

A number of developed trailheads provide access to Trail # 9. Travel along this trail offers views of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness and the picturesque Big Hole Valley. Deer, elk, and other big-game species may also be observed as one makes their way along this pleasant byway.

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The trail is open for the following uses: hiking, horseback riding, motorcycle trail riding, and snowmobiling.

Baker Lake Trail: Hunting

Trail Near Darby

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Baker Lake Trail (234) is relatively

steep, but it is an easy and quick access to Baker Lake. Its primary use is by day hikers and hunters. It is not recommended for stock use. This trail is not well d defined, but the lake can be reached with adequate map reading. Depending on the route one chooses, openings along the trail offer excellent views of Trapper Peak and the Bitterroot Valley.

Trail begins: Forest Road 5634 Contact information: Bitterroot National Forest 6735 West Fork Road Darby, MT 59829 Phone: 406-821-3269 Web: www.fs.fed.us/r1/bitterroot/ Directions: Travel 4 miles south of Darby take the West Fork Road 473 for 7 miles to the Baker Lake Road 363. Go to the fork in the road and take Road 5634 to the end.

Calf Creek Cabin: Lodging Near Groomed Snowmobile Trail Lewis And Clark National Forest, USFS

Looking for a modern frame cabin to stay

in while you fish and recreate in the surrounding Little Belt Mountains? There are nearby hunting, fishing, OHV, and winter recreation opportunities. Calf Creek Cabin was recently renovated and has a modern adjacent vault toilet. There is no electricity, but there are propane lights and a propane cooking stove. There is a hitch rack and stock can be accommodated. The cabin does have electrical outlets, but no electricity. If you have a generator you can hook it up to the cabin. There is no water or refrigerator, but there are propane lights and a propane cook stove. Heating is provided by a wood stove and firewood is provided. Pots and pans and dishes are provided. Visitors should bring their own

bedding, food, toilet paper and water. Rental fee is $40 per night for up to 14 nights year round. Calf Creek Cabin is gated and a key is required to gain access.

Reserve by calling: 1-877-444-6777 Directions: From White Sulphur Springs head east on Highway 12 three miles and turn left (north) on Highway 89. Go approx. 15 miles, and head west (left) and northwest on Road 119 nine miles to the cabin. The last 7 miles of the road is closed from 12/1 through 5/15. It is a designated groomed snowmobile trail.

Travel the last 7 miles must be made by skiing, snowmobiling or walking.

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The Bucks Are Still Out There

You CAN have success hunting late in the season

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Taking a mature buck late in the season, after the rut is over, can be a challenge. The insanity of the rut is gone and older bucks return to the behavior that keeps them alive throughout the year. While it may be challenging, bagging a deer late in the season is not outside the skills of the average hunter with a good attitude.

During the rut, bucks are almost exclusively interested in reproduction, and their behavior is less cautious, more aggressive, and their actions and movements can be predicted and modified to some extent. As the season continues into the post-rut phase, bucks begin to adjust their behavior. The rut is an exhausting and dangerous time for bucks, and post-rut they need to both recover their health and prepare themselves for the coming winter.

One advantage in hunting during the end of the season is that you will often have the woods to yourself. Other hunters have used up their vacation time, the patience of their spouse, their willingness to be out in the cold, or they may just be burned out.

Many bucks will bed down during daylight hours, conserving energy and resting after weeks of extreme exertion and metabolic activity. Bucks injured by fighting also need time to heal, and they will return to behavior that protects them from predators.

By Jeff Davis, Editor, Whitetails Unlimited Photo: © Batonchik | Dreamstime.com

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• 13

Bucks don’t feed or rest normally during the rut, and they now need to recover lost body mass, as well as put on weight to ensure survival during months of cold weather.

Food now replaces reproduction as the primary interest, so it is vital to find out where the deer are feeding. Food that was available during the central part of the season, such as acorns or fruits, may have been exhausted, and the deer will have moved onto food plots, farm fields, or browse areas. Check potential food sources carefully, looking for deer sign. Follow trails and watch for any areas where multiple trails intersect. Try to determine if deer are using the area in the morning, evening, or both. Rubs and scrapes may indicate that there are deer in the area, but late in the season the marks are not normally visited or freshened.

Recent snow cover can be a boon in determining where deer are located, and

when they are moving. Feeding and bedding areas will be readily identifiable.

Get out as soon as you can after a snowfall and look for recent tracks, and then get out again after each sunrise and sunset. You’ll be able to see new tracks as they are added each feeding cycle, and it will be easier to determine prime locations for a stand or blind. If possible, place your stand or blind a day or two before you actually use it to hunt. This can allow the area to “settle,” and the presence of the blind to be accepted into the local environment.

While you need to alter your tactics, don’t be afraid to try what worked during the rut.

The hormone levels in bucks returns to normal levels, but they don’t shut off, and not every doe successfully breeds during the normal rutting season. Rattling, grunting, and doe scent can sometimes be effective post-rut, but the reaction in bucks will be less dramatic than earlier in the season.

A final key to successful late-season hunting is to make sure you are comfortable while in the woods. If you are shivering, wet, miserable and thinking only about your cold feet, you will not be an effective hunter. Dress properly for the coldest weather conditions expected, and then dress in layers so you can adjust your clothing and not get overheated. Ensure that you have an appropriate hat, gloves or shooting mittens, and footwear. You must be able to be comfortable in strong winds, or rain, sleet, or snow, or if the weather changes quickly. Some hunters spray their feet with antiperspirant deodorant to keep them dry inside their boots. Take a closedcell foam pad or something insulated and waterproof to sit on, and pick up some of the oxidizing hand warmers to use in a pocket or your boots (several brands have smaller versions designed specifically to keep toes warm). When you get home, make sure you hang your gear to dry thoroughly, especially your footwear.

The time for hunting isn’t over until the season actually ends. Persistence is the key to taking late-season bucks. Deer hunters are successful every day of the season, and the more time you are in the woods the better your chances are. You just need to locate the active feeding areas, determine the deer’s travel patterns, dress properly, and get into the woods.

14 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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NOVEMBER 2011

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

The Steelhead Fishing Is Hot On The Clearwater in Idaho

photo courtesy Idaho Fish & Game

November is a favorite month for

many hard-core anglers here in Montana. With weather normally below freezing in the morning, and either snow or rain intermixed with a little sun from time-to-time. It can be a challenge some days to fish, but when you consider that you will probably have most of the river to yourself, and the fishing can be incredible, it’s worth the time you invest for that trophy fish.

Late fall fishing can be some of the best of the year. November sometimes seems a bit of a fishing no man’s land, but don’t be fooled. Bait can still be used through the end of the month on rivers and trout will be susceptible to a drifting crawler, or try plunking some garden hackle to the bottom of your favorite fishing hole. Fly fishing should be exceptional until the first arctic front moves into the state and shuts things down on top of the water for awhile.

Water levels are still in fine shape and fishing will be strong throughout the month. For those of you impatiently waiting for frigid temps and ice on the water, you don’t have much longer to wait. Until then, here’s a few choice areas to fish.

FLATHEAD LAKE

Let’s start with a trip to the Flathead in November, as some of the best fishing of the year will happen for Macs and whitefish. Lake trout are routinely

patrolling shallow water along shorelines with deep drop-offs. Cast heavy spoons like Country Miles and Krocodiles from the boat towards shore and you should stay busy catching the trout. If you get into a school of lake trout, park the boat over the top of them and drop down a large jigging spoon tipped with cut bait and the fish will respond. Trolling with Kwikfish, Flatfish and Hoochies will be productive, and will generally catch larger fish. The whitefish will begin schooling up at the river inlet to prepare for spawning. The fishing can be red hot when this happens, especially in Polson Bay. It’s very similar to summer whitefish season except that the fish are in more shallow water now. Jigging small spoons, grubs, and whitefish fly rigs with maggots will produce fish. Fall Mack Days goes through November 13th, and it always good fishing and a fun event. For information visit www.mackdays.com

GEORGETOWN LAKE

Georgetown Lake is another sound choice for fishing in the late fall before the ice starts to form on the shoreline.

The weeds that plagued us all summer have started to recede, and the fishing will be good as a result. Hungry fish will be ready to bite. Trolling Wedding Rings, Triple Teasers and Rapalas will produce big fish and work well for both salmon and trout. Fishing a nightcrawler

just over the tops of weeds that are left should produce some healthy rainbows.

Fly anglers should strip leech and bugger patterns around the pump house, where big trout are often found this time of the year dining on eggs. Your chances of catching a trophy brook trout fully dressed in their brightly colored spawning regalia is also good. Things can change fast at Georgetown, so be prepared for snow, wind and rain here this month. The cool temps will produce ice on sooner rather than later, but until that happens enjoy the breathtaking scenery and good fishing this lake has to offer.

ROCK CREEK

Most of the traffic around Rock Creek in November will be hunters looking to fill their freezer. You’ll never have the river more to yourself than right now on Rock Creek. Brown trout have been spawning and the rivers resident trout are very susceptible to an orange egg drifting through their feeding window. Drop your egg beneath a small Stonefly nymph or San Juan worm and the fish should strike. Gear fishers can pick up fish using lures colored with golds, yellows and orange colors. Slow your retrieve down a bit on these cooler water temps and you’ll be dragging some fish to the shore.

BITTERROOT RIVER Look for the Bitterroot to fish well all month. With the busy summertime fishing behind us and the slower moving water primed with big, hungry fish getting preparing for winter, now is the time to be fishing the Bitterroot.

Good hatches of Mahogany Duns and BWO’s will persist until the weather really turns cold. Nymphing the bacon and egg combo (San Juan Worm and Glo Bug), is a proven combo for reeling in the fish here, as it targets fish feeding on brown trout eggs. Brown trout will be susceptible to brown and yellow or ginger colored streamers. Gear fishing will be productive with Rapalas and slowing spinners and spoons until the water gets too cold.

GALLATIN RIVER Strong BWO activity is the word for the Gallatin river. Cool temps and cloudy days will produce good fishing numbers. Keep soft hackles in mind when fishing all these area streams in the fall. It’s a fun way to fish in the fall.

For stream selection, go to traditional buggers, Matuka’s, etc. Try large articulated patterns this will weed out the smaller fish and find the big rainbows you are looking for.

BIG HOLE RIVER

Late season emergences remain strong here. BWO’s and October Caddis kept it busy in October. BWO and midge activity will represent most of the surface activity this month. Streamer activity is always outstanding on the Big Hole and the water is set up for some fantastic fishing in November.

YELLOWSTONE RIVER Streamer heaven here. Fishing has been astonishing throughout October and should continue. Cloud cover with BWO emergences have been strong. Nymphing will work well here.

As we enter post spawn, egg patterns and San Juan worms should be in your fly box. Look for fish to continue to chase streamers here throughout November.

UPPER MADISON RIVER

Look for Blue Winged Olive and midge emergences to continue to be strong in the wade section. Concentrate on pockets behind rocks and slower currents with some depth near shore.

These emergences can be excellent most days from mid-day to late afternoon. The BWO’s will be partial to cloud cover or even a little snow or rain. Under the right conditions, the Baetis activity will seem to bring every trout to the surface. Subsurface nymphing will be good with Stones, Baetis

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imitations, and midge pupae. San Juan worms and egg patterns will become a staple as well, and will remain so throughout the fall. Streamer activity will remain strong until water temps cool too much. Try a dead drift presentation when it cools down.

HAUSER LAKE Reports have been that Hauser has picked up for walleye and should remain good throughout November.

Pull bottom bouncers with a worm harness or a floating crank bait and slowing it down a bit will produce fish.

Trout fishing will be good as well. Try fishing down by the Causeway, keeping it simple with a slip bobber and a crawler should attract the trout. Also try floating a jib head 18” from your weight tipped with a crawler as well and you may pick up walleye and trout both. Try similar action around Black Sandy and White Sandy areas.

HOLTER LAKE The walleye and trout fishing has been good here for the most part all year, and should continue into late fall. Fish will be on the move as water temps begin to dip below the 60 degree mark. Jigs tipped with a nightcrawler are effective here. 15-40 feet of water should be the target depth. Trout fishing should pick up as the fish will want to fatten up for the winter. Browns are spawning and fishing for them will begin to tail off as they return to deeper water.

Below the Dam, crank baits and spoons have been producing good numbers of walleye and trout. Try using trout colored patterns and Countdowns from Rapala. Fish the shallow bays where the fish are, in around 15 feet for walleyes.

CANYONFERRYRESERVOIR Trout will be moving into more shallow water as the water temps drop during the month. Try pulling crank baits along ridges and drop-offs off shore.

The walleye should be in around 40 to

50 feet on the north end of the reservoir.

Try bottom bouncers on the South end of the reservoir in more shallow water.

10 to 20 feet should pick up some walleye. Reports have been a slower than normal fishing season on Canyon Ferry. Catch limits being put into place should help populations bounce back in the future. Big water should produce big fish and lots of them.

MISSOURI RIVER Caddis and tricos have been producing hatches early this year and will begin to settle as cooler temps set in. Move toward nymph fishing off the edge of slow water where the fish are hanging for an easy meal. Pheasant Tail, Copper Johns, Birdsnest, and Ice Cream Cones have been effective here picking up rainbows in around 3 to 6 feet of water. Streamers and buggers are working well in the faster water.

Look for bigger fish in the deeper holes along shorelines and be patient as the fish are sure to be active now. The river is in great shape right now, with a lot less pressure. It will be a pleasure to fish this month.

“Most everyone is focused on the hunting in November and that is good if you’re looking to fish your favorite area around Fort Peck in the late fall,” reports Mary Beth Kibler from Kibler Outfitting & Charter Fishing (406-557-2503).

BASS FISHING WITH KIBLER OUTFITTING & CHARTER FISHING

FORT PECK RESERVOIR October was the month for northern pike. “You can almost anchor up and watch ‘em jump in the boat,” says Clint Thomas of Hell Creek Marina near Jordan. Cranks, spoons or a spinner with some orange and silver have been working well for northerns.

Target the weed beds in early November along shorelines. Smallmouth bass should continue to hit as well, depending on the weather here this month. As cooler temps set in and the water temperature gets to the mid 50’s look for the lake trout bite to pick up, pulling crank baits in around 20 to 25 feet of water. The walleye will go deep and become elusive until the reservoir ices over this winter. It will slow down a bit for northerns, but the chances of catching a big one are still good.

Idaho’s Clearwater River With near record numbers of steelhead pouring over the Dams in Idaho this year, this month will be outstanding on the Clearwater. November is generally the peak month of the fall season to catch big steelhead here, and this is shaping up to be another banner year on the river.

Photo courtesy Travis DeBoer Guerilla Guide Service

Most of the fish being caught will be in the lower system from Orofino downstream. The last few weeks have been good fishing and with the cooler weather and a bit of rain in the area, the fish have really turned on. A variety of techniques will work on the Clearwater. Mostly pulling plugs from a boat, drifting corkies and roe, or bobber and jig fishing are the most popular ways to land fish. Fly fishing has been good too.

Traditional wets or leeches using sink tips as the weather gets colder will do the job. As the weather gets cooler, the fishing will pick-up with lots of big steelhead in the system.

It’s going to be worth the trip to fish Idaho this year.

Enter the Gear Give-away with your fishing photo. Details page 22.

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Third Times A Charm! Paddlefishing the Missouri

By Dennis Longknife

O n May 15, I wanted to go paddlefishing down on the Missouri River. I wanted to leave early that day, but just found out that my daughter was getting an award from her school that morning, so I prolonged my date with destiny. I went to her award ceremony and watched as she got three awards, one for attendance, one for track, and one for music class. After the awards got over at 11 a.m., I was on my way to go paddlefishing.

I finally arrived at Fred Robinson Bridge, but my hopes were quickly dashed as I saw that the bank was full of fisherman. So I turned around and went down river about 5 miles to another fishing hole called “Slippery Ann.” I saw that there was a bank full of fisherman there too, but I decided to stay there and give it a try. It was 12 noon, so I parked and restrung my paddlefish pole with heavier line. The line I had on would be fine for catching a 20-40 pound paddlefish, but I wanted to be on the safe side, so I put on 40 pound line.

At the edge of the bank there were about a dozen fisherman from Eureka, Lewistown, Bozeman, and Wyoming, who were all sitting or standing on the bank taking turns throwing out their lines. Although I was by myself, I was greeted by the other fisherman around. So I stood around and talked to

them about how the day was going. “A few paddlefish have already been caught this morning!” one guy said. So I went through the willows and talked to another fisherman, and he said, “Caught an 80 pounder last night here! They got two more on a rope down below.”

Armed with this information, I went back to the spot where all of the fisherman were sitting around, and waited for my turn to throw a few. After about half an hour a few guys got tired, so a guy from Eureka and I started throwing out our lines. After about 15 minutes, the guy from Eureka hooked onto one. He was right next to me on my left, so I didn’t have to get out of his way as he was being pulled downriver by the paddlefish. (continued on page 22)

tudents of history find that brand new ideas are really quite rare.

Rather, many new developments are just new additions to old ideas or just old ideas re-cycled. Fly patterns are no exception. Moreover, when certain fly pattern styles turn up again and again, it generally means that the look or the behavior of a group of insects is being especially well-imitated. Perhaps there has been no idea in fly pattern design as enduring as the soft hackle wet fly.

Obviously while this history is interesting to many, the key question may be why are these simple patterns are so enduring and effective.

Basically, Leisenring and his predecessors recognized that trout like to feed on insects that are in the transition stage from nymph form to adult form, sometimes called emergers. These insect forms do not have wings, leading to the idea of a wet fly without wings, but with legs fully apparent. If these legs are imitated by soft hackle, they move in a natural, enticing way, capturing the quivering natural pattern that makes this fly so effective. There are many specific patterns that belong to the soft-hackle family. The oldest are flies like the Partridge and Green or Partridge and Orange, with other colors used to imitate different species of insects. Other popular flies of the soft-hackle style include The Breadcrust, Carey Special, Tup’s Indispensable, Starling Herl, and others. These kinds of flies are thought by some to imitate caddis emergers (Dave Hughes), but other authors report using them very successfully in the early stages of mayfly hatches (Gary Borger). No matter what insects the soft-hackle patterns are supposed to imitate, they are found in the fly boxes of many expert trout anglers.

MATERIALS: Hook: Sizes 10-18, Mustad 9671, Tiemco 200, 5262 Thread: Color to match body color Body: Floss or fur in olive, green, orange, yellow or brown Thorax: Optional fur dubbing Legs: Soft fibered feathers from a gray or brown partridge, grouse, hen TYING STEPS: 1. Lay down a layer of thread back 1/3 the distance from the eye to the end of the hook.

Tie in floss (about 5-7 strands, depending on thickness of body desired) and wrap forward to tie in point. Carry out similar construction with dubbing with body extending from bend of the hook to tie in point.

2. Add thorax, extending over first third of floss body. If the body is constructed from dubbing rather than floss, the thorax can simply be an increased concentration of dubbing in from the tie in point back 1/3 the distance toward the bend of the hook.

3. Select a large feather with fibers that extend in length from just beyond the eye to the bend of the hook. Some of the soft-hackle flies use shorter or longer fibers, depending upon what you find most effective. A standard soft-hackle would extend about one-half the distance from the back end of the body to the bend.

4. Fold the fibers from the two sides of the quill so both are at right anglers to that quill.

Pull off those fibers from the quill (another option is to leave the fibers on the quill) with a quantity necessary to give the desired density of hackle.

5. Lay the fibers on one side of the hook and begin to tie them down, slowly distributing the fibers around the hook at the same time. The key to this “distribution wrap” is to keep the tension on the thread fairly low. Apply a second wrap to secure the fibers, pushing the fibers so they are as evenly distributed as possible. Stroke the fibers back toward the hook bend after each thread wrap.

6. Clip the butt ends of the fibers, whip finish and apply head cement. Go fishing.

NOVEMBER 2011

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Hi-Country Snack Foods Offers Free Instructional Videos On Their Website For The Do-It-Yourselfer

By Mark Ward All of the instructional videos were produced right at the plant in Lincoln.

W ith the general deer and elk rifle hunting season now underway, successful hunters will be looking for ways to prepare the big game meat they harvest.

Steaks are great. Burger is versatile.

But there’s nothing like the allure of wild game sausage to perk up your taste buds.

With that in mind, I recently came across the web site of Hi-Country Snack Foods, Inc., a Lincoln, Montana, company that has provided sportsmen with homemade jerky and sausage products and expertise since 1976. The site address is: www.hicountry.com.

What is unique about Hi-Country’s web site isn’t just the jerky and sausage-making products that they provide. It’s the instructional video clips the company has recently added to its site that tell you how to use their spice, seasonings and brine kits.

These online instructional video clips are perfect for the novice who has always wanted to make his or her own jerky or sausage, but didn’t know where to begin.

The free video clips range from one minute to 14 minutes in length, depending on the procedure being explained.

“It was a lot of fun to put these video clips together. Our hope is that folks will get pleasure out of making their own product and sharing it with their friends,” Johnson said.

Some of the categories that the how-to videos cover include jerky making, game bird jerky making, fresh ground sausage, dinner style sausage, sandwich/snack style sausage, smoked fish, smoked game bird and how to setup your smoker.

Hi Country products including spices and brines and casings are also available for sale on their web site but you may also purchase their product at many retail sporting goods, grocery or convenience stores.

“We are proud to be a Montana company and we are even more proud that we have built a business that now employs over 30 people here in the Lincoln Valley,” Johnson said.

The response so far to the video clips has been excellent. According to Johnson, “Folks tell us that the free online videos helped them along the way and that our custom spices and seasoning products taste great.”

For hunters, it’s another way to turn quality big game meat into quality eating that can be enjoyed all year long.

“With the Internet, we thought it would be an ideal way to explain to folks who always wanted to do their own snacks whether it be sausage, jerky or smoking a batch of fish, ” said Jim Johnson, the founder of Hi-Country.

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

“The videos are a collection of knowledge and tips that we have gathered over last 30-some years as we have been producing our products for people.”

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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Scouting Pays Off (continued from page 11)

With binoculars in hand and the rifle across his lap he counted twenty deer spread across the opening. Their heads were down as they ate and they were unaware of his presence but as long as they kept their heads down, Don couldn’t be certain which of the more distant deer had antlers. He vowed he wasn’t going to shoot the first buck he saw.

His calm was interrupted when noise in the brush below him sounded like something fighting with a tree. He couldn’t locate the source of the noise but guessed it to be just twenty yards into the timber. Then, as the noise moved away, Don could see parts of a deer moving along the edge of the timber.

The thick cover prevented him from seeing the whole deer and when he finally saw antlers he realized it was a good buck but there was no shot, as the buck was moving farther away.

Looking down the cut line Don found a small clearing the buck would have to cross if he stayed inside the edge of the timber. He held the scope on his 7mm Magnum on the area, and waited. When the buck’s head became

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as he checked and double-checked his equipment while waiting for dawn. Once the orange glow began to light up the sky he could see to the west but not the east as the brilliant sunrise created a big orange floodlight shining directly into his eyes. As the light filled the cut line there were numerous deer moving and as visibility improved, so did the deer count. “There were deer everywhere!”

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visible he saw it carried a very nice set of antlers. Don squeezed off a shot just as the front shoulder came into the opening. After the shot he continued to hear the deer moving but could only see brown and didn’t know what part of the deer was visible. When the buck passed between two spruce trees with no low branches he could see the deer had been hit in the shoulder and quickly fired another shot, hoping not to hit a tree. The deer jumped about 10-feet then the movement stopped.

Don collected his thoughts, realizing if the buck did move, he was in a good position for a third shot. The shots had spooked the other deer and they were now running in every direction. He counted 25 different bucks and didn’t even try counting the does. As things calmed down Don began to question himself, “Did I shoot too soon? I vowed not to shoot the first buck I saw.” There were numerous bucks visible during the last few minutes but none as big as the one he had down so he felt he made the right choice.

As Don looked around he could see Gordy on the far hill glassing his tree. Soon after Gordy’s truck arrived at Don’s car and he walked up the cut line. When close he asked, “How was it?” All Don could say was, “ There were deer everywhere.” Don collected his gear, climbed down, and walked to where the huge 150-class Canadian whitetail lay.

After arriving at the house, Leona came out to see the big buck and asked, “How was it?”

Don replied, “There were deer everywhere!”

consider the ultimate interaction with the natural world--hunting. For many hunters, it’s a time for sharing long-established traditions with family members and friends.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and target shooting industry, notes that hunting seasons will be open for small game, big game and bird hunting across the nation. Those who are successful in their hunts will stock their freezers with nutritious, locally obtained meat. Many also will share their bounty with food pantries to provide meals to the less fortunate.

With the list below, NSSF offers a reminder of how to maintain your hunting traditions and, for newcomers and inactive hunters, how to establish or re-establish them this hunting season.

Go hunting! It’s sounds simple, but the activity itself, whether you successfully take game or not, is a senses-heightening, fulfilling experience.

Share your hunting experience with friends and family members--whether afield, in hunting camp or by introducing a newcomer to hunting at, for example, a gamebird preserve, or by being a mentored for an apprentice hunter. (Find a gamebird preserve at www.wingshootingusa.org and learn about Families Afield/mentored hunting at www.familiesafield.org.)

Share a game meal at your table. This is one of hunters’ oldest and most favorite traditions, made sumptuous because the harvest and hunt coincide at this time of year. Today many people are making an effort to use sustainable, locally acquired foods--something hunters have practiced for a long, long time.

Tell your hunting stories. Write them down.

Take photographs and videos. Share your stories on social media or with an online photo album. Such records help keep your traditions alive.

or alternatives that use steel, copper or other metals. Understand that some extreme groups want to ban traditional ammunition but that science does not support such a drastic measure. Also, remind fellow hunters that eating game taken with traditional ammunition does not pose a health risk, as confirmed by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.

Remind others that wildlife conservation is funded through the sale of hunting licenses and excise taxes paid on firearms and ammunition, a tax that hunters supported and Congress approved in 1937. Through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act $6.8 billion has been collected for conservation.

Use the firearm of your choice as long as it meets your state’s hunting regulations.

These days more hunters, particularly younger hunters, are using modern sporting rifles--rifles based on the AR platform. If you prefer a wood-stocked, bolt-action rifle, that’s understandable, but NSSF encourages you to support the choice of firearm made by others. Modern sporting rifles may not look like “Old Betsy,” but after many hunting seasons, such firearms will carry the same meaning for someone as the “Old Betsy” that was passed on to you.

Set an example for ethical behavior. Before hunting, review your state’s hunting regulations; during your hunt, practice good sportsmanship. The public overwhelmingly supports hunting, but unsportsmanlike behavior by even a few hunters can tarnish the reputation of hunting in general.

Practice safety in the field, when traveling with firearms and when storing them at home. Practice the four firearm safety rules: Treat every gun as if it were loaded. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to take your shot. Know your target and what lies beyond it.

You may have other traditions to honor.

NOVEMBER 2011

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Montana Vs. Idaho: Reviewing Predator Laws State Vs. State Getting To The

By Rick Haggerty, Editor

For two states that are so similar in geographics and species that inhabit each state, why is there so much of a difference in game

Business Of Pheasant Hunting

laws when it comes to predator control and how each state chooses to manage their predators?

Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever

Mountain lions, wolves, coyotes and bears each are a different type of predator with different feeding habits as well, but when it comes down to it, they all love to prey on deer and elk and have a dramatic impact on the fawn and calf survival numbers each and every season.

M any hunters will be hitting the fields during upcoming weekends and vacation time.

With the gray wolf getting all of the publicity, as they should, the mountain lion, bear and coyote numbers seem to go by with no changes on harvest levels each year, and the tactics we here in Montana are able to use to better manage these cagey predators. After looking at Idaho’s agenda on how hunters are able to hunt predators, I was amazed at the difference in laws and wondered, “Why so much difference?”

Here’s a peek at them: MONTANA Limited permit draw excludes non-residents Application deadline August 31st Hunter orange required Limit 1 lion per year $50 penalty fee for kill Non-resident tag $350

LIONS

IDAHO Over the counter tags bought anytime Deer/elk tags okay during general season No hunter orange required 2 lions per hunter 3 if deer/elk tag used No kill fees Non-resident tag $31.75 @seread Dreamstime.com

Bear ID test required Hunter orange required Purchase of tags prior to season No dogs No baiting 1 tag per year Spring season closure June 15th Non-resident fee $350

BEARS

@Mirceax, Dreamstime.com

Quota on harvest No trapping allowed No baiting allowed No snaring allowed No electronic calls 1 tag per year General season 10-22 through 12-31 Hunter orange required Non-resident fee $350

WOLVES

No bear test required No hunter orange required Over the counter tags bought anytime Dogs allowed Baiting allowed 3 sites per hunter 2 bears per hunter 3 if deer/elk tag used Spring season closure June 30th Non-resident fee $31.75 Deer/elk tag okay during general season No quota Trapping permitted 11-15 through 3-15-12 Baiting allowed Snaring allowed Electronic calls allowed 5 per year includes trapping General season 8-30 through 6-30 No hunter orange required Non-resident fee $31.75

@Dennis Donohue, Dreamstime.com

See what I mean! With predator attacks on humans on the rise, as we’ve seen here in Montana and Wyoming (continued on page 28)

While thoughts of employment and the city should rightfully be left behind, even with their upland leathers on, hunters can’t escape being key parts of an industry: Pheasant Hunting.

South Dakota, pheasant hunters spend $220 million annually. In Kansas, upland hunting generates more than $120 million in retail sales annual. There’s an economic impact of $186 million from upland bird hunting in Iowa.

In Minnesota, upland bird hunting – relatively equal between pheasants and ruffed grouse – generates roughly $121 million in direct retail sales. Even in species rich Montana, the pheasant is king. Resident bird hunters there spend about $64 each day they hunt and nonresidents drop a whopping $376 each day.

Pheasant hunting is so important to the South Dakota economy that the state’s Tourism Department has an entire ad campaign behind it.

Considering the snapshot above, as well as a new economic study (that says great outdoors and historic preservation generate a conservative estimate of more than $1 trillion in total economic activity and support 9.4 million jobs each year), it isn’t far-fetched to call “Pheasant Hunting” a billion dollar business.

Could this entire pheasant hunting industry (it’s perfectly okay not to think of it like that while you’re clothed in blaze orange) be in jeopardy? With it all dependent upon upland habitat to support it, and the uncertainty surrounding the nation’s biggest habitat creator – the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) – it seems that way.

If you’re supportive of the CRP as a conservation and economic foundation, then visit Pheasants Forever at http://www. pheasantsforever.org to see how you can help.

Then you can get to the real business of pheasant hunting, now, tomorrow and forever.

NOVEMBER 2011

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Hunting And Conservation News Big Sky

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Five-year Survey Shows Wetlands Losses Are Slowing, Marking Conservation Gains & Need For Continued Investment In Habitat USFWS

America’s wetlands declined slightly from

2004-2009, underscoring the need for continued conservation and restoration efforts, according to a report issued today by the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The findings are consistent with the Service’s Status and Trends Wetlands reports from previous decades that reflect a continuous but diminishing decline in wetlands habitat over time.

The report, which represents the most up-to-date, comprehensive assessment of wetland habitats in the United States, documents substantial losses in forested wetlands and coastal wetlands that serve as storm buffers, absorb pollution that would otherwise find its way into the nation’s drinking water, and provide vital habitat for fish, wildlife and plants.

“Wetlands are at a tipping point,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

“While we have made great strides in conserving and restoring wetlands since the 1950s when we were losing an area equal to half the size of Rhode Island each year, we remain on a downward trend that is alarming.

This report, and the threats to places like the Mississippi River Delta, should serve as a call to action to renew our focus on conservation and restoration efforts hand in hand with states, tribes and other partners.”

“This report offers us a road map for stemming and reversing the decline,” said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “It documents a number of successes in wetlands conservation, protection and reestablishment, and will be used to help channel our resources to protect wetlands where they are most threatened and reduce further wetland losses.”

The net wetland loss was estimated to be 62,300 acres between 2004 and 2009, bringing the nation’s total wetlands acreage to just over 110 million acres in the continental United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

The rate of gains from reestablishment of wetlands increased by 17 percent from the previous study period (1998 to 2004), but the wetland loss rate increased 140 percent during the same time period. As a consequence, national wetland losses have outpaced gains.

The net loss includes a combination of gains in certain types of wetlands and losses in other types, especially forested wetlands.

“In a five year period, we lost over 630,000 acres of forested wetlands, mostly in the Southeast – an area equal to half a million football fields each year,” Director Ashe said. “We should all be concerned about the substantial loss of this diminishing resource, which helps ensure good water quality for local communities and provides vital habitat for a diversity of important wildlife species.”

The southeast United States, primarily freshwater wetlands of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plain, and the Lower Mississippi River experienced the greatest losses.

Losses were also observed in the Great Lakes states, the prairie pothole region, and in rapidly developing metropolitan areas nationwide. The reasons for wetland losses are complex and reflect a wide variety of factors, including changes in land use and economic conditions, the impacts of the 2005 hurricane season on the Gulf Coast and climate change impacts.

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Nonresident Elk And Deer Hunting Licenses Available MFWP For the first time in years, a nonresident can buy an elk license online, over the phone or over-thecounter from FWP’s headquarters in Helena

Nonresidents can purchase Montana

deer and elk hunting licenses online, by phone, or over-the-counter in Helena. The licenses, good for antlered deer and elk in most hunting districts, can be used for the general hunting season.

“We have a total of about 1,000 nonresident big game, elk, and deer combination hunting licenses available for this hunting season,” said Hank Worsech, the licensing section chief for MFWP in Helena.

Nonresidents can purchase a combination hunting license online; or they can call FWP directly at 406-444-2950 in Helena to buy a license or to obtain more information.

First-come, first-served nonresident hunting license now available include: Montana’s big game combination license for $907, the elk combination license for $757, and the deer combination license for $537. Montana’s nonresident combination hunting licenses allow one to hunt for deer and/or elk and include season conservation, fishing, and upland game bird licenses; and the hunting-access enhancement fee.

Worsech said the left over licenses might be due to a number of factors, including the passage of a voter initiative last year that increased the prices for Montana’s 2011 nonresident big game and deer combination licenses. Additionally, a new law passed this year by Montana legislators allows unsuccessful applicants for a nonresident special elk permit to retain the deer portion of their big game combination hunting license but return the elk license to FWP. The law resulted in more than 800 elk licenses being returned, and which now remain on sale.

“The national economic recession, the fact that our deer populations in the central and eastern part of the state took a real hit last winter, and the perception that wolves have impacted elk here also might have a role in the dip in nonresident licenses sales this year,” Worsech said. This year, for the first time in years, a nonresident can buy an elk license online, over the phone or over-the-counter from FWP’s headquarters in Helena. Nobody has to apply or wait weeks for drawing results.”

22 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Third Times A Charm! (continued from page 16) 2011 Photo Recognizing The He finally got the fish to stop and pulled After I lost that one, I told the guy next Dominant Gobbler Contest and him in pretty easily. After he got the to me jokingly that, “The Third Time’s National Wild Turkey Federation sh on the bank, we learned it a Charm!” I rested again and got my Gear Give-away paddlefi weighed 55 pounds, and was not even strength back. It was about 4 p.m. and M hooked! The tail was tangled up in his There’s nothing like landing that big

fish, bagging that trophy animal you’ve been stalking or watching the joy on your child’s face on their first hunt. Once again, we are asking readers to share their photos and stories in our Annual Photo Contest and Gear Give-away.

Email your hunting and fishing photos and/or stories to us at bigskyoutdoornews@yahoo.com

by December 15, 2011.

line, and the hooks were hooked on each other. After about 1/2 hour, I finally hooked onto something big. As I was pulling up my line, it came to an abrupt stop and started jerking. Just as it started jerking, it stopped. A fisherman sitting in his chair behind me, said, “Should have set the hook! When you feel one on, set the hook again.” He was right, and next time I remembered that.

I tried for another 15-20 minutes and decided to take a break. When I was eating lunch, a guy that took over the spot You could win a prize from Leupold, Bob Ward & Sons, Trader Brothers, and the where I was fishing, caught onto a paddlefish. All the chairs were empty Hunting Shack courtesy of our sponsors, when he started pulling it in, so I put my Bob Ward & Sons, Cooper Firearms, sandwich down, and ran over there to see Gomer’s US Diesel Parts, Hunting Shack, the fish. It was another 50 pounder.

Les Schwab, Leupold, Mountain States Collision Repair, and Trader Brothers.

By that time, most of the fisherman were leaving; going back to their tents back in Photos and stories submitted become the campground, or going for more beer. the property of Big Sky Outdoor News & There were three of us left, and we had Adventure and will not be returned. the entire river bank to ourselves. I started Some may be published. paddlefishing again, and after about 20-30 minutes, I hooked onto another one. This Don’t wait. Contest ends December 15th. time I set the hook after I felt that he was on, but after reeling him in for about 10 Please thank our sponsors when possible. seconds, I lost him (rolled him).

I was getting tired and my hopes for catching anything that day was quickly approaching. One guy said, “Most people paddlefish for ten years before getting a paddlefish, or some get nothing at all.” I decided to stay and keep trying. About 4:30 I hooked onto another paddlefish, and set the hook again. Immediately my pole started jerking and my reel started spinning.

The paddlefish was taking my line out and heading down river. One guy said, “You better stop him or he will snag you up down below.” I tightened my spool and stopped him, then I had to pump my pole to get him to come toward the bank.

Every pull of my pole I would get about 10-20 yards of him to come to shore. All of the fisherman in their camps came out and were waiting to see how big it was going to be. I wondered too. A friend I met just a few hours ago, helped me pull the fish up the bank. It was weighted at 62 pounds! The same scale used to weight that Catfish that made the state record a few days before. The scale was 2 pounds off so my paddlefish officially weighted 64 pounds. I guess “Third Time is a Charm!”

ost of us would like to shoot the biggest, oldest gobbler on our property. The problem is that it can be hard to tell which gobbler this is until you actually have him in hand.

Fortunately, there are a few clues that may give a turkey hunter an advantage in picking out the dominant tom.

Most of the time, the biggest and/or oldest gobbler is likely to also be the dominant one within a flock. He can often be identified by the way he acts. When watching a small group of gobblers in the spring as they approach a hen or come to your calling, look for the longbeard that does all or most of the strutting. He will be the dominant bird nearly every time.

The other gobblers around the dominant bird will often strut, too, but usually they will not strut as long or as fully fanned. The boss gobbler may not come out of strut at all, his head is usually pulled in close to his body, and his fan is sticking straight up.

Another clue to identifying pecking order is to watch for attacks from the dominant tom toward other gobblers. The big boy may chase the others, or he may just turn their way, causing them to move off or break strut.

Gobbling behavior may also give clues to pecking order. Many times, [...] the first tur-

key to gobble[...] is the dominant bird.[...]

Pay close attention to the turkeys’ behavior, and you can take that top trophy we all dream about.

NOVEMBER 2011

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 23

Montana’s Tenderfoot Project Reaches 1,480 Acres Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

A

n ongoing project to conserve habitat and secure public access for the future has reached 1,480 total acres along central Montana’s Tenderfoot Creek.

A coalition of partners including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Bair Ranch Foundation, Tenderfoot Trust and U.S. Forest Service on Sept. 21 moved two tracts totaling 320 acres into public ownership as part of the Lewis and Clark National Forest.

The project’s first phase in 2010 conveyed 1,160 acres to the national forest.

Better for fish and wildlife, better for resource managers, better for anglers and hunters.

RMEF President and CEO David Allen said, “The Tenderfoot area is an elk hunter’s dream—but it’s also a real estate developer’s dream. It’s a prime place to be subdivided for trophy home or cabin sites and we would rather that did not happen. If everyone can continue to work together to conserve this landscape and secure access for the future, it will be a wonderful gift for our grandkids.”

The project’s first phase in 2010 was helped by a $1.5 million All together, 8,200 acres are planned appropriation through the federal for the Tenderfoot project.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The fund uses no taxpayer The project will help square up dollars, but rather royalties from checkerboard ownership patterns offshore energy development. This between the area’s private and public year, with Congressional stalemates landowners. Larger contiguous and budgetary cutbacks, the blocks of ownership help avert Tenderfoot project was passed over long-term habitat fragmentation. for LWCF funding. However, other

federal funds and grants, together with RMEF donors, members and volunteers, kept the project moving with a smaller-than-expected second phase. An RMEF purchase option with the seller extends for two more years. The seller, Bair Ranch Foundation, is a philanthropic trust of the original property owners who felt the unique land should be forever available for public use.

supported the project.

Tenderfoot Creek is a tributary of the scenic Smith River, a famous blue-ribbon trout fishery nestled between towering limestone canyon walls. The creek cascades down 3,200 feet of elevation through classic elk country

Additional funding has come from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust and Cinnabar Foundation.

Public support for the project is very high. Meagher County Commissioners, the White Sulphur Springs community, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and various nonprofit organizations have applauded the effort. The entire Montana congressional delegation— Sen. Jon Tester in particular—have

USFS Photo

of the Little Belt Mountains. Conifer forests, massive aspen stands, grass meadows and high alpine basins also are home to mule deer, moose, black bear, many species of birds and a host of other wildlife.

24 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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USE YOUR OPTICS AND NOT YOUR LEGS

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By Robert J. Kaleta, Director of Communications and Technical Operations, Carl Zeiss Sports Optics

Typical American Elk 375-4/8 Fergus County, MT. 2007

www.booneandcrockettclub.com

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.

2011 Elk Hunting (continued Outlook from page 8) could mean good snow for hunting.

FWP Regions 3—Southwestern Montana near Bozeman: Elk numbers have declined in a few hunting districts, but generally elk numbers remain good with liberal hunting seasons in effect. Survival of elk calves in their first year appears to be at a higher rate than expected following a long, cold winter and wet spring.

FWP Region 4—Central Montana near Great Falls: Elk are abundant in the region. Numerous opportunities exist for hunters to take antlerless elk. Access, as always, remains an issue in some districts and hunters are reminded to make access arrangements with private landowners before the hunting season begins. Through last winter, FWP observed about 3,200 elk in the Sun River elk herd. The desired objective is 2,500.

In hunting district 422, along the Rocky Mountain Front from haystack Butte south to Highway 200, FWP counted about 2,000 elk—well above objective.

FWP Region 5—Southcentral Montana near Billings: Elk populations in south central Montana are healthy and growing this year, FWP biologists say. The numbers are not a harbinger of hunter success, however. In areas where hunter access is good, elk numbers

are low. In most areas where access is limited, elk numbers are well above objective.

FWP Region 6—Northeastern Montana near Glasgow Elk throughout the region appear to be faring well. The only quota reductions this year are a reduction in antlerless elk rifle licenses in hunting district 631—down from 120 licenses to 100; and antlerless elk licenses in hunting district 622 down from 300 to l00. All elk hunting in the Bears Paw Mountains and the Missouri River Breaks is by special permits awarded in an annual drawing. Elk densities are very low in the general-season hunting area north of U.S. Highway 2.

FWP Regions 7—Southeastern Montana near Miles City: Generally elk populations in the region are robust. The management goal is to maintain elk populations at a reasonable level to address landowner concerns and balance growing populations with available habitat. Elk populations continue to expand across the region. South of Interstate 94 and hunting district 701, antlerless elk can be harvested by rifle hunters with a general elk license, except in the Custer National Forest. In hunting district 703, any elk can be harvested with a general elk license. The remaining elk hunting opportunities in this region are by permit only.

I

f anyone has ever ventured into the extensively vast and beautifully rugged mountains or spent time scouring over the wide-open grassland prairies and desert terrain of the West, the real appreciation of a premium spotting scope and its benefits will never be forgotten or go unnoticed. Let’s face it, when the longing to push for days on end in the pursuit of elk, mule deer or sheep suddenly turn into the reality of finding yourself in the arena with heavy legs of lead and burning oxygen deprived lungs, a premium spotting scope is a welcome friend to have in your backpack. Good optics allow you to clearly and comfortably judge antler size or legal curl, while sparing wasted time and unnecessary miles.

Carl Zeiss Sports Optics has two perfect tools in its arsenal of premium optics to increase your chances of success. The award-winning Zeiss DiaScope Spotting Scopes with the new 15-56x/20-75x lockable eyepiece offers one of the widest ranges of magnification on the market today This eyepiece functions as a 20-75x on the 85mm DiaScope. For those back country trekkers who wish to lighten the load even more, the 65mm DiaScope and eyepiece combination offers outstanding 15-56x magnification. This newly engineered eyepiece from Zeiss in combination with a durable rubber armoring, a unique dual speed focus mechanism, FL glass and LotuTec® lens coatings to repel the usual inclement weather and grime that hunting conditions throw at us make this spotting scope an excellent choice to carry afield.

For hunters wanting a faster way to get closer to the smallest of details, Carl Zeiss offers the new 18-45x65 Dialyt Field Spotter. Named Best of the Best by Field & Stream magazine, this rugged and compact spotter features Carl Zeiss’ worldfamous, premium optics in a highly mobile unit. Excellent for mountainous terrain, this spotter fits easily into a backpack and can be used with or without a tripod. This sleek unit is designed for quick use and can be rested on a backpack, a rock or tree for additional stability, and there is enough magnification to field judge game without the hassle and lost time of any set up. The uniquely solid design of an aluminum mono-block construction equates to one very critical advantage, especially when changing elevation or operating in damp conditions: the eyepiece cannot separate so the scope will never fog!

Since it is compact and comes with its own carrying strap, it is also the perfect choice for scouting trips or use on the next family outing.

If you are heading into the back country for the potential hunt and trophy of a lifetime, try to remember that a premium spotting scope or field spotter like those offered by Carl Zeiss Sports Optics will not only allow you to clearly observe and assess distant game, it will save you the valuable hours of shooting light that we cherish so much during limited days afield and also do both your legs and lungs a favor by preventing unnecessary stalks. Before “go-time” make certain that “maybe” buck, bull or ram is a shooter.

NOVEMBER 2011

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Weather Can Play a Role In Whether You Find Mule Deer

By S. L. Merriam

T his buck was patterned always leaving a patch of woods in the late

afternoon crossing a corn field, and back to the woods to bed down. Short exposure time and maximum diversity for better digestion. Beans with 30% Protein, corn 7% protein and fresh alfalfa 25% protein. No doubt this buck was in good condition and had learned how to survive the winter.

Understanding the impact weather has on deer as they feed, bed and travel will determine the success of a hunting season. Monitoring weather and developing an understanding as to how it affects animals at all times of the year will be a key to predicting movement and location at any given time. Locating deer is 90% of the required formula for success. This article provides valuable insights into how weather can tilt the odds in your favor or make a day afield seem endless and antlerless.

Theses fawns have the lack of mass against them. They can’t afford to only eat once a day, their stomachs won’t hold what their body needs in only one feeding. The fawns need two feedings and the does with fawns of course take them out to protect them as they have for all of the fawn’s life. The second of a pair of twins can be much smaller then the first born twin.

Many times a big buck will only feed

once a day in cold weather, and he can fill his 1st of 4 stomachs in 45 minutes, and then back to cove and his warm protected bed. This trait provides minimal energy consumption and maximum energy intake at the same time. They make their journey in the late afternoon usually when the temperatures are the warmest. These buck’s body language says they are on a mission and doing it as quick as possible, and using as little energy as possible.

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Feed and quickly return to their warm daytime bed is what is on the mind of this buck right after the storm broke.

Under these conditions he is out traveling with a location in mind but less alert to danger than while traveling in October, he is being pushed by the weather.

Weather conditions play a big role in where animals will be at a particular time of day. Sounds simple doesn’t it? Weather conditions force wildlife to develop habit patterns to deal with existing weather. Deer seek relief from summer heat and winter cold that is outside their normal comfort range.

During the extreme heat of summer animals take refuge in shaded areas to escape the heat. The animal still experiences heat, but at a lower temperature than if he was standing in direct sunlight. Ambient or prevailing conditions are measured in degrees of thermal heat. Thermal cover describes areas that provide either heat retaining or cooling conditions through naturally insulating vegetation which can provide protection from extremely hot or cold temperatures. That’s why we see so many deer and elk on a sunny south slope on a cold winter morning.

Deer populations are scattered throughout North and South America and temperatures throughout their range vary from extreme cold to stifling heat depending on where they live. (continued on page 29)

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Protect Both Hunters And Bears

By Hunting Safely In Bear Country This Fall By Derek Goldman W ith the general opening of Montana’s clearly shows an increase in hunter-grizzly big game hunting season, many of us are bear conflicts and grizzly bear mortalities heading to the mountains and valleys in pursuit of elk and deer, and hoping for a freezer full of meat. It’s an exciting time of year. However, given several recent encounters between backcountry hunters and grizzly bears, we should remember the importance of hunting safely in bear country.

Although backcountry enthusiasts may encounter a bear any time of year, there are several reasons why hunters may be more apt to stumble upon one. Obviously, as hunters we are traveling quietly in the woods compared to other hikers, in hopes of sneaking up on our quarry. In addition, fall is the time of year when bears enter a period of hyperphagia—intense eating and calorieloading in advance of the cold winter.

Another reason that hunters, particularly in areas of southwest Montana, may encounter a grizzly is due to the recently documented mortality of whitebark pine trees. One of the bear’s main food sources during the fall—the seeds of the whitebark pine—is in serious decline due to intensifying bark beetle outbreaks as a result of global climate change. A 2009 aerial survey of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem indicated that more than half the whitebark pine stands were totally dead, and approximately 80 percent showed significant mortality.

This past July, in fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that whitebark pine is a candidate for Endangered Species Act protection. All this means that in many areas of southwestern Montana and northwest Wyoming, every year is now a bad year for whitebark pine nuts and for the grizzlies that depend upon them.

The decline in this key fall food source is important because it brings grizzly bears to lower elevations and closer to people as they search for alternative foods while trying to fatten up for winter. Research by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team

in years of poor seed crops.

Fortunately, federal and state wildlife management agencies throughout the Northern Rockies are doing an excellent job of educating hunters on how to stay safer in the woods. Hunters should keep a clean camp and bear-proof food and stock feed. If you kill a game animal, immediately field dress it and move the carcass at least 100 yards from the gut pile. Use caution when returning to retrieve your kill.

Most importantly, hunters should remember to carry approved bear pepper spray. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, bear spray has been proven to be more successful at stopping a charging bear than bullets, and it has reduced both the duration and severity of bear maulings.

Bear spray can also be fired right from the hip holster. The spray covers a broad area, thus aiming it in the heat of a bear charge requires much less precision than aiming a bullet for a lethal shot.

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has great fact sheet on the department website entitled, “Hunting Safely in Grizzly Country.”

Thanks to the Endangered Species Act’s protections, the grizzly bear is making a remarkable comeback. Even better, the Act’s grizzly bear habitat provisions offer protection for the myriad critters that share the grizzly’s habitat, including, for example, elk, mule deer, mountain goats, moose, wolverine, big horn sheep, and the mountain streams where native trout live and spawn.

Remembering the important contribution of the grizzly bear and its ecosystem to our Montana outdoor heritage, let’s be bear-aware in the woods this fall.

Derek Goldman lives and hunts in western Montana, and serves as the regional field representative for the Endangered Species Coalition.

NOVEMBER 2011

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Winter Survival Current weather alerts: For current weather alerts in Montana, M any people are unaware of the hazvisit the NOAA National Weather Service ards of winter travel. Harsh conditions of MFWP

wind, cold, snow, or whiteout can turn an outing into a tragedy. Knowledge of the area, weather, route, and the limitations of your body and equipment, plus a little common sense, can ensure a safe and enjoyable trip.

Winter road conditions: You will encounter a wide range of road conditions during the winter months, including dry pavement, black ice, hard packed snow, ice, loose snow, slush, and every combination. Roads to winter destinations may be plowed periodically, however, road conditions may often be very difficult even after plowing.

Know your vehicle: High-clearance vehicles with 4-wheel drive and good mud/snow tires are best.

Other vehicles, especially RV’s, maybe find the going very difficult at times.

Drive carefully: Be especially careful going downhill when conditions are snow-packed and icy!

Towing adds to the difficulty. Check the road report on the Montana DOT Website (http://www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/) or call 511.

website (feed://alerts.weather.gov/cap/ mt.php?x=1).

Clothing: Layers of clothing that can be adjusted to prevailing conditions are best. Take extra socks, gloves or mittens, and a warm cap.

DOT Survival Guides: The Montana DOT has published two resources to help Montanans survive in extreme unexpected weather conditions.

These references are stocked with valuable information that could save your life.

Montana Disaster & Emergency Survival Guide: The Montana Disaster & Emergency Survival Guide (http://www.mdt.mt.gov/ publications/docs/brochures/winter_maint/ winter_survival.pdf) covers many helpful topics, including, but not limited to: The road, winter driving, and works zones, your vehicle, keeping it maintained, starting it in the cold, and using it as a shelter, a survival kit, emergency shelters, and the outdoors, how to survive getting stranded in severe weather, avalanches, and safety in the backcountry.

Driving conditions: Know the conditions before you go out.

Find the latest weather, road reports, and Web cams on the Montana State Website (http://mt.gov/discover/roads_weather.asp).

Montana’s Take-along Winter Survival Handbook (http://dma.mt.gov/des/library/ wshandbk02.pdf) covers many helpful topics, including driving and car tips, survival for outdoor activities, winter safety tips, cold weather tips, and protection for pets and livestock.

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Montana Vs. Idaho: Reviewing Predator Laws State Vs. State (continued from page 20) in the last few years regarding grizzly bears attacking and killing men and women.

Change is needed soon. Montana, Idaho and Wyoming should have some of the same laws in each state to better manage these predators.

I believe Idaho’s laws regarding predator control are a step in the right direction and give hunters a much better opportunity to help manage predators. Idaho Fish and Game seems to recognize the true priorities in regards to selling tags to residents, as well as non-residents.

The same cannot be said for Montana.

Non-residents who want to hunt predators in Montana must pay an outrageous price of $350 compared to $31.50 in Idaho.

People are not destination hunting for wolves and their is little likelihood in their success in killing a wolf, as any big game hunter knows, without a guide.

Simply putting a high price on a tag, “because that’s what we always do for non-resident tags,” is short-sighted and the end result is non-effective when it comes to predator control.

Better game laws in place is what is needed to curb the predator populations and in turn this will help boost deer and elk numbers in the west, which is definitely needed.

If the deer and elk numbers can rebound and get back to healthy populations, we’ll have more success in the field, and success in local economies that depend on hunting and the people that spend money in these areas.

Montana, Idaho and Wyoming should work together to make this happen.

You can help by calling legislators, attending FWP meetings that allow for public comments (or commenting on their website when the opportunity presents itself), by joining a conservation group(s) with this agenda in mind. SCI, RMEF, SFW and the Mule Deer Foundation are organizations working to conserve and enhance our hunting heritage.

For more information on Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks predator laws and public meetings visit FWP’s website at www.fwp.mt.gov.

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NOVEMBER 2011

Hunter And Elk Movements May Be Affected By Beetle Kill Wyoming Game & Fish A cooperative study between the Wyoming

Game and Fish Department (WGFD) and the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools Resource Advisory Committee for the Medicine Bow National Forest will provide information on how hunters and elk use the forest and how that use may change throughout different stages of the mountain pine beetle epidemic.

Baggs Game and Fish Wildlife Biologist Tony Mong says the study was implemented because of the potential impacts beetle kill will have on the way elk use the forest and hunters hunt in the forest.

Mong says the Sierra Madre elk herd is one of the keystone elk herds in Wyoming, producing over 30,000 recreation days ($2.6 million in hunter expenditures), and averages one of the highest harvest of elk in the state over the last 10 years. The current herd is estimated to be approximately 8,000 animals, double the population objective of 4,200.

Mong said. “If hunter participation decreases, the ability to manage elk numbers becomes almost impossible.”

“There is a long list of major impacts to consider including: (1) the ability of elk to move through the landscape due to fallen logs, increased vegetation regeneration or beetle kill management activities, (2) the ability of hunters to access elk hunting areas, (3) a

loss of hiding cover, (4) increased harvest availability to hunters due to new logging roads constructed for harvesting of trees, (5) increased cripple loss due to longer shots and tougher tracking conditions, (6) decreased harvest availability by hunters due to closed roads and fallen trees, and/or (7) increased degradation of forest ecosystem health and wildlife habitat due to higher numbers of elk and a loss of hunter participation in beetle kill areas.”

“Gathering information for resource managers in relation to how hunters and elk utilize the forest before, during, and after the beetle kill epidemic will be an integral part in protecting and improving forest ecosystem health and maintaining viable wildlife habitat throughout the beetle kill areas,” Mong said.

“This study will provide key information on hunter and elk focus areas, leading to better decisions on future beetle kill management activities including road closures, areas of management focus, and key road/trail maintenance areas.”

“With the gathered data we anticipate being able to create useful publications and produce web-based information for resource managers and the public. We also hope to provide information for hunter education coursework in relation to beetle kill and offer educational presentations designed for hunter groups and other agencies.”

NOVEMBER 2011

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Weather Can Play A Role (continued from page 25) Through centuries of natural adaptation they have learned to survive within their natural range. Deer favor residing in the thermo-cover that provides them with temperature protection required to maximize their comfort in a given temperature range.

Hunters who have a basic understanding of thermo-cover principles that deer live by can narrow down locations where deer will be found in their core range. Thermal protection is more important than food or water. Deer can live for extended periods without water or food, but they must seek protection from the elements to conserve energy in order to survive.

We have the ability to control our environment which deer do not. They must move to an area that provides a more moderate temperature and adjust to that temperature. Animals such as deer keep food and water sources in mind as they move during a cold morning to an open south slope where the wind is blocked. They’ll look for a terrain feature such as a large rock on the slope above them to radiate additional heat. In snowy areas the snow may be deep in open areas, but the first snow to melt and provide access to food is on southern slopes. The opposite is true in the summer where deer can be found on a ridge where a breeze passes through the thermal shade. Follow the trails into these areas and you’ll find deer.

Deer will herd together during extremely cold weather in thermo-cover to conserve precious energy and feed once every 24 hours in the morning or evening. The animals normally travel after first light so the radiant air temperatures drain less energy from their body while they travel in search of food. Younger animals don’t have the body mass to wait for extended periods between meals. They will find the best thermo-cover close to their main food source. Now you have the formula for finding and predicting deer locations at specific times during the day.

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deer, but it works against the deer. They must deal with the weather and

you can use it to your advantage to find them in thermo-cover that is close to their food source. When they move between these areas they will be deliberate, feed and return to cover.

Their movement may only be during a short period, but most deer will appear like ghosts on Halloween and disappear into thick cover again as soon as they can. Determining the thermal value of an area to animals is as simple as getting out in the weather and learning how animals utilize thermal cover when weather fronts approach. Knowing how your herd reacts during adverse weather is the key to hunting success.

Wind is an important aspect of thermal dynamics because it can play a larger role to some animals than extreme cold when trying to determine their location.

Wind depletes valuable body heat. The less cold air passing over, under and around an animal lessens the dissipation of valuable body heat. During hot summer months, wind helps cool the animals and keeps insects from taking up residence on the animal’s body.

Insects can hamper the birth process and antler growth.

During the winter, potentially dangerous winds can be a mixed blessing to herd animals such as deer and elk. Snow drifts can inhibit herd movement, but they also blow new snow and uncover food sources allowing the animals to feed. Deer will “bed up” during a storm and let the wind blow snow off of food sources saving energy in movement and searching for food.

We’ve looked at temperature extremes and wind as tools that deer use to improve their temperature control.

We’ve looked at how wind is used as a tool to move snow off of a slope to uncover food sources. Deer and elk use these tools to survive over a large habitat area all year long. Successful shed antler hunters expend their major efforts on south slopes where the deer spend the majority of their time in the late winter when they drop their antlers.

Monitoring weather and understanding how it affects animals is a major key to predicting their movement.

30 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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The Future Of Montana’s

Big Game Animals Is InYour Hands!

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

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Expert Advice For The Whitetail Rut T here is a brief window of time and opportunity that annually impacts the

lives of hunters across the globe. I never cease to be amazed at the impact a week, possibly two, can have on a hunter. For many hunters, this short span of time consumes thoughts and daydreams for much of the year. It has resulted in lost jobs, skipped school, sleepless night, and more than one case of divorce. It’s the whitetail rut. It occupies a small spot on the calendar, but a huge place in the hearts of hunters across the U.S. In this issue we’ll spend some Q & A time with a couple guys I not only consider friends, but experts when it comes to getting the job done on whitetail deer season after season.

I’ve followed Bill Winke’s writings on deer hunting for many years.

More recently I’ve found myself enthralled in Bill’s online web show, Midwest Whitetail. Bill’s no-nonsense approach to patterning deer has resulted in many years of success as he pursues his passion…hunting big whitetail deer.

Zeke Pipher is an author and outdoor writer, regularly contributing to several of the nation’s leading bowhunting publications. Below is the advice they shared in our discussion on steps to success in the whitetail rut.

Q) When do you typically see the greatest effects of the rut in your area?

A) Bill – “My best hunting most years is from roughly November 3 through November 10 or 12. Then it is good again from roughly November 20 to 26. It is pretty much on this same schedule every year.

By Brodie Swisher Zeke - “I’m a believer in Charlie Alsheimer’s rut predictions (Deer & Deer Hunting Field Editor). The actual timing and intensity of the rut will be influenced by various suppressors (i.e. weather, hunting pressure, harvest/ food sources, and buck-to-doe ratios), but seems to come on strong in my area around the Hunter’s Moon (the second full moon past the autumn equinox). This usually means that the rut kicks into gear in early November and lasts a few weeks.”

Q) Where is your favorite place to be during the rut and why?

A) Bill - “I love to hunt at home. It is much more relaxing and I can immerse myself in the hunt without having to worry about travel or learning new areas. I also enjoy the fact that I can spend day after day hunting the same deer, learning what works and what doesn’t. I never traveled during the rut even before I had good places to hunt. I just like hunting from my own home. My favorite terrain is bluff country. It is beautiful and the topography creates a lot of funnels for bucks that are cruising and looking for does. Rolling terrain is good too, but the sharper the relief, the distinct and concentrate the terrain-related funnels will be.”

Q) What food sources do you typically find the does/herd using during the rut?

A) Bill - Usually where I hunt we are looking at clover, corn and soybeans. I like small food plots because the deer will hit them at all times of the day.

They are just as good in the morning as they are in the evening. The same can not be said for larger plots that are more open. You don’t need food plots to kill deer during the rut, but it does help to concentrate them. (cont’d page 32)

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To preserve, protect and enhance Montana’s fish and wildlife resources & outdoor opportunities. And to ensure our American heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping through hands-on conservation efforts and RESPONSIBLE PREDATOR MANAGEMENT by Montana sportsmen.

MONTANA SPORTSMEN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE Join online at www.mt-sfw.org What Can You Do? By Keith Kubista MT-SFW W

hat a great time to be in Montana, with the chill in the air, snow in the mountains, hunting season underway and reuniting with family and friends; this truly is an amazing time. For me it is also special since as of September, I have stepped up to become the State President of Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife. I want to thank Bill Merrill for helping to start the organization and all his efforts that went into it throughout the last year and a half. A career opportunity has necessitated his stepping down; however, he will stay on in a Director’s position and will still contribute to our mission.

Although there has been a change in the leadership of the organization there is no change in our cause which is responsible predator management, fostering abundant game herds and fisheries and protecting our heritage of harvesting wild fish and game.

In fact I will be spending all my days, nights and waking hours defending and confronting any and all attempts that threaten our customs, culture, and historic uses of public and private property for the benefit of hunting, fishing and trapping.

We are at a very perilous time in our states history as predator populations rage out of control and an equally depressed economy lingers on. We have seen individual and local interests sacrificed to the wolf introduction and some wildlife populations decline to unimaginable depths.

At the same time, other states such as Wyoming and Idaho who have suffered

the same impacts from excessive predator problems have begun to turn the tide by implementing predator control techniques, methods of take and management plans.

It is a very simple formula that applies everywhere: predator populations should be managed to low numbers and use hunting opportunity to manage the ungulates.

As my friend Scott says, “If you compare predator hunting regulations in Montana to Idaho, Montana has a predator protection policy and Idaho has a predator control policy.”

We need to change the way Montana manages predators and Montana SFW is doing just that. We are currently working on a program in the Bitterroot called the Wildlife Recovery Plan that will implement techniques and change regulations to rebuild the elk, deer and moose populations. We are also pushing very hard for passage of the Governmental Litigation Savings Act of 2011, aka Senate Bill 1061. This bill reforms the Equal Access to Justice Act that the anti-hunting environmental extremists abuse to litigate and get rich from on the backs of the American taxpayer. These are only a few of the recent activities we are working on and protecting our hunting heritage is not an easy task. We need the help of sportsmen and sportswomen concerned about the status quo.

What you can do is become a member by sending in the adjoining application or look us up online at www.mt-sfw.org.

32 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Expert Advice For The Whitetail Rut Zeke – “In my part of the country, the rut often corresponds to harvest, which means that a deer herd’s summer and fall feeding routines are being altered. When the rut kicks in, deer will often times feed less on the corn and beans, and instead they’ll stay in the forests and browse on grass, clover, and the young, new growth on trees. Bucks will often times eat less during the couple weeks in which the rut is most intense. It’s not unusual for a buck to drop 10-20 pounds during the rut as he seeks, chases, and breeds does while eating less.”

Q) What phase of the rut do you seem to key in on and/or have the most success in?

A) Bill – “The earlier phases or the later phases. The middle of the rut is usually pretty slow.”

Zeke – “I hunt all three stages of the rut, but I’m most excited about the seeking and chasing phases. This is my favorite time to be in the woods because, in my experience, you have a greater chance of seeing a buck walk through your area that you wouldn’t typically see. The breeding phase can be tricky because bucks are so keyed into a particular doe that where she goes, he goes. This “couple” often covers less ground

during the breeding phase, which can mean fewer sightings. Also, bucks will rarely pull off a doe to come to a grunt tube or rattling sequence during the breeding phase—if he’s already connected to a doe in estrous, he has everything he needs.”

Q) What are your go-to calls for hunting the pre-rut, rut?

A) Bill – “I will use the grunt call whenever I see a buck I want to shoot that is out of range. I will try to call him in. If he can’t hear it, I’ll snort-wheeze. I don’t like carrying antlers so I don’t rattle much, but I am planning to use the Pack Rack from Knight & Hale this year. It sounds good and is easy to carry. I don’t do a lot of blind calling, occasionally, but mostly I only call to deer I have seen and know I want to shoot. I just don’t want a bunch of deer sneaking around looking for me all day.”

Zeke – “I love to use antlers to rattle during the various phases of the rut.

Actually, I use antlers all season long—it’s one of the few “calls” that you will hear from day-one through the last day of the season. I also use a buck grunt and a doe bleat when I hunt the whitetail rut. I’ll often work in a sequence using all three—antlers, buck grunts, and doe bleats—when I hunt the rut. I’ll try to simulate a doe

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NOVEMBER 2011

(continued from page 31)

and buck finding each other, and then the buck fighting another buck who is trying to crowd his way in. I’ve had great success with these three calls during the rut.”

Q) What are your thoughts and tactics for using decoys to hunt the rut/pre-rut?

A) Zeke – “I use both buck and doe decoys during the rut. I tend to use a doe decoy during the seeking and chasing phase, because bucks are trying to find does in estrous. I’ll use my buck decoy more during the breeding phase because if a buck and doe walk into my area together, the buck will have to deal with my buck decoy if he hopes to maintain “first rights” to his doe. That being said, I’ve had good success using a doe decoy and buck decoy in each phase of the rut.”

sure you’re comfortable with your equipment, play the wind, and sit all day if you can. When hunting the whitetail rut, just getting into the woods for an extended period of time will likely produce great shooting opportunities. Have fun, use decoys, calls, and various scents—the rut is time to explore and hunt hard. If something doesn’t work one time out, try something else. Just get out there and hunt!”

Apply the previously mentioned advice to your strategies this year and you’ll likely be well on your way to success this season when the whitetail rut rolls around again.

Please share a few of your “Top Tips” for killing bucks during the rut.

A) Bill – “Don’t let the deer know you are hunting them. Entry and exit routes are more important than the stand location itself (within reason).

Focus on being in your best stands on the best days. Hunt the areas where the does concentrate and the bucks will show up.

A) Zeke – “My best advice is to make

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Gadgets, Tools, And Stuff That Makes Deer Camp Easier By Jeff Davis, Whitetails Unlimited Be Prepared: A first Ifreak ’m a gadget aid kit is important, and ...I when you are miles admit it, I see something shiny and clean and new and I’ve got to have it. If it needs batteries, I’ve really got to have it. And while I’m a sucker for the new or improved model of just about anything, I keep packing the same old thing time after time, putting the sparkling new gadget in a drawer and reaching for the old, beat-up gadget. I guess there is something to be said for the tests of time, and a certain beauty in the familiar.

So here are some of My Favorite Things.

All of these will be with me this year in deer camp, and I will use most of them multiple times throughout the year (one I use literally every day). Some of them are used when I’m hunting, camping, or otherwise outdoors, while some go with me whenever I’m on the road, staying in nice (or not so nice) hotels. Some are pretty new, while one has been with me for more than 30 years. A few are luxuries, and I could easily do without them, but they are fun or interesting to me. There are also a few things that help me do my job better — but I’m lucky enough to have a job that intersects with my recreation.

My Favorite Buck Knife: I haven’t counted, but I bet I’ve got 30 decent knives, and a good dozen are from the Buck company. This Model 112 is my favorite out of all of them. I bought it more than 30 years ago at the PX in Fort Bliss, Texas, and it’s been used and abused ever since.

I wore it on my belt and used it every day for a couple of years, and I’m on the third leather sheath. It’s been dunked on canoe trips, been wet for days on hunting and camping trips, and has been used for everything from digging splinters and thorns from my carcass, to once jumping the starter solenoid to get my old Mustang started. I haven’t always treated this knife well, and it has some dings and marks I’m not proud of. This is also the blade with which I learned to properly sharpen a knife, and it still has scars from some early attempts. This knife has a 3-inch blade, which I just like better than the 3 3⁄4-inch blade on the Model 110. My son gave me a shiny, new Model 110 for Christmas a couple of years ago, but I’ve yet to take it in the field. Every time I’ve picked it up intending to use it, it seems like it’s just too good to use. So I put the new knife back in the drawer and reach for my well-worn old friend.

• www.buckknives.com •

away from professional help, it is essential. I’ve gone through many variations of first aid kits, and none have exactly met my needs. What I do now is start with a good commercial first aid kit and customize it for my particular needs, which can vary depending on the type of trip and time of year. The Hunter Kit from Adventure Medical Kits works very well for me, and I’ve added things like Ziploc bags and over the counter medications for upset stomach, diarrhea, and allergies, as well as pain medications like aspirin, naproxen, and acetaminophen. Adventure Medical offers a large product selection, ranging from small pouches with tape, gauze, and small wound coverings, to large professional-level level kits, in addition to kits for particular needs like marine, international travel, or survival. You can also easily order replacement supplies so you can replenish or customize your bag.

The Hunter Kit has three pouches, one of which is attached with Velcro, so it can be detached and tossed into a daypack or pouch so you can take the essentials with you into the woods. A nice surprise was the first aid book that comes with the kit, written by Eric Weiss, M.D. I’ve read a lot of first aid books, but this one was actually interesting! Dr. Weiss offers great advice on how to effectively treat problems in the field, and even some surprising remedies like killing botfly larvae with tobacco smoke or duct tape, irrigating a wound with a plastic bag, or stopping bleeding with nasal spray.

• www.adventuremedicalkits.com • Let the Sun Shine: When I go into the woods I always take my cameras, and increasingly my laptop computer goes on longer trips. I take photos professionally, and I’ve come to love digital photography.

The problem is that professional-level digital cameras are useless without batteries, and they don’t run on double A’s. So if I’m going to be away from electricity for a couple of days I’ve got a real problem.

I’ve found the answer — a solar panel from Brunton. These have been used all over the world, in much harsher conditions than I want to be in, and they work great. In fact, I’m writing this on my laptop, with a dead battery, and the Brunton Solaris 26 is both powering the computer and charging the battery under overcast skies. There are several models of different panel sizes, but this model can charge a car battery if in full sunlight for several hours. I’ve used it for cell phone, camera, and computer batteries with no problem. It charges faster in full sunlight, and as you

reduce the light intensity the charge time goes up, but you can get some charging in surprisingly little light. I’ve also put the charger on my dashboard and charged batteries as I travel down the road. When you rely on batteries for your livelihood, you need to have plan B ready to go.

• www.brunton.com • How’s the Weather?: I have seldom needed to know what the barometric pressure is, what the current dew point is, or what the wet bulb temperature is, but the Kestrel Wind Meter will provide all of that information, plus eight other weather readings. And the correct time.

This device is actually useful for people like cross-country ski racers, who need to know the temperature and humidity to know what type of ski wax to use; or balloonists, who need to know wind speed and altitude. For me, I just love to know what the wind chill is when I’m out on my snowshoes, or what the wind speed is when I’m shooting at the range (not that it actually helps me), or what the humidity is when some genius asks if it’s hot enough for me. Kestrel offers seven meters, with a variety of functions, ranging from $65 to $240. If you are looking for a gift for a gadget freak, or someone who already has everything they need, get them a Kestrel Meter, park them under a tree, and come back in an hour. They won’t know you’ve been gone. • www.kestrelmeters.com •

I See: Yes, I thought it would never happen to me, but I’m finding out I’m not immune to the ravages of time. But enough whining. When I’m at the range it drives me nuts to take off my shooting glasses whenever I need to see something closely.

The solution? Bifocal shooting glasses from Sun Buster (they can also insert single vision prescriptions). They can put any prescription inside their shooting glasses, and the frames have interchangeable lenses of different colors, in order to enhance contrast for different activities. The glasses come in a hard case with five different colored lenses and a microfiber cleaning cloth. The lenses are shatterproof and meet or exceed all standards for safety glasses.

There are two frame styles, the Maverick — and for those shooters like me with bucket-sized heads — the Dude model fits better. I’ve found the company very easy to work with in making sure the correct prescription is in place, and that the glasses work as intended.

• www.sunbuster.info/shooter.html • (continued on page 37)

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NOVEMBER 2011

Approach Is Key To Stand Hunting Success

Photo & Article By Bob Humphrey

We were lucky. There was just enough wind to

cover the sound of our approach as my son, Ben, and I neared our ladder stand. Each time the air stilled we stopped; and each time it stirred we eased forward. Ben ascended first, lowered a rope and hauled up his empty rifle. Then I carefully inched up the ladder as he loaded.

It was 45 minutes later when we heard a stirring in the tall grass below us. A buck, which was bedded less than 100 yards away suddenly rose up, stretched and headed our way. There was no need to rush, and Ben waited until the buck had closed to within 60 yards and turned broadside before taking the shot.

It was a very short afternoon hunt. Scouting, patience and diligence played a part. But the singe most important factor to our success was approach. Surprisingly, it’s something often overlooked.

The Wind: All experienced hunters know the importance of wind direction when deciding where to set a stand. But many of those same hunters fail to consider it when it comes to how they approach that stand. Wind direction is just important, if not more so when going to (and from) your stand. Even if you must travel some distance, you want to alert as few animals as possible to your presence. If possible, travel with the wind in your face, If you can’t, try to at least avoid getting upwind of bedding or feeding areas that may hold deer as you approach.

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Vary: Another common mistake is always taking the same route to and from your stand. As alluded to above, you should consider the wind and vary your approach as required. But you should try to vary it even with the same wind. No matter how conscientious and quiet you are, you still make noise and leave scent. And deer quickly learn to pattern you. Break up your routine and it just might give you an edge.

Conclusion: If you want to be successful, you’ve got to be willing to go the extra mile, both figuratively and literally. Approach your stand slowly and cautiously.

Always consider the wind, and try to vary your route. When the wind is wrong or the cover too thick, you may have to travel well out of your way to reach your intended destination. If the area has trails, consider riding around the perimeter on your ATV and approaching from the back. Put in the extra effort and you’ll soon find it’s worthwhile.

NOVEMBER 2011

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2011 Deer Hunting Outlook (continued from page 7)

A September To Remember

BY CHRIS MORGAN

Opening day of the 2011 Montana

archery season was finally here. For the past few years I have had my sights set on harvesting a buck still in velvet and this year seemed to be the year. I had been watching a few bucks in an alfalfa field all summer long and I was chomping at the bit for some action. I got off work at five and headed out to my blind for the evening. After a short forty five minute sit in the blind the bucks appeared. To my dismay, the biggest of the two bucks had shed his velvet in the past twenty four hours. After wrestling around with the decision that lay before me I took a 32 yard shot on the smaller one still in velvet.

A short one hundred yard tracking job led me to the buck.

Fast forward one painful week. After opening day had come and gone, I had a full week of work before my next days off. As terrible as it seemed, I looked forward to the fact that I had the next consecutive fifteen off. I had planned a hunt with a few of my long time friends and could not be more excited.

After hunting and hiking hard for a week my friends were ready to take an evening off. I decided since I had not had the chance to carry my bow in the elk woods yet (I had volunteered to call) I wouldn’t

pass the opportunity up. I headed out to an area we had hunted for the past few days and immediately ran into elk. After a brief calling session and a short stalk I had a good six point bull at fifteen yards. My arrow flew true and the bull didn’t go far.

Three days later and a different spot, one of my hunting partners arrowed a beautiful six foot black bear. Being that he had never taken a bear before, it was a special occasion. We packed the bear out and hashed out a game plan for our remaining days afield. The following morning found us in the same area chasing three or four bugling bulls. Not long into the hunt I called a perfect six point into fifteen yards and my partner’s arrow hit its mark. Two six point bulls and a six foot bear in four days made for a very memorable trip.

In the fifteen straight days that I was afield I went home to do laundry twice. This was the first year that I have worn ASAT clothing and it performed above and beyond my expectations. Although it’s not your conventional ‘leaves and sticks’ pattern I found it to be equally if not more effective than other brands that I have worn in the past. I was wearing the Elite Zip Mock and the Essential Pants. Both feature the AG Vaportech Nano Silver Odor Suppression system. The pants also feature ASAT’s Lotus Nanobarrier that is stain and water resistant and also breathable. Both garments were extremely comfortable and stayed odor free for the length of the hunt. I highly recommend them and look forward to purchasing a few items from ASAT’s First Lite merino wool line.

To learn more about ASAT’s entire line go to www.asatcamo.com.

FWP Region 3—Southwestern Montana near Bozeman: Mule deer populations are holding steady, although the number of mule deer in the past five years has been trending downward. Most hunting districts are limited to buck harvest only. White-tailed deer populations continue to be good, especially along river bottoms and on private land. Overall, deer numbers are good, but remain below historic highs.

FWP Region 4—Central Montana near Great Falls: White-tailed deer are numerous throughout much of the region with plenty of opportunities for hunters to take antlerless deer as well as a buck. Mule deer numbers range from well below average to average.

Of particular concern is the low number of fawn mule deer that survived winter and late spring. FWP lowered quotas for antlerless deer B licenses, and hunters throughout most of FWP Region 4 may take only a mule deer buck with their general deer license.

Mule deer numbers along the southern edge of the Rocky Mountain Front appeared good, while around the Highwood Mountains biologists counted nine fawns per 100 adults, where they should see about 40 fawns per 100 adults.

On the north side of the Little Belt Mountains, FWP counted an average of 18 fawns per 100 adults—about 63 percent of the long term average.

FWP Region 5—Southcentral Montana near Billings: Mule deer spring population counts showed deer numbers are down 10 to 50 percent throughout the region – a continuation of a two- or three-year trend.

Winter weather and a wet spring impacted mule deer, particularly last year’s fawns.

This spring, biologists counted only 10 to 20 fawns per 100 adults. Normally they would expect to see more than 30.

White-tailed deer living in the prairie environments north of U.S. Highway 12 have been in slow decline for a number of years because of hard hunting pressure and poor fawn winter survival.

Until recently, biologists were encouraged by white-tailed deer numbers in the riparian corridors surrounding the Stillwater, Boulder, Rosebud and Yellowstone rivers. However, this summer a number of white-tailed deer have died – apparently of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) – along the Yellowstone, Musselshell, and Tongue rivers and their tributaries north and east of Billings. The contagious disease is spread by a tiny biting gnat that apparently is thriving throughout the region as a result of abundant water and hot temperatures this summer.

FWP Region 6—Northeastern Montana near Glasgow: Although white-tailed deer populations fared better than mule deer last winter, they took a big hit from EHD in late summer.

White-tailed deer numbers in Phillips and Valley counties were especially hard hit.

Reports of EHD have been spottier in Blaine County and in the Northeast corner in Sheridan, Richland and Roosevelt counties, although mortalities have been reported in all of these areas as well. The number of antlerless white-tailed deer licenses has been sharply reduced as a result of winter mortality and EHD. FWP surveys show mule deer experienced major population decreases across the region, especially in hunting districts 611, 630, 652, and 670. Fawn production was also hampered in many areas by the long, wet spring. All FWP Region 6 hunting districts will see substantial decreases in antlerless mule deer licenses this year.

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

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

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My Favorite Things... (continued from page 33) Keep it Clean: One thing I’ve learned over the years is that stainless steel will rust. And regular steel will rust quickly. For some reason I’ve been surprised when I’ve found rust on my Leatherman or Buck knife, and I shouldn’t, because I know that sometimes I don’t take really good care of them. However, I do take good care of my firearms, and I’ve even found spots of rust on them from time to time. A better method than some light oil on a rag is the Inhibitor line of products, including Cleaner/Degreaser, VCI-Oil Blend, VCI Wiping Cloth, VCI Plugs, and VCI Gun Sock. The letters ‘VCI’ in front of these products stands for Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor, and you can check out their website for the technical details. All I know is that it works. My highly unscientific test consisted of sanding a piece of steel in three places, putting standard gun oil on one spot, Inhibitor on one spot, and leaving the third one alone as a control. I put the steel in the backyard and came back in two weeks.

The bare spot was solid rust, the oiled spot was starting to rust, and the Inhibitor spot had no corrosion. I’ve been using it on all my guns, tools, and other steel devices, and so far no rust. It’s cheap insurance.

• www.theinhibitor.com • The Little Swiss Army Knife: This is the classic model, and I have one in my pocket all the time. It is small and light, with a blade, fingernail file, scissors, tweezers, and toothpick.

I use it every day for a variety of chores, and even when I’m in the woods with other knives readily available I still dig this one out of my pocket most of the time. They come in a variety of colors, list for $18.50, and you can find them in a wide variety of stores for $12-15. I go through about one each year, so when I find them on sale I buy three or four. (Last year I had to give up two of them at airports.) I’ve used them to fix my glasses, cameras, and lenses; install a hard drive; skin squirrels; gut rabbits; and cut sticks for marshmallows.

I don’t think they were designed to do any of these things, but they get the job done.

However, if you lose the toothpick like I did once, don’t bother to buy a new one.

I looked all over for a replacement and finally found a knife shop in the Mall of America that had them in stock. I would have bought one, but it cost $5.50 for a small piece of molded plastic, and I’ve been finding the whole knife for $9.00 on sale.

• www.swissarmy.com • Heat in a Flash: I’ve always been one of those guys who can put off comfort while in the field.

I don’t carry a thermos with hot coffee, I don’t cook hot meals in the field, and a cold

sandwich or an apple would always tide me over until I got home for a hot meal. I don’t know if I’m getting smarter, or just older, but I’m changing my mind about hot food in the field, and JetBoil is the reason.

Part of my problem is just the logistics of making something hot — you need a stove or a fire, and pots, pans, ingredients, and utensils. It takes too much gear and too much time. However, JetBoil is an amazing device that is truly a triumph of engineering and design: self-contained, light, and works perfectly. It will bring two cups of water to a rolling boil in two minutes with very little fuel, and you can use the same insulated container you boil the water in to eat or drink from. Freeze-dried meal packets or Ramen noodles make a pretty good quick meal, and from start to finish you can be completely done in 10 minutes, with no clean up. About $80, available at many outdoor stores.

• www.jetboil.com • Light the Way: I love the newer LED flashlights — they are brighter and the batteries last longer. This is one area where I do think newer is better.

The two that are always with me are the Streamlight Stylus (with a green bulb) and the Sure Fire. The Stylus runs on three AAA batteries, is as thin as a pencil, and is always in my camera bag (which I use several times a week). I use the green model (they are available in white, blue, green, and red) to preserve my night vision. I was suspicious about the nonstandard batteries, but with regular use over five years I’m still on the first set of batteries. The Stylus has an aircraft aluminum case, and two years ago my father-in-law found one in the gravel parking lot of a cement company, pressed deep into the gravel with tire tracks on top of it. He cleaned it off and it worked perfectly. The Sure Fire is very bright, but still compact and rugged. It is sealed with an o-ring, and is one of the few things that I’ve ‘liberated’ from my son. This was his flashlight, but I really like it and it’s been in my gear bag for the last six months. I don’t think he knows it’s gone yet, but after he sees this I’m going to have to buy him a new one. It’ll be worth it.

• www.streamlight.com • The Indispensable Leatherman: I’ve always had an aversion for using the proper tool for the job. I say that I’m impatient, my wife says I’m not organized enough to find my tools, and my anal friend says I’m stupid. Whatever the reason, the Leatherman multi-tool has saved my bacon a number of times. Knife, pliers, screwdrivers, scissors, file, wire cutter, can opener, and metric and English rulers have all come in handy, and not always for their intended purpose. I’ve tried several other multi-tools but I take this PST II model with me when ever I travel or venture outdoors. I’ve used it for various tasks on

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scopes, rifles, handguns, cabins, cars and once I even used it to wire my computer into a hotel phone system so I could transmit photographs. I’ve used smaller Leatherman multi-tools, but they didn’t give me enough flexibility, and I had a great multi-tool from Gerber, but for me it was just too big and heavy. Whenever I can’t fix something by hitting it with a rock, I reach for the Leatherman.

• www.leatherman.com • They Call Them Fingers; Why Don’t They Fing?: I’ve gone through just about every type of glove you can imagine, and I’d almost given up on finding a pair that is perfect for me. Keeping my fingers warm while shooting and hunting is one concern, but when I’m in the field I’m also doing photography. There are a lot of little buttons on my cameras, and gloves that keep a finger warm are usually too thick to work these buttons.

I’ve tried gloves made of silk, neoprene, cotton, wool, and leather; fingerless gloves, and glove/mitten hybrids. The only gloves I did like were the ones that military pilots wear, but they really don’t fit my hands well and the fireproofing feature is more than I need.

However, ProAim gloves have solved my photo problem, and as a bonus, these shooting gloves work great while hunting and shooting.

They are flexible enough so I can work the buttons on my cameras and even load .22 shells into magazines; they keep the wind and cold at bay, and keep my skin off cold steel. They feature a removable stiffening splint to keep the wrist stiff while shooting handguns, and it works. Without the splint, they are the best gloves I’ve found for doing fine work when it’s cold.

• www.pro-aim.com • GPS or Bust: I’ve always liked maps, I’m pretty good with a compass, and I still pack both when I venture outside. However, I never leave without my GPS unit.

It’s about four years old, which makes it ancient in terms of electronics, but it still works great. I know the newer units have more memory, more features, and color screens that have more detail, but I’ve got a boatload of waypoints already programmed into my Magellan Meridian Gold, and I don’t want to give them up.

I’ve been able to go directly back to a stand location that I was last at three years ago.

At some point this unit will be crushed, sunk, or lost, and I will waste no time in replacing it.

• www.magellangps.com • So these are some of my favorite things.

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Top Ten Strategies for the 2011 Pheasant Opener Bob St. Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing

I

t’s no secret pheasant numbers will be down this year. We’ve lost millions of acres of habitat and CRP contracts are expiring by the bushel. We’ve also suffered through a long, cold winter and had it all followed up by an unproductive nesting season filled with rain in the north and drought in the south.

All that negativity out of the way, this is pheasant hunting. This is what we live for; days in the field with friends and family, good bird dogs, waving grass, amber sunsets and flushing ROOSTERS! It’s pheasant season, the best doggone time of the year!

Considering all the factors in play this year, here are my “Top Ten” strategies you can employ to help put roosters in your vest in 2011.

1) Find Winter Cover this Autumn. The 2010/2011 winter was brutal in the northern tier of the pheasant range. We had extended heavy snow cover and sub-zero temperatures that significantly stressed pheasants living in areas with even good amounts of winter cover. Consequently, [...] I’ll be focusing on WMAs and WPAs featuring conifer shelter belts, big cattail sloughs, and large willow thickets. My theory will be that these areas of good winter cover would have carried over the largest number of adult birds into nesting season, upping the odds that some hens would have been strong enough to pull off successful broods.

2) Follow the Dog. This nugget is good advice any time of the season, but particularly important this year. I greatly prefer to hunt in small groups of one, two or three guys behind a couple of good bird dogs, rather than in a death-march line of ten. The biggest reason for my preference to hunt in a small group is the ability to follow the dogs wherever they lead. They can put you on birds in places you never would have walked naturally. Following the dog in a group of more than four people, however, is simply impractical and unsafe.

Farmers harvesting their crops can push birds into grassy spots.

3) Harvested Fields. The beans have been coming out fast the last few weeks, while the corn harvest has been moving quickly this week across most of the pheasant range. It’s no secret pheasants spend most of their day feeding in row crops. Stack the deck in your favor by hunting grassy areas near harvested fields.

4) Walk Hard. Lace up those boots and stretch out your hammies, because if you plan to put birds in your bag this season, you’ll have to burn some boot leather. You can’t put a rooster in the roaster if you’re taking a truck nap.

5) The Golden Hour. The best pheasant hunting of the day occurs during the last hour before sunset. Birds move from food sources to grassy roosting cover during this final hour of the day, so it’s especially important for public land hunters to be in the field and not burn up their energy before this magical time.

6) Stay in the Zone. It’s likely you won’t see the birds (in or out of shooting range) that you’ve experienced over the last six seasons, which is why it’ll be critical to stay focused. Think about how disappointed you’ll be if after walking hard all day without having much action, two beautiful roosters flush in unison at the golden hour and you get off two unprepared shots. Keep your eyes on the dog and your head in the game.

7) Go Mobile, Be Mobile. With flushes fewer and farther between, expect to have to log more miles and visit extra spots.

Most states have publicly accessible land available in map form that can be downloaded directly to your smart phone or GPS. If your traditional haunts aren’t panning out, give yourself extra options.

8 ) Get Your ID On. Anecdotal reports of late broods in parts of pheasant country have been trickling into Pheasants Forever’s office. This means some young-of-the-year roosters may not have put on their telltale colors, or telltale tail for that matter. There’s nothing wrong with taking a young bird, but don’t put yourself in a position to make a mistake shooting a hen – if you don’t know, don’t shoot!

The best time of day to pheasant hunt is general the last hour before sunset - The Golden Hour.

9) Walk Safe. Accidents don’t seem to care whether you’ve got one year of hunting under your belt or one hundred years.

Review all firearm and field safety measures, and please carry Pheasants Forever’s “Code” with you afield: As a member of Pheasants Forever, I believe in conserving wildlife and protecting the environment. I promise to leave the outdoors a little better than I found it. I will hunt safely and treat hunting on public and private land as a privilege. I will always ask permission before hunting private land.

I will obey all game laws and insist my companions do as well.

10) Your Top Strategies? What strategies will help make your 2011-2012 pheasant hunting season one to remember?

NOVEMBER 2011

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Outdoor Calendar

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

RUN...THE GRIZ ARE COMING!!!

Sponsored By C’Mon Inn Bozeman & Missoula Lodge Like Atmosphere With Resort Amenities BIG TIMBER CRAZY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS: November 25

Take a ride in a horse drawn wagon, get a picture with Santa, and enjoy refreshments, caroling and hometown hospitality in Big Timber.

Phone: 406-932-5131

BIGFORK ELVES DECORATE FOR CHRISTMAS: November 19

Elves gather at the Bigfork Inn, then disperse throughout the village decorating for the Christmas Season. Sleigh rides set the stage for Christmas. Art Walk is from 3:00pm to 7:00pm. Tree Lighting 7pm.

BILLINGS GUN SHOW: November 25 - 27

Held at the Holiday Inn - I-90 King Ave Exit Phone: 406-633-2206

BOZEMAN HUFFING FOR STUFFING THANKSGIVING DAY RUN: November 24

Join the annual fundraiser event. 5K & 10K races, Kids’ Run and Untimed 5K Fun Run event for walkers and non-competitive runners. All event courses start & finish at the Museum of the Rockies.

Phone: 406-599-6283

FAIRVIEW LIGHT THE BRIDGE: November 18

Kick off the Christmas season by decorating the Fairview Lift Bridge with lights, enjoying them in the park by the river with refreshments and fireworks.

Phone: 406-742-5259

LEWISTOWN CHARLIE RUSSELL CHEW-CHOO: Ride with Santa December 3, 10, 16 and 17

The Charlie Russell Chew Choo is a narrated train ride.

Enjoy central Montana’s wide open spaces and vibrant colors. Wildlife is abundant and close at hand.

Phone: 406-535-5436

WEST YELLOWSTONE YELLOWSTONE SKI FESTIVAL: November 22 - 26

During November, West Yellowstone comes alive in color. The early snow brings cross-country skiers from around the world to learn and train on the superior Rendezvous Trail System.

Phone: 406-599-4465

WEST YELLOWSTONE RODEO RUN SLED DOG RACES: December 15 - 17

Attend this years Sled Dog Race. Good trails, beautiful scenery, and a fun atmosphere. Races start at the Old Airport at the intersection of Highway 20 and Iris Street. Phone: 406-646-4988

Events To Support WILDLIFE

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MISSOULA DOWNTOWN PARADE OF LIGHTS: December 3

Kick off the holidays Downtown with the Parade of Lights brought to you by the Missoula Downtown Association. The event is a day filled with a variety of free family activities including photos with Santa at the Florence Building and horse-drawn carriage rides on East Pine Street.

Phone: 406-543-4238

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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. ©2011 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. BFEPS6X7C

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NOVEMBER 2011

NOVEMBER 2011

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HUNT

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406-562-3553 RANCH Frequently Asked Questions Of The Boone and Crockett Club Answered Boone and Crockett Club

Montanan’s are fortunate to have

the headquarters of the Boone and Crockett club located in Missoula.

We thought some of you might be interested to learn more about the Club.

What is included in the Associates Program?

Anyone can join the Club’s Associates Program The cost is $35 a year in the US. Associates receive: -Fair Chase magazine published quarterly -A 20% discount on Boone and Crockett Club books & select merchandise -A wallet card and window decal -Access to specialized areas of the Club’s website What is the difference between the all-time book and the awards book?

The All-time books, such as Records of North American Big Game, 13th Edition, are published every six years and have all trophy listings that meet the All-time minimum score. The Awards books, such as Boone and Crockett Club’s 27th Big Game Awards, are published every three years, and have listings of trophies accepted during one, individual, three-year Awards period. The Awards books are considered supplements to the prior editions of the All-time books.

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Are the tip to tip and greatest spread measurements added into the final score?

No, they are not. They are supplemental data, required for entry, used by the Club’s office to confirm overall appearance of the trophy and positively identify each entry.

What is the drying time for antlers and skulls before they can be officially measured?

Official entries must air dry at room temperature sixty days from the day after the trophy was taken.

What is the deadline for entering a trophy into the book? When can I purchase the book?

The Club’s two regular trophy records book publications, the Awards book, and the All-Time Awards book, come out on a three year and six year schedule.

What is the difference between the awards and the all-time awards programs?

The Club’s two trophy records Awards Programs described above have separate minimum scores. The All-Time Program entries continue to be published in their six year book. The Awards Program listings appear in the three year Awards book publication and species specific records books.

Does Boone and Crockett club accept trophies taken with a bow?

Yes, their Records Program includes trophies taken by bow, rifle, hand gun and other methods.

How can I purchase a records book with my listing in it?

Purchase the Club’s species specific records books, Awards Programs books, or contact the Records Department directly with specific trophy records inquiries.

How can I locate Boone and Crockett Club official measurers in my area?

The fastest and easiest way to find a measurer is to use their on-line OM Search at http://www.boone-crockett.org/bgRecords/records_omlist. asp?area=bgRecords. Follow the instructions on the screen and a list of measurers will be generated for you.

What is the difference between the all-time score and the awards score?

The All-time minimum score is the higher of the two minimum scores, and qualifies a trophy for the All-time book, Records of North American Big Game. Trophies that qualify for the All-time minimum are listed in each new edition of the All-time book. (continued on page 42)

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Hunting Merriam’s Wild Turkeys National Wild Turkey Federation

P atience, persistence and confidence in your calling are what it takes to harvest a Merriam’s gobbler.

Hunter’s Specialties Pro Staffer Matt Morrett said, like with any turkey, getting a Merriam’s in close is the first challenge.

Merriam’s will travel a longer distance than an Eastern to a call or decoy setup.

Be confident in your calling, and pay attention to what the hens might be doing.

“I personally wouldn’t call a Merriam’s any different than I would any other turkey,” Morrett said. “I use a friction call, because it is louder and the sound will carry further in the Western mountains and prairies. You will want the sound to carry.

“If I have turkeys in fairly close, I pay attention to what the hens are doing and try to mimic the hens,” he said. “It’s important to utilize your calls and lead him to you.”

Morrett said patience also plays a big part in hunting Merriam’s.

“If you can get one to answer your call, stay where you are and be patient,” he said. “Pay attention to make sure he is coming your way.”

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Locating turkeys is where the hunt ultimately begins, and Morrett suggests scouting near water sources, especially when looking for Merriam’s.

“Water sources can play a big part in your hunting, especially out West, where drought conditions are everywhere,” Morrett said. “That is the best place to start scouting. They need water everyday just like we do.”

Remember, even after your patience, persistence and calling have brought that big tom into your setup, you still have to make the shot.

“I had a Merriam’s hunt with (NWTF CEO) Rob Keck that I will never forget,” Morrett recalled. “Rob was calling for me. That gobbler flew across a valley like I had never seen to that call. He came within 20 yards, and I missed him. I have never lived it down since.”

42 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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NOVEMBER 2011

Frequently Asked Questions Of The Boone and Crockett Club Answered (continued from page 41) Understanding spread credit Spread Credit on antlered game seems to be the hardest measurement for the general public to understand. Most times, the number that is entered into the spread credit box on a score chart is the inside spread measurement itself. The only exception to this is any time that the inside spread is a larger number than the longest main beam measurement. In this rare case, the longest main beam measurement is How can I access trophy data? put into the spread credit box instead. For Purchase the Club’s species specific example: If Inside Spread=23” and Main records books, Awards Programs books, or Beams=24” and 25”, then Spread Credit contact the Records Department directly is 23 (inside spread measurement). If with specific trophy records inquiries. The Inside Spread=26” and Main Beams=24” Club now offers an on-line trophy search and 25”, then Spread Credit is 25 (longest subscription. main beam).

Trophies that qualify for the Awards minimum, but not the All-time minimum, will appear in the Awards book, published every three years, one time only. All trophy owners who have a trophy that scores at or above the Awards or All-time Awards minimum will receive a wall certificate, have their trophy listed in one issue of Fair Chase magazine and corresponding records book publications.

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How and when is a trophy declared an official world’s record?

The final score of a potential Boone and Crockett World’s Record must be verified by either an Awards Program Judges Panel or a Special Judges Panel before it is declared a new World’s Record.

Awards Program Judges Panels are assembled once every three years following the close of one of the Club’s triennial Awards Programs. In addition to certifying new World’s Records, these panels also verify the final scores of the top 5 trophies entered in each category during the preceding three years and certify them for coveted B&C medals and certificates. Special Judges Panels are convened during the interim between Awards Program Judges Panels with the sole purpose of verifying and declaring new World’s Records. In either case, two teams of two judges each measure a potential World’s Record. If the scores of both teams verify the original measurement, the panel will declare it a new World’s Record. If a potential World’s Record is not sent in for verification by one of these two panels, it will never be declared a Boone and Crockett World’s Record.

Do elk and deer always get four circumference measurements? What about eight-pointers? What about twelve-pointers?

Yes, elk and deer trophies ALWAYS get four circumferences. In the case of an eight-point whitetail, the G-4 is missing.

Instead of looking for the smallest location between the G-3 and the G-4, the measurement is taken at the halfway point between the G-3 and the tip of the main beam. Similarly, on a mule deer with no G-3, the H-3 circumference measurement would be taken at a point halfway between where the G-2 measurement begins and the end of the G-2. For deer and elk, no matter how many normal points it has, four circumferences per side will always be the exact number of circumference measurements.

How many acres is the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch (TRMR)?

6,040 acres Does the public have access to the TRMR Ranch?

As with any private land people must ask for permission for access. The ranch does have a Watchable Wildlife Trail that is open to the public (no permission needed) all year with the exception of hunting season. The ranch participates in Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park’s block management program which provides hunting opportunities on private lands. The public hunting program at the TRMR Ranch is operated by the ranch manager.

Who owns the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch?

The Boone and Crockett Club. This is the only ranch the Club owns. The purpose of ranch is for demonstration, education and research as it relates to integrated livestock and wildlife management.

Did Theodore Roosevelt ever visit the ranch?

No, the ranch was named after him because he started the Boone and Crockett Club in 1887 with several fellow hunters and conservationists.

Is the Rasmuson Wildlife Conservation Center open year-round?

Yes Who was Elmer Rasmuson?

Elmer E. Rasmuson, a distinguished Alaska pioneer, banking and civic leader was a member of the Boone and Crockett Club from 1987-2000. He was a hunter and conservationist who grew up in Alaska.

Is the education program federally funded?

No. For more information or to become a member of the Boone and Crockett Club visit www.boone-crockett.org.

NOVEMBER 2011

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