Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - September 2011

OUTDOOR NEWS

Big Sky

SEPTEMBER 2011

www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

SEPTEMBER BULLS

SETTING UP

ELK CAMP

UPLAND BIRD

HUNTING

Smartphone Apps For Hunters

Mid-Range Ballistics

For Elk Hunting

WIN A NEW TRUCK! Details inside

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12 Ways To Gain Hunting Permission

S

If the signs are new, and nailed to every other fencepost, something bad has gone down, and it might be fresh as a wildfire in the mind of the landowner; then again, maybe the land has just changed hands. If the signs are old, and torn or worn, it may no longer be officially posted.

You’ll never know until you step up and ask.

1) Names and contact numbers should be listed on these posters, which can provide a direct link to information, so jot down these details. Other times such signs are left blank, as if the landowner wants to convey the message that visitors aren’t wanted, and that they don’t wish to be contacted about the matter. Sometimes posters might

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igns are posted, and you want landowner permission to hunt there.

• SEPTEMBER 2011

also hang on properties where access isn’t legally prohibited. They may have no right to post it.

go-between person can be your good-will ambassador, making subtle suggestions to the landowner.

2) “Just because our land isn’t posted doesn’t mean you have an invitation to hunt it,” a landowner once said to me on a road trip through upstate New York. Awkward or not, it is always best to ask permission even if the property seems ripe for hunting.

On the other hand, in some states the use of private unposted land by the general public or state residents is a time-honored tradition. As an example, New England states such as New Hampshire offer longstanding public common-law access on non-posted land. Abuse it though, and you can lose it. Once the posters go up, it ends. Game over. Do whatever you can to keep those orange and yellow signs from appearing.

5) Off-site places and situations like roadside diners, town-meeting locations, grocery stores, yard sales, even Friday night at the local bar can provide the connection you need. You could run into a person who owns the property, or a neighbor who knows the people who do.

3) Ironic or not, in some locations reverse-posting situations apply. If the land isn’t posted for a specific use, you can’t hunt it. Other states require landowner permission to hunt, whether the land is posted or not. Some turkey hunters routinely pay annual lease fees for using posted landowner-held property. It can be on a daily, weekly, or annual basis.

4) Sometimes you can secure access directly by talking to the landowner. Other times you may need an intermediary. This

6) You need to research the full ownership picture. If you can’t figure out who owns the land in a casual, conversational way, courthouse records can be studied. Who really owns the land? Who really calls the shots? Is ownership fragmented? Is ownership in transition?

7) If possible, seek permission in the off-season, under relaxed circumstances rather than desperate.

8) Let landowners know how you’ll hunt, where you’ll do it on the property, what you’ll be doing in there, and who—if anyone—you’ll bring along. Visit them wearing clean pants, a pressed shirt, and a smile on your mug, and you might pass the initial test. Image is sometimes everything. Sell yourself. Don’t intimidate.

9) Though it might seem a little solicitous, (continued on page 21)

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The entire contents is © 2011, all rights reserved. May not be reproduced without prior consent. The material and information printed is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. Nor does the printed material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. VOLUME 8, Issue 6

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• SEPTEMBER 2011

Make Your Own Fan Mount

By Bob Humphrey, Yamaha Outdoors

O

ne of the more popular ways to preserve a memorable turkey hunt is with the fan and beard mounted on a plaque. You can take it to a taxidermist, but if you want to save some money, doing it yourself is a fairly simple process.

- First, remove the beard by cutting it away from the breast. Be sure to leave just enough flesh at the base to keep the bristles intact. Moisten the base and dip it in a mixture of salt and borax (about 50:50). Then set it in a well-ventilated area to dry.

- Next, cut the tail off at its base, leaving enough flesh and bone so the fan remains intact. When in doubt, err on the side of caution; you can always remove more later.

- Beginning on the underside, filet the flesh and smaller feathers away from the tail base by guiding your knife blade along the shafts of the retrices (large tail feathers). You’ll soon encounter a bone at the center of the fan base.

Leave this intact, for now.

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- Turn the tail over, and do the same thing on the top, leaving the first layer of tail coverts (smaller feathers) intact. This first layer lacks the dark band at the top.

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- Using a pair of diagonal cutters, cut away the bone in the center of the tail base.

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If you did all the above correctly, there should be enough tissue remaining to keep the large tail retrices connected together as a fully intact fan.

- Carefully trim away any remaining flesh and fat, then cover any remaining flesh or tissue generously with your salt-borax mix.

- Spread the tail out into a half circle and tack to a board or other hard surface to dry.

- Go back to the flesh and feathers you filleted off the tail and pluck out some of the shorter tail feathers that originally covered the top side of the fan base - 8 or 10 should suffice - and set them aside for later.

You can purchase game bird fan mount plaques at most outdoor retailers that come with slots for the fan and beard, or you can make your own.

- Once the fan has dried completely, lay some of the shorter feathers back in place and fasten them with hot glue.

Hot-glue the beard in the bottom slot and the fan in the top slot and hang it on the wall. That’s it!

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

I Want That Bull!

Most men have a single rule that they learn during childhood - set a goal then

try to achieve it. By that standard I’m the standard goal setting American male.

I’m a hunter by choice and not driven by the need to hunt to feed my family. I do establish goals that have been drilled into my psyche and held in place by my ingrained desire to succeed.

My hunting experiences progressed through the years when I started hunting rabbits, deer and elk with a rifle.

I ventured into hunting with archery equipment so that I could start the process all over again. I’m blessed to live in a region of the country where I can hunt an abundance of deer, elk and antelope without having to travel too far from home.

Ken Wier felt the only way to test his archery hunting skill was to focus on one animal and pursue that one animal until he stuck it with a arrow or it got away from him. This would be Weirs opportunity to show himself what caliber of an archer he was. The difficulty was in first locating a bull elk that was so unique that it could never be mistaken for a different elk. Once he found that Bull it was 1 on 1 survival of the fittest, the one with the most skill, opportunity and of course luck would win, and Wier would have the test to his archery hunting and skills if he won. If the elk got away out of his area because Wier spooked him Wier would burn his license and he was done hunting elk for the year. Would you take this challenge?

On my first archery elk hunt I hoped to harvest my first bull with a bow, but more importantly I hoped to experience a memorable hunt. I wanted to find a bull that had a unique set of antlers or other defining characteristics that made him unique and focus on him and him alone.

Intercepting an animal and killing him is one thing, but locating, tracking, stalking and outsmarting a specific wild animal is a completely different thrill.

I live in Plentywood, Montana which is located in the extreme northeast corner

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By S. L. Merriam and Miles Fedinec

of the state. My wife Claryce and I own and operate the Dairy Queen in town.

We have two daughters who have grown up and live in Madison, Wisconsin. Our town has some very interesting history.

According to historical lore the town got its name during the open range era when several cowboys and a cook from the nearby Diamond Ranch attempted to build a buffalo chip fire. Old Dutch Henry told them, “If you’ll go a couple of miles up this creek, you’ll find plenty wood.” Those words of wisdom were remembered when the town was named.

Plentywood is a friendly town of less then 2000 people. We have two eighty year old men who cut firewood each day during the summer and on most days during the winter. If you need some firewood, they’ll give you some, but they won’t take any money for trees. “Trees and life are God’s gift. I can’t charge you for the wood,” they argue. “Its God’s gift, He does not charge me for life which is His gift. We give firewood to the needy which is our gift to Him.” Bow hunting is my passion. Over the summer I compete in many 3-D tournaments. When I can’t practice outdoors because of severe weather I move indoors and use the 20 yard range that I set up in the basement of the Dairy Queen to keep my muscles in shape and keep my shooting form at its shape. (continued on page 18)

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• SEPTEMBER 2011

The Endless Pursuit of Power and Economy H ere at Gomer’s Warehouse Distributing / USDieselParts.com,

we deal with customers every day that are looking for performance and fuel economy improvements for their diesel trucks. Most diesel truck owners are familiar with the basic performance products that are available such as electronic tuners, intake kits and exhaust systems. But what if you’re looking to step up to the next level? This is where some folks might get a little confused or intimidated by some of the products that are available. It’s really quite simple, so let’s talk about some of the products we show our customers every day right here in our shop.

Another often overlooked item in the high performance arsenal is the intercooler (or charge air cooler).

When the turbocharger compresses the air, it also heats it up. Since cool air burns more efficiently than hot air, an intercooler is placed between the turbo and the inlet to cool that air back down before it enters the engine. An aftermarket intercooler is larger and will have more volume than the wimpy factory intercooler. This design helps your engines performance by offering less airflow restriction, and also by cooling the compressed air down significantly more than the factory setup can.

This is particularly helpful for those that have made some performance modifications to their engine, but all engines can benefit.

If a performance turbo or intercooler isn’t in your budget right now, then you might take a look at some of the turborelated accessories that might be available for your truck. For example, aftermarket wastegates, compressor wheels and turbine housings can help squeeze some extra boost from your old turbo. Aftermarket intercooler hoses can help ease the airflow and offer better cooling f you’ve installed an electronic tuner properties. Cold air intake kits and or high-flow injectors in your diesel intake elbows will also help maximize truck, then you’re probably seeing cool air and unrestricted airflow to some black smoke when you put your your engine. It’s the little things that foot to the floor. That’s unburned fuel count, and anything that you can do to that can be turned into power (and maximize cool economy) with the right turbocharger. unrestricted Engine power is proportional to the airflow amount of air and fuel that can get equates to into the cylinders. When you add more better engine fuel, then you need to add more air. performance Like everything else, there is always and fewer room for improvement over the factory stops at the design. So whether your engine is fuel pump. hot-rodded or bone stock, you can still benefit from a better turbo and We would like to invite you to visit our enjoy an increase in horsepower, fuel website at www.usdieselparts.com economy, better throttle response to see the selection of turbochargers, and lower exhaust gas temperatures intercoolers and other accessories (EGT’s). Performance turbos are that are available. The list of products available in different “stages” and is changing every day, so please don’t configurations hesitate to call us at (800) 823-4444 if to match the you have any questions or don’t see modifications that what you’re looking for. have been made to the engine and the way you drive your Gomers Warehouse Distributing truck.

2400 Palmer, Missoula, MT 59808

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The Nose Knows

By Jeff Davis, Editor Whitetails Unlimited

Deer use their noses for a number of tasks, with protecting themselves from predators, (including humans) being the number one use. Running an important second is finding a mate. If you can control and reduce your human scent, you will be a more successful hunter; if you can learn how to present odors that are attractive to deer, you will be on the road to those trophy bucks. Wildlife Research has a new DVD available with solid information on both human and deer odors, called Scent Secrets. This list is just a preview; visit www.wildlife.com for more details.

Tip 1: It’s in The Air. Deer constantly check the air for danger, and they are fast to respond if they find anything they think is a threat. It is almost impossible to completely eliminate your scent, but if you can reduce your smell to a minimal amount, the animal will not be alarmed.

Tip 2: First Time is The Charm.

The first time you hunt on a stand is often the most effective, because human odor molecules can build up around a stand and increase every time it is used. Your boots, pants, and body parts brushing against foliage can leave human scent as you walk through the woods.

The more often you are in one area, the more likely it is that the deer will detect your odor.

Tip 3: Keep it Clean.

Wash all of your hunting clothing with a detergent designed to leave no human scent.

Store and transport your hunting clothing in a clean, airtight container or plastic bag.

Hang clothing outside, away from car exhaust, camp fires, or barbecue grills. When you shower, use scent-free soap and shampoo designed for hunters, and use a washcloth and towel washed in scent-free detergent.

Tip 4: Keep Looking, And Sniffing.

Use an anti-scent spray on all your clothing, and avoid tobacco smoke and food odors.

Start looking at everything as a potential odor problem. How about your watch, glasses, or wallet, and what did you step in with those boots in the last few months? Silver Scent is a product that uses a unique technology, and several hunters I know swear by it. (continued on page 32)

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Largemouth Bass Caught In Flathead River Slough May Be The Oldest On Record For Montana MFWP Rivard in Fennon Slough on October 3, A ccording to Montana Fish, Wildlife 1997. At that time the fish was 14.2” long & Parks Fisheries Biologist Mark Deleray, a local angler may have caught the oldest largemouth bass reported in Montana.

Deleray said that 10-year old Garrett Frost of Kalispell reported catching and releasing a 20-22” largemouth bass in Rose Creek Slough on July 16, 2011 weighing approximately 3.5 lbs. He pulled out the red floy tag numbered 5637 prior to releasing the fish. Fishery Worker Jon Cavigli checked the database and found that the bass had carried this floy tag for 14 years.

According to Garret’s father, Tyler, Garrett hooked the bass on a rubber worm while fishing from the front of their boat. Garrett landed the bass without assistance. When he had the fish in hand, he and his two brothers shouted, “It’s a 5-pounder!” Tyler says that the bass appeared to be in good condition, and weighed 3-1/2 pounds on his scale.

According to the tag information, this fish was caught and tagged by Phil

and weighed 1.5 lbs.

Cavigli, who keeps up the tag database, says that Rivard, a volunteer for FWP, caught, tagged, and released many largemouth bass in the sloughs of the Flathead River, adding to the age-growth database.

Based on the size of the largemouth bass in 1997 and the age-growth database, Deleray estimates that the fish was probably 5 years old when tagged. Adding that age with how long the tag was in the fish places its age at 19 years old. This may be the oldest confirmed largemouth bass reported in Montana. Most sources place the maximum age at 15 or 16 for largemouth bass in the northern United States. Deleray is contacting other fisheries biologists, and, so far, has not found any records of largemouth bass as old as the Rose Creek Slough bass. Largemouth bass in Montana are at the northern edge of their range. Fish tend to grow slower and live longer in the cold waters found in Montana and other northern states.

he Bitch Creek Nymph is an old standby pattern for many anglers. Most say that it is a stonefly nymph imitation, but others use it as a searching or attractor pattern. The real history behind this pattern is unknown according to the books. George F. Grant in Montana Trout Flies, 1981, wrote that he couldn’t find a reference to it “...but there is little doubt but that the pattern is of Montana origin.”

Fishing the Bitch Creek Nymph calls for letting it sink to or near the bottom. In fast moving streams, make a short cast upstream and let the fly sink as it comes downstream.

Keep control of the line so you can feel the strike. During high water times look for backwater and side channels where the visibility for fish might be a little better than in the main flow. Also it will be a bit easier to put the fly near the bottom slower water.

MATERIALS: Hook: Mustad 9672 or 79580, 2-12 Thread: Black 3/0 Antenna & tail: White rubber Weight: Lead-free wire (optional) Rib: Yellow monocord (optional)

Back (overlay): Black chenille Body: Orange or yellow chenille Hackle: Brown Gills: White ostrich herl (optional) Thorax: Black chenille

Tying Steps: This recipe and tying style is slightly different from ones you will find in some pattern books. Several books recommend a braided chenille body, but for many tiers this is too much work. And if you really want to cheat (or be lazy) you can wind the orange chenille and paint the back with a black waterproof felt pen.

Smash down the barb before you start tying if you wish.

1. Start the thread anywhere you want and wind it forward to the eye. Fold a full length piece of rubber in half and place the open ends on top of the shank and sticking out over the eye less than a shank length. Secure them with several thread wraps. Now pull and stretch the loop portion, and wind thread over it to bend. A couple thread wraps will set the tail rubber; trim excess. Leave thread at bend.

2. It is optional, but my Bitch Creek Nymphs are weighted under the thorax. I like leadfree wire on spools because I feel it is easier to control. Hold spool in the palm of your hand and place end of wire across the shank where you want the back of the coil. Wrap a tight coil forward letting the wire slip through your fingers as needed. Break off or cut wire. Be sure to leave one or two eye widths of space between eye and front of coil to tie in several materials. Wind thread over the coil to hold it in place, and return thread to bend.

3. Attach rib, black chenille and orange chenille, and wind thread to mid-shank. Before attaching the chenille, strip off the fuzzy stuff and secure chenille by thread core. The black chenille should be on top of the hook. Wrap orange chenille to mid-shank, secure and trim. Bring black chenille over the orange chenille, secure at mid-shank and trim. Spiral rib forward, secure and trim. A rib helps secure the black chenille overlay.

4. Some tiers leave the black chenille and use it for the thorax. However, I frequently tie on one size larger chenille for the thorax unless I wrapped a lot of wire under the thorax.

5. Attach hackle, ostrich herl and black chenille at front of body. Wind thread forward to about one eye width from eye, wrap chenille (with first wrap tight against front of body) forward, secure and trim. Hold hackle and herl together and spiral them through the chenille, secure at front of thorax and trim. Modern saddle hackles are good for this because they are long enough to be held in the fingers.

6. Shape head, whip finish and add a drop of head cement to guarantee the thread doesn’t slip.

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2011 Fall Mack Days CYNTHIA BRAS-BENSON

T he 2011 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned

by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks will begin September 23rd and end on November 13th. This event will be the nineteenth Mack Days Fishing Event and will feature up to $125,000 in cash and prizes available to anglers. Anglers may choose to fish every day or they may fish just one day. Every lake trout entered gives anglers a chance to win in the $30,000 lottery style drawing. There will be over 3,500 tagged lake trout with values from $10,000-$100. One tagged lake trout will be worth $10,000, five-$5,000, and ten$1,000 all other tagged lake trout will have values from $500-$100. Captains prizes worth $250 will be given to four lucky boat captains, smallest lake trout will have two $250 prizes, heaviest lake trout over 36” and 24 pounds will be awarded $500, eight weekend winners of $200 will be chosen, top ten anglers based on their best 15 day average win from $700-$100, ladies top three anglers $300-$100, youth winners, and lots more cash and merchandise. Fish the entire Flathead Lake for lake trout and turn them in at one of the fish pickup locations at the specified times or turn them in at the Blue Bay main fish station on the east side of the lake at any time during the day from 9:00 am until dark. Anglers may keep their catch or donate them to be processed and given to area food banks from Missoula to Whitefish. All anglers who catch 20 or more lake trout will also receive bonus amounts depending on their total entries at the end of the event. Fish Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for seven weekends and then (new to this event) the last week will be 10 straight days through the eighth weekend of fishing fun. No break during the week. Fish can be turned in every day from the 4th of November to the 13th of November. That makes this a 28 day event. Mack Days Events are used

as a tool to slowly decrease the number of non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake (introduced in 1905) and increase the numbers of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in the lake while at the same time balance tradeoffs between native species conservation and the nonnative species reduction to maintain a viable recreational fishery for lake trout. Native fish numbers in Flathead Lake have dramatically declined over the years. Their numbers are now just a fraction of where they once used to be in the Flathead system. Montana is the bull trout’s stronghold in the United States.

Bull trout were once common throughout the Pacific Northwest and were regarded as one of the premier bull trout populations because of the numbers, size of the fish, and their long (up to 140 miles) spawning migrations. Today they remain in only five western states and two Canadian provinces.

Making a difference now may mean a lot to the future of these native fish and to future generations of Montana anglers. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have made saving bull trout a high priority and a measure of their ability to be good stewards of sensitive natural resources.

We encourage anglers to follow safety recommendations while fishing Flathead Lake. Watch weather patterns, be prepared and carry a cell phone (put it in a zip lock bag), wear a life preserver, tell someone when you expect to be off the water, etc. If you are coming from another area inspect, clean, drain, and dry your boat when leaving the area you are coming from.

Anglers may enter on the website, pickup applications at area sporting goods stores, or call in their entries to 406-883-2888 ex. 7294. Entries will not be mailed out.

Enter before September 21st and turn in one fish during the event to qualify for a special $200 drawing. Go to www.mackdays.com for information.

Fun for the entire family!

September 23rd-November 13th Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays-except the last week* 28 Days of Fishing!

Up to $125,000 in Cash and Prizes 1-$10,000 , 3-$5,000 , 10-$1,000, & Over 3,000--$100 to $500 Tagged Lake Trout 50 Lottery Drawings ($30,000) $200-$1,000 prizes One lake trout entry=one ticket in the lottery drawing Limited to your best 15 day average. Bonus $ amounts continue to accumulate every day.

Check out the prize list and entry form at www.mackdays.com *The last ten days from November 4th-13th-every day will be included as a fishing day and will make this a 28 day event. Top ten angler prizes will be based on their best 15 day average. The last day will be a separate day with its own prizes.

All it takes is one fish to win in the lottery prize drawings.

Entry forms will not be mailed out.

Enter online at www.mackdays.com

or pick up entries at local sporting good stores - or you can even enter when you check in your fish at the check in stations during Mack Days. It is easier if you enter before the event begins.

There is a drawing ($200) for anglers who enter on or before September 21st and turn in at least one lake trout.

Sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks

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• SEPTEMBER 2011

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he fall Chinook salmon season in the Snake and Clearwater rivers opens September 1.

The seasons open September 1 and run until October 31 or until further notice in the Snake River from the Washington-Idaho border upstream to Hells Canyon Dam and in the Clearwater River from its mouth upstream to the Memorial Bridge.

The Snake River is divided into four management sections: -From the Washington-Idaho border upstream to the U.S. Highway 12-Bridge Street Bridge - the Blue Bridge.

-From the Bridge Street Bridge upstream to the Oregon-Washington border.

-From the Oregon-Washington border upstream to the mouth of Sheep Creek.

-From the Mouth of Sheep Creek up stream to Hells Canyon Dam. The Clearwater River: From its mouth upstream to the U.S. Highway 12 Memorial Bridge.

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Salmon anglers may keep six adult fall Chinook daily. The field possession limit is 18 adult fall Chinook. There is no limit on the total number of adult fall Chinook an angler may keep during the fall season. An adult Chinook is 24 or more inches in total length, and only Chinook with a clipped adipose fin may be kept.

The season is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

ontana Fish, Wildlife and Parks collected three tiger muskellunge during annual fish sampling at Gartside Reservoir in July 2011. Their lengths ranged from 12.1 inches to 13.2 inches. Four hundred of these fish were stocked in October 2010 and averaged ten inches long. The primary reason they were stocked is to reduce the stunted panfish populations. A second goal is to provide a trophy fish opportunity for local anglers.

Anglers need to recognize the difference between Northern Pike and Tiger Muskellunge. Both species are present in the reservoir and are similar in appearance, size and behavior.

Harvest regulations are different for each species so anglers need to understand the identification differences in the fish and the harvest regulations.

Identification signs will be posted around the reservoir, which illustrates the differences between the two species. The regulations allow for the harvest of 10 northern pike per day and 10 in possession. The statewide tiger muskellunge regulation allows for 1 per day and 1 in possession that must be over 40 inches in length.

Anglers that are unsure of which species they have caught should release the fish back into the reservoir. At this time the planting of tiger muskellunge is basically a catch and release angler opportunity given the 40 inch length regulation.

SEPTEMBER 2011 •

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Fishing With The Captain Mark Ward and Holter Reservoirs it is not uncommon to catch some nice four or five pound fish.

Y es it is September but just because some sportsman and women are

getting ready for hunting it certainly doesn’t mean that anglers have to take a back seat.

September brings some of the best fishing to the state and the weather is, for the most part, ideal.

Sunny, not too warm days and cool nights get the fish feeling like winter and colder weather are just around the corner. River fishing and lake fishing all across Montana should be excellent.

This year river anglers will be in for a treat because the river flows will be running higher than normal. With more water the fish will be even more active than they normally are this time of the year.

Lake anglers that fish for trout really like September because it seems the bigger trout come out of their late summer dog days to feed aggressively.

Reservoirs, like the ones located over

by Helena, may produce limits of trout, plus in lakes like Canyon Ferry, Hauser

Most anglers are trolling a brown trout or rainbow trout imitation Rapala lure in the J-7 size either jointed or not.

On bright sunny days I would suggest trolling three to four colors and on cloudy cooler days, the trout should be shallower so two colors might find them. Last year I caught all of my fish trolling no deeper than 9 feet below the surface. I also had really good luck with fire tiger colored 1/16 syclops spoons and the same size light green needlefish.

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The walleye fishing is also worth a try on these reservoirs. I have had really good luck pitching a jig tipped with a worm in the shallows south of Cottonwood Creek on Holter Reservoir.

Fish for the rainbows during the day and then fish for the walleyes later on into the early evening.

Clark Canyon, Georgetown Lake, and some of the smaller reservoirs would also be a good bet.

Smallmouth bass are another good choice and anglers can head to a number of different lakes and rivers like Noxon Reservoir and the lower Flathead River in Western Montana.

A three way swivel with a bell sinker and a 25 inch leader with a hook tipped with a worm works well along with spinner baits. For the larger bass make sure you fish the ledges and the deeper holes.

Northern Pike fishing also gets good as the nights get colder and the days cool down a bit later on this month.

Try tossing swim baits in the weeds or trolling a j-13 orange and gold rapala along the weed beds.

No matter what your activity, hunting or fishing, September is an ideal time to be outdoors in Montana. Enjoy it!

We’ve Got Your Ride Mark Ward is known as the Captain of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show heard statewide every Saturday from 6am - 8am.

Jim Johnson of Hi-Country Snack Foods in Lincoln with a nice Holter rainbow trout

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.

• 13

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14 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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• SEPTEMBER 2011

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

Record Hybrid Trout caught at American Falls Reservoir Weight: 34.74 lbs., Length: 41-1/8 inches Angler: Mark Adams of Pocatello, Idaho Fishing with a jig from a boat using 10 pound test line.

The month of September will be exceptional for fishing here in Montana.

Most rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs have transitioned to favorable water levels and mild weather systems are in place. Fall is undoubtably some of the best fishing of the year, and I know some of you are going to have to make a choice. “Do I go fishing or do I start scouting, and/or bowhunting for big game?” All I can tell you is, “Take as many days as you can and do as much as you can with the time you have. As for fishing, you can’t go wrong in any direction you choose. Let’s take a look.

ROCK CREEK

September brings cooler weather, more consistent hatches and smaller crowds on the “Rock.” Fish are in good shape and the water is terrific here this month. Blue Winged Olives, Mahoganies, and Hecubas are the big Mayfly hatches here. As it gets later in the month, look for October Caddis to start appearing. This large burnt orange bodied bug offers trout a higher calorie meal, and the fish love them. October Caddis are not seen in great numbers, as they are nocturnal, but he pupa is common and nymphing with a pupa pattern can be very effective. If you get into a dense enough hatch on any given day, the fishing here is world class. Cool fall mornings will be the time to fish, as well as late evening before dark.

BITTERROOT RIVER

Besides fishing the March Skwala season, September is next best when it comes to fishing on the “Root.” There are two large mayflies that hatch most days in September; the Mahogany Dun and the Slate Winged Drake, or Hecuba as it’s called. The Mahogany is a reddish brown fly in size #12 - #14 and is effectively matched by a mahogany thorax dun or purple haze pattern. Blue Winged Olives will also make an appearance for a second time this year with the fall bug a bit bigger in size than the spring version. Look for overcast, cooler days in September and you will see better hatches and big fish on the rise. For more information and conditions, on the Bitterroot, contact Bob Ward & Sons in Hamilton for current updates at 406-363-6204.

BLACKFOOT RIVER

Hoppers fish well here until the first real frost, and the Blue Winged Olives will hatch reliably through October on the Blackfoot. The October Caddis is prevalent here and will get the fish biting. Streamer fishing is tough to beat as brown trout become more and more aggressive as they approach their fall spawn. Use your favorite rabbit strip, marabou, or rubber legged and cone-headed concoction.

FLATHEAD LAKE The whitefish bite will present some opportunities through September. Head to the North end of the lake for better fishing, as they get ready to head to the river to spawn. Polson Bay can be excellent for fall whitefish as well. The Mac bite should continue to be good through September. The fish tend to school up and as the weather gets cooler, the fish will move to shallow water. Vertical jig fishing works well when this happens. Try a Leadgator or Rattle D’ Zastor spoon tipped with cut bait. Trolling with flatfish, Kwik fish or hoochies behind a dodger will produce good numbers and bigger fish. As it gets later in the month, casting heavy spoons such as Bomber spoons, Country Miles and larger forage minnow spoons toward steep banks and drop-offs will produce some action for shallow water Macs.

LOWERFLATHEAD RIVER While most known for its wilderness cutthroat and oversized northern pike in the backwater sloughs, this river offers abundant smallmouth bass fishing. From Kerr Dam downstream to the Clark Fork river near Paradise, you’ll find some of the best trophy smallmouth bass fishing in Montana.

The only drawback is the lack of public access. This means a low amount of fishing pressure, and a good chance you’ll catch a big smallmouth. One of the best spots to cast from the bank is at Sloan Bridge downstream from the Dam. It’s also a good area for pike, trout and a few lakers that have migrated from Flathead Lake. The lower Flathead has traded the Montana state smallmouth bass record with Fort Peck reservoir a few times in past years.

BIGHOLE RIVER

Speaking of big brown trout, let’s talk about the Bighole. Light teppet and

zero water movement are required from the boat to fool big trout here.

The fish can be a little spooky here, as this river gets a lot of pressure. Ants, beetles, Purple Haze, Tricos, Caddis, Hoppers and an assortment of attractor patterns will produce fish. Nymphing deep runs of the river are effective now as fish escape the beating sun.

They will inhale an assortment of midge patterns, pheasant tails, Copper Johns, princess and soft hackles. Nymphs can be the most productive form of fishing on the upper reaches here. The lower Bighole will fish well with Hoppers, ants, and beetles on the surface.

Nymphs also work. Look for the fishing to pick up here in the coming weeks as brown trout spawning season nears.

The Bighole and Beaverhead rivers are two fine fisheries in SW Montana with lots of large fish and hatches this time of year. Stop by Bob Ward & Sons in Bozeman on your way to fish and they can provide you with what you need to be successful fishing these waters.

MADISON RIVER Terrestrials and Baetis will be the mainstay surface activity here.

Craneflies are a good option as well near Reynolds and Three Dollar Bridges. Streamers are always viable on this water and as we approach October, even more so. Midges will become more of a factor here throughout the month. Don’t be surprised to catch a few early spawning big brown trout on the Madison this fall.

FIREHOLE RIVER As water temps cool the Firehole river will produce tremendous fishing. Good hatches of Baetis Mayflies, Hoppers and terrestrials will keep dry fly anglers happy. Also swinging soft hackles in these type of waters can be exciting.

A good selection of streamers should be on hand. Lamar, Soda Butte and Slough Creek will be fishing some Late Drakes, Baetis and terrestrials. It’s prime time in the Park for fishing!

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Stores in Bozeman, Butte, Hamilton, Helena and Missoula. Or shop online 24/7 at bobwards.com

SEPTEMBER 2011 •

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CANYON FERRY

Covering over 35,000 surface acres, it is the third largest body of water in Montana, and will produce large rainbow trout, good walleye fishing, perch, and an occasional kokanee. The reservoir is heavily stocked. As winter approaches trout, walleye, and perch will begin their feeding frenzy in order to fatten up for colder days ahead. Trolling any type of flasher rig such as a Cowbell in about 20 to 30 feet of water will produce big trout. If your out for walleye concentrate on shallower bays tossing jigs, crankbaits, and swimbaits. A drop-off rig with a 3 to 4 inch minnow pattern can be effect for walleye here. Dragging a drop shot rig rather than jigging will make more of a natural presentation.

HOLTER LAKE Cottonwood Creek and Split Rock will be a good choice for walleye fishing on Holter in September. Hit the shallow bays that dredge off into deeper water. Jigs will work well for walleye. Hit shaded areas if you can early morning and late evening for hungry fish. Rainbow trout fishing has been excellent all year at Holter Lake. Cowbells tipped with a nightcrawler seem to work well. Also trolling Wedding Rings around the Split Rock area always picks up a fish or three!

Oxbow Bend to the Gates Of The Mountains is good for both trout and walleye. If you need a guide to take you out on Holter, give Forrest from Walleye Hunter Guide Service a call at 406-459-5352. If you’re in Helena and need information or tackle, stop by Bob Ward & Sons.

They have a superb fishing department and staff that can help you get set-up to catch the fish.

HAUSER LAKE

The causeway is still picking up fish.

Weed beds are starting to play havoc.

Use heavier baits when fishing weed beds, 3/8oz.., 1/2 oz., or better. This will get you through the thick stuff and into where the fish are laying.

Weedless jigs and hooks will help in these areas. Troll deep crank baits and spoons in deeper water.

REGULATING RESERVOIR

The kokanee fishing will pick up here in September. Trolling works well. Try Wedding RIngs attached to a flasher set-up, spoons too. Using a flasher rig will pick up fish. With any luck the kokanee will again start fishing well here.

Enter Your Fishing Photo In The GEAR GIVEAWAY bigskyoutdoornews@yahoo.com

SEELEY & SALMON LAKES After lying on the bottom of the lake most of the summer, northern pike will start to feed aggressively as cooler weather approaches. A trophy sized fish is possible, as the lake quiets from the summer traffic. Try casting Husky Jerks,spoons, and spinner baits at these toothy predators in a firetiger or silver/black color combo. These fish will be eating schooled up kokanee salmon that are preparing to spawn. As winter nears look for the fishing to be very good on these waters.

NOXON

RESERVOIR

The bass fishing has been very good lately up on Noxon Reservoir. Again, try twitching Jerk baits, like the Rapala Husky Jerk, size 14 in perch-like colors. This will produce both bass and big northern pike. Spinner baits work well in Chartreuse color.

Fish along weeded edges throwing these baits and you will pick up fish.

Late September into October is a fine time to be on Noxon. Target big northern in 8 to 12 feet of water along weeded beds and dropoffs.

Rob Marshall and I spent two days on Noxon in late September of last year.

The fishing was first-rate and we’ll be headed that way again in a few weeks to fish for one to hang on the wall.

Give John at the Lakeside Motel a call at 888-827-4458 and stay right on the lake.

FORT PECK Expect magnificent fishing on Fort Peck in September. Water levels have been at all time highs earlier this spring, reeking havoc on locals that have houses near shorelines. The good news is that shorelines that have been dry for eight years are now under water and the plants submerged will help bait fish populations for the future.

More bait fish means better food supply for Walleye northern pike, and bass. The northern pike bite has been “amazing” reported Clint and Deb at Hell Creek Marina 406-557-2345.

Pitching a jig or spinner bait or trolling crank baits are a sure success.

Smallmouth bass are fishing very well too. The big walleye are pretty elusive right now. Fish in 14 to 18 feet of water for big northerns and bass and you will be in the fish. With seemingly endless water to fish, Fort Peck Reservoir is truly an amazing experience. If you are planning a trip to Fort Peck you can also fish out of Rock Creek Marina 406-485-2560. They have campgrounds available, and a well stocked marina with food, bait and good fishing advice. As temps begin to cool off in late September, expect the fishing to heat up. This could be a banner year on the water. Enjoy.

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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16 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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• SEPTEMBER 2011

UPLAND GAME BIRD HUNTING OUTLOOK U pland game bird hunters who have been watching the weather won’t be surprised that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials expect eastern Montana’s pheasant and grouse numbers to be well below average this fall.

In western and central Montana, game bird counts will be similar to or slightly down from last year. Upland game bird hunting begins Sept. 1. Pheasant season opens Oct. 8.

The most severe winter conditions, including prolonged, deep snow, occurred east of a line that ran from north of Shelby to the southeast corner of the state—a vast area. FWP officials said this extreme winter weather followed by a very wet, cold spring significantly reduced the winter survival and spring production of upland game birds.

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“Fortunately, western Montana counties avoided some of this extreme weather and hunters should find some upland game bird populations in western Montana that are similar to what they saw last year,” said Rick Northrup Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game bird coordinator.

Northrup said in the western Montana, estimates of ruffed grouse, spruce grouse and pheasant harvests in 2010 ranged from 56 to 79 percent of average.

“In western Montana, gray partridge, dusky grouse, and spruce grouse likely fared better because they nest later in the spring and early summer, after most of the heavy rains came and went,” Northrup said.

On the other hand, in eastern Montana pheasants and prairie grouse had a rough time of it.

“In eastern Montana, spring precipitation patterns in many counties suggest that game bird nests were likely inundated and abandoned by late May,” said Northrup.

Hens with disrupted nests can often times renest if they are not too far along with incubation. This is particularly true for pheasants. Unfortunately, those chicks that may have hatched in late May likely succumbed to the extreme, prolonged moisture and cold.

“In the past 22 years, Montana has enjoyed a 50-100 percent increase in pheasant harvest, largely as a result of CRP,” Northrup said. “Montana still has over 2.7 million acres enrolled, but enrolled lands continue to decline as farms go back into grain production.”

Western Montana: (FWP Region 1 and Region 2): In FWP Region 1, in northwestern Montana, last year’s harvest of dusky grouse was about two-thirds of normal. There should be more birds this fall, but populations will remain below average. Ruffed grouse numbers are expected to be well below average

MFWP

due to untimely cold and precipitation.

Spruce grouse numbers may also be improved from last year but still below average. Pheasant numbers should show improvement, but remain below average.

In FWP Region 2, in the Missoula area, the dusky grouse harvest in 2010 was 80 percent of average and should be similar this year. FWP expects spruce grouse numbers to improve, but ruffed grouse here too will have been reduced by cold rains in early June. FWP officials say 2010’s pheasant harvest was 116 percent of average and hunters can look forward to the potential for a similar or even greater harvest this fall due to the relatively open winter conditions in this region. Officials caution, however, that lands accessible to public pheasant hunting are very limited in this region.

Southwestern and South Central Montana (FWP Region 3 and Region 5): In southwestern Montana, late May and early June rains were generally less of a factor than in the east. FWP is anticipating average to slightly improved dusky and ruffed grouse numbers. Spruce grouse and gray partridge, later nesters, are not expected to have been impacted by June’s early, cold rain. Partridge numbers were 80 percent of average last year and FWP expects them to be near average this year.

Spruce grouse, though not prevalent in southwestern Montana, are expected to be above average in number. Also in FWP Region 3, FWP expects sage grouse and pheasant numbers to improve over last year to near average.

FWP Region 5 received extreme rain in late May or early June equaling or exceeding the area’s average annual precipitation.

Because of their nesting chronology, later nesting birds, including dusky grouse and gray partridge, may have renested, resulting in later hatches in the region.

Some improvement in the number of gray partridge and dusky grouse compared to last year is possible, but these populations will remain below average. FWP officials say ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed and sage grouse numbers will likely remain below average too. Pheasant numbers are expected to be below average, similar to last year.

Montana Hi-Line (FWP Region 4 and 6): In FWP Region 4, dusky and ruffed grouse are not as numerous as they are further west. FWP expects below average populations, down from last year. The gray partridge harvest in FWP Region 4 was 20-50 percent below average last year.

Their numbers should show some improvement overall, but will remain below average. Along the Eastern Front, cold, wet weather in early June likely impacted survival of sharp-tailed grouse broods. In the southern portion of FWP Region 4, (continued next page)

SEPTEMBER 2011 •

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Upland Bird Outlook Feeding Highly (continued) numbers may also have been impacted by cold rains at the start of hatch.

FWP expects pheasant numbers in north central Montana to improve some too, but remain below average.

Sage grouse lek surveys suggest sage grouse numbers will remain about 30 percent below average, with some improvement in the southern half of the region compared to the north.

In FWP Region 6 west, gray partridge numbers are expected to be below average following the double-wammy of a severe winter and harsh spring. Sage grouse winter survival was good, but spring losses will likely mean below average numbers of sage grouse. Sharp-tailed grouse faced similar challenges and numbers are expected to be well below average.

Pheasant numbers are also expected to be well below average, particularly in areas lacking good winter cover.

In FWP Region 6 east, the weather impacted the survival of all upland game bird species. FWP officials say spring surveys suggest all species of upland game birds were reduced in number, particularly where winter habitat is limited. Spring moisture was extensive but June rains were generally lighter than those experienced further south. As in other areas of eastern Montana, chicks that survived spring had excellent cover and insect production through the remainder of the brood-rearing period.

Southeastern Montana (FWP Region 7 north and Region 7 south): In FWP Region 7 north overwintering was a challenge for all game bird species. Gray partridge, prairie grouse and pheasant numbers are expected to be down from last year across the board. Sharp-tailed grouse have been relatively abundant for the past four years, but FWP expects fewer sharp-tailed grouse this fall.

Active Dogs During Hunting Season Story courtesy of Pheasants Forever and Nestlé Purina / Purina Pro Plan brand dog food

A feeding program that optimally complements your hardworking canine is a great way to help ensure that your dog’s season, performance and health will be in peak form. Among the important considerations to achieve success, you should feed a performance food with greater caloric density and adjust the feeding amount relative to your dog’s needs.

For many enthusiasts, having a dog that is very active during the hunting season and much less active in the spring and summer may be the way of life. For others, training, competitions and hunting may be a year-round passion. To optimize the performance of a hardworking dog, it is best to feed a performance food that contains 30 percent protein/20 percent fat versus a maintenance formula containing from 24 to 26 percent protein/12 to 16 percent fat. Performance foods have been shown in nutrition studies with dogs to optimize many physical and metabolic characteristics that are important to exercise.

A performance food provides two major benefits. First, it is more calorie-dense, which is important when more food is needed to meet a dog’s higher energy demand of increased activity and cooler temperatures. Second, and more importantly, a performance formula appropriately provides a greater proportion of nutrients delivered from fats and protein to significantly increase a working dog’s metabolism that favors exercise.

Did you know that a hardworking dog’s energy needs can double or as much as quadruple over the course of the season, compared to its resting energy needs in the off-season? The change depends on the dog’s intensity, frequency and duration of exercise, as well as the terrain and environmental temperature while not exercising. (continued on page 46)

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• SEPTEMBER 2011

I Want That Bull! (continued from page 7)

During the opening morning of the archery elk season I sipped hot coffee while looking to the east at a slowly rising sun while three bulls fed in the new sunshine to the west. My hunting partner, Ross McCollouch, glassed the elk and the drainages where they fed as the cold morning breeze blew around us. Two bulls were 5x5s or small 6x6s, but one of them was unique. I couldn’t believe my eyes - six points on one side and a huge “drop tine” on the other. “I want that bull,” I whispered to Ross.

We sat and watched the bulls feed out of sight. I said, “Ross, you saw them first. I’ll wait here for you and continue to watch them through the spotting scope. This is the time to hunt solo because one hunter makes half as much noise as two hunters.”

Ross didn’t react to my gesture of offering him first crack at the bulls.

Hunterʼs Checklist Colorado Parks And Wildlife

P

reparing for a hunting trip is a major effort. Listed below are a few common items that hunters often forget as they get ready to go into the backcountry.

PUBLIC HUNTING

ACCESS TO PRIVATE LANDS - FWP BLOCK MANAGEMENT REGION CONTACTS MFWP

Hunters interested in obtaining access

◊ First aid kit (include mole skin/duct to the nearly nine million acres of tape for blisters);

◊Compass and high-quality maps; ◊ Fire starter for use in the field; ◊ Knife sharpener; ◊ Extra batteries; ◊ Rain gear; ◊ Blaze orange vest and cap; ◊ Extra fuel for camp-stove; ◊ Tire chains; ◊ Cleaning supplies, trash bags; ◊ Flashlight/lantern; ◊ Game bags; ◊ Sunscreen; ◊ Toilet tissue; ◊ Hunting license; ◊ List of family/friends phone ◊ ◊ ◊

numbers; Extra water bottles; Water purification pump or tablets; 2011 Big Game Hunting brochure.

private lands enrolled in FWP’s Block Management Program may contact the regional FWP office in the area where they plan to hunt, or check the “Hunting” pages on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov.

To contact FWP regional offices for more information on regional hunting opportunities on BMAs call: • • • • • • •

Northwest— FWP Region 1 in Kalispell: 406-752-5501 West-central—FWP Region 2 in Missoula: 406-542-5530 South-central—FWP Region 3 in Bozeman: 406-994-3288 Central—FWP Region 4 in Great Falls: 406-454-5862 East-central—FWP Region 5 in Billings: 406- 247-2940 Northeast—FWP Region 6 in Glasgow: 406-228-3700 Southeast—FWP Region 7 in Miles City: 406-234-0930

ull draw and placed my 45 yard pin on the bull’s vital area. The bull looked in my direction, but I maintained my advantage with the sun’s position and I was sure that he couldn’t see me. I took a deep breath and sent the Matrix arrow on its way. I I was getting restless and told Ross, “One heard a dull thud which is the sound that of us should slip down there and see if all archery hunters love to hear. As the we can get lucky while they’re still out bull turned and started up the hill I saw of sight.” The temperature outside was my arrow deeply embedded behind his a crisp 42 degrees with a light wind out shoulder, and it looked like a large thumb of the west. Conditions were perfect for tack on a moving bulletin board. The stalking with the sun coming up behind us. arrow hit a little high side, but still looked Ross didn’t react much to this either. like a good hit. I watched the bull go over hill and out of sight. Even without Frustrated, I told Ross, “If you’re not going amysmall binoculars I could see that he was the I will.” This is an archery opportunity we bull I was after. don’t see every day in Montana.” Ross set his binoculars down and said, “They’re Just as the bull crested the hill I heard the all yours - I’m not ready to get out of brush crack in front of me, and the other this warm truck yet. I’ll meet you at the two bulls appeared. They had been hidden tower at nine o’clock.” With that said I very well in the bushes. One was a nice grabbed my gear and headed down the 5x6 and the other was a smaller 6 by 6, treeless hill. but they didn’t compare to the bull I just arrowed.

The elk hadn’t shown themselves when I reached the bottom of the coulee but I After a nervous 20 minute wait, I moved knew they were close. As I moved a little toward the last place where I saw the further down the drainage I came across bull. I looked over a steep bank and saw a small knoll and spotted a bull feeding where the bull slid down to the bottom on the hillside to my left. I sat down in of the coulee on some shale. I didn’t have some tall grass and glassed the bull to a difficult tracking job in the wide-open identify which bull he was. I was elated to country. The bull collapsed in a bull berry discover that it was the “drop tine” bull. patch. When I spotted my bull I grinned I couldn’t see the drop tine, but I could from ear to ear and hooted – I’m sure see his unique 6x2 rack. He seemed to Ross heard me all the way back at camp. get nervous and looked up the drainage The bull traveled a total of 150 yards toward me into the sun, but I was from where I made the shot. completely camouflaged and remained While field dressing him, I discovered that perfectly still so the bull returned to he was hit high through both lungs. High feeding. I ranged the bull at 82 yards and hits usually result in a tougher tracking waited…and waited. After what seemed like an eternity the bull fed out of sight to job. The chest cavity is so deep on an elk that many times they bleed out internally my left. and very little blood hits the ground. A I moved closer to the draw, sat down and lower chest cavity hit is much better put on my Bear Puff stalking booties. They because of the massive blood loss and work great and give a hunter a stealthy generous external blood trail. My bull had advantage when trying to stalk in close a typical six point antler on one side and for a shot. I ranged the bushes in front of the other antler had a 59 inch main beam me - 42 yards exactly. I knocked a Beman with two points at the top with a huge Matrix ACC arrow tipped with a 100mass of bone for a drop tine splitting off grain Muzzy broad head and slowly got near the base. into shooting position. I looked for the other two bulls but couldn’t see either of Although a typical 6x6 mount is beautiful a unique bull like mine presents a them. wonderful conversation piece. This is a I brought my Martin Rage Split Limb to (continued page 21)

SEPTEMBER 2011 •

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Outdoor Calendar Sponsored By C’Mon Inn Bozeman & Missoula Lodge Like Atmosphere With Resort Amenities CIRCLE LEWISTOWN CIRCLE RIFLE CLUB TURKEY MONTANA TRAPPERS SHOOT: SEPTEMBER 11 ASSOC. STATE CONVENTION: Circle Rifle Club Turkey Shoot is held annually the SEPTEMBER 9 - 11

second Sunday in September at 10:00am. Lunch will be available. There is trap shooting, target rifle shooting, pistol shooting and 22 shooting for kids. This is a day of fun shooting events and something for the whole family.

Phone: 406-485-2539

Gathering of Trappers to show, trade, yearly awards, banquet. Open to all. Trapping demonstrations, contests, fur fashion show, dealer booths offering everything from jewelry to trapping lures. Located at the Fergus County Fairgrounds. Phone: 406-376-3178

DILLON UMW 9TH ANNUAL HUNTER/ JUMPER HORSESHOW: SEPTEMBER 16 - 18

WEST YELLOWSTONE OLD FAITHFUL FALL CYCLE TOUR: SEPTEMBER 24

The Annual UMW Hunter/Jumper Horse Show is a horse competition. This show is approved by the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, the Montana Hunter Jumper Association, and the American Paint Horse Association for alternative points. Held at the Beaverhead County Fairgrounds. Phone: 406-660-0558

EUREKA SALMON FESTIVAL: SEPTEMBER 17 This is a family festival, revolving around the annual salmon run up the Tobacco River which runs through the Historical Village in downtown Eureka. Salmon Festival has something for everyone; fishing derby, kids games, casting contest, scarecrow contest, salmon cook off, different length runs, arts and crafts fair, great food vendors, and much more. The fun starts at 9:00am and goes all day. Phone: 406-889-4636 or visit www.welcome2eureka.com

GREAT FALLS NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY: SEPTEMBER 24

To encourage visitation to our nation’s public lands, the national forests and grasslands join the Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service in waiving entrance fees for the last Saturday in September. The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center can be reached by following the brown Interpretive Center / State Park signs in Great Falls. 1/4 mile from Giant Springs; 1.5 miles east of Black Eagle Dam.

KALISPELL NW MONTANA ARMS COLLECTORS FALL GUN SHOW: SEPTEMBER 9 - 11 Large display of guns, antique, and modern and accessories for sale. Custom western jewelry, knives, and art. Held at Flathead County Fairgrounds.

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• 19

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Ride this 60-mile round-trip bicycle tour to Yellowstone’s Old Faithful, starting at 9:00am. Enjoy the fall colors of Yellowstone National Park as the bicycle tour takes you past geysers, thermal features, bison and bugling elk. If you are looking for a shorter ride, we will shuttle you and your bike back from Old Faithful, or we will shuttle you in and you can ride back. There is a limit of 350 riders so register today at http://www.cycleyellowstone.com.

Events To Support WILDLIFE DUCKS UNLIMITED 09/17/2011 Townsend Upper Missouri River Chapter Ernie Nunn 406-431-2433 MULE DEER FOUNDATION 10/15/2011 Miles City Miles City Chapter Jesse Schell 406-234-3801 ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUND. 09/24/2011 Libby Lincoln County Big Game Banquet Barb Nelson 406-293-3812 10/01/2011 Helena Big Game Banquet Tracy Donaldson 406-475-9599 10/15/2011 Dillon Beaverhead Big Game Banquet Barb Nelson 406-293-3812 Ted Stosich 406-925-0535 SCI 09/09/2011 Missoula Western Montana Chapter 866-633-8110

This archery bear hunt ended well for Kody Baker of Helena, MT. Photo courtesy Buffalo Jump Archery in Helena.

20 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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• SEPTEMBER 2011

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Watching the Troll

Archery Hunting In North Dakota

By S. L. Merriam

A ll the does focused their attention on the big buck that behaved like the ugly troll under the drawbridge, requiring each to pass by so he could check them out. The buck’s full attention was on the business at hand... trolling for love. Sound familiar? This scene is repeated all over the country in the fall and luckily we live in a country that supports numerous places that hold big bucks trolling for love. Huge whitetails are found in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois, while mule deer populate New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and North Dakota. North Dakota? Are there really deer there?

I’ll tell you a secret. Any archer laying awake waiting for hunting season and counting sheep will scramble for his bow when a big 10-point jumps the fence along with the woolies. The truth is, in North Dakota, there are deer, big deer, both whitetails and muleys. Archery tags are easy to get but extremely limited for rifle and muzzleloader hunters.

John Smith has observed North Dakota’s potential first hand after hunting from one of Bill Freitag’s tree stands or sitting in Bill’s infamous carpet blind. After three hunts he has brought home three big bucks. Seeing mixed whitetail and mule deer herds of 150 animals proved he was hunting a super honey hole but only a few archers know about the 99.9 % shot opportunity and 60% kill rate average Bill provides during the five-day hunts. This is not high fence! These are wild deer on a 15,000-acre ranch made up of alfalfa plateaus mixed with deep draws and rugged canyons. The ranch is located about an hour from Dickerson, North Dakota.

Can’t find the spot on a map? Just remember a two-hour drive on Interstate 94, straight west from Bismarck.

Good friend, Bob Utick from Helena with his 2010 Antelope Green Score: 82-5/8

On this hunt John was perched in a Cabela’s tree stand hung in a big cedar

about 15-feet off the ground. The stand was in a group of cottonwoods along a river bottom filled with eight-foot willow brush. The deer trails in the heavy cover are the deer’s version of Interstate 94, with many feeder trails. Animal movement consists of coming down to water at night then moving up the canyons at dawn, feeding as they go. They bed in the middle of day in the canyons and upper coulees and their daily journey from the bottoms to the bedding areas take them right by John’s stand.

The season runs from September 1 until January 7, and the state deer tag is a combination whitetail-mule deer license so you don’t have to pass up that big muley because you have a whitetail-only tag. The combo tag was burning a hole in John’s pocket as he watched a 200-plus mule deer buck chase a doe around under his tree stand.

This hunt was at the peak of the rut and all the bucks were in hot pursuit of running does. There was deer movement everywhere that afternoon but John kept passing on the nice bucks, holding out for a monster. The monster he was hoping to tag had remained visible while hanging around the cedars chasing a hot doe but the buck always managed to keep a big cottonwood limb between them blocking a shot. Such a huge buck being so close for so long was taking its toll but John figured patience would prevail and the buck would stop in an opening. Unfortunately the pair kept going round and round as the doe kept to cover in the cedars.

When they went behind the stand, the chase would stop, then, when they came around the front, the race was on again but John didn’t want to chance a running shot. The chase continued until dark when John finally heard Bill arrive at the pickup point. The deer heard the vehicle too and stopped. The buck split from the doe, walked in the (continued on page 37)

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•

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 21

Free Smartphone Apps For Hunters And Outdoor Enthusiasts forhuntersbyhunters.com

T here are many free Smartphone apps available for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts to make their outdoor experience safe, informative and more enjoyable.

Here are a few of our favorites: 4HxH SafeClimber: A treestand safety App for Android phones developed by 4HxH and hog-g.com. The App is designed to call a selected contact in your phone in the event that a hunter falls out of a tree stand or becomes suspended for an extended period of time. Other features include an SOS button for 1 touch emergency dialing and the ability to track the hunter via GPS. GoldenPicLite: This application gives you the weather in addition to blue and golden hours respective of your location (including sunrise and sunset). The screen is kept dark for hunters in the field so as not to disturb their vision or game.

ES File Explore by Estrongs: You can take on the spot photos and load them onto your blog, Facebook account, Photobucket etc. for storage and email, realtime. You can also search your smartphone folders much like your PC to keep them organized. iMovicha: Real time streaming of video\audio( if you are in a situation where you can talk) of what you see. Stream to your friends PC or smartphone if they have iMovicha uploaded.

UStream: Live Streaming video to your UStream account or embed your “Viewer” into your own website and invite your friends to watch your hunt or wheeling trip.

Latitude App by Google: Lets you see your hunting\wheeling buddies location real time. Whomever you are watching needs to have the application on and allow their location to be followed by wither just you or the world.

Inclinometer: Allows you to see the angle that you are currently on (or measure angles with your phone). This application will tell you (when mounted to your vehicle), what approach or departure angle you are on real time for off roading.

MyTracks: You can track your path and upload it to google maps. mark waypoints (wheeling obstacles or important hunting information). MyTracks can tell you your rate of speed, ascent and descent heights and record it all for later review.

Smart Measure: Can be used as a rangefinder and it is deadly accurate on flat ground within inches if calibrated correctly).

Whitetail Hunting Calls: 9 Calls for Whitetail deer, including instructions. The calls are always in your pocket. Designed with hunters in mind. Play, Stop or Change calls on the run from Big and clear buttons.Check your local game laws for legal use if you intend to use this in hunting. Available at market.android.com These are just a few of the FREE apps available. There are many. Check them out on the web. You may be surprised at what you find. If you don’t own a Smartphone, it might be time to consider one.

For more Smartphone Apps turn to page 41.

12 Ways To Gain I Want That Permission Bull! (continued from page 18) Hunting(continued from page 4) truly unique trophy, and I probably won’t see another one like it in my lifetime. Some would call him an “ugly duckling”, but I call him the trophy of a lifetime. This was the biggest and most unique trophy of my hunting career and I shot him with my bow.

This hunt may be over, but my adventures in bow hunting are just beginning.

My unique bull is displayed at the Dairy Queen in Plentywood and many conversations have started when fellow hunters and other customers look at this non-typical shoulder mount. If both sides were typical 6x6 antlers his “green” score could have approached 330 inches. Remember, when hunting with bow or a gun, it’s not the number of animals taken or the trophies on your wall that count – it’s the time spent in the field that’s important. Good hunting and cherished memories last a lifetime.

you can also market yourself by running off a brochure at your local printing center or using computer software, which you can hand to them when you seek access. List your membership in certain conservation organizations.

Record your professional credentials there. Indicate you’ve successfully passed a hunter’s safety course. Mention your wife, kids, and even church affiliation if applicable. Shape your image. Indicate you’re serious about your hunting, but also safety-minded.

Sell yourself.

10) Sometimes though it is definitely not in your best interest to tell the landowner everything you’re doing there. Keep it simple. You may love hunting, but it isn’t for everyone. Think about your audience. Don’t lie to them, but if necessary, don’t elaborate too much either.

11) Ask the landowner if it’s okay to ride your Yamaha ATV or Side-by-Side on their trails, and where it’s best to park that vehicle.

12) Once you get permission, keep it.

22 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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• SEPTEMBER 2011

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FWP Urges Hunters To Help Reduce Common Hunting Violations MFWP Every hunting season some individuals unwittingly or knowingly violate the state’s game laws.

MFWP’s officials urges hunters to review Montana’s hunting rules and regulations to ensure they act within the law and that they recognize when others violate the hunting regulations and related laws.

Any violation afield can be reported to TIP-MONT on 1-800-TIP-MONT, that is 1-800-847-6668.

FWP Region One Seeks Applicants For Northwest Montana Citizen Advisory Committee MFWP FWP is seeking volunteer applicants to

fill three slots on the Region One Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC). The 12-member CAC is in its 16th year and was established to provide input and guidance to FWP from the public. This is a general advisory committee that works with FWP on many issues and programs.

CAC members come from across northwest Montana. Advisors serve in a volunteer capacity with meals and Here are some of the most common game mileage provided. Evening meetings are violations: held about six times per year.

•failure to obtain permission from landowners The function of the CAC is to: before hunting on private property, •wasting part of a game animal suitable for -Help promote Montana’s strong hunting, fishing, trapping, and recreational food, •failure to properly validate a license/tag or traditions. to securely fasten the tag in a visible manner -Help make FWP personnel more to a game animal immediately after it is available and responsive to the public. taken and before it is moved or transported -Contribute to local decision-making and local solutions. from the kill site, •taking game from the wrong hunting -Help FWP be aware of issues before they become problems. district, •using someone else's tag on a game animal -Influence the choice of projects to benefit you killed, or tagging a game animal that the Region’s fish, wildlife, habitat, anglers, hunters, and other recreationists. someone else killed, •shooting game animals on or from any Some of the major issues and programs public highway or public right-of-way, which have involved the CAC include: •taking game without a license or the proper boating rules, lake management, big game permit, seasons, winter feeding of deer, bear •failure to validate a big game tag, management, predator management, hunting •not leaving evidence of the sex or species heritage, hunter education, Lost Trail of the game animal attached.

National Wildlife Refuge hunting plan, and FWP encourages hunters to information and media. protect the future of their sport by hunting responsibly and reporting hunting violations To apply for the CAC, contact FWP to request an application at 752-5501 email to the toll-free 1-800-TIP-Mont mabbrescia@mt.gov. All applications must (1-800-847-6668) number. be received by Friday, September 9.

FWP Seeks Comments EHD (Epizootic On Potential Bighorn Hemorrhagic Transplants MFWP Disease) In MFWPs is seeking comment on a

potential bighorn sheep transplant proposal for three areas in southwestern Montana.

The proposed transplant areas include the Bull Mountains north of Whitehall, Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, and Doherty Mountain, just north of the caverns.

White-tail Deer MFWP

R eports from a few Montana locations indicate EHD has surfaced in the resident

white-tailed deer populations. Reports of EHD deaths have come from Billings, in the Glendive area along the Yellowstone “These areas were selected, in part, because River and east of Roundup on the Musselshell River. Locally dead deer have there would likely be an interchange of bighorns among the three areas,” said FWP been found along the Tongue River above Wildlife Biologist Tom Carlsen, the project 12 Mile Dam Fishing Access Site and in the Kinsey area. leader. “These areas were occupied by bighorns historically and our habitat FWP’s, program manager John Ensign modeling indicates the habitat there can said, “I am sure we will continue to receive support 200-300 sheep.” reports from several locations where whitetails live in southeastern Montana. There One of the statewide objectives in FWP’s is not much we can do as EHD is a viral recently completed Bighorn Sheep infection carried by a biting midge that Conservation Strategy is to establish five new populations over the course of the next white-tailed deer are especially vulnerable 10 years and to augment populations where to, there is no human health risk and we will have to wait until after the first killing appropriate. frost for this situation to mitigate.” It can If approved, bighorn sheep would be be reasonably predicted that dead deer may captured from existing Montana start showing up all along the river and populations and moved to release sites, creek corridors in southeastern Montana. perhaps as soon as this winter. To EHD is an infectious viral disease of adequately stock all three areas may take white-tailed deer and outbreaks can occur several years and would depend on annually. EHD and the bluetongue virus are availability of surplus sheep, Carlsen said. basically indistinguishable. Biting midges Montana’s Bighorn Sheep Conservation transmit both diseases and the disease is Strategy is available online. Visit FWP’s seasonal and usually occurs late summer or website at fwp.mt.gov. Search for “Bighorn early fall. A hard freeze can kill the insects Sheep”. and stop the spread of the disease.

FWP will take public comment of any issues associated with these potential transplants through Sept. 12. Comments can be submitted in writing to: Montana FWP, P.O. Box 998, Townsend, MT 59644 or by email to Tom Carlsen at tcarlsen@mt.gov.

Humans are not at risk by handling infected deer, eating venison from infected deer or being bitten by infected flies. In handling deer, normal precautions should be taken; wear gloves and wash well after handling.

Contact your local warden or biologist or the Miles City FWP office @ 234-0900 should abnormal acting or dead deer be noticed.

SEPTEMBER 2011 •

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•

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 23

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Salazar Underscores Economic Value Of Investing In Outdoors S

ecretary of the Interior Ken Salazar underscored the importance of investing in parks, refuges, and other public lands to promote economic growth and create jobs during a meeting with conservation and outdoor recreation leaders at an Eastern Mountain Sports store.

Our nation’s investment in conservation of our land, water, and wildlife and in providing outdoor recreational opportunities for the public is an investment in economic growth and jobs for local communities,” Salazar said. “When you consider that one out of 20 jobs in America is associated with recreation, this is a time when we should be continuing to expand opportunities for people to hike, hunt, fish, and connect with the natural world.”

“Access to wild places for human powered recreation is good for our bodies, good for our souls and good for the U.S. economy”, said Will Manzer, CEO of Eastern Mountain Sports and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Outdoor Industry Association. “We’re proud to play a small part in the growth of the outdoor industry and we’re committed to doing everything we can to see that growth continue.”

SALAZAR NOTED THAT MORE THAN 12 MILLION AMERICANS HUNT, MORE THAN 30 MILLION FISH, AND THREE OUT OF FOUR ENGAGE IN SOME KIND OF HEALTHY OUTDOOR ACTIVITY. THIS CONTRIBUTES AN ESTIMATED $730 BILLION TO THE U.S. ECONOMY EACH YEAR.

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As the manager of one out of every five acres of the United States, the Department of the Interior supports $363 billion and 2.2 million jobs annually, he said.

Recreation in national parks, refuges, and other public lands alone led to nearly $55 billion in economic contribution and 440,000 jobs in 2009.

Salazar cited the importance of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative to establish a conservation ethic for the 21st century and reconnect Americans, especially young people, to the natural world.

He urged strong support for the Land and Water Conservation Act, the landmark program that funnels revenues from oil and gas development to support acquisition of land and waters for conservation and recreation. Each dollar from the fund generates $4 in economic activity.

At Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Salazar toured a wheelchair-accessible trail and met with the team of Youth Conservation Corps volunteers who built the trail. He noted that the refuge has no on-site staff and depends extensively on volunteers who assist with maintenance, invasive species management activities, and hosting visitors.

“Our country could not have the world’s greatest system of wildlife refuges if it were not for the partnership and volunteerism of the American people,” Salazar said. “More than 200 Friends groups support our refuges and more than 43,000 volunteers donate more than 1.6 million hours of their time and talent -- the equivalent of 775 full-time staff members.”

Hunting For Wolves Approved By FWP Commission MFWP The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Commission approved a wolf hunting season for the fall that encompasses 14 wolf management units and a total harvest quota of 220 wolves.

Wolf hunting will occur during the big game archery season set for Sept. 3 and during the general rifle season beginning Oct. 22. FWP officials say that the wolf hunting season in some areas could run through Dec. 31 if the quotas are not reached. Hunters are urged to study the new Montana wolf hunting regulations carefully for details on the areas they plan to hunt.

Montana’s wolf hunting license for residents is $19 and $350 for nonresidents.

License sales began in August.

Wildlife officials documented a minimum of 566 wolves, in 108 verified packs and 35 breeding pairs in Montana at the end of 2010. The harvest quota for the upcoming hunting season is projected to reduce the wolf population to a minimum of 425 wolves, or by about 25 percent.

A congressional measure passed this spring removed gray wolves from the list of endangered species in Montana, Idaho and parts of Oregon, Washington and Utah. It was challenged in federal district court in Missoula this May, and ruled constitutional

by Judge Donald Molloy on Aug. 3.

For the 2010 hunting season, FWP had approved a harvest quota of 186 wolves across 13 wolf management units. That season was blocked by a federal court.

Montana’s first and only regulated wolf hunt was in 2009 when 72 wolves were taken by hunters, three fewer than the established quota.

UPLAND GAME BIRD AND PHEASANT SEASON DETAILS MFWP Upland game bird seasons run Sept. 1

to Jan.1, 2012—with the exception of sage grouse season, which closes Nov. 1, and mountain grouse season, which closes Dec. 15. The general pheasant season open Oct. 8. The youth only special pheasant weekend is Sept. 24-25.

Daily Bag Limits •Two sage grouse, four sharp-tailed grouse, and three mountain grouse in aggregate and eight partridge in aggregate.

•Three cock pheasants daily.

Possession Limits •Two times the daily bag limit for sage grouse and four times the daily bag limit for sharp-tailed, mountain grouse and partridge.

•Three times the daily bag limit for pheasants.

The annual bag limit for turkey is two wild turkeys. The total combined limit of the spring and fall seasons cannot exceed two turkeys per hunter. In the fall, two either-sex turkeys may be harvested, but no more than one may be harvested in FWP Region 7 and no more than one may be harvested outside of FWP Region 7.

Fall turkey hunting is open to all hunters with a valid turkey license in the general hunting areas described in the upland game bird regulations. Special turkey hunting permits, with applications made in July, are valid only in areas specified in the regulations and must be used with a valid turkey license.

All areas open to hunting upland game birds by firearms are open to either-sex hunting of that species by falconry.

See the upland game bird hunting regulations available on the FWP website.

24 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

• SEPTEMBER 2011

Mid Range Ballistics For BOONE and CROCKETT CLUB Elk Hunting ®

Rocky Mountain Trophy Big Game Records

JARED J. MASON Pronghorn, 83 Carbon County County,, WY WY.. 200 2007 7

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

SHORT ACTION CALIBERS Caliber/Bullet Wt. Muzzle Velocity .243 Win, 85gr. 3320 7mm-08, 140gr. 2800 .308 Win, 165 gr. 2650 .308 Win, 180 gr. 2600 30-30 Win, 150 gr. 2200

Range 1,200 ft. lbs. Range 2,000 ft. lbs. * 200 + N/A * 200 + 100 * 200 + 150 250 + 250 * 100 + N/A

Range 1,200 ft. lbs.

.270 Win, 130 gr. .270 Win, 150 gr.

30-06, 165 gr. .30-06, 180 gr.

250 + 250 + 250 + 250 +

3060 2850 2800 2700

Range 2,000 ft. lbs.

100 + 150 150 250

Wind Drift

4.47 6.53 4.97 4.64

STANDARD LENGTH ACTIONS-MAGNUM CALIBERS Caliber/Bullet Wt. Muzzle Velocity

Range 1,200 ft. lbs.

7mm Rem, 175 gr. 3177 .300 Win, 150 gr. 3604 .300 Win, 180 gr. 3000 .338 Win, 225 gr. 2800

300 + * 300 + 300 + 300 +

Range 2,000 ft. lbs.

300 + * 150 + 300 + 300 +

I

have been hunting elk for 25 years and have made cartridge performance my hobby for longer than that. I use the Sierra Infinity Exterior Ballistics software, numerous reloading manuals, and a chronograph to help me determine the performance of my loads If your experience is hunting whitetail deer and you are transitioning now to the Rocky Mountain elk, you will notice that there is a significant difference in size between the species. I interviewed Brian Dreher, Senior Regional Biologist for the Co. Division of Wildlife’s southeast region, who described the body weights of common big-game species. Mature southern whitetail bucks will run between 150 and 200 pounds. In the northern states, whitetails will average around 250 to 300 pounds on the hoof.

A mature Rocky Mountain bull elk will weigh in between 660 and 780 pounds on the hoof. A mature cow will average 500 to 600 pounds. Yearling spike bulls will average 450 pounds. That 6-month-old calf born in June can weigh up to 250 pounds

by November. In other words, a calf of the year will weigh as much as a whitetail buck by the time the late seasons roll around.

Beyond body size, the thing I noticed when I started hunting elk was the massive bone structure of an elk compared to that of a mule deer. There is a huge difference. The elk needs that massive bone structure in order to carry all that weight. With that in mind there are important factors to consider when you decide on what rifle cartridge to use on Wind Drift your elk hunt. Key among these are 4.87 downrange energy, bullet performance, 2.94 recoil, accuracy and cost. I’m going to 3.12 concentrate on the more common cartridges 3.67 that we see in the field. There are many 7.80 fine cartridges available and if they are not listed here, that in no way indicates that they are not able to get the job done.

STANDARD LENGTH ACTIONS-NON MAGNUM CALIBERS Caliber/Bullet Wt. Muzzle Velocity

By Perry Durr

Wind Drift

3.79 6.92 2.83 2.98

When you have an elk in your sights you should concentrate on the heart- lung area of the chest cavity just behind the front leg. Head and neck shots are NOT recommended. You will need to penetrate into the tissue with enough destructive force to destroy those vital organs to insure a clean one shot kill. Cartridges that deliver 1,000 foot-pounds of energy are sufficient on deer species because they are smaller, thin-skinned and have a much lighter skeletal structure. The general consensus is that for a broadside shot on an elk you need 1,200 foot-pounds of energy and at least 2,000 foot-pounds for any quartering shot. A quartering shot when the animal is partially facing you is the most challenging shot. You have to penetrate heavy, dense muscle tissue and the heavy bone structure of the shoulder and then still have enough bullet and energy left to destroy the vital organs.

On impact, your bullet will begin to mushroom and transfer its energy into the tissue of the animal. Controlled expansion bullets are designed to retain more of their weight during the extreme conditions of initial expansion, allowing them to penetrate further into the tissue.

Standard bullets will usually retain 45 to 55 percent of their original weight after passing through the muscle tissue, bone and vital organs. Controlled expansion bullets are designed to retain 70 to 85 percent of their original weight. Boat-tail bullets have better aerodynamics with less drag, which lets them retain more velocity and deliver more energy at longer ranges.

Controlled expansion, boat-tail cartridges are a very good choice for elk. Many of the manufacturers are now offering premium cartridges that have better down range performance both in energy and bullet construction. Check their web sites for more detailed information. *LIGHT-WEIGHT BULLETS VERSUS HEAVY BULLETS: Many centerfire calibers offer comparatively dazzling muzzle velocity numbers when using light-weight bullets - and decent energy numbers at longer ranges. But experience has shown that these light-weight bullets do not penetrate as well as a heavier bullet that is moving at lower velocity. Think about it: What would hurt more -- a golf ball stinging you at 100 mph, a baseball thumping you at 90 mph or a bowling ball hitting you at a bone-crushing 80 mph?

All of them will hurt, but the bowling ball is the one that really gets my attention. I recommend that you use one of the heavier bullets available for your caliber.

SHORT-ACTION CALIBERS: The most common of the short action calibers are .243 Win, 7mm-08, and .308. They have acceptable power at medium ranges with less recoil. All are capable, but let’s look at their energy numbers in the following table to find their limits, then compare them to the standard-length cartridges. (All numbers are from standard factory ammunition from major manufacturers.)

The caliber is listed along with the bullet weight in grains. Muzzle velocity is feet-per-second at the muzzle. Range is the longest range that I recommend for that cartridge. Wind drift is inches of drift off of the line of sight at 250 yards with a 10 mph cross wind. I am including the venerable 30-30 which is almost always found in a lever-action rifle and always uses flat point bullets in a tube magazine. A number of interesting new short magnum calibers have been introduced. If you have one, or are looking at one, check the available ammunition. Choose a heavy bullet for better down range performance.

A + after a yardage number indicates the bullet may still have acceptable energy, but shooting (continued on page 38)

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We sell many different John Deere products.

Stop in today to view our selection.

1Offer valid from 8/2/2011 until 10/28/2011. This offer excludes TX Turf Gators™ and ProGators™. 2.9% APR is for 60 months only. 2$300 off on all traditional utility vehicles. Excludes TX Turf Gators and ProGators. 3Offer valid from 8/2/2011 until 10/28/2011. 0% APR is for 36 months only and excludes TX Turf Gators, ProGators, and any XUV model Gator. For your safety, always wear a helmet and eye protection when driving aggressively, on rough terrain or at speeds greater than 35 mph (56 km/h). Subject to approved credit on John Deere Financial Revolving Plan, a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b. For consumer use only. No down payment required.

Other special rates and terms may be available, including financing for commercial use. Available at participating dealers. Prices and models may vary by dealer. *The engine horsepower information is provided by the engine manufacturer to be used for comparison purposes only. Actual operating horsepower may be less. John Deere’s green and yellow color scheme, the leaping deer symbol and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere & Company.

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

Name: Address: City: e-mail:

JOIN

STAY INFORMED VISIT www.mt-sfw.org

MONTANA SPORTSMEN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE ENSURE YOUR HUNTING F FUTURE! UTURE! 8 membership levels!

membership includes quarterly subscription to Sportsmen’s Voice magazine (4 issues), annual membership card, window decal , MTSFW ball cap and welcome letter from the MTSFW President, Bill Merrill

St.:

Zip: Phone:

Signature: How did you hear about us?

September 2011

Youth 1-21 $12.00/yr Individual $35.00/yr.

Family $50.00/yr.

Lifetime Senior 60+ $350.00 MTSFW Lifetime Individual $750.00 P.O. Box 2243 The Spike $350.00/yr Missoula, MT. 59806 Satellite Bull $500.00/yr Herd Bull $750.00/yr 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.

Return this application with payment to:

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

The Home Stretch So we are now in the home stretch to the

opening of archery season as I pen this column! By the time you read this, I’ll have the camper loaded, truck gassed, broad heads sharpened and steaks in the cooler next to a cold beer. Dirty trucks, lonely wives, and happy dogs…. The paycheck takes a major hit as does your credibility with the better half every time September rolls around!

The most wonderful time of the year isn’t Christmas, it’s the OPENER. And for those of you who were lucky enough to draw a tag this year make it count! This is what we live for and waiting 8 months is a small price to pay for the joy we derive from Montana’s back country, public lands, and wild game herds.

Lest we forget, that enjoyment was made possible by the real heroes who are across the water right now protecting our freedoms and the very ideals of democracy in a foreign land. The Armed Forces of the United States of America. They come into the forefront of our minds every September as well, but for a very different reason. Take Sept. 11th off from the field this year (it’s a Sunday) and spend that time with your family and loved ones and pay tribute, just for a moment to those who perished for our country in the line of duty and in terror attacks all over the globe.

It’s a fitting tribute by a sportsmen (in my mind) to sacrifice that one day to say a prayer and to say thank you. It really pales in comparison does it not?

It’s also a good idea to thank people

BY BILL MERRILL, STATE PRESIDENT/CO-FOUNDER MONTANA SPORTSMEN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE herds a chance to become strong again now you know locally who are active in real years. Exercise your right to the fullest. that we have some form of predator control. Then, when the season comes to a close conservation groups in Montana. I’m If you belong to one of these organizations, talking about driven individuals. Those and you’ve enjoyed yourself thoroughly, give yourself a hand for helping fund real individuals that spend time outside of their join a good group and give some financial wildlife conservation across the west. day job and family, fighting for your right assistance to say “Thank You” to those of us to access public lands. They fight to keep who fight everyday to make sure Montana’s If you hold an Officer position within one ungulate herds healthy so you have hunting heritage in the great outdoors is protected. of these organizations and are actually “in opportunities. And they fight to keep I live by one simple motto that you can corrupt law makers, radical judges, and Eco- the arena” to quote Teddy Roosevelt, then give yourself a big high-five. Because I can use in almost any aspect of your life. extremists groups from killing your way of It was coined by one of my heroes, life in the court systems. Sound familiar? It assure you, no one else will… The average apathetic sportsman complains about the Cameron Hanes, and has worked well should. Especially if you are a member of problems we face. Yet many people never in the conservation arena as well as my Montana SFW and have been involved at stand up and hold folks accountable.

That professional career; “You can recover from the ground level with stopping this abuse. is until now. There were more bills in our a tough hunt, but you can never recover That is what Montana Sportsmen for Fish state legislature this past session supporting from quitting.” You can recover from the and Wildlife came into existence to do. our cause, than at any other point in our mess others have made in Montana, but you And boy did we succeed. If this doesn’t state’s history.

Everyday Montana folks are know it needs cleaned up and you’ll regret sound familiar, well then, you’ve been on being squeezed out and seeing their interests it if you quit now. SFW will never quit the sidelines getting “Social Assistance” take a back seat to those people in other fighting the status quo or the establishments or “Sportsmen’s Welfare” from those of us states who think they know how to manage that attack our freedoms and our way of life who work tirelessly on these issues. Don’t wildlife and land in Montana better than we in Montana. But we could sure use some be that guy or gal. do. We have had enough and we sent that help here. Think about that when you tag message to Helena loud and clear this year.

Montana SFW has become a leader in that gorgeous buck, bull or ram this year, political pressure to congress, both state and or when you put a doe in the freezer to feed I’m happy to say these outside people are in your family. Those days are on the edge federal, to de-list (and keep delisted) the for the fight of their life and have met stiff Canadian Gray Wolf. MT SFW (and our of a precipice, teetering my friend. SFW resistance from the sportsmen and ranchers nearly 1,000 members) is also one of the is committed to sovereign state rights to only volunteer-based state organizations that and public land users of this state. Case hunt, fish and trap on our public lands in point; the wolf issue. Sure, Sure, they put 100% of its funds back into Sportsmen, in Montana as well as protect our sheep, are appealing it, again. But keep in mind; Ranching and Ag interests in the state of cattle and domestic pets from predation. we get to manage our wildlife for a short Montana.

I encourage you to become a member period of time this fall. And that is crucial. of Montana SFW through the above Along with our friends at RMEF, SCI and Make sure you buy your wolf tag and make membership card or our website at the Mule Deer Foundation, SFW has helped a concerted effort to take a non-endangered www.mt-sfw.org. immensely in keeping hunting opportunities CANADIAN Gray Wolf this year. We Have a safe and prosperous hunting season. in Montana, strong, or at least giving our fought hard for this right the last two And God willing fill all those tags!

28 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Elk Hunting Forecast 2011 W interkill, habitat problems and wolves have driven elk numbers down in some

habitat for elk and other wildlife.

(Note: The following data, compiled from state and provincial wildlife agencies, reflect biologists’ best estimates of elk populations. Each year, animal rights activists blatantly misrepresent these data to prop up their argument for keeping wolves perpetually on the Endangered Species List. It’s a fact that where wolves are concentrated, elk herds are being impacted. Calf survival rates in certain areas are too low to sustain herds for the future. Wolves must be managed, same as elk. In spite of the misuse, RMEF believes these data are valuable to hunters and will continue to provide them.)

This may indeed be the Golden Era of elk hunting. Good luck this autumn!

areas. But many of America’s roughly 800,000 elk hunters have reason to be optimistic about upcoming seasons, based on hunt forecasts compiled by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Following are condensed forecasts for states and provinces. See full-length versions at: www.rmef.org/hunting/features.

For even more detailed coverage, see the Sept./Oct. 2011 edition of the RMEF member magazine, Bugle. To join, call 800-CALL ELK. RMEF members have now helped to conserve or enhance 5.9 million acres of

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 29

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION

In the forecast intro, Bugle Hunting Editor P.J. DelHomme notes, “When RMEF launched in 1984, there were 550,000 elk in North America. Fifteen states and four provinces had elk hunts. Today almost 1.2 million wild elk roam the continent and 23 states and six provinces are holding elk hunts. There’s also been a huge surge of bulls entering the record books, with world records for Roosevelt’s, tules and non-typical Rocky Mountain elk all falling in the past decade.”

Alberta Elk Population: 33,000 Bull/Cow Ratio: N/A Nonresidents: $255, must hire a guide Hunter Success: N/A Highlights: Elk populations in the foothills of the Rockies, especially west of Rocky Mountain House, this year felt the combined impact of months of deep snow and predation by wolves, mountain lions and grizzlies. However, range is expanding as elk pioneer new territory to the south and east, with some respectable bulls among them. Meat hunters should look at agricultural zones where liberal permits for cows are available. Outfitters receive roughly 10 percent of the draw tags. Visit www.srd.alberta.ca.

•

Arizona Elk Population: 25,000-35,000 Bull/Cow Ratio: 35/100 Nonresidents: $151 license (nonrefundable) plus $595 elk permit Hunter Success: 31 percent general, 39 percent muzzleloader, 24 percent archery Highlights: The Wallow fire burned over 520,000 acres in Units 1 and 27 and many elk have been displaced to other areas. A silver lining? These units could see even more monster bulls in coming years if forage responds as it did following the massive Rodeo-Chediski fire in 2002. A mild winter meant low stress on elk but also led to a dry spring--hence the massive wildfires. Arizona Game and Fish Department’s “Hunt Arizona” offers a great resource on harvest data, drawing odds and hunting pressure. Visit www.azgfd.gov.

British Columbia Elk Population: 63,000 Bull/Cow Ratio: 25-30/100 Nonresidents: $180 license plus $250 elk permit, must hire a guide Highlights: Rocky Mountain elk herds are thriving, with the agricultural zones in the Peace River region a great bet. For a backcountry experience, look to the Omineca region in north-central BC. If you’ve always dreamed of hunting a trophy Roosevelt’s bull, the stars are aligned for a great season. $430 cost for a license and permit is a relative bargain. Visit www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw.

Colorado Elk Population: 283,400 Bull/Cow Ratio: 32/100 Nonresidents: $354 cow, $554 any elk Hunter Success: 22 percent Highlights: Colorado is an ideal destination with more than 23 million acres of public land, almost twice as many elk as any other state, over-the-counter bull tags (OTC), and an informative call-center.

Rifle tags for bulls in the 2nd and 3rd season are unlimited and sold at outlets all over the state. Leftover draw tags went on sale August 9 and some may still be available. OTC rifle tags for cows are limited, but OTC antlerless archery tags are wide open in the northwest and southeast corners. The past few years have been moist with heavy snows and wet springs, which have kept forage lush and antler growth robust.

Idaho Elk Population: 103,000 Bull/Cow Ratio: 23/100 Nonresidents: $155 license, $417 elk tag Hunter Success: 19 percent Highlights: The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is being hammered by wolf predation exacerbated by a long slide in forage quality. Elk populations are far below management objectives in the Lolo and Selway zones and slightly below objectives in the Sawtooth zone. (continued on page 40)

30 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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PERFECT FOR YOUR HUNT

• SEPTEMBER 2011

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Montana State Parks Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Trail Grant Applications MFWP Montana State Parks, a division of Public Comments must be received by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is 5:00 p.m. on September 10 and can be seeking public comment on 72 Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant applications, 15 Off-Highway Vehicle Program grant applications and 27 Snowmobile Program grant applications for the current grant cycle FY2012.

All three grant programs provide assistance for trail projects including development and rehabilitation work on urban, rural, and backcountry trails; planning and construction of community trails; snowmobile trail maintenance and grooming operations; and, a variety of trail stewardship and safety education programs.

Anyone wishing to provide comment can review the applications at the FWP Regional Office closest to the project site.

A copy of each application is also available at the FWP Headquarters Office in Helena.

A list of all trails grant applications for consideration is accessible online on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov. Go to the Recreation page and look under Grants.

submitted on the FWP website at: fwp.mt.gov by clicking on http://fwp. mt.gov/recreation/publicComments/grantProposals.html or by email to: bshumate@mt.gov or by mail to: Montana State Parks, Recreation Trails Program, 1420 East Sixth Ave., P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is administered and managed by Montana State Parks (fwp.mt.gov/parks) with oversight from the Federal Highway Administration. RTP funding is made available through the federal program titled, “Safe Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.” (SAFETEA-LU).

Montana State Parks also manages the annual OHV and Snowmobile grant programs.

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Setting Up An Elk Camp

By Mark Strachan

O ne of the things I look forward to every year is Elk camp. It’s the time I get to spend with my friends in Colorado’s vast and beautiful outdoors. It’s also the time I use to reflect on the important things in life while pursuing one of the greatest animals on our continent, the Rocky Mountain elk.

We all spend many hours every year in planning, preparation and scouting to make the most of this time in the field. Over the years we discovered what made our time in the field even more enjoyable. Camp!

In this article I will cover some aspects of camping in Colorado that will make your hunt more enjoyable too. I’ll address topics like where do I camp? What do we bring? How to make delicious, quick and easy meals. I believe in keeping things simple, and simple is always better when it comes to maximizing your time in the great outdoors.

The first topic to cover is the old question, where do I camp in Colorado? Our first choice is always public land. Colorado has an incredible amount of public land throughout the state. You can use digital scouting methods to find possible camp sites. The resolution of online satellite photos is quite astounding. We always look for places that allow us to walk out of camp and into the field to hunt. This is not always possible, but has a lot of benefits. Make sure to mark down as many different camp options as you can. If you have the time, visiting the area and marking camp sites on your map is a great idea. Look for spots that have good access, and level areas for tents. Keep in mind that if you are camping in a forest, that beetle-killed trees’ roots weaken quickly, increasing the risk that they will fall during wind and snow storms.

During elk season there will also be some competition for the best camp sites. Many of us will get there a day or two ahead of time to secure our favorite spot. It’s also important to research the type of public land you are camping on. Forests, BLM

and State Trust Lands have varying rules and regulations in regards to hunting, camping, wood collection and fires. Once you have identified the type of land you are camping on, you will need to visit that particular agency’s website to find out which rules or regulations pertain to your area. Links to these websites can be found at the end of this article.

Another option is to identify local improved camp grounds. These may be run by state or private parties. Finding a camp in your area is typically very easy. I recommend the Colorado Atlas Gazetteer.

This map book is fantastic for identifying public land, terrain and features like camp grounds. These camp grounds have their good and bad aspects. On the plus side, most of them can be reserved, so there is no wondering if you have a spot to camp. The down side is that they are often crowded, and may not be near your hunting area. This means driving to and from your hunting area on a daily basis.

Now that you have established where you are going to camp, it’s time to think about what you are going to need. The list can be simple, or extensive. The amount of gear you take is often limited by your method of travel. Camping in the Colorado high country during the fall and winter means being prepared for anything. During the hunting seasons, you will see everything from 70 degrees and sunshine to below-zero temperatures with blowing snow. In Colorado, these kinds of variations in weather can even happen in the same day. You will need to be prepared!

With this in mind, the first things to think about are shelter and heat.

There are many types of tents on the market, but the most common type in elk camp is the canvas wall tent. Canvas wall tents are durable, sturdy and much warmer than nylon tents. (Publishers note: Another option is the Roof Top Tent). At our camp we choose to run multiple tents. We use one tent for cooking, eating and storing of gear, and another (continued page 39)

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Recipe Corner: Homemade Snack Sticks HI-COUNTRY SNACK FOODS Batch conversion chart below is based on using a Hi Country Snack Stick Seasoning pack that includes the cure and the spices.

1. Weigh meat portions required for batch and chunk up for grinding. Snack sticks made without casings are made with a very lean meat to fat ration.

2. Grind all meat through coarse grind plate. Keep all meat below 40 degrees F during processing (colder is better).

3. Portion out spice, cure and water into separate containers. Mix cure with water just before adding to meat.

4. Add spice and cure/water mixture PRE-PREP PROCEDURES: uniformly over meat. a. Assemble meat, spices, thermometers, 5. Mix just until sticky. Powdered smoke aprons, and assure cutting boards and can be added (available at www.hicountry. knives are sanitized. Use non-reactive com) if sausage will not be smoked in a containers such as stainless or non-metallic. cooker/smoker. b. Determine if sausage will be with or 6. Regrind mixture through 3/16” plate. without casings. (This recipe will be This step is optional. For a course texture without casings - for casing information don’t regrind. visit www.hicountry.com/docs/instructions/ sausage/SnackStickInstructions.

BATCH/CONVERSION CHART Total Lbs. Lbs. of Lean Meat Lbs. of 50/50* Amount of Amount of Cure** of Meat Or Wild Game Port or Beef Trim Seasoning /Cool Water 30 lbs.

21 lbs.

9 lbs.

All (13.8 oz) 2 packets/3 Cups 15 lbs.

10-1/2 lbs.

4-1/2 lbs.

1-1/8 Cup 1 packet/1-1/2 Cups 10 lbs.

7 lbs.

3 lbs.

3/4 Cup 1 tsp. /1 Cup 5 lbs.

3-1/2 lbs.

1-1/2 lbs.

6 Tbsp.

5/8 tsp./1/2 Cup *50/50 Trim = 50% Fat and 50% Lean Meat **Cure instructions: Dissolve cure into cool water per chart above prior to mixing into meat. Cured sausage will have a pinkish color after cooking.

7a. Extrude meat with a jerky shooter onto a wire tray or cookie sheets (if cooking in a home oven). Allow plenty of space between sausages. Continue with cooking schedule: HOME OVEN: A. Insert a temperature probe into the center of sausage to monitor the internal temperature.

B. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. This temperature will allow for pathogen destruction prior to the drying cycle.

C. Place screen or cookie sheet in oven.

D. Cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Remove probe.

E. Lower oven temperature to 145 degrees F. to 170 degrees F. and dry to desired texture.

COOKER/SMOKER: A. Create steam by setting cooker/smoker to high and placing a water tray over burner. This will allow for pathogen destruction prior to the drying cycle.

B. Insert a temperature probe into the center of a sausage to monitor the internal temperature.

C. Insert sausages and cook until internal temperature of sausage reaches 160 degrees F. Remove temperature probe.

D. Lower cooker/smoker temperature setting to 140 degrees F. to 145 degrees F. and apply smoke. Smoke adheres best to moist and tacky surfaces.

E. Dry to desired texture.

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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• SEPTEMBER 2011

NEW GEAR REVIEW

Sponsored by Bob Ward & Sons Rivers West Snake River Jacket Built for Waterfowl and Stalk Hunters

Made from the L.A.W. System, the Snake River is built with plenty of features to ensure a comfortable hunting experience. Magnetized cargo pockets make for quiet access to all of your gear. Underarm zipper vents are great for when you are on the move and need to cool down. A shirt-tail hem protects your backside while sitting down. Sling-gripper Shoulders keep your pack and gun strap snug to your shoulders while walking. A detachable hood, rear license holder, weatherproof front zipper and comfort cuffs round out the package on this outstanding Jacket. This one is a winner! It’s got everything you could want in a quality hunting jacket. Rivers West left nothing out.

Leupold’s RX-1000i with DNA™ Digital Laser Rangefinder Accurate To 1/10 Of A Yard

The Nose Knows (continued from page 9) Tip 5: What Kind do You Choose?

There are several types of scents, and deer respond to them differently: Territorial or challenge type scent – urine, or a scent from the same animal that you are hunting, which will be seen as a challenge to a resident buck.

Hunger/food scent – use early or late in the season, and for does during the rut.

foams, and solid scent dispensers.

Scrape drippers can be set up to drip only during specific parts of the day, forcing bucks to visit during daylight.

Tip 7: Cover it Up. Cover scents imitate plants, food, urine of other animals, or earth. Their smell is fairly strong, but not offensive to deer. Red fox urine, coon urine, or plant extracts like pine or cedar, work well.

Curiosity scent – other scents that deer Tip 8: Scrapes. find interesting, most effective early in Hunt over natural scrapes, or crethe season, or anytime for does. ate mock ones. When creating mock scrapes, use a stick, rather than Sex-type scents – most effective for scraping with your feet. Your boots bucks, two weeks before rut to end of can impart odor to the earth that deer season. can easily detect.

For bowhunters and rifle hunters alike, the palm-size RX-1000i with DNA™ fixes one of the biggest challenges for rangefinders: light transmission. You get an unbelievably bright, crystal-clear target image unlike any other rangefinder available. Small enough to fit in your pocket, yet rugged enough to handle the rigors of a hard hunt. And now, fast enough to deliver the accuracy you need to fill your tag. Leupold’s DNA™ (Digitally eNhanced Accuracy) are able to deliver faster and more precise results, accurate to within 1/10 of a yard – against all background colors and textures. High-performance optics deliver a 3x brighter picture image for accurate ranging in low-light conditions. 6x magnification gives you plenty of power, while maintaining a wide field of view to track game on the move. Continuous range updates in Scan Mode keep you on target as you track movement or scan an area.

See what ranging at the speed and accuracy of Leupold can mean for your next hunt.

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TESTED AND PROVEN WITH THOUSANDS OF ROUNDS IN AN EXTREME TORTURE TEST. And with its self-cleaning design, VERSA MAX™ ripped through hundreds of rounds without cleaning. That’s an astounding testament to its reliability.

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Tip 6: Drip, Drip, Drip.

The drip method of dispensing scent can improve success. There are a wide variety of wicks, drippers,

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See these fine products and more at one of 5 Bob Ward & Sons locations:

Bozeman, Butte, Hamilton, Helena, and Missoula or shop online at www.bobwards.com

SEPTEMBER 2011 •

ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

ZEISS Rangefinding Solutions

A ccurately judging distances is extremely difficult, especially if you are hunting in an unfamiliar area. I’ll never forget trying to do just that on my first elk hunt in Colorado some years ago. On my first day, the guide took me to a spot that he thought promising and pointed across a ravine to an opening on the adjacent hillside. He said if there were elk around, they would likely come out there and asked if I thought I could make the shot. I instantly ‘guestimated’ a range of 175 – 200 yards and was much more concerned by the stiff crosswind than the distance. We then used a laser rangefinder, and I was stunned to learn I had underestimated by over 100 yards. A 300-plus yard shot in that kind of wind, NO, I wasn’t comfortable given my level of experience at the time and would not have wanted to take a shot at that distance even without the wind factor.

As it turns out, we didn’t see any elk that afternoon but a few days later, I took a beautiful 5x6 at 219 yards. Yes, we used a laser rangefinder, and I recommend them to anyone who might be shooting more than 100 yards because what might seem like 150 yards could be much further to the untrained eye and require some type of holdover to compensate either by (the hunter holding over, a BDC turret or a ballistic reticle).

•

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

BY SHANNON JACKSON

Both the Victory RF and PRF models range up to 1,300 yards in less than a second and share many of the same features: high-performance optical designs and high-contrast LED displays; a ‘one-touch’ ranging system for a steadier image and an integrated BIS® ballistic calculator to tell you the appropriate holdover given your distance to a certain target.

You simply must know the distance, and Carl Zeiss Sports Optics offers award-winning laser rangefinding options that are extraordinarily fast and accurate to aid in your quest: the Victory T* RF Laser Rangefinding Binoculars (available in 8x45, 10x45, 8x56 and 10x56)

and the Victory 8x26 T* PRF Laser Rangefinding Monocular.

• 33

This little gem also features the same Ballistic Information System found in the Victory RF Binoculars. The BIS® works in unison with the laser rangefinder to provide accurate holdover correction for 6 different common ballistic trajectories based on the most popular hunting cartridges. The BIS® can be programmed to work in yards or meters, e.g. with 100 yard or 200 yard sight-in distances, as well as providing measurements of holdover in either inches or centimeters.

The Victory PRF can also be operated in a Scan Mode for continuous measurements on small or moving targets and features Zeiss’ proprietary LotuTec® water repellent coating for a clear view in all weather conditions.

For those of you trying to minimize cost and weight, however, let’s take a closer look at the ZEISS PRF. At 8x, it provides enough magnification to be used in lieu of a binocular on many hunts, and its ergonomic design makes it easy to hold steady with one hand while glassing and ranging, even while wearing gloves.

The exceptional performance of the ZEISS Victory rangefinders has been recognized by National Geographic Adventure magazine, Outdoor Life, Gray’s Sporting Journal and Sporting Classics magazine among other publications. And now, Zeiss is offering $200 off all Victory RF Binoculars and $100 off the PRF Monocular through the end of the year.

For more information visit zeiss.com/sports or call 1-800-441-3005.

34 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Hu nting Cam Campp

• SEPTEMBER 2011

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ach winter when the snow deepens in the high country, about 150 elk descend to their winter home on the Blackleaf. The Blackleaf joins the Sun River, Pine Butte, Ear Mountain and the Boone and Crockett Ranch to form a network of snowfree refuges for thousands of elk. Here, chinook winds often swirl the snow from the bunchgrass, willow and aspen that elk feed upon.

At the turn of the century, only 300 elk lived along the entire Front. Elk and other wildlife had suffered greatly from the advance of settlers in the 1880s. Some, like the bison, would never recover. The turnaround for elk started in 1912 when an alarmed Montana Legislature drew the borders for the Sun River Game Preserve.

More such preserves followed over the next several decades. Ensuring that elk have room to graze and find shelter on the Front continues to be a cooperative success story.

Hunting opportunities: Archery, white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, bear, upland game birds, and waterfowl hunting are open to licensed hunters during open seasons. Special deer permits and B-tags required for mule deer hunting last two weeks of hunting season. Antlerless and either-sex elk permits are available through the statewide drawing.

Wildlife viewing: Elk, white-tailed deer, and mule deer can be seen from the county road during winter with binoculars or a spotting scope. Black and grizzly bears can occasionally be observed along streams or forest margins. Bird-watching opportunities begin in spring with a variety of songbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and shorebirds. Furbearers such as beavers and muskrats are active in lakes and streams.

Coyotes are common in all habitats.

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PHOTO MFWP Contact information: MFWP 4600 Giant Springs Road Great Falls, MT 59406 Phone: 406-454-5840 Web: www.fwp.mt.gov Email: fwprg42@mt.gov Directions: Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area is located along the Rocky Mountain Front northwest of Choteau. The Blackleaf Road forms the northern boundary of the Wildlife Management Area and ends at the high-walled Blackleaf Canyon that encloses mountain goats and golden eagles. To reach the heart of the Blackleaf, take a marked dirt road off the main road (Highway 89) out of Bynum. This dirt road meanders toward Antelope Reservoir.

If you are visiting between December 1 to May 15, vehicle travel is prohibited within the borders to protect wildlife during stressful winter months. From May 15 to July 1, the road to Antelope Reservoir is open to foot traffic only. For more information contact the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, (406) 278-7754 or (406) 454-3441.

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•

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 35

36 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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• SEPTEMBER 2011

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much difference. If a bull appears able to “scratch his rear-end with his antlers,” it likely has the frame to be a trophy. No need to spend much more time considering beam length.

Tips For Field Judging Elk ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION

A

trophy bull can turn up almost anywhere in elk country but opportunities to take one are rare.

When a monster steps out, a hunter often has no time to count antler points, much less compute scores. But not always. Sometimes there’s ample chance to really focus and size up an elk in your search for the bull of a lifetime.

Will you know a world-class trophy if you see one?

“All elk hunters are fascinated by antlers, but not everyone recognizes what it takes to grow trophies. Big headgear is a product of genetics, age and nutrition provided by great habitat,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

“Learning to field judge antlers will help you understand even more about the elk you’re looking at, whether it’s one for the record books--or one to let walk away and grow up.”

RMEF offers the following general guidelines adapted from material provided by Boone and Crockett Club.

For details, read “A Boone and Crockett Club Field Guide to Measuring and Judging Big Game.” Visit www.booneandcrockett.org.

Counting Points--Most mature bull elk are 6x6s. An elk’s first antlers are usually spikes. In good habitat, a bull may have a 5-point rack as a 2-1/2-yearold and then a small six-point rack as a 3-1/2-year-old. Its best antlers, however, usually come at age 9-1/2 to 12-1/2, so remember that not every 6x6 is a trophy. Instantly identifying a six-point bull is not difficult. The fourth point, sometimes called the dagger point, is normally the longest point and most distinctive feature of an elk rack. If the main beam goes straight back from the dagger you’re almost certainly looking at a five-point antler. If there’s another point rising upward behind the dagger, perhaps making a horizontal “Y,” then you’re looking at a six-point antler.

A perfect, typical trophy rack has a combination of long points, long beams, good mass and a wide spread. However, some of these criteria are more important than others. Let’s look at each.

Beam Length--Most great elk have long main beams. In the all-time records book, the average beam length of the top 10 typical heads is over 58 inches.

However, the average beam length of the bottom 10 is 55-4/8 inches--not

Inside Spread--Boone and Crockett records show a wide variation on spreads of trophy elk. Interestingly, the narrowest head in the book outscores the widest, which should be enough to tell you that spread isn’t everything. The top 10 typical entries range from 38-2/8 to 53 inches of inside spread for an average of 46-2/8 inches. The bottom 10 range from 38 to 49-4/8 inches for an average of 42-4/8 inches. Again, not a significant difference. In the field, simply look for a spread that stretches well outside the ears. This should indicate a spread somewhere in the low to mid-40s, and that’s really all you need be concerned about.

Mass--Most really big elk have heavy antlers that carry good mass through the length of the main beam. However, mass is very hard to judge. It’s unusual to have a lot of time to look at a big bull and mass is not where you should spend most of it. Just remember that very few elk considered “big” in the more visible characteristics have thin antlers. When hunting, quickly look for antlers that are visibly as large or larger in circumference than the ear bases, which are about 9 inches around. More importantly, the antlers should maintain that thickness to at least the fifth point.

Tine Length--If you have time to study a bull, really look at the tines. Length of the points is the single most important trophy criteria. The good news is that point length is one of the easiest things to judge because there is a yardstick. On a big American elk, the distance from the burr of the antler to the tip of the nose is about 15-4/8 inches. Let’s start at the bottom of the antlers and work up. A curved brow tine that appears to reach the end of the nose will be about 18 inches long. The next two points are usually shorter, but they still need to approach the burr-to-nose yardstick. Now comes the truth-teller, the dagger point.

The dagger point is usually the longest

point, and on a monster bull it will be half-again longer than the burr-to-nose yardstick, or even almost double that measurement. On a 6x6, the last point matters a lot. It has to be strong, at least 8 or 10 inches. This is less important if the bull is a 7x7, but you still need some inches in the top of the rack.

For a typical American elk, Boone and Crockett requires a minimum of 360 points to enter the Awards Book, and 375 points for entry into the All-time Records Book. For most bulls, inside spread is only 10-15 percent of its score.

Mass is usually less than 20 percent.

Beam length is worth close to 25 percent. This math means tine length accounts for about 40 percent of the score, sometimes more but rarely less.

So let’s look through the spotting scope at a really good 6x6 American elk. Get your notebook out. The bull seems to have really long beams, almost scratching his rump. Estimate 55 inches on each side: 110 points. Spread is fairly wide but not noticeably splayed out.

Figure 45 inches of inside spread: 45 points. Mass isn’t huge, but pretty good.

It starts at a normally heavy 9 inches and keeps it pretty well, maybe 30 inches of circumference on each antler: 60 points. So far, the bull is totaling 215.

Now let’s work out the points. The brow tines curve nicely and seem to pass the tip of the nose, about 18 inches each: 36 points. The next two points are about 16 inches each on both sides: 64 points.

The daggers are quite good, about half again longer than the burr-to-nose yardstick. Let’s give them 22 inches each: 44 points. The back fork is also pretty good, about 8 inches on each side: 16 points.

Assuming both sides are equal, with no deductions for lack of symmetry, and you’re looking at a bull that will score 375--a Boone and Crockett-class typical bull!

You can view world-class trophy elk mounts at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation headquarters in Missoula.

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 37

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opposite direction, and disappeared into the heavy brush.

John cautiously came down from his stand, his arms aching from stress knots after squeezing the bow while watching the two muleys for almost an hour. He walked the two-track path to Bill’s vehicle and was greeted by a smiling face that asked, “Did you stick one?”

Those were the last words Bill was able to get in all the way back to the lodge. John was wound up and the 20-minute ride only took the edge off his excitement. Later, at the lodge, Bill finally broke in when John took a breath and said, “John, I have a plan on how to get him in the morning. Be up and ready an hour earlier and I’ll take you to your stand in the dark.” John answered, “Ok,” then turned back to another hunter and started chapter two of his 200-plus mule deer saga.

At 4:00AM Bill filled John in on the plan while he was getting dressed. “John, that buck will probably stay in the same area all night. It is a good ambush point for hot does with cover close by. Get your gear all hooked up and ready because I am not going to completely stop the Suburban. Stopping makes the deer leery. I will slow and almost stop. You hop out. Don’t slam the door. Lie down and keep still until I drive 200 yards.

Remember, deer can see in the dark, humans can’t. No talking when you open the door or are outside the vehicle. They will be watching and listening to the Suburban, that is your chance to sneak into your stand as quickly and quietly as possible. Carry everything up into the stand in one trip.”

The Suburban crawled into the parking area at 4:30 and John quietly slipped out, bow in hand then lay down on the ground. He didn’t even latch the door as Bill continued driving away. John knew Bill had 20 years of guiding experience on this 15,000 acres and he always seemed to know the right answer. There was no doubt in his mind Bill had done this before to take a large buck.

With the vehicle now 200 yards away, John felt like a Navy Seal on a mission with orders to take out the target. John followed his orders to the letter and was soon sitting

quietly in the stand. He could feel brisk morning air on the back of his neck, confirming the sun was starting to come up and as he enjoyed the bright orange ball lighting up the rugged badlands, the buck appeared out of nowhere.

The buck was waiting to ambush does moving up the trail and must have heard a group coming as he slipped quietly from the willows. In less than a minute a big lead doe stepped into view, coming from the stream and feeding her way uphill on a path that passed within a mere 30-yards of the stand.

John watched as other does followed and when the does approached the tree stand, the giant buck came out to greet them.

All the does focused their full attention on the big buck, who was acting like the ugly troll under the drawbridge, requiring each to pass by his wet nose and curling pink lip hoping for an estrus scent to make his day. When the buck entered the center of John’s shooting lane the arms, hands and eyes kicked into autopilot. It took no effort to pull back the 52-pound Hoyt compound and no overt thought process to focus on a point behind the shoulder and compensate for tree stand height. Fingers on the release were guided by memory developed through long hours of practice and he made the shot without thinking, “Now!” He followed the brightly colored fletching and watched as it disappeared in the rib cage. The buck sprang like a coiled spring but never bounded like a mule deer, running more like a whitetail before disappearing into the willows.

The does watched the buck’s escape but since human movement had not alerted them they only moved 30 yards before stopping with their big ears standing straight up turning like radar dishes. In a short time, feeling their date had stood them up and run off into the willows, the does started feeding and returned to their journey up the path.

Two hours later Bill returned and helped John drag out the huge mule deer that would score just over 204.

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38 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Mid Range Ballistics For Elk Hunting beyond that range at an elk is not recommended.

Long-range shooting at over 300 yards is a specialty that requires special equipment and a lot of practice. Using light-weight bullets at over 150 yards for quartering shots is not recommended. If you start with a 150 grain bullet, it may shed half of its weight and much of its velocity in the bones and muscle of an elk. Then you still need to penetrate and destroy the lung and heart tissue. A bullet that works well on deer is facing much heavier bone and more tissue when it is penetrating an elk.

I am not including performance data on the full-length magnum calibers, they have sufficient power at any range that you can accurately shoot with heavy bullets.

The magnum calibers offer much more velocity with the heavier bullets. But there is a price to be paid, not only in dollars for more expensive ammunition, but in RECOIL. Significant amounts of recoil quite often brings the flinch word into our shooting. That’s our old nemesis, the Flinch.

A lightweight magnum rifle delivers a heavy hit in both directions. A quality recoil pad can help reduce felt recoil by up to 50 percent and a good muzzle brake is very effective in reducing felt recoil also. On the plus side, magnum calibers do provide extended range and more knock-down power. But if you opt for a magnum, you may need to think about your bullet. Any time you have a cartridge that is traveling near to or over 3,000 feet per second, a controlled expansion bullet is a good choice. Major ammunition

companies now offer controlled expansion cartridges in almost all calibers. As for the cost - it’s well worth the extra money. You have made a significant investment in time and money to get into position for the shot.

In your sights is a thick-skinned, heavyboned, large game animal. It doesn’t make sense to skimp now.

KNOW YOUR RANGE AND SHOOT IT. This slogan has been in use for a long time, because it is how ethical hunters have always hunted. Most of the cartridges out there can outperform our ability to shoot accurately.

This is where it all comes together. The idea is to hit accurately with enough energy to do the job. It is the hunter’s responsibility to find his or her range limit.

The first order of business is to know your rifle. That means sight in your rifle before you go hunting and become comfortable shooting it. Most hunters zero their rifles in for 200 yards, that is, the range where your bullets should hit the center of the target. For most calibers, a 200-yard zero will put you 1.25 to 2.0 inches high at 100 yards depending on muzzle velocity and bullet weight. I checked the web sites of three major ammunition companies and they all offer the zeroing information you need.

A word about bore sighting: Most gun shops will bore-sight your rifle, but bore sighting only gets you on the paper target. Bore sighting is never a substitute for time at the range.

NEVER EVER hunt with a rifle that has been bore-sighted only. It’s a recipe for a

• SEPTEMBER 2011

(continued from page 24)

missed shot or a wounded animal.

On the bench at the range, you should strive to shoot three- or five-shot groups under 2 inches in diameter at 100 yards. I recommend setting your scope at the 3- or 4-power setting. Higher settings magnify the slightest movement and you will tend to chase the holes you are making in the target.

The most common problems I see with rifle accuracy start with the scope. Over time, heating and cooling of the rifle due to weather and the repeated shock from shooting cause scope base screws to come loose. Before each season, it’s a good idea to check those base screws or take it to a gunsmith to have it checked.

When you’re at the bench, hold the rifle across your body, not perpendicular to it.

Hold the stock firmly against the cup of your shoulder. If you hold the rifle away from your shoulder, it allows the rifle to slam back into your shoulder, like a punch, magnifying the recoil. That often allows that “F” word to creep into our shooting.

Now you have your rifle bench-sighted, but do you know your maximum range in the field? You should be able to shoot six-inch groups at your maximum range in conditions that duplicate what you will face in the field. When you have a large elk 150 yards out in front of you, adrenalin will become a factor. Your accuracy will drop off some.

The personal standard I have for myself with hunting rifles is the milk jug test. I take

a 1 gallon milk jug full of water and place it down range. If I can hit it on the first shot every time from one of the shooting positions (not from the bench) with sufficient energy, that is a range I can hunt at. Please pick up after yourself.

If you’re a deer hunter, you’ve probably spent time in a tree stand. Very few elk hunters use tree stands because of the amount of open ground elk cover. Most elk hunters will use the spot and stalk method.

Expect to spend a great deal of energy covering terrain and glassing large expanses of habitat. Often when you spot elk, they will be a mile or more away. Then you must get within hunting range, without them seeing, hearing, or smelling you. This is not an easy task. This is where knowledge of your capability, your cartridge’s capability and your practice comes into play.

Wind is a fact of life in the Colorado high country. Positioning yourself so that the wind doesn’t carry your smell toward the elk has implications for your shot. For example, you should try not to let elk get downwind. They’ll smell you a long way off and go somewhere else in a hurry. So you will often have a cross wind. Cross winds can have a significant effect on your bullet, especially lighter bullets. You should understand that those cross winds will cause your bullet to drift off of the line of sight.

High winds can cause a bullet to drift two or more feet at 300 yards. This is where practice on the milk jug can really pay off. (continued next page)

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Elk Camp

Mid Range Ballistics For Elk Hunting

(continued from page 30) tent for our sleeping quarters. In the sleeping tents, we use catalytic style heaters attached to 20-pound propane tanks. These efficient little heaters are fantastic for keeping the chill off the inside the tents. Two benefits to catalytic heaters are that they take up less space than a wood burning stove and they do not produce carbon monoxide like other styles of propane heaters.

In the cook tent, we use a wood-burning stove for heat, and for drying out clothes if necessary. Here is a tip. We use the wax fire logs that come in a paper wrapper.

Combine that with a wood log or two, and it will give you four plus hours of easy starting heat.

The “what if” factor of camping in Colorado high country are the scenarios you have to keep in mind that you cannot control. The weather in the mountains can be highly unpredictable. Some years we hunt in t-shirts, and others we throw on every piece of arctic gear we own. This may mean packing more, but the year that the “what if” happens, you will be happy to have the gear you need not only to survive, but continue with your hunt. I have seen many camps get broken down and their hunting ended early because of not being prepared. Things to keep in mind in the “what if” file are things such as axes, chain saws, extra fuel , extra wood, extra clothes, extra food, rope and tarps.

When it comes to crawling into a nice warm place to sleep, there is nothing nicer than a good quality sleeping bag. My personal choice of sleeping bags is a negative 20 degree bag that is flannel lined.

These bags will keep you warm on the coldest nights. You can find these at most major sporting good stores for around a hundred dollars. One thing not to overlook is a small tarp to cover over the top of your bedroll. Often times you will get condensation in large tents that can lead to wet spots on your bag.

In our camp, we use a boil-a-bag cooking method. The weeks prior to hunting I will cook meals at home. Foods such as pasta, potato, meats, and even rice will re-heat very nicely. Our camp favorites are rigatoni with Italian sausage and marinara, or what I call hunters hash. Hunters hash is a combination of diced potato, bell pepper, onion and ground beef. You can take these types of dishes and put several portions per hunter in a vacuum sealed bag, and freeze them for camp. The best way we have found to re-heat these bags is with a turkey fryer. These are inexpensive, and will boil water fast. Once you have the water boiling you add your sealed bag of food, and in twenty to thirty minutes you have a piping-hot bag of great camp food and no pots or pans to clean! We burn our paper plates and throw away the empty food bag.

Great food, less trash, and virtually no clean up. Doesn’t get any easier than that!

(continued)

Whether or not there’s a wind, it’s important to shoot from a solid, steady rest for accuracy. Off-hand shots are risky even in the best of conditions. Taking an off-hand shot at 150 yards, even at an animal as large as an elk, is often good for an empty freezer. But there aren’t a lot of shooting benches stationed out there in the forest with a deer or elk downrange – I’ve been looking for 30 years, I am still looking. I seem to end up wrapped around a tree or lying on a pile of rocks when I shoot an elk. Your pack laid on the ground makes a good rest. Shooting sticks are good tools, too. But the key is to practice.

Practice all four shooting positions, but concentrate on kneeling, sitting, and prone.

Very few people can shoot accurately from standing position. Find out what is comfortable for you. Prone position with a solid rest is a must for long-range shooting. Shooting sticks help stabilize the rifle in kneeling and sitting position. I like to practice with a scope on my bolt action .22, it’s inexpensive and invaluable practice.

If you are coming from a lower altitude and are going to hunt at altitudes of 9,000 feet or more there is less drag on your bullet due to the thinner air. It will change your zero point slightly. Try to check it before you hunt if you can.

The drop on any shot is less if it is an uphill or downhill shot, there is less gravitational pull for the distance. It is much more difficult to judge yardage on a cross canyon shot. Never shoot at a sky lined animal. Elk will often run off even when well hit.

AFTER THE SHOT Law requires you validate your tag at the site of the harvest. Before you begin to field dress, take pictures or any other action: Detach your carcass tag from the license, sign and date it, mark the sex of the animal harvested with a pen. You must attach the tag to a major portion of the carcass with evidence of sex attached to the portion before you transport the carcass.

Many white tail hunters will leave the skin on their animals for days to let it age. An elk is a thick-skinned animal wearing its winter coat, so you need to get the skin off as soon as you reasonably can. Meat spoilage can happen in a matter of hours if you don’t. Place your meat in game bags that breathe so it can cool while keeping the flies off.

If you have to pack your animal out you will have to quarter it at least. Many Colorado hunters will bone out the animal and just take out the meat. There is a new technique called the gutless method that saves a lot of time and energy. The skin and skeletal portion of an elk weigh around two hundred pounds and more, that is a lot of unnecessary weight to pack at high altitude.

•

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 39

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Elk Hunting Forecast 2011 (continued from page 29) Elk and hunting aren’t what they used to be in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, either. Statewide, elk tag sales fell from 92,565 in 2008 to 84,765 in 2010--a decline of about 8 percent. But not all the news from Idaho is bad. Populations at or above objectives in 20 of 29 elk hunt zones, and the statewide population actually broke a long plummet and grew by 2,000 animals from last year. Hunters should look to the southern and western portions of the state, as well as areas like the Owyhee-South Hills Zone, where hunters can now chase antlerless elk August through December.

Montana Elk Population: 150,000 Bull/Cow Ratio: 5-25/100 Nonresidents: $812 Hunter Success: 16 percent Highlights: The biggest news for nonresidents is the 37 percent jump in the price of an elk permit. A ballot initiative last November abolished 5,500 outfittersponsored licenses and forced all nonresident hunters into the drawing. For those who drew a bull tag in the Bear Paws or Big Snowies, the higher fees could be money well spent, as the bulls there are growing old and big. Winter was tough in parts of central and eastern Montana, but elk in the legendary Missouri River Breaks came through fine. Hunters would be smart

to look at Region 3, which yields almost 50 percent of the annual elk harvest, including some big bulls. Wolves have taken a brutal toll on some herds. In the Danaher Basin of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, cow/calf ratios are just 9/100, down from a long-term average of 24/100. Herds in the West Fork of the Bitterroot and the lower Clark Fork watershed are in steep decline, and the famed northern Yellowstone herd continues to plummet.

New Mexico Elk Population: 75,000-95,000 Bull/Cow Ratio: 40-45/100 Nonresidents: $555 standard bull, $780 quality bull Hunter Success: 33 percent Highlights: A mild winter and expected monsoons should have elk in top shape this fall. The state is split roughly into 30 percent “quality” units (big bulls, small odds) and 70 percent “opportunity” units.

Hunters looking for plenty of opportunity should focus on the north-central units including Unit 36 where elk herds continue to grow and managers have issued more permits. For last-minute nonresident hunters with cash to spend, landowner tags are your ticket. Hunters will have a little more time to get their bull this year, with shooting hours expanded to 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset.

Visit www.wildlife.state.nm.us.

Oregon Elk Population: 125,000 (65,000 Rocky Mountain, 60,000 Roosevelt’s) Bull/Cow Ratio: 19/100 Rocky Mountain, 13/100 Roosevelt’s Nonresidents: $141 license, $501 tag Hunter Success: 16 percent Rocky Mountain, 12 percent Roosevelt’s Highlights: Much of eastern Oregon saw record snowfall in the mountains, and biologists are hopeful that elk populations came out unscathed. Bowhunters can prowl most of the east side with only a general tag. For rifle hunters, nearly everything east of the Cascades is permit-only, save for a second-season rifle hunt in a few units of the northeast.

Roosevelt’s elk tags are still over-the-counter (except for the far northwest and southwest corners), herds are strong and there are some beasts on the hoof. This season, hunters 17 and under are required to wear a hunter orange hat or vest when hunting any big game with any firearm.

Utah Elk Population: 72,500 Bull/Cow Ratio: N/A Nonresidents: $80 license plus $280 to $1,500 permit Hunter Success: 17 percent Highlights: Utah has produced a staggering number of record-book bulls over the past

decade. The state’s largest herds are found in he Wasatch, Plateau and Fish Lake units, which should produce some serious antler growth this year on the heels of aparticularly wet spring. The fact that the overall population continues to grow as well is testament to good management.

The state issued 1,200 more cow tags and 1,250 more spike permits this fall.

Odds are still tough for limited-entry tags.

Nonresidents get 10 percent of available rifle tags.

Wyoming Elk Population: 120,000 Bull/Cow Ratio: 23/100 Nonresidents: $591 permit, $302 cow-calf permit, $1,071 special permit Hunter Success: 44 percent Highlights: Last year, hunters harvested 25,600 elk, up from the five-year average of 21,000. Biologists say mature bulls continue to thrive in most hunting units and the statewide population remains above management objectives. The dark exception is the state’s northwest corner.

Elk numbers in the Clark’s Fork and Cody herds are still down due to predation and poor habitat. The Jackson herd that summers in Yellowstone is well off the mark, too, and managers are being conservative on tags. Roughly half the hunting units just outside the park have set quotas, one is closed and rest are limited to antlered elk only.

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 41

What’s Really Out There? Using Trail Cameras By Jeff Davis and Jim Satorius trail camera, first determine what you can afford, and then what you need, O ne of the best ways to increase and then what you want. Base your your hunting success is to thoroughly scout the area you hunt. The more you know about your prey - their activity, behavior, and even their very existence - the better your chances of success on opening day, and every day of the season after that.

However, spending enough time properly scouting, which could be hundreds and hundreds of hours in the field, is a daunting task for many hunters, because for most of us we also have jobs, families, and other commitments that consume our time.

Trail cameras can be an answer to that dilemma, and the rapid development of trail camera technology and capabilities in recent years is stunning.

We could spend a lot of time and effort, assemble a lot of data, and have it not mean anything to anybody. The answer ended up being pretty simple, and glaringly obvious. We aren’t engineers, but we are hunters—how about we just use them, and see what we think?

The Results The most basic conclusion is that these things are great! Each has some advantages and some drawbacks, some have more features and some have fewer, but overall any one of the five would make us happy. If you think that’s just a gutless conclusion, you’re entitled to your opinion, but there it is, and we stand by it. However, it can make your buying decision a little easier knowing that you are not likely to make a huge mistake in whatever model or brand you buy. These are not an insignificant purchase (ranging from $275 to $500), but from what we found it would be hard to come home with something useless.

From the beginning Jim and I disagreed over what features were important (this was when we decided that determining a “best” camera would not be possible). He liked the video features, I don’t think I’d ever use them. Being a photographer for a few decades, I was impressed with the model with the best image quality; Jim thought the dark, grainy low-resolution nighttime infrared photos were great—as long as he could identify the deer, he was happy.

All models produced infrared (IR) images at night, but those images were about one-half the megapixels of the daytime images. Having nighttime capability, whether with flash or IR, is one thing we both agreed on.

Different people prefer or require different features, so when you buy a

purchase on those criteria.

The Bad News Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first, but there’s not much of it.

•Leakers - Two units had problems with leaking during rainstorms, but were exchanged with no questions or problems when we called the toll-free numbers. The replacement units were completely dry, so we don’t know if we just got two lemons, or if this is a more extensive problem within the industry (since it was two units from two different companies).

• Bad Memory - We installed 1 gigabyte memory cards in all the cameras (some have low-capacity cards or built-in memory included).

We didn’t run out of room with any of these larger cards, and memory nowadays is pretty cheap.

• Power Up - You can’t use cheap batteries in these units. Battery life is highly variable, and is dependent on how often it takes a photo, if the photo is day or night, and air temperature (cold weather will reduce battery performance).

The Good News These units are durable. The Moultrie was once torn from the tree by a bear, and sat for more than a week taking pictures of the sky. Jim was able to continue using it with no problems.

The units that leaked kept operating normally, even with some water inside the case. The Moultrie unit also had a software upgrade that needed to be installed, but this was accomplished quickly and easily.

The best news was that in addition to being interesting, the images produced are useful. “I saw lots of deer I’d never seen before,” Jim said.

“I put a camera in places that looked like good stand locations, and I was able to verify what deer were moving past, or if there was no movement in those places. I used the date and time information to pattern the deer, and I’m using them year-round to try to understand what’s going on out there.”

First determine what features are important to you, if you can. If you’ve never used a trail camera before, it may be difficult to determine, so check with your friends to find out what features they like. Price is always a factor, and different trail cameras can have a price range of several hundred dollars. If price is the consideration, we’ve found that the least expensive trail camera will still produce decent photos, and it will be of immeasurable benefit in finding out what is going on in your hunting area.

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Smartphone Apps For Hunters And Outdoor Enthusiasts O n page 21 we highlighted free ScoreMyRack Premium: Never smartphone apps for hunters and outdoor manually score your hunting trophy again enthusiasts. Here are some worthy apps with a price tag: Fishing My-Cast by Garmin: Weather for the avid angler. Predict fish movement and feeding using real-time baro plots, solunar tables and more.

Subscription: $3.49 available at verizonwireless.com

with ScoreMyRack Premium. Includes score editing and PDF score sheet generation. Score whitetail deer, blacktail deer, mule deer, or American elk. Save scores and tag a photo. It’s like a hunting trophy case in your pocket. $1.99 at market.android.com

Speak The Language App by Primos: Over twenty of your favorite Primos Calls including: The Gobbler Shaker Call, The Original Can®, Hoochie® Mama, The Heart Breaker™ and many more and EVERY call is interactive, working just like the real call, whether it is a Box Call.

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Shooting Hours Sunrise Sunset: Accurately calculate Sunrise and Sunset (and Shooting Hours) for turkey, deer, duck, or goose hunting or any activity where sunrise and sunset times are important. $1.99 at market.android.com

Wind Checker by Primos: Lets you know the wind direction and wind speed for your current location in a simple, intuitive way using your iPhone’s built-in compass. $.99 at itunes.apple. com

42 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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• 43

Prepare Your Vehicle

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T he big 6x6 answers my cow call with a screaming challenge, tears up a good-sized tree and begins to move toward our position. As the bull works his way through the timber I whisper, “He’s right there Frank, just inside the screen of pines about 200 yards up the canyon. Get behind that big Ponderosa. When he gets close enough for a good shot, take it!” Those are words a guide loves to say to his hunter. But, what happens next is often the function of how a little three inch piece of human tissue behaves within the confines of the hunter’s body.

produces hormones called corticosteroids that regulate the salt and water balance in the body, the body’s response to stress, it’s metabolism, the immune system, and sexual development and function. The inner part of each gland is the adrenal medulla, which produces catecholamines such as epinephrine. Catecholamines have the more influential effects, which are wide ranging; epinephrine has a marked effect on the heart and metabolic rate.

It’s the epinephrine that is the culprit!

Epinephrine, also called adrenaline, is the secretion that increases blood pressure and When everything works out, the shot is heart rate when the body experiences stress. taken and two huge smiles fill the canyon in You won’t read about bull elk induced stress this part of elk country. But, when that little in any medical journals but a Google search piece of tissue secretes an overabundant will explain the adrenal gland’s location, flow of juice, the resulting chemical reaction size, function and problems that develop. overrides common sense, reason and muscle Nowhere in the literature did I find a single function. When chemical confusion takes reference to bugling, growling, head-shaking over that big bull will walk past my hunter, elk and the human bodies response to look me in the eye then turn and walk away adrenal gland secretions so I’ll pass along unscathed and his bugling will continue to Frank’s medical-hunting history to illustrate fill the canyon with elk music for the rest of specific adrenal problems that develop in elk that day and well into the night. country.

I am a retired tech teacher with a great job Frank was an East coast whitetail hunter in the heart of elk country. I guide for USO who arrived in elk country after spending during the archery season in a hunting countless years participating in Catskill paradise known as the Floyd Lee Ranch, mountain deer drives while carrying a gun. located in central-western New Mexico.

He spent almost as many years sitting in a Could you ask for a better job? I get to hunt tree stand with a bow and had practiced every day throughout the season, call big diligently to develop an excellent skill elk into 10 yards, watch them react to other level and proved it with four-inch groups elk, my calls and my hunters. What is most of arrows in a 3-D elk target at 60 yards. enjoyable is being able to share my huntFrank maintained the tranquility of a granite ers’ reaction to their first experience with boulder while shooting at camp and I had a screaming, growling, head shaking bull high hopes for quick success. that’s come way too close for comfort.

First day out, in a one on one situation, we I’ll change the names here to protect the moved up-wind towards constant bugling afflicted but my hunter will recognize that I explained to Frank came from satellite himself while probably a number of others bulls worrying a big elk that probably had might think I’m telling tales about them. a hot cow sequestered in the oak brush.

What I’ll explain is a common problem Keeping the wind hard in our face we caused by a tiny three-inch piece of human advanced slowly and Frank proved to be tissue called the adrenal gland. The body an excellent stalker. When we were close actually has two triangular shaped adrenal enough to solicit a response I put Frank glands with one being located on top of each about 50 yards out in front, kneeling behind kidney. These glands have two parts and a big Ponderosa pine as I stepped back. each segment produces a set of hormones.

When he was in position I cow called and The outer part, the adrenal cortex, received an immediate (continued on page 45)

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The Adrenal Gland (continued from page 43) answer. I saw the bull’s feet, below the vegetation, coming straight towards us and Frank sat there as still as could be.

I remember thinking, “Great, he won’t get nervous and spook the elk.” As the bull approached closer, shaking his head and growling, Frank still hadn’t moved a muscle, if fact he was still holding the bow tightly to his left leg. The bull kept coming. When it walked past a big tree offering a 14-yard shot I watched Frank’s mouth drop open as he turned his head to follow the elk. The bull finally stopped just 15 yards from me and, not finding a cow, turned and walked back, past Frank, who still had his mouth wide open. The bull then turned right and walked by in front of Frank at 15 yards before wandering back to the rest of his group.

We had a long talk and I explained about reaching full draw when the elk’s legs became visible beneath the heavy cover.

That way any movement would be hidden.

Then, when at full draw, hold the appropriate pin right on the vitals so when the bull finally clears the heavy cover all you have to do is release. I even had him bring the bow to full draw and hold it while I timed him. He held the compound rock steady for over 90 seconds and I assured him there should be no problem holding accurately on an elk. He listened intently and I didn’t say anything about needing a shot of antifreeze!

That afternoon we found two bulls about 150 yards apart that were screaming back and forth at each other. I put Frank 60 yards out front and between them before I cow called. Rolling rocks on the hillside signaled a moving elk and a big cow came running out and stopped just 17 feet from me. I was pinned down but could still watch Frank. He was staring at the cow.

More rolling rocks announced a big bull looking for his lost cow but Frank was so engrossed watching her look at me, he let the bull trot into the open before he reacted.

A man moving when a bull is in the open creates a spooked elk! We had another long talk then went back to hunting.

The next morning we located a bull bugling on the mountain and worked towards the sound while heading uphill into the wind.

His cows were between us but Frank was a picture of stealth as we worked our way through the group and into position. I whispered, “The bull is right here somewhere. Get an arrow ready.” I called, the bull answered then came trotting down an old skid trail. I whispered, “Draw! he’ll come into that opening and I’ll stop him.

It will be about 12 yards.” Frank came to full draw and just before the bull reached the opening his arrow streaked across the gap and came to a vibrating stop in a pine tree. “What was that?” I asked as the bull stopped and actually looked back and forth at the arrow’s path, probably wondering the

same thing! Frank answered, “It went off by accident!” He had such a death grip on the bow he had grabbed the trigger and released prematurely.

To finish up Frank’s saga we got onto two more bulls an hour later, he put a super stalk on them then missed twice, once at 40 then at 60 yards. That evening, the last of his hunt, we were joined by his two partners and their guide and found two bulls fighting. His two partners stayed with the truck and we finally caught up with the bulls just before dark. We got Frank into position for a 40-yard shot but a cow saw us and actually pushed the bull away. When the bull came clear we hit him with the range finder at 68 yards and told Frank to hold his 60-yard pin right on the bull’s back and release. The arrow sailed over the bull by at least by two feet. You’d have thought Frank’s adrenalin supply would have run out eventually!

YOUTH PHEASANT AND WATERFOWL HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES MFWP

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focus of a special weekend youth waterfowl and pheasant hunting season Sept. 24-25. Legally licensed hunters age 12 through 15 will be able to hunt ducks, mergansers, geese, coots and ring-necked pheasants statewide on these two days.

In addition, youngsters 11 years of age who will reach age 12 by Jan. 16, 2012 may participate in this hunt with the proper licenses.

A non-hunting adult at least 18 years of age must accompany the young hunters in the field. The bag limit, shooting hours, hunter safety requirements and all other regulations of the regular pheasant and waterfowl seasons apply.

There is an exception to the youth waterfowl season at the Canyon Ferry WMA near Helena—shooting hours will extend from one-half hour before sunrise to noon Sept. 24 and 25.

46 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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H ere are a few of the things that I try to stick to so I put birds on the table.

Know what and where the food is: What is the best food for Pheasants?

Cereal grains - barley, corn, millet, oats and wheat – make up over 80 percent of the pheasant’s diet. Seeds of knotweed, pigweed, rice grass, Russian thistle and sunflower are also eaten. Succulent leaves of alfalfa, the clovers and other forbs are eaten when available - hawthorn, rose and snowberry - are not preferred, but may sustain birds through periods of deep snow when other foods are scarce.

Pheasant chicks live almost wholly on insects - ants, beetles, caterpillars and grasshoppers - during late summer and early fall.

And Hungarian Partridge? The diet of Hungarian Partridge includes three primary types: cultivated grains, seeds of a variety of weedy forbs, and green leafy materials. Weed seeds and waste grain are important the year around. In many localities, waste grain may account for 90 percent or more of the winter diet of the gray partridge.

In addition to the grains wheat, barley, and oats their are other foods that include

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alfalfa, bristlegrass, clover, dandelion, pigweed, ragweed, sunflower, and smartweed. Especially important to immature birds are ants, beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers.

Sharptail Grouse do not rely on cultivated crops at any time of the year. Their use of crops is usually due to availability and is greatest during fall and winter.

Adult grouse are primarily vegetarians, especially during the spring months before abundant insect hatches. Leaves and flowers of succulent plants, dry seeds, and fleshy fruits are important food items for adults and are used more by the young as the summer passes. Other important plant foods include hawthorn, prickly lettuce, dandelion, and western snowberry.

Blue grouse feed extensively on green leaves, flower heads, seeds, fruits, conifer needles and buds, and insects during the spring, summer, and fall. Their winter diet consists almost entirely of conifer needles and buds, although some fruits and seeds are eaten when available. Animal foods comprise about 10 percent of the summer diet--chiefly ants, beetles, and grasshoppers. The food of chicks is 70 to 100 percent insects through the first month, followed by berries into September.

CALL EARLY FOR TICKETS: Ernie Nunn (406) 431-2433 Mourning Doves show a preference for the seeds of certain species of plant over others. Foods taken in preference include wild sunflower seeds, wheat, barley and thistle seeds When their favorite foods are absent, Mourning Doves will eat the seeds of other plants, including many wild flower and natural grass seeds.

Find the food and your odds have improved, but that is only half of the puzzle.

Find the cover: Shelterbelts and cattail patches hold Pheasants and Huns, as well as fence-rows and any bushes or trees. The closer to the food, the better! Throw in a little water and a dirt road for grit and you have the makings of a good hunt.

Both Blue and Ruff Grouse have a love of creeks. Most of their food is right there and the thicker plant growth hides them very well. Start low in the morning and work your way up as the day progresses.

Look at the edges of openings, old roadbeds and clear cuts during the first few days of the season for both blues and ruffs that are cashing in on the bumper crop of grasshoppers!!

Feeding Highly Active Dogs During Hunting Season (continued from page 17) As an example, if your dog consumes 2 cups a day during the lazy summer, you may have noticed that you have to increase the amount of food during the hunting season to 4 cups, or even up to 8 cups, a day by the middle or end of the season just to keep the dog’s weight stable. However, this significant increase in caloric need does not occur overnight and will vary for each dog. This is a gradual shift that occurs over several weeks as the season progresses, time in the field increases and physical conditioning improves. Therefore, the increased caloric needs will increase accordingly as metabolic rate and exercise frequency increases.

Enthusiasts often ask, “How do I know how much more or less to feed, and how do I best adjust the amount?” Ultimately, there are two rules of thumb. First and most importantly, always feed an amount to maintain a stable body weight and ideal body condition. And second, always add Sharptails prefer stands of inter-mixed tree and shrub grasslands. Areas with high or subtract in small incremental changes, such as 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup amounts every few populations will see some birds spread days as appropriate, to promote a stable into any close native grasslands, usually along drainages surrounded by grainfields. body condition.

Sharp-tailed Grouse rely on native An actual measuring cup filled with a bunchgrass-shrub stands when the times level amount of kibble is the best tool to are tough. know exactly how much food you are giving daily. This will help make it easier For Mourning Doves look for roost trees, to adjust the feeding amount of specific usually river bottom cottonwoods and increments. Using an unmarked container ponderosa pine groves. Water is very can make adjustments more challenging important most years, this one being and less consistent. In addition, having a the exception!! If you can find the roost standard measuring cup will aid commuand the food, find a good place to hide nications between you and your veterinarbetween the two, and you are going to ian during routine health visits, in which need more shells!! topics relating to maintaining a healthy body condition and feeding practices are With the days getting shorter, now is the likely to come up. time to load up and get ready for that Keeping your dog’s body weight and surprise flush, or rocketing dove. There condition stable as the effects of the is nothing better than finding that place season wear on is the best indicator that where the birds are, so what are you his caloric and nutritional needs are being waiting for? P.S. your dog will thank met. you!!

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