Mt. Hunting & Fishing News - August 2019 by Western Hunting & Fishing News

HUNTING & FISHING MONTANA

AUGUST 2019

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“I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison The other thing to consider is… this is ELK HUNTING — where the only thing that is for certain is that nothing is for certain. What does not work one time may work flawlessly the next and what strategy has been working may all of a sudden fail. Below are some of the most recurring and common mistakes that I hear about:

1. CALLING YOUR WAY INTO ELK AND NOT GETTING CLOSE ENOUGH

All photo credits Phelps Game Calls

AVOID THESE TOP 10 ELK HUNTING MISTAKES: By Jason Phelps Originally published at

www.goHUNT.com

hile some may find listening to other archery elk hunters W talk about their failures boring or “one of the downsides of owning a call company,” I do not agree. Instead, I consider it

being fortunate. Not only do I get the opportunity to listen to all of the“mistakes” other hunters make, but I can easily relate them to my own experiences. As much as I want to know what works I also want to know what is not working because that is how I am going to be able to avoid the same mistakes.

As an archery elk hunter, nothing fires us up more than letting out a bugle and getting a response. So why not do it again and again and again? Chances are the bull will continue to bugle back as long as you are in the same location, but as you move toward the bull in pursuit, resist the urge to bugle once you know the bull’s location. Instead, check the wind and try to get within 100 yards of where you think he is. Ideally, he will continue to bugle as you are moving in and allow you to pinpoint his location. If not, try to get to where you think he is before making another peep. Why does this not work? Imagine you are sitting in the back of a restaurant with your wife and some loud mouth guy walks in the door and starts yelling at you from across the room. You may choose to reply back at first, but as he continues to get closer and you feel he is a threat, you have the ability to walk out the door and leave, avoiding conflict. But if that same guy walked across the room and did not say a word until he was in your face, you are left with no choice but a confrontation. Elk act in a similar way. The bull’s number one goal is to keep as many cows through the estrus cycles as he can. Avoiding confrontation when a bugling elk or hunter is approaching is his strategy to make sure that happens.

Most of the time, bugling your way in results in chasing or shadowing a herd. The elk are faster than we are and it is obvious they are going somewhere predetermined. In my experience, it is difficult to kill a bull you are shadowing. Instead, I try to quietly get in front of them or, if the pressure is low in the area, wait in order to try to get in front of them the next day. It is important to resist the urge to bugle once you have located a bull. Make your best guess to his location, check the wind and try to get within of 100 yards of where you think he is. Ideally, he will continue to bugle as you are moving in, which allows you to pinpoint his location. (continued on page 24)

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How To Scout

BIG BUCK A

In Late Summer

Photo credit Luke Strommen

By Luke Strommen Mike Hanback’s Big Deer Blog www.bigdeerblog.com ne time I spotted a gnarly 6×6 during my scouting and O glassing routines in the summer. The mature whitetail used his primary core area throughout July and August.

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6 | Hunting & Fishing News

I saw him many times and took some distant digital images of him from one of my tree stands. He would browse in an irrigated alfalfa field, and having completed his evening ritual, he’d sneak off to spend the night in a 20-acre corn field nearby. He continued this pattern into the early archery season in September, consistently passing by one of my stands, but late. I waited for the wind to be right and sat the stand 3 times in early September, only to have the buck come by on the 16-yard trail just after legal shooting light. This “12-point” as my Eastern friends would call him wasn’t the largest buck I had seen that summer on the Milk River here in northeastern Montana, but he was a much sought after trophy. A clean 6×6 is hard to come by, especially for a recurve hunter like me. As the season progressed, the buck’s pattern changed, and he became less visible and more unpredictable. He would spend a week or 2 in different “sub-core areas” as food sources changed with the fall weather patterns. Remember that, because any big deer you find now might do that in a few months. But ultimately the buck came home to his familiar primary core area where I had spotted him all summer, to the place where he felt most dominant and comfortable. I figured he would do that and I was right. I spotted his 12-point rack whirling and twirling early in the afternoon of November 1. He was warding off inferior bucks, posturing his antlers like weapons to the stubborn invaders of his domain. Since I had scouted this area so much, I knew how the buck used the place, where he liked to travel. It paid off. That was back in the mid-2000s when there were a lot of deer on the Milk, and when I was guiding a few bowhunters on our farms. I put a bowhunter from Texas in the same area where I had spotted the 6×6 several times in low light in September. On the 2nd of November, with the pre-rut kicking into gear, the buck was a lot less cautious as he strode by the stand with 45 minutes of shooting light to spare. The hunter placed a sharp broadhead right through his oxygen tank. The big lesson: Scouting early and often in the late summer pays off, even if you can’t connect on big buck during the first weeks of archery season. You might “lose” your mature deer for a few days or even weeks, but the rutting phases of the fall will generally bring him back to his primary core area, where one day he might finally make a mistake. One day in late October, November or even December you might finally kill the buck from one of the stands you hunted in the first week of bow season.

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CHUKAR HUNTING –

THE TORTUROUS BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAINS By Bob McMichael

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our dog is locked on point 150 yards Y up the hill. You haul yourself up the slippery slope, cursing all the pizza you ate last year (and maybe some of the beer), hoping the birds won’t bust before your overweight ass can get in position for a shot. With lungs crying out for more air and quads about to give, you finally reach the still-still pointer frozen like a statue. You prep for the shot, and hope. The chukar bust about thirty degrees to the left of where you thought they’d erupt from, and you move your feet to compensate, and… You step on a loose rock and fall backward down the slope, before you can get a line on a chukar and trigger a shot. If any type of hunting is fair chase, it’s chukar hunting. To be fair, it’s not all pain and frustration in chukar hunting. Ardent chukar hunters aren’t all complete masochists. The challenge has its rewards, which multiply with preparation and knowledge gained from experience. Converts to the endeavor usually remain so until their bodies give out before their interest. Why? It’s badass, for one. But it’s also the perfect sport for anyone interested in not running into anyone else while doing it. The steep, rocky, dry terrain chukar inhabit isn’t kind. And so—in the seventeen years I’ve been doing it—I’ve run into exactly one other hunter. “Run into” is perhaps too strong. He was an entire ridge away and when we noticed each other, we just put further distance between ourselves. So anyway, how do you do it? First, you need a dog. Preferable one that points and retrieves. Finding the birds isn’t easy, especially in low-bird years, so a quality upland bird dog will enrich your experience immeasurably. The retrieving part is huge. A chukar falling from the sky will be next to impossible to find without

a dog if it falls into a pallet of sagebrush, bunchgrass, bitterbrush, and rocks the same color as the bird. The next most important thing is knowing where to go. As the season changes, so do the best spots. In the early season when it’s warm, birds will be near some source of water, whether it’s a spring, a reservoir, or a tiny creek. As the moisture increases throughout the season and fresh vegetation starts coming up, coveys tend to expand across the terrain. At all times, though, birds will be near cover of some kind: rocky outcroppings, big tufts of bunchgrass, mixed sagebrush, bitterbrush, or shrubby crevices. In stormy weather, they’re more likely to be on the leeward side of ridges. When it’s warm, they’ll move from sun in the morning to shade in the afternoon. As with the stock market and prescription drugs, though, your experience may vary. If you’re lucky enough to kill a chukar, look in its crop when you clean it and you’ll find a pretty good indication of its hangout spots and the things it’s eaten there. Boots, good ones, are paramount. This goes more for chukar hunting than any other activity I’m aware of except maybe ballet dancing or the Tour de France. They must be stiff, fit perfectly, and not move at all on your foot. They can’t be too tight. I use lightweight mountaineering boots which do not flex in the sole which is important for rocky hillsides. These have comprised the majority of hiking in any chukar terrain I’ve hunted. Your boot should act like a shelf for your foot, so you won’t end up with bruised metatarsals from the constant radical and unpredictable flexing the rocks subject your foot to. I recommend uninsulated boots, because even in the coldest weather your feet will be hot. I’m a huge fan of Gore-Tex since it breathes really well. (continued on page 23)

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Hunting & Fishing News | 7

A recent Utah muzzleloader buck. Photo credit Ryan Honea

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huntingfishingnews@yahoo.com www.huntingfishingnews.net The entire contents is © 2019, 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 this material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. All photo & editorial submissions become the property of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. to use or not use at their discretion. Volume 16 Issue 6 Cover Photo: Brenda Denmark|dreamstime.com

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WHILE MAKING A S TALK By Ryan Honea Originally published at

www.goHUNT.com

’ve always considered myself to be an aggressive hunter— Ibefore at times daring the animal I’m after to make a mistake I do, squeezing every opportunity out of a perceived

advantage I have in a given situation. It’s a strategy that has worked well over the years as I’ve got a decent trophy wall at home, but, if I’m being 100% honest, there have been times when I was too aggressive and blew opportunities not only for myself, but for my hunting partners as well— namely my own father (sorry, Dad)! We spent an entire day closing the distance to a group of bachelor bucks during a Utah muzzleloader hunt. We spotted the bucks early in the morning just after first light and, at the time, they were above us, just below the top of the basin we were hunting, toeing the line between deep timber and a large open sagebrush face. Over the course of the next several hours, we were able to close the distance from what was surely a mile to just over 200 yards. We came up a drainage that had been eroded over many years where, at the bottom, we could stand and walk while staying out of sight from watchful eyes. As we crept out of the drainage—in full army crawl—the bucks, one by one, fed into range with the largest being a well-rounded 4-point. We estimated him to be 32” wide and roughly scored him at somewhere in the mid 180s—a great buck! As is all too common, some sort of 18th sense (haha) alerted the deer to our presence and they bumped over a ridge and out of sight. We were certain they wouldn’t go far and began to come around the same ridge while maintaining the same 200-yard gap. As we came around the corner, the bucks had settled down and were back feeding. In an effort to help my dad, I quickly jumped to the front, pushing the pace, trying to find a suitable location from which my dad could shoot—I so badly wanted to help him get the 4-point. I had convinced myself that moving quickly would give us enough time to set up and shoot before they bumped again. Of course I was wrong and had gotten so far ahead of my dad that, by the time he reached my location, the deer were off and running. Incredibly distraught at the opportunity I had cost my dad, I’ve reflected on that moment over and over again and it still bothers me to this very day. I’ve come to understand—in my now older age—that what I thought was aggression was really a lack of patience. Why was I so hell-bent on getting ahead of my dad, pushing the pace and finding a great spot where my dad could set up and shoot? Patience is all too often an overlooked

component to hunting. Just ask any newlywed or new parent and they’ll surely tell you that patience—even though it’s cliche—is truly a virtue. It’s a virtue when it comes to hunting as well. The excitement that comes from being in the moment, when the hunt is on, is something we can all relate to and we’ve likely all made a move from being impatient that has cost us the opportunity at an animal.

THREE QUESTIONS TO ASK OURSELVES WHEN THE HUNT IS ON:

1. Will I have another opportunity at this animal if I back out? I have found that rarely the answer to that question is no. If you have time to hunt you can almost always locate an animal a second time, especially if the animal hasn’t been pushed/spooked from the area. If you are out of time, perhaps a more direct approach is appropriate. 2. If I slow down will I lose the opportunity at the animal? Again, the answer is almost always no. It’s easy to impose some type of timeline that leads us to believe we only have a few minutes to “seal the deal” when, in reality, time is often on our side and the more you believe that, the better you’ll sneak because you’ll know you have the time needed to move slowly. 3. Will I gain an advantage making a move when the location of the animal is uncertain? Once again, the answer is almost always no. It’s incredibly easy to feel a bit of panic when an animal heads to an uncertain destination, but almost never do we better our chances without knowing the location of the animal. Just stay put and, as long as you’ve not spooked the animal, it’ll come back out again. On a recent hunt, I was able to put into play question three; will I gain an advantage making a move when the location of the animal is uncertain? It was the third day of the Utah muzzleloader hunt and me and my good hunting buddy had packed into an area and set up camp just below a large basin. The basin was something dreams are made of. It had a large heavy timber pocket on the southern side of the canyon that filtered into smaller jack pines as the canyon

wall headed north and lower into the basin. The back of the basin was covered in sagebrush and a lot of rocky ledges where I was convinced deer would be bedded. The lower bowl was full of buckbrush, sagebrush and open grassy flats; there was even a small spring that ran down the drainage. We woke well before sun up on the fourth morning of the hunt and made our way to a vantage point that allowed us to see the entire basin. Right away there was activity with several smaller bucks feeding near the spring and taking their morning drink. A nice 4-point came into view on the far side of the basin that deserved a second look but we decided to wait as the day was young. After an hour or so had passed, we decided the 4-point we had previously seen was worth going after. As we stood to make our play—he was still up feeding in the sagebrush—I saw movement at the top of the basin coming through the rocky ledges, absolutely flying down the mountain. I got my binoculars up with just enough time to see he was a great buck. I whispered to my buddy, “That was one of the tallest bucks I have ever seen. He had to be 25” tall.” Our focus immediately switched from the nice 4-point to the fellow I saw flying down the mountain. It was obvious something had spooked him and he was heading for the timber to seek cover. We quickly made a plan to go around the heavy timber, leaving the basin entirely. We then come back into our basin using the same route as the buck. Our thought was that we might be able to see through a few rows of timber to where he was held up and use elevation to our advantage. After a couple of hours, we reached the saddle he came over, crawled over the edge and ever so carefully began to glass every nook and cranny of the timber, hoping to see an ear, an antler or tail—anything to give up his location. Several hours had passed and we hadn’t seen a thing. The sun was well in the sky at this point and the heat was definitely wearing on us, but, undeterred, I was convinced that the buck had held up in the timber. We spent the entire day in that saddle waiting, hoping the buck would come out. (continued on page 38)

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5 Reasons to Fish Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flathead River System By Zach Lazzari Mystic Outdoors www.mysticoutdoors.com

ontanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flathead River system is a special place. M While many rivers can make the same claim, few combine the rarity of biological preservation with pure wilderness and a diverse set of fly fishing opportunities.

The South Fork of the Flathead River specifically is isolated by Hungry Horse Dam. While most of the dam related issues in the conservation are negative, Hungry Horse has actually blocked the migration of invasive species, creating an isolated fishery with genetically pure westslope cutthroat trout. The Middle Fork, North Fork and mainstem are also loaded with pure westslope cutthroats but they also see a few rainbow trout and hybrids. Regardless, fishing this river on foot or from a boat is an experience you will not soon forget. I typically make a trip during the height of summer to beat the heat on other Montana rivers. The Flathead has cooler waters, plenty of shade and a ton of water to explore. 1. THE WILDERNESS RUNS The South Fork is a serious wilderness trip that requires horses to pack in your gear and a good week of floating to find yourself at a takeout with 60 miles of dirt road waiting before you hit pavement again. The remote, wilderness float requires some logistics or one of the few permitted outfitters to put everything together. You can also run a few short floats or wade fish from the very lower end before the river enters Hungry Horse Reservoir. That stretch of river is the only road access but the road itself is an adventure to navigate. The South Fork is also the only place where you can legally target bull trout. Depending on your launch date, you can expect to fish for a few days with non-stop cutthroat action before you run into bull trout migrating through the river system. The Middle Fork also offers multi-day wilderness floats. You can fly to Schafer Meadows and launch or pack horses to reach a launch. Like the South Fork, the river is remote, wild and full of big fish.

2. ROAD ACCESS TO REMOTE FLOATS The North Fork has a unique element that provides a few access points by road but your floats will quickly lead into isolated country. The river defines the west boundary of Glacier National Park and you are basically experiencing the park ecosystem through a float trip. You can float right from the Canada Border to the confluence with the Middle Fork. The Middle Fork after the wilderness sections is similar as it defines the East boundary of Glacier National Park and has road access but also winds away from the road. It has some great whitewater and fishing throughout the summer and fall. Wade and float access is abundant and you can hike a ways to escape pressure found at the access sites. 3. WADE OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND The Flathead is famous for float opportunities but wade fisherman do very well on every fork and the mainstem. Taking the time to really work through a single run can produce the large fish that sometimes hold below the smaller guys that are quick to grab your fly. The abundant eddies also make it possible to sit on a single spot and circulate your flies through a group of fish for hours. 4. BULL TROUT! I already mentioned the legal targeting on the South Fork but bull trout are present in the entire river system. While you can’t legally target them everywhere, just fishing around bull trout adds a major element of excitement to environment. It’s not uncommon to have a big bull trout attack a cutthroat on the end of your line. You aren’t likely to land the fish but they will hold on and fight you for that fish right up to the last second. 5. DIY AND GUIDED TRIPS The access means you can easily show up and just go fishing. The majority of the river system runs through public lands and you can float or wade fish just about anywhere. Bring your A-Game on the sticks however as the forks and mainstem pump some serious volume and they are known for dangerous strainers and obstacles. The Flathead Valley has also attracted world class guides. The guides here are trained on whitewater and are some of the best rowers you will find in the state. I do most of my fishing with Wild Montana Anglers when I’m not rowing my own boat or hiking the river banks on my own.

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SPEED RIG WALLEYES By Jason Mitchell www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com

igging has continued to evolve over the years and remains a deadly way for R catching walleye throughout the season. Rigging can be a lot of different things depending on the angler and region. The classic live bait rig was a simple sliding

walking or egg sinker above a small swivel that was attached to a three to seven foot snell in which a size eight to four live bait octopus hook was used to present a crawler, leech or minnow. This classic rig was often meant to be fished slow so that the live bait could do the work. Night crawlers were sometimes given a puff of air. Minnows or chubs were often hooked through just the top lip. Rigs were meant to be put in front of fish and the natural seduction of live bait often triggered fish. This classic live bait rig is probably how many people (myself included) learned to live bait rig for walleye. Add in some back trolling with an old two stroke tiller just to be nostalgic… still love the smell of two stroke exhaust. Over time however, rigging has evolved into faster presentations that work much better for covering water. In fact, many rigs today fish more similarly to a classic bottom bouncer and spinner presentation. Many of these rigs are designed to be fished faster than a mile per hour. What I find is that many of these rigs really shine as a precursor to the classic spinner harness. There is also that in between transition when fish are starting to move, and you need to cover water. What we often find is that we might catch fish right away in the morning on a spinner but as the water gets flat or the sun gets high, we can pick off more fish by toning down the presentation towards a traditional rig.

The author Jason Mitchell explains some deadly rigging tactics that use faster speeds for triggering midsummer walleye. Photo courtesy Jason Mitchell

Now what is considered a speed rig? A speed rig is any rig that needs some speed to work properly. An octopus hook and redtail chub will catch fish sitting still. A spinner harness needs to move through the water for the blades to turn. A speed rig is something more subtle than a traditional spinner harness that also typically doesn’t need as much speed but still needs to move through the water to get the right action. Could be a Macs Smile Blade or Northland Tackle Banana Blade. Perhaps a simple Slow Death Hook. Other variations include propellers, Spin and Glows, and floats. For most of these rigs, speeds might range between .7 to 1.5 miles per hour. Most of these rigs work extremely well fished a touch slower than a traditional spinner harness. Most of these rigs also seem to usually work best behind a bottom bouncer. Since you don’t ever have to stall or slow down to a crawl with these types of rigs, there is no advantage to using a sliding slip sinker. Drag and force the fish to load the rod tip up. This also isn’t necessarily a finesse game, don’t be afraid to use ten to fourteen-pound monofilament as the heavier mono seems to drag behind the bottom bouncer without twisting as you speed up. What you will often find as summer progresses is that speed kills. We often find that we catch more fish with these rigs by bumping up the speed. The variations and combinations are endless but here are a few of my favorite tweaks on rigs that catch a lot of fish for me each season. By no means is this the end all and I continue to learn new ways to fish this presentation each season. The following however are confidence measures. Stuff that has caught a lot of fish and continues to work each season.

Slow Death ---Long before Mustad trademarked the name “Slow Death,” Lake Oahe guides Dave Spade and others were cleaning up on tournaments using this special half crawler rig that incorporated a bent gold Aberdeen hook. I still like to bend my own hook and find that the action is much better on the light wire Aberdeen hook than any of the heavier hooks that you can now buy. Simply take a size four Gold Aberdeen long shank hook and put a thirty-degree bend in the wire. For maximum dance, use the tail section of the worm and pull these rigs right around 1.3 miles per hour. Watch the rig next to the boat to see if the tail is flapping and dancing. The right action is more of a shimmy, not a corkscrew. When you know what this is supposed to look like and get it right… it out fishes any hook you can buy. Snell length is typically short, around 30-36 inches. Now I am just going to come out and say this… If you put a Slow Death style hook behind a blade or put any number of beads or hardware ahead of the hook, the wobbling is lost, and the hook drags through the water just like any other hook. So… with that being said, many of the Slow Death type harnesses are a joke. Sure, they catch fish, but they catch fish the same as if they were tied with any other long shank hook. Something to consider when tying rigs or buying rigs. The Slow Death action is deadly, but you lose that action once you start adding Smile Blades, props and floats above the hook.

12 | Hunting & Fishing News

Magnum Floater/ Leech Combo

There are many floating jigs and float combinations and they all work well. One of my favorite ways to fish a leech however come midsummer is to use a large floating jig head on a three-foot snell and use a jumbo leech. At around a mile an hour, the jig head will really wobble adding a lot of action to the leech. The larger round head floaters seem to work the best because they will wobble as you dial up the speed. To pull leeches at faster speeds, lightly step on them and hook them through the nose.

Long Shank/ Propeller Rig

Burning minnows fast on rigs is deadly effective on many lakes. The beads and propeller seem to almost ballast the minnow so that the minnow simply drags through the water straight without excessive spinning. Double hook a fathead, rainbow or shiner on a long shank hook so that it hangs straight and cover water. If the minnow is spinning out of control and the snell is twisting bad, use a heavier snell. We often burn these rigs at speeds up to a mile and a half an hour. Half crawlers and leeches can also be used on these rigs. Don’t be afraid to use this tactic with longer snells that are up to five to six feet in length. Keep your hardware to a minimum…couple of small beads and a small prop and keep your speed up to over a mile an hour.

Butterfly Blades/ Smile Blades

I have long been a fan of Smile Blades and have recently fallen in love with the newer Butterfly Blade Rigs from Northland Fishing Tackle. These blades turn at extremely slow speeds and will wobble at even slower speeds. They create a lot of flash and keep turning on sharp turns or stalls in speed. They just catch fish. My favorite way to tie these rigs is to use the old school bait keeper hooks that have barbs on the shank or simply use a long shank Aberdeen. On both hooks, I thread about half a crawler up past the knot. These rigs also work well with both leeches and minnows.

Plain Jane

Many of the rigs above (apart from the modified Slow Death type hook) are rigs with some type of hardware. Don’t assume you always have to add some eye candy onto the rig. We still catch a lot of fish on plain hook rigs or rigs that have a single bead and we often fish these rigs fast and catch fish. Threading the nose of a whole crawler on a classic bait keeper hook and burning that crawler behind a bottom bouncer at over a mile an hour is deadly come mid-summer. When using rigs at these faster speeds, don’t worry about feeding fish the crawler as any stall in momentum will cause the bottom bouncer to tip and add a lot of resistance. (continued on page 38)

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2019 FALL MACK DAYS

LAKE TROUT FISHING EVENT on FLATHEAD

September 20

LAKE

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Fish The Entire Lake

UP TO

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CASH & PRIZES

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday are competitive Mack Days that include lottery, prizes, tagged fish, and bonuses. Pick your best 15 days out of 24 possible, Friday-Sunday, for top ten angler prizes. The last day is separate. Tagged Lake Trout-(1) $10,000-(3) $5,000-and (5) $1,000 plus over $9,000 with values from $500-$100 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are bonus days. Eight $50 lottery drawings plus if you turn in live lake trout to the tagging boat you receive tickets for a special lottery drawing for (2) $500 prizes plus cooler tickets (1 for every 10 entries) Lottery Prizes: $1,000 to $400 (thirty-two drawings) Fri - Sun Top ten angler prizes $800-$300-Fri-Sun-(except last day, 15 best days of possible 24 days) Captains $250-(4 prizes), Smallest lake trout $250-(2 prizes), Largest lake trout $500 Top lady anglers $300, $200, $100. $100 -by total fish entered Youth anglers- (17-13) 1st- $200, 2nd-$150, 3rd-$75, 4-5th-$50 (12 & under)-1st-$100, 2nd-$75, 3rd-$50 Fri-Sat Weekend Prizes 5@$100 per weekend Golden Angler Award (70 & older)-$200 & $100, by total fish entered Bucket Days-3 days of single/team-heaviest 4-fish - 10/4, 10/19, 11/3 Last Day Only Drawings: $200, $150, $100 & Heaviest Mack weight under 30”-$200 & $100 ALL ANGLERS WHO ENTER ELEVEN OR MORE LAKE TROUT QUALIFY FOR BONUSES The higher your total, the higher your bonus. Every day counts: Tues-Sun (45 days)

See www.mackdays.com for complete rules We ask that all boats from out of the Flathead area be inspected for AIS.

Fish Fry for participants & families November 10th at Blue Bay 3:00 Awards Ceremony at 4:00 Entry forms will not be mailed out.

Enter online at www.mackdays.com

or pick up entries at local sporting good stores. You can also enter when you check in your fish at the check in stations during Mack Days. We remind you to follow all fishing regulations. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have a special $13 fishing permit for the south half on Flathead Lake that is available wherever fishing permits are sold.

Photo credit Mark Romanack Fishing 411

FOUR WAYS TO TARGET

Structure Loving Walleye

By Mark Romanack Fishing 411 www.fishing411.net

uring the “dog days” of summer there are lots of ways to D target walleye. To avoid warm water a lot of the high quality fish seek out deeper water and hard bottom

structure...there are three iconic ways the pros target walleye and one new trick that might surprise even the most hard core walleye fishing enthusiast. Jigs might be “old school” but they are very effective tools for targeting structure loving walleye during the dog days of summer. JIGS For as along as there have been walleye, there have been anglers targeting them with lead head jigs. During the heat of summer minnows are a good bait if you can find them, but most anglers find that nightcrawlers and leeches are a better option when jig fishing deep water structure. Crawlers and leeches have great action and they stay on the hook a lot better than a minnow. Soft plastics are also a great option, but not all plastics routinely produce walleye. The best plastics are super soft, packed with action and impregnated with scent. At the top of a very long list of available soft plastics, Berkley’s Gulp and PowerBait have carved out a well deserved reputation for producing fish. The Gulp 3 inch minnow and the PowerBait 3 inch Ripple Shad are lights out to walleye. SLIP SINKER RIGS Another “old school” tactic, live bait rigging continues to produce countless walleye. Thread a 3/8 to 1/2 ounce walking sinker onto a main line of 10 pound test super braid, then add a small swivel and finish the rig by snelling a pair of No. 2 beak hooks to three feet of 10 pound test fluorocarbon line. Top this rig off by threading a single bead onto the line and then a No. 6 or 8 Yakima Spin n Glo body. Baited with the biggest nightcrawler you can lay hands on, this iconic set up drifted or back-trolled over deep water structure continues to produce walleye everywhere they are found. A slip sinker rig equipped with a Yakima Spin n Glo body and a jumbo nightcrawler is an often overlooked presentation for summer walleye. This iconic fishing technique is as productive today as it was 40 years ago.

THE BOTTOM BOUNCER AND SPINNER The bottom bouncer

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

and spinner rig generally catches more fish than all other popular walleye presentations put together. This classic summer time presentation produces even better when walleye pack up on deep water reefs in mid to late summer.

The bottom bouncer and spinner rig is extra deadly for targeting walleye holding on deep water reefs. Drifting or slow trolling, a bottom bouncer has probably caught more walleye than any other presentation. It’s important to note that bottom bouncer fishing is not a finesse tactic. Use a big enough bottom bouncer to easily maintain contact with the bottom. For most natural lake situations a two ounce bouncer is ideal. When fishing the deeper reefs of the Great Lakes a three ounce bouncer is often required. The ideal spinner rig is one that is about 40 inches in length and features a pair of No. 2 beak hooks, a No. 4 or 5 Colorado blade and a Quick Change clevice. When bottom bouncer fishing the blade size and color are critically important and the Quick Change clevice allows anglers to switch out blades in seconds. Lots of anglers tie their own custom spinner rigs, but my favorite is the Yakima Bait Hammer Time Walleye Spinner. Available in No. 4, 5 and 6 Colorado blades and 18 different color patterns, my favorites are the Copper Confusion, Boy Girl, Clown and Firetiger. GLIDE BAITS The sleeper in this list of summer time walleye slayers is the growing popularity of glide baits. Originally designed for ice fishing, the larger sizes of these glide baits can be casted to deep water structure with amazing results. Casting glide baits is one of the newest wrinkles on the structure fishing scene. Once thought of as only ice fishing lures, walleye will literally smash these baits when they are casted and allowed to sink to bottom over rocky structure. The interesting thing is glide baits routinely produce a larger averaged size fish compared to other mainstream structure fishing tactics like jigging, slip sinker rigging and fishing bottom bouncers with spinners.

The trick is to make a long cast and allow the glide bait to sink to bottom. Using super braid line and a rather stiff action spinning outfit reel up the slack line and give the glide bait a hard snap of the rod tip. This brings the bait to life, lifting it up off bottom and allowing it to glide back to bottom on a taunt line. Walleye hit these bait so hard the strike is startling. When the fish is landed, the glide bait is typically choked down the fish’s throat! Adding a three foot leader of 15 pound test fluorocarbon line using a double uni knot helps trigger the maximum number of strikes. A number of manufacturers produce glide baits including the Rapala Jigging Rap, the Moonshine Shiver Minnow, Northland Tackle’s Puppet Minnow and the Custom Jigs and Spins Rotating Power Minnow. All of these glide baits perform best when the factory treble hook is removed and replaced with a larger treble hook. The ultimate after market treble hooks for fishing glide baits are the Eagle Claw TK310 Wide Bend Trokar and the TK300 Round Bend Trokar. These hooks are surgically sharp and stout enough to handle even trophy class fish. The most popular hook size are No. 4 models, but some guys use treble hooks as large as a No. 2. SUMMING IT UP During the dog days of summer there are several ways anglers can keep catching walleye. Targeting deeper water and hard bottom structure is one way to not only stay in contact with walleye, but also traditional walleye fishing tactics. Photo credit Mark Romanack

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Warm Weather Hunters Can Avoid Meat Spoilage With Extra Preparation By Mike Demick, Staff Biologist, Idaho Fish and Game

during warm weather requires extra preparation Hunting and special care to prevent spoiling of game meat.

PLAN AHEAD

Besides packing your gear, you should always have a plan before you leave home for handling the meat should the hunt be successful. Knowing how to quickly get the animal out of the woods and where to take the meat are questions every early season hunter should ask themselves. “With daytime temperatures reaching the 80-90’s, you don’t have time to look for friends to help or call around to multiple cold storage facilities,” says David Silcock, Idaho Fish and Game Regional Conservation Officer based in Salmon. “Always know in advance who can help and where you can take the meat to cool and store it.”

HEAT IS THE ENEMY

Heat is one of the biggest evils early season hunters face, and what to do with the meat after an animal is down. To prevent game meat from spoiling, hunters need to be prepared and act quickly to speed cooling.

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“The key to preserving meat in warm weather is to begin the cooling process as quickly as possible and keep it cool,” says Silcock. “Once the animal is tagged, it should be immediately dressed, skinned, reduced to quarters in most cases, and quickly transported to cold storage.”

During the early season, nighttime temperatures commonly dip in the 40’s and 50’s. If packing out your game during the day is not possible, while not ideal, these temperatures are adequate to cool down a carcass. However, the first night is critical and what a hunter does with the carcass will make the difference between saving the meat or causing it to spoil. Getting the hide off quickly is imperative, as it acts as an insulator and will trap heat. Trapped body heat provides an ideal environment for bacteria to flourish. A big game animal’s body temperature raises to over 100 at the time of death. Under normal conditions, carcass temperature

16 | Hunting & Fishing News

will decrease two degrees an hour from the larger muscle masses in the rump, neck and shoulders. Twelve hours later, the larger muscles may still be 76 degrees or more.

off the meat when skinning or cutting up the carcass in the field. Others who remove the meat from the bone, leave large ice chests at their vehicle for transport home.

Breaking the animal down into pieces will also help cool the meat. But keep in mind that the ground acts as a great insulator. Hanging the pieces, or at least elevating them off the ground, will allow air to circulate around them, cooling the meat more rapidly.

“A deer or an elk quarter lying in the back of a truck in direct sunlight, even for just a couple hours, can start to spoil,” Silcock said. “Extra coolers filled with ice will keep your meat cool and clean.”

“The smaller the piece of meat, the faster it cools,” says Silcock. “If you plan to leave the meat on the bone for ease of packing, cut slits into the meat to expose the bone and allow deeper cooling.”

...hunters have an ethical and legal obligation to remove and properly care for the edible meat of big game animals they harvest... However, if you’re going to put in all the time and effort to put meat in the freezer, why not take as much meat as possible? After all, taking home quality meat is one of the main reasons people hunt. Removing the neck meat and meat covering the ribs can be done in minutes, plus it makes for excellent hamburger, stew meat or sausage....

The leg bone in the hind quarter holds a lot of heat, and the large mass of meat that surrounds the bone becomes an insulator for the heat. “Spoiling usually starts around the leg bone in the hind quarter, especially on an elk,” he noted.

REMEMBER THE LAWS

FLIES AND DIRT

Other factors to consider are insects and keeping your meat clean, which again, can be addressed long before you leave home. Some hunters use black pepper or other fly deterrents to coat the meat as a way of keeping flying insects off. This helps somewhat as a short-term solution, but should not be the only option you use. Quality game bags that fit around the quarters or carcass will act as a barrier to flies, dirt and pine needles if tightly cinched. Breathable, mid-weight cotton, canvas, or synthetic bags are recommended, and if cared for, will last several years. Some early season hunters pack a lightweight tarp or cotton sheet to keep ground debris

For beginning hunters, here’s information on how to field dress and quarter a big game animal in the field: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHjcPOJuEgw

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Hunting & Fishing News | 17

Big Opportunities in Small Waters

By Ryan McSparran Mystic Outdoors www.mysticoutdoors.com s we’re barreling toward the end of summer, fly fishing A in high alpine creeks is at its best. The hoppers are abundant and dry flies are hatching. There may be no

better time to take a hike to your favorite small stream. Many of these gems lie within wilderness areas or other hike-in access locations. These waters produce beautiful fish and offer some outstanding dry fly fishing opportunities. Fish in these locations often see very little pressure. They can be aggressive feeders and eager to take a fly. But that doesn’t mean the fishing comes easy. These waters come with their own set of challenges. Here are a few tips to avoid the most common mistakes.

1. MINIMIZE YOUR PROFILE

One of the most easily avoidable mistakes is walking right up to a creek with crystal clear water and watching shadows go darting across the stream. On these waters, it’s important to remember that if the water is clear enough to easily see fish, they can easily see you. These trout are spooky and will bolt at the first sign of trouble. In most cases, there’s no need to go to extremes – crawling on your hands and knees might be overkill. But think about the profile that you’re presenting to the fish. Always approach from downstream. Get as close as you need to make a comfortable and accurate cast, but no closer. That might mean laying several feet of fly line in the grass in front of you.

Photo credit Ryan McSparran

2. MAKE UPSTREAM CASTS

Approaching from downstream and staying downstream from your intended target means having to make upstream casts. Sure, you’ll catch fish making downstream or quartering casts. But wherever possible, cast directly upstream to maximize your effectiveness. Start at the bottom of a run, cast upstream and allow your fly to drift back toward you. Carefully strip your line through the drift to keep slack off the water. Then continue working upstream, moving a few feet at a time.

3. STAY OUT OF THE WATER

On small streams there is rarely any need to be in the water. So stay out. Fish each run up through the bend from the inside. When you reach the top, cross and fish up through the next bend on the inside. Rinse and repeat. Unless you’re crossing, there should be few times when it’s necessary to be in the water. (continued on page 38)

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CHUKAR HUNTING –

THE TORTUROUS BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAINS

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(continued from page 7)

It seems like I’m constantly crossing creeks or hiking in the rain and I’ve rarely had any issues with my feet. I also wear the thickest wool (Merino if you can find/afford it) socks, for cushioning and wicking. Make sure the boot size can accommodate a really thick sock. Other gear-related concerns are more personal: vests and packs (I like a pack that can carry extra food and water and safety stuff), water (bladders or bottles; regardless, always bring more than you think you and your dogs will need, and this gets heavy), technology (I’m a recent convert to GPS collars for my dogs because I like knowing where they are), guns (I like my Benelli Ultra Light because, well, it’s light and I rarely ever have a need for more than 3 shots at a time), gauge (most chukar hunters seem to live in the 12-gauge world, but I know plenty who swear by 20-gauge), and shot size (I have used 7-1/2 for years but am considering switching to 6). Strategy is hard. I am constantly either under or over-thinking it. Sometimes I go high and the birds are low. Other times, it’s the opposite. It never makes full sense.

One thing that rings pretty true from my experience, though, is that if you find a covey at a certain elevation, it’s likely you’ll find more coveys at the same elevation that day. So I’ve had good luck on big hills where the birds could be anywhere. I’ll cut a diagonal uphill until the dogs catch scent, then we’ll end up hunting that elevation much of the day. The other tried-and-true strategic element that took me a long time to figure out (yes, I am a slow learner) is that— even though chukars run uphill—when they bust and fly one ridge away and you see them land, they will most likely stay there at least long enough for you to get over there for another shot at them. I used to think they’d run uphill from where I saw them land and so I’d head over to that ridge but much higher, never find them again. I’ve started going straight to that spot and have had much better luck relocating busted coveys. If you end up with birds, consider aging them. Everyone has their own method, but I put them in an outdoor fridge for a couple weeks. I find the aging process to dramatically improve the tenderness of the meat. I clean them and vacuum seal the breasts and legs separately. Finally, don’t forget to compensate your dog adequately. A few years ago I didn’t feed my dogs enough protein. The older dog lost a lot of weight and muscle mass, only to develop arthritis. Chukar hunting is brutal on dogs, especially in the early season when it’s hot and later on when they’re working through snow much of the time. Feed your partners a high protein diet (at least 30%). Give them something with fat and protein after every hunt. We have a case of Vienna Sausages in the truck that seems to do the trick. For my older dog, I also have a bottle of baby aspirin (81mg). I will either medicate him before or after with two aspirin. That’s worked wonders for him. For us, the dogs are the main reason we’re devoted to chukar hunting. It makes sense, since they’re so devoted to us. Good luck out there!

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LEEPER’S PONDEROSA MOTEL

AVOID THESE TOP 10 ELK HUNTING MISTAKES: (continued from page 4)

2. RELUCTANCE TO CHANGE STRATEGY

You have spent countless hours dissecting Google Earth. You have picked the perfect spot to set up the wall tent, found the perfect spike out locations and the drainage where you are going to kill your bull — all before the season has even arrived. The only problem is when you get to your selected spot, you cannot turn up an elk. Maybe the same spot the year before was loaded with elk and now there is nothing!

What are your options?

Many hunters do not like change. They like the comforts of an area they know and they do not like the hassle of having to find a new location. The only problem with this plan is that you cannot force elk to be where they do not want to be. Elk are where they are and it is our job to find them. Finding elk may be as simple as a change in elevation within the same drainage or it may be as involved as moving camp and heading to the other side of the unit. Regardless if there are not any elk in the area, I move after a day or so to find an area that is currently holding elk. By staying mobile and lightweight, we are never tied to one area and can easily move to an area that is currently holding elk. Do not get fixated on hunting a specific area.

Knowledge and finding elk

This topic is more of a generalization of a hunter’s inability to put enough thought into what he is doing.

What elk need

Elk need food, water and bedding (security/cover) to survive. It seems simple enough. Find a spot with south facing slopes or meadows for food, creeks or springs for water and a couple of timbered or brushy benches for bedding areas and you should have a perfect recipe for elk. Unfortunately,

24 | Hunting & Fishing News

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just because it looks like it could attract elk, it does not mean it is going to. You must also read the available sign (rubs, tracks, scat, bugles and any other information you can uncover) to figure out where the elk are and determine their routine.

Moon phase

Every year, I hear of hunters planning their hunt around the moon phase and cutting their own opportunity. The rut is triggered by the declining photoperiod so it will typically be at the same time every year regardless of what the moon phase is. While understanding how the moon phase affects elk behavior, do not let it solely determine how many days you hunt. I only have so many days available and I am going to be hunting as many as possible. The moon will change elk behavior. When the moon appears “fuller,” the elk tend to do the majority of their breeding and become more active through the night. I understand that this is important information to have as a hunter, but the “fuller” moon also affects how much time I have to hunt, resulting in less time in the morning and evening when the elk are transitioning between feeding and bedding.

How do you get the knowledge and experience to become better?

There are no shortcuts. The best way to learn is to get out in the field as much as possible. Develop and try tactics to see what the outcome is: live and learn it. There are some ways to expedite the learning process. One of the best ways is to listen to successful elk hunters. Listen to as many as possible in order to get an idea of their strategy and tactics. This will enable you to pick out the similarities and common tactics used in order to incorporate them into your own style. Read elk hunting articles and books. The very best way to take years off the learning curve is to hunt with someone who is successful and willing to mentor you. This gives you the ability to see everything from how they move through the woods, look at the sign, call, move on elk, etc.

3. RESISTANCE TO DO WHAT IT TAKES

When you are tired or burnt out, are you the guy that talks yourself out of an opportunity? The mental part of the hunt is as real as the physical. Are you the guy asking questions, like what time is it? How far away are we from the truck? How bad is this pack out going to be? I wonder if there is a closer bull? If you constantly ask these types of questions, then understand that they will keep you from an opportunity. In our hunting party, we have made it a point to no longer ask these questions — no matter what. Of course, this means that you need a bulletproof and mentally tough elk hunting partner. Any partner that is able to breed doubt will almost always be able to talk you out of going up or down the mountain after a bull. Because of this, we try to be the hunting partner that

will never let you pass up on an opportunity on a bugling bull or a bull that we have located with optics. Make sure that everything you do is for the benefit of your success. If you aren’t in elk, don’t take a nap during the midafternoon. Use the afternoon downtime to explore new basins or different levels and elevations in the basin that you are hunting. You should always try to do everything you can do toward notching that tag.

4. OVERTHINKING YOUR CALLING

The bulls that you are trying to kill are thinking about two things: cows and fighting. The herd bull is focused on breeding as many cows as possible and keeping all the other bulls away. The satellite bulls are trying to steal as many cows away as he can and not get whipped in the process. That is the bottom line of elk. It is straightforward and simple. You should try and feed off of those emotions that will get those bulls fired up and into archery range. Without hunters interrupting nature, the bulls will typically advertise themselves and cows will go to them. If we use cow calls alone we are trying to reverse nature and call the bull to us. This can work with satellite bulls as they have nothing to lose. With bigger herd bulls, they can be reluctant to leave their herd to come check on one new cow advertising herself. That bull risks potentially losing his herd to another bull in the process. Instead, when trying to kill a herd bull, bugling is a great tool to lure that herd bull into range. We need to feed on that aggressive side of the herd bull and paint the picture that we are a bull inside the red zone and challenging him for his cows.

Bugling can also work on satellite bulls as they are attracted to the action.

“The best way to learn is to get out in the field as much as possible. Develop and try tactics to see what the outcome is: live and learn it.”

From 1999 to 2003, I spent countless hours just watching elk during the rut and taking notes. I wanted to know what the herd bull was doing when there were other satellites around and I wanted to see what a herd bull was doing when no other bulls were around as well as what the group of feeding satellite bulls were up to. My 4-inch three-ring binder full of notes and research concluded the following: ”Elk do and say what they want to without any rhyme or reason when it comes to calling.” My strategy is simple and requires very little thought: Get in tight enough to make yourself one of his cows. Make an estrus whine to let the bull know you are there. Next, let out a challenge bugle that tells that herd bull that you are there to breed/steal his cow. It may seem boring, but outside of location bugling, those are the calls I use 95% of the time.

5. CALLING TOO QUIET OR SMALL

“Jason, what is your best small bull bugle?” “Do you have a spike squeal?” “If I call too aggressive I’m afraid I will scare the elk.” While I recognize there are many ways to be successful and I always encourage hunters to continue doing what they are doing to be successful… are they missing out on opportunities? (continued on page 28)

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AVOID THESE TOP 10 ELK HUNTING MISTAKES:

I am not an expert on physical fitness, but I have spent enough time training and prepping for the mountains to know what it takes to be successful. In my opinion, training for hunting is simple. The physical requirements are straightforward. You need to be able to hike, climb mountains (elevations) and hike with a heavy pack should you have a successful harvest. With these requirements in mind, I focus my training accordingly. In my opinion, the best way to train is to hike and scout leading up to the season in the same terrain you will be hunting in.

(continued from page 25)

I want to go into the woods and sound like the biggest bull I can. I want to pose a real threat to the herd bull and make him believe I have the ability to take over his herd. It is important to understand the dynamics of an elk herd in the wild.

This is why I call big:

The herd bull has already established dominance. He spends his time checking on cows and warding off other satellite bulls intruding on his harem. He spends more time and effort on the mature bulls as they pose a serious threat or risk to his group of cows. Calling like a herd bull will also give you opportunities at satellite bulls. Smaller bulls are curious and are looking for a piece of the action any way they can get it. This is why it makes sense that they would also be attracted to a large bull bugle mixed in with cow sounds. It is the same reason that the satellite bulls hang around the real herd bulls. The other reason to call loud is due to the loss of volume. The brush, timber and wide open spaces will swallow the projection no matter how much volume we produce out of the calls. We have done extensive testing on calling from 100 and 200 yards away and there is no comparison to the volume a real bull produces. A real bull at 50 yards bugling in your direction is tangibly loud and can almost be felt in your body. This is something that cannot be replicated. When trying to locate bulls using location bugles from either a ridgetop or from inside a canyon, I want to be able to reach as many bulls as possible. This helps ensure that we are not walking by bulls that are already in the area. For instance, my hunting partner, Charlie, (an amazing elk caller) can bugle into a big drainage or canyon and not get a response, but I can follow him up and can sometimes get a response from a bull that is further away. The only difference is that I can produce more volume than he does. Fortunately for both of us, we have been able to take advantage of some of these opportunities.

6. PHYSICAL FITNESS OR LACK THEREOF

In order to kill elk, you must be able to go where they are. This means on the first day as well as the last day. Can you climb back up the ridge? Will you be able to pack a bull out from that area? Hunting season is not the time to get in shape. Being sore will impact your mental game and, ultimately, limit the areas that you can hunt. If there are other people hunting in an area that is easier to get to or there are not as many elk using that area, then the chances of being successful diminish.

28 | Hunting & Fishing News

My goals regarding physical fitness each year are to be in good enough shape to hunt wherever I need to in order to kill a bull, be in good enough shape to pack it out on my back, and not be so sore after that I am going to affect someone else’s hunt. I also do not want to let physical fitness affect my mental game.

7. WIND AND PLAYING IT TOO PERFECT

That statement may go against what almost everyone says regarding wind. What I mean is that it is important to play the wind right, but not focus on playing it perfectly. “Don’t play the wind too perfect. work.” As an archery hunter, I want to use the wind like a steering wheel and be able to steer that bull into where I want him. If I have set up and the wind is hitting me straight in the face as I am calling a bull in, I have a 50/50 chance of guessing which side that bull will go to. If I let the wind hit me at a 15 to 20-degree angle, I can predict with a lot more certainty where that bull will end up as he circles the caller to get the wind right.

8. SHOOTING, SWEAT, MOSQUITOES, HEART RATE, ETC.

9. SETUP: CAPITALIZING IN THE RED ZONE It all boils down to the setup. You have located a bull, gotten inside of his bubble and now you have to pick a spot to set up.

Here’s my checklist when it comes to setting up:

There is no way to replicate the shot opportunity when you have a bugling bull at 20 yards and you need to pull it all together to get off that perfect shot. There is most likely sweat in your eyes and mosquitoes nibbling on your neck; your heart rate is through the roof, you are not thinking straight — and you are standing on a 45-degree slope. By shooting enough throughout the offseason, hopefully, you are able to overcome these newly introduced factors that you have not had to deal with. I honestly do not remember anything about the actual shot with the majority of the bulls I have killed. Everything is a blank after I choose the yardage. I have no idea if my anchor is right, the pin guard is centered in the peep or if the bubble is leveled. Yet, I have still managed to get these arrows exactly where I have wanted them. The only thing I can think of is that by consistently practicing, I am subconsciously checking all of these things without thinking about them. In 2014, I decided to put a small reminder on the bow riser that says “anchor, center, and breathe.” I do not know if I even look at this when it is time to shoot, but I remember anchoring, centering the pin guard, leveling my bow out and picking a hair, so for what it is worth I am leaving it there.

1) What is the wind doing and do I have good shooting lanes downwind? 2) I want to set up within shooting distance of any terrain breaks. I do not want the bull to hold up. 3) Set up in front of brush or trees if possible to break up your outline. 4) Do I have good visibility? Can I swing my bow and get shots at all possible spots he will end up? 5) Are there any heavily used trails or good open paths that the bull will take? Once I pick a spot and am confident in my setup, I start my calling sequence. My usual routine is to make an estrus whine followed by a challenge bugle, which tells the herd bull that there is a cow ready to be bred and there is a herd bull there ready to steal her away.

10. TIME TO HUNT

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Hunting & Fishing News | 29

Bull of the Month #14 Montana Non-typical BOONE & CROCKETT

Score: 407 3⁄8 Location: Lincoln County, MT Date: 1996 Hunter: Terry Crooks

7 Things You Can Expect On Your First Antelope Hunt By Ryan McSparran Table Mountain Outfitters www.tablemountainoutfitters.com

Photo credit Deposit Photos

he American pronghorn is a completely unique species, T found only in North America. They’re not related to African antelope, or any American cervids like deer or

View 720-0619-003

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30 | Hunting & Fishing News

elk. In fact, “antelope” as we refer to them colloquially, are the only horned animal that sheds its horns annually. This one-of-a-kind creature is fast, has excellent vision, and is equal parts cagey and curious. Antelope are beautiful, and undoubtedly provide some of the most action-packed big game hunting anywhere in the west. Being the unique animals they are, antelope hunting...comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities. If you’ve never hunted antelope, you might be surprised at what it takes to be successful.

Here are a few things you can expect on your first antelope hunt:

1. Antelope Are Active All Day Pronghorn do not run on the same schedule as most other big game animals. They usually bed down at night, and they remain active throughout the day. On a pronghorn hunt, there’s very little advantage to heading out before daylight. In fact, you’re likely to spook antelope in the dark, doing more harm than good. On a mule deer hunt in the exact same sagebrush country, we’re already out there glassing as soon as it’s light enough to see. But on an antelope hunt, we usually won’t begin hunting until after daylight. Once the sun is up, antelope become much easier to see. They will occasionally bed down, but will continue feeding and moving all day. Unlike deer hunting, when the first and last hours of the day are “prime time”, most antelope hunting happens between those bookends. 2. It’s a Numbers Game You can expect to see a lot of animals. Get ready to practice patience. In this open terrain, you can see for miles. And densities are high in most of Wyoming antelope country. Don’t be surprised if your guide doesn’t want to run off after the first buck you see. Antelope are notorious for being one of the most difficult trophies to judge in the field. Your guide may want to wait, and see a buck from multiple angles before making a decision to try and stalk. In addition to waiting for a quality buck, you might also need to be patient to locate one that’s in a stalkable position. Hunting antelope is often a numbers game. You may have to look at quite a few antelope before you find the buck you want to pursue. 3. Vision is Their Best Defense Antelope have excellent vision. It’s not unusual to see antelope a half-mile or more away go running for the opposite horizon. Whether it’s a human shape breaking the skyline, or the opening of a truck door, if these animals see something they don’t like, they’ll boogie. And they can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Thanks to the regular oilfield activity throughout Wyoming, vehicles don’t often bother the antelope. But if you try and get out of the truck – they may not stick around. When you find a buck you want to pursue, your guide may continue driving, or circle around to stop the truck somewhere out of sight to begin the stalk. 4. Antelope Are Naturally Gregarious Even though antelope can seem extremely skittish and will run at the first sign of danger, they are also very social and curious animals. If they see something that appears to be another antelope, or if they’re not sure what it is, they may walk toward it to find out. You may have heard stories of “flagging” antelope, waving a white flag to entice a curious antelope to approach. Decoys can also be used with some success. This isn’t always a reliable hunting method. But it can be a fascinating part of the antelope’s unique personality. Depending on the situation, your guide may find a decoy useful. Or, you might flag an antelope buck to stop him long enough for a shot. 5. Prepare to Stalk In Open Terrain It probably comes as no surprise that you’ll be hunting antelope in open country. But what might be surprising is just how conducive it is to stalking with a rifle. At first glance, Wyoming antelope country might seem flat and featureless. But you’ll soon realize that the terrain here has a surprising amount of topography. Sagebrush coulees, deep draws, hills and folds in the landscape make great places for game to hide – and they are also great for planning a stalk. When you and your guide spot a buck that you’re interested in, you may need to be patient in planning the stalk. You’ll need to find a route that will conceal you from the antelope’s line of sight until you’re within range. Don’t be surprised if you walk a mile to approach an antelope that’s only half a mile away.

6. Antelope Are Small Targets An antelope might seem like a small target at 300 yards. And that’s because they are. Antelope are small in stature, standing little more than three feet at the shoulder and less than five feet long from chest to rump. From the top of its back to the bottom of its brisket, an antelope buck might be less than 15 inches. That means the vital area is usually less than nine inches in diameter. With that in mind, don’t skimp on rifle practice. You want to arrive on an antelope hunt with complete confidence in your weapon. Ideally, you’ll be comfortable shooting out to 300 yards and shooting consistent groups inside that small vital window. When you practice with your rifle, make sure you spend time practicing with your bipod or any other accessories you intend to use. Once your rifle is sighted in, get off the bench rest and spend some time practicing in more realistic positions. 7. It’s Excellent Wild Game Meat Antelope is easily one of the best wild game meats in North America. Antelope tends to have a lighter pink color than venison, and a more finely grained texture. On average, it’s very mild and tender. Of course rut behavior, wounding and other factors can influence meat quality. But ounce-for-ounce, we’ll take antelope over just about any other wild game meat. The only downside to eating antelope is their size. An average buck will yield 30-40 pounds of boneless meat. But at such high quality, you’ll want to treat each package like bricks of gold in your freezer. Like most wild game, antelope is very lean. Quality cuts like loins and sirloins benefit from being served medium-rare. Roasts, necks, shanks, or other cuts with lots of connective tissue are great for slow cooking. And antelope burger is outstanding in any of your favorite ground meat recipes. If you’d like to learn more about antelope hunting with Table Mountain Outfitters call 307-632-6352 or visit www.tablemountainoutfitters.com

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said, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just unsuitable clothing.” This saying is often applied to outdoor gear, and it is never more accurate than when discussing waterfowl waders. Photo credit Erik Jutila Hardcore waterfowl hunters know that some of the very best hunting occurs at the same time as the very worst weather. Because of this, choice of gear is crucial. Many hunting days have been abbreviated because the conditions got the best of the hunter. Lots of waterfowl hunting scenarios call for the hunter to spend part or all of their day standing in cold water which makes wearing quality waders crucial. A variety of factors will contribute to which waders are the right choice for you: - weather - how far you walk - type of territory you hunt in - budget - how many times a year you hunt If you make the wrong wader selection for hunting in muddy conditions, you can pretty quickly pull your stocking-foot waders right out of your boots when they stick in the mud. Breathable waders exposed to thorny brush can tear or develop pinholes and leak. Selecting waders that are not well-enough insulated from the conditions is another commonly made mistake. While there are a lot of ways that wader selection can go awry and be the cause of an uncomfortable day in the woods, the right choice can be warm, dry, durable and unrestricted.

Picking the Right Waders

When it comes time to make your wader selection, consider the following questions and answers guidelines: How often do you plan on hunting? Several wader options on the market are affordable because the manufacturer sacrificed product durability and longevity in favor of lower price. In many cases, these waders are suitable for a handful of trips a year over a few years but not the abuse of multiple trips on a weekly basis... Some products are designed for more avid hunters and many of those come with some warranty protection. The peace of mind that your waders are designed for heavy use and come with manufacturer product support is a distinct value to the right buyer. Waders that fit into this category are discussed as “The Best of the Best.” (continued on page 35)

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The Importance Of Good Waders (continued from page 32)

Do you plan on hunting warm or cold weather/water? For this question, make sure you consider not just the air temperature, but if you will be required to stand in cold water. Apparently, some hunters spend their time in flooded fields where waders are helpful but the hunter is not spending their day in thigh-deep water. If you will be hunting in cold weather and water, a thicker neoprene wader is preferable. Also, attached boots may be a good choice because they are offered with thick insulation. As a rule, rubber boots with thick padding and space for both warm socks and air will be warmest. Wearing super warm waders on hunts in warmer weather or where lots of moving is required can be as bad as being too cold. Profuse sweating can lead to being very uncomfortable. If you plan to be in warm weather, consider a breathable wader or a wader with at least breathable uppers. With lighter waders, layering underneath for warmth is possible. You are more stuck in the situation if your waders are too warm for the conditions. How much will you be moving around? Some hunting requires driving an ATV or boat right to your blind, and some require wading, hiking or paddling to a spot.

Many hunters have dogs to retrieve their down birds but some must wade or use a boat to recover them. You might be a hunter that avoids the blind altogether and simply hikes to ponds and jump-shoots waterfowl. The answer to this question will turn up similar results as the weather conditions question. If you are going to be doing a lot of sitting with minimal movement, a very warm wader will probably be needed to keep you comfortable. On the other hand, if you will be moving around a lot, a cooler, breathable wader will be necessary to help you ventilate and regulate your body temperature. If covering ground or lots of wading is required, a stockingfoot wader with a good pair of lace-up wading boots is a smart choice for comfort and traction. When much sitting is required, the warmer attached boots are likely better. What environments do you hunt in? A few environmental factors that come into play when considering which waders to choose are thorny bushes, ice on the water and thick mud. Both thorns and jagged ice edges while wading are hard on waders, particularly those made of breathable materials. If you plan to spend much time encountering either, you need waders that are reinforced to deal with the abuse or neoprene waders that are at least more durable. The type of surfaces you are required to walk on will be a significant factor in whether you go with boot-foot or stocking-foot waders. If the conditions are muddy, you need a stocking-foot wader that can be tightly laced to stay on your feet instead of staying in the mud. (continued on page 38)

According to Montana Department of Environmental Quality officials, the analysis of the Black Butte Copper Project found

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Photo Credit Ryan McSparran

4 Items That Should Be On Your Summer Pre-Hunt Checklist By Ryan McSparran Kawdy Outfitters www.kawdyoutfitters.com

unting seasons... are rapidly approaching, and it’s time H to get ready. There’s plenty to do between now and your upcoming hunt. Start preparing early, and be confident that you’re ready. Don’t procrastinate when it comes to logistics, packing and practice. Spend some time getting ready now, and do less cramming before the hunt. Here are four things that should be on your summer pre-trip checklist: 1. Time in Your Boots If you discover a hot spot, or other issue with your boots on the hunt, it probably means you didn’t do your homework. Put your boots on now and wear them often in advance of the season. Quality boots shouldn’t require much break-in. The real reason for wearing them now, is to discover hot spots or other issues that will cause problems in the field. If you do need to make a change, it’s much better to discover that now. Don’t wait until you’re in deep on a wilderness hunt.

2. Bow and Rifle Practice We might sound like a broken record, but this point can’t be emphasized enough. Bow and rifle practice should not wait. It’s time to go beyond sighting in your weapon. Begin training with repetition. Try and shoot as often as possible leading up to the season. Step away from the shooting bench and practice realistic positions. Most importantly, don’t forget to practice in your hunting gear. Things feel different when you’re wearing your binocular harness, a backpack, and several other layers. 3. Clothing and Equipment Check Try on all your clothing and set up each piece of gear as if you were going hunting. If you discover problems, there’s still time to order a new piece or make changes. Where will you keep your rangefinder? Is your backpack adjusted to fit over your hunting clothes? Do you have any items from last season that should be checked to make sure they still fit? And of course it’s important to familiarize yourself with any new items. 4. Pre-Trip Packing Seriously, go ahead and pack your bag. Even if your trip isn’t until later in the season, this is a great time to pack. Packing will help you identify missing pieces and verify that your equipment fits into the appropriate luggage for travel. If you’re hunting with us in northern British Columbia, or anywhere else that requires float plane travel, you’ll be required to stay within certain weight limits. If you discover issues or items that aren’t going to work, it’s better to deal with it now than the week of departure. A remote hunting destination requires pre-planning and some important logistics. Having these items ready in advance of your trip will help make the whole experience more enjoyable. On your day of departure, go and have fun with extreme confidence, knowing that you are well prepared. For information on hunts with Kawdy Outfitters visit www.kawdyoutfitters.com or phone 1-250-306-8624 (Oct 15 – July 1) and 1-604-629-9582 (July 1 – Oct 15)

GET THE B&C PLATE AND SUPPORT YOUR HUNTING HERITAGE!

Select Boone and Crockett Club’s license plate the next time you register or renew a vehicle in Montana and help us preserve your hunting heritage for future generations, maintain big-game records, promote hunting ethics, and continue our youth conservation and hunting education programs on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front. B&C receives a $20 sponsor fee for each plate.

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THREE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

WHILE MAKING A STALK (continued from page 9) On several occasions, I was tempted to move towards the timber to gain a better vantage of the jack pines and even thought that my buddy and I could make a push through the timber and force the buck to come out. Because we didn’t know exactly where he was I decided to continue to play the waiting game. It was now evening time and it wouldn’t be long until we were out of daylight. I was seriously starting to question my decision to stay put, be patient and let the buck show himself again. We finally and begrudgingly decided it was time to move to peek into an adjacent basin before the sun was gone. As we stood up, I whispered, “Let me have one more look.” Would you believe that in that 30-second window the buck finally showed himself? I made a quick plan to use the timber as cover and work my way down the edge and into the jack pines where I thought I could get a shot. I reached the jack pines without issue; the dirt was moist, making almost no noise and the wind was very cooperative. I pulled my binoculars out and quickly found the buck. I then ranged him at a comfortable 168 yards. I could see from his shoulders up and buried the pin right at the base of his head and pulled the trigger. Before the smoke had even cleared I could hear my buddy hollering from the top of the basin and I knew I had made a good shot. Patience ruled that day and the buck has since turned into one the prettiest European mounts on my wall. With the draw results out across the west, I’ve promised myself not to make the same mistakes from prior years. And who knows, maybe this is the year we’ll finally get my dad past the 200” mark. Slow down, breathe and logically analyze the situation while asking yourself the three questions listed above. It just might help you take home the animal you’ve been after.

Big Opportunities in Small Waters (continued from page 18)

Again, this will minimize your presence and maximize your opportunity at fish. On these little waters, you might be surprised at the places that hold fish even in very clear water. Shallow riffles only a few inches deep sometimes hold the biggest fish. So watch where you step. Get out there, find blue lines on a map and go fishing!

RECOMMENDED FLY RODS

For your next small stream adventure, we’d recommend our new JXP 4-weight fly rod as an awesome light line option. Or, take a look at our 8’ 3” Au Sable 4-weight, a perfect rod for small stream fishing. Ryan McSparran is an outdoor writer, and a fly fishing and hunting professional based in Colorado.

38 | Hunting & Fishing News

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(continued from page 13) If you start missing fish on a whole crawler, simply pinch down the crawler until you start hooking up. What I find is that when fish hit crawlers at these faster speeds, they typically eat the whole crawler. A few other thoughts are that this style of fishing takes a different mentality. You must fish fast enough to cause the bait to lift and to get that desired action. The props must turn, the crawler must roll and wobble if you are using a Slow Death style hook. The strikes typically load up the rod. With this type of fishing, you will often be effective by simply placing the rod in a rod holder and the fish will just be on… pounding the rod. If you choose to hold the rod, you are going to have to get in the habit of dragging the fish along and letting the rod load up. Almost seems like fish just hang on the bait and as the bait slides and drags through their mouths, the fish choke up on it even more. This isn’t finesse rigging where you have the bail open and feed the fish line but what you will find come midsummer is that these faster more aggressive rigging tactics can be much more effective.

The Importance Of Good Waders (continued from page 35)

Many have made the mistake of wearing loose-fitting boot-foot waders in thick mud and have continually struggled to pull their boot from the mud instead of removing their foot from their boot. Crawling through the mud to keep from walking out of your waders is an unpleasant scenario you should try to avoid. How much money are you willing to spend? Because wader price varies so significantly, the price is likely to play into your selection. There are some great values on the market...However, for the most part, the very best waders are going to cost you some coin. If you are not willing to shell out for the best available, determine your priorities for what you need in a wader, and that will show you where you can compromise to find something in your budget. These questions represent some of the basic parameters for making your wader selection. As you answer them, you may find that your answers do not point you to one particular wader. Like many kinds of gear, if you often hunt and in a variety of situations, more than one pair of waders may be required to do the job right. In your own experiences, you might find other contributing factors to future wader purchases...

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