Western Hunting & Fishing News March 2022

HUNTING & F ISHING WESTERN

NEWS

MARCH 2022

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Where the animals are living

Photo credit Chris Neville

Give Your New Unit Another Year

By Jake Horton Originally published at

www.goHUNT.com

No matter how good a state’s fish and game department is they will never fully understand or publish where animals are living during specific seasons and time of year. Some states have excellent data, which includes species winter and summer ranges, migration maps and more (and can now be found on goHUNT Maps). These are all excellent resources, but do not tell you which ridge has good deer sign, what wallow might get hit hard or what watering hole might have water year-round or be dry as a bone. Maps are great; however, they do not paint the full picture. In order to understand animal habitat during the time of year or season you are chasing them, you need to be there with your boots on the ground and your optics in your hand. Trying to find deer, elk or other game is one of the hardest parts of a hunt and can be one of the most discouraging parts as well.

Sometimes, you might get lucky and get into your quarry the first day, but, often, it takes a few days — if not your entire hunt — to understand what elevation, drainage, meadow or ridge holds the animals during that given year. Once you understand where the animals want to be — or don’t want to be — you will have a better idea of where to look next year.

Hunting pressure

hen we are looking for a new place to hunt, goHUNT’s W Filtering 2.0 gives us plenty of data to decide where we can draw, what the harvest statistics are, public land

Hunting pressure is another finicky topic that can easily change from year to year; however, if you look closely, you can find patterns. Hunting units are huge and there is no good way to tell through e-scouting which trailhead is busy, what ridge is covered in orange or what “overlooked” basin is truly overlooked. Gathering this information takes time and also takes a hunter who is willing to take note of these changes while in the field. I have a few hunting spots that I know are overrun with hunters for the first three weeks of September; however, after the third week finishes, nearly all hunters are gone. These guys are regulars who park in the same spots, have the same trucks and hunt the same area year after year. Now that I understand this, I almost never go to that area until Sept. 21 or later. Why compete with other hunters when I could have the entire place to myself?

Understanding hunting pressure takes time and a hunter who is willing to notice, adapt and overcome.

You truly felt as though you were doing everything right, yet you come back with tag soup instead of meat in the freezer.

Once you are home, you instantly go into research mode in order to find a new unit where you will be successful the following year; however, this is not always a good idea and I would highly discourage it. I would actually encourage you to give the unit another year because the data doesn’t lie and success takes time. You might actually be better off hunting the same unit for another year or two and here is why.

Patterning animals

percentages, strategies, skills and so much more. If you are like me, you probably spend hours pouring over this data in order to find a unit that feels like you could be successful.

Then, you get on goHUNT Maps and plan out camps, hikes, glassing points and more just to get ready for your hunt.

You shoot your bow, muzzleloader or rifle throughout the summer until you are confident, deadly and ready for your hunt.

As you drive to your spot on opening day, your confidence is high and your hopes and excitement are through the roof.

Sadly, this high can disappear after a few days of hunting.

We can easily get discouraged and start doubting ourselves and our spot, especially if we have no success finding animals or if we are running into multiple hunters in our “secret spots.”

The why The trick to hunting anywhere new starts with good research, but that comes with experience. The experience you gain and the knowledge you learn while hunting a new unit or area will be the difference between you coming home with some meat or not for the following years. Of course, some people get lucky and harvest a buck or bull their first year in a unit, but most struggle to find good spots.

Changing units after just one year is like changing your college major after one semester or selling the car that you just bought yesterday; it just doesn’t make sense. Stick with that unit that you researched for a few years and you will come away with knowledge, experiences and a filled tag.

A lot of success comes down to understanding where the animals are living, where the hunting pressure is and what the animals do year after year and the only way to get this knowledge is to be there.

4 | Hunting & Fishing News

When it comes to animal behavior, there are two different types you can hunt. As a hunter, you need to decide what type of animal behavior you are going to hunt for and then capitalize off of this behavior, especially when hunting a new unit. The first category of animal behavior is their natural behavior. After years of hunting a specific unit, I have an in-depth understanding that when the hunting pressure is low, animals travel along ridge A, heading to bedding area A in the morning and then come back in the afternoon.

You may also know that there is a water hole that the animals use on warm days. This type of knowledge can only come from actually watching the animals do this year after year.

I also understand what snow levels are typically too much for the elk or deer in an area and what migration corridors they take if they need to find better food. When animals behave naturally you can begin to see what they want to do and then be there to intercept them with a bullet or arrow. The second type of animal behavior that you can understand after hunting a new unit is pressured behavior.

If you are hunting an over-the-counter unit, it is hard to get away from pressure so you can use it to your advantage.

If you can find the escape corridors for drainages and then be there on opening day, you can definitely capitalize on this in-field knowledge. (continued on page 35)

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We begin our count of Idaho’s summer steelhead at Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, the last dam these fish must pass before entering Idaho. The early arriving steelhead tend to migrate more slowly after passing Bonneville Dam than those arriving later, so the window of time when most steelhead pass Lower Granite Dam is shorter than downstream at Bonneville Dam. As the water temperature cools in late fall, steelhead slow their migration and seek shelter in deeper pools to spend the winter.

When temperatures begin to warm in the spring, steelhead restart their migration upstream, and we see a small bump in the counts of steelhead at Lower Granite Dam as the latecomers arrive.

Finally Idaho steelhead enter their home streams to spawn from March through May. Although anglers in Idaho fish for steelhead during fall, winter, and spring, in a way they are enjoying summer!

Photo credit Joe DuPont

Steelhead are Idaho’s ‘endless summer’

By Tim Copeland, Fisheries Natural Resource Program Coordinator Idaho Department Of Fish & Game

lthough there are spring, summer, and fall runs of A Chinook Salmon in Idaho, there is only one season for steelhead. For steelhead, it is always summer! Why are Idaho steelhead called “summer steelhead?” It has to do with when they leave the ocean and return to the Columbia River on their way to their home streams in Idaho.

Our story begins about 300 miles downstream from Idaho.

When Idaho steelhead leave the ocean, they mix with other steelhead stocks as they cross Bonneville Dam. The first summer steelhead cross the dam April 1 to June 30, but don’t go very far before reaching their spawning tributaries.

The bulk of the summer steelhead cross Bonneville Dam July 1 to October 31, many of which go far up the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

The earlier and smaller steelhead IDFG Staff in this group are called A-run and the later and larger steelhead are called B-run.

In contrast, “winter steelhead” typically cross Bonneville Dam between November 1 March 31, but don’t go very far.

Most winter steelhead come from coastal rivers and few reach Bonneville Dam.

6 | Hunting & Fishing News

Photo credit Idaho Dept of Fish & Game

Check out the wild salmon and steelhead page https://idfg.idaho.gov/fish/wild for more articles about the science behind conserving Idaho’s wild salmon and steelhead. See the steelhead fishing page https://idfg.idaho.gov/fish/steelhead for current conditions, harvest reports, dam counts, and current seasons/bag limits.

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LET’S NOT FORGET THAT HUNTING IS ABOUT HUNTING

By Josh Kirchner Originally published at

www.goHUNT.com

ith time comes change. And with that change, W comes different viewpoints, motives and new ideas. As old and rooted as hunting is, it has not

remained immune to this evolution. Suddenly, what was once something that left me the oddball out in school is now thriving among a younger crowd these days. While I’m not against more people getting into hunting, I do have some reservations about them getting into it for the wrong reasons. In the digital age, we live in, with our lives plastered all over social media, some motives are different than what they once were. No longer does it seem to be just about hunting.

For some, not all, it’s about likes, the flavor of the week in gear, and “getting into the industry.” Hunting though, at its core, is so much more than all of that.

The past

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email: huntingfishingnews@yahoo.com The entire contents is © 2022, 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 19 Issue 3 Cover Photo: twildlife | depositphotos.com

8 | Hunting & Fishing News

In the days of old, I imagine hunting camp in a very simple light. An old timer with leather-like hands, jeans and a red and black checkered jacket. He’d be sitting around a campfire at night watching his breath intermix with the smoke from the fire in the crisp cool air. A lever action rests on a nearby tree with the glow of that fire shining off of the action. There is no thought put to inches of antler. Just a will to gather a winter’s worth of fresh venison. Venison that would nourish his family waiting at home with no way of

contacting him while he was out. The seasoned hunter didn’t have a backpack, binoculars or a rangefinder.

All he had was his senses and that trusty shooting iron that put meat in the pot so many times before.

The past was a simpler time and one that is worth looking back on. Motives weren’t in reflection of gaining recognition. Relying on gear besides the rifle wasn’t in the equation. Map work didn’t require a cell phone charger and subscription. These hunters of the past truly knew what they were doing and hunted to both hunt and eat. There are many old stories of folks throwing antlers into the shed. They didn’t mean anything back then. And while the deer have not changed, the people certainly have. Interesting.

The present

When I imagine hunting camps today, a similar sentiment to the days of old exists, but it isn’t nearly as simple.

A young man hiking into a remote location with nothing more than what’s in his backpack. He’s trained physically all year for this endeavor and taken the time to properly research/test a bundle of new gear.

This hunter came to hunting by way of social media later in life — not from the doing of his father. As he sits in camp and scrolls through Twitter or Facebook feeds, he daydreams about what tomorrow will bring.

Will he find that giant buck he’s had his eyes on through scouting? Or will only small bucks show themselves not worthy of his arrow? He contemplates trying to shoot any buck that presents itself just for the meat.

Throughout his evening, the hunter shoots a few photos to share with friends and some hunting companies online upon his return. He sleeps well that night as the audiobook on his phone swept him away from reality.

Modern hunters today have come more than a stone’s throw from hunters long ago. They are now outfitted with the best of the best gear, have the latest and greatest mapping software on their phones and are actually training year-round for hunting. Traveling out-of-state for hunts is much more prevalent as well.

And then, sadly, there can be a few other motives at play here with some folks — motives that weren’t even a thing long ago. There is an undeniable drive to “hunt for a living” as well as gain recognition within our community. Folks want to get paid to explore their passions. I totally understand and I believe there is absolutely nothing wrong with pursuing a dream as long as it doesn’t cross a line and taint the experience that hunting so graciously bestows on us. Cross that line and you’ll find yourself hunting for the wrong reasons.

Animals are not a product; they are a blessing for us to have on our planet. (continued on page 34) Hunting & Fishing News | 9

Photo credits Mark Kayser www.markkayser.com and courtesy Mark Kayser and Montana Decoy www.montanadecoy.com

How Turkey Decoys Help You Make A Perfect Shot

By Mark Kayser www.markkayser.com Montana Decoy www.montanadecoy.com our decoy has the power to pull a gobbler into shooting range, but it can do so much more if you play it like a chess piece. Position your decoy correctly and you will have the shot dreams are made of, especially with a bow. Stake it randomly without any consideration of turkey behavior and your shot may become risky depending on the wariness of your quarry.

How Turkey Decoys Help You Make A Perfect Shot Why is shot placement so critical with a turkey? Unlike whitetail deer or elk that have a kill zone that ranges from a paper plate to a basketball, the kill zone of a gobbler measures approximately four inches in diameter. That is just slightly larger than a baseball and considerably smaller than the kill zone on a whitetail. It is a small target so having every advantage, particularly a turkey that stands beside your decoy perfectly, is a distinct advantage.

Today, you have the option between dozens of lifelike decoys, even mounted turkeys, to utilize in your ruse. Realistic, lifelike, lightweight and effective all should be part of your purchase priority while shopping for new decoys. Montana Decoy Company delivers with collapsible decoys in their Purrfect XD collection. Convincing eyes, iridescent feather features and a bendable neck provide you with a decoy that does it all without bulk. The decoy springs to size and collapses in seconds for the long hike to your next setup site. They make the ideal companion to your turkey chess game.

X Marks The Spot Now it is time to make that chess move. To achieve the perfect shot, you must pinpoint a turkey’s vitals and that is compounded by a turkey’s dark feather pattern that blends, especially if the bird is in the shadows. You do not have the luxury of using the leg as an indicator of where to place the arrow like on a deer. Instead, you must memorize the vital-zone location centered on a turkey’s body with few body landmarks to base your perfect aim. In addition to the heart, lungs and liver, you also have the option of shooting a turkey in the head, through the backbone or shooting it through the thighs to ground it. Breaking one or both of a turkey’s legs will anchor the bird, but requires a nasty fight to administer the final coup if you miss the main leg artery.

Y

10 | Hunting & Fishing News

Because a gobbler’s vital kill zone is so small and indiscriminate, bowhunters have been leaning more towards the head shot and for good reason. If you hit a gobbler and miss the midsection vital corridor you probably will lose the bird. Turkeys tend to bleed sparsely and what they do bleed generally gets sopped up in the feathers giving you little if anything to follow. Some hunters utilize string trackers to provide a trail to a wounded or dead bird, but to eliminate that hassle many hunters have switched to shooting a gobbler in the head. Head shots either dispatch a gobbler instantly or give you comfort in knowing you missed cleanly.

The next big target are the thighs and this target has attracted some ardent followers. Aim for where the thighs widen out and attach to the body. It is a larger aiming point and a direct hit brings a turkey escape to a halt. Turkeys require their legs to run or vault them into flight. Plus, you have the possibility of hitting the main artery in the legs that can also bleed out a turkey quickly.

If you have doubts about heads or legs, you always can go old school and target vitals. On a broadside turkey, aim for the region where the wing butt attaches to the body. This should take out lungs and heart, plus skim the backbone. If the turkey walks toward you, aim 1-inch below the beard for a piercing shot through the vitals with the possibility of a backbone hit as well. Finally, if the gobbler struts away, take the Texas heart shot and aim for the anus.

This should destroy vitals for a wobbly, feeble escape and give you the pucker factor as you watch the arrow disappear.

Of course, for you shotgun enthusiasts, the head shot is still the best, but even then, having a close turkey that approaches your decoy with purpose is helpful. To take turkeys successfully and consistently with a shotgun you need to lure a gobbler within 30 to 35 yards. To consistently achieve success with archery gear, cut that distance in half and then some. A goal of getting a turkey to within 10 to 12 yards, 15 yards at the furthest is best.

Make Your Chess Move Using a variety of calls, quality ground blinds and decoys can bring any gobbler within spitting distance for a bow or firearm shot.

This is where your chess game is important and to be the best player you need to understand sure to stake your decoy so that wild turkey behavior during Make turkeys respond to it for the best shot. breeding season.

Gobblers approach hens from behind for breeding purposes so keep that mental image when positioning a hen decoy.

If you like a rear shot, place the decoy facing away. If you like a broadside shot, place the decoy broadside and if you like a frontal shot, position the decoy straight at you. A tom will approach accordingly depending on the decoy position.

When utilizing a tom or jake decoy, keep in mind turkeys typically are confrontational to other males. They will approach from the side or head on. Your male turkey decoy should be staked to ensure that when a male turkey shows up, it still gives you the shot you want as it approaches the decoy, again depending on what vital zone you have decided upon with archery gear. With a shotgun, whack away when the gobbler extends his noggin.

Turkey hunting includes a myriad of challenges, but by utilizing your decoys resourcefully, you could set yourself up for checkmate!

Wyoming Beef Jerky Business Found To Be Selling Poached Game Meat Wyoming Game And Fish Department https://wgfd.wyo.gov he Wyoming Game and Fish Department recently T completed a multi-year investigation of a Wyoming resident living on the Grazing Hills Ranch near Natrona for

wildlife crimes. The investigation culminated with a plea agreement and $45,070 in fines and restitution.

A tip from the public through the Stop Poaching Hotline alerted Game and Fish to possible violations.

The investigation revealed the suspect had been killing mule deer and pronghorn without licenses and during closed seasons. He then substituted big game meat for beef to sustain his jerky business. The business sold products to unsuspecting customers throughout Wyoming as well as online.

During the investigation, Game and Fish game wardens located multiple deer and pronghorn antelope carcasses.

Investigators sent tissue and jerky samples from these animals to the Game and Fish Wildlife Forensic Lab for DNA comparison. Through this work, the lab was able to identify a combination of 18 unique mule deer and pronghorn antelope that were poached.

After the investigation, wardens assisted by deputies from the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office, arrested the man and charged him with 26 wildlife violations. In a plea agreement reached with the state, the Natrona resident pleaded no contest to killing a buck mule deer and a buck antelope without a license and during a closed season. He was also charged as an accessory to the killing of another buck mule deer and a buck antelope without a license and during a closed season. The plea agreement also included two counts of wanton destruction of big game animals and three counts of selling game meat. In exchange for his no-contest plea, the District Attorney dismissed the remaining charges.

In total, the court assessed $45,070 worth of fines and restitution. The man had his hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges suspended for a minimum of five years and is not eligible to hunt in Wyoming or 48 other states who are members of the Wildlife Violator Compact until all his restitution monies are paid in full. Additionally, the court forfeited all firearms seized by Game and Fish, all illegal wildlife parts and all supplies associated with the sale of game meat.

“Game and Fish is grateful to the Natrona County District Attorney’s Office for their diligent work on this case, along with the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office and the person who came forward with this information. This type of case can significantly impact Wyoming’s wildlife. It may have gone undetected without the public’s help,” said Brian Olsen, Casper region wildlife supervisor.

To report wildlife violations, visit the Game and Fish website, or call the Stop Poaching Hotline at 1-877-WGFD-TIP...

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Hunter And Bowhunter Education Classes Offered Around West-Central Montana Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

unter and bowhunter education classes are scheduled H for west-central Montana communities this year, and more class options will be added over the next few months.

Classes are free and many are open for registration online now.

Classes cover information and skills related to the safe handling of firearms and archery equipment as well as basic instruction in survival, hunting ethics, wildlife management, game identification, landowner/hunter relations, and Montana hunting laws and regulations.

Montana law requires that anyone born after Jan. 1, 1985, complete a hunter education class or qualify as a youth apprentice hunter before purchasing a Montana hunting license. All first-time bowhunters must complete a course or show proof of a prior year’s archery license from another state or province. Students must be at least 10 years old to be certified.

In west-central Montana classes are planned for the following locations, and more classes will be added, so be sure to check back for updates. Find out more and register online at fwp.mt.gov/hunt/education.

Missoula: Feb. 28, March 1, 2, 3 & 5 Darby: Orientation March 1. Classes March 7-11 Victor: Orientation March 15. Classes March 27, April 3 & 10 Missoula (Bow Ed): March 26 Florence: April 5, 7, 12, 14 Missoula: April 11, 12, 13, 15 & 16 Lone Rock: Orientation April 22. Classes April 25-30 Missoula: June 4-5 Hamilton: Orientation Aug. 10. Classes Aug 15-19 Online classes are also available, but there are several advantages to in-person classes, including: hands-on experience, mentoring and the opportunity for students to ask questions and hear advice from experienced hunters.

In-person courses are led by volunteer instructors who are passionate about passing on Montana’s hunting tradition, teaching firearm safety, ethics, and other outdoor skills.

For more information and to register for hunter education courses, visit the hunter education page https://fwp.mt.gov/hunt/education on the FWP website.

The webpage will be updated as more classes are scheduled.

Hunting & Fishing News | 11

Just this past fall I was on a muzzleloader mule deer hunt with several friends in mid-September. We were hunting an area that we’ve hunted many times before with good success. It’s open, brushy country and we typically see lots of deer. This year however, the weather was very hot.

It could have been the weather or a number of other factors – but for whatever reason, the hunting was very tough.

On the first day of the hunt, I glassed over a ton of country and I didn’t see a single deer. I couldn’t believe it.

The second day was almost the same story. Other than a couple of does, we saw hardly any deer and no bucks at all.

All photos credit Ryan McSparran

The Most Underrated Component To Hunting Success

By Ryan McSparran Caribou Gear Outdoor Equipment Co. www.caribougear.com hen hunters talk about being successful on a big game W hunt, we like to talk about things like scouting and finding great new spots, dialing in our weapons with the latest shooting accessories, how to manage our license applications to get the best tags, or the importance of helpful gear like optics, boots and layering systems.

All of those things are important, no doubt. They could all make a difference in the outcome of a hunt. But we’d argue that there’s one overlooked factor that’s every bit as important, perhaps even more important. And that’s a hunter’s attitude. You could have a great tag in your pocket.

You may be prepared with solid equipment and a detailed game plan. But without the right attitude, even what should be a great hunt can become a disappointment.

Is it an overstatement to say that your mental game is the most important thing you’ll bring on a big game hunt?

We don’t think so.

Anyone Can Do It The best thing about carrying a tough mental attitude on your hunts is that anyone can do it. You don’t need the ability to carry a 100lb. pack. You don’t need to be an ultra marathoner. You don’t need to be able to shoot 700 yards.

One of the most important weapons in your arsenal is your mind.

Having the right mental attitude isn’t so much a skill as it is a choice. Stay focused, stay focused on the right things, and you can make a serious impact on the outcome of any adventure. Here are a few ideas to take with you…

Always Be Ready It doesn’t take very much hunting experience to learn that a single moment can change everything. An entire hunt can turn around in just a second. Even when we know this is true, it’s amazing how quickly we forget it, and how difficult it is to stay in the game mentally on a tough hunt. But one of the best things you can do to be successful is to stay ready.

When an opportunity suddenly presents itself, be ready for it.

12 | Hunting & Fishing News

The hunt was nothing like my expectations. Because of that, I let myself begin to check out mentally.

Because I hadn’t seen anything for two straight days, I let my guard down. And on the third morning, I walked right up on a buck. Neither of us expected to see the other.

If I had been hunting with confidence and paying attention, I probably could have had a shot opportunity. But instead, I was caught un-alert and unready.

After glassing for days without much success, it becomes easy to just glaze over the landscape without really looking. Or hiking with your rifle slung over your shoulder instead of in your hand. Pay attention to the little things.

Even when things are tough, stay alert and stay ready.

If you can focus on the fifth day like you focused on the first, you will undoubtedly improve your chances at success.

Stay Patient One of the first things we can lose on very difficult hunts is our patience. That might be patience behind the glass.

Or it might be patience in waiting for the right shot opportunity. No matter what the situation is, stay mentally strong in avoiding shortcuts or making poor snap decisions.

A number of years ago I was guiding an archery elk hunter from the Midwest. We hunted hard for several days. Each day we were out well before daylight and we didn’t get back to camp until well after dark – which during September means very long daylight hours.

We covered a ton of miles and we’d come close a couple of times. But as so often happens in archery hunting, we couldn’t quite get a shot opportunity. By the end of the fourth day, we were tired. I could tell the hunter was beginning to question the possibility of getting within bow range of a bull elk.

On the fifth day we got out there again in the dark.

That morning, we had a bull respond. Quickly moving into position, we got as close as we could. But the bull was 200 yards above us on a wide-open slope. We were out of cover. So the hunter set up behind a lone pine tree near the edge of the clearing. I dropped back into the timber to call.

Soon, the bull responded and began making his way down toward us. Then suddenly he went silent. It seemed like ages. Had the bull changed his mind?

After many miles and so much effort, it would have been easy for the hunter to lose patience and sneak a look around that pine tree. But he showed incredible patience and even during that long silence, he didn’t move a muscle. It’s a good thing. If the hunter had moved, the bull, who was still approaching silently, would have seen him and busted while still out of range. Instead, patience paid off. Several minutes later, the bull rounded the corner presenting a perfect, 20-yard broadside shot.

The hunter was ready. And we spent the rest of the day celebrating and packing meat.

When you notice your patience running low, take the time to slow down. Glass that hillside the way you know you should. If you do, you just might turn up that buck you’ve been searching for. Don’t take a marginal shot at an animal, even if you feel like you’re not getting any opportunities.

A large part of what will make us strong and ethical hunters is staying cool and staying patient in those difficult situations.

When you’re out there, don’t forget to stop and look up at what’s around you. Watch a fox bouncing around a ground squirrel burrow. Listen to a canyon wren singing. Enjoy the time away with family or friends. Sometimes just shifting your focus can do wonders for your attitude.

Stay Positive When you quit believing, you’ll quit trying. On a long, hard hunt it can be a challenge to remain positive. But one of the most important things you can do is to hunt like you really believe it’s going to happen. This helps you stay focused and ready – when that opportunity happens, you won’t have your head down moping. You’ll be ready to capitalize on it!

It’s easy to be positive on the first day of a hunt. What about the third day or the fourth day? Especially if you’re not seeing game or if conditions seem to be against you, it can be difficult to stay positive. If you quit on yourself or begin telling yourself that it probably won’t happen, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’ll stop paying attention, and you’ll miss out on opportunities.

One thing that can help us maintain patience is to focus on the right things. Why do you enjoy hunting in the first place? If you can’t be happy going home with an unfilled tag, free-range hunting isn’t for you. Hopefully, we’re out there for much more than that.

In 2018 one of my friends had a good archery elk tag.

We hunted our tails off for six straight days.

We’d come very close but hadn’t quite connected.

On the final day of our hunt, we heard a half-hearted bugle right at daylight. We guessed that it came from a stand of timber about a mile below us. But we couldn’t get the bull to respond again to pinpoint his location.

There was nothing left to do but proceed with total confidence.

It’s easy to see how the pressure for “success” can take over.

You may have spent a lot of time or money on a hunt.

The pressures of social media certainly don’t help. And it’s just natural that after a lot of effort and planning, we’d love to punch that tag! But if you feel that pressure mounting, it’s worth taking a step back and remembering why you’re there.

We made a wide semi-circle to get on the downwind side of the timber where we guessed he had been.

Even if he was still there, the bull didn’t seem interested in responding to calls. Still, we took the time to get the wind and the situation just right. As soon as we were in position, we started calling.

One year I was guiding someone on his very first elk hunt.

He was from Louisiana and had always dreamed of coming out to the Rockies to hunt elk. He said he was on his fourth tour of duty in Afghanistan when he made up his mind not to put off the dream any longer. As soon as he got home, he called and booked a September archery elk hunt. It was time to make his dream a reality.

At first, there was no response to a few soft cow calls.

So I let out a lazy bugle. Immediately the bull bugled back – and he was close! One more bugle was enough to make him mad. Before we knew it, there were ivory-tipped tines coming through the undergrowth and he came screaming all the way in. The bull passed by my friend at 20 yards, who was at full draw and waiting. The last day, final effort paid off!

Focus on the Right Things

On the very first day of the hunt, we were into elk. We set up at the edge of a narrow clearing and began calling. In no time, a bull emerged from the edge of the timber and let out a bugle. He was at 40 yards and the hunter was already at full draw. He let the arrow fly, but we were stunned when the arrow sailed clean over the bull’s back. The bull spun around and disappeared.

The hunter was obviously shaken. His first day of hunting he’d just had a close encounter with a bull. But he’d missed on the opportunity he had waited so long for. In the excitement, he’d simply used the wrong pin on his sight.

I told him to shake it off. It was only the first day. And as it turned out we had several more exciting encounters that week. It was a fun hunt by any measure – except he never got another shot opportunity.

On the last afternoon, we were sitting together on a hillside watching a beautiful sunset over the wilderness. To my surprise, he suddenly said that he was glad he missed that bull on the first day. “If I had killed that bull and gone home, I wouldn’t have seen everything else that we’ve experienced this week.” He said he wouldn’t go back and make that trade. I was impressed at his attitude.

It’s sometimes helpful to remind ourselves that a hunting trip almost never goes as planned. Conditions change. Animals don’t read the script. Whatever the case is, be prepared for the unexpected. Be ready to roll with each unexpected challenge. If you can stay positive and hunt every single day with confidence, you’ll greatly increase your chances at success.

Don’t Let Letdowns Let You Down One of the most difficult things in hunting is coming back from a letdown like a missed shot or a botched opportunity.

Or maybe another hunter just killed an animal in your favorite spot on public land. When you’ve worked your tail off for a single opportunity and then you miss it, it can feel like that was your only shot.

When that happens, negativity can easily take over.

You lose confidence, you quit trying and you won’t be paying attention. Again, this quickly becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

(continued on page 30)

Hunting & Fishing News | 13

2. Slow Swim It & Fine Tune It There are many ways to fish a jig and the versatility of a jig is what makes them so effective all year long.

However, for shallow fish that are bumping off the boat, a slow swim is often simply deadly.

All photos credit Jason Mitchell www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com

Swimming Jigs: 10 Tips & Tricks For Spring Walleye e often find walleye in less than ten feet of water W early in the year. Doesn’t matter if we are targeting pre-spawn or post-spawn fish, on many different lakes,

reservoirs, and rivers…a good percentage of walleye will often be shallow. Whenever walleye are shallow, swimming jigs can be deadly effective, but the effectiveness of a slow swim seems even more effective in the spring.

Here are 10 must-know tips on swimming jigs that will help you catch more walleye.

1. Long Line Jig Swimming

Long lining light jigs far behind the boat is also deadly when trying to contact fish on large shallow flats.

We often experiment between different minnow types and sizes until a pattern develops. In cold water, we also use more hair and around weeds, we often use more soft plastics as a rule of thumb.

As we are in the post-spawn period right now, many shallow locations will often hold fish but shallow sand flats, weed flats and shallow gravel or wind-blown rock will all hold walleye shallow at times. Shallow walleye are often spooked from the presence of the boat early in the year.

Just my own observations, but it seems like when the water is still cool, less than sixty degrees…fish spook from the boat much more. When the water warms up and the fish’s metabolism ramps up, the fish will become much less boat shy. Early in the year, it is often important to long line where the presentation is far behind the boat or to cast because fish often won’t hold right below the boat in shallow water.

This is where swimming jigs can be deadly.

With this jig swim technique, you don’t have to make steady bottom contact. You don’t have to snap the jig or pop the jig between making bottom contact. The technique is more so just picking the right weight jig so that it glides along the bottom but doesn’t touch the bottom. Just a slow reel or slow drag behind the boat. This presentation is especially deadly around emerging vegetation. If you are fishing through eight feet of water, for example, and there are scattered weeds coming two to three feet off the bottom, simply cast and reel a jig that swims about four feet down. Fine-tuning this presentation often means finding the lightest jig you can swim at a moderately slow speed while finding fish sometimes means using a heavier jig and simply reeling faster to eliminate water and contact fish.

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Try Plastics Obviously, you can tip a jig with a minnow or a half crawler.

You can also use soft plastics like a paddle tail or fluke.

Hair and marabou jigs are also extremely effective, especially early in the season. Not to say that you can’t mix in some snaps and pops with the jig to clean off vegetation or trigger a strike, but so often on so many days, a simple slow reel or drag is deadly.

4. Keep the Jig Off of the Bottom I believe that the effectiveness of swimming jigs in the spring comes from the simple fact that you can fish extremely slow yet keep the jig up out of the bottom. Swimming a jig off the bottom and not maintaining bottom contact or finding bottom is difficult for some anglers as many anglers have been taught that jigs must be finding bottom to catch fish.

Making bottom contact can be the answer at times but here is something to consider: in shallow water early in the year, walleye will often cruise or position slightly off bottom to soak in the sunshine.

You can creep a 1/16th or 1/8th ounce jig behind the boat or on a cast where the presentation just hangs off the bottom. The jig is near the bottom but not on the bottom.

The presentation is that simple, just cast and reel or drag and long line behind the boat.

5. Use Monofilament When Swimming Jigs This presentation also seems to perform much better with monofilament line. The mono seems to cushion the jig glide and floats through the water causing the jig to lift with a steady pull. Six-pound monofilament is my all-around favorite line for swimming jigs in shallow water.

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6. Try Rainbows and Chubs For Spring Walleye In some parts of the country..., jigs paired with shiners are a confidence bait but large rainbows or small chubs can be deadly because both rainbows and chubs swim pretty hard against the jig. Figuring out the pattern each day often means figuring out what size and type of minnow the fish are preferring. Some days, it doesn’t matter. While other days we see a specific preference for say a large spot tail shiner or a medium-size rainbow.

7. Hair Jigs Can Be Key Spring Walleye Hair jigs like the Northland Deep V Hair Jig are deadly for swimming slowly through shallow water. Hair jigs often work better by thinning the hair out. Pair up with six-pound monofilament so the jig glides and hangs in the water.

If there is something often overlooked by many walleye anglers, it might be the effectiveness of hair jigs early in the season. Hair jigs do have a strong following but that following is very regional. There are many places where anglers refuse to use hair jigs although they are probably one of the deadliest spring presentations for walleye that many anglers don’t use.

The advantage of a hair jig is that bucktail or synthetic hair is much more durable than a minnow and the hair causes the jig to swim and glide very naturally. The hair pulsates and quivers delicately. You can use a hair jig many ways and there are times when the fish want the jig snapping and gliding but catching walleye on hair jigs is often as simple as casting and reeling. The jig might not look like it is doing much in the water when you drag behind the boat or cast and reel, but it sure does catch fish.

8. Thin Your Hair Jigs When using hair jigs, remember that most tackle manufacturers tie too much hair on the jig to give the jig better shelf appeal. I find that most hair jigs work better if you pull about half the strands out to make the hair thinner.

The thinner hair dressings seem to have a much better action. A phenomenal hair jig on the market right now is the Northland Deep-Vee Hair Jig. Also, make sure that the hair is hanging straight behind the jig. If the hair is twisted or crossing the hook, it won’t pulsate or swim correctly.

9. Knot Placement Matters Knot placement is crucial when swimming jigs. You can use an improved cinch or Palomar knot if the knot is perfectly centered so the jig swims straight. I find that a loop knot also works well as the jig will always be balanced and straight as it swims.

10. Find Warm Water Swimming jigs in the spring is something I am extremely confident with. It could be as simple as making a long cast behind the boat with a 1/16th ounce jig and dragging the jig along eight feet of water or casting a 1/8th or ¼ ounce jig and swimming the jig over a shallow sandbar or rock reef. Use your temperature gauge to find the pockets of warmer water and slowly swim a jig.

Chances are, there are going to be some walleye waiting for you.

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Telephone 406-883-2888 Ex. 7294 Applications will be available: Zimmers Tackle-Pablo, Westland Seed & Sports-Ronan, Walmart-Polson, Sportsman’s Warehouse-Missoula, FWP-Missoula and Kalispell, Sportsman & Ski Haus-Kalispell, Bretz RV & Marine-Missoula, Bob Ward & Sons-Missoula, Snappys Sports Senter-Kalispell, CSKT NRD Offices-Polson Required that all boats from out of the Flathead area be inspected for AIS.

We remind you to follow all fishing regulations.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have a special fishing permit for the south half on Flathead Lake that is available wherever fishing permits are sold.

A Trolling Marvel: Northland’s Rumble B Crankbait

Northland Fishing Tackle and Bagley Bait Company www.northlandtackle.com

Designed to cover a broad range of depths, the trolling-friendly Rumble B has really proven itself.

Photo courtesy Northland Fishing Tackle www.northlandtackle.com

rolling crankbaits is a proven tactic to put more T walleyes in the boat. Along those lines, there are many baits to choose from, but few offer the distinct, fish-catching attributes of Northland Fishing Tackle’s incomparable new Rumble B. Featuring a loud single knocker rattle and sturdy body, the bait is available in numerous custom artisan and reflective chrome finishes.

The secret to the new lure? Besides the loud knocker, which calls in fish from afar, its unique swimming lip causes water to flow over the shoulders of the bait eliciting a rocking motion that fish can’t resist.

Northland pro, Nick Lindner, notes: “I’ve fished the Rumble B a lot and it’s become one of my favorite walleye trolling baits!...it’s been a real producer on spreads from the back of the boat. It’s sturdy, has a wide, irresistible wobble and comes in colors that will produce anywhere in the Walleye Belt.”

Seasoned guide Brad Hawthorne interjects: “Being able to run it at all different speeds is a huge benefit.

Nick Lindner and I were running Rumble B’s at 1.2 to 1.4 miles per hour...and just smoking the fish. And the coolest part is I haven’t been able to blow the Rumble B to the surface yet. Occasionally, especially turning the boat, you’ll get up to 3.0 or 3.2 miles per hour.”

“When you’re running a big planer board setup this is key—if baits start blowing out, the next thing you know you’ve got one line tangled and the next one will go, too. And that can be an hour’s worth of a mess to clear and get baits back in the water.

With the Rumble B, the baits don’t blow out and cause these problems. You put the Rumble B behind the boat on boards anywhere between 140 to 180-feet on 10-pound fluorocarbon and it gets the lures down 16 | Hunting & Fishing News

about 18-feet, which is perfect for trolling the edges and the tops of the flats. Get the boards away from the boat 20, 30, 40-feet with your spread and the flats start going. It’s that simple! The only thing that usually changes is the preferred speed – today the fish might want the baits around 1.6 to 1.8 miles per hour.

Tomorrow it might be 2.0 to 2.4.”

There are nuances to the bait design that Hawthorne notes as well. “On a lot of stickbaits you need to replace hooks and split-rings. You don’t have to do that with the Northland Rumble B. The hooks feature a wide gap and are sticky sharp. The oval line-tie is perfect, too. On a lot of different crankbaits if your clip runs in where the two wires become one wire it will mess up the action of the bait. That’s why you see a lot of walleye pros change out the line-tie with a different split-ring.

On the Rumble B you don’t have to worry about that— the oval design keeps the clip, snap, or direct line-tie in place and the lure running true!”

North Dakota-based Northland pro Jason Mitchell contributes: “Especially with that knocker, the Rumble B has really turned into a lowlight and nighttime trolling gem.

It runs true up to some pretty fast speeds, so if that’s your game, it’s a great lure.

But at speeds like .3 or .4 miles per hour up to 1.2, it’s also got a wide action and pronounced rattle.

Like I said, it’s a great after dark bait...

The Rumble B comes in three sizes...In terms of colors, there’s something for every angling scenario with 15 different patterns available. The colors comprise hues that resemble big walleye tournament custom colors like Bubblegum Tiger, Spotted Lava, Purple Wonder, Purple Dot, Sneeze and Wonderbread. Match-the-hatch colors are available, too, with perch-mimicking Steel Chartreuse, Gold Perch, Yellow Perch, Hot Perch and Lemon Tiger. Additional forage-matching colors include Albino Orange Belly, Silver Shiner, Silver Fluorescent Chartreuse and Purple Pearl.

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Fine Tuning Walleye With The Yakima Bait Finesse Walleye Spinner

By Mark Romanack Fishing 411 TV www.fishing411.net

to popular belief, small spinner blades Contrary catch big walleye.

Sometimes less is more when it comes to catching walleye. Walleye are one of those predator species that often survive and thrive by feeding on some amazingly small forage species. Sculpins, stickleback, and fathead minnows are three of the most common forage species in the natural lakes and rivers where walleye are commonly found.

When walleye find themselves foraging for these tiny bottom dwellers, often the best fishing approach also tends to be downsized live bait presentations.

The Yakima Bait Finesse Walleye Spinner is a product designed especially for targeting walleye found in natural lakes and rivers.

“The Finesse Walleye Spinner is available in eight fish catching colors,” says Jamie Robinson a tournament professional who fishes the Northern Ontario Walleye Trail. “Anglers can choose from either a modest No. 1 or slightly larger No. 2 Colorado style blade.”

The blades on the Finesse Walleye Spinner may be small, but the fish these rigs catch are often anything but modest.

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“Many anglers feel that small blades are primarily used for targeting small “eating sized” walleye,” adds Robinson. “Actually, I find that the downsized flash produced by the Finesse Walleye Spinner is ideal for targeting walleye of all sizes.”

The Finesse Walleye Spinner features premium octopus style hooks and they are tied on 15 pound test fluorocarbon.

“I like that these rigs are a full 60 inches long,” says Brett Robinson a Wawa, Ontario based fishing guide and tournament professional. “The added length of these live bait rigs makes them more versatile in my mind. In ultra clear waters I fish this rig full length, but I can just as easily shorten up the rig when I’m faced with stained or off color water conditions.”

SLIP SINKER RIGGING The Finesse Walleye Spinner is perfectly suited to using traditional slip sinker rigging applications.

The classic slip sinker rig has caught countless walleye over the years.

(continued on page 24) Hunting & Fishing News | 17

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Finding Time To Hunt As A New Parent

By Dan Wilde Originally published at

www.goHUNT.com

a short window to fill my tag this season, but I was II had determined to make the most of the little time I carved out. had already missed a shot on a bull elk a couple of hours earlier. A miss always hurts the soul a bit, but it hurt a little extra knowing I was running out of time before I had to return home to not only the responsibilities of work, but also our new and firstborn son.

I saw the herd filing right to left across the canyon from the steep slope I found myself on. I used my pack as a makeshift rest and put my crosshairs on the gap that the herd was moving through one by one. When a bull stepped into the gap, I pulled the trigger and filled my tag. That was only my sixth day hunting of the year, so I felt fortunate to get two chances on bulls. The next couple of days ensued of breaking down and packing the meat and rack two and a half miles back to the truck.

My days afield have steadily declined over the last few years as I now am a father of two young boys. It’s a tradeoff I gladly take. Yet, nevertheless, as my responsibilities have grown, I’ve had to learn to adjust my expectations and techniques when it comes to hunting.

1. Have the right mindset Before we get into some of the practical tactics of how to get out in the field and have success, having the appropriate mindset is vital to not only enjoying time in the mountains, but also at home. You have to remember it’s not forever.

It’s easy to start comparing yourself while you’re stuck at home simultaneously scrolling through social media seeing all the hunts your buddies are on and the adventures they’re having.

I found myself doing this and almost started feeling somewhat guilty for not being out there more than I was.

I have a lot of friends and coworkers who are hardcore public land hunters putting in absurd amounts of days in the field. Meanwhile, I am elbows deep in dirty diapers.

I’ve had to remind myself that this season of life will pass and it’s just that — a season. It doesn’t do me any good to start to feel bad about myself because I’m not “keeping up.”

The kids will grow and, as they do, being away from home won’t be as big of an issue. Not to mention that before you know it, they will be old enough to join you and start hunting themselves.

So it’s important to not fall into the comparison trap and remember that this season of your kids needing you 24/7 will pass faster than you can imagine.

2. Hunt close to home I hunted over 20 days last season, which was up from the previous year’s six or seven. However, a lot of these days were close to home during morning or evening hunts.

All photo credits Dan Wilde

While I didn’t harvest anything from it, they were still extremely productive. In archery season, I spent many mornings bowhunting close to home and, to my surprise, got into elk regularly with some close encounters. Then, as archery turned to rifle, I started hunting more evenings as it didn’t get light early enough to go before work.

I can’t speak for your relationship, but, for me, I’m choosing to put those epic 14-day dream trips on pause for now.

They aren’t out of reach forever, but while my kids are young I want to be around to spend time with them and help lighten the load. So instead of being gone for several nights in a row, I can slip away for a few hours here and there to hunt. This might not be possible for everyone, depending on where you live or the flexibility of your job. I’m fortunate enough to live in Montana where I can hunt several areas close by on a general tag every year. This allows me to learn areas year after year so that my morning or evening hunts are efficient and productive. While the areas around my home aren’t necessarily the best, more days in the field is essentially what I’m after.

3. Make your trips efficient If hunting close to home doesn’t make sense for you, then try and make the trips efficient that you do take. After several days hunting close to home, I started to wonder if it actually made more sense to take several days off and invest that time into a spot that has higher numbers of animals and success rates. This cuts down the amount of driving back and forth everyday and, depending on where you live, may make more sense. Instead of hunting mediocre spots for a few hours at a time and not having success, you can make a longer drive to a better spot, spend multiple days there and maybe be more likely to actually fill a tag. However, I do want to be careful to not make hunting sound like a transaction. When the responsibilities add up and your time is so limited, it can start to feel like you need to fill a tag and you need to do it quickly. We all hunt for various reasons, but most of us do so because we flatout enjoy it. We cherish the time in the mountains or on the prairie as we break from the regular rhythms of life. While being efficient is a fine practical idea, it’s important to keep those expectations in mind so that it doesn’t become a sort of exchange.

That’s what grocery stores are for. (continued on page 38)

Hunting & Fishing News | 19

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HABITAT ENHANCEMENT In 2021, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners provided more than $2.7 million dollars in grant funding for wildlife habitat, research and hunting heritage projects across Montana. Habitat enhancement projects focus on prescribed burning, invasive weed treatment, aspen and watershed restoration, removing encroaching conifers, installing wildlife-friendly fencing, forest thinning and other treatments.

Scientific research shows prescribed burns reduce leftover fallen, dead or decaying woody debris that is detrimental to native grass and forbs that are vital for elk and other wildlife. Burns not only reduce hazardous fuel accumulation but also stimulate nutrients in the soil spawning new growth of native grasses and shrubs.

Prescribed burns, thinning and other habitat treatments reduce the potential of catastrophic wildfire and the threat of large scale insect and disease outbreaks while improving overall forest health.

2021 GRANT FUNDING

$2.7 Million FOR WILDLIFE HABITAT, RESEARCH AND HUNTING HERITAGE PROJECTS

HOW TO KEEP YOUR FEET HAPPY ON A BACKCOUNTRY HUNT

By Zach Lazzari Kawdy Outfitters www.kawdyoutfitters.com

Sock Materials Socks come in many different varieties and it really pays to spend for top quality. Some hunters use thin sock liners to create a comfortable vapor layer. It’s not necessary but is worth testing a liner for comfort. Choose top tier merino wool blend socks from brands like Smartwool and Darn Tough because they are comfortable and durable.

Dry and Clean Socks Ensuring you have clean, dry socks can make a big difference on multi-day hunts. While breaking in boots during the summer, your socks are always fresh and clean.

But on the mountain, you’ll be required to recycle them throughout the trip.

Always keep a fresh pair of socks ready in your daypack.

A mid-day change out of wet and soggy socks can feel great. Wet feet get cold easier and are much more prone to blisters. Packing along a fresh pair is easy and they will feel amazing when your feet are water logged and worn out.

When the day ends, wash your socks and hang them over the camp stove to dry. If you’re in a spike camp without heat, you can set them in the sun or hang them from your pack to dry. Alternatively, you can sleep with them at the bottom of your sleeping bag. Wring out as much water as possible first, as the moisture from your socks will naturally diffuse into your sleeping bag fill.

Photo courtesy Kawdy Outfitters www.kawdyoutfitters.com

our feet are everything in the backcountry and proper Y care will drive your hunt forward comfortably. Hot spots, moisture and soreness can make it painful and difficult to

hike and cover ground in the backcountry. Preparing and keeping your feet safe and comfortable throughout the hunt is imperative and it can be the difference between a nice hike up the mountain and a painful one. Luckily, keeping your feet in good shape is simple and only requires a few basic tasks.

Here are some simple tips to keep your feet happy and healthy on your next hunting trip: Wear Great Boots Choosing the best hunting boots will have a major impact on foot health. Your boots should fit properly and be comfortable before the hunt. If your boots aren’t comfortable at home, they’re not going to be comfortable in the field.

And remember that a foot issue can seriously slow down a hunt – so invest in high quality boots. We recommend a full-grain leather boot with a full rubber rand for durability and protection. Waterproofing is also important on a British Columbia hunt. Boots with GoreTex or a similar waterproof, breathable membrane will help shed water and evacuate perspiration.

Break in the Boots Whenever you’re planning a hunt, start breaking in your boots early. Your brand new boots might fit great right out of the box. But if there are any issues, you want to discover it earlier rather than later. Always give new boots a break-in period and take them out on hikes to make sure they are going to fit and perform well. You don’t want to wait until you’re on the mountain to discover any problems.

The same goes for socks. Wear your hunting socks with the boots on at least a few hikes to make sure they fit and work well together. Don’t break them in and leave them idle for the last month or two before the hunt either. Wear the socks and the boots for a few weeks leading up to the hunt.

22 | Hunting & Fishing News

Don’t forget, it begins with quality socks. Go with a high quality Merino wool or Merino-synthetic blend. Don’t even think about bringing your cotton gym socks. The best boots in the world will perform poorly if you wear cotton underneath.

Great socks will perform well even after days of use.

Wear Quality Gaiters Gaiters are a nice addition for your feet because they help keep out moisture. They are especially useful in an environment like British Columbia. Even when it’s not raining, water from foliage will quickly work into your boots.

Invest in a high quality gaiters with a waterproof, breathable membrane like GoreTex. This makes bushwhacking easier without coming out soaked. The gaiters from most high-end hunting apparel companies will perform well.

Treating Hot Spots Hot spots form when your skin rubs against the boots, socks, or even when one toe rubs against another. If hot spots are left untreated, blisters will form. When that happens, your feet will suffer. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the hunt and forget to treat hot spots. But only requires a few minutes to cover the spot with a blister pad.

When a hot spot forms, stop and take a break. Remove your boot and your sock – this is also a great opportunity to fix bunched-up socks. We recommend the Compeed blister pads, which can be found at most pharmacies. They are effective and they’ll stay on for days at a time. Treating hot spots before they turn into blisters will save you serious pain and discomfort.

Put Your Feet Up Long days on the mountain come with breaks for food, water and general rest. Glassing sessions can last for extended periods as well. If your feet are wet, tired or sore, use this downtime to air out and relax. Your boots and socks can dry out a bit while your feet breathe and catch a break until the next round of hiking. Even a quick ten-minute rest can have a major restorative impact on your feet.

Contact Us and Learn More For more information about our guided hunts phone us for details at 1-250-306-8624 or 1-250-540-1179 (Oct 15 – July1) and 1-250-651-1189 (July 1 – Oct 15) or visit our website www.kawdyoutfitters.com.

How Many Whitetail Bucks Do Hunters Shoot Each Season?

By Mike Hanback Big Deer Blog www.bigdeerblog.com

he National Deer Association (NDA) reports that hunters T across the United States killed an estimated 3,041,544 bucks in the 2020-21 season, the most in 21 years.

“2020 saw the highest buck harvest in the new century, and amazingly we estimate that we set another new record for the percentage of those bucks that were 3½ years old or older,” said Kip Adams, NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer.

“U.S. hunters are taking fewer yearling bucks and killing more of them as mature deer, but this doesn’t mean fewer bucks harvested overall. We’re killing older bucks and more bucks than ever in America.”

Nationally, the antlerless harvest (does and buck fawns) jumped 12% in 2020-21 to 3,207,937, reversing a three-year decline and putting the number back above 3 million for the first time since 2013. The antlerless harvest estimates also climbed above the antlered buck harvest for the first time since 2016.

“We know 2020 hunting license sales increased by about 5% over 2019, and those license buyers took home half a million more whitetails than the previous season, or an increase of almost 9%,” said Adams. “They helped increase the antlerless harvest back above the buck harvest where it needs to be, but they also saw more mature bucks in the woods than ever before. Hunters are clearly reaping the benefits of more naturally balanced age structures in herds across the whitetail’s range.”

In short, it’s a good time to be a deer hunter in America!

Photo Mike Hanback www.bigdeerblog.com

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.

Thank you for your continued support!

www.boone-crockett.org

Fine Tuning Walleye With The Yakima Bait Finesse Walleye Spinner (continued from page 17)

Start by threading a walking style sinker onto the line, next add a small bead and then tie in a small barrel swivel to the terminal end of the main line. Finish the rig by adding the Finesse Walleye Spinner to the barrel swivel and baiting using a fresh nightcrawler.

In clear water it’s best to leave the harness full length.

For targeting walleye in stained waters, the harness can easily be shortened.

“The Finesse Walleye Spinner comes with a pair of No. 4 beak hooks ideal for fishing with nightcrawlers,” explains Jake Romanack of Fishing 411 TV. “This rig can easily be modified for fishing with leeches or minnows by simply cutting off the back hook.”

The advantage of slip sinker rigging is the angler can feed the fish line when a bite is detected. Most anglers use a spinning rod/reel outfit and keep the reel bail open and their index finger holding the line. When a fish bites, line can easily be released and allowed to play off the spool so the fish has a chance to turn and swallow the bait before the hook is set.

NO SNAG STYLE SINKERS The Finesse Walleye Spinner can also be fished with the popular “No Snag” style sinkers when faced with chunk rock, rubble and other places where bottom snags become an issue. These sinkers thread on the line similar to walking sinkers, but help position the bait a little further off bottom.

Like the walking style sinker, using No Snag weights allows the angler to easily feed line to a fish when it bites.

SLINKY SINKERS Slinky sinkers are made by placing lead shot in hollow cordage and heat sealing the ends. These unique sinkers slide through some of the most snag ridden bottoms without so much as a hiccup, making them ideal for walleye live bait rigging applications.

SINGLE ARM BOTTOM BOUNCERS The single arm bottom bouncer is a variation of the traditional slip sinker. A single arm bottom bouncer normally stands about 12 inches tall and is routinely rigged to slide on the line in much the same way as a walking style sinker or a No Snag sinker. The biggest difference is a single arm bottom bouncer positions the bait further off bottom, making the presentation best suited to situations where fish are scattered and it’s important to move faster and cover more water while hunting for fish.

All four of these common bottom fishing set ups are typically used in combination with spinning rods/reels and ultra sensitive low stretch super lines. Most anglers prefer to move the boat along by drifting, using an electric motor or back-trolling with a small gasoline engine.

TRADITIONAL BOTTOM BOUNCERS The traditional two arm bottom bouncer is also a useful tool for presenting the Finesse Walleye Spinner near bottom.

Often employed in deeper water where two and even three ounce bottom bouncers are required to maintain bottom contact, these larger size sinkers are best fished in combination with a baitcasting rod/reel and monofilament lines in the 10 to 12 pound test sizes.

Because of the extra size and weight of these rigs and the gear needed to fish them, many anglers prefer to fish a bottom bouncer and spinner rig by putting the rod in a conveniently located rod holder and slow trolling using either an electric trolling motor or a small gasoline kicker motor.

A slow action rod with a very light tip is needed to help determine light walleye strikes. The idea is to use a light enough rod that when a fish bites, the rod tip will telegraph the bite before the fish feels resistance and drops the bait.

SPIN-N-GLO BOTTOM WALKER The Yakima Bait Spin-n-Glo Bottom Walker represents a unique twist in live bait rigging. This two arm bottom bouncer features a Spin-n-Glo float and attractor on the short arm that acts as an added attractor and also helps to keep the bottom bouncer riding upright in the water.

Available in several color options and also in 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 4 ounce models, the Spin-n-Glo Bottom Walker can be used in a wealth of water depths and live bait rigging applications. Both the Yakima Bait Finesse Walleye Spinner and the HammerTime Walleye Spinner are commonly used in combination with the Spin-n-Glo Bottom Walker.

WRAPPING IT UP The Yakima Bait Finesse Walleye Spinner takes spinner fishing to a whole new level. The premium hooks, full length fluorocarbon leader and legendary Hildebrandt blades make for the perfect walleye spinner.

24 | Hunting & Fishing News

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2021: A Year Of RMEF Pheasants Forever And Quail Conservation Accomplishment Forever Applaud USDA General Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation www.rmef.org

A

s the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation looks to advance conservation with its 2022 mission work, it looks back on a year of conservation accomplishments.

“From completing the first phase of a landscape-scale conservation and access project in Oregon to conserving nearly 12,000 acres of tule elk country in California, while also protecting and enhancing habitat nationwide, the bottom line is we put real dollars on the landscape that make a real difference for elk and other wildlife,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “In doing so, we remain resilient and financially strong despite the ongoing challenges during these unique times.”

RMEF also provided more support for wildlife management, scientific research, advocacy issues on behalf of its mission and worked to maintain and improve America’s hunting heritage.

2021 conservation highlights •Surpassed 8.3 million acres in lifetime mission accomplishment •Completed 183 habitat stewardship and wildlife management projects that enhanced 138,276 acres of habitat •Committed an additional $2.2 million that leveraged $22.4 million in partner dollars (1:10 match) toward future projects •Opened or improved public access to 31,205 acres of public land in eight states •Completed 15 projects in 11 states that protected 26,276 acres of wildlife habitat •Maintained a membership of 225,000+ •Allocated $670,000 for scientific elk research that leveraged $5.5 million in partner dollars (1:8 match) •Completed 209 hunting heritage projects •11,000+ volunteers generated mission funding & completed on the ground projects “We greatly appreciate our volunteers, members, partners and supporters for strengthening and standing with us in ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage,” said Mark Baker, RMEF Board of Directors chair. “We cannot do it without them and looking forward, our aim is to accelerate that mission in 2022.”

Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation™” at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

And Grassland CRP Signups Pheasants Forever www.pheasantsforever.org

he U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service T Agency (USDA- FSA) announced a general signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) running from January 31 – March 11, 2022, and a Grassland CRP signup from April 4 – May 13. CRP has long been the nation’s most important tool for targeting environmentally sensitive lands with conservation practices that produce wildlife habitat, cleaner waters, healthier soils, and a more resilient climate.

Landowners should visit their nearest USDA Service Center to learn more about general CRP eligibility.

“At a time when the country is looking for opportunities to improve the environmental and economic health of our nation, CRP once again shines as a tool for American farmers, ranchers, and landowners,” stated Jim Inglis, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s director of governmental affairs.

“CRP enables producers to enroll difficult-to-farm acres in the program to improve soil health, water quality, climate resiliency and wildlife habitat, and is a key part of the ecological and economic safety net for rural communities.”

The Conservation Reserve Program has supported wildlife populations and rural communities since President Ronald Reagan signed CRP into law on December 23, 1985.

The program reached peak enrollment in 2007 with 36.8 million acres, corresponding with modern-day highs for upland bird harvest in many Midwestern states. Producers and landowners enrolled 4.6 million acres into CRP signups in 2021, including 2.5 million acres in the largest Grassland CRP signup in history. There are currently 22.1 million acres enrolled with a 25.5-million-acre cap set for fiscal year 2022. Additionally, producers and landowners can enroll acres under the Continuous signup, including through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative.

“We highly encourage farmers, ranchers and private landowners to consider the enrollment options available through CRP,” said Zach Ducheneaux, Administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency. “Last year, we rolled out a better, bolder program, and we highly encourage you to consider its higher payment rates and other incentives.

CRP is another way that we’re putting producers and landowners at the center of climate-smart solutions that generate revenue and benefit our planet.”...

Hunting & Fishing News | 25

3. Length of daylight

The days are long. This means plenty of time to hunt for bears and time to take advantage of the exceptional fishing opportunities. Make sure you bring a fly rod or spinning rig.

4. Weather All photos credit Scapegoat Wilderness Outfitters courtesy www.goHUNT.com

Top 10 Reasons To Do A Spring Bear Hunt In Montana

By Scapegoat Wilderness Outfitters Originally published at

www.goHUNT.com

“Where?” “Over thaar!”

“MyI seewifea baaar!” and her sisters used to run and scream at the

thought of seeing a bear; however, the excitement they felt over pretending to see a bear is nothing like the thrill that can be had from a spring bear hunt, especially after a long winter of being cooped up in your house dreaming of the outdoors. But if that’s not enough to convince you to sign up for a spring bear hunt, here are ten reasons to get out of your living room and into the Scapegoat Wilderness of Montana this spring.

1. The mountains

Springtime in Montana is amazing with warm, but not too hot, temperatures, sunny days, and cooler nights.

5. Technical hunting practice

Glassing and stalking is a big part of bear hunting. You’ll get plenty of opportunity to work on these skills, which are essential for any type of hunting out West.

6. Scouting for fall hunts Most hunters are interested in knowing what to expect when it comes to the wilderness outfitting experience. Using an outfitter for a bear hunt is a great way to evaluate them for a future big game hunt. This will help you get the lay of the land plus see the operation and guides before investing in a more expensive elk or deer hunt.

There is something about the mountains and the wilderness that leaves you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. After a long winter, your first trip into the mountains can feel like a prison door opening, leading to pure freedom.

2. The peaceful solitude of nature Your chances of seeing other people are drastically reduced compared to fall hunting. We have spent weeks this time of year in the mountains without seeing another living soul.

26 | Hunting & Fishing News

7. Cost effectiveness Bear hunts are typically less expensive than fall elk and deer hunts, but you receive the same wilderness experience as your fall counterparts. License fees are also much less than elk or deer. (continued page 38)

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Thinking Of Putting A Red Dot On Your Turkey Gun? Do It. Vortex Optics www.vortexoptics.com ptics on turkey guns are becoming more and more O popular, for the same advantages they provide tactical and competitive shooters: Easier sight alignment, faster target acquisition, and the ability to focus on your target while shooting. If you’re thinking about mounting an optic on your shotgun for this year’s hunt, here’s a few tips to get you started.

OPTIC SELECTION In our opinion, a red dot is perfect on a turkey shotgun.

They are durable, offer a good field of view, and at realistic turkey shooting distances, there generally isn’t a need for magnification.

We prefer an optic that sits as low on the gun as possible so we can maintain a solid cheek weld on our gun.

We’ve added a soft neoprene cheekpad to our stock as well. You’ll want an optic with a broad range of brightness levels so you can start with your dot dim at first light, but be able to crank it up when the sun is beating down. When you’re hunting, be sure to adjust the brightness of your optic periodically to match the conditions so you’re ready to go when a Tom pays you a visit.

Take a look through your optic on different parts of the rail.

Positioning the optic forward or backward will change how much you can see through the optic and what you can see around it.

If you’re one of those people who refuses to put a red dot on your shotgun because the dot doesn’t look perfectly round to you (a phenomenon resulting from an astigmatism) – stop for a minute and think this through. You are shooting a gun that throws a spread of hundreds of pellets downrange.

You do not need a perfectly round circle to do that. So long as you can put any part of the red squiggle you see somewhere on the bird’s neck, you’ll have no problem killing every single turkey you shoot at. Want to know more about astigmatism?

Check out this 10 Minute Talk. https://soundcloud.com/vortexnationpodcast/10minutetalkastigmatism MOUNTING THE OPTIC

Don’t just haphazardly throw your optic on top of your gun. Experiment with its position on the gun and see how it looks. Red dots have unlimited eye relief, so where you mount it is a matter of personal preference. Further forward will provide less field of view looking through the optic, but will allow you to see around it more easily. Moving the optic closer to your eye will provide a wider apparent field of view looking through the optic, but may make it harder for you to see what’s going on around it.

ZEROING THE OPTIC Usually we talk about “patterning” a turkey shotgun, but with a red dot, we actually have to zero it. You’ll want a large piece of paper with a center aiming point. I like to start at about 20 yards, using pheasant loads to get started. This will save both your shoulder and your wallet some discomfort as you get the optic dialed in.

Find the approximate center of your pattern and adjust the optic the same way you would were it on a rifle to roughly center your pattern on your target. It will be helpful to use a clean sheet of paper for every shot. At 20 yards you will need to move your dials 5x as far as you would at 100 yards.

So – if your optic has 1 MOA clicks, it will take 5 clicks to move your pattern one inch.

Switch to your preferred turkey load now to fine tune and confirm your zero. We like to do this at 40 yards. At this distance, it will take about twice as much dial movement to adjust your optic as it would at 100 yards (1 MOA clicks mean roughly 2 clicks per inch). Pay attention to both the shot density and the center of your pattern. Your pattern is dictated by your gun, choke and load. Ideally, the densest part of your pattern should also be at the center of your pattern (or very close). If it’s slightly off center and consistent, zero based on the densest part of your pattern. If it is way off, you may want to look at different loads or another choke. For a closer look at picking shells for your shotgun, check out this podcast. https://soundcloud.com/vortexnationpodcast/ ep-112-shotgun-and-ammo-selection#t=0:00

Once you feel you have a solid zero at 40 yards, we highly recommend checking as far as you may shoot and also at a closer distance as well (with our current setup we check at 20 and 60 yards). You may find at these distances you have to adjust your point of aim slightly higher or lower.

HUNTING WITH THE OPTIC

All photos credit Vortex Optics www.vortexoptics.com

The easiest way to mount a red dot is via a picatinny (or weaver) rail attached to your shotgun. Modern turkey shotguns will come with a rail, or at least a tapped receiver where you can mount one. If a top rail isn’t an option with your receiver, there are various mounts available that attach to a receiver using the trigger housing pins, or can be secured between the stock and the receiver itself.

28 | Hunting & Fishing News

This is the fun part – just get out there and hunt! The first time you put that dot on a tom’s head, you’ll realize how nice it is to be sure exactly where your shot is going to go before you let the lead fly.

Thinking of putting a red dot on your turkey gun? Do it.

Want to hear more about putting a red dot on your turkey gun? Listen in as our podcast team takes a deep dive. https://soundcloud.com/vortexnationpodcast/ep-119-reddots-on-turkey-gun

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So the next time you blow a stalk or miss an opportunity don’t assume that was your only shot. Even if another hunter kills an animal in your honey hole, don’t assume the game has been blown out of the area. Rarely is that true.

Big game animals will return to the areas where they feel safe – probably sooner than you think. Don’t think, “It will never happen now.” If that’s your attitude, it probably won’t happen. The best way to find success is to come back from the letdown and continue hunting with positivity and confidence.

Be Comfortable in Uncomfortable Situations Finally, mental toughness also comes in the form of being content in uncomfortable situations. Sometimes, the most successful hunters are the ones who simply show up. Again, the great thing about mental toughness is that anyone can have it. You don’t have to be the most skilled hunter, the biggest or strongest. You just need a bit of grit and the willingness to stick it out. That will go a long way toward success.

When it comes to adverse weather conditions, quality gear does of course help. In tough conditions, having the right layering system, good boots, good rain gear and a good tent and sleep system makes a big difference. But assuming you have adequate gear to keep you safe and functioning in the elements, it’s still a mental game. When you’re in your sleeping bag in sub-freezing temps, it’s really tempting not to get up and make an hour-long hike in the dark to get to that primo glassing spot. Will you do what it takes to put yourself in the best position for success?

In 2014, my friends and I had planned a November mule deer hunt. It was a backcountry hunt, requiring us to backpack in about four miles. As the hunt drew near, the weather forecast looked worse and worse. The high on opening day was projected to be ten degrees. The low that night would be below zero with wind chills as cold as -30.

The Most Underrated Component To Hunting Success (continued from page 13) On the other hand, if you can come back from that letdown and begin hunting with confidence again, things could easily turn around. No matter how much you might feel like, “That was my opportunity,” don’t let it be true. Continue to hunt with focus and with confidence and you could make something happen.

In 2016 I was mule deer hunting and missed what should have been a golden opportunity. I had just missed a shot at a good buck and was feeling stupid. It was mid-morning and already getting hot. Plus, I’d fired a shot, so I may have spooked anything else in the area. It felt like I wouldn’t get another opportunity that morning.

Feeling dejected, I climbed up to a high point where I could spend the afternoon glassing. No sooner had I sat down, I spotted a different buck just a few hundred yards away.

I quickly and easily closed a bit of the distance and made the shot count. Less than an hour after my miss, I had a buck on the ground. Even better, one of my friends killed a buck the next day in the very same canyon.

30 | Hunting & Fishing News

We may have been crazy. But prepared with adequate gear, we packed in as planned. It wasn’t easy, but it was a memorable adventure! We boiled water and slept with hot water bottles in our sleeping bags – both to keep us warm and to keep our water from freezing. In the evenings we actually had a great time around the campfire. And we all filled our deer tags! Not because we’re very great hunters, but simply because we were the ones who showed up.

When it’s cold and when it’s dark, it can be difficult to pry yourself out of your sleeping bag in the morning. But the more you can get comfortable in those uncomfortable situations, the greater your chances at success. Get out there before daylight. Stay out until dark. Just have the mental toughness to show up, and you’ll be putting yourself ahead of the curve.

Hunting Gear for the Adventure If you have questions about getting ready for your next hunt, please let us know. The gear we carry here in our store are items that we personally use and trust in the field. We’d be happy to answer your questions and help you find the right items for your next adventure.

Remember that one of your best weapons is your mind!

Stay positive, have fun and we hope you have a great hunting season ahead!

Contact us by phone at 303-798-5824 or email:hunt@caribougear.com.

Shop online at https://www.caribougear.com/collections

photos from the outdoors

Nick Dodge (Left) and Friend Thor Sichveland (Right) Of Philipsburg Montana With Nick’s 2020 Mt. Bull Elk.

Taxidermy Work From Chad Steward Of Helena, Mt.

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Photos From The Outdoors will be included each month.

Send us your photos and a note about the photo. E-mail to: huntingfishingnews@yahoo.com

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GEAR REVIEW

MSR Trail Base™ Water Filter Kit

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Primos Photoform Strutter Turkey Decoy Actual imagery of a strutting gobbler printed on 3D molded foam. Light enough to carry all day and collapsable for easy storage in your vest. This decoy demands attention and action from big toms by pulling in henned up birds.

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Hunting & Fishing News | 33

LET’S NOT FORGET THAT HUNTING IS ABOUT HUNTING (continued from page 9)

The future

Photo courtesy Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

New State, Possible World Record Mountain Whitefish Caught On Deschutes River Avid Bend Catch-And-Release Fly Fisherman Almost Didn’t Keep It Oregon Department Of Fish And Wildlife https://www.dfw.state.or.us lex Dietz of Bend was fly fishing with an egg pattern A on the Deschutes River outside Warm Springs on Dec. 19, 2021 when he hooked a 5 pound 12 oz, 24-inch

long mountain whitefish with a 14 inch girth.

“My fishing buddy Jason Schreiber saw that I had a big fish on and came over to check out what was going on,” Dietz explained. “We took pictures of it and kind of laughed about it for awhile.

I was getting ready to let the fish go when we realized this thing could be a state record.”

Dietz is almost exclusively a catch and release angler—but he kept this fish, bringing it to Newport Avenue Market in Bend for an official weigh-in on an Oregon Dept of Agriculture scale as required under the record rules.

ODFW certified the fish as the new state record mountain whitefish on Jan. 7, 2022 (beating the previous record, a 4 lb 14 oz mountain whitefish caught at Crane Prairie Reservoir in 1994 by Roger A Massey).

The mountain whitefish might actually be a world record as the current record is a 5 lb 8 oz whitefish taken by Albert Woo in 1995 from Albert’s River near Calgary according to the International Game Fish Association. Dietz is submitting the information to the IGFA to be certified.

Dietz grew up in Bend and has been fishing since he was in high school. He usually targets trout and steelhead and again, releases just about everything he catches. This record fish is being taxidermized for display at his home.

Beating the record is extra special because Dec. 19 was the first time he’d been fishing since he and his wife Andrea welcomed their first child, a baby girl, on Nov. 15, 2021.

“December 19 was the first time I got the green light from my wife to go fishing, so big thanks to her too,” Dietz said.

Mountain whitefish are a native migratory fish in Oregon and are distributed throughout most of the Western United States and Canada. These fish are typically found in cool mountain streams, but also occur in lakes...

34 | Hunting & Fishing News

What I hope to imagine for the future of hunting camps is this. A group of fellas stands around a campfire with little concern of the coming days. As the fire crackles, their smiles become even more infectious. Stories of old hunts are told and the hopes of hunts that have yet to come. There isn’t a number of inches they are searching for — just a damn good time together without the distractions of social media. There isn’t so much faith put into gear that they fail to exercise their knowledge of the landscape and the animals that walk it. These hunters see those landscapes and animals beyond what lies on the surface. They understand that what they are doing out there is a privilege and that privileges can be taken away. Respect for the land, animals and fellow hunters is something they all share. Selflessness runs through all of them deep and they are willing to all help one another without fail. And all of them are passionate about instilling this very love into their children.

Imagining the future of hunting is interesting. No doubt: we are going to keep progressing with technology.

I do hope that the sentiments of old can remain in play. However, there are a few variables that weren’t in rotation long ago. Things like hunter numbers dropping, harder tag draws and the ever growing attack on hunting itself. How all of this shakes out is really up to us. Whether you like it or not, the things that we post on social media, forums or blogs have an effect on the image of hunting. While that image had little influence in the past, it’s just the world that we live in today. So, when you don’t take the time to clean up an animal for a grip and grin photo, it matters.

When you lash out at someone for some petty reason like how big a bull actually was, it matters. And when your kids hear “inches, inches, inches” it matters.

Give Your New Unit

Priceless

Another Year

(continued from page 4)

Ultimately, the main reason you should give your unit another year or two is because you have gained invaluable experience that other hunters would pay for. You may understand and have experience of where you found animals, where the most hunting pressure was and what the animals want to do or have to do if there is pressure.

You may be thinking to yourself that you didn’t see enough or any animals while you were hunting so why would you go back?

My dad and I always ambush hunted when I was a kid.

I can remember the first time a deer ever walked upon us. Sitting up against a tree, I trembled with every swoosh of leaves that danced in my ear. My heart beat the inside of my chest as if it wanted to escape. Two does came into view a mere 10 yards away. It was like nothing I had ever felt. Being that close, admiring how they blinked their eyes and the subtle twitches in their nose was breathtaking. Looking back on times like this reminds me of the real reason hunting is important to me. It’s certainly not because of some plastic type gratification in the form of “likes.” It isn’t for the purpose of my bank account. And it isn’t for how highly others think of me. Hunting is my passion and way of life.

That right there is priceless.

The answer is as long as you did your research and found a unit that has good statistics, you can be confident that there are animals there.

From your bad experience, you already know where not to look for animals in that unit next year and are way better off than a hunter who is heading there for the first time. You will be able to e-scout again and ignore those drainages and mountains that did not have your intended quarry on them.

When you go back to that unit this year, you will find those animals that were not where you hunted last year and come home with meat in the freezer. Success comes with time, experience and hard work so persevere in that unit one more year and you never know what might happen. Of course, if you just picked a unit out of the hat, then use Filtering 2.0 to help you find a statistically better place to hunt.

BLACK BUTTE COPPER

PERMITTED. PROTECTED. COMMITTED TO DOING IT RIGHT.

www.blackbuttecopper.com Hunting & Fishing News | 35

VENISON STUFFED SHELLS IN APPLE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH SAUCE RECIPE Photo credit a 12 gauge girl www.huntingandcooking.com

By Lindsey Bartosh a 12 gauge girl www.huntingandcooking.com

INGREDIENTS Venison Stuffed Shells •Pound venison Italian sausage •12 oz Jumbo pasta shells •Medium butternut squash •2 tablespoons olive oil •1 medium onion, diced •1/2 cup chopped pecans •1 tablespoon fresh sage, (minced) •1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, (minced) •1/2 to 3/4 cup stock, (vegetable or chicken) •1 cup unsweet applesauce •1/4 cup heavy cream •1 cup shredded parmesan •15 oz container ricotta cheese •1 cup mozzarella cheese

INSTRUCTIONS To Make Venison Italian sausage Run the venison and fat through a grinder at a coarse grind, such as an 8mm plate.

Make sure fat and venison are thoroughly incorporated then add seasonings.

Sprinkle all the seasonings including salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, allspice, garlic and onion powders, fennel and brown sugar over the top of the meat. Use hands to thoroughly mix spices into meat.

Run the sausage through a second plate grind with a smaller grind, such as a 4.5mm plate.

Homemade Italian Venison Sausage •1 pound ground venison •3 ounces bacon ends •1 teaspoon salt •1 teaspoon black pepper •1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake •2 teaspoons Italian seasoning spice •1/2 teaspoon allspice •1 teaspoon onion powder •1 teaspoon garlic powder •1 teaspoon fennel seed •1/4 teaspoon brown sugar

We’ve Got You Covered Wherever You Go.

Sausage is ready to use, or switch grinding accessories to stuffing equipment and fill pound freezer bags with sausage.

Can be kept frozen for easily up to a year.

To Make Venison Sausage Stuffed Shells with Apple and Butternut Squash Sauce Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice butternut squash in half, place face down on baking sheet. For easier clean up, line baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Roast butternut squash for 45 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

While squash is roasting, prepare venison sausage for shells.

In a large skillet, preheat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook five to seven minutes, until onion is soft and translucent.

Add venison Italian sausage to onions and cook five to seven minutes, until sausage is cooked through.

DOWNTOWN 321 Fuller Avenue

To skillet, add the pecans, fresh minced sage, and fresh minced rosemary. Cook two to three minutes, stir thoroughly, remove from heat and let cool.

NORTH MONTANA 3030 North Montana Avenue

Cook jumbo pasta shells to al dente, according to the box.

Drain and set aside.

H.O.M.E. / REAL ESTATE 3171 North Montana Avenue EAST HELENA 101 South Lane Avenue EASTSIDE 1900 9th Avenue WESTSIDE 306 Euclid Avenue

Inspired by you.

For the apple and butternut squash sauce, remove meat from butternut squash, discarding seeds, and place in a blender.

Add 1/2 cup of stock to the blender and pulse until smooth.

Add pureed squash to the skillet sausage was cooked in.

Turn to medium heat and add the cup of unsweet applesauce.

Stir until smooth.

Add heavy cream and mix until a light orange sauce is formed.

Turn off heat. Add cup of shredded parmesan and stir.

To cooled venison sausage mixture add the container of ricotta cheese and then stuff shells.

Place quarter of apple and butternut squash sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Set stuffed jumbo shells into dish.

Cover the shells with the remaining sauce and top with mozzarella cheese.

valleybankhelena.com

36 | Hunting & Fishing News

Bake dish in preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Cheese should be melted and sauce bubbling.

Finding Time To Hunt Top 10 Reasons To Do A Spring Bear Hunt As A New Parent In Montana (continued from page 19)

(continued from page 26)

8. Prospective trophy scouting Grizzlies may be taken off the endangered species list soon and a season may soon be open. Hunting for black bears now will give you a chance to lock down an outfitter for future grizzly hunts.

9. The thrill of a traditional bear hunt In Montana, it is illegal to bait bears or run them with dogs.

That leaves spot and stalk or calling as the only options for hunting bears. These techniques help sharpen your skills for all other mountain hunting and, in my opinion, are much more rewarding than baiting or running dogs.

10. Sweet keepsakes

Maybe between work and family you can only allot enough time and money for one hunting trip. Well, before that hunting trip, make sure you have everything dialed in that you possibly can. If it’s a new area, spend time on goHUNT Maps scouring the area and utilizing the satellite imagery and 3D features to try and get a feel for the place.

That way, when you show up to your spot, you can hit the ground running. Another idea is to try and get the most bang for your buck by seeing if there are any additional opportunities in that area. I’m trying to do that this year.

When I plan to go for a mule deer hunt, I have a doe tag for that area as well. This will allow me to potentially get significantly more meat in nearly the same amount of time.

4. Be reachable to your family Many of us like to head into the hills in order to become less reachable and take a much needed technology break, but when you have young kids, depending where you’re hunting, it might be a good idea to invest in a satellite communicator. You don’t have to be accessible to everyone, but you’d be wise to be available to your partner if they’re home watching the kids. Not only can they reach you if there is an emergency, but they also can have the peace of mind that you’re safe. I don’t know why it took me so long to buy one. Perhaps I’m cheap and didn’t want to buy the device or the thought of another subscription draining from my bank account monthly bothered me.

Either way, after almost four years of marriage, I purchased a Zoleo that allows me to message my wife from anywhere when I don’t have service. The irony is that being able to touch base with her actually allows me to hunt more.

So, me not buying one for so long was actually just limiting myself from more days hunting. Hopefully, those tips help spur some ideas for how you can still find time to enjoy hunting while in the midst of such a busy season at home.

Nevertheless, the days that you do get to go will be all that much more meaningful because surely you won’t take them for granted.

Large Montana black bear taken with Scapegoat Wilderness Outfitters

Who doesn’t want a nice bear rug? Montana black bears generally have a luxurious coat compared to the black bears found on the eastern side of the U.S. If this list doesn’t convince you to head for the hills, I’m not sure what will. After you book your spring bear hunt, hopefully the phrase, “I see a baaarr!” will leave your lips and bring a smile to your face just like it did to the Williams’ sisters so long ago.

One more parting thought to leave you with from a guy who clearly has spent some time in the mountains,

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.”

I agree with John Muir.

38 | Hunting & Fishing News

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1515 EUCLID AVENUE, HELENA, MT. 59601 Subaru, Crosstrek, Eyesight, SUBARU BOXER, STARLINK and Apple CarPlay are registered trademarks. Android is a trademark of Google, Inc. 1EyeSight is a driver-assist system that may not operate optimally under all driving conditions. The driver is always responsible for safe and attentive driving. System effectiveness depends on many factors, such as vehicle maintenance, weather, and road conditions. See Owner’s Manual for complete details on system operation and limitations. Requires automatic transmission. 2Compatible smartphone and application required. For applications to operate, latest version of each application required. Data provided by smartphone is displayed on head unit screen.

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