Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - October 2010

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS OCTOBER 2010

Fall Hunting Issue

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Montana BIG GAME FORECASTS 10 Ideas For Efficient

ELK HUNTING How Well Do You Know Your WHITETAILS? Outsmarting Montana ROOSTERS

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The Elk Was Too Short

By Dave Price

Missing a 30 yard shot at a big 6x6 can make a grown man cry. Better yet funnel that energy into pre-season practice.

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s I slowly emerged from my pine bough ground blind I felt each ligament in my leg scream with pain. I had hunkered down in a crouched position for over 10 minutes while the bull elk danced and circled around his harem. I had faith in my bow, my arrows and my broad head so I was puzzled about missing an animal the size of a quarter horse at 30 yard as he stood broadside. He gave me the perfect shot while he tried to decide if I was a friend or foe as I sat concealed in my fortress? Was it my positioning, was my range finder reading incorrectly? I know I had the correct pin on his huge chest – at least I think I did.

I felt a cold sweat as the thought hit me - I used the wrong pin. I only had a little time to practice this year. I reasoned that the bow shot perfectly last year so why should I need to practice this year. I didn’t have time anyway. In the afterglow of missing the herd bull I realize that practice isn’t just to shoot arrows.

Its purpose is to rebuild muscle memory and confidence as well as proficiency with your archery equipment as well as what to do after the shot. My unsuccessful elk hunt quickly turned into a “lessons learned” hunt.

Let me add this up. I took two weeks off and concentrated on scouting and locating the herd bull. I patterned the

herd and discovered where they bedded after leaving the lower pasture at first light. I criss-crossed the area until I found the funnel point where the bulk of the herd passed on the south side of a big rock. I repaired and modified an old ground blind that a previous bow hunter used during earlier hunts.

The bull did everything possible to offer me a great shot. He wound up standing broadside at 30 yards after I went to full draw. He didn’t move until my broadhead hit a rock and ricocheted into the brush above him with a loud “twang”.

His lead cow barked out a warning and he followed her while he trailed the rest of his harem. During my post-shot reflection I tried to cheer myself up reasoning that at least I’d made a clean miss. I felt a twinge of embarrassment over selecting my 40 yard pin to shoot a bull standing broadside at 30 yards. I made a critical error at a crucial time during the hunt and felt like a rank amateur.

I walked over and recovered my arrow lying on the ground and saw the shattered broad head. The rock it hit proved much tougher than the bull elk’s shoulder that was my intended target.

I struggled with the question of how to prevent using the wrong pin if I was lucky enough to get another chance at a regal bull elk. (continued on page 10)

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Safely And Effectively Remove Your Elk Ivories COURTESY STUDIO PANDORA

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he safest and best way to remove ivories is to use a small pocketknife. Push the blade between the gum and the ivory and cut the gum deeply all the way around. Slice the gum from the bottom of the tooth down to the jaw line (vertically) in a few places.

similar. Place the 2x2 against the side of the tooth, and hit the opposite side of the 2x2 with a hammer to loosen the tooth from the jaw. (If you are removing the ivories on location, use a thick, short branch, and rock, and complete the same steps.)

away from direct sunlight.

For the best results to keep the natural beauty of the ivory, avoid the following, as it will ruin the ivories and make them unsuitable for jewelry making. *Never spray or soak ivories in chemicals such as bleach, peroxide, etc. to clean. *Never soak the ivories in tobacco or coffee. *Never boil in water.

When the ivory appears to be loose, use your fingertips to hold the ivory firmly from the top, twist and pull out

If you are removing the ivories at home, use a 2x2 or something

Cut or scrape away the large chunks of excess gum but avoid scraping the ivory that is exposed. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be cleaned perfectly.

Avoid putting the ivories in a zip lock or plastic bag, as this will cause the gum on the ivory to rot and create an unpleasant smell.

After returning home, bury the ivories in table salt for a couple of days. This will cure the gum and remove any moisture. Proceed with air-drying in a little dish for a couple more days,

When removing ivories, never use pliers, or any similar tool, as this will put deep scratches and chips on the ivories.

Although the ivories can still be used in jewelry, they will have visible, permanent damage.

After the ivories have dried, avoid storing them in direct sunlight or UV light, as this can fade the coloring.

Following this process will ensure your ivories can be made into a beautiful piece of jewelry for you or your loved one.

For more information on elk ivory removal or elk ivory jewelry options, contact: Studio Pandora Custom Jewelry Design or visit their website at studiopandora.com.

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Elk Hunt Forecast For 2010 Elk and elk hunting opportunities are abundant in much of North America, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering a sneak peek at upcoming seasons in its annual roundup of hunt forecasts for 28 states and provinces, now posted at www.rmef.org.

“Generally speaking, elk populations are in great shape and hunters have much to look forward to across the West, as well as in several Midwestern and Eastern states,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Elk Foundation. “A mild winter, much needed spring and summer moisture and our habitat conservation successes all factor into our optimism for the upcoming hunting season.”

This summer, RMEF passed the 5.8 million acre mark for habitat conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen added, however, that wolves continue to be a growing concern in regions where the predators share habitat with elk and other big game herds. In some areas, elk calf survival rates are now insufficient to sustain herds for the future.

The urgent need to control wolf populations is a localized wildlife management crisis now compounded by a recent court decision to return wolves to full federal protections under the Endangered Species Act. RMEF has asked Congress to intervene and grant management authority to the states.

Here’s a condensed look at elk data from state and provincial wildlife conservation agencies. To see these forecasts in their entirety, with links to respective elk regulations or other Web pages, go to http://www.rmef.org/Hunting/Features/ Articles/2010Forecast.htm.

Arizona · Elk Population: 25,000 · Bull/Cow Ratio: 34/100 · Nonresidents: $121 hunting license (nonrefundable to enter drawing) plus $595 elk permit · Hunter Success: 30 percent Even though the state claims 25,000 elk, its mesas and arroyos could be hiding upwards of 40,000, says Brian Wakeling, Arizona’s game branch chief. They conduct elk counts in August and September, and the thick tree cover makes it tough to get accurate counts with aerial surveys.

Overlooked elk means better odds for hunters. Plus, with abundant moisture this winter and little winterkill, elk herds are flourishing. Last year saw little daylight rut activity with bulls bugling only by moonlight, which held bowhunter success to around 25 percent. Logic says those big bulls that survived merely got bigger for this season. Also note the agency’s goal to get bull/cow ratios down to 25/100 to create more hunter opportunity.

Translation: more bull tags.

OCTOBER 2010

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation British Columbia · Elk Population: 50,000 · Bull/Cow Ratio: 20/100 · Nonresidents: $189 hunting license plus $262.50 for elk permit. Must hire a guide. · Hunter Success: Not available This province boasts a thriving population of Rocky Mountain elk and some of the biggest Roosevelt’s bulls in the world, says Stephen MacIver, wildlife regulations officer. However, a hunter must first hurdle the odds of drawing a limited-entry tag.

The odds are roughly 35:1. However, guides are allotted a percentage of the tags.

Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast in the far west have strong populations of Roosevelt’s. For Rocky Mountain elk, your best bet would be the Kootenay region in the southeast, which boasts the province’s highest success rates. Another good option is the agricultural zones in the Peace River region.

Colorado · Elk Population: 286,000 · Bull/Cow Ratio: 30/100 · Nonresidents: cow $354, any elk $544 · Hunter Success: 23 percent Colorado is the land of plenty for elk and elk hunters but it isn’t currently known for producing behemoth bulls. That could be a different story this hunting season. The past two falls have been cursed with warm weather. In the northwest where many of the bigger bulls roam, elk migration didn’t even begin until after regular rifle seasons were

over. Couple that with abundant spring and summer moisture producing high quality forage and the setup is perfect for more trophy bulls. The state’s more-than 200,000 elk hunters also will find that cow tags have gone up $100, the Division of Wildlife has recommended cutting 1,500 cow/either-sex rifle tags across the state, and over-the-counter archery licenses for units 54, 55 and 551 have been nixed. On the other hand, places where herds remain above objective, such as the Gunnison Basin, will see more rifle tags available.

Idaho · Elk Population: 101,000 · Bull/Cow Ratio: 25/100 · Nonresidents: license $155, tag $417 · Hunter Success: 20 percent Since 2007, Idaho’s elk population has fallen by 24,000. And for the second year in a row, out-of-state tag revenues in the state have mirrored that trend. Hunters list wolves, the economy and nonresident tag prices as factors. This isn’t ideal for state wildlife coffers, but it could be ideal if you’re looking for elk hunting all to yourself. Wolves have hit elk populations hard in the classic elk country of the Lolo, Sawtooth and Selway areas, and the state has capped tags. Bull/cow and cow/calf ratios are in tough shape, and the statewide population could fall below 100,000 for the first time in decades. But the declines are (continued on page 38)

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10 Ideas For Efficient Elk Hunting RMEF If you’re an elk hunter, or would like to be, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering 10 ideas for improving your efficiency this hunting season.

All were condensed from recent and coming features in RMEF’s bi-monthly member magazine, Bugle. A subscription comes with an annual RMEF membership for $35. To join, call 800-CALL ELK or visit www.rmef.org.

1. Scout from Space If you’ve looked into the night sky, you’ve noticed the many satellites now orbiting our planet. They’re great tools for today’s hunter.

Google Earth (earth.google.com) uses satellite images and aerial photography to give birds-eye views of elk country. Locate meadows, burns, roads, water, heavy-timber escape areas and more. You can even find places where the forest canopy thins to suggest hidden grazing spots for elk. Newer GPS units accept uploaded coordinates from Google Earth, allowing you to walk directly to and more efficiently ground-truth potential honeyholes.

2. Count Points Quickly In good habitat, a bull normally has a 5-point rack as a 2-1/2-year-old and a small 6-point rack the following year. Instantly distinguishing five- and six-pointers is not difficult. The fourth point, sometimes called the dagger point, is normally the longest point and most distinctive feature of an elk rack. If the main beam goes straight back from the dagger, you’re almost certainly looking at a five-by-five. If there’s another point rising upward behind the dagger, perhaps forming a horizontal “Y,” then you’re looking at a six-by-six.

3. Practice for Stress Flinging arrows in the backyard is a far cry from placing a perfect shot on a live elk. In addition to changing shot angles and distances, hunters also must cope with distractions and excitement. Hone your focusing skills by practicing out of your comfort zone. Go to a public range, enter a 3D tournament, practice in the rain, shoot with strangers, hunt small game, anything to break normal concentration and practice rhythms. If you’re with buddies, try talking trash: “Hey, watch and learn while I center-punch this target...” Creating pressure and mental stress, expressly for the purpose of ignoring it, can help you overcome bull fever in the field.

4. Get Dropped Off Halfway between a fully guided hunt and a do-it-yourself endeavor, a drop camp is a good option for those who can hunt and cook for themselves, but need help setting up a comfortable camp in the backcountry. Many elk outfitters offer pack-in/pack-out drop camp services.

Drop camps can come complete with wall tents, cots, table, chairs, stove, cut firewood, camp tools and water. Some outfits even provide food and two-way radios. Cost is typically much less than a fully guided elk hunt. Talk to several outfitters about a drop camp and see if it’s right for you. (continued on page 16)

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How Well Do You Know Whitetails?

BY CHUCK ROBBINS

T

here are 38 subspecies of whitetail (Odocoileus virginianus) deer; 16 of which inhabit various regions of the U.S. and Canada .

With exceptions for the tiny Key and the desert dwelling Coues subspecies separating the others is akin to splitting hairs.

Adaptable in the extreme whitetails range from the Northwest Territories to south of the equator in Brazil . North America’s whitetail population is estimated at 25 million animals and growing. More hunters chase whitetails than any other big game animal—in the U.S. about 11 million each fall. If you include the Coues subspecies there are whitetails in every state of the lower 48 and every province of Canada, all of Central America and a good portion of northern South America.

Whitetails thrive where summer temperatures soar to 115 ̊ F. in the shade and annual rainfall totals fewer than 5 inches as well as amid howling blizzards and temperatures often bottom out negative 30 ̊ F. and even lower.

Keys to adaptability are flexible eating habits. Whitetails eat about anything grows. From garden delights, to ornamentals in the backyard, to thorny devil’s club, pungent evergreen boughs, hardwood twigs, to high protein corn, soybean and alfalfa. In other words, far shorter the list of what whitetails do not eat, than do. And the list doesn’t end with plant foods, whitetails have been known to eat meats and fish, such as alewives, suckers, lady bugs and...dare I say it?...once I came upon a road kill dump absolutely trampled with fresh deer tracks. Cannibals? Or munching down on the rivers of maggots swirling about the pit?

One thing sure it weren’t vegetables...

In Montana the resident subspecies is dacotensis (Dakota). These whitetails inhabit farmland, semi-arid sagebrush, grasslands, river bottoms and timbered foothills as well as some of the higher mountain ranges. In other words whitetails are just about everywhere.

In general, whitetails prefer diverse habitat—farm fields/woodlots, brush/trees interspersed with openings, cottonwood lined river bottoms bordering extensive agricultural lands and such.

According to Bergmann’s Rule animals tend to be larger as you travel further away from the equator. As the animal becomes larger or when body mass increases, proportionally the surface area of the animal decreases

which results in less loss of body heat.

Montana is well known for producing hefty bucks. For example, the flintlock buck (Beaverhead County ) pictured produced over 100 pounds of boned out meat.

The secret to growing big bucks—big racks, big bodies—is the combination age and good nutrition; genetics does play a role but not to the extent many believe.

Researchers have pretty much disproved the old adage “once a spike always a spike.” Given age and good nutrition many a yearling spike has gone on to grow the sort antlers most of us drool.

Antlers are true bone, actually an extension of the buck’s skeleton—nothing like “horn” as many of us label them. Among nature’s most imponderable secrets are how a growing antler stops and, in most cases, year after year individuals sport similar antler configurations?

Did you know that before a buck is able to grow antlers of any size, skeletal growth needs must be fulfilled? Since bucks continues to add bone to the skeleton for 3 years, no way can a buck reach potential antler-wise before— no matter what the gene pool, or what and how much he eats. The biggest bucks will be the prime 4-7 year olds lucky enough, or pampered enough, to have never been stressed nutritionally—at any season, even dead of winter. Injuries such as to a left leg can degrade the right antler and vice versa; injuries can also affect overall antler development.

Early born buck fawns many times sport multi-pointed racks at age 1 1⁄2.

Barring living in a hunting vacuum or under protective restrictions—where bucks are often placed off limits until prime—any buck reaches 3 1⁄2 years is going to be a cute customer.

Bucks having survived three or more hunting seasons possess fine tuned survival instincts beyond mind-boggling. Using Montana again as an example, many bucks live out their lives here in places where deer far outnumber people. Yet there are bucks out here you seldom see except during the rut. Tales abound of such ghost bucks and to kill one usually requires dedication bordering on obsession as well as out of the box thinking and tactics. Barring exceptional luck about the only way to put him on your den wall is hard work, planning and diligence.

Whitetail bucks are homebodies; often living out “most” of their lives on a section or less but...Come the rut all that is out the window. Bucks “will” travel long distances and in broad daylight in their quests to find receptive does. As the rut peaks in late November rut even the biggest, wariest bucks’ prowl the wide-open landscape at all hours.

Where the competition is fiercest, in areas of high buck to doe ratios, bucks often drive does out of the dense brush along the waterways to the semi-arid sage and grass foothills and coulees beyond.

One of the best bucks I have ever hunted bedded with his does each morning on a high grass and rock covered knob. Seeing him was easy, getting anywhere near flintlock range? Alas, I never did get it done. So far as I know except for the rut the bruiser buck was never again seen on the ranch.

Mature bucks routinely live very different lives than the rest of local herd. Often operating on different time schedule—move to food later, return to bed earlier often under cover of darkness—avoid deer highways, bed deeper, higher and so forth. Bachelor groups of mature bucks are common early on. As the rut nears the split is often violent but always unconditional.

Bottom line: Forget luck, rather rely on knowledge, skill and dedication. Strive to become a good woodsman and a crack shot. Study and learn all you can about whitetail behavior. Scout year around. Learn to recognize what constitutes great big buck habitat. Hunt all day, dawn to dusk, in every sort of weather. Above all don’t give up.

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The Elk Was Too Short (continued from page 4) I went into Yellowstone Gate Way Sports in Bozeman, Montana to lick my wounds and tell them what happened while looking for a solution to the problem.

Ted Kraus, the store owner, said, “Most people don’t do anything to fix that kind of problem until the day before next year’s opening day.” I replied, “That’s what I’ll probably do! I don’t know what else to do, and I’m so mad that I don’t even want to address the issue.”

Kraus replied, “The best way is to pick up your bow and join a league where you can shoot on a regular basis, then you have all of the muscle memory naturally ingrained in the draw and release skill. I asked, “Just come in to the range and shoot arrows?” Kraus leaned over on the counter and said, “No, you don’t just shoot arrows.

You need to push yourself to improve your shooting skills, and the only way to do that is when you are competing against other archers!”

He continued, “You were under stress and your memory let you down when you shot at that bull. You need to build that same level of tension if you want to improve your release and completely coordinate your shooting mechanics.”

Jimmy Smith, the head of Kraus’s archery pro shop, said, “Our winter 3D leagues are the way to go. We never have anyone who doesn’t emerge as a better shooter after shooting during one or two of

the six week leagues. Besides, as the weather gets colder the huge indoor range gets even warmer and more inviting because it’s heated.”

Kraus said, “When you’ve finished shooting in one of our six week leagues then a 45 yard shot at a target will be a piece of cake! We have different groups - the Cubs are 12 years of age and under, the youth shooters are 12-16 and the men’s and women’s leagues. We offer traditional shooting without sights.

Where you want to shoot is in the hunter class with sights. It’s just like elk hunting except you don’t have to get up and climb a steep mountain at 4:00 AM to get the shot.

We also have an archery safety class for archers who haven’t had the class so they can shoot when the hunting season comes around next year.”

Kraus went on, “Probably the most enjoyable part is that you can shoot with other Montana hunters and talk with them, trade hunting stories about the bull that got away, the one that busted you or in your case you can tell about using the wrong pin and shooting over a small bull.

If it had been a regular size elk the arrow would have been in his bread basket.”

I said, “Sign me up if you have big and little elk targets to use during practice. I want to be ready by next fall for any size of elk that I can find on the mountain!”

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Preserving Your Memories On Video By Michelle Holden A

s children, our parents instilled in us the importance of preserving family memories. As a result we store book upon book of photos organized chronologically and journal upon journal documenting details of our hunting and fishing excursions. Why do we devote so much time keeping these volumes as our memoirs? We are family and this is what bonds us together over the generations.

Today, there are many new technologies available to preserve our memories in a very vivid manner! The details that would have been forgotten, the dates that blurred over time, and even entire events are now easily preserved forever.

We can now spend time videotaping rather than taking still photos.

The new video equipment is easy to operate and the recordings are of such good quality that we make it a serious part of our memory preservation.

Where should you focus your effort as you begin to make video records of your family history? Start with the equipment.

There is no longer a need to take out a second mortgage to get started. The cameras available today are incredibly inexpensive considering the quality. I would suggest the Sanyo Xacti, VPC-FH1A, as an entry-level camera. Another good choice is the Canon Vixia, HF S100. The reasonably priced, compact cameras are easy to operate and provide simple retrieval for editing. Because these cameras are small, another crucial piece of equipment is a monopod, small flexible tripod, or shoulder stock to hold them steady when used in the field. A full size tripod is handy when the camera will be used in a stationary position for an extended period.

Before you begin filming, spend time watching videos similar to what you would like to capture by searching You Tube or other viewing sites. Take note of what you like about the films as well as what doesn’t look good or is hard to decipher. This will give you a good idea of where to stand as the videographer, when to zoom in and when to pan.

Here are some simple tips: When you are the cameraman, always keep the sun at your back or side. This takes forethought so think about where the subject will be before you set up. Stay back away from the subject and the scene so you can pan and zoom the area without moving. This is especially important while hunting when all participants must stay out of sight and remain quiet. Take a LOT of video. Buy more than one memory card and carry extra batteries.

Film scenic views, close ups of objects, and cover every part of the trip starting with packing and leaving the house. You won’t use all of the video, but it is better to have too much than too little when editing. Keep the camera as steady as possible by using trees, rocks, monopods and tripods or your body to brace the camera during filming.

Editing process is where you will spend much of your time developing a movie.

When all the information has been uploaded to your computer you sequence each scene to start the process of piecing together the story you wish to tell. Editing software such as iMovie (Mac) or Adobe Premier (PC) are entry-level programs that offer basic functions and an online option. You Tube Remixer is a web based video editor, meaning you do not need to own editing software. By taking time to look at editing information posted online you can learn the tricks and the shortcuts of good editing.

The Internet is your best free resource for learning about equipment, shooting styles and editing as well as publicizing your work if that is the direction you eventually wish to take.

As a videographer you are trying to capture the area, the animal and the shot, the water, the hook set and the fight. Doing this well is every bit as challenging and rewarding as being the person holding the rod or the rifle!

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Do-it-Yourself Hunting...With a Little Help

Montana’s

Hunting Headquar eadquarters ters

S.L. Merriam

When a Montana hunter and his son want to hunt mule deer they decide on a “do-it-yourself” hunt.

They reasoned that if they could gain access to good hunting ground they could do the rest themselves.

Prior to the hunt they located a rancher who would provide them with access to good hunting land. They took a guided tour of ranch and got a little advice from the ranch owner about how to conduct the hunt and both men achieved their goals during the hunt.

B

ob Johnson, from Bozeman, MT, wanted to take his son Jeremy to eastern Montana to hunt white tail deer along the Missouri River breaks, but he didn’t want to pay a guide. He thought that if he could secure access to hunt on good private hunting ground then his experience in the field could make it work from there.

Both men had hunted deer for many years throughout the United States including western Montana, but they had never hunted the eastern plains. Bob’s ultimate dream was to hunt for big whitetail deer in Montana - Jeremy just wanted to shoot a deer.

After some research they found plenty of public land and public access, but they also knew from past experience that public land can be crowded with hunters. This time they decided to spend more time locating where they wanted to hunt and hopefully they would find some private land with access to good deer. They decided to stay in a motel and take their meals at restaurants in town to keep expenses down. This would cost less than hiring a guide or outfitter to hunt whitetail.

There are a number of outfitters that will provide hunting access to private ranches.

The areas are good, but they can get even better when heavy hunting pressure on public lands pushes deer onto limited access private land.

Private ranches offer deer security cover, water and a good supply of alfalfa, corn and hay.

Many times outfitters have access to more land than they have clients to hunt so they allow do-it-yourself hunters to pay a trespass fee to access the land without offering lodging or meals during their hunt. Additionally, some ranchers don’t allow outfitters to have access to their ranches, but they will allow individual hunters access to their land to hunt after charging them a trespass fee. Most of the do-ityourself hunters enjoy a high success rate while hunting deer under this arrangement.

After watching news paper ads and the checking the internet for leads they found opportunities, but none offered private land whitetail hunting. One Saturday morning they drove from Bozeman to eastern Montana where most of the land was made up of private ranches with little or no National Forest land. It was time to knock on doors to make connections in the area where they wanted to hunt. Bob was convinced that this was the way to go. They visited a few ranch houses before they got the hang of it, but most of the people were friendly and offered suggestion even if they couldn’t allow them to hunt for various reasons.

Right before lunch they drove up to a ranch house which had farming equipment and cattle corrals that suggested that this was a big ranch. The main house backed up to a river bottom - things looked good.

They were greeted with a smile and explained what they were looking for. The rancher looked at them then said,” You’re from Bozeman you say. I have a sister who lives in

Bozeman - big town. That’s why I like it out here. I don’t hunt and my wife likes seeing the deer come up in the back yard in the winter, but I have 12,000 acres and there’s a lot more river bottom than that behind my house. How about I charge you a trespass fee of $300 each and I’ll take you for a ride and show you the fences.

There are some pockets in the bottoms where the whitetails stay all the time. No one ever goes back there so they have no reason to leave. I guided on my land for years then I got older. I don’t enjoy the early morning cold and the work involved. Guiding was the only job I ever just quit.”

For the next two hours the rancher drove them around looking for the best places to hunt whitetail deer while they glassed the draws and river bottoms. They were amazed at the number of big mule deer that popped up as they traveled. The whitetails were in the river bottoms and it took cross-pasture travel to get to them so they certainly wouldn’t spook out before the opening day of the season.

The rancher recommended a place for them to hunt on opening morning - it was a deep river bottom that was thick with tangled trees.

It appeared to be an oasis in the dry land with a spring in the bottom that fed through the pasture and into the river.

He said, “All of the animals in the area visit this spring either during the day or after dark. It’s the only water available for miles around other than my stock tanks. If the two of you would sit at each end of this bottom you’ll see most of the deer in the area.”

On opening morning Bob shot a nice whitetail buck, and Jeremy shot the first deer he saw which was a nice mule deer. The two hunters regretted not waiting to see more of the deer that were in the area.

Jeremy said to his Dad, “That was money well spent and that rancher is great but there is one thing I would like to do next year.

Next year you hold my bullet and I’ll hold yours until noon on the first day. There were some big bucks in here and that will keep me from shooting too soon.”

Tips: land access is available, but you have to search for it. Check the classified ads in newspapers, web sites and other media to find these opportunities. You may even knock on a ranch door to see if the owner will allow you to hunt after paying a trespass fee. Ask the ranchers you contact if they know of any neighbors who allow hunting on their ranches.

It’s much easier for a Montana hunter to get permission to hunt from a Montana rancher than it is for a non-resident to get permission.

Asking permission to hunt is one thing and being willing to pay a trespass fee to get onto premium land is much easier. In our “down” economy money talks so you’ll probably get the ranchers attention when you offer to pay a trespass fee. Putting a few hundred dollars in his pocket will could open the door to getting the “royal” treatment.

• 11

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OCTOBER 2010

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Tips For Hunters Special Youth Hunting Using OHV’s In Opportunity In Montana MFWP The Hunt MFWP Youth Deer Hunt at Fall Break — A youth hunt for deer limited to youngsters H ere are some tips for hunters between the ages of 12-15 was approved to help reduce the impact of OHVs during hunting season.

-Know the vehicle use regulations for the area you are in.

-Stay on designated public roads or trails.

-Access your hunting area using only designated routes before shooting hours and then hunt on foot.

-Retrieve harvested big game from the nearest designated road or trail.

-Avoid wet areas.

-Pass in a safe and courteous manner when overtaking others.

-Limit OHV use in and near campgrounds.

-Report violations to TIP-MONT at 1-800-847-6668.

for Oct. 21-22, the Thursday and Friday preceding the Saturday opener. These dates coincide with Montana’s annual two-day teachers’ convention, which are no-school days for most public school students. Also, under a new regulation, properly licensed youngsters who will reach 12 years of age by Jan. 16, 2011 and have successfully passed hunter education may participate in this hunt. A non-hunting adult at least 18 years of age must accompany the young hunters in the field. This hunt is for deer only. All regulations apply. Elk hunting is prohibited.

Migratory Bird Hunters Get HIP Again This Season MFWP

E

veryone who hunts doves, ducks, geese, sandhill cranes, snipe, or coots in Montana must be “HIP” certified for the upcoming hunting seasons. HIP stands for Harvest Information Program.

To get HIP certified, Montana migratory bird hunters are asked to

estimate the number of ducks, geese, cranes, doves and coots or snipe they bagged last season. Their answers are entered into Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Automated Licensing System to assist with migratory bird management.

Best Early Season Waterfowl Hunting In Montana - By Neal M. Cote’ As we approach the last few closed to hunting. The adjoining weeks before that first sunrise of the 2010 State-owned lands are managed by the waterfowl season, I ask you this….do you have a good spot yet?

If your answer is like most of us, it will probably be either a firm “yes” or a definite “NO!” If your answer is no, then here are some ideas to get you on a great first day of waterfowling!

Western Montana Being sandwiched between two major flyways, Western Montana is kind of off the beaten path when you mention waterfowl. It has several major river systems that are better know for trout than Mallards. But there is some excellent shooting to be had if you know where to look.

Clark Fork, Flathead, and Bitterroot rivers are all good bets and hold a good number of birds for the first few days of the season. Most local birds wise up pretty quick and find the places where they are safe. There are lots of locations where you can gain access to any one of these rivers and get set up. But there are a few that have a lot of pressure so pick wisely. A boat can get you away from the accesses and get you into a out of the way location so you will not have to race to your chosen spot. All are first come first served and don’t do things that block or mess up other hunters! You know what I am talking about! If there is someone in your spot, you should have a plan B and even a plan C. Ninpipe, and Pablo Reservoirs: Ninepipe is located in the lower Flathead Valley about one mile East of Charlo.

In Lake County about 20 miles south of Polson and 50 miles north of Missoula.

The area is FWP owned and lies within the exterior boundaries of the Flathead Indian Reservation. The area lies on both sides of Highways 93 and 212. Both refuges are

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks for wildlife cover, food production, and public hunting. These lands are open to hunting on a first-come-first-served basis for waterfowl hunting. The closure of Ninepipe and Pablo themselves enhances the quality of hunting in the Flathead Valley. Providing a sanctuary keeps more birds in the area for a longer period of time.

“The closure of Ninepipe and Pablo themselves enhances the quality of hunting in the Flathead Valley. Providing a sanctuary keeps more birds in the area for a longer period of time.”

In addition, the Fish and Wildlife Service administers a number of Waterfowl Production Areas nearby which are open to public hunting. These areas provide excellent waterfowl hunting. A joint state/ tribal license and a Flathead Reservation bird stamp are required of all hunters who are not members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. A federal migratory waterfowl stamp is required to hunt waterfowl. You will need to call to find out when these drawings will be done.

Central Montana Starting just over the Continental Divide, your choices for great shoots increase ten fold. There are numerous places both on rivers and reservoirs. Look for WMA areas near you as well, they can be crowded on the opener, but with a little planning, can be good.

Canyon Ferry- has some great places that you can access both by boat and shore. But there are some area specific regulations. From U. S. Highway 287 on the west and Highway 284 on the east, Canyon Ferry WMA can be reached by several gravel roads. (continued on page 27)

OCTOBER 2010

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Fly Of The Month: March Brown Soft Hackle

Bob Bates, fedflyfishers.org

I

t is almost November, and at this time of the year fingers are getting cold, hatches getting sparse and insects are getting smaller. So right now I am thinking about next spring when there are nice hatches.

One nice spring hatch at least for the Western U.S. and Canadian anglers is the March Brown. Depending on location, hatches start from late February (coastal Oregon) to mid-May (Alberta, Canada). These mayflies are large enough, sizes 12-14, to attract hungry trout. For some species the nymphs thrive in fast turbulent streams, and other species prefer slower waters even placid meandering mountain streams. So be sure to talk to friends in your fly club or other local anglers.

Jeff Childress of Idaho Falls, ID tied this version of a soft hackle pattern for us at the 2008 NW Fly Tyers Expo in Albany, Oregon.

“Wonderful fly,” he said. Jeff fishes it on the South Fork of the Snake River.

He uses a floating line and a leader that is the same length as the rod. He casts one quarter upstream and mends the line so it does not get ahead of the fly.

MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT: Hook: Mustad3906B, size 12 but sometimes down to 18 Thread: Orange 8/0 Rib: Gold Mylar tinsel Body: Hares ear dubbing, dark Hackle: Brown partridge STEP 1: Put thread on hook starting behind the eye and wind backward to a position on the shank over the point.

STEP 2: Tie on the Mylar ribbing.

STEP 3: Dub hares ear, trying to taper the body larger forward. One of the biggest dubbing problems for new tiers is using too much at one time. Keep it sparse, and always spin it in the same direction between the thumb and first finger. Putting pressure on dubbing while twisting helps control it. When all else fails put a little dubbing wax on the thread.

STEP 4: Counter wind rib. For the new tiers that means winding the rib in the opposite direction from how the thread is wound. If there are some scraggly hairs just trim them off.

STEP 5: Strip fuzzy fibers off a brown speckled partridge feather. Tie it in by the tip with the dull side facing the hook.

STEP 6: Trim excess feather tip.

STEP 7: Then wrap partridge no more than twice around the hook. Secure and trim excess partridge feather. Finish the fly with a small neat head and a whip finish. If you want, put a little head cement on the head.

Closing Comments: This is a great pattern that is fairly easy to tie, and it catches fish. What more could you ask for? Tie a few and try them before the March Browns start coming off. It also looks like a pattern that would work when chironomids are getting ready to hatch.

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 13

14 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Montana Fishing Report

OCTOBER 2010

Sponsored By Boston Beer Co. And Summit Beverage

CHRIS MADSEN

Western Montana Fishing Report

RYAN ONGLEY

Southwest Montana Fishing Report

Brought To You By Missoula

Brought To You By Bozeman

BY CHRIS MADSEN, (406) 523-9000 e-mail: fishing-115@live.com

BY RYAN ONGLEY (406) 586-0100

The air is crisp in the morning, the leaves are falling and every time some weather moves in there is a chance for snow in the mountains. I think fall has finally arrived in western Montana. This is always the time of year it gets harder to keep the truck headed to work and not headed to the river. I suppose if I can manage to stay employed until November I’ll consider it a victory.

FLATHEAD LAKE: October is the month that lake trout will start to move into shallower water looking to spawn, and they can be readily caught on Country Miles, Krocodiles or other heavy spoons from shore or boat, or vertical jig fishing with Bucktail jigs, Lead-a-gators or Crippled Herring. By the end of the month, Lake Whitefish should start to gather in Polson Bay, where they can be taken jigging Rattle D’Zastors, Buckshot Spoons, Kastmasters and Ready-to-Go whitefish rigs.

BLACKFOOT RIVER: The Blackfoot comes into its own in the fall. The autumn scenery is unmatched and the bugling of elk in the valley almost makes you wish you had a bow in your hand. When the days shorten and the weather cools it’s big streamer time on the Blackfoot.

As spawning time nears the rivers population of browns get territorial and aggressive, making them susceptible to the nastiest flies your mind can come up with at the vise. Along with browns, the chances of catching a trophy rainbow, cutthroat or bull trout are high also.

Remember that the bull trout is a protected species so if you are lucky enough to hook into one of these monsters play them quickly and let them go immediately. Top water fishing on the Blackfoot shouldn’t be over looked either.

The mid-day dry fly fishing can be good with BWO’s, Mahoganies and October Caddis.

BITTERROOT RIVER: The ‘Root is a great choice for Missoula area anglers in October. In addition to good dependable hatches of BWO’s,

Baetis and Buggers!!!!!!!

I

Mahogany Duns and Hecubas, the streamer fishing can be dynamite on overcast, nasty days. Strip cone head buggers, zonkers and double bunnies back in the logjams or tight against the bank and hang on tight. If you aren’t above putting a strike indicator and a split shot on your leader this is a good month to start nymphing with glow bugs. These colorful balls of yarn can produce trout through out the winter and into spring.

ROCK CREEK: Not to be over looked Rock Creek offers up some excellent fall fishing and is a good place for a day trip cast and blast. October Caddis, Blue Winged Olives and Mahoganies are present and can offer some excellent dry fly fishing. The river also gets a run of spawning browns from the Clark Fork. Nymphing or fishing streamers are both effective tactics for catching these migrating fish. A San Juan worm and an egg pattern is a good combination under your strike indicator in the fall and browns, yellows and gingers are good colors for streamers.

BEAVERHEAD: If you’re into large quantities big fish, a weekend in the Dillon area is a trip worth taking. Clark Canyon Reservoir has had three good water years in a row and the Beaverheads trout populations have benefitted from it. More consistent flows of cool water from the dam have improved the bug population in the river making for some fat fish. The Beaverhead will see excellent BWO hatches all month and the nymphing with scuds, flashback Pheasant Tails, lightning bugs, San Juan Worms etc. will provide plenty of opportunity

to get into fish. This river is also known for its population of big brown trout, and in October big brown trout and big yellow streamers are synonymous. While you’re in the area take a side trip to the Big Hole. It also has good fall hatches and feisty resident browns that love to chow on streamers. Both rivers are in low flow and will wade fish very well this time of year.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK: If you love to fly fish, October is the month to be in the park. I say “love” because the weather in Yellowstone during the fall is usually enough to keep those who only “like” to fly fish sitting at home or fishing rivers closer to home where they can call it a day if the weather gets bad.

Cold toes, iced guides and frozen reels are all part of the package when you fish here in October. The reward for all this suffering are browns you can measure by the pound instead of the inch and hot rainbows that peel line from your reel and leave your knuckles sore. By October, the Madison will have fish all the way to the junction pool, and they are commonly taken either swinging soft hackles or streamers, or nymphing with bead headed nymphs and egg patterns. Don’t overlook the upper Firehole either, where resident trout sip BWO duns predictably every afternoon. The fishing is often challenging, and most of the good water is crowded by other anglers making the pilgrimage, but fishing in Yellowstone can’t be judged by numbers or size of the fish caught, but by the whole of the experience. By these standards, every trip is a great one.

s it really October? I don’t remember a summer ever going by as fast as this years. Luckily it’s Big Brown time on our area rivers. Fall flyfishing tactics in Southwestern Montana requires us all to be prepared for just about anything.

We can expect anything from mild sunny warm days to full on blizzards. But no matter what it’s always some of the most exciting fishing of the year. And if you don’t mind a short walk, you’ll usually be fishing in complete solitude with only the sounds of the river and bugling bull elk. The tiny fall baetis mayflies along with aggressive fish chasing streamers will be the flies of choice most days.

Due be prepared for midge activity as well though. Keep in mind the worse the weather the better for good dry fly fishing during Baetis times which will usually be from noon to around 5 or 6 pm on our area rivers. Let’s take a look at some hotspots.

UPPER MADISON RIVER: Reynold’s Pass downstream to below $3 Bridge is prime water for some of the best Baetis activity you’ll find anywhere. The pocket water and slow seams were taylor made for this hatch. On the right lightly rainy or snowy day you can find yourself casting to huge pods of rising trout. The Upper River has a really strong population this year so it could be very good. Streamer

OCTOBER 2010

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fishing is always great in this area as well.

And the float section from Ruby Creek down always offers up some really big Browns each fall .

BIG HOLE RIVER: The Big Hole should be primed for an excellent fall season. Flows have been good and stable most of the year. And if there is ever a river designed to throw big Streamers this is it. And I do mean big. Buggers and traditional patterns are fine. But if you can manage, tie on a large articulated pattern and hold on. You’ll have a ton of fun and a busy day. Baetis activity should also be outstanding over here this fall as well. So you can throw streamers early and late and fish risers through the afternoon.

YELLOWSTONE RIVER: This river is right up there with the Big Hole when it comes to a top notch streamer destination.

The entire length from the Park boundary to Big Timber is all excellent. Below Livingston is a favorite streamer zone due

JESSE FLYNN

North Central Montana Fishing Report Brought To You By Helena

BY JESSE FLYNN (406) 457-7200 e-mail: fishing167helena@yahoo.com

CANYON FERRY: Trolling deep diving cranks such as the Deep Tail Dancers by Rapala will prove to be affective in October. Try dead drifting a worm attached to Mustad’s Slow Death Hooks. This rig requires a swivel and leader because of the intense helicopter motion the hook creates. Trout and walleye love this rig. A drift sock is a very handy tool that everyone should have in their boat. A drift sock simply creates drag slowing boat speed down while drifting. Jigs with grub bodies are also just as affective in bays and drop-offs.

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 15

to the large fish that dwell the deep pools and undercuts. The slow pools are also just what Baetis look for to emerge in.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK: The Madison, Lower Firehole, and Lower Gibbon Rivers in YNP all offer up fine streamer activity throughout October.

Large lake run Browns and Rainbows are already in the stream at the time of this writing. And by mid to late October the river should really be packed with the great water conditions we’ve enjoyed this year.

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Keep a large selection of streamers in dark to bright patterns available. Even Steelhead patterns can fish well. Small to large soft hackles are a must. As well as Baetis duns, emergers, nymphs, and cripples in sizes #20-24. And don’t forget some San Juans, Egg patterns, and Red Copper Johns. With these in your arsenal a good fall season should be within reach.

PORTABILITY

HAUSER LAKE: Try drop-shotting minnow imitations along weed lines to pull fish from their cover. A crawdad look alike is another little secret that will improve limits this time of year.

Trolling crank baits has had some success but I think jigs are the way to go this year... yet it is all in what you like to do. Another thing I have noticed is that many fisherman fish way too fast at times. This month try slowing the presentation down to almost a standstill and see what comes of it. And tip everything with a crawler, trust me it helps.

VERSATILITY

HOLTER LAKE: Rainbow fishing should continue to be good while trolling cowbells tipped with a crawler around Split Rock and just above the dam. Rainbow fishing will more than likely be best early mornings in and around 25 to 30 feet of water.

Though I did get a pig in 15 feet of water on a jig…so do I really know?

Yes and no! You walleye fisherman should concentrate your efforts around Cottonwood Creek, Split Rock and shallow bays. The best bet is using chartreuse jigs or bottom bouncers in 15 feet of water in the late evenings or at night. Once again this is the time of year to be drop-shotting and or fishing with minnow patterns. Another tip: if you are not catching fish within the first fifteen to twenty minutes, move.

REGULATING RESERVOIR: Open to snagging Kokanee until October 31. Vertical jigging a spoon has been pretty handy as of late. Of course if you are snagging you don’t need my advice. But if not and you need a rest from trolling dive into some of your ice fishing lures and try those… just might produce.

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Region 4 Deer, Elk, Antelope Hunting Forecast MFWP B

ig game hunters in north central Montana should expect widely varying conditions depending on the species they seek, say state wildlife biologists.

There are lots of elk and plenty of white-tailed deer, but in some spots average to below average mule deer and antelope numbers.

North of Great Falls, for example, the numbers look pretty good, reports Gary Olson, Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologist in Conrad.

“People can expect some strong numbers for the big game season, even for mule deer,” Olson says. His area runs from the Teton River north to Canada and from the Rocky Mountain Front east to the Marias River and Hill County line.

However, in the Little Belt Mountains south of Great Falls, and the Lewistown area, mule deer and antelope numbers are not as good.

“Mule deer numbers are still down,” says Adam Grove, FWP wildlife biologist in White Sulphur Springs. “There will be antlered buck hunting only in the entire Little Belts.”

And a drop in antelope numbers near Lewistown prompted the FWP Commission to reduce the number of doe/fawn tags offered.

North of Great Falls, Olson says antelope hunters should not have trouble finding animals.

“I’m getting reports that archery hunters are seeing lots of bucks,” he says.

And mule deer numbers should be good this fall, too.

“Mule deer are going to be above average,” Olson says, “but in some areas they will be below last year’s totals; that’s because we had a hard winter and lots of anterless tags last year. I’m not hearing many complaints from landowners about deer damage.”

South of the Teton River, wildlife biologist Brent Lonner sees some of the same conditions.

“Mule deer this year should be pretty good,” Lonner says, “I counted 31 fawns per 100 adult deer this spring. That’s not too bad after the winter we had.”

Those numbers were counted along the foothills of the Rocky Mountain Front from Haystack Butte to Ear Mountain.

Lonner adds a note of caution, however: “The mule deer numbers are not as good as the 1970’s and 1980’s but pretty decent compared to the last 10 years.”

Around Great Falls, wildlife biologist Cory Loecker is cautiously optimistic.

“Mule deer numbers are okay, especially after the tough winter we had,” Loecker says. In hunting districts 413, 447 and 405, Loecker counted about 30 fawns per 100 adults this spring.

And those deer that made it to this summer, when everything was lush and green, should be healthy going into the upcoming winter, Loecker says.

The Little Belts and hunting districts east of Great Falls are not as rosy, says Grove.

Early May surveys in hunting districts 418, 420, 448 and 432 showed overall mule deer numbers at about 75 percent of the long-term average, Grove says. And fawn recruitment in one area near the Judith River Wildlife Management Area, came in at 15 fawns per 100 adults. The long term average is 32 per 100 adults.

“Weather has been the biggest factor,” Grove says. “We had drought 10 years ago, then the last few years we’ve had late winter snowstorms from April into June.

There has also been some localized predation, but overall it’s the weather.”

All north central Montana FWP wildlife biologists agree that hunters should see plenty of elk and white-tailed deer.

“Whitetails are like elk, there are lots of them” says Lonner from his office in Fairfield. “Every year I’m seeing a gradual increase in whitetails so that this spring they are about double what they were 15 years ago.”

And while elk are plentiful – too high in some hunting districts – the biggest challenge facing hunters will be getting to the animals.

“Elk numbers continue to be up,” says Grove, referring to the Little Belts.

“Winters have not been hard enough to affect the elk population. The problem is lack of access.”

Loecker agrees. “From the Highwood Mountains to hunting district 445 near the town of Cascade we have lots of elk everywhere.”

10 Ideas For Efficient Elk Hunting (continued from page 7) 5. Try a Treestand Bowhunting elk the whitetail way can be super effective if you’ve scouted well enough to detect patterns in elk movements. Hang or set your stand near a waterhole, wallow, food source or travel corridor. A hot waterhole will be marked with fresh droppings, tracks and rubs--lots of rubs. Prime forage areas include parks, meadows and hayfields. Travel corridors can be trickier to find. As you search for well-used game trails, also look for terrain features such as cliffs or saddles that will funnel elk into your ambush zone.

6. Claw for Ivories Some hunters have found that a normal claw hammer works well for removing ivories from elk. Easier than pulling a nail, they say. Open the mouth, position the claw around the base of an ivory and angle the tool so that you’re prying squarely against the roof of the mouth. Gently lift the ivory out of its socket. Repeat on the other side.

The prized jewelry-teeth should pop out much easier (and safer) than by the normal method of cutting and working them out with a knife.

7. Figure a Tip Everyone knows the appropriate tip for a waiter or waitress is 15-20 percent, but there is no standard for a hunting guide.

Most elk outfitters step lightly around this topic because suggesting specific amounts can seem presumptuous. But many veteran

hunters agree on a few points. If your guide has met realistic expectations, worked hard, kept promises--someone who’s been a fine hunting partner, made your trip enjoyable and did everything possible to put you in a position to fill your tag--a good tip begins at 5-10 percent of the cost of the hunt. For camp cooks and other hands, a good tip begins at $10 to $15 per day. If you happen to kill an elk, consider the guide’s added chores of retrieving, cleaning, hauling, caping, etc., and tip more if you’re comfortable doing so.

8. Save the Hide A hide is far down the list of elk-kill souvenirs to take home, falling somewhere behind meat, antlers, ivories and even bones for the dog. Yet with proper care, a hide can be turned into a functional memento of a successful hunt. Companies today can turn elk hide into gun cases, vests, jackets, gloves--just about anything made of leather. In the field, treat hide with the same urgency as meat, to prevent spoilage. Don’t worry about scraping away all the fat and flesh, but do worry about cutting too many holes. Freeze or salt the hide until you can get it to a taxidermist, tannery or leather specialist.

9. Know Your Range Most elk hunters practice with their rifle at a 100-yard range, which is fine for the close-in shots you may encounter in the field. (continued on page 18)

OCTOBER 2010

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

OCTOBER 2010

10 Ideas For Efficient Elk Hunting (continued from page 16)

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

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The cart easily allowed me to transport three 150 pound plus elk halves on three 2-mile round trips in one day by myself. The cart when loaded is a breeze to balance and walks right over downed trees and rocks with minimal effort. On eastern Montana hunts for deer and antelope, the sealant-filled tire tubes performed in cactus and thorn country without any flats. Big game animals can be hauled cross-country faster with ..Neet Kart.’ than with a horse. I wish I had the cart 30 years ago. Doug Bolender. Kalispell. MT NEET KART - The unique 2-wheel in-line concept, a “people-powered ATV!” THE ADVANTAGES: -Save your back -Carry no weight -Affordably priced THE VERSATILITY: -Compact storage -Carry out your trophy -Haul Camp Gear -Emergency uses -Farm & ranch jobs -Environmentally friendly A PERFECT COMPANION TO ATV.

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In a recent survey, about 40 percent of hunters reported the furthest elk they’d ever shot at was within 200 yards, an easy stretch for flat-shooting modern rifles. But more hunters, about 60 percent, reported taking shots at elk that were 200 to 400-plus yards away. Shooting exponentially farther than you’ve practiced can be risky. Distance magnifies mistakes and miscalculations.

If you can’t practice at 200-400 yards, invest in a rangefinder, bipod, ballistics charts and top quality ammo. Know your effective limits and don’t shoot beyond them.

10. Use Dry Rub Marinades are commonly used in preparing elk meat but more and more professional chefs, like Bugle magazine’s chef-columnist John McGannon, prefer dry rubs. He says flavored liquids dilute natural flavors while dry rubs caramelize the protein and maximize the culinary potential of wild game, especially if you’re planning to grill, sauté, roast, broil or braise. Apply dry rub 30-60 minutes before cooking. Here’s Chef McGannon’s recommended dry rub recipe for elk meat:

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About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.8 million acres--a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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VOLUME 7 Issue 7

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2010 Antelope Season Outlook MFWP A

ntelope hunting prospects in Montana will be generally good in the western and some central portions of the state.

Antelope numbers in FWP Region 7 near Mile City are down due to a long, difficult winter that reduced adult and fawn winter survival and recruitment. FWP Region 5 near Billings also has had recent population declines in some areas.

“Antelope hunting will be somewhat improved compared to last year in a large portion of central Montana and to the west, but hunters are likely to notice fewer antelope in the southeastern and south central portion of the state,” said Quentin Kujala, FWP fish and wildlife division wildlife management section supervisor.

“Reports are that antelope numbers are mostly good in FWP Region 2 in the Deer Lodge Valley and in FWP Region 3 in western Montana. In FWP Region 4 headquartered in Great Falls, hunters can expect good hunting opportunities, but not the high antelope numbers seen in some areas in recent years,” he said.

In FWP Region 5 antelope populations north and east of Billings continue to suffer low recruitment that may be the consequences of a 2007 outbreak of blue tongue, a gnat-borne virus that is fatal to deer and antelope. No new instances of viral blue tongue infection have been found, but fawn recruitment and total numbers have yet to rebound. In other areas of FWP Region 5 antelope numbers have increased and the hunting outlook is good.

Antelope production in FWP Region 7 is low compared to the previous 10 years and about 37 percent below the long term average for the southeastern Montana region.

Kujala said beginning Aug. 15 many archery antelope hunters were already afield with a 900 series license to archery hunt antelope in any hunting district starting with a 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

The 900-series season runs until Nov. 14. The antelope archery season opened Sept. 4.

Montana’s general rifle season for antelope is Oct. 9—Nov. 14.

Antelope hunters must apply in advance for licenses. Here’s a rundown on what hunters can expect to see out there this season: Region 6 & 7—Eastern Montana near

Glasgow, Glendive and Miles City In the northern portions of Valley, Phillips, Blaine and Hill counties, numbers are down by more than 20 percent, but appear to be stable in the southern portions of these counties.

In Richland and McCone counties, in the southeastern portion of FWP Region 6 near Glasgow, pronghorn numbers remain good. One of the brightest spots in the region is hunting district 650, where it should be relatively easy to find animals.

In southeastern Montana, antelope numbers are 37 percent or more below the long-term average. Either sex and doe/fawn quotas have been reduced in this area.

Region 5-South Central Montana near Billings In the eastern hunting districts of FWP Region 5, antelope numbers continue to lag well behind the long term average numbers. Biologists believe the populations north and east of Billings may still suffer from the consequences of a 2007 outbreak of blue tongue, a gnat-borne virus that is fatal to deer and antelope.

In the western districts of FWP Region 5, where blue tongue was not present, both antelope numbers and spring antelope fawn production are at or above last year’s numbers and the long-term average.

Regions 2, 3 & 4—Western and Southwestern Montana near Missoula, Butte, and Bozeman FWP Region 2’s lone antelope population, generally located in the Deer Lodge Valley, is increasing in size and distribution, with more than 300 head of antelope.

While once concentrated on the east side of the valley, antelope are expanding north of Highway 12 between Drummond and Avon.

Antelope populations in FWP Region 3 look good, with numbers high and stable. FWP counted record high numbers of antelope recently in several of the FWP Region 2 districts where doe/fawn permits were increased to help stabilize or reduce population growth.

Numbers of antelope in FWP Region 4 are generally good compared to last year’s population levels.

For details on these and other hunting opportunities, contact the nearest FWP Region Office, or visit FWP’s hunt pages on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov.

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 19

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Antelope Hunting Gets Kids In The Outdoors By Scott (Mick) Blossom, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Helena M

y boys are 10 and 11 years old this hunting season, but they’ve participated in big game hunts since they graduated from diapers. I am an advocate of taking youngsters on the hunt even before they can hunt themselves so they have time to absorb the experience and learn a lot of the basics. This takes some of the pressure off of them later when they sign up for hunter education.

Antelope hunts are among my kids’ favorites, partly due to those beautiful autumn hunting days we all look forward to, and the ease of spotting antelope. Even if you don’t harvest an animal, kids like the immediate satisfaction of getting to see the quarry at least.

While some adults may cringe at the thought of herding a bunch of preteens on an antelope hunt, I’ve found it very satisfying.

Adding a few cousins or friends into the mix helps keep the energy and interest high—especially if the hunting action slows.

After several of these kid-oriented hunting excursions, some practices have proven to be worth repeating.

The first: a fed kid is a happy kid.

Forget packing Brussel sprouts and tofu—hunting with kids calls for high calorie, delicious snacks—jerky, peanut M&M’s, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, apples, granola bars, and plenty of fluids are the essentials. In the excitement of the hunt, many kids, and some adults, may forget to drink enough to make up for fluids lost during the heavy exercise of hiking and stalking. It is a good practice to take routine water breaks so dehydration never has a chance to set in.

Second: keep it fun. Depending on their age, I find my boys usually surprise me with how far and long they can walk. The trick is to go at their pace, not yours. Don’t wait until you’re starting to tire. By then the hunt has become an endurance test for them. Lots of kids won’t speak up, so you have to set reasonable limits.

Finally, keep them warm and dry.

Make sure they have adequate apparel, from their socks and shoes, long underwear, pants, layered shirts, coats, raingear, to the hat on their head.

Well before my kids and their associates get to the hunting location I make sure they are clear on one thing: there will be plenty of fun to be had, but absolutely no horseplay when it comes to the rifle or the period just before and after I take the shot.

Be firm, but put them at ease about asking questions, and be patient in your answers. For good measure tell them about safety, and then show them during the day what safe practices look like while you narrate what you’re doing and why. Finally, it is time to set out a master plan, with the goal of getting them to buy into walking at least a mile, crawling on their hands and knees for 200 or more yards, and belly squirming for another 80 yards to circle around a herd . When you’re about to shoot, make sure you know where everyone of them is and let them know you’re about to take a shot.

If you do successfully harvest an antelope, remember to take pictures, plenty of pictures to reinforce memories that will last forever.

20 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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OCTOBER 2010

Fishing With The Captain Mark Ward

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f the recipe for good fishing on Fort Peck Reservoir had a secret ingredient it would be easy to figure what that ingredient might be. Just add water! The water level on Fort Peck has risen over 15 feet in the last year. That increase in water elevation is on top of increases in water the previous two years. “With the added water the forage fish have flourished,” added Heath Headley Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks fish biologist for Fort Peck, “that means more food for walleyes, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and salmon.”

The salmon Headley is referring to are Chinook salmon. They run as big as 31 pounds. In fact, the Montana State Record salmon came out of Fort Peck. It weighed 31.31 pounds and was caught in 1991 by Carl Niles. The salmon fishing, as is the case with all the other game fish in the lake, has improved this year. “I think that there have been more salmon caught this year than the previous five years combined,” added Gene Moore owner of Lakeridge Motel and Tackle Shop located by the Dam. “The average salmon that is being caught weighs around 15 pounds.”

The salmon fishing on Fort Peck has improved but anglers are still putting in a lot of hours between fish.

“The best time to fish for salmon is probably the last two weeks of August,” said Headley. Anglers use downriggers to get to the 70-90 feet depth and pull large twelve inch flashers with a squid about 24 inches behind the flasher. When the salmon get hooked they rip line off your reel. It is not uncommon for it to take 30 minutes to land one of these great fighting fish.

It has been a few years since I have caught a salmon while fishing Fort Peck, but just the memory of landing a salmon has brought me back to try my luck year after year. This year I missed the best salmon bite by about a week.

Every year FWP stocks Fort Peck with salmon. “We stocked 150,000, 5-inch salmon this spring, and will stock

another 25,000, 8-inch salmon this fall,” said Headley. Those same salmon should be back at the dam where they were planted four years from now.

October 1st, the snagging season begins on Chinook salmon on Fort Peck. Anglers line the shoreline of Fort Peck Marina Bay. It is the same bay the 5-8 inch salmon are planted every year by FWP. Your success rate will be better at snagging than the anglers had trolling for salmon just a few weeks earlier. The downside is you might consider yourself lucky if you snag a salmon that is still in good enough shape to make a nice meal. Most of the salmon you snag will be better off cooked in a smoker. So if your hunting plans take you east to the Fort Peck Dam area then throw in your fishing rod and give snagging a salmon a try.

If water is the secret ingredient then the future looks very good for Fort Peck fishing. “We are looking for the water level to remain at its current level for the next few months,” added John Daggett Project Manager for the US Army Corp of Engineers. “We will drop the water level down about a foot and a half by March 1, 2011 in anticipation for spring run-off.” All of the Missouri River’s big reservoirs downstream are full, so the need for releasing water is low.

The businesses that depend on the anglers to fish Fort Peck and buy bait, gas, and rent RV sites have also been doing better. “We have had a good couple of summers the past two years,” said Tara Waterson owner of Fort Peck Marina.

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

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

OCTOBER 2010 • ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

TRAVELER’S CORNER: Diesel Turbo Lifesaver The Diesel Turbo Lifesaver can prevent costly turbo charger and engine damage at the fraction of the cost of a new turbo charger. But that’s not all it can do. It can also control your vehicles climate in the cold of winter or the heat of summer without having your key in the ignition, (especially good for people traveling with pets). The anti-theft security feature will also give you some peace of mind knowing that your truck will always be right where you left it.

T

he Diesel Turbo Lifesaver is a timed base device for cooling your turbocharger (turbo timer). Time is far superior than monitoring a thermocouple (pyrometer)/exhaust gas temperature gauge due to inherent inaccuracies in any thermocouple based system. These inaccuracies can be so severe that when you most need turbo cooling, thermocouple reading devices tend to shut your engine off when the turbo is still hot.

The Diesel Turbo Lifesaver control panel is very easy to use. It has a 3 position switch for user selectable engine run times of 3, 7, or 15 minutes.

For most vehicles and conditions, 3 minutes can be considered “city” use, 7 minutes as “ highway/tow” use, and 15 minutes as “extreme” use.

Another great feature of the Diesel Turbo Lifesaver is that it allows passenger compartment temperature control. When idling the engine, the Diesel Turbo Lifesaver powers the vehicles heating/ventilating/air conditioning system. You can use this feature to defrost your windows or to keep your cab cool in the hot weather without having to keep your key in the ignition.

This feature is extremely popular with those who travel with pets.

The Diesel Turbo Lifesaver has two stages of security. Stage one security is always enabled. The internal computer will stop an engine idle cycle any time the brake pedal is depressed. Stage two security is enabled by placing the toggle switch from the CPU (hidden during the installation process) in the on position.

When the CPU activates it cuts

fuel flow to the engine, so starting the engine is impossible, even if the thief has a key!

The Diesel Turbo Lifesaver is the easiest way to insure a long, happy life for your turbocharger.

The Diesel Turbo Lifesaver contains a fully operational computer with Innova custom software designed for timing, logic, and security functions.

This translates into some of the best functionality, reliability, and safety of any unit on the market. With the cost of most turbochargers running in the thousands, why not protect yourself by installing one of these units? Most units cost around $225.00 and take about an hour to install.

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How to Hunt Mule Deer

By the Colorado Division of Wildlife

H

unting mule deer is always challenging. Hunters can improve their success by understanding the habits of these critters.

In Colorado, during 2009, for all manners of take, about 78,000 hunters harvested 34,000 mule deer for a 43 percent success rate.

In the mountains and foothills, mule deer don’t spend much time in heavy timber. They are primarily browsers and prefer aspen and forest edges where there are plenty of low shrubs, small trees, oak brush and varied vegetation types.

“One advantage mule deer give to hunters is their curiosity.”

Mule Deer taken on the Kim Ranch in Colorado Taken 1/23/2003. Photo Courtesy Albert Goode and the CDW

Mule deer are most active at night and can often be found in meadow areas during low-light hours. During the day, they’ll bed down in protective cover.

In warm weather, look for deer along ridgelines where wind is consistent and helps to keep them cool.

During the low-light hours of evening and morning, hunt in meadows at the edge of thick cover. If you see where they are feeding during times of low-light, it’s likely they’ll move into nearby

timbered areas to rest for part of the day.

Deer tend to move during the middle of the day toward the areas where they feed in the evening.

A slow stalk is recommended.

Spend a lot of time scanning slowly with binoculars - a deer can appear at any time.

Pay attention to the wind direction. If the wind is blowing in the direction you are moving, a deer will likely pick up your scent. Deer avoid going to creeks in daylight so there is no advantage to hunting near moving water sources during the day.

One advantage mule deer give to hunters is their curiosity. When mule deer are spooked, they’ll often run a short distance then turn to determine if they are being pursued. That may give you one good chance for a shot.

A small amount of snow will get deer moving quickly out of high-altitude areas. Usually by late October migrating herds will move to winter range areas, even if there is no snow.

Hunters should aim at the vital organ area which presents a small target – about the size of a dinner plate just behind the front quarter. Hunters, no matter how good they are at the range, should never try to make a head shot. Many animals are injured and die slowly because of attempted head shots.

OCTOBER 2010

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F&G Commission: Open Letter To Hunters And Idahoans IDAHO FISH AND GAME W

ildlife managers and biologists agree that the wolf population in Idaho recovered years ago, and that wolf numbers now need to be controlled to reduce conflicts with people and wildlife.

The recent court decision bypassed science and put Idaho wolves back under the protection of the Endangered Species Act based on a legal technicality. Now we must deal with a difficult situation.

The Endangered Species Act severely limits Idaho’s abilities to manage wolves, and it is tempting to turn wolf management over to the federal government until wolves can be delisted again. But U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials have told us they wouldn’t manage wolves to protect Idaho elk herds, and they don’t share our motivation to protect the interests of our ranchers, pet owners, hunters and rural communities.

We looked carefully at our options and potential consequences. We decided that as long as we are making a difference, we must stay engaged in wolf management to protect Idaho’s interests and rights. Only as a last resort will we leave the fate of Idaho residents and wildlife entirely in the hands of the federal government.

Part of the reason we feel that way is because of how we got to where we are.

With the court decision to relist wolves for the second time, the federal system has failed us. Defenders of Wildlife and other special interest groups are using a parade of lawsuits to tie the federal government in knots, and the result is against common sense, responsible wildlife management, and the stated intent of the Endangered Species Act. While we will work within the rule of law; we will use all of our influence and authority to make this right and put wolf management back in Idaho’s hands where it belongs.

Idaho’s lawyers will ask a court of appeals to overturn U.S. District Court

Judge Donald Molloy’s ruling, but we believe the best solution is to change the law directly. We will work with Idaho’s congressional delegation, Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter and other states to resolve this problem through federal legislation.

Solutions will probably not be easy or quick. We will need all of the support we can get to make this happen, and we will keep you posted as to how you can best help these efforts.

While we are pursuing change in the courts and in Congress, we will make the most of the authorities available to us.

We support Gov. Otter’s efforts to reach a new agreement with U.S. Fish and Wildlife to ensure as much flexibility as possible in managing wolves. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission recommended that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service be in charge of Endangered Species Act enforcement while Idaho focuses on protecting its elk herds and reducing wolf conflicts. It should also be the federal government’s role to fund wolf management, and we support restricting the use of hunters’ license dollars for wolf management as long as wolves are federally protected.

We will continue to insist on population control, particularly in areas where wolf predation is hurting our wildlife.

The processes for getting federal agency approvals involve considerable paperwork and time and impose requirements that are an additional source of frustration. For example, because of federal legal requirements, Idaho Fish and Game managers have to use wolf population estimates that are “minimum,” so we know we are underestimating the number of wolves in Idaho.

Likewise, to control wolves to protect elk herds under the “10(j)” provision of the Endangered Species Act, Idaho must demonstrate wolf predation impacts based on data that takes time to collect. We must also have our proposals reviewed by at least five scientists outside our agencies.

That means we end up a year or more behind the times, using data that often doesn’t match up with what you see in the woods today. We have gotten to the point where we will soon submit a “10(j)” proposal to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for wolf control actions in the Lolo Zone, and other proposals are being developed. When delisting occurred previously, we were poised with a proposal then, too.

“Only as a last resort will we leave the fate of Idaho residents and wildlife entirely in the hands of the federal government.”

As you can tell, we are in a tough struggle to regain state management, with scientific and legal battles on many fronts.

We are concerned that some matters are dividing our community when we need to be united. For example, there are some who want to argue about what happened in Idaho politics when wolves were introduced in 1994. While we commit to learning from history, we do not want to waste our energy trying to attack, defend, or change the past.

We are fighting a national battle of perception. It is easy to paint an ideal world of nature from a desk far away from rural Idaho. We need your help to explain why it is important to manage Idaho’s wolf population, just like we manage other wildlife. Someone who wouldn’t think twice about calling animal control to pick up stray dogs in the city may not think about how wolves are affecting the lives of Idahoans in similar ways - unless we tell them.

National activist groups try to portray the average Idahoan as a wolf exterminator, lazy hunter or crazy extremist. We need your help to prove them wrong, just as Idahoans did when we participated responsibly in the first wolf hunting season in the lower 48 states. We need your help to support change through social networks across the country.

If state authorities are further undermined by court decisions or inaction at the federal level, there may come a time where we decide the best thing to do is to surrender and leave wolf management up to the federal government until wolves are delisted. But for now we believe the best place to fix the system and protect Idaho’s interests is by staying involved in management. We appreciate your support.

Errors Noted In Turkey Regulations For Missoula & Ravalli Counties MFWP

A

printing error in Montana’s 2010 upland game birds hunting regulation booklet left out a weapons restrictions for the fall turkey season in Ravalli and Missoula Counties. The regulations should state that all of Ravalli and Missoula Counties are shotgun/ archery only areas for turkey hunters. On page 5 of the upland game bird regulations, it does not list this weapons restriction, misleading hunters to think that they can also use other firearms for turkey hunting in these counties. Hunters in Ravalli and the southwest portion of Missoula County can hunt turkeys from Sept. 1-Jan. 1 with a fall turkey license, available for purchase over-the-counter. Hunters in the rest of Missoula County must have applied for a special fall turkey permit.

For more information, call the Missoula FWP’s office at (406) 542-5500.

OCTOBER 2010

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 25

Hunting And Conservation News Welcome

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Three wells with pumps, spring, 12 acre horse pasture.

Lots of deer, pheasant, huns and occasionally turkey, bear, elk, antelope and moose.

Late Season Upland Game Migratory Bird Bird Council To Dates MFWP Meet In Helena The MFWP’s Commission

recently set the 2010 late season migratory bird hunting regulations for ducks, geese, swans, and coots.

Survey results show that habitat conditions and population numbers are generally good for most ducks. Breeding duck numbers were 21 percent above the long-term average, mallard numbers are 12 percent above the long-term average, and pintail numbers are up nine percent from last year. Conditions in the mid-continent region of North America, including the Central Flyway, were especially productive. Most Canada goose populations remain abundant with liberal regulations in place.

Here are the season details for late season migratory birds: Central Flyway Duck, Coot and Tundra Swan (500 permits only) Season : Oct. 2 – Jan. 6, 2011 oDucks : Daily bag limit of six ducks or mergansers; possession limit twice the daily limit. Daily bag limited to no more than five mallards, no more than two of which may be hens; two redheads, two scaup, two hooded mergansers, three wood ducks, two pintails, and one canvasback. oCoots : Daily limit of 15; possession limit is twice the daily limit.

Goose Season : Oct. 2 – Jan. 14, 2011 oDark Geese: Daily limit of four; possession limit twice the daily limit. oWhite Geese: Daily limit of six; possession limit twice the daily limit.

Swan (500 permits only) season : Oct. 2 – Jan. 6, 2011 Falconry: Ducks and coots : Sept. 22 – Jan. 6, 2011 Falconry: Geese : Oct. 2 – Jan. 14, 2011

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MFWP

An advisory council working to develop recommendations on a plan to guide Montana’s upland game bird enhancement program will meet in Helena Oct. 5 - 6 to continue discussions on the Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program.

The meeting will be held in Helena at the Hampton Inn, 725 Carter Drive, beginning at 8 a.m.

The 12-member Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program Council is leading an effort to advise Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks on a 10-year strategic plan for the Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program. The group is specifically seeking to devise ways to more effectively carry out the program and to recommend rules for FWP to consider.

“The council has met since July 2009, and they have worked diligently on the final document,” said Debbie Hohler, Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program Coordinator. “Council members come from all over the state and have unique perspectives and appreciations on the Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program.

They have brought some excellent recommendations to the table.”

Hohler added that the final document with the council’s recommendations will be completed and submitted to the FWP director by year’s end.

The public is invited to provide comments to the council on Oct. 6 from 2:30-3 p.m. Comments also can be submitted at fwp.mt.gov. Click Upland Game Bird Council. Then click “online survey.”

For more information, contact Debbie Hohler at: 406-444-5647, or by e-mail: dhohler@mt.gov.

C.M. Skip Stillman,

Agent

112 Willow, Helena, MT. 59602 (406) 439-0539 Cell • (406) 443-5110 Office skiprealtor@msn.com

Essential Hunting FWP Block Gear Checklist Management Region Contacts Colorado Division of Wildlife MFWP

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unters interested in obtaining access to more than nine million acres of private lands enrolled in FWP’s Block Management Program may contact the regional FWP office in the area where they plan to hunt, or check the “Hunting” pages on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov.

To contact FWP regional offices for more information on regional hunting opportunities on BMAs call: Northwest— FWP Region 1 in Kalispell: 406-752-5501 West-central—FWP Region 2 in Missoula: 406-542-5530 South-central—FWP Region 3 in Bozeman: 406-994-3288 Central—FWP Region 4 in Great Falls: 406-454-5862 East-central—FWP Region 5 in Billings: 406-247-2974 Northeast—FWP Region 6 in Glasgow: 406-228-3700 Southeast—FWP Region 7 in Miles City: 406-234-0930

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reparing for a hunting trip is a major effort. Listed below are a few common items that hunters often forget as they get ready to go into the backcountry. ·First aid kit (include mole skin/duct tape for blisters); ·Compass and high-quality maps; ·Fire starter for use in the field; ·Knife sharpener; ·Extra batteries; ·Rain gear; ·Blaze orange vest and cap; ·Extra fuel for camp-stove; ·Tire chains; ·Cleaning supplies, trash bags; ·Flashlight/lantern; ·Game bags; ·Sunscreen; ·Toilet tissue; ·Hunting license; ·List of family/friends phone numbers; ·Extra water bottles; ·Water purification pump or tablets; ·2010 Big Game Hunting brochure.

26 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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Twelve Convicted In Illegal Hunting Case MFWP

Ten residents of Wisconsin and North Dakota and two residents of Montana have been convicted as part of a multi-year investigation of illegal hunting activities in rural Richland County.

According to FWP Criminal Investigator Lennie Buhmann and Savage-based FWP Warden Randy Hutzenbiler , the total amount of fines, bond and restitution collected in the case was $17,416. The 12 defendants also lost a total of 63 years of hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges in the 34 states involved in the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact.

Buhmann and Hutzenbiler said the case primarily revolved around Montana residents – Paul D. Leinen, 60, and James A. Leinen, 66, both of Poplar – loaning hunting licenses to non-resident family members and friends so they could illegally kill big game animals.

Paul D. Leinen and James A. Leinen each were charged with loaning a license to another person and failing to properly validate a license. They were each fined $370 and lost their hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges for 10 years. The two-year investigation, which also involved the North Dakota Department of Game and Fish and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, led to

a search warrant being issued on vehicles and a private residence along the Missouri River in Richland County.

Other defendants and their criminal case dispositions in Richland County and Roosevelt County Justice Courts include: Clete C. Leinen, 70, of Fairmount, N.D., who was initially charged with possession of an unlawfully killed white-tailed buck; loaning a license to another person; and purchasing resident hunting and fishing licenses as a non-resident. As part of a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty only to the residency charges. He was fined $846 and lost his privileges to hunt, fish and trap for 10 years.

Michael L. Leinen, 65, and Ron M. Leinen Jr., 40, both of West Bend, WI. The elder Leinen used another person’s license and killed a white-tailed buck without a license.

He was assessed $1,270 in bond forfeiture and restitution. The younger man used another person’s license (two counts) and possessed an unlawfully killed antelope.

He forfeited a $1,005 bond. Both men lost privileges to hunt, fish and trap for two years.

Scott Vercauteren, 37, and Lanna Vercauteren, 36, both of Campbellsport,

WI. Lanna loaned a license to another person and forfeited $235 bond. Scott killed three mule deer bucks, a turkey and an antelope without licenses; used other people’s licenses and failed to properly validate a license. Total bond forfeited and restitution, $5,040. Lost privileges to hunt, fish and trap for three years.

Scott Morenzien, 32, of Fond du Lac, WI. Possessed an unlawfully killed mule deer buck. Total bond forfeited and restitution, $1,035. Lost privileges to hunt, fish and trap for two years.

Larry Morenzien, 51, of Kewaskum, WI. Possessed an unlawfully killed white-tailed buck and mule deer buck. Total bond forfeited and restitution, $2,070. Lost privileges to hunt, fish and trap for two years.

Dennis G. Wittkopf, 67, and Scott D. Wittkopf, 32, both of Fond du Lac, WI. Each possessed two unlawfully killed white-tailed bucks and each paid $2,070 in forfeited bond and restitution. Dennis lost privileges to hunt, fish and trap for two years. Tammy Wittkopf, also of Fond du Lac, possessed a single unlawfully killed white-tailed buck. She paid $1,035 in forfeited bond and restitution. Tammy and Scott Wittkopf each lost privileges to hunt, fish and trap for 10 years.

OCTOBER 2010

Transporting Upland Game Birds MFWP H

unters be aware: detailed regulations apply to transporting harvested birds.

Hunters must leave one, fully-feathered wing naturally attached to any sage grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, mountain grouse or partridge transported when it is transported from where it was taken to the hunter’s permanent residence.

In another example, pheasant hunters must leave a leg and foot naturally attached to any pheasant they transport within the state so the sex of the bird can be identified.

A bird hunter who leaves game birds somewhere for a period of time, or who turns them over to someone else to transport, must tag the birds with the following information: • hunter’s ALS number • hunter’s signature • hunter’s address • total number of birds by species • dates birds were killed For details, see the 2010 upland game bird regulations available at FWP offices and license providers and on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov .

OCTOBER 2010

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 27

Enjoy Pheasant & Chukar Hunting Pheasants & Chukars On Private Land Hunt September through March Fun for you and your friends

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Cabins available

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Best Early Season Waterfowl Hunting In Montana (continued from page 12)

3506 Highway 435 Augusta, MT. Phone: 406-562-3553 E-mail: birds@shocoranch.com

So Your Goose Hunter Got Lucky?

Now What? MFWP

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Also, from Townsend, one can follow U. S. Highway 12 east for a short distance, then turn north onto Harrison Road.

Gravel roads heading off this road lead to the WMA. An other option is Lake Helena WMA, from Helena, travel north on Interstate 15 for approximately 9 miles and exit to the Lincoln Road interchange.

Turn right onto Lincoln Road east (Route 453) for approximately 2.5 miles, turn right (south) onto the Lake Helena WMA. Park at kiosk.

Missouri River- Tons and tons of backwaters and sandbars to set up on, but a boat can be a godsend here!

Freeze Out-Located in Teton County in north central Montana 40 miles west of Great Falls along US Highway 89 between Fairfield and Choteau - Access to area from US Highway 89, or Frontage Road from Fairfield, to various turnouts and parking areas year-round. It can be crowded on opening day, so be prepared to walk a lot further if you want to stay away from the crowd.

Then there are the hundreds of smaller irrigation reservoirs, some on private lands and others on public that can be awesome and you can pretty much be guarantied that you won’t have a lot of competition. Get a map and go looking, who knows, you might find the spot of a lifetime.

So now you have some ideas, you should get out and scout in the area you have selected. Remember that there will be other hunters that might be looking at the same place as you, so find more than one spot and be prepared to move if need be.

Good Luck this season!!!

ere are some suggestions for preparing wild Canada goose.

Choices here range from a full afternoon of satisfying cooking to how to prolong the pleasure by making goose jerky and how to disguise goose meat for those who aren’t so fond of it.

Goose fat is an extremely desirable cooking oil. When possible, save the fat after you roast that goose. Try using it to fry onions-- or pancakes that will be light as air.

GOOSE JERKY Courtesy of Kristi DuBois, FWP wildlife biologist in Missoula and Jack Austin, FWP game warden in Miles City.

If you aren’t fond of dark-meat birds like Canada goose, you may enjoy goose jerky.

Cut the meat into strips, soak it in your favorite jerky mix overnight, and dry it in a food dryer or oven. Don’t grind the meat before forming it into jerky. The most successful method is to use a hand grinder, season the meat and use a “jerky shooter” or “jerky cannon” to form the jerky before drying it.

CROCK POT BARBEQUE Courtesy Phil Kilbreath, FWP game warden in Libby Cut the goose meat into pieces and cook it in a crockpot with an onion and some water until the meat is flaky. Drain off all the juice and add your favorite barbeque sauce to replace the moisture. Serve this mixture on a hoagie bun and you’ll never know you are eating goose.

DINNER FOR THE IN-LAWS Courtesy Bob Harrington, FWP wildlife biologist in Bozeman 1. Mix together: 5 tablespoons Morton TenderQuick 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground bay leaves 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2. Trim off surface fat on goose meat.

3. Rub the mixture liberally into all sides of meat.

4. Place meat in plastic bag and close securely.

5. Refrigerate five days per inch of thickness to cure.

6. After cured, remove meat from bag and cover with water in a pan.

7. Simmer two hours or until tender.

Serve with steamed cabbage.

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The Last Step In The Hunt: Carcass Disposal MFWP H

ow to best dispose of a big game carcass after the meat is in the freezer is a question all hunters face. The answer is simple enough but the regulations and reasons behind it are not understood by many hunters and that leads to violations say some Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks enforcement officials.

“All carcass parts remaining after processing a game animal should be double bagged and disposed of in a regulated landfill or at a transfer station,” said Tim Feldner, of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ enforcement bureau. In many communities fur buyers and hide tanners will purchase deer and elk hides.

Here is just one real-life example of why hunters must know how to properly dispose of big game carcasses after the meat is processed.

A family with children camped in early spring this year near Monture Creek on Highway 200. As they settled in, they discovered elk and deer parts from harvested animals tossed in a number of nearby locations. The meat on the bones had not fully decomposed. That put this family of campers in grizzly country at risk from multiple grizzly bear attractants with no easy means of ridding the area of this danger.

Montana State Law, applicable on all state-owned and managed sites,

prohibits leaving dead animals or refuse on public property, including all state-owned and managed lands which would include FWP managed fishing access sites and wildlife management areas.

These laws may surprise some hunters, especially some old timers, for whom dumping big game carcasses in the woods was standard practice.

“It is not only illegal to dump big game carcasses, it is a bad idea,” said Feldner. “Even on private land there are restrictions that apply on the handling of animal carcasses.”

For example, human health-related state laws prohibit the placing of animal carcasses in any Montana lake, river, creek, pond or reservoir.

Laws that apply to the disposal of big game carcasses are also contained in the Code of Federal Regulations. These laws include those that apply to the management of refuse and debris on U.S. Forest Service lands and other related issues.

Hunters who go out of state are also reminded that it is illegal to bring heads and spinal cords from harvested game animals back into Montana from any state or Canadian province where Chronic Wasting Disease is present in either wild animals or game farm animals.

28 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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OCTOBER 2010

Rocky Mountain States Preference Point System Explained To manage big game animals and to assure sustainable hunting opportunities and resource preservation, the Colorado Division of Wildlife issues a limited number of licenses through a drawing process for most species.

For big game, over-the-counter licenses are available in most areas of the state only for bull elk during the second and third seasons.

Hunters who want licenses for deer, elk in limited units and for the first and fourth seasons and other big game must apply annually.

Here’s how the application and draw system works: Hunters apply for licenses and submit up to four choices for the game management units desired. Applicants who don’t get their first choice get a preference point for that unit. An applicant can also purchase one point each year for $25. However, no more than one preference point per species can be awarded in a year. Points are awarded for each individual species.

The number of preference points needed to draw a license depends on the species, season, and the particular game management unit. For the most coveted units, hunters must accumulate numerous preference points to have a chance to obtain a license in the draw.

An example: To obtain an either sex elk license during the first rifle season in GMU 1, Colorado residents need 10 preference points and a non-resident must accumulate 16 preference points. In that unit more than 1,100 people apply, but only 26 licenses are issued.

If you want to accumulate points for a preferred unit, but you still want to hunt in that season, apply your first choice

Upland Game Seasons Open With Good Bird Counts S

Bull Elk near Bailey CO. Photo David Hannigan, CDW to the coveted unit but pick units with zero point requirements for your subsequent choices. Preference points continue to accumulate until you receive a first-choice license.

The DOW maintains a permanent preference point record for everyone who applies. The record is automatically referenced when a hunter applies for a unit that requires points.

Most big game licenses are reserved for Colorado residents. For units and species that require five or more preference points, 80 percent of the licenses are allocated to residents, the remainder to non-residents. If fewer than five preference points are needed, 65 percent of the licenses are allocated for state residents and the remainder for non-residents.

A complete explanation for all species and a list of preference-point requirements for the upcoming season is published each year in the March/ April edition of Colorado Outdoors, the DOW’s magazine. The information is also published on the DOW’s web site, www. wildlife.state.co.us.

The drawing for licenses is always held on the first Tuesday in April. Results are posted on the web site.

Leftover licenses go on sale the second Tuesday in August and are available until they are sold out.

age-grouse, chukar, quail, and gray partridge hunting in Idaho opened Saturday, September 18, with some good chukar counts.

During recent surveys on the Snake River in the Clearwater Region, Fish and Game biologists counted 1,276 chukars, the most ever observed since the initiation of this survey in 1994. This total is an increase of 136 percent over the 2008 total of 541 and 76 percent higher than the long-term average of 725, from 1994 through 2008.

On the Lower Salmon River, biologists counted 1,491 chukars - an increase of 95 percent over the 766 birds tallied in 2008 and 69 percent higher than the long-term average of 882 from 1994 through 2008.

The survey area near Brownlee Reservoir, however, took in a slightly smaller area this year because of helicopter scheduling and logistics.

Chukar densities appear to be similar to last fall’s, though the total numbers counted were fewer. Still, chukar hunters can expect to find bird numbers about the same as last year in southwest Idaho.

Numbers appear to be somewhat below the 10-year average but considerably better than in 2007-2008.

Many Idaho bird hunters use chukar counts to gauge abundance of other species. Biologists caution that various species populations can fluctuate depending on environmental conditions.

Chukar hunting begins, along with seasons for gray partridge, sagegrouse and quail, on September 18. The chukar and gray partridge limits are eight birds of each species and 16 of each species in possession. Quail limits remain the same at 10 and 20.

A separate permit is required for

hunting sage- and sharp-tailed grouse.

Sharp-tailed season opens October 1.

Chukar and gray partridge: September 18 through January 31, 2011.

Daily bag limit - eight chukar and eight gray partridge.

Possession limit after first day - 16 chukar and 16 gray partridge.

Bobwhite and California quail: September 18 through January 31, 2011.

Daily bag limit - 10 total.

Possession limit after first day - 20 total.

Area 2 in eastern Idaho is closed.

Consult the rules brochures for details and exceptions.

The season for forest grouse; which includes ruffed, spruce and dusky (blue) grouse, opened August 30 and runs through December 31, except in the Panhandle Region where it runs through January 31, 2011. The daily limit is four, whether all of one or mixed species, and eight in possession after the first day.

Hunters only need a valid hunting license to hunt quail, chukar, grey partridge and forest grouse.

All hunters need a valid 2010 Idaho hunting license.

Hunters will find upland hunting rules and shooting times in the rules brochure at license vendors, Fish and Game offices and the department Web site at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt.

OCTOBER 2010

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BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 29

Rocky Mountain States Rocky Mountain Trophy

Fewer Whitebark Pine Cones Could Mean Increased Bear Conflicts This Fall R

ecent information provided by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) reports whitebark pine tree cone production to be poor this year, which could mean an increase in bear conflicts this fall - especially for hunters.

The IGBST reported that of the 20 established whitebark pine tree transects examined, mean cone production was 5.25 cones per tree; all of the trees on one transect were dead from mountain pine beetle infestation. When available, the seeds of whitebark pine are high in fat content, and are an important fall food as bears prepare for winter hibernation. Near exclusive fall use of whitebark pine seed as food by grizzly bears occurs during years in which mean cone production exceeds 20 cones per tree.

However, with poor cone production, bears will be ranging farther this fall in search of alternative food sources. And, according to the study team, the alternative is generally meat. “What this means is that bears will shift their distribution from higher to lower elevation,” said Mark Bruscino, bear management officer for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “A fact that berry pickers and hunters should take note of.”

Bruscino noted that although whitebark pine cones may not be readily available, bears are adaptable to other food sources and that in his experience, the bear’s nutritional status based on percent body fat does not change

significantly during poor whitebark pine cone production years. “Bears will not starve to death. They will merely switch to alternative foods, primarily meat, and hunters should be extra cautious this fall,” added Bruscino.

Both the study team and Bruscino state that bear conflicts do increase as bears move from more isolated habitats to areas with higher human use in response to a lack of pine nuts. Often, bear mortality increases as well as a result of management removals related to conflicts and human encounters. “Even so, the grizzly bear population continues to grow at a rate of 4-7 percent annually, regardless of these poor cone years,” said Bruscino.

Bruscino added that bears seem to get bolder around people while searching for food during low whitebark pine cone years, which increases the chance of human-bear conflicts.

“Although I believe this to be true, I do not think bears behave more aggressively in encounters when whitebark pine cones are scarce,” said Bruscino.

Both the interagency study team and the WGFD recommend that all recreationists mentally prepare themselves for a bear encounter and carry a bear deterrent. “As a matter of personal safety, we recommend that everyone, including hunters, carry bear spray as a deterrent against aggressive bears. Studies and anecdotal evidence have shown that bear spray is effective,” said Bruscino.

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Deer Lodge County, MT. 2006

Cougar Hunting Permits Set For 3 Years T

he number of cougar hunting permits in Utah has been locked in for the next three years.

On Aug. 19, 2010 members of the Utah Wildlife Board approved Utah’s first three-year cougar guidebook. The permit numbers and the rules in the guidebook will guide cougar hunting in Utah for the next three seasons.

“Keeping the hunting rules and the permit numbers consistent—instead of changing them from year to year—will give our efforts to manage cougars more time to work,” says Kevin Bunnell, mammals coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

“It will also help us better evaluate the effectiveness of the rules and the number of permits we’re offering,” he says.

“That will lead to future recommendations that will be best for the cougars and for the animals the cougars prey on.”

You can see the rules and the permit numbers the board approved in the 2010–2011 Utah Cougar Guidebook.

The guidebook should be available at wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks.

At their Aug. 19, 2010 meeting, the board approved changes that should result in the number of cougars taken by hunters climbing by about six percent.

Biologists say the six percent increase should result in hunters taking an average of 325 cougars each season for the next three seasons.

Over the past three seasons, hunters took an average of 300 cougars each season.

In addition to keeping the number of hunting permits consistent for three years, the plan provides more direction for managing cougars on units that have bighorn sheep. It also provides more direction to manage cougars on units where the number of mule deer—the main animal cougars prey on—is still under the goal specified in unit management plans.

You can read the state’s cougar management plan at wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/ cmgtplan.pdf.

30 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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OCTOBER 2010

What To Do After Your Trophy Hits The Ground

BY JACK JOSEWSKI Mountain goat on display at C’MON INN at 6139 E. Valley Center Road, Bozeman, MT 59718. (866) 782-2717. The taxidermy was done by Wildlife Artistry Inc., Dan Quillen 71 Willow Creek Road, Livingston, MT.

On occasion a sportsman or sportswoman has one of those rare days

FWP Seeks Conservation Wolf Hunt Permit By November MFWP

M

ontana wildlife officials have applied for a permit to allow a conservation hunt for wolves and requested that federal authorities deliver the permit by early November.

In a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dave Risley, administrator of MFWPs’ fish and wildlife division, states that FWP requests an expedited process to have the permit in hand by early November to enable hunting this year. Such requests usually take 90 days or more for processing.

At least 525 wolves live in Montana and FWP had hoped to reduce the state’s year end wolf population to about 450 this year by using a combination of management tools, including hunting.

Risley said the 28-page application is allowed under specific sections of the Endangered Species Act. “FWP seeks authorization to create a conservation hunt to relieve population pressures and associated biological, social, and political pressures that currently jeopardize support of wolf recovery in Montana,” he said.

The conservation hunt would be modeled on Montana’s planned for 2010 hunting season that had a statewide quota

of 186 wolves across a total of 13 wolf management units. In 2009 a total of 72 wolves were harvested by Montana hunters.

The recovery of the wolf in the northern Rockies is one of the most successful and rapid endangered species comebacks on record. In the mid-1990s, to hasten the overall pace of wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies, more than 60 wolves were released into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho.

The minimum recovery goal for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains was set at a minimum of 30 breeding pairs—successfully reproducing wolf packs—and a minimum of 300 individual wolves for at least three consecutive years.

This goal was achieved in 2002, and the wolf population has increased every year since.

The wolf population in the Northern Rocky Mountain Recovery Area, which comprises parts of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, was estimated to be at least 1,706, with 242 packs, and 115 breeding pairs at the end of last year. About 525 wolves were estimated to inhabit Montana, in 100 packs and 34 breeding pairs.

when everything comes together to create a perfect day in the field. The morning coffee is extra good, we make it to that primo hunting spot plenty early and undetected, the weather is just right and most importantly, our luck is exceptional.

When the stars align and it all comes together we are left with a trophy we would like to keep forever to remind us of this moment.

What we do with that trophy bull elk, fantastic buck or monstrous trout in the next couple of hours will make the difference in whether our mount comes out prettier than the morning dew or uglier than your first prom date. We checked with a few taxidermists and game processors and have come up with a short list of what to do, and what not to do, after your trophy hits the ground to help create a good mount and healthy food for our table.

Before we become side tracked by the size or details of our trophy care one of our first and most important concerns is also with the proper handling and care of the meat from our harvest.

We all see the programs on TV where hunters decide to wait a day, or overnight, before attempting to recover a shot animal. But keep in mind that during warm weather, such as Montana hunters often enjoy during the early season fall hunts, a large game animal like an elk or moose will begin to contaminate within 24 hours or sooner. And within three days an animal which has not been properly dressed and boned out will begin to spoil.

Getting the bones and windpipe out of your trophy as soon as possible is critical.

“Any animal starts to sour immediately after the kill. Having the windpipe, especially with food still in it if the animal has been feeding, is especially bad,” Dan Quillen of Wildlife Artistry Inc. in Livingston, MT says. “An animal can begin to spoil in just a few hours if the weather is warm.”

As one wild game processor told me years ago, it is best if you are not keeping the animal for a mount, to make a deep cut down the back of the animal’s neck from just behind the ears to the middle of the shoulder blades to help release body heat immediately after the animal hits the ground. The sooner you can get the heat out of the animal the better it is for the quality of the meat.

“Probably the most important factor in deciding how to handle your trophy in the field is weather and temperature” says Jeff Welch owner of The Montana School of Taxidermy in Helena, MT. “And of course how long you have left in the field. Being on a ten day hunt requires different care than if you’re on a three day hunt. If you’re on an Alaskan Caribou hunt you’ll need to make different decisions than you would on a hunt 50 miles from home.”

It’s one thing to have a Whitehall or Mule Deer on the ground ungutted overnight or for 24 hours and a completely different thing to have an elk, moose or other large heat-retaining game animal on the ground without gutting and removing the windpipe for 24 hours in warm weather.

When we have harvested the animal we know we will want to mount there are other things we must do for a sucessful trophy presentation.

“The key to getting a really good mount is to select and meet your taxidermist in advance” said Welch who has trained hundreds of taxidermists.

“Knowing exactly where your trophy will be going and being aware of the detailed care your taxidermist recommends is critical.”

• Select your taxidermist in advance and understand the care and handling he or she recommends. Having your guide make a recommendation about where to take your trophy is usually a good idea when hunting away from home. Try to meet your taxidermist and check out their work. (continued on page 34)

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and ask for permission to hunt well before the season starts rather than waiting until the day before the season opens. a healthy spring crop of chicks for the upPublic hunting land is available. It coming pheasant season. A large majority may be referred to by a number of different of the pheasants harvested each year are names depending on where you intend to the birds that hatched during the previous hunt – these tracts of land may be desigspring so it’s easy to see the importance nated as state habitat areas, state natural of a good spring hatch. Moisture during walk-in areas, state forests or state recrethe spring hatching season helps provide ation and wildlife areas. Contact your local an abundance of bug life for young chicks division of natural resources or game and to consume. The chicks rely on insects fish commission for a list of these areas and for protein and moisture since the chicks their locations. have extremely limited mobility and can’t During the early season most always walk to a water source. A dry spring roosters will still be congregated where has lasting effects on upland game birds in- they hatched and grew up during the previcluding quail and grouse as well as turkeys ous spring. Later in the season they will and pheasants. move to where good habitat is still availAccess to hunt pheasants is the able. When the first heavy snowfall arrives key anywhere in the country. If you have the birds will move to heavy security cover. relatives who farm then that’s great, but Once the birds have retreated to heavy covmost of us don’t enjoy that luxury so asker hunters will have to go to the birds and ing for permission to hunt individual grain flush them out with pointing and retrievfarms door-to-door is the only remaining ing dogs. This is when the “all or nothing” course of action. The best way to locate hunts begin - if you locate concentrated quality hunting land is through exhausflocks of pheasants you’ll see “all” of the tive pre-season scouting including driving birds in the area. Otherwise, you may not back country roads in the mornings and locate a single bird. evenings. Find the birds early then ask for When the “orange army” hits the permission to hunt long before the season grain fields I recommend trying out of the starts. Most farmers will look more favorway places that other hunters may have ably on “early bird” hunters who are polite missed. Look for areas that provide

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enough cover to hold birds. The birds will move and keep moving when hunted. Look for the last place they congregated after they were pushed out of other areas – you should find a good number of birds in the cover.

Weather has a big effect on pheasants because they live in open territory all of their lives, and they fight to survive by finding food and shelter. Upland game birds expend a lot of energy during cold weather.

Corn, which offers pheasants a high protein diet, is their favorite food selection. If it is not available then wheat, milo or any cultivated grain crop such as sunflowers or wild seeds will fit the bill - the bigger the seed the better.

CRP fields are perfect pheasant habitat and offer a good location to hatch and raise chicks as well as provide good security cover, but adult birds need cultivated grain to survive Montana winters. Water is not a big consideration for pheasants because they can get adequate moisture from green grasses, leaves and bugs.

Montana weather can be highly unpredictable which can work for or against hunters. Keep in mind that pheasant need to conserve and replenish energy and avoid the many predators in their environment, including man. During periods of heavy snow fall and extreme cold temperatures the birds will retreat to heavy cover to conserve energy.

After a storm passes pheasants will go to feed then eat grit for their crop. If it’s sunny day then they’ll look for a safe place to save energy by absorbing the sun’s rays.

Keep an eye out for pheasant tracks. A rooster track is noticeably larger than that of a hen, and usually a rooster is at

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the end of the track unless he flew to safety.

I’ve tracked pheasants in two inches of snow in a CRP field during the late season.

By that time the “flyers” have been shot and the “runners” are the ones remaining. If you see a fresh track then stay with it – you’ll know it’s fresh if you can see the imprints of the individual pads from the bottom of the pheasant’s foot.

As a rule pheasants are not early risers like ducks. Many times they’ll stay in cover where they spent the night until the sun begins to warm. Then they’ll walk or fly to a grain field. Keep this in mind when you are walking fields of picked corn or CRP grass.

Big groups of hunters stretching as far as you can see have a place in a large field.

They are also usually an opening weekend display. I’ve done much better shooting birds by working in small groups of two to five hunters. Using a good pointing dog or retriever dramatically improves your odds of success. I’ve found that when it comes to asking permission to hunt on a new farm that a small group hunters will find it much easier to get permission to hunt than a caravan of hunters filling a farmer’s front yard.

Opening weekend is always a social activity with lots of hunters and a lot of shooting. Many times it’s the first and last day of pheasant hunting for many hunters.

After it’s over, hunting during the week can be much more productive since you’ll have the best places to yourself, and you don’t have to worry about someone hitting the birds first. As a general rule, if you hit a weed pocket and flush a large number of birds then (continued on page 36)

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What To Do After Your Trophy Hits The Ground (continued from page 30) • For a full shoulder mount you will want to avoid head, neck and shoulder shots. Take extra special care with shot placement.

• Do not cut an animal’s throat as it is difficult to repair and causes other messy situations that can be avoided.

• Do not cut down the back or up the brisket of your trophy. The neck hide needs to be intact if at all possible.

• Never do anything that may cause the hair on the animal to be damaged. Never drag the animal or tie a rope around its neck. If you do need to drag it out with a rope, attach the rope to the base of the antlers and drag your trophy carefully.

• If blood gets on the hide to be mounted, wash it off with snow or water as soon as possible.

• Do not hang your trophy up by the neck with a rope. Always hang your trophy either by the legs, or tie the rope to the antlers.

• Do not drive the animal around in the back of your truck all day showing it off to friends and family. Get the animal in the freezer or to the taxidermist as soon as possible.

• For a trophy deer, antelope, elk or any horned big game, cape it out as soon as possible and freeze the cape.

• Do not salt the hide unless you are in the field longer than 3 days (depending on the temperature). Remove all flesh and meat from the hide before salting.

• It is always better to leave more hide on the animal than cutting it too short.

• Taking good quality color photographs immediately is essential.

What and how much you need to do to your trophy is dependent on several factors.

Location, transportation, temperature and time in the field must all be taken into account when deciding what we need to do. This is where information from your taxidermist, guide and wild game processor becomes critical.

For a shoulder mount trophy, which can’t be removed from the field whole, the process begins by caping out the animal.

The best way to cape out any game such as deer, antelope, elk, etc. is to skin it out like a sock. If you leave the back hide on, you can just pull the whole hide over down to the back of the head of the animal and then cut off the head underneath the hide to separate it from the body. On the legs, just make a circular cut above the knee joint and pull the leg out. This will leave plenty of leg hide for the taxidermist to work with. On large game mounts, you can cut off the back hide while skinning. Cut it approximately half way between the front legs and the back legs. This will ensure that your taxidermist will have plenty of hide to work with.

If you know how to remove the cape from the head of the animal you may want to consider this option. If you have never done this before, it is best to let someone who is experienced in this to do it for you.

Bring the head, unskinned with neck and shoulder skin attached, as soon as possible after the kill to your taxidermist.

Skinning off from the head is best left to the taxidermist. Take plenty of skin on the shoulders and chest (cut behind the front legs). Peel the skin off the neck and cut meat off at the head.

If you can not bring the head to your

taxidermist in one piece, follow above instructions but cut all the way up the back of the neck to a point between the ears, then in a V to the base of the antlers. Loosen the skin around the antlers with a screwdriver. Cut ear cartilage and meat close to the skull. Pull the skin down the skull toward the nose using a knife to help cut fibers. Put one finger of your free hand into the eye socket to prevent cutting the eyelids. Do the same for the mouth; leave inside skin of the lips attached to the hide by cutting close to the skull. Cut nose cartilage close to the skull. Pass the knife between the outer skin and inner lining of the mouth. Turn the ear inside out using your fingers (like a glove). Saw off top of skull with antlers through center of eyes and remove all meat and fat.

Unless freezing, do not place the hide in a plastic or air tight container. Doing so promotes spoilage and damage to your hide.

“All trophies coming from Africa have to be dipped, debugged and have the skulls boiled,” says Quillen who handles 200-300 mounts a year at his Livingston business. “The qualities also differ by the handling of the skinners in the field.”

Bears, cougars & life size mounts need to be gutted and flat skinned unless you have a straight shot to the taxidermy shop.

Bringing a spoiling, ungutted trophy into your local taxidermist will make them as unhappy as a rabbit in a kennel full of Beagles and makes it difficult to create a really good mount.

“Probably one third of all bear and lion hunters do not gut and skin their kill out

before bringing it to the taxidermist,” reflects taxidermist Welch. “Some of these are spoiled and stinking by the time they arrive. They need to be gutted immediately, especially in the warmer weather.”

In Montana it is state law that bear meat, or meat from any other big game animal, must be harvested and cannot be wasted.

To skin one of these trophies make a straight cut from the throat to tip of the tail down center of the belly. Then, cut through the center of pads and the inside of the legs up to the center cut. Skin the body and legs by pulling the skin off and using the knife to help cut the fibers. Remove all bones from the feet, but leave the claws on. Skin the head as explained previously Small animals, coyote sized or smaller, should not be skinned unless by a professional. Don’t gut the animal. Small mammals, especially carnivores, will spoil quickly because of their thin hide and bacteria. If you can’t take the small game animal immediately to a taxidermist, as soon as the carcass cools completely, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it. With rabies evident in some areas of the country take every safety measure necessary when handling your game.

Birds do not need to be gutted.

Rinse off any blood on the feathers with water. Take the bird immediately to your taxidermist or freeze it. Put the bird into a plastic bag for freezing being careful not to damage the feathers, including the tail. If the bird’s tail feathers do not fit in the bag do not bend them. Let the tail stick out of the bag and tie the bag loosely.

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Outsmarting Montana Roosters (continued from page 32) many of those birds will never go into that area again during the season.

A good pointing, flushing or retrieving dog can be the best asset to a pheasant hunter. Locating birds then retrieving a downed bird is the dog’s job.

Pheasants can be difficult to locate, and in a large field and a wounded bird can be even more difficult to find. He’ll keep his head low and continue to run undetected away from the hunter. If you don’t have a hunting dog then your best option is to run as fast as you can to where the bird fell after the shot. Getting there before he collects his senses and runs is your only option to decrease the number of lost/wounded pheasants that occur each year.

If you own a well-trained gun dog cattail marshes will give your dog a chance to track down a tight sitting bird, and he can follow running birds until they jump within shotgun range. A dog can retrieve birds quicker than you can, and he is equipped keep track of wounded birds. Don’t bring your partially trained house pet along on opening day and expect him to perform well. Wild pheasants are the most difficult game bird for a dog to hunt, and all hunting dogs require pre-season training just like their owners.

If you are hunting with a questionable dog bring a leash or long rope so that you can keep him in check until he proves himself. Many young dogs get a whiff of a pheasant running in front of him, take off at a full gallop and flush every bird in the field well before hunters have a chance to shoot.

An adult rooster pheasant can be very difficult to hit squarely because of their quick flight and the quick draw that is required to get the gun in position for a shot. I’ve found that Number 4, 5 or 6 shot works best using a shotgun with a modified choke. I shoot 4’s because there are fewer pellet’s to take out of a pheasant when compared to a bird shot using 6’s, and it all boils down to foot pounds of energy required to down a pheasant.

Others will argue that you don’t have as many pellets. My 35 years of pheasant hunting experience has proven that no matter what pellet size you shoot you have to hit the bird squarely to kill it. In my opinion, copper coated, plastic buffered, 12 gauge Number 4 shot will bag more pheasants than smaller shot. Good luck!

And good hunting!

High Altitude Survival Colorado Division of Wildlife Every year more than a few

hunters must be rescued from the wilds and high country. Hunters get trapped by snowstorms, injured in various types of accidents or simply get lost in the woods.

Hunters must remember that altitude can affect their health and their ability to move easily. And in the Rockies, weather can change quickly with fast-moving storms dumping a couple of feet of snow in just a few hours.

Be prepared for all types of weather -- wet, cold, dry and hot. Take appropriate clothing and the right camping gear. If possible, especially for those coming from lower altitudes, spend a few days at higher elevation before hunting season to allow your body to acclimate.

Heavy snowfall can occur starting in September. High-country hunters, especially those who backpack into wilderness areas and have to get out on foot, need to watch the weather closely and pick their escape routes before they choose a campsite. Snow can obliterate trails or make them impassable.

Survival experts recommend that you never go into a wilderness area alone.

Unavoidable accidents do happen. Learn how to use a compass, take a map of the area and orient yourself before leaving camp. Explain to your hunting partners where you’ll be going and when you plan to return.

Always carry a survival kit and know how to use it. Such a kit should include a knife, waterproof matches, fire starter, compass, reflective survival blanket, high-energy food, water purification tablets, first aid kit, whistle and unbreakable signal mirror.

If you get lost, sit down, regain your composure and think for a few minutes. Many times people who are lost can figure out where they went wrong and make it back to camp. If you truly don’t know where you are, stay put.

Survival experts explain that survival is 80 percent attitude, 10 percent equipment and 10 percent skill and knowledge.

If you are caught in a storm or

forced to spend the night out, there are three keys to survival: shelter, fire and signal.

If you can’t find camp and have to overnight in the wild, your first priority is shelter. Even if you have nothing else going for you - no fire or food - an adequate shelter that is warm and dry will keep you alive until rescuers find you. That means anything from an overhanging rock shelf to a cave, a timber lean-to or snow cave. Always prepare for the worst and build a shelter that will last. Cut boughs from evergreen trees and use them as padding and for covering.

Dress in layers and take extras with you. Put on layers before you become chilled and take off a layer before you become damp with perspiration. Staying warm is a process of staying dry. Do not dress in cotton – it becomes wet easily and is difficult to dry. Use wool, wool blends or synthetic clothing that wicks moisture away from skin.

Be sure to carry a quality stocking cap that is made of wool or synthetic fleece. You lose up to 45 percent of your heat around your head, neck and shoulders.

Winter headgear should conserve heat, breathe and be water repellent. The old saying, “If your feet are cold put your hat on” is good advice.

Use water-proof footgear, wool or synthetic socks, and always remember to carry gloves.

Fire is the second priority if you are forced to stay out overnight. Know how to build a fire even in wet or snowy conditions. That means carrying lighter, metal matches or wooden matches in waterproof containers and a fire-starter – such as steel wool, cotton or sawdust saturated with paint thinner or alcohol.

Camping stores sell a variety of fire starters. Experiment with various materials before going into the field. A fire will warm your body, dry your clothes, cook your food, and help you to signal for help.

The third priority is signaling.

This can be done by fire - flames at night or smoke from green branches during the day; with a (continued next page)

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Taking Care Of Game Meat Colorado Division Of Wildlife

E

thical hunters not only make a clean kill, they don’t waste what they kill.

So that means taking care of the meat.

It’s against the law to waste game meat. If you harvest an animal, it is your responsibility to remove and care for the meat.

Start preparing before you go into the field. Get your body in shape and be ready to carry heavy loads over rough terrain. Be sure you know how to field dress an animal. Numerous books and web sites are available to provide explanations.

If you will be hunting with someone who is inexperienced, teach them the proper techniques.

The CDW has produced an excellent video, “Down to the Bone” which explains how to bone out the meat of a big game animal. By boning out the meat there is much less weight for a hunter to pack out. More and more hunters are “boning out” their game. Deboned elk or deer meat also tastes much better than one with the bones left in. That’s because bones and bone marrow impart a more “gamey” taste, as does the fat.

You can order the video by calling the DOW at (303) 297-1192; or by going to the web site at http://wildlife.state.co.us.

Get your gear in shape. Collect and test all of the equipment you need for cleaning, hauling and caring for your meat.

A short list to consider: high quality knife, sharpening stone, bone saw, tarp, game bags, frame pack, paper towels, rope and rubber gloves.

Get your freezer ready, too. Be sure you have enough room to store the meat.

Make a clean kill. Shot placement can affect meat quality. Try for a quick kill with a shot that will produce minimal meat damage. The best target: the heart/lungs area just behind the front quarter. A shot to that area will drop an animal quickly. Avoid shooting an animal in the gut or hindquarters.

Don’t try for head shots.

Also, be aware of where the animal might fall. Don’t shoot an animal in an area where you will not be able to retrieve it. Make sure you are capable of

retrieving all the meat. If you can’t make a clean shot, don’t shoot.

When you bring down a big game animal with bullet or arrow, you have achieved one immediate goal, but you haven’t fulfilled all of your responsibilities as a hunter. You still have to field dress, transport and butcher the meat properly.

Animals must be field dressed immediately. That means removing the guts, heart, lungs, liver, esophagus and other internal organs. If you choose to bone out the meat, you do not need to “gut” the animal.

After removing all the entrails, roll the animal over to drain the body cavity, then use a clean rag to wipe off excess blood, bone chips, dirt, partially digested food particles and other foreign matter.

Only leave the hide on long enough to keep the meat clean while dragging it on the ground or transporting it over dusty roads in the back of an open pickup.

Next, cool the meat as quickly as possible. Skin the animal as soon as you reach camp. Time is critical, even in cool weather. Without air circulating around the carcass the meat can sour quickly.

Bacterial growth begins at any temperature over 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Maggots can hatch within eight hours if the carcass is exposed to flies and other winged insects.

Remove the head, trim as much fat as possible, place in game bags and hang them in the shade. Keep the meat dry.

Do not allow meat to hang more than two days in the woods.

Remember – aging does not improve the flavor or serve to tenderize game meat. Beef can be aged to become more tender and flavorful because the fat on a domestic cow protects the meat from rotting at 38 degrees. Deer and elk are 90-95 percent lean, and the leaner the meat the faster it deteriorates.

Game meat can last for several years in a good freezer if it is well-wrapped. And the best wrapping is a vacuum seal.

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High(continued Altitude Survival from previous page) signal mirror in bright sunshine; and with sound - hence the whistle.

You can live up to three or four weeks without food. You will, however, be more efficient and alert, and have more confidence if you are able to satisfy your hunger. So carry some high-energy food in your survival kit.

Water is more important to survival than food. Your body needs about three quarts of water a day to metabolize its energy reserves and carry away waste. Carry iodine tablets to add to water taken from streams or snow banks. Avoid drinking ice-cold water which can cause your body temperature to drop.

Altitude sickness is another danger.

Hunters who are fatigued, cold or exhausted are vulnerable. At the very least, altitude sickness can ruin a hunting trip; at the worst, it can be fatal. Hunters who are coming to high altitudes from low altitude areas should be especially careful.

Take time to acclimate and do not move quickly above 8,000 feet. Symptoms of altitude sickness include shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, headache and loss of appetite.

To avoid altitude sickness get in shape, limit alcohol consumption, acclimate for a few days before the start of the season and drink lots of water. Staying hydrated is key factor in reducing your chances of getting altitude sickness.

Hunters with any heart problems should be extra careful in the high country. To prevent problems, hunters should consult their doctors before going to the high country. If you have a heart condition you should keep any prescribed medication with you at all times.

Spotted Dog WMA Is Open To The Public MFWP T

he recently acquired Spotted Dog Wildlife Management Area in the Deer Lodge valley is open to the public, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials want to remind prospective visitors to familiarize themselves with property boundaries and regulations before heading afield.

FWP acquired the WMA on Sept. 2, and wardens and biologists are now busy marking some of the boundaries and posting interim regulations, such as travel restrictions.

“The public has immediate access to this piece of wonderful ground, but since this has been such a quick turnaround from acquisition to public access, we are still in the process of developing a management plan that will define the long-term regulations,” said Mack Long, FWP Region 2 Supervisor.

“In the interim, we are asking visitors to familiarize themselves with the temporary regulations and that everyone is respectful of the WMA, the neighboring landowners and private land in-holdings.”

Visitors are encouraged to download a map of the Spotted Dog WMA from the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov.

38 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

•

ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

Elk Hunt Forecast For 2010 (continued from page 6)

Hu nting Cam Campp

by no means across the board. Elk populations are at or above objectives in 22 of 29 elk hunt zones. And a mild winter boosted cow and calf elk survival rates across most of the state. The Beaverhead, Lemhi, Island Park, Teton, Snake River, Palisades and Tex Creek zones all have healthy herds and offer the kind of elk hunting Idaho is famous for.

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Montana · Elk Population: 150,000 · Bull/Cow Ratio: 5-25/100 · Nonresidents: $593 · Hunter Success: 22 percent There are plenty of elk in many pockets of Big Sky country. In fact, Montana continues to boast the second highest elk population of any state by a margin of 30,000 animals. But some populations have plummeted in the past five years.

The northern Yellowstone herd is down to 6,000 animals from 19,000 in 1996. Areas north of Yellowstone National Park have seen permits cut and over-the-counter tags change to a draw. Populations in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River and the lower Clark Fork River are 60 percent below objective with just 7 calves per 100 cows.

All antlerless tags have been cut and bulls will be hard to come by. Elk populations are well below objectives throughout much of Region 1 in the northwest.

Hunters will find elk widely dispersed and wary throughout their traditional ranges in the western third of the state where wolves howl. But the farther one goes east of the Continental Divide, the more elk appear. Most of the eastern portion of the state is 20 percent above population objectives.

New Mexico · Elk Population: 75,000-95,000 · Bull/Cow Ratio: 42/100 · Nonresidents: $27 nonrefundable fee to enter drawing, plus $562 standard bull tag or $787 quality bull tag · Hunter Success: 30 percent Out-of-staters looking to hunt here will find no over-the-counter tags. Those who didn’t draw may be able to contact a landowner for one of their tags (be ready to write a hefty check). The state has no bonus or preference point system.

Residents get the bulk of the tags, 78 percent. The state’s units are broken into “quality” and “opportunity” hunts. The former will get you a better chance at bigger bulls, but odds are steep. The Gila area holds around 20,000 elk.

Oregon · Elk Population: 120,000 · Bull/Cow Ratio: 15/100 · Nonresidents: license $140, tag $500 · Hunter Success: 13 percent Due to budget constraints, biologists aren’t exactly sure how many elk they have as aerial surveys have been limited. But they think populations are stable. And, this year, managers plan to issue nearly 1,000 more permits than last season. Rocky Mountain elk dominate the east side of the Cascades while Roosevelt’s reign to the west. Most hunting in the steep and dark west is open

to all comers with over-the-counter tags, while eastern Oregon is draw-only for rifle hunters. Bowhunters can hunt most of the east side with a general tag. Those eastern elk have some new neighbors, as a couple wolf packs have dispersed into the state from Idaho.

Utah · Elk Population: 68,000 · Bull/Cow Ratio: 15-80/100 · Nonresidents: $65 hunting license, plus $388 general tag, $795 limited-entry tag or $1,500 premium limited-entry tag · Hunter Success: 17 percent Statewide, hunters kill bulls that average around 61⁄2 years, and Utah has seen good moisture this past winter and spring, keeping the hills green and lush. Translation: healthy brutes with big headgear. The most popular units include San Juan and Fillmore Pahvant but odds of drawing a limited-entry tag are tough. For residents, it’s 1:16. Nonresidents, 1:44. There are over-the-counter options, especially for archery hunters who are willing to hike into wilderness.

Washington · Elk Population: 55,000-60,000 · Bull/Cow Ratio: 12-20/100 in most units · Nonresidents: $432 · Hunter Success: 8 percent Washington has more hunters per elk than any other state. Managers help control densities by making hunters choose either westside Roosevelt’s or eastside Rocky Mountain elk. Both hunters and elk are split about 50/50. Generally, herd numbers are stable this season but the Yakima herd has seen a drop in calf recruitment. While it may take some time for the Yakima herd to rebound, the state has plenty of other hot spots like the classic elk country of the Blue Mountains. This area in the southeast corner has seen an increase in bull permits the last few years.

The southwest also offers over-the-counter permits, especially on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest around Mt. St. Helens where managers are trying to knock down herd numbers. Wolves have established at least two confirmed packs on the eastside.

Wyoming · Elk Population 120,000 · Bull/Cow Ratio: 23/100 · Nonresidents: $577 for permit, $288 for cow-calf permit, $1,057 for special permit · Hunter Success: 43 percent Certain places in Wyoming have seen significant impacts from wolves and other carnivores. Much of the Cody herd, near Yellowstone, is seeing poor calf-recruitment made worse by predation. Once a general hunting area, it is now a limited-entry draw. Areas around Jackson Hole and the Gros Ventre and Teton Wilderness Areas will see tightened seasons and antler-point restrictions to try and boost bull/cow and cow/calf ratios.

Outside the northwest corner, the state’s elk populations are up 15,000 from last year and many units are far above objectives.

OCTOBER 2010

•

ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

•

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

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40 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

•

ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

OCTOBER 2010

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

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

Name: Address: City:

St.:

Zip:

e-mail:

JOIN

STAY INFORMED VISIT www.mt-sfw.org

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

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

Phone:

Signature: How did you hear about us?

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

Family $50.00/yr.

Lifetime Senior 60+ $350.00 MTSFW Lifetime Individual $750.00 P.O. Box 2243 The Spike $350.00/yr Missoula, MT. 59806 Satellite Bull $500.00/yr Herd Bull $750.00/yr To preserve, protect and enhance Montana’s fish and wildlife resources & outdoor opportunities.

And to ensure our American heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping through hands-on conservation efforts and RESPONSIBLE PREDATOR MANAGEMENT by Montana sportsmen.

Return this application with payment to:

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

Montana Sportsmen For Fish And Wildlife H

ello again from Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife! (MT SFW) I hope your first couple weeks of archery season and upland bird hunting were successful. Mine have had a few very close encounters and some extremely hard hiking on our amazing public lands here in Montana. It has been rewarding for me in many other ways. Not so much as a draw-back on my bow, but the self reflection, mental endurance and physical tests have been invaluable. Not to mention, time spent around the fire with great friends in beautiful country is a constant reminder of why we do this.

The weather is getting a bit cooler and there’s that crispness in the morning air that truly gives me a sense that autumn is here. I was fortunate to also wake up to about an inch of snow on September 5th at only about 6,500 ft!

Football, hunting, and the kids back in school. This is the time of year that I live for, and in my humble opinion, makes America and Montana great.

Yesterday was a well deserved hike in the hills for Elk after a busy work week. I was in a steep, timbered drainage, with bow in hand as the sky became light with just a twist of pink and orange in the clouds. I stopped to catch my breath and listen to the sounds of the forest and to the mountain. I looked at my watch; 6:48 a.m.

I’d made good time being a mile back from the main road already up the draw.

I’d seen 20 head of Elk in this spot 5 days prior to bow season with a very respectable 320 class 6x6 bull. But Grouse opened a few days before archery.

And since that day, I know numerous Upland Bird enthusiasts had pushed their dogs up this creek bottom in search of the elusive quarry, so the Elk had moved on to quieter bedding areas I’m sure. Such is the game of DIY, fair-chase hunting on public land. It’s what keeps us coming back each season and burns the competitive fires.

But as I looked at my watch, I also noted the date. September 11th. My father in-law’s birthday among other things, but after 2001 it takes on a whole new significance. I began remembering where I was that morning when the terrorist attack took thousands of New Yorker’s lives and destroyed families forever. It was a grim reminder, even in that place of solitude and beauty that our way of life is under constant assault.

Under assault from foreign extremists and now our own government (in many aspects). I removed my hat and set my bow down and began to pray to God as the sun came up. I prayed that the families of the victims of 9/11 can someday find peace and closure. I prayed for our Men

and Women in Afghanistan and Iraq (and around the globe) and for their families. I don’t pray near enough, so when I do, I say a lot. It seemed like a good place and certainly a good time to give thanks to our troops and the families who lost so much on 9/11. And again, we will never forget.

Just then I heard a faint bugle a few miles up the draw. He’d already reached the top with his cows. I smiled and realized I was not there to harvest elk or deer on this morning, but to give thanks and appreciate all that we have in America and Montana. Our needs or desires pale in comparison to those whom I’d just prayed for. I turned and headed back down the drainage to my pick-up truck, doing so with a smile on my face, but a twinge of sadness in my heart. If I hustled a bit, I could be home to cook breakfast for the family as they were waking up.

We all have a role in life. Mine and over 400 other Montanan’s is to now save our Hunting, Fishing and Trapping heritage and passing our values of God, Family, and Country onto our children.

It seems that many Americans have lost sight of these 3 simple values our nation was founded on. Yesterday was a reminder to me, that we also do this to honor those that gave everything for our personal freedoms.

BY BILL MERRILL

Our Mission Statement: To Preserve, Protect and Enhance Montana’s Fish and Wildlife resources & outdoor opportunities and to ensure our heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping through hands on conservation efforts and responsible predator management by Montana Sportsmen.

If you are a steward of the public lands, the herds, and our way of life, I encourage you to become a member of SFW through the above membership card or our website at www.mt-sfw-org. Every dime raised stays in Montana to fund efforts for our lands and herds and to fight predators that now run unchecked through our state.

Bill Merrill - State President Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife

OCTOBER 2010

•

ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

•

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 41

ATV Side-by-Sides

Yamaha 2011 Rhino 700 FI Auto. 4x4 Sport Edition

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42 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

•

ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

Sporting Goods, Montana Style

OCTOBER 2010

Bob Ward & Sons New Gear Review Each month we select several products that are brand new to the market and may appeal to our Montana readers and customers

Hunting

Rifles • Ammo • Bows Decoys • Calls Opticss • GPS • Packs Optic Boots • Camo Clothing • Footwear & More

Fishing

Rods • Reels Fly Lines • Waders Tackle Boxes • Lures Nets • Float Tubes Pontoon Boats Fishing Clothing & More

Stay Safe With SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger - Stay connected with the

SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger. SPOT allows you to share your GPS location and message with others via a global satellite network. Check-in with others, Track live on Google Maps or ask for Help to your location in a critical emergency. Because SPOT uses 100% satellite technology, it works regardless of cellular coverage. Features include: •Onboard GPS and satellite transmitter •5.2 oz and battery operated (AAA Lithium) •Multiple message options including: •SOS - Notify an emergency response center of your location in a critical emergency • Help - Ask for assistance from your personal contacts • Check-in/OK - Let others know where you are and that you’re OK • Track Progress- Send and save your location on Google Maps. Others can track your progress in real time.

•Custom Message - Send a custom message to family and friends •Rugged for outdoor use in extreme environments

The Benelli Vinci Hunting Shotgun The new Benelli Vinci marks a revolution in hunting shotguns. Benelli

presents one of the fastest-shooting, softest-kicking, most reliable lightweight 12-gauge shotguns in the world. The revolutionary new In-Line Inertia Driven® operating system, with superior reliability and lightning fast speed, is the simplest semi-auto shotgun operating system ever devised. Advanced ergonomics assure fluid gun movement.

Combine that with the ComforTech® Plus recoil reduction system, and Benelli puts in your hands one of the world’s softest-kicking shotguns. In recent lab tests, the competition had up to 72-percent more felt recoil than the Vinci. And, its modular design makes Vinci the easiest shotgun on the planet to assemble and disassemble.

And everything

else outdoors Hiking Gear Camping Gear Athletic Gear Paintball Travel Gear Outdoor Clothing Footwear

See our friendly, knowledgeable staff for all of your SPORTING GOODS NEEDS

Winter Sports Gear & So Much More!

Shop 24/7

SPORTING GOODS, MONTANA STYLE

E

The Remington Model 700™ XCR™ II Rifle

xtreme conditions call for an extreme gun. And the Remington Model 700™ XCR™ II rifle is one of the most durable and rugged to be introduced to the world of hunting. The cutting edge in rifle design, the Model 700™ XCR™ (Xtreme Conditions Rifle) uses Remington’s proprietary new TriNyte™ Corrosion Control System to make the Model 700™ XCR™ virtually impervious to even the most extreme conditions. The TriNyte System takes firearm protection further than it’s ever been before by using proven corrosion-fighting materials and an innovative, state-of-the-art application process. The result is a finish that provides scratch and corrosion resistance far superior to stainless steel alone. The Model 700™ XCR™ features a laden synthetic stock that is not only stylish and comfortable, but a technological marvel. It features patented rubber overmolding technology from Hogue® – a revolutionary technique incorporated into the grip and fore-end areas to provide the surest grip even in the slickest environments.

Remington’s Hypersonic Steel Shotgun Ammo Introducing some of the world’s fastest, hardest-hitting steel.

With unprecedented velocity and some of the highest downrange pattern energies ever achieved, the new Remington HyperSonic Steel takes lethality to new heights and lengths. To a level of terminal performance where more birds drop with fewer shots, at the farthest reaches of your abilities. And only Remington has harnessed the wad technology to do it.

The Hypersonic Steel Advantage - Shortens lead by up to 11%.

Most ducks are missed from behind, but the unprecedented velocity of HyperSonic Steel compensates for this by reducing required lead by 8” at 40 yards (about a full body length) on a duck flying average speed. It puts more pellets in the head and neck for quicker kills and fewer misses – without changing the way you shoot.

Products shown available at Bob Ward & Sons.

OCTOBER 2010

•

ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

•

BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

• 43

EVERY SHOT COUNTS Whatever You Hunt, Weʼve Got Your Ammo!

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44 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE

•

ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net

OCTOBER 2010

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