Big Sky Outdoors by Billings Gazette

BIG SKY OUTDOORS HUNTING • FISHING • HIKING • OUTFITTERS • GUIDES • RECREATION Your Adventure Starts Here

ADVENTURE TAXIDERMY

axidermy is so much more than taking a trophy and placing that animal in a pose the customer has requested. A taxidermist needs to have an artistic view and an outdoor background so they know what animals look like in the wild, and then reproduce it. That’s what Jacob Schenck at Adventure Taxidermy does. He helps a hunter relive the hunt and tell their story for years to come and turns an idea into a finished, professional product. Jacob opened Adventure Taxidermy two years ago, following six exemplary years of services in the Marine Corps. He completed all standard courses plus several specialty courses at Pro Mount School of Taxidermy here in Billings, Montana. He brings his Marine Corps values into his taxidermy work: attention to detail, and devotion to honesty and service. He works with the customer to ensure he designs exactly what the customer has in mind, including making cus-

tom forms for animals. He goes the extra mile to ensure the highest level of quality and care. The services provided by Adventure Taxidermy include all regular taxidermy work on mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. Jacob’s services also include cleaning, restoring, and altering previously mounted items. Jacob has a few key tips for his customers when they are caring for their trophy in the field before bringing it in to Adventure Taxidermy. With any small mammals, birds, fish, or reptiles, do not field dress the animal. With larger game, such as deer, be sure to properly field dress your animal and keep it as clean as possible. If you are not able to take your animal into Adventure Taxidermy immediately, be sure to freeze it properly. If you have any questions on proper care before bringing your animal into Adventure taxidermy, please give Jacob a call. Courtesy of Adventure Taxidermy

Adventure tAxidermy studio, l.l.c. • Game Head Full Time •• Bird Full skeleton ProFessional • Life Size

Fish Taxidermy •• Restoration

529 Jaque Lane • (406) 647-4435 www.adventureTaxidermyStudio.com

MILK RIVER OUTFITTERS

ilk River Outfitters is owned and operated by Eric Albus, and offers a wide variety of hunting options for big game, upland birds, waterfowl, and turkey. We also offer hunts for elk and bighorn sheep in the Missouri River Breaks, area 622.

drew a tag and don’t know where to go, call us. We can customize a package, guided, unguided, semi-guided, that will fit your needs, wants, and budget.

Antelope Hunts Bird Hunts elk Hunts Mule Deer Hunts Whitetail Hunts Shed Hunts Milk River Outfitters

The lodging is clean and comfortable, utilizing a ranch house, bunk house and trailer house, and is located four hours north of Billings. If you are looking for a winter weekend getaway call us, and we can arrange a 1-2 day pheasant/ waterfowl hunt. We antelope hunt in areas 630, 670, and 700-00, if you

Post Office Box 35 Hinsdale, Montana 59241 (406) 648-5494

Dedicated to the protection and development of bears, bear hunting, and bear habitat.

WHY? We want to increase black bear and grizzly bear hunting opportunities through habitat management & a better understanding of bear populations in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.

Membership and Sponsor Levels: Sponsor – 1 Year Life Member -

$30 $250 $1,000

Corporate Partner – 1 Year $2,000 Corporate Partner – 3 Years $5,000

Facebook.com/YCBHA @YCBear Hunters

VISIT US AT | WWW.YCBEARHUNTERS.ORG BIG SKY OU T D OO R S

License #2940 www.milkriversoutfitters.com

Courtesy of Milk River Outfitters

Yellowstone Country Bear Hunters Association

Black Bear Member – 1 Year

ServiceS:

YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY BEAR HUNTER’S ASSOCIATION

he Yellowstone Country Bear Hunter’s How we will get there: Associations (YCBHA) is a 501(c)(3) • Bring more youth into bear hunting. • Work with local, state and federnon-profit that operates in Montana, al governments to DE-LIST the grizIdaho and Wyoming. We are dedicated zly bear and manage the growing to the protection and development of population through hunting seasons bears, bear habitat and bear hunting in in the states of Montana, Idaho and the states of Montana, Idaho and WyoWyoming. ming. • Reduce human bear conﬂicts and The YCBHA was developed primareducate the public on causes. ily out of a lack of support for the bear • Increase black bear hunting ophunter and black bears in Montana, portunities through habitat manageIdaho, and Wyoming. Secondly, due to ment and a better understanding of the overwhelming success of the grizzly bear populations. bear recovery, it is essential to study and • Develop a program that will study better understand the black bear and effects of grizzly expansion on black their habitat; more importantly, how the bear populations and species health black bear can co-exist with a much larger predator in the grizzly bear. The in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. recent success of the grizzly bear has also created a management issue and more importantly an opportunity for sportsman/ women in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming to hunt this remarkable species. As we move forward as a respected organization representing all bears and bear hunters in The Rocky Mountain West, it is our vision to leave future generations of sportsman with a better opportunity to share and grow our hunting heritage. Courtesy of Yellowstone Country Bear Hunter’s Association

DUCKS UNLIMITED

ucks Unlimited (DU) got its start in 1937 during the Dust Bowl when North America’s drought-plagued waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows. Determined not to sit idly by as the continent’s waterfowl dwindled beyond recovery, a small group of sportsmen joined together to form an organization that became known as Ducks Unlimited. Its mission: habitat conservation. Montana ranks third in duck production in the lower 48 states. When the glaciers melted, they left millions of natural depressions—these are the prairie potholes. Just fill these potholes with snowmelt and rainfall, mix with Montana sunshine and the ducks will come. For many ducks, Montana lies at the northern end of the annual migration route that takes ducks thousands of miles through the food-rich interior of the United States to the wetlands of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Gulf Coast and Central Valley of California. Unfortunately, a little over a quarter on Montana’s wetlands have been drained or filled, reducing the capacity of the region to attract and sustain breeding ducks. An immediate threat is the continuing loss of grassland nesting habitat. Less grass means fewer nest sites that are safe from predators and a mix of predatory mammals that are decidedly “duck unfriendly.” Waterfowl are not the only beneficiaries of DU’s habitat work. Wetlands improve the overall health of our environment by recharging and purifying groundwater, moderating floods and reducing soil erosion. Wetlands are North America’s most productive ecosystems, providing critical habitat to more than 900 wildlife species and invaluable recreation opportunities for people to enjoy. The United State alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands and tens of thousands of wetlands acres continue to be lost—at an accelerating rate—each year. Fortunately, our conservation investments are paying off. DU has restored, enhanced and protected more than 43,335 acres in the state. Most of Montana’s wildlife refuges, waterfowl production areas and state

wildlife management areas have felt the helping hand of a DU project. DU continues to innovate with land purchases that protect critical habitats, and conservation easements that enable our conservation partners and us to sustain habitat cost effectively while maintaining it in private ownership. This vital work is only possible because of your involvement with Ducks Unlimited. Ducks Unlimited experienced another successful year for conservation in Montana during 2012. DU conserved 3,516 acres of wetlands and associated uplands statewide and provided technical assistance on an additional 13,134 acres. In cooperation with many federal, state and private partners, DU continues to deliver a wide array of wetland conservation projects and is continually developing innovative ways to conserve waterfowl habitat on Montana’s ever-changing landscape. During the past fiscal year, 83% of DU’s expenditures were converted directly to conservation work vital to ducks, geese and other wetland dependent wildlife. Ducks Unlimited needs your help. The best way to promote healthy waterfowl populations is by volunteering with your local DU committee. Funds raised through local events are the foundation of the organization’s conservation efforts. Your support also helps DU’s policy team positively influence legislation important to waterfowl. Visit www.ducks.org/volunteer or contact your Regional Director: Barry Allen (406) 780-0523 or ballen@ ducks.org

DU Habitat Projects in Montana

DU Habitat Projects* Total acres conserved: 56,877 Amount spent: $22,919,910 *Completed projects thru 12/31/12 0

100 Miles

Courtesy of Ducks Unlimited

Leader In Wetlands Conservation Montana DU 2013 Fall Banquets Event Date

Chapter Name

August 22, 2013

Billings

August 23, 2013 September 8, 2013 September 14, 2013 October 12, 2013 October 12, 2013

Bozeman Helen GW Day Stevensville Missoula Malta

October 19, 2013

Med Lake

November 8, 2013 November 9, 2013 November 14, 2013 November 14, 2013 December 14, 2013

Sidney Wolf Point Forsyth Whitefish Polson

Contact Person Contact Phone Number John & Bev (406) 628-9328 Wornom Dan Tracey (406) 370-5446 Randy Schmoldt (406) 442-8375 Scott Johnson (406) 370-6346 Bridger Pierce (406) 581-8971 Kathy Tribby (406) 654-4036 Steve & Kathy (406) 748-5019 Christian Jerald Petersen Doug Martens Tom Greiner Chip Kurzenbaum

(406) 653-5505 (406) 3561-1574 (406) 261-6260 (406) 885-6345

B IG SKY O U TDO O RS

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and great fall hatches that can produce sometimes technical, but rewarding dry fly fishing. Streamer fishing during this time of year can reign supreme. Pre-spawn browns, especially large ones, do become quite ornery and will often demolish streamers that swim too close to their personal space. There may be nothing more exciting in all of trout fishing than watching a big brown “blow up” on a streamer in low and clear water. Whatever your passion, Wild Fly Angler can help with the right gear, flies and friendly advice.

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ne thing is for certain—life is good for anglers under Montana’s Big Sky. With more premium trout water than anywhere else in the lower 48, angling opportunities abound throughout the year, even in the dead of winter. But choosing one time of the year as the “best” is a pretty tough task but if you had to pick one season that reigns supreme—a pretty strong case could be made for fall. Shorter days mean cooler waters, which can invigorate trout to eat greedily as they prepare for the lean months of winter. Additionally, there are a lot less people on Montana’s rivers come fall

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