Big Sky Outdoors

ADVENTURE TAXIDERMY

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hink back to the last time you walked into your favorite outdoor retail store and looked around, admiring the different taxidermy mounts. Maybe there was a certain scene that really stood out to you, and you said to yourself, “That is what I want in my home.”

At Adventure Taxidermy Studio, Jacob Schenck would like to help you make that dream a reality.

We have all seen the single animal mounts, but why not start thinking about a unique wildlife scenario custom built for you. If you are planning on harvesting a predatory animal this season along with a big game mount, consider having Adventure Taxidermy Studio design a scene that will fit your desires and space demands.

Jacob at Adventure Taxidermy Studio can design creative combinations according to your desires, such as: • Mountain lion on a rock overlooking a deer • Elk fighting off a wolf

• Bobcat attacking a turkey • Rattlesnake coiled in a prairie dog hole • Walleye chasing a minnow No matter what your idea may be, Adventure Taxidermy Studio can help make it a reality. Jacob asks that you bring all of your game in with intentions of having them fully mounted. Should you decide not to have the full animal used, Adventure Taxidermy Studio will give credit for hides and capes not used.

Also, now available at Adventure Taxidermy are Teddy Bear rugs for the future hunter in your family for $75.00 each. Size: 45”L x 39.5”W x 10”H.

Courtesy of Adventure Taxidermy

Adventure tAxidermy studio, l.l.c.

• Game Head Full Time •• Bird Full skeleton ProFessional • Life Size

Taxidermy •• Fish Habitat

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

TIPS FOR THE WATERFOWL HUNTER

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very waterfowl hunter has had it happen to them… birds flaring just yards from the decoy spread. Just think back to last season; I bet you can remember at least one time where you thought to yourself, “we got this group; they are committed to us” to only have the birds flare at 60 yards. Then, every waterfowl hunter has the same reaction, “What happened? Why did they flare?” One thing we know for sure is it was something they saw. Whether it was the blind and/or blinds were not concealed well enough, or the decoys were not positioned in a realistic manner, or perhaps the decoys had a shine or glare to them.

Courtesy of Tom Welch

Let A Able Fishing Charters and Tours

Provided by Tom Welch

When you sit down and think about it, these geese and ducks have seen it all by the time they hit Montana. They have seen hundreds of decoy spreads, heard hundreds of calls and are so wise that tricking these birds into shooting range is a challenging task. As a waterfowl hunter there are a few tips that could help to improve your success rate this hunting season.

I know the season is already in full swing, and maybe the big game season took your attention away from preparing for the waterfowl season. Now you feel you do not have time to prepare your decoys, but this can mean all the difference in the world. Taking a weekend to repaint or re-flock your decoys could limit the shine or glare and perhaps, prevent a few less birds from flaring.

Scout, scout, and go out and scout again. I am sure we have all read articles about how to set up our decoy spreads, and every waterfowl hunter has their own advice on what decoy spread works best, but the best way to fool these birds into thinking their buddies are in a field feeding or sitting on a river resting is to go out and observe and really pay attention to how they are behaving in the place you plan to hunt. Were the birds bunched up in one big wade in the middle of the field, or were they spread all over in small family groups? When they are resting on the river are they sitting on the water or resting on the bank or ice? If you can set your decoys up to risible how the birds were feeding or resting the day before, your success rate will go up tremendously.

The last tip is concealment. We all know how to grass up a layout blind or our favorite river blind, but when was the last time you stood back and looked at your blind to make sure it looks like the environment you are hunting. Maybe you only hunt wheat or oat fields. Do you use the same materials every time you go out, or do you rake up new materials to put in your camo straps? Matching the colors of the place you plan to hunt as preciously as you can, could mean the difference between shooting birds inside 20 yards or shooting at birds flaring at 50 yards. Perhaps you notice that your blind has a shine or glare to it. This is an easy fix; take a five gallon bucket, make some mud and apply to your blind.

I hope these tips help bring beaks to your blind this hunting season.

introduce you to the world of ice fishing!

The days of just sitting on a bucket waiting for a fish to swim by are history. Come experience modern day ice fishing with A Able!

We Provide: • Marcum fish finders and cameras • Portable shelters • Rods, reels, tackle and bait • Knowledgeable, enthusiastic guides • Full day trips have lunch provided • Your catch cleaned and bagged • 10% discount coupon to Snappy Sport Senter

• Yellow Perch • Trout

Fishing For: • Kokanee Salmon • Northern Pike

Basic* Ice Fishing Jan.-Mar. (Ice Permitting)

5 hours

2 People

$200

$50 for each additional person

Deluxe** Ice Fishing Jan.-Mar. (Ice Permitting)

8 hours

2 People

$350

$50 for each additional person

Book Your Trip Today 406.257.5214

Mike Howe Outfitter # 12843

PO Box 10 • Bigfork, MT 59911 mike@aablefishing.com 2

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Courtesy of Tom Welch

THE SPIRIT OF ARCHERY Store CloSing Sale CERTAIN ITEMS EXCLUDED

485 S. 24th Street West, Billings, MT 59102 406-656-8257 • www.bighornfly.com

BILLINGS LOCATION ONLy

61 First Street East, Ft. Smith, MT 59035 406-666-2253

Hurry in for Best Selection!

ALL SALES FINAL, NO RETURNS, REFUNDS, OR EXCHANGES

HOURS: MON - FRI 9AM - 5:30PM SAT - SUN 9AM - 5PM

BIGHORN FLY & TACKLE

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fter 18 years of diligently serving the Billings fly fishing community, Bighorn Fly and Tackle Shop will be closing their location at 485 South 24th Street West in January 2014.

“In order to focus our attention on the future expansion of our Ft. Smith lodge and fly shop, it was in my best interest to close our Billings location and concentrate on moving to the next level in Ft. Smith,” said R. Duane Schreiner, President.

Opened in January 1996, Bighorn Fly and Tackle Shop has been highly regarded as Billings’ most complete and full service fly fishing shop. With over $750,000 in inventory, all items in the store will be sale priced and liquidated over the next two months.

We would like to thanks the Billings fly fishing community for all their support over the past 18 years and look forward to seeing them again on their fly fishing adventures down the Bighorn River!

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Provided by TJ Smith, Black Otter Bowmen

orldwide, the largest form of archery is target archery.

Why would anyone want to just shoot a bow and arrow set with no hope of ever taking to the trail and matching wits with the wild? Perhaps it is because target archery is as much a social activity as it is a competitive sport.

Most sports are spectator sports.

This is not so with archery. Archery is a unique recreational activity that provides a source of enjoyment for everyone. It does not discriminate based on physical or mental ability and is fun for all. Archery is a lifetime sport which is enjoyed by generations of family, friends, and colleagues.

With archery the possibilities are endless. It is an indoor sport as well as an outdoor sport. It is an Olympic sport, it is hunting the high mountains and river bottoms, it is an outdoor field course, it is social activity as well as

a competitive activity, it encompasses all skill levels. Archery can take you to your dreams.

This is the spirit of archery. We are fortunate to live in a place where we have the basic freedom. As such, Black Otter Bowmen (the archery division of the Billings Rod and Gun Club) want to nurture and make this opportunity available to all. Our sight-in ranges are handicap accessible and we are exploring the options of converting one of our field ranges as well. Whether you wish to chase your dreams or are just looking for a fun social activity, archery is for you.

The Billings Rod and Gun Club (BRGC) has adopted policy making the BRGC facilities available to the Wounded Warrior Program. For details on this special program, please contact our club caretaker Wendy Ard at 406-2590006. Our gratitude is kindly extended to you, the Wounded Warriors.

Welcome FelloW SportSman!

Black Powder Ar Archery Range Centerfire Rifle Centerfir Rimfire Pistol Rimfir Skeet and 5 Stand Sporting Clays

Membership $125/ year Makes A Great Christmas Gift

Offering Classes on: Bow Hunter Education Hunter Education Range Officer Course Pat Goodale’s Practical Firearm Training po Box 33 BillingS, montana 59103 (406) 259-0006

BIG SKY OUTDOORS To advertise in this section, contact Tom Welch at: Office: 406-657-1375 Cell: 406-672-6915

Access Big Sky Outdoors at www.billingsgazette.com/specialsections B IG SKY O U TDO O RS

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MONTANA WOUNDED WARRIORS

Provided by Neil Baumann

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ontana Wounded Warriors started our third year of taking wounded Montana Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan on hunting trips here in Montana with a visit to Trophies Plus Outfitters in Alzada. Once again, Mike and Ester Watkins and their staff made our wounded warriors feel welcomed and appreciated.

We took four wounded veterans on this trip. Ryan Rinaldi of Helena served with the 2/502nd infantry and deployed for two tours between 2003-6 in Baghad, Mosul, Samara and Fallujah. Devereux Stutsman of Kalispell served in the National Guard from 1989-2006 and was deployed with E Troop of the 163rd Cavalry 2004-5 in Baqubah and Kirkuk. George Burke of Hardin is a 22 year veteran of the Army as an infantry MP who deployed in 2003 in the Field Artillery CB53 5th Bat 3rd Field 20 miles north of Baghdad. Marvin Tetachuk of Lakeside served in the Marine’s from 1983-1992 then the Marine Guard and deployed 2004-5 with HC 1-161 in Baghdad, all served in Iraq.

Courtesy of Montana Wounded Warriors, Ryan Rinaldi

Courtesy of Montana Wounded Warriors, Marvin Tetachuck

Giving others the chance to thank these men and women for the sacrifice they have made for our country.

Giving severely injured service people the chance to get out and participate in activities that they may have felt that they would never be able to do again due to their disabilities Giving Veterans another opportunity to heal.

To help or learn more please visit montanawoundedwarriors.org

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Courtesy of Montana Wounded Warriors, Ryan Rinaldi

Courtesy of Montana Wounded Warriors (L-R) Ryan Rinaldi, Dev Stutsman, Stan Potts, Marvin Tetachuk, Mike Chapman and George Burke

We arrived in Alzada on Thursday night and got settled.

Marvin and Ryan had been fortunate enough to draw Antelope tags, so early Friday morning the two of them headed out with their guide Tom Baker, a veteran himself who had served in Vietnam. Tom knows the area very well from several years of guiding. By mid-day both of our hunters had filled their tags, and our trip was off to a great start.

The next morning the guys were all out early for the opener of the deer season looking for Mule deer. When they came in for lunch, they told of what they had seen and had missed shots at, but nothing down. When we all met for dinner that night, we hadn’t filled any tags, but Ester and Carol cooked us up a dinner that was a trophy in itself.

Sunday brought our second day of deer season and things picked up considerably. I was riding with guide Tom Baker and veteran Marvin Tetachuk, and we were lucky enough to watch as Ryan got his deer early in the morning.

After handshakes, pictures and lots of smiles we continued to see if we could find Marvin a “Mulie.” When we got back for lunch we saw that George’s guide Kurt had put him on a great Mule deer, and he sealed the deal with the biggest deer our group would take. The afternoon hunt saw Dev Stutsman fill his tag and that meant that everyone had filled at least one tag. That night another great meal, lots of stories and maybe a few adult beverages made for a fine evening at the lodge. The last day of the hunt had our group of hunters filling B-tags to take home some extra meat.

Get up to

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259-9877 Courtesy of Montana Wounded Warriors, George Burke

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BILLINGS, MT 59101

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B IG SKY O U TDO O RS

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MONTANA WOUNDED WARRIORS

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Provided by Neil Baumann

Saturday evening was Tim’s turn to hunt elk while TJ hunted deer and Saul shot ducks. Tim, like Saul the night before, saw lots of bulls, just nothing in range. The deer weren’t cooperating so TJ’s hunt was slow, and he started to wonder if there would be any elk left by the time he got to Schuett’s ranch. I tried to assure him everything would work out in the end. Sunday morning Tim got his elk while TJ hunted ducks and Saul took a break. He and his service dog had already had quite an adventure and needed a little rest. The theme of the weekend for the elk hunting was to go out in the evening, see bulls, get excited but no shots, and that was the same for TJ on Sunday night. Saul, who has only been hunting for a year and a half and has serious mobility issues, went out for the evening deer hunt alone. Deer hunting had been very slow but just before dark a doe came out and Saul filled his B-tag and field dressed his first animal.

Monday was Veterans Day, the last day of the trip, and I had the privilege of being with TJ when he took a nice 6 point bull. His shouts of joy echoed across the valley on a beautiful Montana fall morning. TJ’s worries of no elk being left weren’t an issue at the Schuett ranch.

Monday night had TJ and Saul hunting together with Dennis. TJ got a doe and Saul took his first buck, a wonderful end to a great trip. The hunting was great with three bull elk, one whitetail buck, two does and multiple ducks and geese going home to fill their freezers. The real story was the bond between these men, especially the two who had been wounded together and the people of Dillon who let them know how much they appreciated their sacrifice to our country. It was also a weekend of firsts; TJ and Saul had never killed an elk before, and Saul got his first Courtesy of Montana Wounded Warriors, Saul Martinez and his elk. buck.

Saul also got to experience a feeling that most of us take for granted. I would never go into detail about the wounds that any of our warriors received while serving, but I will say that Saul Martinez has the most serious physical disabilities of any warrior I have had the pleasure of taking on one of these trips. The idea that he had the chance to go out on his own and successfully harvest an animal must have given him a great sense of accomplishment and I’m glad we could provide him that opportunity.

I would like to extend one more thank you. Jeff Swenson of Helena is the action chair distributor in Montana. He contacted me several months ago to offer the free Courtesy of Montana Wounded Warriors, use of a tracked wheel chair for this hunt. Two of our vets on this trip have pretty seSaul Martinez and his guide, Blade Schuett. rious mobility issues so I asked them if they would test this unit out. They agreed but I could tell it wasn’t something they were real excited about. Jeff and his wife were kind enough to deliver the unit to Dillon. We loaded it into the back of TJ’s truck so it Our three hunters that arrived in Dillon on Friday November 8 were Saul Marwas ready to go into the field. That’s where it stayed all weekend long. Those guys tinez of Bozeman, Tim Colvin of Helena and TJ Smith originally from the Medicine wanted to prove to me and themselves that they didn’t need help getting around.

Lake area but now living in Billings. Tim and TJ both served in the 163 guard unit That chair in the truck was all the motivation they needed. when deployed in Iraq and were together in the same Humvee when it was hit by Jeff, your chair may not have been used the way you intended but it accoman IED. TJ was the driver and Tim was the NCO in command. TJ was hospitalized in plished its goal it got our wounded warriors out on a successful hunt. Thank You. country but Tim had to be airlifted to Europe. The two had kept in contact over the years but hadn’t actually seen each other since the attack. Saul was also deployed in Iraq and severely injured in an IED attack. We had told all three that this was a special place to hunt but I don’t know if they realized how great the weekend would turn out.

Friday night the hunting was kind of slow for Tim who was hunting deer and TJ who was hunting waterfowl, but their spirits perked up when Saul came back with stories of the elk herd on the Schuett ranch. Blade, the son of the ranch owners David and Shelli Schuett, took Saul around the ranch in hopes of getting a bull into range. They weren’t able to get Saul within range that evening but he came back telling of huge herds of elk with many legal bulls. They weren’t sure if he was pulling their leg but they started to get excited. The next morning, deer hunting was slow again for Tim but TJ got lots of trigger time as Jason was able to pull in lots of ducks and geese to his spread of decoys. Then we got a call that Saul had got a Courtesy of Montana Wounded Warriors, Saul Martinez’s duck hunt. bull elk and everyone was pumped. ontana Wounded Warriors third trip of the year was in Dillon, MT. This is the second year we have been blessed by the people of Dillon and allowed to bring down three of our Purple Heart veterans for an awesome hunt over the Veterans Day weekend. We would like to start off by thanking the folks who allow our wounded warriors access to their private property. The Tash’s and their neighbors, Dennis Rehse and Ron Fick, allowed our vets to hunt deer on property they own or manage. Jason Baker, who has a duck hunting lease called Montana Mallards, showed our guys some top notch waterfowl hunting. Then there is the Schuett family which has some of the best elk hunting opportunity in the state with great handicapped hunting access in a fair chase setting. We use outfitters on some other hunts but these folks not only allow access to their land, they also help guide the warriors to game on their property with no trespass fee. We want to thank them for their generosity.

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MONTANA WOUNDED WARRIORS

Provided by Neil Baumann

“Fly, birds,” yelled Austin.

“Hunt ‘em up, Mace,” commanded Scott to his dog, Macer.

It was a clear, crisp, sunny morning in the Knudsen family farm fields east of Culbertson where a group of eight made their way through the tall grasses, hunting for pheasants and prairie chickens. Walking abreast with the other six hunters were two exceptional individuals, Marine SGT/E5, K.C. Sivumaki and Air Force TSgt/E6, Aaron Evenson. Both residents of Great Falls, the men had applied months earlier with Montana Wounded Warriors for one of the organization’s yearly hunting trips and were now enjoying the experience firsthand. The men were accompanied by a group of energetic outdoor enthusiasts, including Scott Aspenleider, Travis Joiner, Austin Knudsen, Jordan Knudsen and Justin Breck.

With the help of Scott Aspenleider and the Knudsen family in making their private lands available to the Montana Wounded Warriors, Sivumaki and Evenson were treated to an all-expense paid hunting trip to be remembered. The men scored numerous pheasant and sharp tail during the three day hunt and Evenson also filled his deer tag with an impressive buck. During the trip, Evenson and Sivumaki were presented with brand new Winchester 308 rifles by Montana Wounded Warriors.

In addition to the exceptional hunting adventure, the men were treated to excellent homemade meals, as well as meals contributed by local business owners.

Montana Wounded Warriors provides wounded Montana Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with high-quality hunting and fishing opportunities in the state of Montana.

Courtesy of Montana Wounded Warriors, Front row: K.C. Sivumaki, Aaron Evenson / Back row: Scott Aspenleider, Travis Joyner, Austin Knudsen, Jordan Knudsen, Justin Breck

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Courtesy of Montana Wounded Warriors, K.C. Sivumaki (left) and Aaron Evenson (right)

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BLUE CREEK SPORT SHOOTING COMPLEX & PRESERVE

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The ulTimaTe ouTdoor shooTing experience!

Your Montana Outdoor Experience Starts Here!

ocated south of Billings is the newest and most unique outdoors facility.

Blue Creek Sport Shooting Complex & Preserve features archery, rifle/pistol ranges, sporting clays, skeet and trap shooting venues along with dog training fields and seasonal bird preserve hunting.

Our club facilities host numerous activities benefiting youth and family along with many organizations such as 4H, Safari Club International, Mule Deer Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk and Wild Sheep Foundation, to mention a few. Teaming up with these groups in support of outdoor sports and land use is beneficial in promoting and growing interest for our youth and future generations to come.

Some of the largest events are The Big Sky Youth Event and Blue Creek 3D Archery Shoot held during the summer months. These events literally have hundreds in attendance.

The club has an experienced and knowledgeable staff to host various private and corporate events allowing participants to experience a true western atmosphere while making full day accommodations for enjoyment.

Blue Creek is privately owned and operated and is supported by its individual and business memberships.

Openings are available for memberships as well as business advertising opportunities. For more information, call 406-670-1183 or visit www.bluecreeksport.com.

Game Bird Preserve Available NOW! Call For Details

Our bird hunts are tailored for your skill level and ability.

(While they last)

ve reser P e r c A 0 5 1

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Annual Family Membership

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Covered Rifle, Rimfire, Pistol & Muzzleloader Ranges ✦ spacious open shooting Berm Areas ✦ sporting Clays, skeet, Trap & 5 stand ✦ 3 Archery Ranges ✦ Dog Training fields ✦ Youth Air gun Range ✦

...and more!

1767 Bender Rd ✦ Billings, MT 59101 406-670-1183 ✦ www.bluecreeksport.com LET US HOST YOUR NEXT COMPANY PICNIC, PARTY OR OUTING • CALL FOR DETAILS

BIG SKY FLY FISHERS Jeremy Gilbertson

Offering guided fly fishing Trips On The Yellowstone RiveR Big Ho HoRn RiveR MissouRi RiveR

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Outfitter #8836 • 406-690-4752 • www.bigskyflyfishers.com 8

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know it’s hunting season (just got back from my annual family deer hunt, myself), but many of you may be thinking about taking advantage of the fishing on the Bighorn, as long as the weather permits. It makes sense, the river may not be as crowded this time of year, and the fishing is still pretty good. In fact, the water temperature (a major factor in determining how active the fish are) will remain in the same range as later spring/early summer for the next month or so.

Who doesn’t want to watch an aggressive Brown Trout chase down a streamer? It’s fun, but remember if

you have a few boats ahead of you doing the same thing, you can also key on any part of the river that’s shallow enough to be fished effectively with your set up. Usually this means finding shallow riffles (less then 4 feet deep), even if they are in the middle of the river.

Just learning how to fly fish? The Bighorn offers ample opportunity to work on the different techniques of fly fishing, with a good chance for success on your first day!

Tight Lines Jeremy Gilbertson