January 2015
Volume 1, Issue 2
January Volume 1 Issue 2
Publishers Notes By Raf Viniard Happy New Year to all my fellow hunters, fishermen and trappers and to those that call Montana home…the “Last Best Place on Earth!” I want to thank all those that helped Montana Woods N Water get off the ground in 2014. It was a year filled full of challenges and excitement. Trapping season is in full swing and lion hunters are still prowling about looking for that big Tom to tree. It may be snowy and cold but that has not dampened the dogs or the cat hunter’s spirits. If you are ice fishing or thinking about it…just remember to use caution…a dunk in the lake or river this time of the year may be the last bath you take. Here at Montana Woods N Water we are undergoing some exciting changes and looking forward to moving Montana Woods N Water in a new direction in 2015. We will no longer be printing a hard copy and there are many reasons for this decision but it boils down to the cost of printing, distributing and meeting some grueling deadlines. Starting with this issue we will be sending out story links via Facebook, Twitter, etc. every Publisher & Editor: Raf Viniard Tuesday and Thursday. We will still be covering all the same fantastic stuff we did in hard 406-407-0612 print but better and faster. Our writers were very limited as to what they could write Field Editor: Mitzi Stonehocker because of our print budget. By going 100% digital we will be full color and can now 406-544-1868 include active links to other news and information sources. Starting in February we will Sales & Marketing Director: be adding video links to some of our content and advertising. If you want a copy of any Kori Erickson issue, all you have to do is download it and print it from your home computer or take it 406-293-1478 to your nearest print shop. This new format will allow you the reader to better pick and choose what articles you find interesting and follow our writers more in-depth. Yes, we will still have advertisers and by going digital we can cut their advertising cost by 50% or more each month and reach thousands more potential customers than print alone.
Montana Woods N Water has teamed up with Big Bull Sports and the Sanders County Search and Rescue and will be holding a “Five Months of Fun” fundraising event. We will be raffling off some really nice firearms and other prizes. Go to www.montanawoodsnwater.com and hit the “SAR” tab for more information. While you are on our website you might want to swing over to our “Store” tab and see what we have on tap. Keep sending us your pictures and stories. We thank you for your continued support and we wish each and every one of you a healthy and prosperous new year.
Contact Us Montana Woods N Water 171 Clark Creek Loop Plains, Montana 59859 406-08-0576 www.montanawoodsnwater.com Email: raf@montanawoodsnwater.com
Flathead Valley Sales Rep: Misty Loveless 406-250-4191 Missoula Sales Rep: Vacant Pro Staff Writers & Photographers: Angela Gerych Pastor Jim Sinclair Dan Helterline Zach Butcher Paul Fielder Montana Mitzi Toby Bridges Sam Martin Toby Walrath Jason Badger Tony Rebo Editorial Policy: Montana Woods N Water (MWW) reserves the right to refuse to publish in any form of content that does not include the author’s name, complete mailing address, and/or valid phone number or e-mail address. Anonymous submissions will not be addressed or published. MWW reserves the right not to publish anything we feel is not in good taste or appropriate.
Front Cover Photo Provided By: Raf Viniard Location: Finley Flats, MT
TRAPPING
November Muskrats by Paul C. Fielder November first found me setting muskrat and beaver traps in a favorite marsh where the landowners wanted these critters controlled because of the problems they cause. The muskrats and beaver under-mined banks and a water storage dam and the beaver were also chewing up ornamental and fruit trees. November trapping is always tough for me because there are still deer and elk tags to fill and early freezes often ice me out of the marshes. But I like to trap the problems for the land owners that allow me to trap their land. I set out 10 float sets and 9 colony traps for muskrats, a 1 ½ coil spring blind set for mink, and three 330 conibears for beaver the first day. My float sets (described in this magazine’s August issue) are narrow enough to just hold a 1 ½ longspring trap on each end of the float. So, each float set contained two traps. I position the float along shorelines, often in protected coves in water deep enough to drown a muskrat. A fake feed bed is placed on each float with slices of potato and muskrat lure and mint toothpaste used to entice muskrats to climb aboard. The mink set was a blind set where I know mink cross a tree root at water level. I attached the trap with a one-way slide onto a slide wire fastened to the root and a stake in deeper water. The 330 conibears were set where beavers were crawling under a woven wire fence at water level to get to some trees in the landowner’s yard. I placed the traps in the bottom of the runs the beavers were using and propped them upright with braces... Continued on next page 2
TRAPPING Continued criss-crossed between the top corners of the trap. I drive a stick over the top of the traps and extra “fencing” along each side forced any beaver to have to swim through the trap to get to the yard. I invited this magazine’s publisher, Raf, to check my traps with me November 2nd. We checked some on foot and the rest by canoe. First we checked the property where I set the three 330’s. One held a small beaver and the other two were unmolested. I got two muskrats in a colony trap and a third on one of my floats. The landowners happily followed us from trap to trap. At the next ranch, we didn’t see a trap on either end of the first float we checked. But after wading out there, we pulled a muskrat up out of the water at the end of the trap chain wired to each end of the float. The next float had another muskrat and a
Muskrat Colony Trap
snapped trap. Next we came to a wide underwater run were I had set Muskrat Habitat two colony traps side by side to fill the whole run. One of these traps held a drowned muskrat. We started off in the canoe and the first float we checked was messed up and not like I left it. Luckily that good old 1 ½ longspring held a small beaver long enough for it to get tangled up and drown. I’d rather be lucky than good! The mink blind-set held a muskrat. The next colony trap, set in a run through the cattails, held 3 muskrats. Raf was starting to believe that I knew what I was talking about. We picked up another double on muskrats at one of the floats and a single muskrat at the last float we checked. For the first trap check of the season we got 14 muskrats and 2 beaver in the 33 traps that were set. The next day I checked traps myself and picked up another 8 muskrats and another beaver in one of the 330’s. I added a tenth colony trap and 6 more traps in likely looking muskrat runs and feed beds. Two days later I pulled all my traps. That last check yielded another beaver in a 330 and 10 more muskrats. Four beaver and 32 muskrats was pretty fair for the limited area I had to set traps. On November 8th I set 13 colony traps (I had just made 3 new ones) and five 110 conibear traps on another ranch at some small ponds and dikes that were being undermined by muskrats. The owner had requested that I “get rid of the muskrats”. I set a trap in every bank den that looked active. On my walk back to the truck, I noticed I had already caught a muskrat in one of the colony traps. A little further on, another colony trap held 2 more muskrats. Three muskrats while walking back to the truck after setting traps? Lucky again! The next day it was raining hard when I checked traps. The first colony trap held two muskrats. The next colony trap had 2 more muskrats in it, with 3 in the next one. A 120 conibear took a muskrat from an overland run in the vegetation. Another colony trap produced another triple and another one a double. A 110 conibear guarding a den entrance caught another muskrat. I ended up carrying 16 muskrats up the hill to my truck that rainy afternoon after I had re-set all my traps. Continued on page 13 3
FISHING BY SAM
Don’t Forget the Nuts and Bolts By Sam Martin There are many travesties which can befall the intrepid ice fisherman. Slipping, falling and frostbite are just a couple of the terrifying hazards humans face when they step out onto a frozen lake. I can happily say, however, that none of these occurrences have ever befallen me. The mishaps that do plague me are, in painful hindsight, to funny not to share. It was on a cold January morning some years back that my father and I strode out across the frozen surface of the Helena Regulating Reservoir. My hopes were high, having heard that the salmon were biting well along the water outlet. And the prospect of eating something other than my father’s notorious stir-fry that winter break was too much of an opportunity to pass up. After some skating and trudging Dad and I found a good spot amongst the bivwacks of our fellow anglers. Like a good military officer, my father got himself set up with a chair and a hot cup of coffee while I spread out to drill holes. After a brief inquiry to a passing fisherman I discovered that the ice was unseasonably thick, five to six inches. 5
Now while most people would scoff at such ice and fire up their motorized auger, I could only sigh and begin cranking with my manual drill. This auger, mind you, was no piece of craftsmanship. It consisted of three simple components; a handle constructed of bent copper tubing and an eight inch diameter bit which was just rugged enough for my purposes. Both of these pieces were held precariously in place by a rattling steel bolt which, inexplicably, never came with a nut to fasten it with. And so it was that I began the mindless routine of drilling holes and erecting tip-ups. Continued Next Page...
FISHING BY SAM CONTINUED Eventually I fell into a pattern and let my mind wander. I listened to the mysterious song of the ice, that sporadic pop and hum that fills so many people with a dread of treading upon frozen water. After several tiresome minutes I was five holes down with one left to go. It was a fact which gave my weary arms some great relief. They may be twigs of steel, but the twigs of steel can only take so much sustained punishment. As I started on the last hole, still lost in the siren song of the ice, I didn’t notice the odd rattling emitting from my auger. With the prospect of my task soon coming to a close I pushed harder, forcing the bit to eat through the ice with greater ferocity. At last I felt the ice give way and the auger became weightless in my hands. Initially, I thought that the sudden loss of sensation coming from my hands was just endorphins flooding my tired muscles. But no sooner had I imagined that scenario did I look down to see that I was only holding the auger handle. Just below my wide eyes was the bright red drill, disappearing into the murky depths of the Helena Regulating Reservoir. And lying next to the recently opened hole was a small rod of steel, glinting with sunlight in silent mockery.
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“Whoa now, hold your horses. Just because
Think Before You Skate
you got a bucket, rod and auger doesn’t mean that you’re ready to go out there.”
By Sam Martin
The temperature is below freezing, the wind is howling and the dog is frozen to the hydrant; sounds like it’s about the perfect time to go ice fishing.
Whoa now, hold your horses. Just because you got a bucket, rod and auger doesn’t mean that you’re ready to go out there. How thick is the ice? What are the fish biting on? What kind of hole spread are you going to drill? Did you do any prep work? Alright, well just slow down and I’ll walk you through it. As with any fishing scenario, the work you do beforehand is just as important as the effort you put into your hunt. This is all the more true when it comes to ice fishing. Without the ability to freely hunt for spots on a boat ones’ time becomes precious. You must pick and choose your battles without losing focus on the world around you as danger abounds on the unpredictable surface of our frozen bodies of water. So to the meat of it, as always I find breaking these concepts of mine into chunks makes the idea more manageable. In the case of ice fishing prep, I find there are four major points to address: Understanding the Environment, Personal Equipment, Fishing Gear, and the Fish. Continued on next page 6
FISHING BY SAM CONTINUED Understanding the Environment:
agents about ice conditions and consult the internet and television for We all know this land and its weather reports, a day may not be weather. Wind and cold mean that cold but sitting around cold ice nothing to us. However, this isn’t just can make those things into a any day out on the prairie. When problem. As I’ve always said, be venturing out onto the ice both cold smart. There’s no reason to endanger and wind become exacerbated, not to your life over some silly fish. It’s not mention the very nature of the lakes like they’re going anywhere. surface itself. In order to have a safe and profitable venture every angler Personal Equipment: must have keen knowledge of their This section is pretty simple. Dress environment. warm and in layers, don’t skimp on Let’s focus on the ice for a minute. the waterproofing. Make sure you’ve According to the U.S. Coast Guard got a spare set of skivvies and a towel two inches of ice is recommended to just in case, God forbid, you fall in. support the weight of the average Carry ice spikes around your wrist to human male, roughly 91 Kilograms or help pull yourself out of the water. 200 Pounds. That is, of course, These simple things along with handassuming that the ice is that thick warmers, plenty of water and a snack around the whole lake. And not are the commonsense basics. It everyone is 91 kgs. always helps to set all your gear up the night before so that, in the case It is for this reason that any person you forgot something then, you might wanting to go out on the ice needs an remember it later. Just use your intimate knowledge of their local noggin. It’s there to help. lake’s conditions. Just drilling a hole at the edge of the water is not Fishing Gear: enough. Water freezes first at the This section is really open to shore and works its way in. What if interpretation as every ice fisherman the rim ice is good but the main lake has their own style and preference. isn’t? And what about pressure For example, I like to carry a pair of ridges? Current and wind can heave rods and a backpack of lures where as ice, clumping it into areas of my father prefers to get a set of tipinstability. Sometimes these little ups and a bucket of maggots. To each doosies can be hiding under the his own I say, but each style requires surface, invisible to the casual glance. some pre-excursion contemplation. I know this sounds like a scare tactic There is one overriding concept to but what I’m trying to encourage is remember for ice fishing. Quality is for you all to get information before king. I don’t say this because I’ve got you go out to fish. Ask your local FWP 7
sponsors breathing down my neck (not that I’d be opposed to sponsorship offers ). I say this because the climate of ice fishing is hard. Gear freezes, thaws and refreezes over and over again in a brutal cycle. Crappy gear and components will shatter and break after such stress, typically in an inopportune moment. You want to know that what your using won’t give out on you when you need it most. But what is the best gear to buy? Well there is no real answer there. Every angler has their own preferences. All I can say is do your research. Every model of rod and every tip-up has its own plusses and minuses, ask around and find what works best for you. Continued on next page
FISHING BY SAM CONTINUED In regards to lure and bait choices, it is much the same as it would be during the warmer months, but I will focus on a strictly the vertical presentation. As always matching the hatch is a good rule of thumb to go by. If perch are the primary forage species Firetiger spoons and lipless crank baits tend to be effective choices. In other cases white and silver works well to imitate regular minnows. A key factor to remember though is size. Smaller baits which can be worked with a subtle presentation are more effective than their big and brawny cousins. But, as always, ask around at the local tackle shops as local knowledge in the troubling cold waters of winter can often tip the scales in fortuitous ways. The Fish:
Lipless Crankbaits
During the winter months water can drop below freezing and still remain a liquid. With all fish being cold blooded animals this drop in temperature can play heck with their motor functions making them lazy. Any angler wishing to catch these creatures must keep this fact in mind. It helps to do research into the specific species your hunting for as each variety has its own preferable haunts to call home. For instance, some trout Firetiger Spoons species move shallow in winter so that they are ready for a spring spawning run while walleyes prefer to hang around local forage to be close to the food. It takes a lot of time and effort to find out the specific movements of your intended quarry, but, as with all preparatory work, the results will pay dividends.
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8
FISHING BY TONY
The Next Generation
Once everything was in place, I was ready to drill a hole in the ice. I gathered up my gas-powered ice auger for which I refer to as Bob. Bob was a Christmas gift from my son two years earlier. In the past, I had always used a hand auger. Going from a hand auger to a gas-powered auger, well let’s just say, it’s so great you give your deluxe gas-powered 10” Frabil auger a name.
...just about then a truck comes plowing through the snow into the parking area and out jump “The Next Generation”.
Now Bob stays in the house when not on the ice. I like to keep him warm and safe. Bob has never let me down, he ~ By Tony Rebo~ has always started on the first pull, and I can drill holes As I took that first step from my truck and onto the fresh all day without any problems. snow, I noticed that I was all alone. A well-planned day of ice fishing in western Montana was ahead of me. My Bob and I drill plenty of holes, just in case I need to move around a bit. We settle in and we begin to fish for pike wife, and fishing partner, decided to sleep in as the temperature was well below the threshold of what she by jigging with smelt. will tolerate. My truck read the temperature to be -18 After an hour of jigging, I have only one fish on the ice - a degrees. small pike that we call a hammer handle. The sun is rising in the sky, and its warmth somewhat makes the cold temperature bearable. I am very thankful for the solitude, but because the fishing is slow I wouldn’t mind the company of another dimwitted fisherman in these cold conditions. Well, I got my wish because just about then a truck comes plowing through the snow into the parking area and out jump “The Next Generation”.
The air was brisk, and my nose hairs started to freeze right away. The silence was unreal. There were no sounds whatsoever. The birds were snuggled in their nests and there was no sign of any activity. I gathered my gear into one sled and more supplies into the other. I pulled the two sleds onto the ice about half an hour before daylight. I worked to set up my small camp, and chose not to set up the icehouse. I wouldn’t be there long, as I anticipated on catching my limit right away.
The four young men that bailed from the truck were laughing, hooting and hollering. I thought that one of them must have told the joke of the century. They gathered up their gear, all of which they could place in one five gallon bucket and carried their poles. They also carried to the ice what looked like a spud bar, axe, and the dreaded hand auger. They picked a spot close to me, and dropped off their stuff. They then returned to the truck and proceeded to gather a large amount of fire wood that they carried to their new residence on the ice.
Continued on next page
9
FISHING CONTINUED BY TONY These four young men went to work trying to get a hole in the them with drilling holes; of course, it was over by their spot ice with all of their various tools. One had the pry bar and pro- that I offered this service. One of the young men then realized ceeded to pound the 14” of ice, hoping it would eventually that there were several holes around me that were not being lead him to water. Another had the axe and was swinging the used. I tried to explain to them that the holes were mine and tool about in a manner that would make Paul Bunyan proud. that Bob had made the holes for me. Now I wouldn’t consider The third had the hand auger and began to drill a “The kid with the axe, well my best guess is that he was trying to spell something on the ice so that he could be spotted from a hole amongst the other passing search plane.” two. Now the fourth guy, he was the fire builder. He picked a spot in the center of all this activity and started build- myself to be selfish, but Hey! Bob and I worked hard on these ing his bonfire. The Next Generation went about this task for holes and they were mine. I soon gave up on the idea of keepnearly an hour. This is what they had accomplished: the man ing the holes as the boys were filling the holes with line. with the spud bar had chiseled through the ice about 6 inches For the next hour I was in the middle of four young men fishin about 20 different spots. He also managed to hit their 5 galing for pike. Between the sounds coming from the large box, lon bucket and punch a hole in the side of it, which for some (that they dragged over next to me) and the constant laughter reason caused the group to go into another uncontrollable from things I couldn’t come to understand, they were making laughing frenzy. The kid with the axe, well my best guess is me question what The Next Generation was all about. that he was trying to spell something on the ice so that he These guys were not following the rules. Fish won’t bite when could be spotted from a passing search plane. The other kid they are listening to some heavy version of AC/DC. I have no who had the auger had it stuck sideways in the ice. The only one who was successful, was the fire builder. Now he had his idea what they were using for bait, part of the time they had act together and in no time was able to create a bonfire equal just a plain hook. I actually watched one of them place a hotdog on the hook and then proclaim, “This will get ‘em, to that of a Libby Loggers homecoming celebration. boys.” Somehow the large fire managed to have a calming effect on Despite the odds I was able to I shared my The Next Generation. They started to laugh once again and smelt and excatch some supper! tell new stories about the whole fishing adventure that was plained the finer currently taking place. One member of the group ran to the points in catching truck and returned with what looked like a large refrigerator pike. I even box, which I later found out to be a speaker. Another young man hooked his phone into this giant box and before long the shared the type of jig I was using. lake was vibrating from the bellowing noise that came from They seemed inthe large box. Life was apparently good, and that was when terested, but not they finally noticed me. enough to try any They walked the 20 yards to my personal space marked out by of my ideas. I was my gear and Bob. They introduced themselves and started to very concerned a ask about the fishing. Of course they brought up the fact that few years ago fishing wasn’t normally any good on this lake, and that the that there would lake was only full of these small pike or so they had been told. not be enough I reminded The Next Generation that it would help to have a fish for The Next Generation, but after spending two hours line in the water if the expectation was indeed to catch fish. with these guys I realized that there was no way that the fish Once again they broke out into a never ending laughter, which population could ever be harmed from this crew; unless, of at this point I had grown to dislike. They inspected my gear course, they killed the fish by choking them with a hotdog. and the few fish that I now had on the ice. I offered to help 10
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FISHING CONTINUED BY TONY
FISHING BY TONY CONTINUED...The Next Generation was fun, but my patience was tested to the end and I had to move. Not to mention my jaw was froze in the wide open position from holding it there all day while watching what was going on with this group. I kindly excused myself and moved my gear and Bob to the far end of the lake. I regrouped and soon caught the remaining fish allowed. I loaded my gear and Bob into my truck and decided to check on the boys one final time. I stopped over, walked out to the bonfire and announced, “Well, I have my limit and I am heading home. You boys going to be OK out here?” “Oh heck yeah! What a day. We had a great day of fishing,” came from one of the crew. “Great,” I said. “Did you boys ever catch any?” “No, but I swear that Pete had one on once with that hotdog, but it got off right before he could pull it up through the hole.”
“OK then, well you fellas have fun and be safe.” On my ride home I was reflecting back on the day and my crazy experience with The Next Generation. At first, I was criticizing the day and then came to the conclusion that a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of working. The Next Generation didn’t have a clue as to what was going on, but it didn’t matter. They were there for the fun, the adventure and the memories. Take the time to get out this winter and try ice fishing. There isn’t anything better, and whether you catch any fish or not, remember it’s about living the dream. My hot tip for pike is this: Lynch Lake, Island Lake and Bull Lake are all hot right now. Jigging a silver spoon with smelt is very effective. In deeper water use a whole smelt with a double hook harness. Be sure to open your bail and let the pike run with the bait. They will always hit it twice. Set the hook on the second strike. Have fun and live the dream.
12
TRAPPING CONTINUED TRAPPING continued...The following day I was going to pull my traps before a big freeze hit which would have locked all my traps under ice. I only caught 2 muskrats in those second 24 hours. I figured that if I got 19 muskrats in the first 24 hours and only 2 muskrats in the second 24 hours out of those ponds, I think I did what the land owner wanted me to do. I caught muskrats on float sets using 1 ½ longsprings, dry runs through vegetation using 120 conibears, in underwater runs and bank dens using colony traps and 110 conibears, and in a blind set for a mink. A trapper uses the tools and methods that best fits the situation at the time.
Marsh Rabbit aka Muskrat Recipe ~By Raf Viniard~ Being an old southern boy, muskrat dinners rated up there with BBQ coon and Mountain Oysters. It was a treat to have such fine table fair. When I mention eating muskrat to Paul our muskrat trapping guru he looked at me like I had finally lost it. Keep in mind these little destructive critters are mostly vegetarians and pretty much eat what a rabbit eats except their dinner table comes from the water and marshy areas. They might eat a crawfish, clam or a mussel but so do fish. Paul “used” to keep all his muskrat carcasses for trapping bait until I came along. Its always good to know a muskrat trapper. Here is how you prepare the tasty little critters. Skin the muskrat all the way to his nose , gut and clip his feet off. Rinse the muskrat in cold water and then place in a plastic bowl. Do not cut up the muskrat into pieces, leave whole. Mix 1 Tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Mix as much as needed to fully cover the muskrats Pour salt water mixture over the muskrats until covered. Place in cool dark area or a refrigerator overnight. Repeat this cycle daily (2-3) until the water is clear and free of blood. Get a big pot and place muskrats inside and add enough salt water mixture to cover the muskrats. Add the following ingredients to the pot: Sage (Key ingredient) - 1 Teaspoon per muskrat Dash of Black Pepper— per muskrat Red Pepper Flakes - 1/8 Teaspoon per muskrat (adjusted to desire heat level )
Salt—1/8 Teaspoon per muskrat Dice up one large onion Bacon Grease - (there is no substitute) Two Large Tablespoons Cover and let simmer until fall off bone tender. You may have to add some more water as it cooks down. Slowly lift the little carcasses out of the pan and place on a platter, yes heads and all. Some of the best meat is on the head (cheek meat). Salt and Pepper to taste. My favorite side dishes served with muskrat are , collard greens, black eyed peas, slice of tomato and/or onion and skillet fried cornbread. Now that is eating. On the east coast (Maryland, Delaware & Virginia) a muskrat dinner can cost as much as $20.00 a plate with all the trimmings. It is even sold during trapping season in the local grocery stores in the meat department...yep right next to the Black Angus beef steaks. Go get em, but I have already spoke for all of Paul’s muskrats...back off! 13
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1- small box butterscotch instant pudding 1- small box vanilla instant pudding 4- eggs 1/4 cup flour 1 cup oil 1 cup water Topping 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 2 teaspoon cinnamon Mix together topping and set aside. Mix batter ingredients together in order they are listed. Spray Pam in bottom and sides of a spring form pan, layer half batter, half dry mixture, remaining half batter, sprinkle remaining dry mixture on top. Bake 350 degree for 50 minutes. Cool and turn onto a serving plate. Drizzle mixture of 1/4 cup butter melted, 1 teaspoon maple flavor, 1 cup powder sugar and enough real cream to make a thin drizzle. Slice and enjoy with coffee or tea.
Arnie Richards of Plains, Montana with a nice pike pulled from the Clark Fork River near Thompson Falls. What time is supper Arnie?
Next Issue Articles A Hunter Life - No Expectations by Toby Walrath
Smoke Poles - Christy’s Knife by Toby Bridges Kountry Girl - by Kori Erickson & Much More!