Mba fall 2014 issue

VOL. 42 #1 Fall 2014

PAGE 14 -

Chris Blaskowski

Bowhunter of the Year 2014

MBA Member Profile - PAGE 1O Ontario Moose Hunting - Part 2 - PAGE 11 Carp Safari 2014 - PAGE 12

Return service requested Montana Bowhunters Association PO Box 23611 Billings, MT 59104

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 120 Bozeman, MT 59718

MBA

Regional Representatives Region 1

Al Kelly

PO Box 219, Libby, MT 59923 ..................................... 406-293-2900 alman@frontiernet.net

Dan Moore

75 Haywire Gulch, Kalispell MT 59901 ........................ 406-756-7395 bigdanmt@yahoo.com

Region 2 Marlon Clapham

4455 Hoover Lane, Stevensville, MT 59870 ................ 406-777-2408 mbaregion2@gmail.com…

Kim Blaskowski 426 Lynx Lane, Stevensville, MT 59870 ...................... 406-381-9112 turkeyfootgirl@aol.com

Region 3 Brian Koelzer Region 4 David Stratton

80 Jansma Lane Manhattan, MT 59741...................... 406-570-7997 rocknrollbowhunter3@yahoo.com

markschwo@gmail.com

Region 7 Region 8

MBA

officers PRESIDENT

Joelle Selk 6963 York Road • Helena, MT 59602 jselkmt@3riversdbs.net • 406-422-6798 1ST VICE PRESIDENT

Paul Martin 110 Sage Lane • Kalispell, MT 59901 paulhmartin99@gmail.com •406-261-4456

2120 3rd St. South, Great Falls, MT 59405 ................. 406-452-3238 destratton@gmail.com

Mark Schwomeyer 60 Hruska Ln, Lewistown, MT 59457.......................... 406-350-0173

Region 5 Vacant Region 6 David Moon

www.mtba.org

97 Aberdeen, Glasgow, MT 59230 .............................. 406-942-0659 djmoon9876@gmail.com

Bob Morgan

P.O. Box 1995 Colstrip, MT 59323.............................. 406-749-0706 robertredface@gmail.com

Jerry Davis

725 Middlemas Road, Helena, MT 59602................... 406-475-2226 pipelinejerry@gmail.com

AT LARGE DIRECTORS

2ND VICE PRESIDENT

Steve Schindler 134 Sawney Drive • Glasgow, MT 59203 sas@nemont.net • 406-228-9024 TREASURER

Jenn Schneider PO Box 23611 • Billings, MT 59104 mtba@mtba.org • 406-697-7668 SECRETARY

Marian Stratton 2120 3rd St South, Great Falls, MT 59405 mnstratton1@gmail.com • 406-452-3238

EVEN YEARS

Roger Peffer 2517 9th Ave So., Great Falls, MT 59405 – regorp77@msn.com ..................... 406-452-0911 Seth Rogers

1425 Prickley Pear, Billings, MT 59105 – srogers@lamar.com......................... 406-670-5435

PAST PRESIDENT

Jason Tounsley 8630 Longmeadow Dr. • Billings, MT 59106

ODD YEARS

Adam Barker 1020 Valley View Dr., Great Falls, MT 59404 – adam.barker@ge.com ............. 406-461-2792

EDITORIAL COMMENTS The MBA Magazine is a quarterly publication of the MBA and is intended to inform, entertain and educate its members on happenings within the organization and to bowhunting in general.

PUBLICATION DATES AND DEADLINES

Stories, photos, or cartoons should be sent to Al or Teri Kelly at PO Box 23611, Billings, MT 59104 or email teray1979@yahoo.com. All materials are the opinion of the author unless otherwise stated, and are subject to being edited. All photos will be placed in the MBA Photo Ablum and can be viewed at the annual conventions. Any questions as to policies of MBA please write the President.

FALL ISSUE, DEADLINE, July 15 WINTER ISSUE, DEADLINE, October 15 SPRING ISSUE, DEADLINE, January 15 SUMMER ISSUE, DEADLINE, April 15

MEMBERSHIP INQURIES

Please send new memberships or renewal memberships to MBA Tresurer, PO Box 23611, Billings, MT 59104 or call 406-697-7668, register online at www.mtba.org or ask a member.

Donated by Christie’s Adventures and Box M Hunts

Retail Value $5,000 3 Day, 2 Night Hunt for 2 Hunters\Professional Guide and Trophy Fees Included.

Your Choice of Two of the following animals per hunter;

Duiker• Steenbock • Spingbock • Red Hartebeest • Warthog Includes Transportation to and from the Airport — Additionl Days and Animals can be added to your Hunt at additional cost. Included is a night Jackal Hunt If only one hunter goes on the hunt, that hunter cannot claim the other hunters days and animals.

Purchaser must Contact Dave Mumby within 5 buisness days at boxmranch@gmail.com or call 406-890-5729 Available dates are Feb., March, April or Sept., Oct., Nov., of 2014 or 2015. This offer does not include Airfare, Preparation of Trophies, or Shipping

Call for References: Jim Noffsinger 406-862-4306, Clint McCulloch 406-697-2375, Trol Johanson 435-881-6492, Darcy Barrett 403-652-7968, Monte McCulloch 435-792-3150

MAGAZINE CO-EDITORS

Teri and Al Kelly PO Box 219 • Libby, MT 59923 teray1979@yahoo.com

WEB DESIGNER

Lyle Hebel www.pixelelk.com MAGAZINE DESIGN K Design Marketing, Inc.

Kimberly Kinsinger 1613 South Ave. W. • Missoula, MT 59801 kim@kdesignmarketing.com 406-273-6193

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOL. 42 #1 Fall 2014

EDITOR’S NOTE

1

EDITOR’S NOTE

2

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Teri Kelly Joelle Selk 1st VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Paul Martin

3

2nd VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Steve Schindler TREASURER’S MESSAGE

Jenn Schneider

4 8 9

REGIONAL REPORTS TENTATIVES REPORT MBA CO-ENGINEERS A ONE ARM BOW MODIFICATION ONE ARMED BOW UPDATE

10

MBA MEMBER PROFILE ONTARIO MOOSE HUNTING - PART 2

12 14

CARP SAFARI 2014 Cover Story: CHRIS BLASKOWSKI Bowhunter of the Year

H

ere it is…issue #2 of our new format. We’ve gotten good feedback from our members on the changes. With the new format we have a little more room to use for content and we will strive to continue to provide a quality newsletter that is both informative and enjoyable to read. We’re adding a few new items such as the Member Profile which will be a great way to get to know some of our members. If you have suggestions, ideas or things you’d like to see in the newsletter please send them in. With the extra space we need your member photos and stories. If you’ve got a great story, please share it and if you aren’t into writing as much as I am then please feel free to contact me and I’ll do the writing for you.

The other big item we have coming up is a survey. We tend to disregard surveys, we put them aside and forget about them with the thought in mind that my opinion isn’t that big of a deal and plenty of other people will fill theirs out. It’s a fine way to think as long as you don’t mind if other people are making the decisions for you. In the MBA a survey is an important tool that is used to see what our members want. The people who answer the survey will help decide what stance the MBA will take on this important issue. Now, one of the things I jokingly tell my husband Al is that if everyone would just listen to me and do what I want them too, the world would be a much more peaceful and organized place. I know what my opinion is on this issue, so I’ll be filling my survey out and sending it back in which is what I’m hoping the rest of you will also choose to do so that myself and the others who do fill theirs out don’t have to make the choice for you.

So enough serious stuff. By the time you get this issue you should be well into planning the opening weekend hunts. I know I’m excited to get out in the woods as fall tends to be my favorite time of year. Have a great archery season and don’t forget to take pictures of your successful hunts!

Teri Kelly

teray1979@yahoo.com

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BUSINESS & CLUB MEMBERS VOL. 42 #1

16

Fall 2014

MBA MEMBERSHIP FORM PAGE 20 -

ski Chris Blaskow

the Year 2014 Bowhunter of

r Profile - PAGE 12 MBA Membe 14 - PAGE 14 20 ri fa Sa p rt 2 - PAGE 18 Car se Hunting - Pa Ontario Moo

reque

MEMBER GALLERY

About the Cover Bowhunter of the Year 2014 — Chris Blaskowski

Return service

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Fall 2014

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OFFICER’S REPORTS

Recap on MBA Activities

First Vice

President’s Report

President’s

Message

I

’ve been asked to speak on the MBEF. So I’ll begin by backing up a few years. When I had the idea of a specialty license plate for the MBA, we went through a lot of trouble only to find out that the necessary requirements to sponsor a plate makes a group such as the Montana Bowhunters Assoc., which fights for Bowhunters rights, ineligible. The idea was just too good to let fade away so sometimes I guess it takes a diehard like me to get back up, dust myself off and find another way to form an organization that can help the MBA and all the other archery and bowhunting educational groups in the state of Montana. I decided then that we needed some professional help, so I grabbed my good friend, the Powder River county attorney, Jeff Noble, and immediately made him Vice-President, and of course every good guy or guys in this case, needs a great woman to help them out, so my hunting partner Diann became the secretary and treasurer of the forming of MBEF.

I

t’s always hard to believe we’re halfway through the summer when we reach our fall newsletter deadline. It seems it’s easy to stay in denial about how quickly the summer goes until this point… On the other hand, it’s one step closer to fall and our glorious opportunities.

We’ve been very busy over the past few months hosting the carp shoot and various other activities.

Thanks to all those who have helped usher in our newest bowhunters, whether it’s been at a shoot, during bowhunter education, or during the membership drive.

Here’s a recap of some activities we’ve spent our time and money on to promote bowhunting: •

• • • • • •

Joelle Selk

Sponsored youth shoots at the Montana Public Land Users and Sportsmen event in Missoula to combat I-169 (anti-trapping initiative), the Youth Conservation Expo at the Teller Wildlife Refuge, the upcoming Jack Creek Preserve Youth Camp (July and August), and upcoming Elk Fever event in Billings (August 9) Sponsored $1000 in youth camp scholarships and bow giveaway during the Teller event Hosted the 12th Annual Carp Safari Contributed thousands of volunteer hours towards Bowhunter Education Conducted a membership drive, including hosting booths at Big Bear Stores in Great Falls and Billings Monitored Tentatives issues and submitted comments regarding wolf management Co-engineered a one-arm bow setup with Hickory Creek to accommodate disabled archers under the Permit To Modify Archery Equipment. We owe our thanks to Marlon Clapham, our machinist-in-residence, for his work to ensure the riser-mounted trigger mechanism works smoothly and safely.

Let me tell you it’s a great feeling when people believe in what you’re doing. Jeff ’s legal background helped to instruct us in the do’s and don’ts about the application process to the IRS and after an eight month incubation period, we received approval from the IRS, and the Montana Bowhunter Education Foundation (MBEF)Ltd. was official.

I collaborated with local artist Allen Jimmerson on the design of the first Montana Bowhunter license plate. With payments every month on the over $4,000.00 loan to fund the manufacture of the plate, we were in great need of some kind of donation. With the overwhelming majority of the board of the MBA, and the support of then president Jason Tounsley, we received a $1,500.00 donation which was greatly appreciated.

To date the MBEF has donated over $1,200.00 in bag targets to bow-ed instructors; 31 MBA youth memberships, and over $1,800.00 in donations to other archery educational organizations in our state.

The donations are great, but the true goal for this organization is to create a facility for a museum and education center for archery and bowhunting in the state of Montana.

At the time of this writing we are only days out from purchasing almost 45 acres in the Flathead Valley in which to build this facility for bow-ed classes with plenty of room for blood trailing, to host 3D shoots, and create an archery only area.

Check out our website at www.mtbowhuntermuseum.org don’t forget to get your BOWHUNTER

Survey

Paul Martin

As many of you know, the Pope and Young Club revised its by-laws this spring to exclude lighted nocks and bow mounted cameras from its “no electronics” rule. We plan to send out a survey soon on this topic to gauge member perception.

Membership Drive Deadline September 1 There’s still time to get new members signed up and be eligible to win a traditional or compound bow package, donated by Cookie Koch. The individual who signs up the most new members wins a Helle knife and credit for merchandise in the MBA store. Remember, you must submit your list of new members to Jenn Schneider to get credit for the new sign-ups.

Region 5 Resignation Michael Ros recently notified me that he must resign due to personal issues. We wish him well in his future bowhunting endeavors.

Joelle Selk

Paul Martin

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Montana

BOWHUNTER

WWW.MTBA.ORG

and

OFFICER’S REPORTS

Second Vice President’s Report

W

olves, I’ve attended several meetings the past few months, and when the wolf subject comes up I always hear that the wolf population has leveled out or maybe even declined by a few. At those numbers we still have plenty, but there is one thing that isn’t taken into consideration. The wolf population maybe is static or slightly declining in areas where they count wolves, but they don’t count wolves in all of Montana. In 75% of Montana wolves are not counted and they are on the increase in this very large area. There are more and more sightings in eastern Mt every year with wolf sign is becoming much more common. So the real question is….what is the total Wolf Population in Montana? It’s like having a full moon over your shoulder, there is a big shadow in front of us and I think we need to shed some light on it.

We also have some big decisions to make this political season, selling off or turning federal public land over to the states is not in any way shape or form a good idea. Soon enough States will find out that maintaining these public lands is far beyond states budgets and it’s feared that they will go on the auction block. Is there anyone who really thinks these lands will be better off in private ownership and in all likelihood out of state private ownership? Find out who the politician is who wants to sell off your hunting lands and send him packing.

Steve Schindler

Jenn Schneider

Treasurer’s Message

T

he 2015 Annual Convention is set to be hosted in Billings over the weekend of March 27th29th 2015, and we are pleased to announce the location which will be something new and exciting.

The historic Northern Hotel in downtown Billings has worked very hard to accommodate our group and we think you will find the hotel simply stunning.

A little about the hotel: In 2009, two brothers, Chris and Mike Nelson, began the process of bringing the Northern Hotel back to its historic place as the cultural cornerstone of downtown Billings, Montana.

The Northern now offers its renowned services so guests can enjoy the last best place to celebrate, convene, dine, and dream. The best hotel in Montana is back!

Steve Schindler

We need your help this year to register early so we can add more blocked rooms if needed. The hotel is offering a special rate when you mention the Montana Bowhunters Association and there are so many fun things about downtown Billings that we can’t wait for you all to enjoy. As an added bonus, the new Scheels store will be complete and we hope that will be a large draw for people to come to Billings as well.

Please check out the Northern Hotel’s website at www.northernhotel.com and we will have lots more information about the convention in the next newsletter!

If you renew your membership on the internet, now you will have a new option! It may look confusing at first, but read the options carefully because there is now an auto-renewing membership either yearly or every 3 years, it’s your choice. We hope offering this option will help stabilize our membership numbers and help you guys streamline your paperwork. We know life gets busy and things like renewing the ol’ MBA membership can get tedious, but your membership is our lifeline. We want it to be easy and painless and this is just another option. Of course, if you want to continue to do it the old fashioned way, that’s always available.

Here’s to a great hunting season everyone!

Jenn Schneider MBA Treasurer | 406-697-7668

Fall 2014

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REGIONAL REPORTS

Kim Blaskowski

Al Kelly

Dan Moore

H

unting season, Yahoo!!!!

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DAN MOORE AL KELLY

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iving half my year in region 1 and the other half in region 6 makes me see why the western hunters come to the breaks to hunt every year. In the Flathead, I have Whitetails and Turkeys in my back yard. At my place in Eastern Montana I have Bighorn Sheep, Whitetails, Mule Deer, Antelope, Turkeys and 4 other kinds of upland game. With the damage the feds did in Western Montana with the wolf deal, more and more bowhunters will look to eastern Montana for their hunting. Years ago when I showed up in southwestern Montana with my 7 plates the locals ask me why I didn’t stay in North part of the state to hunt. The same thing is going on in eastern Montana now with my 7 plates. So I’ve encouraged the locals to think more kindly with my new Montana Bowhunters plates.

When I do hunts in other states every bowhunter I come in contact with loves my plates.

Paul Martin our VP did a great job with the plate.

Every member in the MBA should consider having one of these plates on their rig. When I’m hunting elk in Arizona this year I will have mine on my truck so every bowhunter I run across will know I›m a Montana Bowhunter. I hope every one of you are shooting your bow and getting ready for fall bowhunting. Good luck to all of you this fall.

Dan Moore PS - and don’t sit on your bull when you take your photo›s, that’s a big no-no I’ve come to find out after having done it for years.

The years’ work in large part is all but done. I say this full well knowing there are always things that need attention and that we need to stay ever vigilant. One of those things is the survey you all should be participating in. We survey members and hold regional meetings to get input to formulate the positions that we take to either the commission or the legislature. That is what we do and we need you to do your part. Please participate in this survey that is the only way we can represent you. It really is that simple.

Now let me get back to my first thought; the years’ work in large part is all but done. It is my own self-delusional belief of that statement that allows me to enjoy my happy place. And my happy place is out there hunting. There is no place I would rather be, which is why I try to participate, be involved and do the work the rest of the year. We need to do the work necessary to make sure there will continue to be plenty of hunting opportunity in the future. So once again, I am going to ask you to please participate in the survey and if you can’t make it to our next regional meeting, call me and give you feedback, opinion, issues and concerns. If I’m not available please leave your contact information and I will get back to you. We haven’t set the date for the next region 1 meeting so watch your email for upcoming meeting dates.

Don’t forget to take a pack of sharp broadheads to your happy place,

Al Kelly

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MARLON CLAPHAM KIM BLASKOWSKI

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ummer has come and gone and hopefully it was a good one for all. In region 2 the rivers were full of fisherman, swimmers and floaters. I just wanted to recap the last couple of months here in Region 2. We had a cold but wonderful time at the Youth Conservation Expo.

So many kids showed up to learn about the outdoors and I think every single one of them got to shoot a bow at least once if not more. Marlon and Merri as usual, put in a great deal of hard work to make sure these kids had fun. A big thank you to the Claphams, we are very fortunate to have them in our group.

April brought a new job for me with the Cabela’s that opened in Missoula. I was lucky enough to win a bow-shooting competition with my fellow workers and then on to win the essay contest to be picked as the person who got to shoot the opening ribbon with my bow. I am the very first female in Cabela’s history to do this! What an amazing honor. I’ve never been more nervous in my life while shooting in front of thousands of hometown people, news cameras, Mrs. Cabela, and my family. Thankfully I was able to get it done on the first shot but you better believe I had a quiver full of arrows just in case :) No one in our household had any luck with drawing tags so far. My husband Chris and I were both lucky enough to get some very nice bears in Idaho this spring. Chris’s was a big black with a huge white chest and mine was a beautiful blonde with chocolate highlights and a small white patch.

Sadly, turkey’s eluded us once again, so now we wait for antelope, one of my favorite things to hunt.

I hope everyone drew the tags they wanted and the countdown has begun for hunting season.

Keep Larry Fischer in your thoughts and prayers as he is still battling cancer and giving it a really good run for its money.

Shoot straight and God bless,

Kim Blaskowski 4

Montana

BOWHUNTER

WWW.MTBA.ORG

REGIONAL REPORTS

I

t’s been a very busy spring. The Youth Expo went

on as planned, with over 350 youths participating.

The weather on the other hand was a different story requiring rain gear till abou 1pm but didn’t stop the kids, who shot arrows for five hours straight. The MBA gave away two Mathews Mission bows with on going to Hattie Stevens, 12 years old, who just finished her Bow-Ed the week before. That bow was donated by the MBEF and Paul Martin and was set up with a sight, rest, quiver and half dozen arrows. Hattie was one happy young lady. The second bow went to a young man, just turning 11, Ryon Weber, another happy kid.

The Expo gave 50 youths a camp to attend, and the MBA sponsored several of those kids. Once again the archery booth was the busiest and most attended. Many thanks go to those who gave up their Saturday to give us a hand. Merri Clapham, Charlie Johnson, Jerry and daughter Jackie Doyle, Kim Blaskowski and Dar for the etching on the water bottles for door prizes. I want to thank the MBA on behalf of the Youth Expo for the generous donations. We are already planning on next year’s fun.

The Montana Plus rally was put on by the Mt. Trappers to raise awareness for public lands use. The MBA was there with the shooting booth and although we didn’t have many kids we were able to share information about the MBA to interested moms and dads. Merri and I had help from Dick Solum and Dwayne Garner, along with Jackie Doyle. It was fun to watch as they helped these young shooters shoot their first arrows.

The next hooraw will be in Billings August 9th. at the Elk Fever. We’ll be there with the MBA booth set up with all the youth bows so all the kids and beginner adults can experience their first arrows. It looks to be a fun time, and the folks putting on the event are expecting a ton of people. Looking forward to a new group, see you there.

Youth Expo

Marlon Clapham into it. We made sure the commissioners heard our stand on a more aggressive approach and longer seasons during a time more conducive to trapping weather. I think all in all the FWP is on the same page but politics really get in the way.

I›m really looking forward to this fall›s archery season, chasing elk up in the high country, calling love sick bulls. It›s been far too long. The Mule deer bucks in our area are coming along with good growth, and I didn›t put in for a tag, might be a big mistake. The Whitetails are growing too, and we have more of them, so I›m happy with chasing them.

Let’s all try to get another Bowhunter friend to join the MBA and make a difference. Lots of issues coming down the pipe so be part of the solution not the problem.

Keep-Em Sharp Shoot-Em Straight

Marlon Clapham

Well, we finally got the chance to go check out the Carp Safari after years of hearing what a good time it is and I’m here to tell you it wasn’t a good time, it was a great time!!! The day of the safari the fishing was a bit slow, but we stayed over to try it again on Sunday and the water was boiling with carp!! We shot for six hours until we could no longer draw our bows. The three of us put over 300 fish on the bank!!! What a hoot. Merri and Cece went back the next week and got dozens more.

I went to an Open House Meeting with the FWP Commissioners to talk about things in general. The wolf lovers were there and they haven’t changed a bit. No matter what the topic was, they drug wolves and trapping

Region 2 Meetings as follows: Missoula August 19th at 6:30 at the Perkins restaurant on north Reserve St.

Hamilton August 20th. at 6:30 at Kodiak Jax on 93.

Dan Moore

Fall 2014

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DAVE MOON

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BRIAN KOELZER

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y goodness, where does the time go? It seems like last week I was looking for spring bears and just yesterday the special tags came out (my gal drew a goat tag!). By the time you all read this the nights will be starting to get chilly and fall will be near. As you venture afield this fall, try to let go of the craziness of life and soak up every aspect of your time spent in the woods. Instead of playing angry birds on your phone or worrying about the next work week maybe you should examine the intricacy of a spider web or just close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you.

traveled up to the Snowy Mountains this spring and was surprised by all the land buyouts. I had not been there in many years but remember from past trips how access to public land was few and far between. Now it is apparent from all the no trespassing signs that one ranch owns most of the private land around it. This is a growing trend I see more and more. Out here in Region six it is also going on. More and more land is bought by non-traditional ranch owners.

This makes me all the more thankful that there is lots of public land. This also makes me very thankful for all the land owners who do let you hunt whether it is through block management or on their own. They are true Americans and are one of the many things that make this country so great.

Summer is the time I try to make sure all my archery equipment is ready to go for the fall season. It seems like you start preparing early and then the next thing you know the season is open.

August 15th comes up real quick. Hopefully everyone has their arrows flying straight by now and is ready to go into the hunting season.

Dave Moon

Happy hunting,

Brian Koelzer

BOWHUNTER

WWW.MTBA.ORG

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BOB MORGAN

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y wife, grandson and I attended the carp safari this year and the carp won.

However, we had lots of fun, met some new archers and had a great meal. Thanks to all that put the safari on this year and hope to see you guys and gals there next year.

We also got to shoot bows with some youth groups that come to Lame Deer Montana every year to paint houses. “It sure is fun shooting bows and arrows” they said and I agree. I’m the biggest kid there showing them how to shoot recurves and selfbows. “Put your fingers like this, cant your bow like this, and point your finger at the target. No, not like that you silly.” We had a great time shooting and laughing.

Bob Morgan Dave Moon

Montana

REGION

REGION

Let’s keep getting ready for bow season and get out there and enjoy this great state and its bow season. Thanks to all the past MBA board members and its membership for the great job well done to protect our bow seasons over the years. God is good.

Good luck this season, be safe and have fun!

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JERRY DAVIS

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Since January I have attended a number of the EQC meetings. The EQC agenda item I believe to have the greatest potential to impact all public land hunters and fishermen is Senate Joint Resolution SJ 15. This resolution, which was authorized during the 2013 Legislative Session, authorized EQC to form an interim committee to study public land management.

Professionals and legislators from Montana as well as other states were invited to speak before the EQC. Presentations from some Legislators of other Western States strongly supported a Federal relinquishment of lands to the States. Without an intensive economic study I think consideration of this alternative is ill advised. Fiscally speaking, just one bad fire year in Montana could wipe out state coffers. As it is now, all of the US public helps to fund Federal fire suppression efforts.

Additionally before such a transfer could occur an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) would have to be performed. This would be at a significant cost and Montana could be expected to fund all or part of the study. Additionally I can only assume that there would be requirements that Montana still meet the various environmental laws for which Federal land management agencies must now meet and that proponents are hoping to circumvent.

Bottom line is such a transfer would end up costing the state a lot of money. I am sure that one of the options to fund the management of newly acquired Federal lands would be to sell off some of the most valuable lands. By valuable I mean it in terms of real estate, those places where developers can get top dollar. Most likely those places many of us now enjoy as wilderness get-a-ways for hunting, fishing, hiking, wildlife watching and camping.

Presentations were given as to the legalities of a State’s requisition of Federal Lands. Largely it was recognized that disposal of Federal lands to either State of private hands will face significant if not insurmountable legal hurdles.

Some presentations and testimony from proponents of States acquiring Federal lands focused on arguments that Federal Land agencies have mismanaged Federal Lands.

One such argument is that because the Forest Service has reduced timber harvest on Federal Lands the fires here in the west have reached epidemic proportions. I both agree and disagree with that point. Though timber harvest has seen significant downturns in the last 2 or 3 decades, all of the blame for fire frequency and intensity cannot be blamed on reduced harvest levels. There is no doubt that our climate is changing. The cause of that change is debatable, but whether the change is because of human impacts or due to natural phenomena the results are the same.

I have seen glaciers in this state shrink or disappear over the decades. I have observed and studied large expanses of thawing permafrost along the TransAlaska Pipeline corridor. The climate is no doubt warming. Along with warmer average temperatures

come more frequent periods of drought. Drought stresses trees which make them susceptible to insects and disease. Forest duff dries and grasses dry much sooner in the year. When a fires starts under these dry conditions it can quickly get out of control, regardless of our feeble attempts to control it. When Mother Nature decides to burn there is not much we humans can do to stop it. That is not to say that many areas that have experienced wild fire could not have benefited from timber harvest.

Timber management that is based on science and not politics can no doubt benefit the local economy as well as lower fire danger in some environments.

But I think it is inevitable that forest fires will increase in frequency and intensity as long as the climate continues to warm.

Another argument is that Federal land managers are not responsive to local concerns. And if a local Federal land manager makes attempts to respond to local concerns those attempt are often thwarted by upper level managers within the agency. Having been a Federal employee myself I can somewhat concur on that concern.

But I think that some agencies have made attempts to include locals. One example is the BLM’s Resource Advisory Councils (RACs). Each RAC consists of local residents who represent three broad interest categories: commodity interests, noncommodity interests, and government/academic interests. RAC members are chosen by the Secretary of the Interior in consultation with the governor of the state in which they serve.

Another example is the agreement signed in September 2013 between the DNRC and Northern Region of the USFS “to achieve land management goals for the national forests that meet local and rural community needs.”

Additionally it must be understood that Federal lands in Montana belong not just to the citizens of Montana, particularly those that live near them, but to all citizens of the United States. Often managers are making decisions that are based on Federal laws and requirements of which they have no control. Often those laws and requirements are meant to insure a sustainable resource, whether it is grass, wildlife, water, timber, etc. Those managers are often trying to balance the needs of the local residents with the needs of the general public of the US and the requirements of various laws that apply to those lands.

Many voiced a concern that the Forest Service is not being proactive enough in creating timber sales. Another issue is that “environmentalists are obstructing what few timber sales are being proposed. I would probably agree that it seems timber harvesting has taken a back seat when it comes to tools used for forest management.

Timber harvest is a valuable tool that a forester should be able to use to manage the ecosystems for which they are responsible. Responsible timber harvest can provide an economic benefit to the local community while at the same time creating valuable habitat. And we cannot forget that timber harvest can lower the potential for catastrophic fires in some environments.

Timber harvest if used as a management tool and not as a strict economic engine can be beneficial. I believe the Farm Bill is an attempt to restore some level of timber management through harvest. Legislation that would limit obstructionist litigation to certain timber sales would also be beneficial.

Something I did not hear about during any of the EQC meetings I attended was the impact a

Jerry Davis transfer of Federal lands to the States could have on grazing fees. In many parts of Montana grazing on Federal lands is what allows many ranches to stay in business when cattle prices are in the tank. Federal grazing leases go for something like 20 times less than they do in the private sector. If states were able to obtain Federal lands they would have to charge the going rate to be fiscally responsible. That could have the net effect of putting many ranchers out of business, leaving the door open even wider for private developers and moguls to procure private lands some of us may now have access to.

I was hopeful that this committee would be seriously looking at ways to improve Federal land management through agreements and cooperative efforts. Sadly though, because of what I observed during hearings on the subject, I suspect it has been a veiled attempt to form legislation requiring the Federal government to divest it lands in Montana to the State of Montana and then in turn to privatize much of that land.

I think there are solutions to the legitimate issues Montanans and local communities have with Federal land managers. A better solution is to apply pressure at the highest level of Federal Land Agencies to require them to work on a more local level and to be more responsive to local issues.

Forming local advisory councils to Federal land management agencies would be help. Passing laws that would limit obstructionist litigation against scientifically based management practices would also be beneficial.

The Draft report for Evaluating Federal Land Management in Montana is on the internet at http://www.leg.mt.gov/content/Committees/ Interim/2013-2014/EQC/Meetings/july-2014/ sj15-draft-report.pdf. Please look it over and make comments. The management of Federal lands is a complex issue.

But please make it clear that our public lands must stay public, and that the best guarantee that they stay public is to ensure that they stay under Federal management.

Hoping all of you that participated in this year’s Carp Safari had a good time. Sorry I missed this year, but hope to make it next year.

May your permits be many and your luck be good.

Jerry Davis Region 8 Meeting Bert and Ernie’s Tuesday, August 12th at 6:00 pm

Fall 2014

7

REGIONAL REPORTS

MBA Committees

DirectorsAt Large

T

he wait is over for most of us on learning where we’ll be spending time this fall with a bow in hand. I came up short in most of the draws so I’m looking forward to learning some new areas and finding the next hot spot to spend my precious remaining vacation days. I’m already excited to see the success stories from our members this fall, and hopefully I’ll have some of my own to swap. With all this activity at the top of our minds, it’s easy for other less glamorous items slip by.

One of the most critical things to try and keep up with is the upcoming legislative issues. I understand this does not register very high on the fun meter, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Increasingly, this aspect of our lives is having a greater impact on our recreational activities. Please take a few minutes to go over our upcoming email updates and provide feedback to steer this organization. Thanks

Adam Barker

K

udos to all who put together the carp shoot event at Canyon Ferry Reservoir… it was a ton-o-fun! The shooting was a little challenging as the carp were kind of deep but it was still lots of fast and furious shooting. I am going to try and get some more carp shooting done before much longer. I got the “carpin fever”.

I did some research to find out more about these interesting fish. Carp are the largest member of the Minnow family. They were first introduced into Montana about 100 years ago. The Minnow family includes fish like carp, chubs, squawfish, and shiners. Carp can be found in both rivers and lakes but they do not like fast moving water. Carp can tolerate turbid (or murky) water very well, and they also can live in water with low levels of dissolved oxygen. The state record for carp in Montana is over 40 pounds!

Several factors influence their spawning- temperature and hours of daylight. They start to become really active when water temps run above 65 degrees. Shallow water warms up fastest and that is where you will usually find them in June. Carp in some areas may actually breed up to three times over the course of the season. During that time they can lay a pile of eggs depending upon the size of the female. A large female may lay one million eggs a year! Eggs take 5-8 days to hatch and are a food source all kinds of aquatic life including adult carp. We have no shortage of carp in Montana and they make for some real fun for shooters of all ages. Grab your bow and fish arrow and head down to the lake or river and try and pick up some carp. I have decided I need to always keep a carp bow in the boat any time I go fishing!

By now you will have received your second issue of the new magazine format. This new format allows us to save a considerable amount of money in printing costs and allows us to help print extra copies for distribution at local shops and shoots.

If you are willing to help with distribution of MBA magazines at a shoot in Region 4 get ahold of me and we will try and get some to distribute at your event. MBA needs your support. Please talk to your shooting buddies and ask them to join MBA and support bowhunting in Montana. The legislature will be meeting soon and who knows what sort of crazy ass bills will brought forward.

MBA will be watching these bills carefully and working to protect our hunting opportunities. For the cost of two arrows you can join MBA and help us all fight for bowhunting…

Roger Peffer 8

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Tentatives

Report

W

ith the primary Tentatives Season wrapped up, the focus has turned to the wolf season proposals. FWP has approved almost no new changes to the wolf season despite the MBA’s continued pressure to do the following: • Wolf hunting season ending date of March 31.

• Wolf trapping season ending date of March 15.

• Allow wolf trapping on the Blackfoot-Clearwater, Fish Creek, and Mount Haggin WMA’s • Unlimited wolves per hunter/trapper.

Legislative:

Joelle Selk, Chair Jerry Davis Adam Barker • Steve Schindler Cliff Garness Marlon Clapham • Dan Moore

Tentatives:

Steve Kamps, Ex-officio Chair Adam Barker • Joelle Selk Paul Martin • Mark Schwomeyer Marlon Clapham Steve Schindler • Dan Moore

Financial:

Chair, vacant Jenn Schneider • Jerry Davis Seth Rogers • Joelle Selk

Landowner/Sportsman: Mark Schwomeyer, Chair Cliff Garness • Dan Moore David Moon

• Use of snares.

• More inexpensive wolf license prices.

• Wolf license included in the Sportsmen’s License The Commission also approved a 25 quota limit (with an option to approve up to 100 in 25 wolf increments) on wolves taken under SB200 which allows landowners or their agents to take wolves any time of year without a license when the wolf is a potential threat to human safety, livestock, or dogs. The MBA supported the idea of SB200 but questioned why a limit, especially one so low as 25 with check in’s, was even necessary when it obviously wouldn’t begin to shoot enough wolves to put the species in jeopardy here in Montana.

Also of wolf interest is the proposal to create a wolf stamp where individuals could donate funds to FWP in the name of wolf management here in Montana. The MBA sent out a member update on email on this issue. Some people really dislike the idea as it might give more financial and political clout in regards to wolf management to non-hunters while others say it’s about time they finally start paying for wolf management too. While the official deadline to comment on this was July 25th, a decision won’t be made for some time, so there is always time to let your voice be heard.

Archery season will soon be upon us and then the upcoming Legislative Session will follow this winter. Enjoy your hunting seasons and stay informed and involved.

Steve Kamps

Nominations:

Chair, vacant Adam Barker • Al Kelly Paul Martin • Steve Schindler

Awards:

Roger Peffer, Chair Al Kelly • Steve Schindler Marlon Clapham Cliff Garness • Jenn Schneider

Membership:

Chair, vacant Jenn Schneider Joelle Selk • Seth Rogers Kim Blaskowski

Convention 2015:

Sean Dunn, Chair Jenn Schneider • Seth Rogers Joelle Selk • Adam Barker Roger Peffer

Magazine:

Al & Teri Kelly, Co-Chairs Steve Schindler • Roger Peffer Joelle Selk • Kim Blaskowski

Website:

Webmaster, Lyle Hebel Joelle Selk • Jenn Schneider

Carp Shoot: Joelle Selk, Chair

Bow-Ed:

Al Kelly, Chair Marlon Clapham • Brian Koelzer Bob Morgan • Mark Schwomeyer David Moon

MODIFIED ARCHERY EQUIPMENT

PERMIT TO MODIFY ARCHERY EQUIPMENT (PTMAE) UPDATE

MBA Co-Engineers a One-arm Bow Modification History of PTMAE

One-Arm Bow

UPDATE During the Greatfalls Convention general meeting, I introduced a one arm bow. Let me explain the reasons why we perused the project.

Once again there is a threat to push for the x-bow for the physically impaired to use during the archery only seasons. So we set out to find a solution for a person who has only the use of one arm. Under the laws set forth by the FWP to aid a physically challenged person it is in place for them to use a draw loc.

Exception: Physically disabled bowhunters certified by FWP with the Permit To Modify Archery Equipment (PTMAE) are exempted from the requirement of holding or shooting the bow with their hands.

The Draw-Loc. falls under this exception. But they are still difficult to shoot with one hand.

Hickory Creek builds the Draw-Loc. so with his blessing I modified his setup for a one armed person. I put all the safety locks and trigger up front on the riser. Now the bow can be drawn by the shooter with one hand, place the arrow on the rest and shoot the bow entirely with one hand.

Over the summer I have been in touch with several folks who are involved with the Wounded Warriors program both here in Montana and Idaho, they were happy to see the product as they had warriors who will be wanting to give this a try.

We hope this might ward off the x-bow and maintain our archery only for many seasons to come. Only time will tell.

BY MARLON CLAPHAM

In March 2001, the MBA recognized that Montana’s equipment regulations did not provide accommodations for the physically challenged who wished to bowhunt in Montana. It was evident that some modifications of the archery regulations were needed in order to provide bowhunting opportunity for the disabled. In August 2001, we submitted a proposal to the FWP Commission to create opportunity by allowing those who are unable to draw and hold a legal hunting bow due to a permanent upper body disability, to use certain modified archery equipment such as a draw-lock device during the archery only season.

The FWP Commission formally adopted the PTMAE into the regulations in February 2002.

The Permit To Modify Archery Equipment (PTMAE) allows qualified disabled individuals to use certain modified archery equipment such as a drawlock devices and other adaptive devices. These adaptive equipment modifications help preserve the fundamental nature of bowhunting in Montana.

We are pleased to announce the roll-out of a new variation to the adaptive equipment modifications allowed under the PTMAE. Marlon Clapham, one of our Region 2 representatives, is a machinist by trade and has upgraded draw-loc adaptive equipment to allow an archer to support the bow and shoot with only one arm. Following is Marlon’s evolution of the single arm setup.

Evolution of One-arm Draw Loc Adaptive Equipment Over the course of the winter, I worked with Jerry Goff at Hickory Creek, the maker of the Draw-Loc device. Jerry had a prototype of a riser-mounted trigger, but it was not quite what we needed. With his blessing, I machined a couple of modifications to his design, making the trigger action smoother and safer. In this way, a bow can be drawn, supported, and shot by the shooter with one hand. The included pictures depict the trigger mechanism and how an archer steadies the bow against his chin for the shot. This setup is far superior to a crossbow in that an arrow can be placed on the string, drawn, locked, and shot accurately one-handed without any kind of a brace or other support. This allows a disabled archer much greater independence and autonomy in a hunting situation.

This summer, I have been in touch with several folks who are involved with the Wounded Warriors Program both here in Montana and Idaho. They were happy to see the product, as they know warriors who will want to give this a try.

This newest adaptation under the PTMAE will help us ward off the push for crossbow use during archery-only seasons and protect our Montana bowhunting heritage.

Fall 2014

9

MBA MEMBER PROFILE

MBA Member Profile Jerry Davis

BY AL KELLY

J

erry is currently the lone Region 8 representative and has been on the job for 2 years. Jerry is a lifetime resident of Montana and is the 3rd generation of his family to live in Montana. Jerry was raised in Fort Peck and has spent a lifetime hunting and fishing in Montana with a short break while he served in the US Army. Jerry graduated from Glasgow high school in 1970 and after his military service, working at several different trades around Montana to put himself through college. In 1975 he married his wife, Claudia, and graduated from Flathead Valley Community College with an Associate of Science Degree. In 1985 Jerry completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. Since then he has worked as an engineer for various government agencies in Montana and Alaska. Eventually Jerry and Claudia landed in Helena where Jerry retired from Federal service and is now working part time and volunteering for various engineering groups.

What is your involvement in representing the MBA and testifying at legislative hearings?

I serve as the representative of region 8 so I perform duties such as holding regional meetings and I also serve on the finance committee of the MBA. In this position I receive feedback and input from MBA members in region 8 as well as what issues, concerns and opinions members in other regions have on important legislative issues.

I spend time collaborating with other members of the legislative committee formulating MBA’s position and testimony on various bills that affect bowhunting and the resources we hunt. MBA member input as well as MBA’s Mission and Goals in large guides our actions.

How do you prepare?

Everyone has a different approach. This is the approach I use when I am responsible to create testimony for a legislative hearing of a Bill. First I thoroughly read the Bill so I can understand the

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effects of the Bill on bowhunting or the wildlife we hunt. Then I often consult with other committee members to firm up MBA’s position. After I understand what the MBA’s position will be on a given bill I create an outline with thoughts of how MBA’s position does or does not support the bill.

From the outline, for lack of better words, I fill in the blanks to develop a written testimony. Then I proofread it and revise the testimony, often many times, until it sounds acceptable. Once I have a good draft I like to have other members of the legislative committee review it and tell me what they think. If need be then I revise the testimony again. Then I rehearse presenting the testimony, trying to not simply read the testimony. I try to keep my oral testimony between 3 and 5 minutes and I try to highlight the key points often more than once. It is important to be brief but concise so rehearsal is important. It is often during practice that I find elements in a testimony I may not feel comfortable with so I research and if needed amend the written testimony. All of that rehearsal and rewriting prepares me to answer questions I may be asked during the hearing. When I think I am prepared and when I think the written testimony is as good it is going to get, I make enough copies of the written testimony for dispersal to each member on the legislative committee I am testifying before.

It is very important to be practiced and prepared.

What do you personally get out of this?

The satisfaction of doing the best I can to guard the issues that protect our bowhunting and the North American wildlife model. Being able to communicate MBA’s views and interact with our lawmakers and be comfortable that they understand our stance on issues.

Would you like to see the role of the legislative committee change and all and if so how?

During this last session we in the public hunting and fishing community were fighting a defensive

battle.

We had hard W all ll h d to work kh d to kill bills trying to bypass the FWP Commission’s authority, remove Hunter Safety requirements, reduce or eliminate funding for FWP Conservation Easements, and hamstring FWP’s management efforts of Big Horn Sheep, to name a few. Of course we had some victories, such as allowing a much more lenient wolf season while ensuring the wolf will not be relisted and putting greater restrictions on those wishing to obtain a permit to hunt from a vehicle. But for the most part my efforts were to kill legislation and not to support it. I would like to see our committee become a little more proactive in formulating some bills that would support public hunting and specifically bowhunting and the North American Model of Wildlife Management in Montana. Of course this means cooperating at times with other sporting groups that for the most part hold the same principles as MBA.

How important is the legislative committee to bowhunting?

It is very important. It is because of MBA’s efforts during the Legislative as well as the FWP Tentatives sessions that we now have a full 6 week bowhunting season. MBA efforts have stopped the use of crossbows during our bowhunting season.

MBA has worked valiantly to stem the flow of high tech archery equipment into bowhunting.

Hunting equipment that holds the potential to give a greater advantage to the bowhunter than now exists. In the future it will be due to MBA efforts that bowhunting in Montana will remain a hunting sport of stalking, tracking, etc., and not simply another method to take game.

ONTARIO MOOSE HUNTING

Ontario Moose Hunting TIPS BY STEVE SCHINDLER

Part 2 Logistics As we learned in the first installment of Ontario Moose Hunting, we know we have to have the patience of an oyster to hunt moose, so here‘s more info. In Ontario you are not required to have a guide, but you will have to go through an outfitter and buy your licenses from him, use his services, and hunt in his designated area. Most of the moose Outfitters are also fishing camps and lodge operators; they have a predetermined number of tags allowed to them. Do a bit of research on the lodge, some take moose hunting pretty serious and some don’t. There are two different types of moose hunts available: fly in to a remote lake, or a drive in hunt. I have only done the fly in hunts.

With the fly in hunts you can be assured that you will be the only ones on the lake and will have zero competition from other hunters. The drive in hunts are quite a bit cheaper and in a lot of cases are very good hunts, but because they are drive in hunts any resident can also access the area and you run the risk of having unwanted company. To be fair, the lodge operators who are serious about their moose hunting will have drive-in areas that will provide good moose hunting free of other hunters. With the fly in hunts the ideal number for your moose hunting party is 3. At each set up you will have 1 caller and 2 shooters and with 3 hunters you only have to deal with one boat. Most of these fly in lakes are pretty small lakes, 1000 to 1800 surface acres. If you try and split up into 2 groups, you are calling to the same moose and making twice the noise. Also, if you spread out into two groups, you will use up all of your calling spots really quickly, so 3 is the best group size. With a drive in hunt it’s possible to spread out enough so that you could accommodate more hunters and split up.

Environmental Factors Temperature is probably the biggest factor that will determine success. Moose just don’t move much when the daytime temps get above 60 degrees. The other problem with higher daytime temps is bugs, arrrggghh - the black flies and mosquitoes can drive you over the edge! A headnet and tight fitting gloves that have Velcro straps at the wrist are must have items. Headnets seem to be mostly green mesh and when looking into the sun they really shine and the glare you look through makes it very hard to see. If you take a black magic marker and black out the netting, at least where you look thru, it will solve that problem. With the headnets and gloves you can very comfortably handle the bugs, but nothing beats a few frosty nights to really get rid of them. The bites from these black flies are pretty bad and tend to itch like crazy for a week, so another must have item is some of the itch relief stuff like “After Bite”, it works pretty well if you use it several times a day on the

same bites. I don’t want to give the impression you are constantly dealing with these pesky critters, but if you aren’t prepared those very few times the bugs are bad, you will wished you had the After Bite, headnets, and the gloves.

Boat Strategies First, some tips on dealing with the boat.

Moose live with lots of noise, but they live with moose noise, not human noise. On these fly in hunts on the remote lakes, you will be hunting out of an aluminum boat, and aluminum boats are extremely noisy with human noise. There are a few things you can do to help with this problem. When beaching your boat, don’t bang into the countless rocks along the shore line, ease in and get out and pull it up to where you’re going to tie it off. Use some of the hundreds of waterlogged logs along the shore to create a cushion for the boat to rest on.

Always wear at least knee- high rubber boots. I like hip waders, with about 600 grams of insulation.

These will be plenty warm. Each guy will have a pack he takes to his stand. With these packs, try not to have one with huge plastic buckles, they flop around while taking them in and out of the boat, and when they hit the aluminum boat it’s obviously not a natural sound to the moose. In Ontario, you have to have your bow cased while transporting, so this helps muffle the bumps of loading and unloading your bow, but keep in mind the case also has noisy buckles. Most of these boats have 10 to 15 hp motors. Keep in mind that the moose have listened to fisherman all summer, so the motor noise itself isn’t too terrible. A steady drone of a motor isn’t problem, but stop and go bursts can create a difference that alerts the moose. When approaching your calling spot, idle down about a ½ mile prior to your tie off point on shore and then quietly glide in. We used a portable depth finder with a GPS feature, this is not a must have item, but it was sure handy when traveled in the dark.

On one of our mid-day scouting trips we found an area that was loaded with very fresh moose sign, lots of scat and beds and a rut-pit. It was like hitting the mother lode. We decided we had to hunt this area. On the return trip that afternoon while beaching the boat all was going well UNTIL I knocked the depth finder’s battery off the boat seat, knocking it to the bottom of the boat. Of course this didn’t sound like a moose noise and it was, in fact, the loudest noise I had heard in the past 6 or 7 days. Well, I’m not positive, but we hunted the moosiest area that had the most sign I had ever seen, but in 2 ½ days we never got one response or had any moose action at all. I am convinced the battery hitting the bottom of the aluminum boat was what screwed up that spot. So, in a nutshell, do whatever you can to be quiet while around the boat – it is vitally important.

Hiding your boat is also important. In general, moose don’t seem to be afraid of beached boats but you don’t want a moose snooping around it. One of the top guides in the area recommends falling 2 trees into the water and slipping your boat in between them. This does hide your boat well, but has other advantages. If a moose would happen to walk down the beach towards your calling, he won’t come up to your boat and start sniffing around.

With the trees shielding the boat, the moose will have to walk around the barrier far enough so that he won’t have the chance to check the boat out and potentially smell your scent and leave the area. It isn’t always possible to fall trees, but you can look for trees that are already down. Do what you can to keep the boat “moose free.”

Setting Up After you fly in, one of the first things you should do is set your calling spots. For a ten day hunt, you should have at least three spots and you will have to prep them for fairly easy access in very low light. After you have decided what areas you are going to use as calling spots, you’ll need to prep these areas. Pick a spot you can shoot towards the lake shore and the ever-present moose trail that will be 5 to 10 yards paralleling the shoreline. These moose trails are in a thick cushion of sphagnum moss that covers nearly every square inch of the bush and the trails are nothing more than a shallow depression in the moss. Moose trails are pretty subtle, unlike the cattle trails or deer trails we’re used to. It’s important to keep the noise down while accessing calling spots. Making some moose noise while walking in isn’t a real problem, but you don’t want to overdo it either. Along the lake shores a lot of brush is ten feet or higher and thick, so you’ll need to cut some shooting lanes so you’ll have a clear shot when you get a moose coming into the call and he is headed your way.

The moose can look right over it, but you have to be able to shoot through it and you also need to remain hidden so leave some brush to conceal yourself. Having a moose 5 yards away and not being able to get off a clear shot is very common with unsuccessful moose hunters. Ten to fifteen yards back from the lakeshore the brush tends to clear and the black spruce shades out any sunlight for any under growth. If this is where you’re going to set up, you will have to build some sort of a make shift blind. It’s easy to do, always have some large pruning loppers just cut off some 5 or 6 foot high spruce trees and just stick them in the moss around you they will stay put very well. Walking into your spot and getting poked in the eye with a low hanging branch isn’t great either so clear that stuff out as well.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Fall 2014

11

CARP SAFARI 2014

A

s I planned this year’s Safari, I happened upon some old magazines where the original Carp Safari was featured. It made me think about the saying “there’s nothing new under the sun!”

Apparently, the original version went on for quite a number of years before either going out of fashion or dying due to folks burning out. In any case, I’m sure glad we continue to have support in Region 8 to pull it off and enough crazy bowfishers participating to make it go every year!

12th Annual

One of the most encouraging things I see each year is the excitement and growth of our youth participation. Thank goodness for parents who make the effort to get their kids out to experience this bowhunting extravaganza. For many kids, it will be their first success at live quarry and will likely plant the seed for future big game successes.

Although these harvests seem humble (and perhaps even inedible), they pave the way for our future bowhunters. The potential rewards cannot be overstated, so I heartily thank all parents and our volunteers for their efforts in making the Carp Safari a success.

This year’s competition featured 101 participants, with the bulk of those being 2-person teams. It’s always fun to see everyone vy for the winner’s position, and in recent years, not just a few “dark horses” have won. Take for example this year’s Most Fish winner, Mike Prescott, who took 94 fish, which was more that the 2-person team hauled in! And, the 2-person team of Carl Grassel and Ross Wetzler, who were first-time winners. In fact, Carl Grassel doubled with an individual Big Fish win.

Now, a 12 lb. fish doesn’t seem like a big deal, but I’d like anyone in the crowd to look at a pile o’ carp and try to pick out the biggest one for the win!

The youth winners, Bret Williams and Colter Zink, performed admirably with their 9 lb. Big Fish and 2 lb. Small Fish harvests. Many participants have observed that the “small fish” winners are just as accomplished as any others, since they have hit the smallest target!

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We crowned a new Carp Princess, Isabelle Kapan. June LePage once again presided over the royal ceremony and ensured the proud heritage was passed along to a new monarch. We hope Isabelle can attend to all her honorary duties throughout the coming year and return to hand off the tiara to a new princess.

Special thanks goes out to our sponsors, Muzzy and AMS Bowfishing, as well and Judy and John Ulberg, who each donated a painting and a set of earrings for the raffle.

Of course, I must offer copious thanks to our volunteers, without which the event would not be possible. The local crew always comes through for the weigh-in and award ceremonies and various other members assist with the hamburger feed and organization.

A big thank you to the following people who assisted during the event: Craig Marr, Marvin Drake, Gail Delp, Tim Reilly, Larry Boxsom, Jim Gosink and his wife, Pam, Teri Kelly, Marian Stratton, the LePage family, and the Garness family.

Team Most Fish

Adult Most Fish

2014 Winners

Mike Prescott - 94

Adult Big Fish

Adult Small Fish

Carl Grassel & Ross Wetzler - 75

Mikael O’Neal – 2 lbs. 2 oz.

Bret Williams – 9 lbs. 2 oz. (retriever reel)

Youth Small Fish

Youth Big Fish

Carl Grassel – 12 lbs. 5 oz.

Colter Zink – 2 lbs. 10 oz.

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Fall 2014

13

COVER STORY

Chris Blaskowski Bowhunter of the Year 2014

BY CHRIS BLASKOWSKI

I’ve never really believed in shooting stars, but that may have changed . . .

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s luck would have it my elk season lasted all of two days with another two days spent packing. This left me no choice but to hit the whitetail woods about a month earlier than I usually would normally do. With a pocket full of doe tags and two buck tags this year, I was content to spend some time in the stand. The Bitterroot valley is a gorgeous place in the fall and September 15th was no exception. The cottonwood leaves were beginning to take on a slight tint of yellow and a cool breeze made me glad to have brought my wool hat. Kim and I were in a pair of tree stands placed about 150 yards apart where we were hoping to intercept deer leaving an alfalfa field and heading back to bedding cover along the river. We decided to wait till about 9 to shoot any does in case a mature buck wandered by. A steady stream of deer filtered into our woods at first light with several small bucks that passed by and several does offered tempting targets as we patiently waited.

Suddenly, I saw a mature buck closing in from my right. The increase in heart rate instantly told me this buck was a shooter. As luck would have it, he turned and fed by at 15 yards. One shot through the chest and he tipped over a mere 45 yards from my stand. While I was thanking the Lord and letting my heartbeat return to normal a small group of deer moved through from Kim’s direction. One deer stood out among the rest. He had a tall rack full of tines and even though I only saw him for a few seconds I knew I would love to punch my second tag with him.

As Kim met me by my downed buck we talked about “the big one that got away”. Kim said we will call him “Big Boss” and “I don’t care who gets him” she said, “as long as he ends up on our wall”.

The fall flew by as we spent time training a new

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puppy and punching a few doe tags. Though we were always hoping to see “Big Boss” again he spent his time in hiding preparing for the rut. The days flew by and encounters with mature bucks were few and far between. After a dark to dark sit the 3rd Saturday in November I started to question myself.

I knew “Big Boss” should be chasing the ladies but I was only seeing small bucks. The next day while sitting in the stand I noticed a tree I have passed by many times begging for my stand. I climbed down at midday and moved to this new tree for the remainder of the day. Right before dark I had a 4x and a 5x chase a doe right under my tree. Although they were too young I felt this was a good omen.

Black Friday was my next chance to sit this stand.

This is one of my favorite days to be in the stand as last year I watched Kim drop two bucks with two perfect shots on this day. The morning started in the pitch black heading to my stand. A shooting star flashed out of the western sky and I smiled and silently made a wish. The morning was silent so I was extra careful to be quiet as I climbed into my stand. Right away I noticed a young buck pestering a doe out on the gravel bar. I grunted to him just to see if I could get a response. As I was watching him I heard something in the grass and turned my head, and there he

was! “Big Boss” was about 60 yards out snooping around. I grunted to him and he slowly headed in my direction. He came to about 40 yards and froze, surveying the area for the buck he heard.

After what seemed like an eternity he let out a huge grunt and started my way at a steady walk. I drew back and he obliged by stopping broadside in my opening. I hastily aimed and let the arrow fly. I didn’t see the hit but instantly knew he was hit hard by the way he was running. Just as doubt started to enter my mind I watched him crash to the ground only 75 yards out.

ONTARIO MOOSE HUNTING — CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Suggested Gear A good pair of limb loppers is essential, along with a pair of pruning shears. The limb loppers can be kind of a pain to pack around because they are about 2 feet long, but they work well for the larger brush and cutting small spruce for your blind. You’ll also need a bow saw. There is generally a fair amount of 4 to 6 inch spruce that’s been blown down and you will have to cut a trail through it to your blind. Keep in mind your trail into your blind isn’t going to be much more than about 50 yards, so it’s not like you have hundreds of yards of brush to clear. Because we are hunting from a stationary spot for several hours at a time we need to be comfortable. A good tree seat that you can set up quickly and quietly, that is also comfortable enough to sit in for several hours at a time is required equipment.

Ontario has a 50lb minimum pull weight for moose so keep that in mind. Six large game bags are just about right to hold all the moose meat. I had some good quality game bags I used elk hunting and after a few uses I washed them. While on my last moose hunt I had to use the bags again and found that after being washed they had shrunk. So make sure your bags are going to be big enough.

Also a piece of 10 x 10 black plastic used as a ground cloth will help keep your meat clean as you take the moose apart. I have always used the gutless method and highly recommend it. The hide on a moose can dull a razor sharp knife very quickly, always have at least 3 knives and I use a diamond EZ Lap sharpener also. A small hatchet and a folding meat saw are must have equipment as well. In the third and final segment of the Ontario Moose Hunt series we’ll talk about where to hunt, the call site specifics and using various moose calls.

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Do you enjoy bowhunting and our bowhunting seasons in Montana?

Join the MBA to preserve, promote and protect bowhunting!

What the MBA offers you: Expanded hunting opportunities through working with FWP and commissioners to preserve and expand bowhunting seasons Unified voice during legislative sessions to protect seasons and access programs while opposing efforts which seek to limit the role of FWP in managing wildlife Fellowship with others who are interested in shaping the future of bowhunting Quarterly magazine keeping you informed on local, state, and national bowhunting issues, bowhunter education, events, and great hunting stories

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP One Year $25.00 Three Years $67.00 Life $500.00

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Join Today!

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Memberships run January 1 to December 31 each year.

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2014 Idaho bear for CHRIS BLASKOWSKI. Using traditional bow

KIM BLASKOWSKI’S First Idaho bear.

A mix of blonde and chocolate.

2014

Senior Airman USAF JOSH LEWIS with his first carp and first bow kill!

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DAN MOORE

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PA P AST AST TM BA B AP RE R RESI ESI SID DE ENT NT PAST MBA PRESIDENT DICK SOLUM arrowed his 3rd turkey in four years! He used a 65# Paul Brunner Screaming Eagle bow, Fred Bear

STEVE SCHINDLER & RICK TRAEGER

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KEN MILLER – one half of the Killer Miller team!

RUTH MILLER - 1st bow kill!

TERI KELLY

Fall 2014

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WHY EVERY MONTANA BOWHUNTER SHOULD CONSIDER JOINING THE MONTANA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION • The MBA is the organization the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks consults on bowhunting issues that affect Montana bowhunters.

• Montana has the best bowhunting seasons of any of the western states.

We are continually working to keep these.

• The MBA is active in the Legislature to protect and fight for our hunting and bowhunting seasons and rights.

• The MBA produces a quarterly magazine informing you of local, state, and national bowhunting issues and events, and publishing great stories and pictures.

• THE MBA NEEDS MEMBER NUMBERS AND YOUR YEARLY DUES TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT WHAT YOU ENJOY EVERY YEAR. ISN’T WHAT YOU ENJOY EVERY FALL WORTH $25 A YEAR TO PROTECT? •

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Worked to get the first archery season started in Montana. Along the way, we’ve increased the seasons to what you enjoy today.

Worked to establish archery bear, lion and sheep seasons.

Worked to establish archery antelope 900 tag and August 15th opener.

Worked to establish archery only areas and hunting districts.

Proposed a special archery wolf season and endorsed the highest quota of wolf harvest possible.

Actively protects hunting & bowhunting seasons in the Legislature year after year.

Defended our archery seasons against the “Crossbows & Muzzleloaders” threats throughout the years.

Created the Modified Archer’s permit that now allows those with handicaps to use modified archery equipment to hunt; which kept any need for crossbows out of Montana and defended our archery seasons against other crossbow threats throughout the years.

Re-established the archery season after it was left off the regulations one year.

Actively works with FWP to protect archery seasons, our resources, and expand archery opportunity in Montana year after year.

What can you do for bowhunting in Montana?

Join the MBA at www.mtba.org to preserve, promote and protect bowhunting.

Photos by Denver Bryan / Images on the Wildside

What the MBA has done for you?