Vol. 46 #2 Winter 2018 by Montana Bowhunter's Association

VOL. 46 #2 Winter 2018

Regional News – PAGE 6 Member Spotlight – PAGE 16 2018 Youth Camps – PAGE 18 A Knife for Dad – PAGE 20 My Triple Crown Trident Bull – PAGE 21 The Fabulouse Adventures of Mr. Wienie 2018 – PAGE 22

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

REP VACANCY

Region 2

Neil Maier

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

nam56@yahoo.com

Barrett Haugan 560 Clovehitch Rd., Belgrade, MT 59714 .......................... 406-539-0602

80 Jansma Lane, Manhattan, MT 59741............................ 406-570-7997

1ST VICE PRESIDENT 134 Sawney Drive • Glasgow, MT 59203 sas@nemont.net • 406-228-9024

rocknrollbowhunter3@yahoo.com btreasurestate@aol.com

Region 4

Stephen LePage 2574 Divide Rd., Lewistown, MT ...................................... 406-535-5636

Roger Licht

mbaregion4@yahoo.com PO Box 189, Stanford MT 59479.... 406-566-2693 — Cell 406-366-1580 Licht.Roger@yahoo.com

Region 5

Ken Schultz

Richard Lewallen 4234 Audubon Way Drive, Billings, MT 59106..................... 406-690-0854

302 Wyoming Ave., Billings, MT. 59101 ............................. 406-598-8550 schultzy@iwks.net rpdlew@aol.com

Nathan Veit

P.O. Box 288, Malta, MT 59538 ......................................... 406-654-7640 nathanveit95@yahoo.com

REP VACANCY. Bob Morgan

2ND VICE PRESIDENT

Mark Schwomeyer 60 Hruska Ln • Lewistown, MT 59457 markschwo@gmail.com • 406-350-0173 TREASURER

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

Beckie Doyle P.O. Box 136 • Conner, Mt 59827 mybluewalker@yahoo.com • 406-531-4060 PAST PRESIDENT

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

REP VACANCY

AT LARGE DIRECTORS

ODD YEARS

110 Sage Lane, Kalispell, MT 59901 - paulhmartin99@gmail.com........................... 406-261-4456 355 Antelope Drive, Dillon, MT 59725 – raygross0144@gmail.com......................... 406-660-1019 PO Box 160803, Big Sky MT 59716 - kdbrown7@msn.com..................................... 406-321-1059 2031 Poly Drive, Billings, MT 59102 – twingrim@bresnan.net.................................. 406-252-3620

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

FALL ISSUE, DEADLINE, July 15 WINTER ISSUE, DEADLINE, October 15 SPRING ISSUE, DEADLINE, January 15 SUMMER ISSUE, DEADLINE, April 15 Stories, photos, or cartoons should be sent to Al

6963 York Road • Helena, MT 59602 jselkmt@gmail.com • 406-422-6798 MAGAZINE CO-EDITORS

Jerry Davis 725 Middlemas Road, Helena, MT 59602 - pipelinejerry@gmail.com..................................406-475-2226 Seth Rogers 1425 Prickley Pear, Billings, MT 59105 – srogers@lamar.com.............................................406-670-5435 Rich Smith PO Box 51428 Billings, MT 59105-1361 - muleybum@gmail.com.......................................406-850-3010 Drew Steinberger 1901 Mountain View Drive, Great Falls MT 59405 - drew@prcountrycomforts.com..............406-351-2152 Cliff Garness 5901 Western Drive, Great Falls MT. 59404 - cgarness@sletteninc.com...............................406-788-9009 Mandy Garness 5901 Western Drive, Great Falls MT. 59404 - camoquilter@gmail.com.................................406-750-9953 Paul Martin Ray Gross Kent Brown John Grimstad

PRESIDENT

Marlon Clapham

Steve Schindler

Brian Koelzer

EVEN YEARS

officers

16200 Roman Creek Rd., Frenchtown, MT 59834 .............. 406-546-6013

Region 3

Region 7

MBA

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

REP VACANCY

Region 6

www.mtba.org

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. 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.

Teri and Al Kelly PO Box 219 • Libby, MT 59923 teray1979@yahoo.com • 406-293-2900

WEB DESIGNER

Liberty Brown Branding Iron Marketing Brandingironmarketingllc.com • 406-581-7216 MAGAZINE DESIGN

K Design Marketing, Inc. 1613 South Ave. W. • Missoula, MT 59801 kim@kdesignmarketing.com 406-273-6193

For all those who purchase the plate, the MBEF would like to invite you to send us a photo of your plate on your vehicle. Be creative, include yourself, pets, family, trophies of all sorts, etc.

Photos will be posted on the website. www.mtbowhuntermuseum.org

Winter 2018

EDITOR’S NOTE

Teri Kelly, with Alyse and Lily Wyman

opefully a great many of you had a fun and successful archery season. I did not close the deal this season. I pulled the bow back several times, but did not let an arrow fly. I may still get a little bow time during the general season so we’ll see. However, I still had a great season. I was able to relax and chill in the blind and finished a great book so it was time well spent. You’ll see we have some pretty great harvest photos in this issue and I have more in the wings for the next one. Please keep those photos and stories coming as we always need material and I know I sure enjoy living vicariously thru the far more diligent and ambitious hunters who actually shoot something. My time has been taken up in the last few months with our new baby. His name is Fisher and he’s a Teckel (Wirehaired Dachshund), that we got from Chris and Kim Blaskowski. He’s supposed to be a dog, but I think he’s really a Weneirosaurus Rex, all teeth no arms/legs. The beginning was interesting but we’ve all come to terms we can live with. Bolt, our Griff has decided he won’t eat Fisher after all and Fisher is learning that he can’t eat…..everything in sight. It’s been a while since we had a puppy and I forgot how utterly obnoxious and lovable they can be in the space of five minutes. Speaking of babies, we’ve added a few to the MBA family. Congratulations to Barrett, Kristen and Taylor Haugan and the birth of their baby Blake as well as Brian and Kara Koelzer and the birth of their baby Bowen. One of the benefits of being an “older” MBA member is seeing the babies grow up to be hunters. I look forward to seeing the many adventures your families will have.

Teri Kelly

Secretary’s Message

his bow season brought some great adventures for our family. Our daughter overcame an elk mental block and harvested her first bull, a beautiful nontypical, and the best part…. I was there on my birthday to share the experience. My grandson was also right there as well to see Mommy shoot and it made the experience that much better! This year bow season was about being with family more so than actually hunting and the memories that were made will last a lifetime. We are gearing up to start planning the next youth camp and hopefully can find more members who can participate and see what we all have been enjoying.

Beckie Doyle

Montana

BOWHUNTER

WWW.MTBA.ORG

TABLE OF CONTENTS VOL. 46 #2 Winter 2018

PAGE

22 PAGE

PAGE

2 On the Cover

Teri Kelly

SECRETARY’S MESSAGE

4 VOL. 46 #2

Winter 2018

Regional Ne ws – PAGE 6 Member Spo tlight – PAGE 16 2018 Youth Ca mps – PAGE 18 A Knife for Da d – PAGE 20 My Triple Cro wn Trident Bu The Fabulouse ll– PAGE 21 Adventures of Mr. Wieni e 2018– PAGE 22

Alishia Zemlika 2018 bull

EDITOR’S NOTE

Beckie Doyle

17 YOUTH COMMITTEE Jackie Doyle 18 2018 YOUTH CAMPS

Jackie Doyle Marlon Clahman

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Marlon Clahman

1ST VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

20 A KNIFE FOR DAD

Steve Schindler

2ND VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Mark Schwomeyer

TREASURER’S MESSAGE

Jenn Schneider

6 10

REGIONAL REPORTS BLAST FROM THE PAST

Marlon Clahman

SAVE THE DATE

41ST ANNUAL CONVENTION

16 MBA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Bob Morgan

22 THE FABULOUS ADVENTURES OF MR. WIENIE 2018

Stephen LePage

22 MY TRIPLE CROWN TRIDENT BULL

Jackie Doyle

23 BUSINESS & CLUB MEMBERS

FWP COMMISIONER CONTACTS

24 MBA MEMBERSHIP FORM 25 MEMBER GALLERY

Stephen LePage

Winter 2018

Montana Bowh unters Assoc PO Box 23611 iation Billings, MT 59104 Return servic e requested

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

OFFICER’S REPORTS

MBA

Committees

PRESIDENT - MARLON CLAPHAM 1ST VICE PRESIDENT - STEVE SCHINDLER 2ND VICE PRESIDENT - MARK SCHWOMEYER TREASURER - JENN SCHNEIDER SECRETARY - BECKY DOYLE

Legislative:

Jerry Davis, Chair

Steve Schindler • Ray Gross Marlon Clapham • Richard Lewallen

Tentatives:

Ray Gross, Chair Paul Martin • Mark Schwomeyer • Steve Schindler John Grimstad • Kent Brown • Marlon Clapham

President’s

Message

write this message as the 2018 Bowhunting Season wraps up. The general Rifle season starts in just five days. There is of course, the Bowhunting only areas in our region as long as we watch out for the shoulder hunts that might still be going on. It has been a fairly quiet Marlon Claphman fall season so far. There were several complaints about the fire arms hunting going on in some of the archery only areas on private property. I personally didn’t run into anybody taking advantage of the shoulder season in our hunting areas but that will change as the General season fires up. Joelle With the Legislative Session getting under way I would like to remind you that there will issues that we will be need to respond to in a very timely matter. We the board will send out alerts with the contact information for the parties involved in the issue. It’s up to you the members to follow up and make the calls as you see if. The Board will try to make contact to the same parties as to how the membership has directed us collectively. If any issue come up and you feel it needs our attention, give me a call or email so we can get the issue out to the membership or straight to the board. The earlier the better. This is the only way we can reach the most members in the shortest amount of time. There are some reports in this Newsletter pertaining to the MBA Teen Elk Camp so take some time and read for the follow up on our second bowhunter’s camp. We again are looking for a new camp site for next year, moving it closer to Missoula, but staying in the Bitterroot Valley. There is also talk that the camp will move up toward Libby. All that is still in the works. As I was doing the research for the Blast from The Past, I came across a message from Lee Poole, he brings up a point that the newsletters are a little late and folks were asking why. Lee explained that the information that is to go into the newsletter is late getting to them to send to the editor. (Sounds all too familiar.) Also, in the earlier years we had newsletters every other month. Then it was dropped to five newsletters a year, now we are down to four newsletters. We still are having trouble finding enough information to fill them. It is not just up to the Board Members to gather information, or our editor to create it, but it is up to the members to get us some pictures and a story to fill in some space. I know there are success stories and pictures to go with them, so share some memories. It’s fun to put them out for everyone to share. One of our long-standing members, Jimmy Chinn, passed away suddenly on the morning of October 15. Jim was a board member for several years first as a region 2 Area Rep. Then as the first Second Vice President from 1987 to 1990. He was appointed by the then President Buddy Lundstrom. Jim was the author of Winds of Change, Traditional Archery Today. He served as president of the Professional Bowhunter’s Society. And he took a fine Big Horn Ram in the East Fork of the Bitterroot back in 1986 that was just one of the many big game trophies he harvested. I didn’t Jim very well and am hoping that someone from our membership that knew him better will give us a better account of his legalese in the near future. With that I think I’ve rambled on long enough. I’ll put on the orange and go sit with the gun hunters and find a Whitetail buck. Keep-Em Sharp and Shoot-Em Straight Marlon Clapham MBA President

Marlon Clapham

Montana

BOWHUNTER

WWW.MTBA.ORG

Financial:

Jerry Davis, Chair

Jenn Schneider • Seth Rogers Ray Gross • Neil Maier

Landowner/Sportsman:

Mark Schwomeyer, Chair Neil Maier • Bob Morgan • Barrett Haugan

Steve Schindler Nominations:

Steve Schindler, Chair Al Kelly • Paul Martin

Awards:

Selk

Marlon Clapham, Chair Al Kelly • Steve Schindler Rich Lewallen • Marlon Clapham

Membership:

Marlon Clapham, Chair Jenn Schneider • Seth Rogers • Ray Gross Kent Brown • Barrett Haugan • Kent Schultz Joelle Selk – Membership Assistant

Convention 2019-Region 4:

Stephen LePage, Cliff & Mandy Garness, Chairs Committee to be determined

Region 5 —2020 Fairmont Region 3 —2021 Fairmont

Magazine:

Al & Teri Kelly, Co-Chairs Steve Schindler • Joelle Selk Brian Koelzer • Jerry Davis

Website:

Liberty Brown • Jenn Schneider • Lyle Hebel Beckie Doyle • Steve Schindler

Carp Shoot:

Joelle Selk, Chair Roger Licht • Stephen LePage

Bow-Ed:

Al Kelly, Chair Brian Koelzer • Bob Morgan • Mark Schwomeyer Ray Gross • Marlon Clapham

Youth Membership:

Becky Doyle, Chair • Roger Licht This is a new committee and will involve the youth from every region for their input. All area reps. will try to recruit youth from their region to get involved with the MBA’s decision making process. This will mostly be done through the e-mail contacts. They may want to attend the Board Meeting on occasion and we can get them ready for the future. We will try to keep their ages from 16 to 25 or so. Reg. 1 – Vacant Reg. 2 – Jackie Doyle, Callie Stevens Reg. 3 – Vacant Reg. 4 – Vacant Reg. 5 – Vacant Reg. 6 – Vacant Reg. 7 – Vacant Reg. 8 – Vacant

OFFICER REPORTS

First Vice President’s Report

Steve Schindler

s I write this we are into our 3rd snowfall of the season and its only October 5th. The guys who are still hunting elk have some extra hassle to deal with, albeit cooler temperature always a good deal when dealing with meat. We are full on into the election campaign right now and of course campaign ads are getting very old. Several ballot initiatives will be on the ballot this year, it would be easier to make up your mind on these issues if we could only hear the truth on each subject. Lot of BS flowing through the airwaves. When you read this, it will all be over and life will forever be changed for some, others not so much. The only advice I have for voting is to vote for someone who will have the biggest positive impact on your life, and vote against the person who will have the biggest negative impact on your life. For instance: if someone were to put me in charge for a day or two I would do this, and not in any order of importance but just what pops into my mind. I would make HD 680 an actual elk hunting district. There are plenty of elk in that district but, unfortunately, the only way to hunt the district is to draw the most coveted archery elk tag in the world. Yes, you have to draw one of the 25 tags allotted for the resident hunter, there are 35 tags total, however 6 are reserved for landowners and 4 are nonresident tags so 25 are left. Another thing I’d do would be to make the crossbow Illegal during the archery season. Whhaatt you say, well the crossbow is a legal tool during

firearm season and that is just fine with me BUT, when Moose, Sheep and Goat seasons open up Sept 15th fire arms are legal equipment and yes so are crossbows. I would change this to the crossbow would not be legal during a big game season where Archery season is open. They would only be legal equipment during the general big game season. And last but not least, if your first name is Steve you would receive 25 bonus points for each species at the start of every year, sounds fair to me…. well a little bit fair.

Steve Schindler

Second Vice President’s Report

hat’s a wrap! Archery season is officially over, but you still have six weeks to take your bow for a walk or sit in a treestand. Somehow, I lucked out this year and found a dumb bull elk opening weekend. A few guys around here enjoyed success in the field and everyone I’ve talked to noticed an increase in hunter numbers. It’s kind of bittersweet to me. I enjoy helping the youth and others learn archery and to help hone their bowhunting skills, but with all the technology and easy information at your fingertips it’s becoming more and more popular and also quite crowded. The popular mapping tool apps are very useful, but are exploiting all the lil’ nook and crannies that a few locals used to enjoy. I know its public land and I am proud of that, I just wish it wasn’t so busy. Apex predator. What did you think of when you read that? When I hear apex predator I now think of grizzly bears. With grizzly bears in the spotlight and starting to show up in my neck of the woods it’s starting to change the way I recreate. I know own four bottles of bear spray (“just cleaned out my truck from archery season”, lose one go buy another), and a short barrel 12 gauge. Hopefully you don’t run into one, but if you do it is better to be prepared than be a rag doll. I think a lot of us in central and eastern Montana have some

learning to do. I will be paying better attention at grizz seminars for one, and hopefully the federal and state reach a science-based decision soon on how the management of these beasts will play out going forward. Well, I have a mule deer permit to get ready for and should probably start writing my article for the next newsletter. PS it’s going to be about the governor tags. I would appreciate some members input.

Mark Schwomeyer

Please email with your opinions or facts. markschwo@gmail.com

Mark Schwomeyer

Treasurer’s Message

ello! Hoping everyone enjoyed their fall and hunting season. I was able to get out more this year than I have in many years and it felt so, so good. I want to draw attention once again, to the label on your newsletter and have you notice the date. That date is when your membership is due. Many magazines went to lapsed members in hopes they would be reminded again to renew. You can get online, you can mail in the form, there are many ways to renew, and your membership is vital to this organization.

Jenn Schneider Winter 2018

REGIONAL REPORTS REGION 1 AL KELLY

REGION 2

REGION 2 NEIL MAIER

REGION

REGION 3 BRIAN KOELZER BARRETT HAUGEN

REGION

REGION REGION

NEIL MAIER

REGION 4 STEPHEN LEPAGE ROGER LICHT Al Kelly

REGION 5 RICHARD LEWALLEN (NO REPORT) KEN SCHULTZ

REGION 1 REGION

REGION

REGION 6 NATHAN VEIT

REGION 7 BOB MORGAN

REGION

REGION REGION

AL KELLY

hope everyone enjoyed their bow season. Fall is my very favorite time of year, the only problem I see with it, is that it goes by so fast. It’s the first of October as I write this, and there is a whole world of possibilities, bowhunting, bird hunting and fishing. These are the things that occupy my thoughts and my time when I am not working. For those of you who are anywhere near my age, another thing that comes into play is the ever-quickening pace that time seems to fly by at. I never seem to have enough time to get everything I want done. Now I am not complaining, I am very fortunate to have a great partner and I generally get to have fun way more than I deserve. I guess my point is, that you should do all the fun stuff you can before time is up. With that I am going to get myself and my best friend Bolt’s gear ready for a Pheasant trip. If you’re not on an adventure right now, I hope you are at least getting ready for a great one. And if you have a really good adventure be sure to write it up in a story for the newsletter to share with your bowhunting brothers and sisters. Got to go!

Al Kelly

Neil Maier

Al Kelly

an, what year so far! It has been busy and unfortunately it has not been hunting. Between horses, school, rock hounding trips, etc., the last time I shot my bow was in July with the teen bow camp. It was a very hot during the camp and the only time it cooled off was at night or when we went to the pond or the Bitterroot River to fish and swim. There were many things packed into the camp to do. I do really enjoy this camp and working with the teens. We were turned into the FWP for poaching an Elk during the simulated Elk hunt. Oops. It was filmed and the leaders did talk with the person. He said it was very real. We strived to make it as real as possible. I think we succeeded. Hopefully you are having a more successful year in getting out and hunting. The Winner of the ATV was George Mercer of Libby. I want to thank everyone that bought tickets, sold tickets and worked to make this happen. It can only happen if everyone participates. There have been a few pictures coming in of successful hunters and I have seen a few animals in trucks. I hope it was one of your vehicles.

Neil Maier

ATV winner George Mercer of Libby 6

Montana

BOWHUNTER

WWW.MTBA.ORG

REGIONAL REPORTS

REGION 4

REGION 3 REGION

REGION

ell I hope everyone enjoyed the one week of fall weather we were blessed with this year. My apple trees barely started to turn, and now its winter. All whining aside, it looks like archery season 2018 was a productive and fun one for quite a few of my region three friends. Kara and I managed to get in a fair amount of hunting even though she was extremely pregnant and gave birth to our son Bowen on September 24. Just a week before he was born Kara managed to tag a big old P&Y 4pt whitetail out of a ground blind and I was lucky to be with her when she let the arrow go. Wyoming was kind to me again this year and I brought another nice buck home after five days of hunting. I managed to hunt whitetails for myself one day this year and after having two different griz walk by my stand at ten yards and foil my morning hunt I was able to put my tag on a big drop tine buck we named “bam-bam” during a snowstorm the same day in the afternoon. Every year there seems to be more and more griz showing up out in the flats and confrontations seem to be rising as well. We need a griz hunt bad, and all of us need to keep pushing that point. The fluffy green-peace tofu eaters will fight it all the way but just like bison and wolves, I think we will win. Keep an eye on the MBA Facebook page and look for emails as well in the coming months as we are entering a legislative year and anything archery related Jerry and Marlon will be keeping us all up to speed on. Pick a spot and good shootin’,

Brian Koelzer >>>------------>

Barrett Haugan

hope everyone has had an incredible year so far. 2018 has been an absolute whirlwind. Not a lot of those things really matter anymore because they are the past and the future is extremely bright. My beautiful wife Kristen, beautiful daughter Taylor and myself welcomed a handsome new member to our family this year. In August our son Blake was born and shed new life upon us. We are so happy to welcome him to this beautiful world. He gave us quite the scare from the first week. He acquired viral meningitis during his first couple days and spent a week in ICU with my wonderful wife that would never leave his side. From there he just seemed to never catch a break. Finally, after nearly 8 weeks he is doing absolutely incredible. There have been many sleepless nights trying to care for him. Mostly my wife, but who’s counting? When your child is not doing well there is no greater pain than not being able to help them. I can only think and look forward to the great days in the field we will get to experience together. My children have brought a completely new experience for me in the outdoors. I can’t wait to share a tree stand with them. Having them ride shotgun, asking endless amounts of questions, sharing a game trail with them, explaining about all the signs of wildlife and saddling the horses with a wall tent packed heading to elk camp. These moments are going to be greater than any other days of the past. I couldn’t help but picture these moments as I sit alone watching my Bull expire 35 yards away. I truly had the most incredible moment this season when I was able to end up in the middle of an elk herd, surrounded by bugles and cow calls as the heard bull walked right to me. After my arrow flew true, I couldn’t help but think about how this was the most incredible archery hunt of my life. But how much sweeter it will be sharing these moments with my kids. My brothers Ben, Brandon and I have created an incredible bond sharing the trails together. My daughter is already starting to walk those same trails with us and Blake is not far behind. Cherish every moment. Tomorrow is never promised. I wish all of you the best days to come.

Barrett Haugan

Brian Koelzer

REGION REGION

STEPHEN LEPAGE ROGER LICHT

BRIAN KOELZER BARRETT HAUGAN

Dan Moore

REGION

Dan Moore

Stephen LePage

am Vexed - SOCIAL MEDIA Well, it happened again. The national media grabbed hold of another hunter and has worked very hard to crucify him. I bowhunt because I enjoy the challenge, provide meat for my table, spending time with my family, the tradition, the heritage, I love big antlers and I bowhunt because bowhunting is just plain fun. I do not care if people shoot animals just for the meat and throw the antlers in the garbage. Also, I do not care if people hunt just because they love big antlers and donate all of the meat to Hunters for the Hungry. The trend I am upset about is people that bowhunt because they want to be famous or acquire sponsorships and that ends up biting all hunters in the ass. Social media is the tool for these ends. Last month, a man in another state posted a picture of a deer he had shot with his bow to Ken Scultz Facebook. The problem with this is that he posted it the night before their season opened. The game wardens were at his house the next day! Here is the part that blows my mind: this man was so excited to promote himself (on a media that can go global in very short order), he was so desperate for recognition and accolades, he could not even wait until season opened. I cannot relate to people that hunt for “likes” or “friend requests”. The “Cecil the lion” fiasco was due to a Facebook post and it resulted in a foreign country on a different continent canceling hunting, although it was a short-lived ban and very quickly reinstated. It also resulted in a massive investigation of both the outfitter and the hunter. This was all due to a completely legal lion hunt that was posted onto social media. It should go to show how one person’s single post can blow up and have major repercussions. I have issue with posting to a website with the potential for it to achieve a global distribution and think the reason some people hunt has morphed into a new monster of greed, fame and recognition. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Winter 2018

REGIONAL REPORTS

REGION 4 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

Hunters

It is not ALL social media and the desire for fame that is at fault. Hunters, in general, are at fault. Now the poor fellow who just got back from Namibia and sent out emails: I have much sympathy for this gentleman. I will concede that he obviously emailed too many, and of the wrong type of people his photos of the baboon kills. (As a side note: baboons are not in any way endangered, the trophy fee for a baboon is inexpensive and Africans do not regard them as a particularly desirable animal to have around.) I am amazed at how quickly this man, who has done nothing illegal or even out of the ordinary, was asked to resign from his position as a volunteer on the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. His job in that position is to represent hunters when making recommendations for FWP laws. I personally think he is the right man for the job! I want someone who is passionate about hunting to represent my interests in regards to hunting. Here lies the problem: I am amazed at how many former Idaho commissioners demanded his resignation and how many other hunters are willing to criticize him. Condemning him for a legal act that he was excited about, just because he did something they would not do. We, as hunters, were quick to turn our back on him. Several of the criticisms revolve around the killing of the young baboon. How many of you have shot young does or fawns? I know I have, and if you do not agree with this practice then you have to claim yourself as a trophy hunter. I am personally a fan of shooting large adult males of any species, but that makes you a trophy hunter and I am here to tell you that the media and antihunters have portrayed you as a monster. You should rethink your position and perhaps start shooting does and fawns, because what little support we have from non-hunters is for the hunters whose goal is meat and not antlers. Another criticism I have heard is the distasteful photo of a pile of baboons. I believe this is a ridiculous complaint from fellow hunters. How many of us have a shoebox in the closet from the good old days with black and white photos of grandpa and several deer hanging from the same game pole? How many have seen or taken photos

Montana

BOWHUNTER

WWW.MTBA.ORG

of a giant pile of ducks, gophers, pheasants, carp or doves? These are cherished photos of exceptional hunting trips. Why should we be ashamed of them? I have heard hunters proudly state that they would never shoot a fellow primate. That is your personal preference and I understand the concept, but it is not a reason to decry what a fellow hunter has done as a mistake. How far down the evolutionary chain are you willing to go? Guess what, there are others who will pass on some critter you would be happy to shoot. Are they better than you? With this line of reasoning, a vegan would be considered the most morally upright hunter of all. It is simply hypocritical of a hunter to complain about this. I have personally shot a primate and it is one of my favorite hunting memories. Another critique I have heard is that he referred to his take of baboons as a “family.” This has some validity to it. Personification of animals has been our downfall since Walt Disney drew the first photo of a mouse driving a train. Bambi came out and we have been going downhill ever since. I do not care if he shot an entire congress of baboons, if it is legal and he was so inclined, good for him. This man made a choice to legally kill several animals and it should not be openly criticized by other hunters. With the exception of sending the photos out to too many people, I do not fault this fellow at all. I do not think he meant to send this out to the social media world and I think we as hunters should be outraged that he was so quickly removed from his appointed position. I thought, here in Montana, we were somewhat sheltered from the anti-hunting onslaught, but I thought the same thing about the state of Idaho. I fear the day when I have to engage in quite whispered conversations in some back alley about bugling in a big bull or killing a fat doe. I am not simply afraid of antihunters, I am afraid of other hunters who are critical of the very activities they themselves engage in, just because they do it differently than I do or have different standards of what they kill. I am proud to be a bowhunter. I do not think I should have to apologize or hide my passion. We as a group have become cowards. I fear that opposition has been emboldened to the extent

that we now have to slither around as if we are snakes in the grass and I believe it is partially our fault. I have extensively searched the PETA website and nowhere does it state that one should be careful when posting pictures of meatless entrees on Facebook or that they should be careful when discussing organic lentil farming in a mixed group. In fact, their tactics are “in your face” making their opinions known loudly and they encourage outrageous and often illegal activities to get their point across. Yet we are raked over the coals from a single email that has gotten out of hand? We are consumed with the image of hunting, because we are a minority and so we tip-toe around in order not offend anyone. Political correctness has infiltrated the hunting community and we the hunters have drank the Kool Aid. I am here to tell you that hunter’s lives matter and suggest that maybe we should take a lesson from the LGBT community (a smaller minority than hunters). We are here…. we hunt…. get used to it!

Stephen LePage

all, what a great time of year; cooler days and nights; fall colors and elk bugling. I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time sitting in my tree stand in the breaks watching summer give away to fall, good times with family and friends. We are very fortunate to have such a long bow season in MT thanks to the hard work in years past. On another note, we all need to be careful out there, letting someone no where you’re hunting or hunting with a partner, and not taking chances. Be prepared to spend a couple extra days and nights and having the basic survival gear with you. And if you get into trouble, don’t be afraid to ask for help, we all want to come home and most of all, so does your family. Hope you all have a great hunting season.

Roger Licht

God bless our troops.

REGIONAL REPORTS

REGION 5

REGION 6

Ken Schultz

REGION

REGION REGION

REGION

KEN SCHULTZ RICHARD LEWALLEN

n my first elk hunting trip to the Missouri breaks, my father and I hunted a six-hundred-acre patch of timber the first morning we were there. We encountered two large distinctive six point bulls with their cows on the flats beside the timber patch in the predawn darkness. We followed them into the timbered area but we were unable to close the deal. I returned to this area several times over the next week and each time the two bulls were there. There were three draws in the middle of the timber patch that were oriented east west that had thick junipers on the north facing slopes that the bulls were bedding in. I returned later during the archery season and twice in November and the two bulls were still there. The last time I saw them they were standing on a ridge showing their antlers from each side before they walked away. My favorite timber patch was destroyed by a lightning caused fire the next summer. I was amazed that the small patch of timber was their home for the fall. This last summer was out of the statement that “Life is what happens when you are making other plans”. I was driving to western Montana in July when my wife called and said her 94-yearold mother had collapsed in assisted-living and was being taken to the emergency room. By the time I drove 120 miles toward home, I found out she had passed away. My mother-in-law was a “Rosie the riveter” at the Boeing plant in Seattle Washington and is in a picture with the 5000th B17 to come off the production lines in WW2. My mother who was in hospice care took a turn for the worse and passed away three weeks later. My mother was a wonderful hostess, homemaker, and gourmet wild game cook. Anyway, my archery season got off to a subdued start this fall, the antelope and deer won as I had a difficult time closing the distance. I did see seven nice four-point mule deer buck in velvet walking across the prairie in the middle of the day. I am thankful that I live in this state where we have an abundance of wildlife and the opportunity to pursue them. Thanks

Richard Lewallen

Greetings All, ell, the first round of the bow hunting season has come to an end for 2018. I hope everyone had a great season and had either the pleasure of filling a tag(s) or just a great time with some awesome folks like I did! I was able to hunt with some new folks this year and really enjoyed the comradery and friendship building. That’s what it’s all about!!! I’ve been seeing some great pictures from friends and fellow hunters of successful hunts. Congrats to all! Everyone who has ever bowhunted knows how difficult it is to seal the deal on any animal with a bow. No matter what the size or species, it’s a tremendous accomplishment. We had the pleasure of helping out at the “Big Sky Youth Event” at Blue Creek shooting Complex in Billings this year. There were 133 kids who showed for the free event. Several groups partnered together to run the activities. MBA, RMEF, Ducks Unlimited, Mule Deer Foundation, Pheasants Forever, NRA, Yellowstone Hunt Club, NWTF and Wild Sheep Foundation all contributed to the cause and we had a great turnout. A special thanks to T.J. Smith for helping me out with the kids. Couldn’t have done it without him! With the upcoming rifle season upon us, there will be lots of hunters in the field. If you are still bow hunting during this time, please be super careful and aware of your surroundings. Wear your orange so nobody mistakes you for an animal. No reason to take any chances. Like always, “Shoot Straight and ALWAYS be a Straight Shooter”!

REGION

NATHAN VEIT

t’s been a cool, wet fall up here in region 6. The cool weather is nice for a change, but has made drying out the roads to get around and hunt difficult at times. Just something we have to deal with here in the Montana gumbo. A few people in my area have been able to fill their elk, deer, and antelope tags. But has been a slow year in my area for sure. I have yet to get a good shot opportunity at anything, so I hope I can get out and change my luck before the season ends. Even with the weather slowing things up, it’s good to have it be fall again and be able to enjoy being outside this time of year. Hope everyone is having the bow season they were dreaming of this year. Winter will be here before we know it…

Nathan Veit Nathan Veit

Ken Schultz

Winners at the Big Sky Youth Event

Winter 2018

REGIONAL REPORTS

Ken Scultz

Blast from the Past This Blast comes from several years. There were several issues that ran over 1980,1981,1982. So, I tried to follow the story to the end result.

Bob Morgan REGION 7 REGION

REGION

Lee Poole was our President, 1980 things were fairly quiet, we were working with the FWP to get a moose hunt during the Archery only season if you were lucky enough to draw the tag in the first place. On of the items brought up was that residents in housing developments were concerned about stray bullets. We also proposed an archery only season for antelope in the Townsend area. Gene Wensel recommended a post season for Whitetails in the Bitterroot area. The MBA took these proposals to the FWP Commission.

REGION

REGION REGION

BOB MORGAN It seems like the hills are getting longer and further apart the older I get. I hunted with my son and grandson; guess who was not leading the pack. We do enjoy the outdoors, seeing what’s over the next hill and God’s creation. Of course, I can’t hear as good as they could, especially those bugling bulls, but I can hear coyotes howling and cows bellowing that far away. But my son and grandson could hear them miles away. So, over the next hill we went and the next. By then I could hear them, and we did see them, but no close encounters. We never did call anything in. Just the pleasure of joking and laughing with my family is what it’s really all about. I just thank the good Lord that I can walk, be healthy and breathe. No meat in the freezer but we sure enjoyed our time in the outdoors. Except maybe the humpy bumpy spot I put the tent on. I’m sure all you guys and gals got some memories also. Thank you, Lord, that we can enjoy our bow hunting experiences. Bob Morgan 406-749-0706 give me a call

Bob Morgan

In 1981 things got a little more attention with the Early Rifle Bugle Season. The MBA apposed this hunt during the Archery season but the FWP Commission received more letters in favor of the hunt then against it. The membership was asked to write letters and meet in Helena for the Commissioners meeting. Another issue was with the increase of Bowhunters there was an increase of unethical acts being done by Bowhunters. Long range shoots over 70 yards, shooting livestock with rubber blunts, not knowing how to blood trail or even where to place an arrow for a vital shot. There were a lot of lost critters and a bad reputation for the Bowhunters. The MBA was proposing to make all bowhunters go through the Bowhunter Education Program. The CMR was having problems with over crowding where access was available. The MBA sent Steve Schindler to meet with the CMR Officials to discuss road closures. Then in 1982 the Commission turned down the Bowhunter Education for several reasons, 1 concern about more regulations. 2 Objection to the word Mandatory. 3 Not enough qualified instructors. 4 Not enough information about programs across the country and its success. So the MBA went on a drive to recruit instructors from our own ranks. Most everything the MBA asked for and worked with the FWP and Commission went our way. I looked all over for the results for the Early Elk Bugle Season and I was missing that issue, so I don’t remember for sure but I think that it was defeated.

Marlon

749-0706

www.pronghornbows.com 307-234-1824 evenings 2491 West 42nd Street Casper, WY 82604

Montana

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BLAST FROM THE PAST

New to the MBA Family

oelzer Bowen Lewis K

Blake Hau gan

Winter 2018

MBA 41ST CONVENTION

Save the Date

C ONVENTION

Best Western Heritage Inn 1700 Fox Farm Road Great Falls, MT 59404 406-761-1900 12

Montana

BOWHUNTER

WWW.MTBA.ORG

ANNUAL

March 29-31, 2019

MBA ANNUAL CONVENTION

ARCHERY SEASON

is just around the corner...GET READY NOW!

Located in the historic Kessler Brewing building. Hwy 12 West end.

Helena 406-449-3111 buffalojumparchery.com

Teaser of the quilt Mandy Garness is making for the 2019 Convention

Stay updated on

2019 MBA Convention details at www.mtba.org

Winter 2018

Rich Smith

REGIONAL REPORTS

KENT BROWN JERRY DAVIS CLIFF GARNESS MANDY GARNESS JOHN GRIMSTAD (NO REPORT) PAUL MARTIN (NO REPORT) RAY GROSS SETH ROGERS (NO REPORT) RICH SMITH DREW STEINBERGER (NO REPORT)

DirectorsAt Large

udging from current print and broadcast media, bowhunting continues to increase in popularity across the country. That’s no secret to MBA members as we continue to encounter ever increasing numbers in the field here in Montana. I checked with MT FWP and the total number of archery licenses issued in 2017 was a whopping 49,109. Contrast that with the current MBA membership of only 500, representing just 1% of total bowhunters in the state. In all likelihood, most of those 49 thousand bowhunters don’t even know we exist, which is of course our fault. Many are likely casual BH, mainly filling in the time until the real hunting starts with general season and aren’t interested in bowhunting issues in any case. Others may be aware of the MBA, but are operating under some bias due to conversations at archery shops concerning past perceived slights or rumors (everyone loves a good conspiracy after all) and have a poor view of our organization. Worst of all, some bowhunters just plain don’t care. They have no desire to join or contribute in any capacity and are content to simply purchase their archery license each year with no consideration to the effort it takes to preserve and protect our seasons. So, the next time you attend an MBA banquet, look around at your fellow members. Each member you see carries 98 other Montana bowhunters on his or her back, as the MBA attends FWP Commission meetings, testifies at legislative hearings and lobbies legislators on issues such as season structure, crossbows, public and private land access and wildlife/conservation issues vital to bowhunting’s future. In short, you are the ones who care and you should take pride in your involvement. There is one additional thing I would ask you to consider doing for the MBA; consider running for a position on the Board of Directors. There are several Regional Rep as well as Directors at Large positions available. I know you are busy – everybody is busy, but the rewards far outweigh the commitments and your efforts will have an even greater effect in protecting bowhunting in Montana. Think about it.

Kent Brown

hope you all had a great archery season. We’ve been lucky this year to spend more time in the woods than we have over the last several years with a couple weekends in the Little Belts and Mandy spending a weekend with the girls in the Lewistown area. Our extra time, however, has not equated to extra shots. Nevertheless, we’ll take every mile and minute we can get out there! We are also continuing to solicit and receive donations and prepare for the MBA Banquet to be held here in Great Falls at the end of March. We have some good hunts thus far, including two from Africa and a day float trip on the Missouri and we’re putting the finishing touches on a king-size quilt for the auction. Our last board meeting of the year is December 8th here in Great Falls, so if you have any donations from your region, please let us or your respective area rep know so we can track them and plan accordingly. We will be doing a Dessert Auction, so if you would like to make/bake something to donate let us know that as well. Bring or send in an item or gift basket with a value of $50 or more and receive a ticket for a special prize as a donor (more details to come, but contact Mandy at camoquilter@gmail.com if you’d like to send them in advance). Keep taking lots of photos and don’t forget to print a copy for the photo contests as well as sending Teri your harvest pictures so that some of us with full quivers might share in your glory! Good luck the rest of the season and shoot straight.

s I write this the archery season is winding down and I still have not filled my elk tag. Nonetheless, I hope each and every one of you had a successful season. To my mind there’s nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment that comes with filling one’s freezer with fresh, wild game meat. I also hope that each of you were able to attend at least one weekend archery shoot this past summer. In recent years the Total Archery Challenge, held at Big Sky each July, is a shoot that has grown both in popularity and attendance. And it’s easy to understand why: the Total Archery Challenge is a fun event that attracts shooters of all skill levels as well as some of the well-known individuals and companies that contribute to the popularity of bowhunting. If you haven’t yet attended this event, I hope you will take the opportunity to do so in the future. You won’t regret it. That said, we must always keep in mind that it is our local archery clubs that have always been the backbone of the bowhunting community in Montana. While we are very fortunate to have an event like the Total Archery Challenge here in our state, in my opinion such events should be an addition to, not a substitute for, weekend shoots sponsored by our local archery clubs. So, while I would encourage all MBA members to attend the Total Archery Challenge next year, I would also challenge each of you to additionally attend at least one or more weekend club shoots. Our local archery clubs need and deserve our support. In other news, some of the Region 5 MBA members were participants in the Seventh Annual Big Sky Youth Event that was held Saturday, August 4th, at the Blue Creek Shooting Complex near Billings. This was a free event for youth ages 6 to 18 that included archery as well as sporting clays, trap shooting, rifle, and pistol. The Montana Bowhunters Association was one of the sponsoring organizations. I attended the event and joined with volunteers from the local Beartooth Chapter of the RMEF on the youth archery range. The archery range was well attended with plenty of eager kids to keep all the adult volunteers busy. More importantly, of all the kids I talked with that day only a small handful had ever shot a bow previously. Speaking personally, I found the experience of introducing youth to archery for the first time to be very rewarding and I hope that MBA will continue to be a contributor to this worthwhile event in the years to come.

Rich Smith

018, another memorable hunting season in Montana. I was fortunate to take an elk and an antelope with the bow. I had a good hunt in Alaska for caribou, got a good bull, but not with the bow. Shot some ptarmigan and sharptails also. I have been enjoying upland bird hunting with my dogs. “Living the Dream”. Hopefully you all remembered to vote. Any time there is a vote it’s good to find out where the candidates stand on protecting the public trust doctrine of wildlife management, access to public lands and transferring federal public lands to the state. This is our heritage, don’t let it be given up to those who want to privatize it.

Ray Gross Ray Gross

Cliff and Mandy Garness

Montana

BOWHUNTER

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Paul Martin

As I write this, time is quickly approaching for the 66 Legislative Session. From the calendar it appears that the first day of session will be January 7, 2019. What type of issues can we expect to see you may ask? Well January 7th is still a while away but there are already some tentative bills on the docket. Though bills are still being drafted you may be able to REGIONAL REPORT achieve an understanding of what issues legislators will attempt to address by reviewing the titles and possibly by seeing who the bill’s sponsor is. I will list the 20 fish and wildlife draft bills that have titles as of today, October 8, 2018.

s I write this, time is quickly approaching for the 66th Legislative Session. From the calendar it appears that the first day of session will be January 7, 2019. What type of issues can we expect to see you may ask? Well January 7th is still a while away but there are already some tentative bills on the docket. Though bills are still being drafted you may be able to achieve an understanding of what issues legislators will attempt to address by reviewing the titles and possibly by seeing who the bill’s sponsor is. I will list the 20 fish and wildlife draft bills that have titles as of today, October 8, 2018. (See Table.) When you receive the 2018 Winter Issue of Montana Bowhunter there will be more detail on the bills I have listed above. Additionally many more bills will have been introduced. I strongly recommend that you go to http://laws.leg.mt.gov/ legprd/law0203w$.startup?P_SESS=20191 and select the subject of Fish and Wildlife. Or if you know a bill’s number or sponsor you can query that also. I strongly advise that all of us watch these and future bills. We on the legislative committee will try to keep you all informed via Facebook and by MBA Legislative Alerts but if you see or hear of a bill that you think MBA should be involved with please let your Regional Representative and Legislative committee members know. If you have an opinion on a bill please inform us. Legislative Committee Members are: Jerry Davis Chair Marlon Clapham Steve Schindler Ray Gross Richard Lewallen In June MBA was also asked to apply for a seat on the Montana Legislative Sportsman’s Caucus Advisory Council. That seat would provide an opportunity to talk with and inform legislators. Sitting on the Advisory Council could benefit MBA by giving us a voice with Legislators before bills are introduced and possibly give us a vehicle to get sponsorship for pro-bowhunting bills. As of today I have not heard if we have been selected but I expect a reply the week of October 15th. I will keep you all posted. Some issues we may want to be watching for are public land access, Habitat Montana, legalization of crossbows during archery only season most likely starting with allowances for handicapped hunters, and removing the permit limitations on the Breaks Archery Elk permits. So to close I hope you all had and are having successful seasons. But remember that we in MBA are the guardians of bowhunting in Montana which includes preserving the traditions of bowhunting, maintaining and gaining additional access to opportunities, and preserving the wildlife we seek.

Bill Draft No. Request (LC No.) Date

Requestor

Status

Status Date

07/23/2018 Revise hunting laws related to out-of-state family member hunting opportunities 07/24/2018 Study resolution on economic opportunities of nonconsumptive uses of wildlife 07/24/2018 Generally revise wildlife laws

LC0038

07/23/2018 Dee Brown (R) SD 2

LC0040

07/24/2018 Mike Phillips (D) SD 31

LC0041

07/24/2018 Mike Phillips (D) SD 31

LC0060

07/29/2018 Jim Keane (D) HD 73

LC0063

07/29/2018 Jim Keane (D) HD 73

LC0092

07/30/2018 Mike Lang (R) SD 17

LC0185

08/20/2018 Mike Lang (R) SD 17

LC0186

08/20/2018 Mike Lang (R) SD 17

LC0187

08/20/2018 Mike Lang (R) SD 17

LC0190

08/20/2018 Mike Lang (R) SD 17

LC0229

08/28/2018 Mike Lang (R) SD 17

(C) Draft Request Received (C) Draft Request Received (C) Draft Request Received (C) Draft Request Received (C) Draft Request Received (C) Draft Request Received (C) Draft Request Received (C) Draft Request Received (C) Draft Request Received

LC0300

09/10/2018 Frederick (Eric) Moore (R) HD 37

LC0396

09/14/2018 Environmental Quality Council

LC0409

09/17/2018 For Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks by Environmental Quality Council 09/17/2018 For Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks by Environmental Quality Council 09/17/2018 For Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks by Environmental Quality Council 09/17/2018 For Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks by Environmental Quality Council 09/17/2018 For Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks by Environmental Quality Council 09/17/2018 Environmental Quality Council

LC0410

LC0411

LC0412

LC0413

Jerry Davis LC0428 LC0430

09/17/2018 Environmental Quality Council

Short Title

07/29/2018 Generally revise invasive species laws 07/29/2018 Generally revise invasive species laws 07/30/2018 Generally revise laws related to sage grouse 08/20/2018 Revise fish, wildlife, and parks commission laws 08/20/2018 Revise bison laws 08/20/2018 Revise laws relating to the Department of Environmental Quality 08/20/2018 Revise laws relating to sage grouse 08/28/2018 Revise laws related to Habitat Montana at Fish, Wildlife, and Parks 09/10/2018 Generally revise bison laws 09/14/2018 Revise laws related to aquatic invasive species programs 09/17/2018 Clarify hunting access enhancement and hunter management statutes

09/17/2018 Clarification on squaring bonus points for hunting party applicants

09/17/2018 Free conservation and base hunting licenses for block management cooperators 09/17/2018 Make conservation license a standalone prerequisite license

09/17/2018 Revise laws related to big game combo license

09/17/2018 Revise bird hunting dog laws 09/17/2018 Revise landowner elk license laws

As you can see there will be a number of issues, some of which may affect and some which do not affect 15 bowhunting.

Winter 2018

HEADER MBA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

MBA Member Spotlight Raymond Gross Where do you live? Dillon, Montana

9. Who are your favorite bowhunting partners? I mostly hunt by my self.

What do you do for a living? Professional Engineer and Land surveyor

10. Do you have a funny or exciting story to share?

What is your age (and can I publish this)? 67

1. When did you start bowhunting? In 1966 I started archery hunting. I have been archery hunting for 51 years. 2. Tell me about your first bowkill. A whitetail deer doe in about 1967. 3. Describe your dream hunt? Every hunt is a dream hunt. Every season I concentrate on any limited permit tag I draw. If I do not draw, I start the season with archery antelope, then elk and then deer and a whitetail buck with a bow. In 2000 I drew a moose tag. I scouted hard for a good bull. The scouting paid off. I shot a good 43-inch spread bull moose the first day of the season with my bow. I shot a bear, earlier that season with a bow. I also harvested a bull elk and a buck antelope with the bow that season. 4. Why do you support the MBA? I joined the MB A in 1984. I support the MBA because the MBA lobbies for and has provided Montana bow hunters with the most and longest archery only seasons of any state. Archery antelope, August 15; six-week Deer and elk archery only season; first week of big horn sheep season archery only; first two weeks of wolf season archery only; early fall bear season archery only; and I probably missed something. 5. How many bows do you own? I own four bows, three traditional and one compound. 6. What one piece of advice would you like to pass onto a new bowhunter? Wait for a good shot, don’t try long shots, or shots when the animal is moving. Commit to not shooting over a certain distance. Keep on keeping on. Sometimes the chance for a good animal just happens. 7. Who is your bowhunting mentor or idol? Fred Bear. 8. Tell me about your favorite bowhunting memory? I have many good bow hunting memories. One of my favorite memories was bugling in the first good bull elk I harvested. I used to aggressively hunt elk. Locate a bull, stock in close and than bugle to get the bull worked up. If the wind didn’t bust me, the bull could come charging in. That’s what happened with this bull. I had to wait for him to turn to draw my bow. At about 15 yards, I made a good lung shot and found the bull about 200 yards away.

Montana

BOWHUNTER

WWW.MTBA.ORG

11. Tell me about “the one that got away.” There are many that got away. Usually they are the biggest ones. 12. Do you have any secret bowhunting tricks to share? I use Nullo chlorophyll pills to reduce body odor. And I use talc powder or a Bic lighter to determine wind direction. If you have a member you would like to be featured in “Member Spotlight”, please contact Steve LePage at mbaregion4@yahoo.com.

MBA YOUTH COMMITTEE

Many Thanks! from some campers

Dear Montana Bow Hunters Association

Youth Committee

’m Jackie Doyle. I am the head of the Youth Committee for the Montana Bow Hunter’s Association. A little background of myself: I live in Sula, Montana. I’m 25 raising a 3 year old boy who is going to be one amazing bow hunter. I am a successful bow hunter. I started shooting a recurve and then I started shooting a compound. Bowhunting has always been a passion of mine ever since I was little. Seeing how close I can get to game before harvesting it is a rush that I cannot get enough of. The drive to be the best bow hunter I can and to push myself is unreal. It’s not all about the harvest, just the joy of taking my bow for a backcountry walk and to explore all the country out there is more than enough. Knowing that I am able to harvest an animal to feed my family brings joy to my heart. For me to be able to bow hunt is truly a blessing, and I am so great full for those who have paved the path for all of us such as Babe Bitzenburger, Fred Bear, Pope and Young and Howard Hill. I am the keeper of the flame and I’ll never let the art and tradition of bow hunting die. I will keep the flame burning and pass on the passion and art of this amazing sport and way of life to the next generation of bow hunter’s as it was passed on to me! The next generation of bow hunter’s is very important. Without them we would lose the flame of bow hunting. The next generation is stronger than ever. The drive in these young people for the art and love of bow hunting is like never before. They are working harder than ever to have perfect form, perfect shots, to be in great condition for themselves and their hunting companions. They are pushing themselves to strive for greatness and show everyone that bow hunting will not die. It is a Passion that runs through their vanes into their souls and pushes them to greatness. I give to you the Keepers of the Flame for bow hunting the next generation of Bow Hunter’s. I have asked a couple people of the next generation what draws them to this tradition, what drives them to fill the passion for bow hunting? What do they feel while just shooting or hunting? Here is what a few of them have to say:

Thank you for making it possible for me and other kids to go to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch for a fun and adventurous 5 days! It is people like you that make outdoor and wildlife education available to the youth of this country. I hope you continue to do this to keep generations knowing what’s out there and how to protect and preserve it. At that camp, I found out a new hobby, fly fishing and fly tying. Now that I’m back in the Bitterroot Valley, I am excited to pursue this hobby and hone my skills with the bountiful source of fish and bodies of water that I now know the importance or protecting. Thanks again, Collin Holmberg

To the Montana Bow Hunters Association and the Doyle family, Thank you for teaching me all of the very useful things I learned at bow camp. I’m glad I could come. I had a ton of fun and I’m happy you had me there. Thank you to Al Kelly for taking the time to drive me to Frenchtown and buying me an awesome lunch. I appreciate it. And thank you to the Libby Archer Club for sponsoring me and sending me to bow camp. I learned a ton and had a blast. Parker Paulsen

Rylie Clark:

I started bow hunting because it was easy to hunt with a rifle. I love the adrenaline of being really close to large animals. Archery helped make hunting what it is today.

Justin Avey:

The challenge that archery hunting adds to hunting an animal- having to draw with the animal close up or coming in, wind matters more, cold weather matters more, making difficult shots through what can appear to be impassible area matter more. Shooting with groups at 3-D so comradery and competitiveness, the stress relief that shooting a bow alone causes, the learned art of tuning your own weapon modifying it, building and tuning your arrows, testing broad heads for penetration and damage done. Being well inside the animals bubble, able to see the muscles twitch hair move, any small movements that may not be visible through a scope. Watching younger kids and people that are new to archery struggle and learn through trial and error and become determined to be better. Remember Shoot Straight and happy hunting!

Jackie Doyle Winter 2018

2018 YOUTH CAMPS HEADER

2018 MBA TEEN BOWHUNTER CAMP

Jackie Doyle, Youth Committee Member hukshuntin@msn.com

Montana

BOWHUNTER

his year we held the 2nd annual Teen Bow Hunting Camp in the East Fork of the Bitterroot Valley. Camp was based out of Pasture Draw. We had an amazing turnout this year. We had a total of 21 kids from all over Montana, 6 girls and 15 boys. We had 4 groups, Team Artemis (girl’s) led by Jackie Doyle and Kari Anderson, Team Pope, led by Brad Zink, Team Khan, led by Dan Edens, and Team Ishi led by Neil Maier. The teams worked together to set up camp, they also took turns doing the chores at camp, cooking, cleaning, set up and take down. The returning camp kids from last year were an amazing help to this year’s camp and the new campers. We had 6 kids that returned from last year!! Camp this year was very hands-on. The youth learned about numerous topics including; broadheads, blood trailing, proper shooting form, judging distance, shot placement, different shot angles, how to properly hang and safely get in and out of a treestand, the importance of proper nutrition and hydration, first aid including what to do in case your hunting partner gets injured, shelters, how to work a GPS unit, elk calling, habitat and behaviors, and scouting. The campers also learned about working together as a group and how to sign into Block Management Land. Each of the campers got a bag full of goodies that included; a head lamp, a multi tool, a first aid kit, a compass, wind detector and a pen and note book. They also got a camp t-shirt, as well as a t-shirt and water bottle from IHUNTFIT and elk reeds from Bugle Ridge Game Calls Each team participated in a mock elk hunt. The four groups took turns with two teams hunting at the same for two elk going different ways. The day before the “hunt”, two 3-D elk targets where placed in different drainages from camp. Our “live bull elk” this year at camp were Jerry Doyle and Alex Sorenson. The Guides where the callers and they would do calls to locate the “bulls” (Alex and Jerry) and follow it with the group they’re guiding. The guides job was to teach the kids about different calls and how to use them, as well as, teach them about keeping the wind in their favor, minimalizing movement, what rubs are, and how to set up when a bull is coming in. They also covered different animals that could be in the area and different tracks and sign from other animals. Once we got to where the elk target was located the caller got with the group and each member of the group was given one shot. Once all had shot, the caller and guide went over each shot placement and what that shot would do to the animal. After the shot placement discussion, the group followed a blood trail which lead the hunters to an elk rack which they had to tie onto a pack and carry out. The MBA Teen Bowhunter Camp was a total success once again. I just want to mention how proud I am of the next generation of bow hunters. This is an outstanding group of young adults who will carry out the tradition of Bowhunting. While doing our blood trailing courses Team Artemis was having a hard time and they got to a point where they had run out of blood and could not find it. The guides talked about different things they could do, 1. They could get mad and upset they lost the trail and go home, 2. They could stop and take a break, relax and then start looking again, or 3. Maybe get some help from one of the other teams. So they stopped took a break and then started looking again. They continued to have a difficult time locating the blood trail. They had last blood marked and just couldn’t find it, so the group opted to get help. Team Pope was located and filled in on what was going on marking the blood trail as they went in where Team Artemis has stopped. Team Artemis showed Pope where last blood was and the teams split up into groups and started looking for the blood trail. It took a little bit but they finally had found that the blood trail had doubled back. They all took turns following it until they found where the animal had finally died at. The group then discussed what may have caused the animal to double back and why it had died where it did. I cannot wait to see the animals they harvest and what great outdoorsmen and women they will become. The next generation, the keepers of the flame will uphold tradition and carry on the passion and pass it on for generations to come. I simply cannot express how proud I am of this group. I just want to thank all the special visitors we had to talk to the youth: Montana State Region 2 Game Warden Lou Royce, Montana State Region 2 Biologist Rebecca Malery, DNRC Thayer Jacues, USDA Forest Service Mark Tenyor, and Montana Wild SHEEP Foundation member’s Tom Powers and Shane Clouse. Thank you to all of our sponsors who donated and sent kids to our camp. A very special thank you to those who made this camp all that it is; Beckie Doyle, Jerry Doyle, Marlon Chlapham, Neil Maire, Dan Edens, Brad Zink, Kari Anderson, Delbert Blake, Alex Sorenson, and all the other organizations and sponsors who sent kids to our camp. Thank you all so much, I cannot wait to see what next year has to offer us. Remember shoot straight and happy hunting to all!!!!

WWW.MTBA.ORG

2018 YOUTH CAMPS

2018 MAGRUDER CAMP

Marlon Clapham

he MBA, TBM, MBEF sponsors all help put these young kids into the wilderness for a fiveday camp. We have been a big part of this camp from the beginning and it has become a camp the kids look forward to attending every year. The twenty kids have a variety of activities that they attend from scoring antlers and horns and learning the different animals who grow them. Forest Ranger Jack teaches them about forest care when hiking and camping in the wilderness and FWP explained the health of the wild life including sheep, deer and elk. Of course, there was fishing every chance they got. The MBA set up a 3D course and this year I put a block target right in camp for just shooting at. I think the kids shot more arrows this year than any year in the past. There was hardly a time when there wasn’t several kids shooting. The flu-flu arrows were a big hit and we shot them for hours. I think if it were for the bows and arrows the kids would get bored with nothing to take up the free time. Hyme Anderson came along to help me out with the young shooters and fit right in with all the kids. He was the big brother for every kid in camp. It took a lot of the work load off me.

SCRIPS CAMP Marlon Clapham

his is a new camp started from the Teller Youth Expo. Mr. Charles Scrips wanted to start a youth camp on his ranch so the Mule Deer Foundation, Tracy and Tom headed this one up. They asked the MBA to bring up the Archery gear so the kids could shoot the bows. Jerry Doyle and I set up the net and got the kids set up with a bow and we began to shoot. We hung the water bags on the teeter tater to see who could empty their bag first. We divided into two teams, Jerry was coach of the A team and I was the B team. Turned out to be a load of fun. The A team jumped out to a 2 to 6 lead but the B team didn’t give up and at the end, it was 8 to 8 going into the flying discs with the Flu Flus. The B team jumped out in the lead but the A team went to the free agency and pulled in an ace, Tracy. It was pretty even when it was all over but the kids had a blast.

Winter 2018

A KNIFE FOR DAD HEADER

A KNIFE FOR DAD

I have a piece of thin Porcelanite that came from Ashland, Montana. Here’s a picture of it before I start making the knife blade.

To remove a square edge, you start by hitting the rock below the center of mass. Hit one side then turn it over and hit the other side. Continue in this manner until the square edge becomes a working platform to remove larger flakes.

Picture 3 is looking at the flat side of the piece with it chipped all the way around on both sides.

In picture 4 you are looking at the working edge. You move your working edge to the thicker side so you can take off longer flakes.

Now you strengthen the platform by grinding at a 70-degree angle to the flat piece. This strengthens the working edge so that it doesn’t crush when you strike the edge to remove three or four large flakes to thin the biface.

Indirect percussion is done by holding the tool under your knee or by putting a strap over top of your leg to hold the tool while hitting it with a heavy mallet.

#10

Now you shape the piece where I have drawn the line. The thick side is on top. Remember to chip straight down to remove small chips as you make several passes to reach the pencil line.

Finished blade with bopper

Either end of the blade can be used as a knife by wrapping the opposite end in leather. I made this knife for myself. I’m Dad!

Strengthen the edge by grinding then remove large flakes from the bottom by striking the platform at a 45-degree angle with the bopper. (Decrease the angle for longer flakes.) This process is called percussion flaking.

I hope this helps anyone getting started in flintknapping. Remember bow hunting is CLOSE, BROADSIDE, STANDING STILL, ETHICAL RESPONSIBLE, LEGAL As always my number is 406 749 0706.

Bob Morgan Region 7

You do this by striking straight down with your tool with the piece lying flat. Flakes always come off the bottom below the center of mass. With the hump or thicker side up, strike straight down to remove small flakes. That will move your working edge up pass the center of mass and eventually allow you to take those larger flakes off the bottom. (As seen in picture 5.)

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Continue shaping the blade by pressure flaking to straighten the edges or indirect percussion to remove longer flakes and more mass. The pencil line on picture 9 indicates the flake I intend to remove with indirect percussion. Remember flakes always are removed from the bottom when you strike the platform.

MEMBER STORY

The Fantastic Adventures of Mr. Wienie 2018

By Stephen LePage

ast year I wrote an article entitled “The Fantastic Adventures of Mr. Wienie”. Let me summarize it for you: I wanted a blood tracking dog; my wife bought a wiener dog and I did not want a wiener dog. I trained it over the summer, it worked a little bit. Oh yeah and my kids named it Mr. Wienie even though it is a female. I was optimistic that with another season of training Mr. Wienie would turn into a bonified, real, honest to goodness blood tracking dog. That all fell apart when the snow melted this spring and we started training her again. Allow me to digress, you cannot train a blood tracking wiener dog in the winter with snow on the ground. The reasons for this are two-fold: they would simply follow your tracks visually and that would defeat the purpose of requiring them to use their nose and secondly: a wiener dog has a clearance of 2 inches, making them useless for the purpose of dog sledding, skijoring, treeing lions, or carrying a small barrel of brandy around their neck. Once the snow melted, I started out optimistically training Mr. Wienie. The first training session brought me abject horror. I attributed her inability to a long winter with nothing but sitting under the dinner table finding scraps, tearing up numerous dog beds, biting my feet as I walked by and sitting on my couch shedding hair onto the pillows. I gave Mr. Wienie several more training session that resulted in nothing but frustration. As I strongly believe that every animal I own should have a job and do it well, I told my wife that Mr. Wienie was going to “live on a farm”. After calming me down and sending Mr. Wienie to a doggie physiologist (not really), my wife banned me from training the dog for the remainder of our lives. She diligently began an organized and systematic training regimen for the dog. She never invited me to join and I would only casually inquire as to the results of the training sessions. Most of the time she would simply answer, “not well”. After many interviews and my most polished sales pitch, I concluded that no farmers in our area see the need to adopt a wiener dog. So, I resigned myself to another hunting season with Mr. Wienie. Opening weekend, my daughter shot a good bull and she shot it well. She saw exactly where it went into the timber and heard it fall. Even though she made a great shot, there was very little blood and we decided to give Mr. Wienie a chance on the track. She aggressively pulled on the end of her lead right to the elk about 100 yards away. A couple of days later, while hiking I happened upon a mountain lion. I was fortunate enough to put an arrow into it. I was uncertain of shot placement, so I waited 30 minutes and looked for first blood. I found my arrow and a decent blood trail. I started working the trail and over an hour later I was out of blood and had only covered maybe 75 yards. I had circled and even gridded the area, it was not looking good. At this juncture I remembered I had a blood tracking dog back at camp. I started Mr. Wienie where I had found my arrow and good blood. She was extremely hesitant, as she has never smelled lion blood before. She would run ahead on the blood for 5 yards and then run back to me and sit on my foot. I would prod her on and she would go ahead 10 yards and then return to hide

behind me. After much encouragement, many retreats, and growling at two brush piles she escorted me another 200 yards to the dead cat. I am certain I would not have found the lion without Mr. Wienie’s abilities. I was convinced. I remembered last year, when I had put the dog on a bear blood trail and she had a very similar response. Conversely, when we put her on the blood trail of a deer or an elk she is eager and it is all you can do to keep up with the little sausage. I am certain she can tell the difference between a predator and an herbivore. A week later my daughter had made a poor hit on a good whitetail. It was far back and so we left the animal for 6 hours and when we returned we brought Mr. Wienie. We found her arrow and it smelled like guts, further confirming our concerns. We followed very poor blood only ten yards and then nothing. We put Mr. Wienie on the trail and she followed it a very short distance and right to a dead whitetail. It turns out she made a great quartering away shot. One day, while not hunting, I got a call from a friend asking if Mr. Wienie was available and if I would be willing to help him pack out an elk if we made a successful recovery. Within an hour we were up there. He had followed the bull a couple of hundred yards, but had run out of blood. We put Mr. Wienie on the last blood and she ran the remaining 80 or so yards right to the elk. Again, I believe we would have found this bull without the dog, but she recovered it much more quickly and eliminated the frustrations associated with gridding and making circles. My wife and I were pulling some pronghorn blinds when her phone rang. Amy notified me that a friend had called and needed Mr. Wienie. A friend of his had shot a bear the night before and while tracking it, darkness fell. We quickly ran home and grabbed Mr. Wienie and drove out to their ranch. Unfortunately, last blood was in a huge patch of hawthorn. I am certain that the majority of people reading this have had the misfortune of walking/bellycrawling through a large patch of hawthorn, so I will forego the description of the misery of that experience. I will add that it becomes several orders of magnitude more difficult when you have an excited wiener dog, who can pass through hawthorn unencumbered, on a 30-foot lead. This being the second bear that Mr. Wienie tracked, she was not hesitant at all and charged the short distance to recover the bear. During the 2018 bowhunting season, Mr. Wienie has been involved with tracking seven animals. Only one of the seven was not recovered and that shot was less than desirable. I am not trying to say that all of the animals were recovered solely due to her efforts, but she did find some that would not have been found without her assistance. This season, she made a believer out of me. I guess Mr. Wienie will not have to go live on a farm after all.

Winter 2018

My Triple Crown

MEMBER STORY

Trident Bull by Jackie Doyle

To say that I am passionate about bowhunting is an understatement. From the time I was twelve I had always wanted to harvest a bull. While other girls where playing Barbie and having sleepovers, I was chasing screaming bulls through the backcountry of Western Montana. I would follow my dad for endless hours and miles. Wherever he went, I went. Once I hit high school my parents had made the deal that if I kept good grades, I didn’t have to go to school. So needless to say, I was never at school. While everyone else played sports I was off hunting because bowhunting was more important to me than anything. I have had many encounters with elk during archery season. I had many opportunities and shots but I was unsuccessful. I have had the worst case of elk fever you could think of. My heart sounded like it was going to pound out of my chest. I felt pressured, and it was all a head game that I needed to overcome or I wouldn’t be able to harvest an elk with my bow. So years of dealing with this and trying to have others help with this was just too much. So I put it in my head it doesn’t matter what others think. I can do this. September 8th 2018. It was a nice sunny hot afternoon near Wisdom Montana. It was my mom’s birthday. So myself, my son Landen, boyfriend Justin, little cousin Constance, mom Beckie and our friend Kari, decided we would go for an afternoon drive to see if we could find a mule deer my mom could harvest on her birthday. We had been out all afternoon. We hadn’t seen anything and it was a hot afternoon. So on the way out I had an idea about stopping and maybe doing some calling to locate for Sunday’s hunt. So that is just what we did. I pulled out the cow calls and bugle. I cow called a few times and then bugled like a young bull with some cows. Not even a full minute had passed and we heard a bull answer from behind us. So we got set up. Mind you there is 6 of us. So I tucked in behind some trees hopping to call the elk in. I look down the hill about 80 yards and I can see the bull. He looks legal. So I did some cow calling. But nothing. So I tried a bugle, and that was it. Here he came. He was on a mission to find the small bull with the cows. He went behind a tree and that’s when I drew my bow. He came in perfect. At full draw I made two cow calls to get him to stop. He stopped right behind a tree with just his shoulder and head showing. As soon as he stepped forward, I released my arrow and watched it sink into the bull. The bull spun and headed down the hill. I could see my arrow sticking out both sides of him. He stopped at about 45 yards down the hill and bedded down. I was so excited that I was shaking from head to toe. I threw my arms up in the air. Justin, Landen, Beckie, Constance and Kari had watched me call and shoot this bull. I sat down on the ground and was shaking with excitement. After a few minutes I walked backed to where everyone else was. With excitement I had told them, “I just shot a non-typical bull elk!!!” While we were all gathered and talking Justin said “right there, there’s another bull” we all turned around and there was another bull right there staring at us all. We tried to get it to come in with calls but no luck. So we waited about half hour and then went down to my bull. I was so excited that I had finally

Montana

BOWHUNTER

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after 16 years of trying and putting in hundreds of miles and enduring snow, rain, heat, cold and everything Montana has to offer in the backcountry. We got up to my bull and it was the coolest non-typical ever!! His left antler looks like a trident with a huge club. His right side just a straight 4 point. I couldn’t be more exited and blessed to have harvested this beautiful bull and have everyone there with me. Justin showed me how to cape it out and take the quarters and back straps and tender loins off without gutting it. Beckie and Kari helped me pack it all out!! Having Justin there to show me how to cape it out correctly was remarkable. I learned a lot from him showing me and teaching me. I am truly blessed to have had this bull be my triple crown. My first archery elk, first bull and first non-typical!! We loaded it into the truck and headed back to camp. Meanwhile my dad Jerry and friends Lance and Christian where hunting some wallows. So the whole way back to camp I was thinking of different ways to mess with them. So at camp we started a fire and waited for them to get back. They finally get to camp. I walk over to the truck as they all get out. I tell them, “I made a shot on an elk and I need them to load up in mom’s truck to come help me find it.” So they grabbed their stuffed and we walked to the back of mom’s truck to load up and leave. I turned my head lamp on and when they all went to set their stuff in the back they saw my bull!! The looks on their faces were priceless. I pulled it off. They couldn’t believe we had my elk back to camp. Then when I told them that it was a non-typical their faces lit up with smiles!! I they’re all so happy for me. What a wonderful way to end the first harvest of my first archery elk and first bull!!! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has to offer me!!!!

CONTACT NUMBERS

FWP Commission Members fwpwld@mt.gov

District 5

District 1

District 3

Tim Aldrich Missoula 406-241-7164

Richard Stuker, Vice-Chairman Chinook 406-357-3495

District 2

District 4 Logan Brower Scobey 406-230-2188

Dan Vermillion, Chairman Livingston 406-222-0624

BUSINESS & CLUB MEMBERS

Shane Colton Billings 406-259-998

Active as of Ma 2018

Become a Business Member of the MBA and be listed on this page every issue! For membership visit www.mtba.org.

James Brown

PO Box 96

Richey

59259

406-773-5509

Buffalo Jump Archery

Judy Adams

P.O. Box 5581

Helena

59604

406-539-3936

Elk Creek Family Outfitters

David Hein

1021 Toole Circle

Billings

59105

406-670-4366

First Class Outdoors, LLC

10 Grassy Flat Rd

Roundup

59072

661-317-0001

Halloran Knives

9 Triview Lane

Great Falls

59404

406-217-7012

Hammer-em Outfitting

P.O. Box 472

Stanford

59479

406-366-5042

Hardin Middle School

611 W 5th St

Hardin

59034

Libby Archery Club

P.O. Box 755

Libby

59923

406-293-7174

Libby Sports Center

204 W 9th ST

Libby

59923

406-293-4641

Matablas Game Hunters

Willem Frost

P.O. Box 1559

Lephalale, 0555

South Africa

27116794664

Moody’s Dirty Laundry

Jay Moody

221 W 9th St

Libby

59923

406-291-1609

Montana Historical Society Library

PO Box 201201

Helena

59620

406-444-3485

Northwest Motorsports

Tom Gilmore

2318 Granite Creek Rd

Libby

59923

406-293-3131

Pronghorn Custom Bows

Herb Meland

2491 W 42nd St

Casper

82604

307-234-1824

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

David Allen

5705 Grant Creek Road

Missoula

59808

406-523-4500

Spirit Quest Archery

Kevin & Kim Friedman

115 Rocky Cliff Rd

Kalispell

59901

406-756-5455

Tricon Commercial Construction

Jason Catron

385 Old Corvallis Rd

Hamilton

59840

406-381-9672

Western Trailer & Marine Sales

Clyde Thomas, Jr.

1865 Hwy 2 E

Havre

59501

406-265-4572

Yellowstone Country Bear Hunters Assoc.

Joe Kondelis

4116 Temple Xreek

Cody

82414

307-899-0461

Tom Hallora

Northwest Motorsports carries the G3 boat lineup for your hunting and fishing needs. Outfitted with Yamaha outboard engines for industry leading performance and reliability. Check them out at Northwest-Motorsports.com or call 406-293-9990

Winter 2018

HEADER

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

FAMILY MEMBERSHIP One Year $30.00 Three Years $81.00 Life $750.00

JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP (Under 18) One Year

$5.00

CLUB MEMBERSHIP One Year $45.00 Three Years $120.00

BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP One Year $45.00 Three Years $120.00

OVERSEAS MEMBERSHIP

Add $10.00 a year to membership choice for added mailing costs

Join Today!

Visit the MBA website at: www.mtba.org

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Memberships run January 1 to December 31 each year.

CHRIS BLASKOWSKI 2018 Moose

ANDREW SURA, age 13, Black bear, first big game animal with a bow!

DREW STEINBERGER

JUNE LePAGE elk

KARA KOELZER 2018 whitetail. 15 yard shot out of a ground blind at 39 weeks pregnant. Hoyt bow vpa broadhead.

DAN EDENS Team leader at the teen bow camp and his son, Hunter with his Elk. Hunter was also at the teen camp as a camper and mentor

BRIAN KOELZER 2018 big Buck!

AUSTIN PHILLIPS moose

STEVE SCHINDLER 2018 elk

STEPHANIA PRATER, First big game bow kill. whitetail deer!

KIM BLASKOWSKI first Mule deer!

LIBERTY BROWN 2018 Antelope

Winter 2018

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?

What the MBA has done for you? • • • •

•

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.

Photos by Denver Bryan / Images on the Wildside

•

What can you do for bowhunting in Montana? Join the MBA at www.mtba.org to preserve, promote and protect bowhunting.

Spring 2015