Region 1
Region 2
Al Kelly PO Box 219 Libby, MT 59923 406-293-2900 alman@frontiernet.net
Marlon Clapham 4455 Hoover Lane, Stevensville, MT 59870 406-777-2408 mbaregion2@gmail.com
Kevin Robinson 2110 Wylie Ave, Missoula, MT 59802 406-531-8243 kevin.robinson@technometalpost.com
Region 3
Region 4
Liberty Brown 275 Vigilante Trl. Bozeman, MT 59718 406-581-7216 mbareg3@gmail.com
Justin Doll 1311 15th St S, Great Falls, MT 59405 406-939-0804 j.doll6190@gmail.com
Jess Wagner 201 Big Sky Lane, Lewistown, MT 59457 406-939-3458 jess_wagner2@hotmail.com
Region 5
Region 6
Ben Buller 4143 King Ave East, Billings, MT 59101 406-672-5616 buller_ben@yahoo.com
Tristan Manuel 48538 Anderson Rd, Havre, MT 59501 406-399-5114 HiLineTraditional@gmail.com
Nick Siebrasse 4996 Bullhook Rd., Havre, MT 59501 406-390-0402 bowdude@mtintouch.net
Region 7
EVEN YEARS
Rick Miller PO Box 2336 Colstrip, MT 59323 406-749-0292 grrizzz@q.com
Bob Morgan P.O. Box 1995, Colstrip, MT 59323 406-749-0706 robertredface@gmail.com
Cliff Garness 5901 Western Drive, Great Falls MT 59404 - obsession_archery@yahoo.com 406-788-9009
Jake Garness 5901 Western Drive, Great Falls MT 59404 - powderslayer22@gmail.com
Stephanie Prater 416 Entrance Ave., Lewistown MT 59457 - mthuntress406@gmail.com 406-461-6949
Alisha Zemlicka 283 Upper Violet Road, Bozeman, MT 59718 - massagebyalishia@hotmail.com 406-853-2579 ODD YEARS
Jeremy Harwood 1047 Cheyenne Rd, Helena, MT 59602 - jeremyharwood86@gmail.com 406-579-0678
Mike Shepard 251 7th Ave E N, Columbia Falls, MT 59912 406-250-9806 michaelshepard7@gmail.com
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.
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 Julie Jensen at 5311 161 Ave SE, Kindred, ND 58051 or email jjensen44@mac.com. All materials are the opinion of the author unless otherwise stated, and are subject to being edited. All submitted or published photos may be used by the MBA in the newsletter, and MBA Photo Album and/or on Facebook. Any questions as to policies of MBA please contact the President.
Please send new memberships or renewal memberships to MBA Tresurer, PO Box 426, Helena MT 59624 or call 406-404-6168, register online at www.mtba.org or ask a member.
PRESIDENT
Ken Schultz
302 Wyoming Ave • Billings, MT 59101 schultzy@iwks.net • 406-598-8550
1ST VICE PRESIDENT
Brian Koelzer 80 Jansma Lane • Manhattan, MT 59741 rocknrollbowhunter3@yahoo.com • 406-570-7997
2ND VICE PRESIDENT
Stephen LePage 2574 Divide Rd • Lewistown, MT 59457 mbaregion4@yahoo • 406-535-5636
Mandy Garness 5901 Western Dr • Great Falls, MT 59404 camoquilter@gmail.com • 406-750-9953
SECRETARY
Jerry Davis 725 Middlemas Road • Helena, MT 59602 pipelinejerry@gmail.com • 406-475-2226
PAST PRESIDENT
Stephen LePage 2574 Divide Rd • Lewistown, MT 59457 mbaregion4@yahoo • 406-535-5636
MAGAZINE EDITOR
Julie Jensen 5311 161 Ave SE • Kindred, ND 58051 jjensen44@mac.com • 701-361-9197
Legislative: Chair: Jerry Davis Jess Wagner • Steve LePage
Financial: Chair: Mandy Garness Al Kelly • Jeremy Harwood
Landowner/Sportsman: Chair: Stephanie Prater Tristan Manuel • Jess Wagner Rick Miller
Nominations: Chair: Steve LePage Stephanie Prater
Awards: Chair: Cliff Garness Steve LePage
Membership: Chair: Steve LePage Mandy Garness • Nick Siebrasse
Convention 2023 Chair: Kevin Robinson Marlon Clapham • Mandy Garness
Magazine: Chair: Jerry Davis Cliff Garness • Stephanie Prater
Carp Shoot: Chair: Kevin Robinson Stephen LePages • Jerry Davis Marlon Clapham • Claudia Davis
Bow-Ed: Chair: Marlon Clapham Nick Siebrasse • Tristan Manuel Al Kelly
Youth Membership and MBA Teen Bowhunter Camp Chair: Marlon Clapham Kevin Robinson • The Doyles
Governance Chair: Jerry Davis • Al Kelly
PTMAE Chair: Marlon Clapham Steve LePage
Tentatives Chair: Rick Miller Steve LePage • Jess Wagner
Well, just like that another archery season has come and gone. Every year that six-week window feels a little bit shorter. Even with a heavy work load and juggling the rigors of a young family, I was able to get some quality days in the woods this fall. A nice 6-point bull even fell for my poor calling and got to ride home with me in the back of my truck. Abundant spring and summer rain made for a great fall to be out in the woods. It was as lush and green as I can ever remember around my home here in the southwest corner of the state.
Greetings All,
Ihope this article finds you doing well and having a successful hunting season so far. Rifle season just got under way in Montana. I’m seeing a lot of trucks heading to the field! If you did not have success during bow season maybe your luck will change for rifle. This leads me into the hot topic of “Choose your Weapon, Choose your Season” proposal. Obviously, there are mixed feelings about this topic. If you have a strong opinion either way, be sure to reach out to the FWP and share. It’s really important that they hear from the Public on these proposals that pop up. Sitting back and letting things happen will not work. Speak up and be heard! This year the Region “5” Montana Bowhunters Association was involved in the “Big Sky Youth Event” again at Blue Creek Shooting Complex on Bender Road. It’s an awesome event that is “Free” for the kids and they get to try their hand at archery, shotgun, rifle, rock climbing as well other fun stuff for the day. There were over 100 kids that attended this year. Thanks to all the wonderful organizations, and along with Scheels, almost every kid left the event with a prize! The MBA had a booth at the event and we had probably 50 kids come by our booth and shoot bow. They had a great time thanks to my helper Nathan Kaiser. The day then finished out with a hot lunch and lots of prizes given out. It’s open to anyone who would like to attend no matter where you’re from. Come join us next year!!!
Legislative sessions are getting ready to kick off soon. Make sure you stay connected with things and let’s not let anything slip through the cracks. Crossbows have been mentioned again and I would not be surprised to see it come up. We’ll fight hard for you and we’ll need your support. I’m very thankful for the group of awesome folks on the board that stay engaged. I couldn’t do this without them!
Good Luck with the rest of the season and may you be blessed with success and Great times with Family and Friends in the field. Be very careful and be respectful of landowners and their property. There are few of those that still let folks hunt, so let’s not mess that up! I had a couple of good friends that had daughters shoot their first buck this year. It is so awesome to see their faces and how excited they are! Congrats to all first-time hunters!
I’ll leave you with that and remember “Shoot Straight and Always be a Straight Shooter”!
For the first time in my life, I failed to draw the 900 antelope tag and I’ve heard of quite a few other folks both resident and non-resident who did not draw either. It wasn’t very long ago that we were thousands of applicants shy of the quota but apparently this year that was not the case. I’ll be interested to see how many applicants there were when that information becomes available. I also failed to get my Wyoming mule deer and 1st choice antelope tags which have always been a 100% draw as well. The influx of people fleeing the concrete jungles and settling in the western states is rapidly changing the opportunity we once took for granted and even though there is strength in numbers the growing pains hurt.
For the past 17 years I have been an active bow ed instructor and it has been a very rewarding experience. I have never been a fan of online bowhunter education but have helped instruct on many of the once mandatory field days for those students who choose to take that route. From the beginning, the gap in knowledge between on-liner and in-person class students has been very apparent. Since the onset of the rona, field days have been waived for on-liners and from what I hear there is no intention of bringing them back. In-person classes have been reinstated, but attendance is painfully low. With nearly 3 times the numbers of people taking the course as there was pre-rona I’m concerned this will bite everyone on the butt in the future.
From what I hear there are landowners willing to allow public access to their property, but they are asking for a higher level of education in order to make that happen. The “Master Hunter” program is in its infancy and I admit I only have a basic knowledge of it, but I think there is nothing wrong with a program that makes a person prove themselves worthy of gaining access to some fine hunting property. Time will tell, I guess.
I spent the last weekend of archery season hunting whitetails and the first critter to walk by me was a sow griz. I’m 30 miles from the nearest mountains out in the prairie and this was the 16th different bear confirmed on the property so far this fall. Griz numbers are high and they are venturing out into their historic home range at a fast pace. There is no reason there should not be a limited draw for them in this state. I also believe we should make a push to legalize black bear baiting. We can hunt them spring and fall as well as with hounds so why not over bait? What better way to make absolutely sure what you are shooting at? That is enough rambling from me for one newsletter. Good luck to you all chasing whitetails this November and may your arrows fly true!
Brian Koelzer
Like every bowhunting season, this fall has been filled with emotional ups and downs. While sitting in a tree stand or a blind for endless hours, I often think about why we so passionately bowhunt. We endure harsh weather, unforgiving terrain, and self-imposed frustration while facing failure after failure. We, with great fervor and enthusiasm, pursue animals that have superior sight, hearing, smell and possibly even a sense or two that we do not even possess. In addition, we choose a difficult means by which to pursue these animals, the bow and arrow.
At least once a season, I question the sanity of those of us who choose this endeavor called bowhunting. This was no more evident to me than the last bowhunt I went on with my son, Mitchel. We were bowhunting in Newfoundland for moose and the archery season overlapped with the rifle season on our last day there. When the guide offered to loan me a gun for the last day of the hunt, I declined. I made the same offer to my 16-year-old son, who promptly refused and looked at me in disbelief that I would even make the offer. The strange thing is that he has never killed a moose. We were seeing moose almost every day and I believe getting within rifle range would have been a relatively simple prospect. Yet it was important to both of us to hunt with a bow or fail completely.
Some might say they bowhunt to obtain great table fare. I love venison and it is the primary meat in our household. But I must admit a few things about this idea, I also like beef and pork. With the amount of money I spend on hunting trips and gear I could easily purchase enough meat to fill the freezer. Not to mention the amount of time I spend in the field…if I were to put as much effort and passion into a business venture, I am certain I would be a titan of industry or at least a rich man!
Truth be told, the reason that I bow ‘hunt is that it is incredibly difficult. I have heard it said that nothing that is worth doing is easy and that is the reason I bowhunt. Because every now and then when we send an arrow into the air and it finds its mark for a clean, ethical kill, we know we have done it the hard way.
Ihope that everyone had a great bowhunting hunting season. Sorry to say but this year my season did not pan out too well. But there is always next year.
I just received my absentee ballot a couple of days ago. Our elections are foremost on my mind. Given the ongoing Legislative and FW Commission battles, I am concerned that our hunting and fishing heritage is under attack.
By the time you read this we will have a better understanding of the Anti-Public Hunting/Fishing politicians’ strength in the Legislature and what their tactics may be. I suspect it will be ugly. Given the results of previous sessions and from the last tenatives debacle I am pretty sure there will be moves to allow private landowners the ability to sell big game tags. And I am also sure there will be attacks on stream access and public lands and their access.
On a positive note, however, The Big Snowy Mountains WMA was approved by the Land Board. Our Attorney General, Austin Knudsen was the lone dissenting vote. You may remember that Mr. Knudsen sponsored a crossbow bill for one of his constituents a few years back when he was a Legislator. All other members of the Land Board voted to approve the purchase. Kudos to them!! I hope you all have let them know you appreciate their vote.
I certainly hope that regardless of your political persuasion you took time to understand how your Legislators feel about protecting Montana’s hunting and fishing heritage. That includes keeping crossbows out of Montana’s Archery Only seasons.
As we all know, there is a movement afoot to privatize the citizens of Montana’s game and fish and to limit access to those resources. We are seeing this play out in the United Properties Owners of Montana’s lawsuit against FWP to remove wildlife management from the purview of the FW Commission and to put it under the authority of the Legislature.
Given what I predict will be an extremely volatile Legislative Session I will not be looking forward to it. Seems like moderates and compromise from both sides will be a thing of the past.
We already know that there will be another crossbow bill by Senator Molnar. I am sure that will be MBA’s main focus this Session. I am hoping that you, our MBA membership, can start talking to Legislators as soon as election results are final. Let them know that crossbows pose a serious threat to Montana’s iconic Archery Only Season.
I am guessing there will also be a lot of legislation trying to limit the FW Commission authority and moves to privatize Montana’s fish and wildlife.
I cannot overstate this, but it is the voters of Montana who continue to elect legislators who do not have our interests at heart. It doesn’t seem to matter to the Legislature as to what the majority of Montana’s hunters and fishers desire. Instead it seems to be all about money.
It is only the Montana voter who can take back control to ensure our hunting and fishing heritage remains.
As I alluded to above we’ll see how the elections go.
Jerry Davis
Ispent some time between archery and rifle season with some non-hunters, not to be confused with anti-hunters. My husband’s aunts were in town and while they don’t hunt, they are always ready to test out our latest salami recipe and are appropriately excited to see the photos and hear our hunting stories. We talk about hunting with other hunters, with non-hunters, and sometimes defend our stance with anti-hunters. Within the group of hunters, you could debate the crossbow issue as well as the pros and cons of potential changes to hunting regulations. I encourage you to remain educated as the issues progress and open discussions with all kinds of peers. We archers are sometimes tight lipped and very private about our hunting spots and also our political opinions… that needs to change. We need to continually be informing our neighbors and nonhunting friends about the issues. You can bet our opponents (i.e. Senator Molnar) are doing the same. Share an MBA post, forward an email, and recruit a new member. The best stocking stuffer you may give this year could be an MBA membership!
Mandy Garness
Mandy Garness
2022 Archery Season has come to a close. I hope Everyone had a meaningful season. It has been one of those years for me. We just didn’t get out much.
Before the season even got started Kevin and I held two Area Rep Meetings to go over some of the issues that were coming up. Region 2 will be hoisting the 2023 Convention at Fairmont Hot Springs the first of April. We are trying to form a committee for those who would like to help out. We still need to get seminar speakers for Saturday afternoon, so if there is someone you would like to see, let us know. There is more and more talk about the Choose Your Weapon, or Either Or as it was called in the past. I don’t know who or what group opened up this can of worms. But what I’ve read so far, the Bowhunters will be getting the short straw. I know it is a long way from being finalized but I personally don’t like it. The Elk Scoping Meetings around the region to see what the FWP has in store for the up-coming elk season 2023,
here in the Bitterroot–not much will be different. Looks like a few boundary changes in the Lolo area 240, following the elk herds home range. And of course, the permits will change again. We’ll see how it all plays out with the Commission Meetings over the winter. The Crossbow issue will once again raise it’s ugly head come Legislation Session this fall and winter. More on that as it gets underway.
I am the Bowhunter Education Committee Chair and over the few months I have tried to reach out to the MBA Bow-Ed instructors to get a feel on how the program is being run across the state. There were 31 responders that participated. So here is my summery of what their thoughts were.
1 – Remove the free On-Line Classes and bring back the Field Day
2 – Make the Field Day mandatory again
3 – Need more Instructor training classes
4 – Follow the agenda better
5 – Get the FWP more involved with what is going on in our classes
I know this is vague and not much of an explanation but I had to start somewhere. The Board of Directors will have to discuss the issues to see if we can get some changes through FWP.
We are looking forward to the Whitetail Rut and the late season. Wish everyone luck and a safe late season. Use your treestand harnesses and stay warm.
Once again Shoot-Em Straight Keep-Em Sharp Hope to see ever yone at the Convention
Happy Fall from Region 2! As I write this (October 23rd) the leaves are starting to fall and the mountain peaks are covered in snow. I watched a mature buck threaten a few others with ears pinned back and stiff legged from the tree stand this evening, we’re getting into my favorite time of year! Whitetail numbers in and around Missoula seem to be really good along with aboveaverage antler growth. We have a new Region 2 biologist that I will be contacting soon to introduce myself as a representative for all you Region 2 folks.
Fellow bowhunters of the last best place,
Hope everyone had a great season. I am recovering from surgery and so this season will go down as a season missed. Way too much time to think about what I am missing out on. Way too much of my thoughts revolve around what I see as an assault on the sportsman’s way of life that we have enjoyed for so long. Please pay attention and use your voice to hold on to the way of life we live here for. I have kids who are into outdoor adventure (fishing, hunting, camping and all things outdoor). I feel sad to see that the opportunities I have enjoyed in my lifetime are being eroded. Some of the things that pass for progress stink like s@#* to me.
I talked to Becky Doyle this week and heard some stories about a couple of young ladies from the Teen bowhunter camp who got out with her help and harvested deer with their archery equipment. Way to go Becky and Jerry, you guys ROCK! If you have a chance to get involved with the teen bowhunter program, you will be very impressed with the young folks that are coming up behind us. It is a great way to pass it forward.
If there’s any concerns or questions you have, feel free to contact me and I will relay that to him. With the general season opened up and many of you headed to the river bottoms to bow hunt deer I wish you a safe and successful hunt. I’m off to my annual Illinois bow hunt in a few weeks and will return to Montana with our deer rut in full swing, life is good!
I was fortunate to have a successful early September elk hunt with my buddies on our annual backcountry trip. It was a very hot, dry and quiet hunt but we were able to squeak out a couple young bulls. It seemed like there were above average number of successful elk hunters around here during mid-September.
A few reminders too, for Region 2 members. We are hosting the 50th annual (if my math is correct) MBA Convention at Fairmont Hot Springs. Any volunteers would be greatly appreciated and we are looking for seminar speakers as well. You can reach me directly by phone or email or snail mail if you’re a stamp licker. Also, that damn crossbow bill is lurking right around the corner so stay informed and be vigilant. Contacting the folks on the committee that will be involved is very effective and the best way to keep it out of the archery only season. Our kids and grandkids will appreciate our efforts the most!
Be safe and shoot straight!
Kevin M Robinson
Hello Region 3 Bowhunters,
The fall season is now behind us, and winter seems to be settling in quickly. Hopefully you all had time to get out into the woods at some point this year. For me, my opportunities have been really limited but I’m hoping to still get out at least one more time before the season ends.
I’ve been following the general season hunter harvest reports from FWP and it appears that elk harvest numbers coming out of the Cameron and Gallatin check stations seem to be pretty high compared to previous years. On the other hand, the Alder and Divide check stations have been below average.
Here’s the latest report I received from FWP… Ennis/Cameron Check Station Fourth Weekend Report 11/12/22 and 11/13/22
The Cameron game check station opened 10:00am and closed at dark on both days. Personnel were Julie Cunningham (MFWP) and Morgan Monroe (MSU). Weather was cold, from single digits to low 30oF range, but winds were light. This weekend was a couple of days after a heavy snowfall event.
Personnel checked a total of 440 hunters. Game checked included 98 elk, 9 mule deer, 14 white-tailed deer, and 1 pronghorn. Hunter success for deer and
elk was 27.5%. The number of elk harvested, number of white-tailed deer harvested, and hunter success rates were all record highs for this weekend. The number of mule deer harvested was average.
ELK: 7 bulls, 17 cows, and 2 calves from HD 322 31 bulls (1 was an illegal spike), 35 cows, and 6 calves from HD 360
MULE DEER : 2 bucks and 3 does from HD 322, 4 bucks from HD 360
WHITE-TAILED DEER: 2 bucks, 2 does, and 2 fawns from HD 360 3 does and 5 bucks from HD 322
PR ONGHORN: 1 buck from HD 360
Congrats if you were lucky enough to fill your freezer. Enjoy your winter knowing you got it done. If you’re like me, well there’s always next year. Thank you! Liberty Brown
some great days of elk hunting, there were some days where I got my butt kicked as far as finding elk goes. I definitely took for granted the ability to move around to different units. One day I went for a drive in one of the units I used to hunt to see how bad the pressure was. It is a unit that had a huge number of surplus permits. When there are surplus permits, the 10% non-resident cap does not apply. Based on all the non-resident hunters that I saw, it was evident that most of those surplus permits were probably picked up by non-residents. I’m not saying that is a good thing or a bad thing, but it was interesting to see. It’s still hard to wrap my head around a limited quota unit having 400-500 leftover permits. Things are definitely changing! It will be interesting to see if FWP makes any changes as a result of the citizens elk group’s proposals.
FWP recently sent out a mule deer management survey to 5000 random hunters. It is encouraging that mule deer management is at least on their radar. Be sure to keep taking advantage of your opportunities for public comment.
Greetings everyone-
As I write this, archery season has come to an end, and I am turning my focus to deer in the general season. Archery season seems like it came and went in the blink of an eye, and I’m already thinking about next season. I haven’t heard whether the new elk regulations did anything to help ease hunter crowding. Although I had
s I sit here and type this, I am at hunting camp and the general season’s end is quickly approaching. I have been looking back at this fall and thinking about all the opportunities I have had. It makes one think about what could have been in those times when things didn’t all come together. Like, could I have done something more to make those stalks turn out differently? Or are some things just out of my control? Like how the different aspects of Mother Nature unfold, such as the when the wind decides it needs to swirl after consistently blowing in another for hours prior.
Overall, my reflection has shown me that the fall was a good one for me; I was able to meet a few people while out and about and had great discussions with them. Through my conversations with others, I learned that many of them share my concerns about what the future may hold in Montana for hunting as a whole. I hope everyone has had a successful fall!
Greetings brothers and sisters of the bow.
I would like to take a moment to share the story of my first deer with traditional equipment. It was the fall of 2019, and I had been spending countless hours in my trusty double bull blind. With plenty of action through the month of September, I was not offered an ideal shot opportunity on a mature buck.
As the September passed and October rolled in, the bucks started showing themselves more frequently. After a light snow the night before, an opportunity presented itself in the form of a respectable whitetail. As the buck stopped around 20 yards from the blind, I released an arrow from inside the blind. As luck would have it, the buck jumped the string as I watched my orange fletching fly cleanly over the buck’s back. The following week I managed to sit almost every day, and not see another deer, as if they had loaded up and moved out of the creek bottom that they had called home.
There were several times I contemplated staying home, but kept telling myself that anything could happen at any time. As I sat in the blind once again, with no deer in sight, I decided I could not sit any longer and needed a change of pace. With evening approaching, I picked up my trusty RER recurve and took a walk to the creek. As I pushed my way through some willows, I came to the clearing next to the bank. A branch snap and I turned my head sharply towards the sound. To my disbelief, a lone
muley buck stood on the opposite bank of the creek.
With my bow in hand, I slowly nocked an arrow, the buck didn’t flinch, I raised my bow and came to full draw, and released. I watched my arrow impact the deer slightly forward, and the buck jumped and ran towards the coulee behind him. My arrow did not get much penetration and I watched as the buck attempted to make his way up the hill, but quickly turned back down towards the creek, disappearing into the willows. I heard a splash and decided to make a push towards the deer.
I found the buck standing in the creek, and was able to place another arrow into the heart of the deer. As I look at that buck on my wall, it will always be one of my most cherished memories.
ll year long we prepare for the greatest time of year, chasing elk, antelope and deer with our bow. Planning, practicing, acquiring new and better gear that will assure success; every year is going to be better than the last. Before this season was over, I was planning how to get closer, shoot better and be sneakier next year than I was last year.
Maybe if I would have walked over one more ridge, belly crawled through that cactus patch and got all the way to my anchor point, things might have been different with that “big six” I didn’t bring home. Then there’s that one bull I should have bugled less at, one I should have given a lip ball, two I should have only used cow calls and one that I should have seen coming in silent.
I wouldn’t change a thing about those I shared camp with, I hunted three different mountain ranges, put over 1000 miles on my pickup, 200 miles of tracks on boots, put two new holes in my belt and I can’t wait, absolutely can’t wait to do it again! Man, next year is going to be even greater!
Nick SiebrasseThe Region 7 report is surprisingly bland considering all the FWP management changes to the 2022 archery season. I expected to hear lots of negative comments about overcrowding on publicly accessible lands, but did not? I wasn’t lucky enough to draw one of the limited archery elk permits, so for the first time in many years did not see firsthand how the changes affected the over-all hunt experience. Bob Morgan easily had the best elk story I heard as all aspects clearly defined why we are elk hunting junkies. Have Bob tell you his up close and personal story when you get a chance.
Without an elk permit, I was moved to one of the general license areas. Being raised in Great Falls, the Little Belts were where I cut my teeth elk hunting. Back in the day, the area was relatively unhunted during bow season, with deer and elk having a calm relaxed demeaner. I found the exact opposite to be true with the few animals I encountered in the Belts. It seemed that I just couldn’t get away from other hunters and the game acted like it was the middle of rifle season. My one close encounter with a small herd of elk showed just how much human pressure was around me. A faint early morning bugle had my hopes high as a bull impassively responded to my calls. The wind was wrong, so I quickly moved to improve that critical aspect. Another enticing cow mew and a much closer response had me scrambling to get into position. After a week of not having any of this transpire, I was smiling at the
possibility. Two young bulls were the first to top the ridge, with both stopping to look behind them at 75 yards. Then eight or nine cows and calves popped up between us and they also stopped for a look behind. All things considered; I was sure a lagging mature bull was getting their attention. I was right, as a very impressive six point crested behind the cows and gave me his side at 40 yards. As I was contemplating how to instantly morph into Howard Hill (40 yards is a bit too far for this longbow shooter) the bull snapped his head toward his back-trail. A second later all players were trotting briskly away. I hadn’t moved, and I had the wind, so…. what the heck? Before I could even stand (was on my knees) I saw two young bowhunters in hot pursuit on the herd’s trail. One bowhunter had on a brown Carhartt jacket and jeans and the other was fully camo’d up, carrying a size large backpack. They were fully focused on catching up to the now very spooked elk as they walked by at 25 yards without seeing me. I shook my head about the crazy luck I was having and wondered if this kind of scenario was going to be my (our) new normal on public land. Those were the only elk I saw or heard in a very physical week of
bowhunting. Times are a changing.
It’s important to note that I did not have any issues with fellow bowhunters in the field. The concern is with increasing hunter numbers causing a decrease in accessible (huntable) elk. Human pressured displacement not overharvest is causing this growing imbalance. We must stop pounding the publicly accessible areas to appease unfocused state mandated HD elk objective numbers.
The new elk plan should be in its final stages as you read this article. Hopefully all the hard work from lots and lots of dedicated people will result in a management path that will take us somewhere between those amazing unpressured early years and the crowded stressed-out experiences of today.
With the 2023 legislative session right in front of us, please contact me if you have specific thoughts on bowhunter related issues. It will take all of us being actively engaged to keep Montana the “Last Best Place!”
Rick Miller (Colstrip)
Thought you might find this photo interesting if you park your vehicles around horses. The truck owner told me he thought the
My year in review–I ended the year riding snowmobiles all winter and then it was time to get out the hunting gear and start scouting. I started looking at areas to hunt for different species and put in for tags. Coming up first was one of my new favorite hunting seasons-Spring Bear. A buddy and I had scouted a couple areas and saw 5 bears in 2 days in this area. Low and behold my favorite kind of black bear, a chocolate cinnamon phase five-and-a-half-foot black bear was munching on some nice green grass in a big green meadow at the bottom of one of the steepest drainages I have ever hiked. To make the story short I filled my black bear tag this year. It was my second bear in Montana, but next year I’m going try and get the job done with archery equipment instead. Next up FWP opened Cascade County for OTC turkey tags this year, so I spent about 4 days chasing turkeys with my bow. I shot a big, beautiful, colorful Tom with my bow. That ended my spring hunting season with two for two tags filled.
Ihope many of you had successful archery seasons this year. While I didn’t put my tag on an elk this year, I had a “very successful” elk season. I spent time with family and friends, told stories, had amazing experiences and of course, some beverages. During this time, I was able to take part in several successful elk harvests; practice my calling, blood trailing and of course some quartering/deboning skills. I want to thank everyone who was involved, including the landowners, for my “very successful” elk season. As more election cycles come our way, please think about your experiences and successful seasons and please make that a factor in how you vote during these election cycles. Good luck everyone for the remainder of the season, have a great holiday season and shoot straight!
Garness Region 4I put in for a rifle antelope tag this year to open my schedule to help some friends get their first antelope with archery equipment, so I did not draw an antelope tag this year. Next up my favorite season of all time, chasing big, bugling bulls in September. I was lucky enough to draw a very good central Montana elk tag this year hunting with some good family friends of mine. Getting several game camera pictures over the summer, scouting was done and opening weekend was around the corner. My grandpa and I who had tags in our pockets, with mom, dad and grandma to help, headed down to set up camp for the weekend. We hunted Saturday and Sunday with several close encounters for me. There were numerous bugling bulls, cows and calves and a couple big bulls worth taking. Grandpa filled his tag Sunday afternoon of opening weekend putting his tag on a good 4-point bull. We debated going home Monday morning because most of us had to work Tuesday. Well, needless to say I am glad we decided to stay and hunt Monday night because I got to put my tag on a big beautiful 6-point bull, my personal best elk so far, making two years in a row filling my elk tag on opening weekend. That’s something you do not hear about people doing very often. For that I am very thankful.
I hope everyone was very successful this year and have many great stories to tell at the MBA banquet this year. Hope to see lots of heads hanging up. Happy holidays to everyone. Remember to vote and stand for the archery community, voice your opinion and hope everyone has had a great year in general.
Archery season for elk has come to a close as I write this. We hit it harder this year and were blessed with lots of success. My husband and I both shot our personal best bulls and he was able to connect on his first bear ever with a bow. I had several opportunities during the antelope archery season, but ended with tag soup–always one of my favorite critters to pursue regardless. We will spend the coming weeks trying to fill our deer tags with our bows. Those frosty November days can’t come soon enough after the unseasonably warm, but pleasant fall, we had this year.
Interlaced with our busy hunting calendar, I was also busy participating in the new elk management plan, new public land opportunities, elk objective numbers, and of course the Elk Management Citizen’s Advisory Group which I was chosen to be a part of. Our group came up with 15 “out of the box” ideas, some were simply sharpening a tool that already existed and some were brand new to help address some of the biggest concerns facing elk hunters (over-crowding on public, elk distribution/over-population on private, and landowner/sportsman relations). Public comment is now closed, but I urge you to read and digest them (they are on FWP’s website). We all know hunting has been and is still dramatically changing in recent years. As FWP wades through the comments provided by the public; if any move forward, MBA will poll its members and continue to be an active voice for Montana Bowhunters.
One of the biggest successes for bowhunters (and Montanans) was the recent approval by both the land board and the FWP commission for the Big
Snowy Mountain WMA. It will be a crown jewel for generations to come. The recent addition will not only provide nearly six thousand acres of prime elk habitat to the public, but will open up nearly 100,000 acres of public lands for all to recreate on in the Snowy Mountains.
As we look forward to 2023, the MBA is preparing for a hefty legislative session where fish and wildlife policy and public access will be a focal point of discussion and change once again. We will do our best to keep you in the know of what is going on and urge you to get involved. Write letters and emails. Pick up the phone and call your representatives. They are in office to serve you! Make your voice heard. And of course, encourage your friends to become members of Montana Bowhunters Association! Good luck the rest of the season – May your aim be true,
1987The year is 1987, Our President was Buddy Lundstrom. The Convention was held in Bozeman, the guest speaker was Marv Clyncke, Vice President of the Pope and Young Club.
Our membership reached 1435. It was an all time high so far in the history of the MBA.
The Crossbow was knocked out of Legislation once again. And the MBA was in the process of finding ways to help the Physically Challenged to be able to use conventional archery equipment during the Archery Season. Other Bills that were in the session were raising hunting licensing fees, the taking of Cat Fish with archery equipment, another Muzzle loader bill, and another push to increase the Out of State license numbers by 4000.
WELL…WELL…WELL! Had many responses on my Spring Article about the wonderful class of TV Bowhunters and their ilk. The egos on display are what causes many of them to be willing to KNOWINGLY illegally kill their prey animals, just to beat their chests, thank God and those Rages for doing their jobs on a crappy hit. It disgusts me to no end, and only watch about 3 shows, if even then. What drives these modern people to do this stuff is one of those things I will never understand. Is it their cronies’ adoration, the demand for a video kill, or desire for the coveted P&Y record??? Damn good question, eh? So where am I going, you ask? Stand by because yet another one is in big trouble.
Blaine Anthony, AKA, The Bear Whisperer, has been charged. He is being federally charged of illegal black bear kills in Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park. Since he brought items back to the contiguous 48, the Lacey Act is also involved. Between 2011 to 2019, nine hunts were involved. He then filed a false claim of where the kill site was, claiming bear was taken 19 miles away. Between 2015 and 2017, he killed two more on Park lands. Ego driven? Just plain stupid? OR WHAT????
And then the local poop is upset about the experienced lady hunter, who rifle killed a husky, skinned it and took it to a taxidermist to mount, only to find 12 huskies had been thrown out in Doris Creek, and as usual they wait for the owner to return to get them. They do NOT look like a wolf...sad, sad, sad...PLEASE STAY SAFE–BOWHUNT ETHICALLY.... AND do not be like these TV idiots.
The FWP started to use Road closures as a tool in habitat and herd manage. It didn’t go over very well as there was a segment in our society that refused to acknowledge anyone’s right to close these roads, limiting their access to horse or foot travel. Some of the Bowhunters felt the same. The three-wheeler was about to plat a big part in violating these new closures, along with gate crashers with pick-ups or quadrunners running in behind locked gates. Then the folks who followed and respected the closures had these wheelers running all over the place.
There was talk at the Landowner/Sportsman Committee about landowners finding arrows left out in their fields and tractor tires picking them up.
The next Convention was to be held in Lewistown.
Well, that seems to the high lights from 1987. Hope you found something of interest in the article. It is interesting for me to reread all the newsletters for the year and see how much history repeats itself.
So Long For Now, Marlon
It often takes patience and perseverance but this is not that story. This is a story about how sometimes hunting is simply luck.
September 5th - 4:31 pm “Love you just got into blind”
I pop off a quick text to my husband who is hunting about 3 hours away. I have limited service on the mountain but happen to have one bar and can get a text out. I’m fumbling around in the blind getting things in “their spot”– making sure everything is quiet, accessible and out of the way. I also draw back and check that I won’t be impeded by something if I draw on an animal. I leave the arrow nocked. By no means am I being quiet, I have three hours until the “golden time” when elk usually come in.
4:37 pm “What’s
I proceed to ask my husband a bland question about the weather forecast since I can’t pull it up on my phone. “Hot until Thursday” he replies. We talk about the weather for the upcoming week and it potentially cooling off before the weekend. “Nice” is my last reply at 4:40 pm. It’s almost 90 degrees. I have every window open and the sun is shining on my bright white bare arms so I decide I need to throw my long sleeve shirt on. I settle in for the long wait and proceed to open a game on my phone.
Sometime between 4:40 pm and 4:51 pm
I look up from crushing candy on my phone and see a bull walking straight towards me. I grabbed my bow, saw he had 6 points and he came in at about 10 yards. I didn’t have time to get nervous. I settled the pin and the arrow left my bow and flew straight. I watched him disappear into the trees with a double lung pass through.
4:51 pm “Just shot a six point!!!”
Itwas a dark and ominous night as a tiny sliver of the moon glimmered through the night clouds. The lady slipped on my superhero red vest and I dashed into my kennel. It was opening weekend; a bull elk was on the ground and it was my time to shine. As you know, I am Mr. Wienie, an unfortunate name for the heroic blood-tracking dog that I am. Nonetheless, I had spent the winter and summer lounging on the porch barking at everything and sometimes at nothing all while honing my sense of smell as I looked for any morsel left under the table. I was prepared for the blood tracking season or as you probably call it, Archery Season.
Now, it was show time. I arrived at the scene to find a multitude of people stumbling around in the pitch black with their packs, bows and random items scattered about the field and hillside. Frankly, it was a chaotic mess. People do some weird stuff when the stakes are high and a bull elk is at risk of being lost. It was about to get weirder.
This is when I met the “Piss Whisperer”. He was a stunning specimen of a man as the moon glistened on his muscles and he flipped his hat backward to tuck in his wayward locks of black curly hair. Now, I can’t actually read but I’m sure his shirt said PW.
So, my new sidekick, PW, and I were on the prowl. The studly hunter, Mr. G, was sure the bull had gone to the left and we scoured the ground. This is when I witnessed the true power of PW. I was attempting to pull my handler to the right when the night went silent. PW stood up, his body silhouetted on the horizon, his eyes keen, his mind clear and his olfactory sense sharp on the trail. He held a leaf high and pronounced “this is elk piss from the bull”. Now, I like the smell of pee as much as the next guy but PW took it to a whole new level. His work was truly awe-inspiring as he hunched over scanning the earth, smelling twigs and, I believe, even tasting a few wet leaves. The crowd followed behind, hanging on PW’s every move with bated breath. It was a sight to behold. PW questioned if the bull was shot in the bladder, it seemed a bit of a stretch to me but, hey, I’m just a dog. As the night drew darker and the cool air settled around our group, the people grew quieter and the mood shifted, hope was dwindling and eventually, they unceremoniously stuffed me back in the kennel to call it quits for the night.
At the dawn of the new day, the sun was shining and the mood was high as we headed out to continue our efforts. PW had not lost an ounce of awesomeness and was hard at work as the people wandered around occasionally yelling when they saw some blood or hair or even a whiff of urine. Eventually, I pulled hard enough and the lady followed me...to the right. The dead bull lay in a heap slightly hidden behind a downed tree. PW whooped and hollered with excitement as he sprang into action. I saw the flash of a knife blade and the elk hair was flying. As the pile of meat grew, PW swung quarters over each shoulder and busted up the hill without breaking a sweat. Indeed, a site to behold. I only hope to see it again next season!
Pat Tabor
Vice Chair
CommissionerRegion1@mtfwp.org (406) 250-2899
Whitefish, Montana
Jana Waller
Commissioner
CommissionerRegion2@mtfwp.org (920) 222-1136
Lolo, Montana
Pat Byorthn
CommissionerRegion3@mtfwp.org (406) 548-4830
Bozeman, Montana Region 4
KC Walsh
CommissionerRegion4@mtfwp.org (406) 599-9556
Martinsdale, Montana
Brian Cebull
CommissionerRegion5@mtfwp.org (406) 860-7416
Billings, Montana
Lesley Robinson Commission Chair
CommissionerRegion6@mtfwp.org (406) 301-0787
Dodson, Montana
William Lane
CommissionerRegion7@mtfwp.org (406) 778-2155
Ismay, Montana
fwpwld@mt.gov/aboutfwm/commission
Become a Business Member of the MBA and be listed on this page every issue! For membership visit www.mtba.org. Active as of November 2022
Buffalo Jump Archery
Elk Creek Family Outfitters
Judy Adams P.O. Box 5581 Helena MT 59604 406-539-3936
David Hein 1021 Toole Circle Billings MT 59105 406-670-4366
Flaming Arrow Archery Nicole Tindale 1282 Hwy 2 East Kalispell MT 59901 406-752-0702
Hub International Matt Seibert 1041 Strawberr y Avenue Billings MT 59105 406-321-0700
Hurst Bows
Coltin Hurst 3368 MT Hwy 5 W Plentywood MT 59254 406-765-7580
JB’S Les Schwab Tire Kellen MacDonald PO Box 744 Libby MT 59923 406-293-7797
Kimzey Knifeworks
Kutawagan Outfitters/ Bearpaw Lodge
Dan Kimzey 134 Blue Heron Dr Hamilton MT 59840 406-361-5863
Jeff and Annette Smith Box 70
Libby Archery Club PO Box 755
Choiceland SK S0J 0M0 306-428-2032
Libby MT 59923 406-293-7174
Libby Sports Center 204 West 9th St Libby MT 59923 406-293-4641
Matablas Game Hunters
Montana Historical Society Research Center
Mountain Copper Creations
Pronghorn Custom Bows
Sage Game Calls
Schafer Silvertip Custom Bows
She Hunts Montana
Skyblade Knives
The Footed Shaft
The Push Archery
The Stickbow Chronicles
Toelke Traditional Archery
Trophy Blends Scents
Twite Realty
Zinks Big Sky Archery Targets
Willem Frost PO Box 1559
Lephalale Limpopo 0555 27116794664
Roberta Gebhardt 225 N Roberts Helena MT 59620 406-444-4702
Jim Clapham 4085 Old Marshall Grade Road East Missoula MT 59802 406-880-9411
Herb Meland 2491 W 42nd St Casper WY 82604 307-234-1824
Cody Moulton 9 Dale Rd
Dave Windauer 357 Roberts Rd
Broken Bow OK 74728-6704 435-640-8041
Columbia Falls MT 59912 406-892-0580
Megan Thrash 75 Three Corners Road S Trout Creek MT 59874 406-595-0092
Todd Orr 321 Valley Grove Dr Bozeman MT 59718 406-539-4909
John Hanson 44 Shaffer Lane Toston MT 59643 406-616-3200
Tim Nebel 70659 Murphy Road Flushing OH 43977
Rob Patuto 821 West Shinglemill Rd Sandpoint ID 83864 208-610-3795
Dan & Jared Toelke 31345 Lost Creek Ln Ronan MT 59864 406-253-4949
Bruce Hoyer PO Box 466
Belt MT 59412 406-403-2231
Mark Twite 8015 Indreland Road Missoula MT 59808 406-880-1956
Terry L & Dylan Zink PO Box 1272
Marion MT 59925 406-253-4670
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
Memberships run January 1 to December 31 each year.
• The MBA is the organization the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks consults on bowhunting issues that
• 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.
affect Montana bowhunters.What can you do for bowhunting in Montana?