Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - September 2010

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2 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net SEPTEMBER 2010

SEPTEMBER 2010 • ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 3

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GREAT FALLSNATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY:

September 25Entrance fees to the Lewis and Clark National Historic

Trail Interpretive Center are waived for the day. Located 1/4 mile from Giant Springs.

Phone: 406-727-8733 or visitwww.fs.fed.us/r1/lewisclark/lcic

LEWISTOWNMONTANA TRAPPERS ASSOCIATION STATE CONVENTION: September 10 - 11Open to all. Trapping demonstrations, contests, dealer booths offering everything from jewelry to trapping

lures. Held at the Fergus County Fairgrounds.Phone: 406-376-3178 or visit

www.trapperpredatorcaller.com

WEST YELLOWSTONEOLD FAITHFUL FALL CYCLE TOUR:

September 25Ride this 60-mile round-trip bicycle tour to Yellowstone’s

Old Faithful, starting at 9:00am. There is a limit of 300 riders so register today at www.cycleyellowstone.com.

Phone: 406-599-4465

MULE DEER FOUNDATION10/16/2010 Miles CityContact: Jessie Schell 406-951-2314

PHEASANTS FOREVER09/09/10 MissoulaFive Valleys ChapterBuy tickets on-line at www.montanapf.org or call Jim Seel at 406-327-1009

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation09/25/10 HarlowtownUpper Musselshell Big Game BanquetContact: Linda L. Moe 406-473-2471

10/02/10 HelenaHelena Big Game BanquetContact: Tracy Donaldson 406-475-9599

10/16/10 DillonBeaverhead Big Game BanquetContact: Ted Stosich 406-925-0535

Events To SupportWILDLIFE

ANACONDAANACONDA WILDLIFE EXPO:

September 10 - 12Outdoor demonstrations will be taking place at the parks within town. In the past, they have had dog

training, fl y-fi shing, 3D shooting and horse packing demonstrations. Phone: 406-560-3416

e-mail: [email protected]

BILLINGSFALL CLASSIC MOTOCROSS RACE:

September 11 - 12Almost three hundred motorcycle riders will come

out to test themselves one last time before winter sets in. Phone: 406-656-9960 or visitwww.billingsmotorcycleclub.us

CIRCLECIRCLE RIFLE CLUB TURKEY

SHOOT: September 12Held annually the second Sunday in September

at 10:00am. Lunch will be available. There is trap shooting, target rifl e shooting, pistol shooting and 22

shooting for kids. Phone: 406-485-2539

EKALAKAMEDICINE ROCKS BUFFALO SHOOT:

September 11 - 12Annual contest using lever-action, .22 rifl e and

revolvers on Saturday. Sunday features the long-range buffalo rifl e match. The shooting event

uses steel animal silhouettes at ranges from 25 to 800 yards. Located 1 mile west of Route 7, 12 miles north

of Ekalaka. Turn west at Medicine Rocks Church. Signs will be posted. Phone: 406-775-6705

e-mail: [email protected]

ENNISENNIS ON THE MADISON FLY

FISHING FESTIVAL: September 3 - 4

Enjoy fi shing competitions and skill development seminars, rods, reels, fl ies, and equipment displays,

conservation group booths, book signings and literary events, guest speakers, celebration of the arts,

antiques and collectible displays, entertainment,food and dining. Held downtown.

Phone: 406-682-3148 or visithttp://madisonriverfoundation.org

EUREKASALMON FESTIVAL: September 18

Salmon Festival has something for everyone; fi shing derby, kids games, casting contest, scarecrow contest,

salmon cook off, arts and crafts fair, great food vendors, and much more. The fun starts at 9:00am

and goes all day. Held in the Historical Village on the south end of Main Street. Phone: 406-889-4636

or visit www.welcome2eureka.come-mail: [email protected]

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ADVERTISINGRICK HAGGERTY (406)370-1368JACK JOSEWESKI - BOZEMAN (406) 451-2245AMY HAGGERTY PUBLISHER8591 Capri Dr., Helena Mt. 59602 [email protected] entire contents is © 2010, all rights reserved. May not be reproduced withoutprior consent. The material and information printed is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure. Nor does the printed material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure.VOLUME 7 Issue 6

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Hunters interested in obtaining access to more than nine million acres of private lands enrolled in FWP’s Block Management Program may contact the regional FWP offi ce in the area where they plan to hunt, or check the “Hunting” pages on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov . To contact FWP regional offi ces for more information on regional hunting opportunities on BMAs call: •Northwest— FWP Region 1 Kalispell: 406-752-5501•West-central—FWP Region 2 Missoula: 406-542-5530•South-central—FWP Region 3 Bozeman: 406-994-3288•Central—FWP Region 4 Great Falls: 406-454-5862•East-central—FWP Region 5 Billings: 406-247-2974•Northeast—FWP Region 6 Glasgow: 406-228-3700•Southeast—FWP Region 7 Miles City: 406-234-0930

Public Hunting Access To Private Lands: FWP Block Management Region Contacts MFWP

FWP Block Management Program Receives Good Reviews MFWP

BMAs they hunted met or exceeded their expectations. •Sixty percent were successful in harvest-ing game in 2009 on a BMA.•Eighty-eight percent were satisfi ed or very satisfi ed with the BMA rules. •Sixty-four percent of hunters said they were satisfi ed or very satisfi ed with the number of other hunters they met on Montana’s BMAs. Most landowners who responded to the survey also said they were satisfi ed or very satisfi ed with the program overall. Here are some examples of what landown-ers had to say:•Seventy-eight percent said it is an im-portant or very important way for them to manage game numbers on their land.•Ninety-two percent said the Block Man-agement program is an important or very important way for them to manage hunter activities. •Sixty-three percent said they were satis-fi ed or very satisfi ed with the results of the program in managing game numbers for them in 2009.•Seventy-nine percent were satisfi ed with the number of hunters who hunted on their BMAs.•Commenting on hunter behavior, 89 percent rated it good or very good. That compares to 90 percent in 2003 and 77 percent in 1996.

Montana’s some 23,000 landowners own nearly 60 million acres of private land, much of with excellent hunting. The only catch is gaining the landowner’s permission to hunt. It is Montana law that hunters obtain landowner permission to hunt on all private land.Here are a few things to keep in mind that will greatly improve results when attempting to secure hunting access to private land. •Show courtesy to the landowner and make hunting arrangements by calling or visiting at times convenient to the landowner.•Plan ahead and secure permission well in advance of the actual hunting date.•Provide complete information about yourself and your hunting companions, including vehicle descriptions and license numbers.•Explain what type of hunting you wish to do, and be sure to ask any questions which can help clarify the conditions of access.•Follow the landowner’s instructions, and bring with you only the companions for whom you obtained landowner permission. •Be sure to thank the landowner after your hunt. For more on hunting access, see the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks website at fwp.mt.gov and look on the Hunting pages.

In a state where 65 percent of the land is privately owned, MFWP’s Block Management hunting access program is an important element of Montana’s hunting scene. Since 1985 it has helped maintain public hunting access to private and isolated public lands. In 2009, 1,274 landowners participated in the program, providing hunters with access to more than nine million acres of enrolled land. FWP has periodically asked landowners and hunters to evaluate the program. Survey’s in 1996 and 2003 show similar results to the study in 2009. Most signifi cant differences point toward im-provements made between 1996 and 2003. The average hunter who re-sponded to the 2009 survey hunted on four or fi ve different BMAs and spent about 10 days hunting. Of the hunters surveyed, 75 percent hunted on BMAs exclusively, most of the time, or half of the time. Of hunters who participated in the survey, 89 percent said they were satisfi ed or very satisfi ed with the Block Manage-ment Program. In other hunter survey results: •Eighty-fi ve percent of hunters reported they were satisfi ed or very satisfi ed •Fifty percent of the hunters who respond-ed to the survey said game animals on

Access: Ask Early, Don’t Wait MFWP


King Of TheWater HoleBy S. L. Merriam

Drew Widetich had a good reason for putting a lot of time and effort into preparing for Montana’s Bitterroot archery season. He had found a big mule deer buck he guessed to be at least six years old carrying a high, symmetrical set of antlers with fi ve points on the left side and possibly eight on the right. Watching him from a long distance it looked like there might even be three sticker points on the right, which made the rack more interesting. There was no doubt he would qualify for Pope & Young and might possibly make Boone & Crockett. Drew divided his summer between practicing with his Hoyt bow and sneaking into the mountains to pattern the buck. After a few trips he learned the buck was a loner and the undisputed king of his waterhole domain. The early morning feeding pattern began in a small clearing then moved to an isolated spring. The north side of the clearing had underground seepage and provided water for lush vegetation. Separating the spring from the clearing was a small ridge with a game trail leading over the top to the clear water. The buck used this trail each morn-ing, following the same ritual, as he crested the ridge, stopped, and looked around before walking to the water. Leaving the water the buck walked to a patch of heavy cover on the north side of the ridge to fi nd a shady bed for the day. Around sundown, he reversed the pattern and Drew often watched until he disappeared in the darkness. Finally it was opening morning and Drew made the 30-minute walk to reach the water hole well before daylight. He had an alternate spot picked if the wind direction changed but the air was calm. His shooting lane covered the ridge where the buck hesitated to look over the area. It was the only place Drew could have a standing shot. The buck was cautious when he stopped but his attention was focused on the water, not the ridge where Drew set up. It was the only time when he could come to full draw just as the buck crested the ridge then be ready when the buck stopped seconds later. As the dark sky brightened, Drew had settled into the natural blind just 35-yards from the trail. He glassed the clearing at the edge of the timber but saw neither the buck nor the thick velvet antlers. There was no movement anywhere. It was a half hour before sunup and the buck was usually grazing in the clearing by now and halfway to the ridge. While second-guessing himself he spotted a velvet-covered antler well back in the cover. Increasing daylight revealed the buck laying at the edge of the timber and when he fi nally stood and stretched like a big dog, he walked to the edge of the clearing to feed. Drew’s pulse quickened; this was a lot different than sitting here with binoculars! The pine needles no longer poked through his pants, he was no longer sleepy, and he no longer heard the squirrels. (continued pg. 19)


RMEF Calls On Congress to Reform Endangered Species ActRocky Mountain Elk Foundation

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is calling for immediate Congressional review and reform of the Endangered Species Act following a judge’s decision to reinstate full federal protection for gray wolves. The Aug. 5 ruling means state wildlife agencies no longer have authority to manage skyrocketing wolf populations—even in areas where wolf predation is driving cow elk, moose and elk calf survival rates below thresholds needed to sustain herds for the future. RMEF says the judge has opened a door for perhaps the greatest wildlife management disaster in America since the wanton destruction of bison herds over a century ago. “When federal statutes and judges actually endorse the annihilation of big game herds, livestock, rural and sporting lifestyles—and possibly even compromise human safety—then clearly the Endangered Species Act as currently written has major fl aws,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We have already begun contacting the Congressional delegations of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming to ask for an immediate review of this travesty—and reform of the legislation that enabled it.”

Allen pointed out an irony, if not an outright error, in the decision issued by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy.

“Judge Molloy said wolves in the northern Rockies are a single population that cannot be segmented based on political boundaries. But he essentially did that very thing himself, because he considered only the wolf population within the U.S. There are 75,000-plus gray wolves across Canada, yet Judge Molloy stopped at the border and did not consider the entire Rocky Mountain population. The gray wolf is simply not an endangered species,” said Allen. Animal rights groups who continue to litigate over wolves are “gaming the system for their own fi nancial benefi t,” he added, saying, “There are no elk in Iowa, but we are not suing folks to reintroduce them. This is simply a fi nancial scam for the animal rights groups, and it’s all being paid for by the American taxpayer.” Additionally, Allen urged the governors in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming to begin the process of formally implementing “the 10(j) rule” as provided within federal law. For all species reintroductions classifi ed as a “nonessential, experimental population,” as is the case with gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act, the 10(j) rule allows states more fl exibility to mitigate for unacceptable impacts on big game populations, livestock and domestic animals.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:

Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.8 million acres-a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fi shing and other recreation.

Get involved at www.rmef.org or800-CALL ELK.

Appeal Filed By USFWS Over Yellowstone Ecosystem Grizzly Relisting IF&G

On March 22, 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced that the Yellowstone Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of grizzly bears was a recovered population no longer meeting the ESA’s defi nition of threatened or endangered. On September 21, 2009, the Federal District Court in Missoula issued an order enjoining and vacating the delisting of the Greater Yellowstone Area grizzly population. In compliance with this order, the Yellowstone grizzly population was once again a threatened population under the Endangered Species Act (75 FR 14496, March 26, 2010). The US Fish & Wildlife Service, the US Department of Justice, and the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee (YES) all disagree with the ruling of Judge Molloy and believe that the delisting of the Yellowstone grizzly population is appropriate and scientifi cally sound. The USFWS has now appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court the decision of Judge Molloy overturning the delisting of the Yellowstone grizzly population. (continued on page 38)


Enjoy Pheasant & Chukar HuntingOn Private Land

Shoco Ranch 3506 Highway 435 Augusta, MT. Phone: 406-562-3553E-mail: [email protected]

Hunt Pheasants & ChukarsSeptember through March

Cabins availableCabins availableLocated along the Located along the Smith Creek Smith Creek Brown TroutBrown Trout

Pheasant & Chukar Hunting At Shoco Ranch

Upland Game Bird Hunting Outlook MFWP

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Looking for a good pheasant hunting experience? Consider the Shoco Ranch near Augusta were you’re likely to bag your limit. The Shortridge family has been ranching along the Smith Creek for nearly 100 years. For the fi rst time, the ranch has opened to the public. Shoco Ranch’s private shooting preserve has ring neck pheasants that are considered the mustangs of pheasantry. Limits are likely with the variety of different covers, including gently rolling native grassland, a lightly wooded creek and grass meadows. For a change of pace you may also bag chukars. Hunts are available from September thru March. Packages include the ranch cabins or in-town facilities and hard fl ying beautiful healthy birds. Ranch guests can enjoy a brisk 5 mile walk or amble along that same distance, savoring the crisp Augusta breeze and photographing the wildlife that calls the river bottom home. Well trained gun dogs are welcome. Not only can you bag some birds at the Shoco Ranch, you can also fi sh some of the best waters in Montana. Smith Creek and Sun River are great light rod, dry fl y fi sheries. The staff at Shoco Ranch has painstakingly worked on habitat improvement to enhance the over hanging vegetation made up of tree branches, and shrubs that provide cover for burly rainbow and wild brown trout. Shoco Ranch’s private waters are managed exclusively for catch and release, and they allow only fl y fi shing with barbless hooks on. It’s a fi sherman’s dream with rainbows, browns, and brookies.

Terrestrials are the best choice in small creeks and rivers. Imitations of these land and plant bourn critters are an absolute must in nearly every fl y box. The strike is usually an explosion, and there are places where a fi st full of hoppers, ants and beetles are all you are going to need. If you like the idea of “Cast and Blast” during you’re vacation you’ll want to choose Shoco Ranch. Shoco Ranch offers a 2-1/2 day hunt with lodging. This hunt can be applied to the Ranch package including 60 birds and lodging for the season. Additional birds can be purchased for $30.00 per pheasant or chukar.

You have a choice of 3 cabins at the Shoco Ranch. The Stonebolt Cabin is a new cabin. It sleeps 4 people and is named for the horse drawn feed sled that early ranchers used. Its wood stove provides both heat and cooking opportunities. Roll out your own sleeping bags on our sturdy bunk beds. The Bunkhouse Cabin is the real McCoy, hand hewn from local cottonwood trees, look for the ax marks. They’ve updated the original sod roof to tin, perfect for the cool night that characterize fall along the Rocky Mountain Front. The Missouri River Cabin is situated on the banks of that Blue Ribbon Trout Stream. Nestled in a cottonwood grove, this handcrafted cabin sleeps four. Cabins are $ 50.00 per night plus 7% bed tax. The Shoco Ranch is located 4 1/2 miles straight through Augusta towards Bean Lake. Look for the ranch’s big white barn located right off Highway 435. Call Shoco Ranch at 406-562-3553 for booking details and stay tuned; plans are to include a waterfowl hunting package, due to premier in 2010.

Montana’s cool, wet weather in May and June didn’t put a damper on this fall’s upland game bird hunting. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks offi cials say most upland game bird populations will be more than suffi cient to maintain hunters’ interest. Most game bird hunting begins Sept. 1. Pheasant season opens Oct. 9. “There is no doubt that this spring’s cool, wet weather kept things interesting. Fortunately, in many parts of the state, the temperatures were not so severe as to wipe out this year’s production,” said Rick Northrup, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game bird coordinator. Northrup said the bad weather came primarily in late May and early to mid June, affecting grouse and pheasants in FWP Region 1 in northwest Montana, FWP Region 4 in northcentral Montana and the western portion of FWP Region 6. “In these areas, upland game bird hunters in general can expect to see game bird numbers similar to or lower than last year’s,” Northrup said. “Moisture and cool temperatures generally tended to be less of a concern in other portions of the state, although there are going to be local exceptions.” Another spring storm dumped deep snow during late April and early May in Judith Basin and Eastern Cascade counties, extending into Choteau and Fergus counties, which may have been particularly harsh on adult pheasants and gray partridge. Weather is critical to the abundance and survival of all game birds. In general, spring and summer moisture enhances game bird productivity unless it is accompanied with 52 F degree or colder temperatures during the spring hatch and early brood periods. The same moisture that may be harmful to some birds also provides the lush green cover and abundant insect populations that are important for chick survival.

Western Montana: (FWP Region 1 and Region 2) In FWP Region 1, in northwestern Montana, peak hatch and early brooding periods were interrupted with cold, wet weather June 17-18 and 21-22, probably resulting in diminished game bird production, both in the mountains and for pheasants and gray partridge in the valleys. In FWP Region 2 in the west, the forecast is more encouraging with average dusky grouse numbers, and near or above average numbers of ruffed grouse. Spruce grouse numbers are expected to be average, and pheasant numbers are expected to be above average due to favorable spring weather for that species. Access to the limited pheasant habitats in the region, however, can be challenging due to landownership patterns.Southwestern and South Central Montana (FWP Region 3 and Region 5) Dusky grouse numbers in FWP Region 3 are expected to be better than last year. Ruffed, sharp-tailed and spruce grouse numbers should be similar to last year’s. Gray partridge production is up and sage-grouse numbers should be similar to those in recent years. Pheasant numbers will be about average. In FWP Region 5, while dusky grouse numbers are expected to be about average, local observers expect fewer sage grouse this year. Other upland game bird numbers, including pheasants, ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse and gray partridge, are expected to be average to better than average.Montana Hi-Line (FWP Region 4 north, Region 4 south, Region 6 west, Region 6 east) Dusky grouse numbers in FWP Region 4 north are on track for an average year, despite three cold, wet days early in the hatching period. More favorable conditions followed, which would have benefi ted later broods. Ruffed grouse broods experienced two bouts of cold, wet weather, which likely reduced their (continued on page 16)


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Red Lodge Man Convicted Of Illegal Outfi tting On The Missouri River MFWP

A Red Lodge man was convicted in Cascade County Justice Court of 38 misdemeanor counts of illegal outfi tting on the Missouri River. John Kebble, 48, was convicted by a jury after a four-day trial. Fish, Wildlife and Parks game wardens brought the charges against Kebble following numerous tips about his outfi tting fi shing clients on the blue ribbon trout section of the Missouri River downstream of Holter Dam. “He lost his outfi tting license in 2004 for a felony conviction of possessing dangerous drugs,” says Bryan Golie, FWP game warden. “But he continued to outfi t for the next two years.” A sentencing date has not been set by Cascade County Justice of the Peace Kathleen Jensen. Kebble faces a maximum of $1,035 in fi nes and six months in jail for each count. Kebble was represented by Whitehall attorney Jack Morris. The investigation was long and diffi cult, says game warden Capt. Mike Martin. “This is as close as wardens will ever come to white collar crime,”

Martin says. “We had to dig through license information, cancelled checks, bank deposits in order to follow the money.” FWP wardens estimate Kebble made tens of thousands each year outfi tting illegally. “One of the jurors sought us out after the trial to congratulate us on having such a strong case,” Golie says, adding “This is the largest illegal fi shing outfi tter case prosecuted in the state of Montana.”

If you see illegal activity, call the TIP-MONT (Turn in Poachers Montana) line. The program was established in 1985 to protect Montana’s fi sh, wildlife, parks, and forest resources. This program gives you an opportunity to help protect these resources. If the information you provide leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward up to $1,000. Resource violations are serious crimes and you can help stop them. Violators, such as poachers and vandals deplete the fi sh and wildlife poplulations and destroy precious, natural habitat. Anyone can help Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks by using our toll-free number: (800) TIP-MONT (800-847-6668).

The Black & Blue & Fat Lip BY TRAVIS DEBOER “Why is it called a Black and Blue when none of them are actually that color?” Tim asks as he puzzles over the tiny hackle fl y. Tim is one of my oldest and dearest friends. I met him in the Army years ago when we were both a little quicker, a little prettier, and much, much, dumber. Since those days of rabblerousing and pushing our physical and mental limits (mostly with booze) we have, sadly, grown apart. Tim

stayed in Kentucky starting both a family and a career as an engineer, while I moved home to the Pacifi c Northwest to follow the migrating fi sh that called it’s rivers home with my family. We see each other just once a year to fi sh, catch up, reminisce and joke like we were still carefree children that don’t know any better. I have been waiting a long time for him to ask this question. “It’s because, If you take one more and don’t tie some when we get home, that’ll be the color of your face!” I say to the guy who I know damn well could probably knock me out with nothing more than a dirty look. “How long have you been waiting for me to ask that question?” he asks laughing. “About six months” I admit. “You are a patient little guy” he admits back. I can now see tears forming in the corner of his eyes as he laughs even harder. “And that little bead head you call a fat lip?” “Yep, same stupid joke,” borderline hysterics follow. The Black and Blue and the Fat Lip where invented on a day when I was trying to give up nicotine (hence the hostile names). Being poor I was trying to fi gure out a good use for used hackle tips and being a mediocre fl y crafter wanted a simple steelhead bug that was deadly, nice to look at and versatile with swinging as well as nymphing applications in mind. Unfortunately, I lost that battle with the nicotine and have to plan for the rematch; the upside is that the resulting two patterns, used properly, have proven to be the most devastating fi sh killers since whirling fi sh disease. These fl ies will even go toe to toe with fl ossed beads in the spring! Here is how you make them-MATERIALS: #6 steelhead boss hook Stung Chinese saddle hackle in both black and shrimp 6/0 pink waxed thread Rainbow krystal fl ashINSTRUCTIONS: 1) Dress hook 2) Attach two 1 inch long black hackle tips so that they are coming straight off the back of the hook. 3) Surround and attach about ten pieces of the krystal fl ash long enough to protrude about half way down the hackle tips. 4) Attach shrimp colored hackle feather about half-way up the shank and give it four or fi ve turns, secure and trim. 5) Repeat with black , then lay it slightly back with your thread over the shrimp hackle and fi nish.Fat Lip variation- Same pattern but add a 1/8” or 3.0 mm Counter sunk tungsten bead at the front end.*Obviously this little fl y can be tied in any color you have the most confi dence in. For my purposes I tie a dark one (like the one described), a lighter one (substituting white hackle for the black) and a couple of loud ones (like an orange and pink, and a green and orange).

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Fly Tying Corner: BitchCreek NymphBy Bob Bates, fedfl yfi shers.org

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OUTDOOR NEWSOUTDOOR NEWS

The Bitch Creek Nymph is an old standby pattern for many anglers. Most say that it is a stonefl y nymph imitation, but others use it as a searching or attractor pattern. Fishing the Bitch Creek Nymph calls for letting it sink to or near the bottom. In fast moving streams, make a short cast upstream and let the fl y sink as it comes downstream. Keep control of the line so you can feel the strike. During high water times look for backwater and side channels where the visibility for fi sh might be a little better than in the main fl ow. Also it will be a bit easier to put the fl y near the bottom slower water. Some fl y anglers will throw a Bitch Creek Nymph when other lake fl ies aren’t performing. Generally, a full sinking line is used, but in shallow water use a fl oating line so the fl y doesn’t sink too deeply.

MATERIALS:Hook: Mustad 9672 or 79580, 2-12 Thread: Black 3/0Antenna & tail: White rubber Weight: Lead-free wire (optional)Rib: Yellow monocord (optional) Back (overlay): Black chenilleBody: Orange or yellow chenille Hackle: BrownGills: White ostrich herl (optional) Thorax: Black chenille

TYING STEPS: This recipe and tying style is slightly different from ones you will fi nd in some pattern books. Several books recommend a braided chenille body, but for many tiers this is too much work. And if you really want to cheat you can wind the orange chenille and paint the back with a black waterproof felt pen. Smash down the barb before you start tying if you wish. Start the thread anywhere you want and wind it forward to the eye. Fold a full length piece of rubber in half and place the open ends on top of the shank and sticking out over the eye less than a shank length. Secure them with several thread wraps. Now pull and stretch the loop portion, and wind thread over it to bend. A couple thread wraps will set the tail rubber; trim excess. Leave thread at bend. It is optional, but my Bitch Creek Nymphs are weighted under the thorax. I like lead-free wire on spools because I feel it is easier to control. Hold spool in the palm of your hand and place end of wire across the shank where you want the back of the coil. Wrap a tight coil forward letting the wire slip through your fi ngers as needed. Break off or cut wire. Be sure to leave one or two eye widths of space between eye and front of coil to tie in several materials. Wind thread over the coil to hold it in place, and return thread to bend. Attach rib, black chenille and orange chenille, and wind thread to mid-shank. Before attaching the chenille, strip off the fuzzy stuff and secure chenille by thread core. The black chenille should be on top of the hook. Wrap orange chenille to mid-shank, secure and trim. Bring black chenille over the orange chenille, secure at mid-shank and trim. Spiral rib forward, secure and trim. A rib helps secure the black chenille overlay. Some tiers leave the black chenille and use it for the thorax. However, I frequently tie on one size larger chenille for the thorax unless I wrapped a lot of wire under the thorax. Attach hackle, ostrich herl and black chenille at front of body. Wind thread forward to about one eye width from eye, wrap chenille (with fi rst wrap tight against front of body) forward, secure and trim. Hold hackle and herl together and spiral them through the chenille, secure at front of thorax and trim. Modern saddle hackles are good for this because they are long enough to be held in the fi ngers. Shape head, whip fi nish and add a drop of head cement to guarantee the thread doesn’t slip.


Fishing NewsWith The CaptainMark Ward

It is the time of the year when sportsman and women in Montana start to change gears a little bit. September is a great month that features some good fi shing opportunities combined with hunting as well. Some anglers maybe turning their focus towards hunting but all sportsman need to take a moment and view the proposed changes for fi shing regulations in Montana that are targeted to go into effect March 1, 2011. Most fi shing districts in Montana will experience a few changes, but some of the changes earmarked in the Central and Western Districts caught my attention. In the Central district numerous regulation changes are proposed for the upper Missouri River Reservoir Complex-Canyon Ferry, Hauser, Holter Reservoirs, Lake Helena and associated river stretches. Regulation changes affect daily and possession limits for northern pike, brown trout, yellow perch and walleye. Most notable is the proposed walleye-limit reduction on Canyon Ferry Reservoir to 10 daily, only four over 16 inches and one over 28 inches. This compares to the 20 daily limit that has been in effect for the last ten years, with no size restriction. Most walleye anglers that I have talked to think that the most important part of this new regulation is the restriction of keeping only four fi sh over 16 inches. The hope is that this change will revitalize the 16 to 20 inch class fi sh in the lake. Many anglers have felt that the 20 day limit was responsible for its decline in the last few years. Even though the 10 daily limit is double what most other lakes have for walleyes it is step in the right direction. Another change up

river from Canyon Ferry on the Missouri River above Toston Dam, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MFW&P) is proposing lifting the daily limit on northern pike to no limit, in order to protect the rainbow and brown trout populations. The same no limit is being proposed down river for walleye on the Missouri River below Holter Dam to Black Eagle Dam in order to protect rainbow and brown trout populations. In the Western District on Flathead Lake in order to protect the bull trout population, the lake trout limit would be raised to 100 daily, with no change to the slot limit. The brook trout population in coming back on Georgetown Lake so the catch and release regulation would be lifted and a 2 fi sh daily limit would go into effect. An important change on Lake Koocanusa is being proposed in an attempt to reverse the bull trout decline. MFW&P is proposing to use a Bull Trout Catch Card that will allow one bull trout for anglers. In addition, the number of lines that anglers may use to fi sh in open water or through the ice would drop from two to one on the lake. Your comments on all the fi shing regulation changes for 2011 in the state will be taken till September 6th. You may view these proposed changes on www.montanaoutdoor.com and e-mail your comments to [email protected]. The FWP commission will take fi nal action October 7th in Helena.

Mark Ward is known as the Captain of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show heard statewide every Saturday from 6am - 8am.

Log onto www.montanaoutdoor.com to fi nd a radio station in your area. You can also read his weekly column in the Thursday Missoulian Outdoor section.

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BY CHRIS MADSEN, (406) 523-9000 e-mail: fi [email protected]

Western MontanaFishing ReportBrought To You By Missoula

CHRIS MADSEN

It looks like fall is just around the corner. The cools nights are back, and if the rain and cool weather we had in August are any indication, summer is loosening its grip on western Montana. For most Montana sportsmen and women, this is the most perplexing time of year. Fall is undoubtedly the best fi shing of the season, but there are a lot of things to do, and not enough days to get them all done. As most of you probably do, I fi nd myself trying to squeeze as many days out of September as possible; between archery season, upland bird season and football season it is pretty easy to miss out on some fi ne fi shing opportunities. So in the interest of competitive balance, try and schedule in a few days between hunting trips and football games to sample some fi ne Western Montana fall fi shing. Here are a few highlights to look forward to this month:FLATHEAD LAKEWhile we had another slow whitefi sh bite on the lake again this year, opportunities will present themselves through September, mostly on the North end of the lake as they get ready to move into the river to spawn. Polson Bay is also an excellent location for fall whitefi shing. The Mac bite should continue to be good as we work our way into fall. Fish tend to school up a bit this time of year, and as it gets colder, more and more of them will move into shallower water as well. Schooling fi sh are usually susceptible to vertical jig fi shing; try a Leadagator or Rattle D’Zaster spoon tipped with cut bait. As usual, trolling Flatfi sh, Kwik-Fish or Hoochies behind a dodger will produce good catches of bigger fi sh. As it gets later in the month, casting heavy spoons like Country Miles, Bomber Spoons and larger Forage Minnow Spoons from a boat towards steep banks will produce some fi ne action for shallow water Macs.

ROCK CREEKLike all the rivers in Western Montana, Rock Creek has defi nitely benefi ted from the shot of cool weather during the fi rst part of August. The fi sh are in good shape and have been willing to cooperate with those wetting a line on this beautiful little river. September brings cooler weather, more consistent hatches and smaller crowds. Blue Winged Olives, Mahoganies and Hecubas are the big mayfl y hatches you might come across. If you get into a dense enough hatch you may fi nd pods of fi sh up and eating instead of the random rise that you’ll usually see. The October caddis will make its appearance towards the end of the month. This large burnt orange bodied caddis offers trout a high calorie meal and is readily eaten when available. Adult October caddis aren’t seen in great numbers as they emerge in the late evening towards dark, but the pupa is common and nymphing with a pupa pattern is very effective.SEELEY AND SALMON LAKESAfter lying on the bottom of the lake like rocks most of the summer, pike will start to feed aggressively again as winter approaches. This is a great time of year to take a trophy fi sh, and fi sh will engulf lures and fl ies with hearty-stopping strikes. Try casting Husky Jerks, spoons or spinner baits, especially in

Firetiger or silver/black color combinations. Fish will key in on Kokanee salmon that start to school up in preparation to spawn, so any thing that mimics a 6-8” Koke is a good choice.BITTERROOT RIVERAlong with the March Skwala season, September is probably the other best month of the year on the ‘Root. There are two large mayfl ies that hatch in impressive numbers most days in September: the Mahogany dun and the “Hecuba”. The Mahogany is a reddish brown mayfl y in size #12-#14, and is effectively matched by a Mahogany Thorax Dun or Purple Haze, a pattern that is notoriously effective on the Bitterroot. The “Hecuba” is a member of the Green Drake family, and is mimicked well by a #10 or #12 extended-body drake pattern. This combination of big mayfl ies will often have the largest trout on the river feeding with abandon, although in low fall fl ows they will often be somewhat spooky and leader-shy. Blue Winged Olives also make an appearance for their second act of the season, with the fall variety averaging a little larger in size than their spring time cousins. These hatches are often signifi cantly better on rainy, overcast days. So instead of sitting inside and watching football on a soggy September weekend, grab your fl y rod and rain gear, and get down to the river. (continued page 16)

RYAN ONGLEY

Southwest MontanaFishing ReportBrought To You By Bozeman

BY RYAN ONGLEY(406) 586-0100

Transition To Fall!

Here we are again at the close of another summer in Southwest Montana. It’s been a crazy season with some incredibly strange weather patterns. Area anglers have really had to be at the top of our games with complex hatches of multiple insects at once. If you were not paying attention to what our waters were trying to tell us you could be in for some incredibly frustrating days at times. But fall is coming and with it the crowds will mostly be gone and we await the Fall Baetis hatch and Streamer activity to build. Midge activity will also become much more important as we get deeper into the fall season. All our area rivers should see Baetis activity begin. Keep in mind this hatch is best and heaviest on cool or cold dreary drizzly or even snowy days. Arrive on the rivers around 11 am and if conditions are right you could be fi shing wave after wave of adult baetis mayfl ies until 5 or 6 pm. UPPER AND LOWER MADISON RIVERS: Both stretches of the Madison offer good habitat for Baetis activity. Reynolds Pass downstream to $3 Bridge is the prime spot. With tons of pocket water and slower bankside pools and side channels available for the fi sh to pod up and sip the tiny insects off the surface. On the Lower look to the Upper reaches of Beartrap Canyon below the dam for consistent hatches. Look for good streamer fi shing to build slowly through the middle part of the month and start really picking up near the end and into

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North Central Montana Fishing Report Brought To You By Helena

BY JESSE FLYNN(406) 457-7200e-mail: fi [email protected]

October. If weather remains warm hopper and terrestrial action should remain good for a good part of the month depending on weather patterns. YELLOWSTONE RIVER: Again depending on weather look for good hopper and terrestrial activity to continue. The way the weather has been this year September could very well be the peak time for the hoppers this year. The ‘Stones offers up fi ne Baetis activity throughout its length. And the Spring Creeks can be outstanding at Baetis times if you don’t mind paying the fees. The Yellowstone has always been one of the premier rivers for throwing large streamers for trophy trout. Streamers are always a good choice but as October nears the large Brown Trout will get more territorial than ever and be

CANYON FERRY: Covered up with algae, equaling some tough fi shing conditions but don’t let it get you down because they are in there. Fish swim baits and jigs on the edges of these weed lines ultimately trying to entice them out of the heavy cover. A Texas rigged worm or swim bait with a pegged bullet weight is a great weed less set up that can be thrown into heavy cover with relatively no trouble. Go with a heavier than normal weight…this will help you punch your bait through thick dense cover. Don’t be afraid to throw bigger baits too this time of year. Minnows have fattened up through out the summer and fi sh should begin feeding a little more aggressively readying themselves for the winter months too come. A lot of times you can produce an aggression strike with these bigger baits…never know! Maybe try a mimic

looking to crush a big streamer. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK: As fall comes to the Park all the rivers become very viable options. Very good Baetis emergences will come off on the Madison, Firehole, Lamar, Soda Butte Creek, and Slough Creek. The fi sh will be picky after a few months of heavy pressure so good presentations and light tippets are usually a must. On the Lamar, Soda Butte, and Slough also be prepared with terrestrials, and some larger drake imitations in a light to olive brown. There is a fall Green Drake which emerges here that the trout love to gobble up. There is nothing better than casting dries to rising trout in the midst of bugling bull elk gathering their harems. Have a great September everyone.

minnow or maybe even a husky jerk along the weed lines. Husky jerks are a great because they neither sink or fl oat, they suspend.

HAUSER LAKE: Algae is thick in the causeway arm but you know the drill. Use weed less jigs for this occasion and go a bit heavier than normal in order to punch through the algae. Fish actually love this type of cover; it gives them excellent cover along with an abundant food source such as insects and minnows. If the algae becomes too much for you anglers, head north toward Hauser Dam or York Bridge. There you will fi nd deeper water where the algae will begin to disperse. Or go bounce jigs below Canyon Ferry dam. Anglers have been picking up three – four pound rainbows as well, trolling cowbells along with wedding rings or worm harnesses tipped with crawlers.

HOLTER LAKE: Algae is not nearly as bad down through the gates heading toward Hauser dam. Up the river is getting pretty covered up though. Quarter to three eighths ounce jigs with a grub body and a piece of crawler has been producing walleye. Typically, fi shing in and around twenty feet of water. I would go with a lighter and smaller set up when fi shing for perch. If nothing else have you seen the view up there…absolutely beautiful!

REGULATING RESERVOIR: Remember the buckshot rattle spoon from Northland we all use for ice fi shing? Well this jigging spoon and baits alike have been producing Konkani’s vertical jigging. Tip them with a maggot or a small piece of crawler as well. Silver spoons have also been producing, either trolling or jigging. If trolling, be sure to use some type of fl asher, along with a snubber leadered off to your bait.

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Western Montana Fishing Report

(continued from page 14)

BLACKFOOT RIVERWhile not exactly an unknown destination, the Blackfoot is in the middle of hunting country, and is often not very crowded in September. Fortunately for you, the fi shing, scenery, and all of that hokey-but-true Montana Big Sky Country stuff is never more in evidence than on the Blackfoot River in the fall. Hoppers fi sh well until the fi rst hard frosts of the year, and the blue-winged olives will hatch reliably through October. And just like Rock Creek the October caddis is prevalent and can get the fi shes attention. For my money, streamer fi shing is tough to beat, as brown trout become more and more aggressive as they approach their fall spawn. Pick out your favorite rabbit strip, marabou, rubber legged and cone-headed concoction and hang on tight. Takes can be vicious and this style of fi shing is not for the feint of heart. There are more great places to fi sh this time of year than I could possibly hope to mention, so try to squeeze in a day or two on your favorite lake or river this month. See you out there!

So you stole my game camera…I expected hunters in this area, but I didn’t expect a hunter hunting something to steal – a Thief! So you are not really a hunter, just a low-life bum that steals stuff when no one is looking. The camera cost me almost $200, half of that was from a gift card for my birthday and the other half came from my wages for cleaning bathrooms and hauling garbage at Lincoln’s $50,000 Silver Dollars. I was really looking forward to seeing some pictures of the elk in this drainage. I waited for a week to gather those pictures and came back in with some excitement, just to be disappointed by someone like you who has no place in these woods. The camera had my name and address on it…these woods are my house. You came into my house and took my property, you stole from me. Same as if you’d taken something from my truck or from my actual home. I do take it personally. There is no place in my house for a thief. Consider that from now on, I will be looking for you. Someday you will hear a twig snap behind you…and you’ll wonder if it’s me. I suggest you start walking. You may even consider running…Get! There is a reward offered for information that locates the stolen Moultrie Game Camera, SN#K1005103772-95223, Model D65IR, or identifi es the person(s) responsible for the theft. I will prepare (2) European Mounts for you (any animal, bear, deer, elk, etc) ...the skull beetle cleaned, degreased, and lightened, and suitable for your wall or den. Glenn Ferren, Cabin City(Moultrie Game Camera Stolen between 08/06/2010 and 08/13/2010 call 406-678-0795

productivity this year. The gray partridge population in FWP Region 4 is expected to be below average, but with some slight improvement over last year. Sharp-tailed grouse numbers should be average to below average. Pheasant numbers should show some improvement over last year, but will remain below average again due to cold, wet conditions at the peak of the hatch and early brood period. In the southern portion of FWP Region 4, a deep snow April 30-May 1 may have reduced adult pheasant and gray partridge numbers—especially in Judith Basin, eastern Cascade, and western Fergus counties. Dusky and ruffed grouse numbers are expected to be somewhat improved while gray partridge and sharp-tailed grouse numbers are expected to be average or above. Sage grouse numbers are expected to be below average. Where pheasants weren’t caught in spring snows, expect to see near average numbers. In FWP Region 6 west, gray partridge numbers should be somewhat improved over last year, but young early-hatched chicks would have been impacted in mid-June by three or more inches of rain that fell over three days time. Despite the wet weather, sharp-tailed grouse numbers in the western portion of FWP Region 6 are expected to be better than last year and sage grouse numbers will be at or above average his fall. Pheasant numbers may also be above

Upland Game Bird Hunting Outlook (continued from page 8)

average, depending on how badly mid-June rains affected their broods. In FWP Region 6 east, hunters can expect near average numbers of gray partridge, and slightly improved numbers of sharp-tailed grouse, though that population will remain below average. With a somewhat milder winter compared to two years ago, the popular pheasant hunting in the state’s northeast corner is expected to be improved with a closer to average pheasant population.Southeastern Montana (FWP Region 7 north and Region 7 south) In FWP Region 7 north gray partridge numbers are forecast to be comparable or better than last year putting them near or above average. Sharp-tailed grouse numbers will be average or better, while sage grouse populations will remain below average. Pheasant numbers should be somewhat improved in this portion of Montana, but probably still below average. In FWP Region 7 south gray partridge, sharp-tailed grouse and pheasant numbers are expected to be better than average. Sage grouse numbers are expected to be somewhat improved from last year, but still below average. For detailed information to help plan a fall upland game bird hunt, see the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov.

Upland Game Bird And Pheasant Season Details MFWP

Upland bird seasons run Sept. 1- Jan.1, 2011—with the exception of sage grouse season, which closes Nov. 1, and mountain grouse season, which closes Dec. 15.Daily Bag Limits•Two sage grouse, four sharp-tailed grouse, and three mountain grouse in aggregate and eight partridge in aggregate. •Three cock pheasants daily. Possession Limits•Two times the daily bag limit for sage grouse and four times the daily bag limit for sharp-tailed, mountain grouse and partridge.•Three times the daily bag limit for pheasants. The annual bag limit for turkey is two wild turkeys, either sex. The total combined limit of the spring and fall seasons cannot exceed two turkeys per hunter. In the fall, two either-sex turkeys may be harvested, but no more than one may be harvested in FWP

Region 7 and no more than one may be harvested outside of FWP Region 7. Fall turkey hunting is open to all hunters with a valid fall turkey license in the general hunting areas described in the upland game bird regulations. Special turkey hunting permits, with applications made in July, are valid only in areas specifi ed in the regula-tions and must be used with a valid fall turkey license. For other details, see the upland game bird hunting regulations which are available on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov, at FWP regional offi ces and from FWP license providers. Hunters planning to hunt upland game birds on Indian Reservations should check Indian Reservation regulations for season dates, bag limits, licensing requirements, shooting hours, legal species and shot gun shell requirements, which may differ from state regulations.

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Crazy Creek Horse Campground (horse sites) is located in Bitterroot National Forest at an elevation of 4,500 feet. The campground has a lower and upper portion. The upper portion for general camping. The lower portion is for campers with horses. Tie rack and watering trough are located at the lower area. Hiking may be enjoyed on a trail that leads out of the campground. Restrooms are provided for the 6 campsites. The maximum recommended trailer length for the area is 26 feet. No camping fee.

Season: 5/15 - 12/1Services offered:CampsiteEstablished Fire PitsHandicapped AccessiblePets AllowedPicnic TablesToilets

Activities offered:CampingFishingHikingHorseback RidingTent Camping

Contact information:Mailing Address:Bitterroot National Forest7338 US Highway 93 SouthSula, MT 59871

Phone: 406-821-3201Fax: 406-821-2340http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/bitterroot

Directions:Crazy Creek Horse Camp is located 3 miles northwest of Sula on US Highway 93, then 4 mile southwest on Warm Springs Creek. Backcountry trailhead.

Bear Creek Pass Campgroundvisitmt.com

Bear Creek Pass Campground is located in Bitterroot National Forest at an elevation of 6500 feet. The campground has 3 campsites and 1 handicap accessible vault toilet. Water is not provided. This is a pack in/pack out campground. There is a trailer limit of 30 feet. Right along the Montana-Idaho border, this is a primitive camping area used primarily by horseback riders and packers. The campground provides spectacular views and open meadows that can be accessed from the 3 trail systems near the camping area. There is a stock loading ramp available.

Season: July - October

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Mailing Address:Bitterroot National ForestPO Box 388Darby, MT 59829

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ASSUMING YOUR SHOT WAS FATAL, CAN BE A FATAL MISTAKEBY TONY FOLCEY

“TONY FOLCEY THOUGHT HIS 8 YARD SHOT ON THIS BUCK WAS ENOUGH TO LEAVE HIS STAND RIGHT AWAY AND TRAIL HIM BUT THE BUCK SHOWED HIM OTHERWISE.

It goes without mentioning that every hunter can vividly remember the fi rst time that they started on a blood trail to soon or with reckless abandon. One year I let excitement overrule common sense and it almost cost me dearly. What should have been an easy recovery turned into a comedy of errors that I haven’t repeated since. Without getting long winded, here’s what took place. It’s the peak of the rut and I have an established treestand that my brother calls the killing tree. Its early morning and I can hear deep grunting coming from behind me. My tree is the ultimate in hunter concealment with rear visibility thin. I can just twist my head back enough to see that this buck is one of the widest 8 points I’ve seen in 20 years. He’s tracking a doe that walked by just minutes ago on a trail that leads him past me at less than 10 yards. When I hear that he’s directly behind me I pull to full draw and turn ever so slowly to my left. He appears exactly where I had fi gured and stops. I put my single 20 yard pin in the peep and zero in just below the heart. I trigger my release and hear the arrow pass through and lodge in the ground behind him. Instantly he bulldozes off toward the ridge point and stops just short of the edge. A minute or two passes before I detect a wobble. He appears to stumble then rips down the hill out of earshot. “He’s toast”, I yelled and hurried down the tree, past my arrow and out to the spot where my buck got dizzy. There’s a good pool of shiny red blood at my feet and it’s easy to see where he went down the hill. I set down my bow and start

stumbling down the hill. This is where things go real bad. Deer start taking off everywhere, including my buck that jumps the deep ravine and runs up and over the next hill with the others. Now I know I’m in trouble. What have I done? I’ve been bowhunting for almost 30 years. Hadn’t I learned anything!? I knew full well the differences between proper and improper steps to take after the shot. I now realize I have a very hard and long retrieval ahead of me. With that being said, I’d like to tear apart this fi ne example of how not to proceed after you’ve made a shot that you assumed to be 100% fatal. My fi rst mistake came right out of the box. I can debate all day about whether I should have let him walk another 10 yards before I shot because a crosswind was completely in my favor and since it was the rut he was walking with the wind. This allowed me complete anonymity as he doglegged around my tree. The 8 yard shot would have best been done bare bow style and double lung target is much more forgiving than my heart choice. I chose poorly and missed the mark with my shot. Next and most obvious I should have never left my stand right away. Over confi dence and excitement can push you to lose your mind and go against everything your taught. If you don’t watch him go down, don’t move from your stand. Wait at least an hour. Blood loss is the normal cause of death, give them time to bleed out. Other less vital hits sometimes require much more time to wait out, some overnight. (next page)

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2010 Fall Mack Days sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes is rapidly approaching and will begin October 1st and continue until November 14th- Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for seven fi shing weekends. $100,000 in cash and prizes will be given to anglers entered in the Fall Event. Fish one day or fi sh every day to increase your chances. Expansion in the event this year includes over 2,000 tagged fi sh and added bonus amounts-from $1.50 to $3.75 per lake trout. Tagged fi sh will include (1) $5,000 tagged lake trout and (5) $1,000 tagged lake trout with all other internally tagged fi sh having values of $100-$500. Increased bonuses will be paid out in the following amounts: 0-19 lake trout=$0, 20-30=$35, 31-60=$75, 61-100=$125, 101-150=$210, 151-200=$290, 201-250=$380, 251-300=$465, 301-350=$570, 351-400=$675, 401-450=$765, 451-500=$875, 501-550=$995, 551-600=$1,120, 601-650=1,250, 651-700=$1,420, 701-750=$1,630, 751-800=$1,940, 801-850=$2,270, 851-900-$2,625, 901-950=$3,000, 951-1000=$3,400, 1001-1050=$3,750.

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Fish all of Flathead Lake. Blue Bay will be the headquarters during the event-turn in your lake trout entries there all day until dark.


I completely blew by my arrow without examining it for clues as to where so I knew whether to pursue now or wait. If I had examined it properly I’d have seen the tissue caught by my fl etchings and would have known that I missed his softball size heart but caught the artery leading to the vitals behind it. This is normally a 3 hour wait before searching. I gave him only minutes.

Next I should have examined the pool of blood. From experience I could have seen that he was bleeding from both the entrance and exit wounds profusely. It was not pinkish bubble fi lled lung blood. It wasn’t near black liver blood, it was shiny arterial blood. I should have never gone down that hill. I would have found him down below after a minimal wait. As far as heading downhill, I should have never gone without my bow. It made no sense. How would I fi nish this hunt if he staggered to his feet and stared at me? Finish him off with a rock? These are the major mistakes that should have never let me fi nd my buck. Fortunately for me I found him just the other side of that second hill. The wounds never plugged themselves and he simply ran out of blood. Those critical mistakes in just over 5 minutes almost left me with an empty freezer. Don’t let over confi dence and stupidity ruin your hunts.

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Assuming Your Shot Was Fatal (continued)

King Of The Water Hole (continued from page 6)

Drew’s relief, followed his usual routine. When he raised his head and started up the ridge there would only be a few seconds before reaching the crest. Listening to the noise made by the buck walking, Drew could only guess when he should come to full draw. The anticipation was too much for the young hunter and as he drew the bow, the buck stepped into the opening and caught the movement. Busted! The buck had him dead to rights. As the big buck stood half way into the opening Drew released. The Carbon Express shaft with a 100-Grain, Montec broadhead hit right behind the buck’s shoulder and disappeared. The buck jumped straight up then turned and bound-ed downhill disappearing in the timber. After waiting 30-minutes he searched for his arrow but was unable to fi nd it so he dropped to his knees and began following the track by marking the last three jumps with his handkerchiefs before looking for the next landing spot. Once in dark timber the tracks ended. The buck had run into a tree and fallen next to the bed he had left an hour earlier. Drew had his Pope & Young Record Book buck after a summer of careful observation and planning. The King of the Waterhole was his.

He was completely focused on those magnifi cent antlers moving his way. The buck still had 150-yards to feed before coming into shooting range and as the buck fed into the clearing he became more alert then suddenly spooked and stared back into the timber where he had

been bedded. This diversion provided Drew an opportunity to bring up the bow. When the buck realized the noise was from a squirrel dropping a pinecone he relaxed and returned to feeding. As the buck fed closer to the spring he calmed down, and much to

DREW


Preparing For An Eastern Montana Deer Hunt By Levi Johnson

Mule deer I shot that chased a doe right by me at 40 yards.

People ask me all the time, “How can I get on a good spot to hunt?” and “Where should I go to fi nd that spot?” For the fi rst question, I can only say one thing, “To fi nd a good spot it takes some homework.” I would begin by fi nding out what ranches are enrolled in the Block Management Program. I would take the time in the summer to go visit with the ranchers enrolled in the Program before the big rush hits them the night before hunting season opens. While visiting with them, ask them if they need any help during the summer. Showing them that you are willing to put some sweat into their land and get your hands dirty. This will help you build a relationship with the landowner. Staying in touch with the landowner during the summer months to see how they are doing is a good idea too. I would also call the local wildlife biologist and ask them questions, such as, “How hard was the winter on the deer herd?” and “How was the prior year’s harvest?” in the area you plan on hunting. Ask them where a person can get information on state land and BLM lands. You need to get all the information you can on the phone, so when you make your trip out to scout an area or ranch you have the information you need to knowledgeably scout an area. The time out in the woods scouting is so valuable and short-lived that you want to be scouting and not wondering where you’re at. I believe the more time you spend scout-ing, the better. Knowing your hunting area increases your chances of success. If you do get permission to hunt on private ground, respect the landowner as if it was your own property. I have seen time and time again people get permission to hunt private land, and then disrespect the landowner’s property. If is rains, stay home or park your vehicle and WALK. Nothing irritates landowners more than vehicles rutting up their roads. Leave gates as you fi nd them and always take your

trash out with you. If you do harvest an animal, ask the landowner if they mind if you drive to get it. The little things will help maintain a good relationship with the landowner. The best scouting tool you can have is a good set of optics. I rely on my Swarovski 10x42 EL and 20x65x80 spotting scope. The best advice is to get on the highest ridge at fi rst light and just start glassing. Get an idea where the bucks are going to feed and bed. If you can fi nd a buck you are going to hunt, he will be inthe same area until the rut starts. Mature bucks don’t move far from their core area during summer and early fall. Once the rut starts, they are unpredictable. Another tool I never leave home without is my Primo’s Double Bull Dark Horse blind. Mule deer pay no attention to the blinds, where whitetails are a whole different story. You can fool a mule deer, even on same day sets, but whitetails seem to keep better track of their bedrooms. The Ground Swat pattern on the Dark Horse blind seems to melt away in the western habitat. I shot a whitetail in 2009 out of my Dark Horse over a decoy. I was amazed at how well the blind blended in to the scrub tree I sat it in front of. I had does and bucks both walk by without even looking at the blind. I do believe the blind melted right in to that scrub tree, and Ithink it was the contrast and colors of the Ground Swat pattern. I have hunted hard core out of Double Bulls for years, and I can say that if you don’t have one, get one. They are a valuable tool in your hunting arsenal. As far as tree stands go, well there are a lot of them on the market. One of the easiest to pack and hang if you are tree jumping from spot to spot is the Lone Wolf Assault. This stand is quiet and easy to hang. I shot a bruiser of a buck in Wisconsin last year out of a Lone Wolf Assault. It was comfortable and easy to hang. When I have been chasing just whitetail along a river or creek, I rely heavily

(continued on page 30)

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Stephanie Shelton of Hamilton“This is the buck I shot this past year in the

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Hunting And Conservation NewsHunting And Conservation NewsHunting & Conservation News Hunting & Conservation News

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Outstanding Hunter Behavior Program MFWP

Inappropriate behavior by some hunters can overshadow the exemplary behavior of many others. Hunters who hunt legally and responsibly keep Montana’s hunting traditions alive. The Outstanding Hunter Behavior award program recognizes individuals who through their actions maintain a positive image of hunters and hunting in Montana. The program is cosponsored by the volunteer instructors who teach hunter education as well as FWP. Specifi cally, the award program recognizes individuals who demonstrate exemplary or outstanding behavior consistent with the lessons taught in hunter education about safe, ethical, and responsible conduct. A person who receives this award is someone who makes others proud to be a hunter. Examples of recipients include a rancher and hunter who grants free access to youth hunters; a father and son who displayed exemplary behavior during a cow elk hunt; and a hunter who was instrumental in busting a commercial poaching operation. Following the general big game hunting season, FWP will accept nominations for the regional awards. A few simple rules apply: Each of the seven FWP regions gives out one award each. The outstanding behavior must involve some aspect of hunting. Anyone (instructors, FWP staff, public) may make a nomination.

Nominations need to be submitted to regional FWP offi ces by January 31 of each year, see contacts below. A team of instructors and FWP staff will select the regional recipients.

The award presentation will be made during a luncheon as part of the regional workshops for hunter education instructor in spring. FWP will issue regional news release with the names of the recipients as well as an account of their outstanding behavior. The hunter education program administers the program and pays for the award plaques and any other incidental expenses such as mileage for recipients to attend the ceremony.

FWP Region Contact Information: Region 1: Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Sanders John Fraley (406) 751-4564 Region 2: Deer Lodge, Granite, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli Vivaca Crowser (406) 542-5518 Region 3: Beaverhead, Gallatin, Madison, Park, Butte/Silverbow Mel Frost (406) 994-6931 Region 4: Cascade, Choteau, Fergus, Glacier, Judith Basin, Liberty, Meagher, Petroleum, Pondera, Teton, Toole Bruce Auchly (406) 454-5845Region 5: Bighorn, Carbon, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Stillwater, Sweetgrass, Wheatland, Yellowstone Bob Gibson (406) 247-2950 Region 6: Blaine, Daniels, Hill, McCone, Philips, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Valley Ron Seldon (406) 228-3723 Region 7: Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfi eld, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Treasure, Wibaux Dwayne Andrews (406) 234-0919Headquarters: Lewis & Clark, Broadwater, Jefferson Thomas Baumeister (406) 444-4046

Hunter Education Classes MFWP

Seven MFWPs hunter education classes are scheduled for September and October in Yellowstone County. All classes are free to students. Scheduled classes are:Shepherd Middle School gym Sept. 7, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. – registrationSept. 13-17 – 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. – classSept. 18 – fi eld day, Lake Elmo State Park The dates are also set for fall hunter education classes in Belgrade and Bozeman. Registration is required and students under 18 years of age must have the consent of a parent or guardian. Belgrade Hunter Education: Class will take place Sept. 7-10 at the Belgrade Middle School (410 Triple Crown Road) from 7-9 p.m. Students must also complete a fi eld exercise on Saturday, September 11 at the Logan Range. Students must register in person on September 7 from 6-7 p.m. at the Belgrade Middle School. For more information call George or Bonnie Clement at (406) 388-0655.Bozeman Hunter Education: Class will take place September 13-17 at Chief Joseph Middle School (4255 Kimberwicke Street) from 7-9 p.m. Students must also complete a fi eld exercise on Saturday, September 18 , from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Logan Range. There are two options for registration: Students may register online until September 7 by going to FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov and clicking on Education, then Hunter Education . All students under the age of 18 must download and complete the parental consent form and bring to class. Classroom materials must be picked up at FWP’s Bozeman offi ce (1400 S. 19 th Ave.) by Sept 10th. Students may also register in person Thursday, September 2nd, from 7-9 p.m., at Chief Joseph Middle School in the cafeteria.

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The date is set for a fall hunter education class in Butte. Registration will be held on Tuesday, September 7 from 6-8 p.m. at Butte East Middle School Auditorium (2600 Grand Ave.). The class will take place September 8-9 and 13-16, from 6:30-9 p.m. at Butte East Middle School. The fi eld day will be held at the Rocker Range on Sunday, September 19. Pre-registration is required and students under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more information contact Don Davis at 406-723-5350.

The date is set for a fall hunter education class in Livingston. Students should register online by going to FWP’s Web site at fwp.mt.gov and click on Education , then Hunter Education . Registration is required and all students under the age of 18 must download and complete the parental consent form. The class will take place September 13-16 at the Elks Lodge (130 South 2 nd St.) from 6-9 p.m. A fi eld exercise will be conducted on September 18 at the Livingston Rod and Gun Club from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The date is set for a fall hunter education class in Bigfork.

Registration for the Bigfork Hunter Education Program will be held Monday, September 13 at 7 p.m. at the Bigfork High School Music Room. Classes continue from 6-9 p.m. on September, 15, 17, 20, 22, and 24. Field course is Saturday September 25 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.), and test night is Monday September 27, 6-8 p.m. For more information contact Jon Cuthbertson at 756-2220 or 755-2131 (days), Harlen Johnson at 837-4455, or FWP at 752-5501.


Hunting And Conservation NewsHunting And Conservation News

Species Start Date End Date

Antelope 900 series August 15 November 14 Archery September 4 October 8 General October 9 November 14

Bighorn Sheep Archery September 5 September 14 General September 15 November 28

Bison Bison November 15 February 15, 2011

Black Bear Archery September 4 September 14 Fall September 15 November 28

Deer & Elk Archery September 4 October 17 Youth (Deer Only) October 21 October 22 General October 23 November 28Backcountry (HD’s 150, 151, 280, 316) Archery September 4 September 14 General September 15 November 28

Moose Moose September 15 November 28

Mountain Goat Mountain Goat September 15 November 28

Mountain Lion Archery September 4 October 17 Fall October 23 November 28 Winter December 1 April 14, 2011

Upland Game Birds

Mountain Grouse September 1 December 15Partridge September 1 January 1, 2011Pheasant General October 9 January 1, 2011 Youth To Be DeterminedSage Grouse September 1 November 1Sharp-tailed Grouse September 1 January 1, 2011Turkey Spring April 10 May 16 Fall September 1 January 1, 2011

Waterfowl General To Be Determined Youth To Be Determined

Wolf Wolf To be determined

2010 HUNTING SEASONSMFWP

Delayed by Federal Judge Don Molloy

2010 Sports New Hunting Opportunities And New Regulations Format MFWP

Montana’s deer, elk and antelope regulations—the hunter’s bible—is newly formatted this year and includes some new hunting opportunities for deer, elk and antelope for the upcoming season. “We made the changes in response to requests for simpler, easier to read hunting regulations,” said Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks spokesman Ron Aasheim. The opening pages of the 2010 big game regulations outline the hunter’s legal responsibilities afi eld, followed by hunting district maps, regulations and legal descriptions of each hunting district. The fi nal pages of the regulations contain information on licenses and items of general interest to hunters. In addition, there are several new opportunities for hunters in 2010, including: -Elk B Licenses— Elk B licenses (formally called “A9” or “B12” licenses), which allow taking a second elk, have replaced antlerless elk permits in several hunting districts. Some elk B licenses may be legal for archery hunt-ing. Check the specifi c hunting district regula-tions for elk B license details.-New Opening Day— Antelope, deer and elk seasons will open on a Saturday for the fi rst time in recent memory. The general season for antelope will open Oct. 9. The general deer and

elk season opener is set for Oct. 23. In past years, most general big game hunting seasons opened on a Sunday. -Deer Youth Hunt at Fall Break— A youth hunt for deer limited to youngsters between the ages of 12-15 was approved for Oct. 21-22, the Thursday and Friday preceding the Saturday opener. These dates coincide with Montana’s annual two-day teachers’ convention, which are no-school days for most public school students. -New Youth Rule—Resident and nonresident youngsters 11 years of age who will reach 12 years of age by January 16, 2011, may after Aug. 15 hunt any game species with a valid license during an open season. They may also purchase a hunting license, except spring turkey and spring black bear, after showing at the time of the sale proof they have completed an approved hunter education course. -Black Bear and Mountain Lion Archery— For the fi rst time, Montana will offer black bear and lion archery-only seasons, which will open along with the general big game archery season on Sept. 4. To participate one must have a valid archery license. Montana’s annual big game hunting regulations and drawing applications are avail-able on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov and from most FWP offi ces and license providers.

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Senate Bill Will Help Hunters Gain Access To Public Lands BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., have introduced legislation that guarantees funding for improving hunter access to existing public lands. Included within the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Spill Accountability Act is a provision supported by the Boone and Crockett Club and other hunting organizations which directs the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work with volunteering landowners to enhance access to existing public lands for the purposes of hunting, fi shing and other recreational activities. “Sportsmen and women want better access to their national forests and BLM lands for hunting and fi shing. Sen. Harry Reid and Sen. Max Baucus are tackling this problem, head on, with this bill,” said Lowell Baier, President of the Boone and Crockett Club. Additionally, Baier praised Reid and Baucus for “their deep commitment to enhancing outdoor recreationopportunities on our public lands.” For the 32 million American hunters, anglers and recreational shooters, federal public lands are an increasingly vital to their participation in outdoor sports. Nearly half of all hunters, for example, conduct a portion of their hunting activity on these lands. In addition, lack of access is cited as a primary reason that hunters, anglers and target shooters stop participating in these traditional sports. However, numerous reports verify that access to federal lands is problematic in many places. In fact, a 2004 report to the U.S. House Committee On Appropriations concluded that more than 35 million acres of U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service land have inadequate access. Specifi cally, nearly 2 million acres (or 10 percent) of USFS lands in Montana and 8.4 million acres (or 29 percent) of BLM lands in the Montana/Dakota’s region were identifi ed as having inadequate access. Sportsmen and women make important contributions to both wildlife conservation and the nation’s economy. The hunting and shooting sports industries create over 160,000 full-time jobs nationwide, generating an economic benefi t of over $20 billion annually.

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Montana’s young hunters will have a special treat Sept. 25-26, the weekend of the youth waterfowl and pheasant special seasons. Legally licensed hunters age 12 through 15 will be able to hunt ducks, mergansers, geese, coots and ring-necked pheasants statewide on these two days. Also, under a new regulation, youngsters 11 years of age who will reach 12 years of age by Jan. 16, 2011 may participate in this hunt with the proper licenses. A non-hunting adult at least 18 years of age must accompany the young hunters in the fi eld. The bag limit, shooting hours, hunter safety requirements and all other regulations of the regular pheasant and waterfowl seasons apply. The Canyon Ferry WMA is an exception –only to the youth waterfowl season shooting hours—they will be one-half hour before sunrise to noon Sept. 25 and 26.

Bird And Bowhunters, Avoid Becoming The Hunted MFWP

With Montana’s upland game bird season opening Sept. 1 and bow hunting season underway Sept. 4, hunters will soon be sharing the landscape with the state’s bears. Grizzly bears are found throughout western Montana, not just the Rocky Mountain Front, Bob Marshall Wilderness complex and the Yellowstone ecosystem, and black bears range widely across the state. Upland game bird hunters and archers hunting in bear country should:•carry bear spray and know how to use it,•hunt with a partner, or let someone know your plans, and periodically check in,•get harvested game out of the woods quickly,•carry a lightweight tarp or space blanket to put the entails on and pull them well away from the carcass and then cover the carcass with the tarp to reduce the scent, if the carcass is left unattended,•when returning to a site where harvested game is left unattended, study the site at a distance for any movement or changes and signal your approach by making plenty of noise,•do not attempt to frighten or haze a bear from a carcass. If a bear fi nds a carcass left unattended and is eating it or has covered it with debris and it is not salvageable, contact FWP. For more on black bears, got to the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov on the Wild Things page and click on Living With Wildlife. Bear resistant products are described on the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee’s website at www.igbconline.org , or click IGBC . A “How To Hunt Safely in Grizzly Country” brochure is also available at FWP regional offi ces.


Shooting Arrows Into Thin AirBy Dave Price

Extreme archery can be defi ned as hunting up high where the air is thin, surrounded by nothing but rocks, 1500-feet above timberline and fi ghting a constant wind. Up here you won’t see a two-point muley, the high country is home to big, mature bucks that are both smart and agile. The biggest ones are usually loners that often share their summer range with the Big Horns and Mountain Goats. Speaking with Jamie Van Blaricom, owner of Bitterroot Valley Archery, in Hamilton, Montana, he explained fi rst hand the perils of bow hunting high up in the Bitterroots at 9000 feet. Shots at big bucks, while fi ghting the wind, are a standard occurrence but Van Blaricom has tailored his equipment to allow success in such rarifi ed air. He jokes the air is so thin he has to hunt alone because there isn’t enough oxygen for two people at the same time. Straight winds and swirling gusts are always a problem so he shoots a heavier arrow with a stiffer shaft, which allows the arrow to leave the string with minimum bowing. This lessens drag for a quick recovery and straighter fl ight. The object is to hit the mark under adverse conditions on 50-yard shots; shooting distances are farther in the open mountain terrain than when hunting river bottoms. Axis, Victory, and the PSE Pro-series Radial X-Weave arrows are among his favorites. For your broadhead choice he explains that when you are that far from home, keep it simple. The more knowledge you have of broadheads, broadhead design, and operation, the more diffi cult it is to decide on just one broadhead.

Jamie recommends the following pair of broadheads and carries both at his store because of their performance

in the fi eld on larger big game: the three-blade, Shuttle T Lock that provides a 1 1/8” cutting channel and the four-blade Slick Trick broadhead because it perfectly matches the point of impact of his target points. The Slick Trick match to the target point is mandatory for precise practice while the four-blades cut a box shaped hole and produces better blood loss. The T Lock is called the Shuttle because it resembles NASA’s space vehicle. This head does not have ventilation holes like most broadheads. Ventilation holes were designed to reduce wind drag on a spinning arrow. The down side is that the holes can cause a vibration that reduces speed when everything is not perfect. With no vibration, arrow speed dissipates slower, providing higher speed at contact, which means deeper penetration and quicker kills. Jamie does quite well on big mule deer in the 9000-foot zone by patterning big bucks before the season then spending every possible minute on the mountain after the season begins. He looks for a combination of habitat and terrain when trying to locate large bucks and explains there can be a lot of empty space between the best spots. Because of the tough access, this type of hunt is beyond the range of most folks and the deer are rarely spooked, which means if you don’t bump them, they will remain in the same area for the duration of the season or until weather pushes them down. Water sources, a lake or small stream, usually occur down at the 7000-foot level where the big bucks look for a steep bluff or cliff above the water to have a good view when bedded. They don’t need much water in early fall (continued page 30)

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Rocky Mountain StatesFREE Pheasant HuntingDVD with Every 2010 Small Game Hunting Brochure

When the 2010 Small Game Hunting brochure hits the stands in early August, it is sure to raise a few eyebrows. In addition to a fresh new design that simplifi es the rules and regulations, the brochure will include a free DVD titled, “Pheasant Hunting Colorado.” The Colorado Division of Wildlife is breaking new ground for a state wildlife agency, hoping the DVD will inspire new hunters to discover the many facets of Colorado’s excellent upland bird hunting, beginning with the ring-necked pheasant. Although “Pheasant Hunting Colorado” is an entertaining, action-packed DVD fi lmed in stunning high-defi nition on Colorado’s Eastern Plains, it offers the viewer much more than just a taste of exciting pheasant hunting. The half-hour DVD is a comprehensive guide that leads both new and experienced hunters alike through the steps of planning and pulling off a successful hunt. “The section on identifying the various types of pheasant habitats and how they can determine a pheasant’s daily movements is easy to understand and goes way beyond the typical advice given to hunters,” said Dennis McKinney, video specialist for the DOW and long-time pheasant hunter in eastern Colorado. “And the scouting and hunting strategies are dead on.” More good news for small-game hunters this year is the Division of Wildlife’s decision to make its Walk-In-Access Program free to small-game license holders. The popular program provides access to more than 220,000 acres of private land to small game and waterfowl hunters. Hunters will fi nd more details in the Small Game Brochure and in the Walk-In-Access Atlas due out later this fall. “Teaching and recruiting future hunters is an effort that all wildlife agencies across the country are working on,” said Tyler Baskfi eld, communications manager for the DOW. “Providing an entertaining and educational DVD with every small game regulation brochure allows us to recruit pheasant hunters on a mass scale. It dovetails with our other recruiting efforts and the state’s wildlife and economy will benefi t in the long run”

Hunting and fi shing bring an estimated $1.8 billion dollars into Colorado’s economy, and sportsmen pay for the majority of wildlife management. Money from the sale of hunting and fi shing licenses accounts for more than 70 percent of the DOW’s annual budget. Pheasant hunting specifi cally benefi ts the many small-town economies on the Eastern Plains. “Pheasant hunting is a great way to introduce new and especially young hunters to the sport of hunting,” said Tom Remington, Director of the DOW and avid pheasant hunter. “With this DVD, a pair of boots and the Walk-In Program Atlas, anybody can try their hand at hunting what looks to be a plentiful crop of roosters this fall.” Pheasant hunters enjoyed great success last year due to increased numbers of birds on Colorado’s Eastern Plains. Pheasant crow counts on the Eastern Plains this spring were up over last year by 27 percent. Barring any massive weather events or other impacts on the pheasant population between now and the opening day of pheasant season, hunters should enjoy a banner year for pheasants. To view a preview of “Pheasant Hunting Colorado” please visit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTDDRXRu6Is To view an electronic copy of the 2010 Small Game Regulation Brochure please visit:http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/Small-Game/

How To Have A Safe Archery Hunt

If you’re an archery hunter, you can stay safe during this year’s archery hunts by following a few, simple rules.

“Every year, we receive reports of archery hunters injuring themselves,” says Gary Cook, hunter education coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. Two practices lead to most of the accidents: not being safe in tree stands or having arrows out of your quiver when you shouldn’t. Cook provides the following advice to help you avoid these accidents:Tree stands — before you climb a tree, make sure it’s large enough to hold your weight. To lessen the chance that you’ll fall while climbing the tree, leave your bow, arrows and other equipment on the ground, and attach a hauling line to them. After you’ve climbed into your tree stand, attach your safety harness. Then use your hauling line to lift your gear to you. Cook also recommends using a portable tree stand, rather than building a “permanent” one. “Permanent tree stands can deteriorate and become unsafe,” he says. “Also, they don’t look good. And you can damage the tree by hammering nails into it.” “Until you’re ready to shoot, keep your arrows in a quiver that has a hood on it that covers the broadheads,” Cook says. “One of the most common accidents we see is archers jabbing themselves or other hunters while carrying arrows in their hand that should be in their quiver.” State law requires that arrows be in a case while the arrows are in or on a vehicle. When you’re outside your vehicle, it’s up to you to protect yourself.More tips: In addition to the safety tips, Cook provides tips on getting prepared for the season, safety items to remember while you’re in the fi eld and tips on tracking animals and preserving their meat.Equipment checks - make sure the laminations on your bow are not fl aking or separating and that the strings on your bow are not fraying. And if you have a compound bow, make sure the pulleys and cables are in good shape. Also, make sure your arrow’s spline (the stiffness of the arrow’s shaft) matches your bow’s draw weight. If your bow’s draw weight produces more force than your arrow can handle, your arrow will probably fl y off

target when you shoot.Broadhead sharpening – when you sharpen your broadheads, be careful and take your time. Your broadheads should be razor sharp, but make sure you don’t cut yourself while sharpening them.Practice shooting as much as possible. Obtain written permission from private landowners before hunting on their property or using their property to access public land.Know the boundaries of limited entry units and other restricted areas in the area you’ll be hunting. Never take a shot at a deer or an elk that is beyond the maximum, effective range you’re comfortable shooting at. Also, before releasing your arrow, make sure of your target and what’s beyond it.After the shot: Watch the animal and determine the direction it took. Then go to the spot where you last saw the animal and fi nd your arrow. If there’s blood on it, and if you have a compass, take a reading of the direction the animal went. Then wait 30 minutes before tracking it. If you track the animal too soon, you can spook it into running. If you wait 30 minutes before tracking it, you’ll fi nd most of the deer and elk you shoot dead within a reasonable distance of your starting point. When you track an animal, look for blood not only on the ground but on the brush too. If you begin to lose the animal’s trail, tie a piece of biodegradable paper near the last blood spot. Then search for the animal’s trail by walking a circular pattern out from the paper. The paper will serve as a marker that will let you know where you started. Also, tying paper at the locations of the last three or four spots you see, and then standing away from the paper and looking at the paper trail, can help you visualize the direction the animal took. Once you’ve found the animal, check to see if its eyes are open. If they’re not, the animal probably isn’t dead. If its (continued page 38)

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Preparing For AnEastern Montana Deer Hunt (continued from page 20)

on hunting where the deer cross the river or creek from bed to feed. On the drought years they could cross just about anywhere, but in the last few years having great moisture has kept our creek and rivers running strong. This makes the deer cross in certain areas and lets you pinpoint where to hunt. Hunting where the animals crossed worked for me along a river bottom on a Mule deer buck I shot in ‘06. I had sat in a blind at a whitetail water crossing, and after the morning hunt, I decided to go look for a better place to sit for the evening hunt. On the way over to scout out a new spot, I watched a nice 4x4 Mule deer buck chasing this doe back and forth in a smaller cottonwood patch. I told my hunting partner, Mike Huff that I bet I could sneak in on him. I took my time, and got within 100 yards of the buck, with luck on my side. The doe turned towards my direction and the buck pushed her right to me. I shot the buck at 40 yards. It just goes to show that during the rut, anything can happen.

Shooting Arrows Into Thin Air (continued from page 27)

but around the permanent water sources they will fi nd the best feed. You’ll learn that the high altitude bucks do not behave like normal deer; they are more intelligent and a lot more cautious. They inhabit the country preferred by lions and are under pressure to survive on a daily basis. This regular pressure means an archer will have a tough time getting close in the loose rocks when the bucks have good visibility in all directions. Both the weather and temperature can change quickly at high altitude and go from bright sun to rain in minutes so be prepared for temperature swings of 25-degrees in less than an hour. If it starts to snow, quit hunting and head down to camp. Not knowing how much snow will fall means treacherous footing on hidden rocks and this alone is a good reason to head for camp before the wind starts and creates nasty drifts. Van Blaricom ended our talk with a sincere statement, “I am an archer fi rst and an archery shop owner second. The items in my store are there because they work, not because they are pretty or sell well. I know my products, I know what works, and I know how to bring back a big, spooky buck from above timberline.” When adding another dimension to your hunting season as an extreme bow hunter in the thin air of the high country, make sure your equipment is up to the challenge.

Hunting The CRPEnjoying the fruits of the best federal habitat program in years

By E. Donnall Thomas Jr.

It was a golden October morning in a remote corner of north-central Montana, with nothing but a single jet contrail overhead to remind us that we shared the planet with fi ve billion other humans. We’d been following a set of all but incomprehensible directions from a local rancher for over a mile when the track fi nally crested one last rise, and there it lay: a solid section of uninterrupted CRP grassland habitat stretching away toward the next horizon as apparently uniform and featureless as the sea. Experience and local knowledge both left me convinced the birds were in there, but how were we going to get them out? My eyes soon confi rmed what the hand-drawn map on the back of the dusty envelope previously suggested: the western boundary of the tract abutted a grain fi eld now reduced to stubble after the August harvest. While CRP acres provide some of the best security habitat for upland birds available anywhere on the prairie, wild ringnecks will seldom ignore the opportunity to feed in stubble fi elds if they lie nearby. Aldo Leopold reminded us that game is a phenomenon of edges, and there lay just the kind of edge he had in mind. Ignoring the vast sweep of cover stretching away to the east, I stopped the truck. Once Lori and I had donned our vests, let our Labs Kenai and Rocky out of the dog box and loaded our shotguns, we set off to push the cover toward the adjoining the fi eld.

The character of individual stands of CRP habitat can vary considerably depending on when it was seeded, the amount of rainfall that season, whether or not it has ever been grazed under emergency provisions, burned or otherwise disturbed to improve its wildlife value and a host of other factors. As uniform as it may appear, no two patches of CRP are ever quite the same. This stuff was thick. The good news was that the birds would likely hold tight if we could fi nd them. The bad news was that walking through it felt like slog-ging through knee-deep mud—a small price to pay, in my opinion, for the great security cover it provided (continued page 36)


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Solid Fall FishingBy Neal M. Cote’

Now that summer’s sizzling heat has passed, it’s time again to head out for some awesome fall fi shing. Fall is a great time to fi sh with the pleasant daytime temperatures cooling from hot summer 90’s of August to the pleasant 70’s range. The nights drop to 30 or 40 degrees and start to bring on the gorgeous colors of fall. Fall can present really good fi shing, if not some of the best of the year, as many species feed up for winter, or are getting ready to spawn. Seasonal changes from summer to fall also bring explosions of mayfl y hatches such as trico, blue-winged olive, fall drake, and mahogany dun as well as the October caddis. You can expect to see surface feeding fi sh that will test the resolve of even the most experienced anglers on many of our local rivers.

It’s defi antly not a river-only deal either! Reservoirs and lakes will provide great fi shing as we slide further into fall.

Here’s a roundup of some solid western Montana Fall fi shing opportunities:LOWER FLATHEAD RIVER SMALLMOUTHS Mention the Flathead River in northwest Montana and most anglers think of wilderness cutthroat, or maybe oversize Northern pike in the backwater sloughs. There is another reason to fi sh the Flathead, and it has nothing to do with adipose fi ns or Pike. In order to experience the “other” Flathead River, you have to go downstream and fi sh the other end of the Flathead River below Flathead Lake. The lower Flathead River, from Kerr Dam downstream to its confl uence with the Clark Fork River near Paradise, is handicapped by lack of public access, seasonal stinginess and jurisdictional issues on the Flathead Indian Reservation. But it’s blessed with one of the best trophy smallmouth bass fi sheries in Montana, and a resource that rates on par Ft. Peck Reservoir. The lower Flathead has traded the Montana’s state smallmouth bass record with Fort Peck Reservoir quite a few times in the last few years.You have a river section that has relatively few formal access points, especially in the upper section from the dam down to the mouth of the Little Bitterroot River which means you can’t get a bigger bass boat on and it’s hard to fl oat in a drift boat or a raft because the take-out accesses are at either inconvenient places or they’re almost too far apart to make for a good day trip. And shore fi shing is limited to just a handful of spots. So with a small amount of pressure, your odds of catching a near record sized smallmouth are real good. Not to mention many 1-3 lb. fi sh fi lling in the majority of your day! Probably the best spot to cast from the bank is at Sloan Bridge downstream from the dam. This is a good place to fi nd pike, but springtime anglers will also pick up trout (rainbows and a few lakers that have migrated down from Flathead Lake), and the bass fi shing will improve with the warming weather.

HELENA RESERVOIRS TROUT, WALLEYE Canyon Ferry is the third largest body of water in Montana, covering 35,181 surface acres. Since the completion of Canyon Ferry Dam in 1954, the reservoir has been used for fi shing and other water-related recreation. As fall approaches now is a great time for both large rainbow trout and some very good walleye action. With tons of boat launches and campgrounds, Canyon Ferry is one of the best early fall destinations that can get you trout in the morning and walleyes in the afternoon. Grab a few crawlers, some 1/8-1/16th jigheads and a few rapalas and you are set. If you are not into roughing it, you can fi nd numerous hotels in nearby Helena and also enjoy the dining as well. Holter Lake Recreation Area is located in west central Montana north of Helena. The lake covers 4800 acres and has a maximum depth of 125 feet at the dam. From a vehicle you will see an open, grassy area near the shore of Holter Lake surrounded sparsely by wooded hills on the northeast end. Boaters are well rewarded as Holter Lake bestows some majestic scenery not visible from road accessible shorelines. Primary fi sh species include walleye, rainbow trout, perch, and kokanee salmon. The reservoir is stocked heavily and is known for good size rainbows and descent walleyes. Anglers trolling wedding rings around Split Rock are catching a few. An occasional kokanee is being caught as well. There is good walleye action from Oxbow Bend to the Gates of the Mountains. Leeches seem to be working for walleyes. Same as Canyon Ferry but a little further out so camping is probably the better bet!

BIG HOLE RIVER BIG BRUTE BROWNS! Light tippet and zero water movement from the boat are required to fool the trout on the upper Big Hole. Increased pressure, sunny skies, and windy days have all come together to create spookier than normal fi sh this time of year. (continued on page 38)


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Gun Practice By David Rowell www.elk-hunting-tips.net

Don’t be a Bench Warmer Gun practice and sighting in a rifl e are not accomplished at the same time. Do some hunting-situation practice away from the bench rest.Give it a Rest Do some gun practice using your knees, a tree or other stable rest, since that may be all you have in a hunting situation. I have killed a couple of elk leaning back on my pack with my knees up and in front of me to brace the rifl e. It’s surprising how much some tree branches move, unless you’re right up against the trunk of the tree. It is often helpful to have done some gun practice using your front hand to anchor to a tree trunk, while at the same time letting your rifl e rest on that hand. You might prefer doing this from one or the other side of the tree. Try it both ways. A partner, if available, can lean on the tree trunk with an open hand and his wrist becomes a stable rest. This is especially helpful if the shooter has small hands and the tree trunk is large. Try shooting offhand during gun practice at some closer distances. Sometimes a shot presents itself fairly close with the animal staring at you. All you may have time for is an offhand shot. Be aware of your limitations in this situation. Personally, anything much over 50 yards is pushing it for me. I prefer to have a rest if there is time, if an easy offhand shot is not a safe bet.Try Shooting Sticks Sitting bi-pod shooting sticks that break down or telescope into two or three sections are probably the most convenient to carry and use. I usually carry them fully extended, tucked in between my back and backpack. When I see an animal that does not see me, I can immediately pull them out and drop to my butt. It takes a few more seconds to set them up in front of you and then to put the rifl e on top of them. Then you have to know how to quickly adjust the elevation of your gun. It’s important to learn through gun practice with sticks that you can more easily lean the sticks forward or backward to lower or raise the front of the gun. It is not necessary to separate the legs of the sticks in order to do this. Get to know this procedure during gun practice, rather than in a hunting situation. Tripod shooting sticks that are long enough to use standing up add bulk and more steps to set up from a broken down state. In addition, while standing, you’re rifl e will still not be as stable as when your back side and legs are anchored to the ground, in addition to the sticks. Resting the gun on someone’s shoulder is not a good idea. The shoulder volunteer is not that stable, no matter how hard he tries to be, especially when expecting the explosion. Common sense says it just isn’t safe anyway.Put Your Brand on ‘em! Early on my youngest son was having trouble with blinking and fl inching and it was causing him to shoot poorly and

and inconsistently. I taught him some visualization that helped him (and myself) to avoid the anticipation response. During gun practice it might help to get in the habit of imagining your gun as a branding tool. You are going to “brand” a cross (your crosshair brand) on the target (animal or paper). Take a big breath and let it all out. Take another comfortably full breath and let half of it out. Then hold your breath. Put the center of the “cross” exactly where you want it to be “burned on”. Hold it steady and begin to squeeze the trigger, while you imagine burning the cross on the target.Marry the Rifl e and Scope, Divorce the Explosion! Forget about the explosion. The explosion should surprise you. Let it. Your task is to squeeze the trigger while the reticle of your scope is held steadily where you want it. The explosion is the gun’s responsibility. The explosion is not your focused goal. Holding steady, on a very small spot on the target while you squeeze the trigger is your focus. Your crosshairs will disappear for a second with the recoil. If you have properly sighted in your rifl e, the spot where you last saw your reticle on the target is where the bullet should hit, or below it if you had to hold high. When my youngest son started using the branding imagery, he began shooting accurately at the range and during gun practice. The improvement was dramatic. A couple of weeks later, after successfully tracking an elk herd, he was holding his “crosshair brand” on an elk at 275 yards. He used a stable tree trunk while he was on his knees for stability. He slowly “branded” the animal right behind the front leg. As I watched through binoculars, the gun went off. The elk ran briskly out of sight into adjacent trees. I saw no evidence of a hit before it quickly disappeared. I asked him if the shot surprised him. He said it had. I asked where he last saw the crosshairs. He said, “Right behind the leg”. I told him, “Then your elk is down”. We knew the scope was “married” to the rifl e with good mounts. We had spent the time to carefully sight it in for zero at 200 yards, with the same premium ammo we used in the fi eld (Federal Premium Vital Shock High Energy, 180 grain for 300 Win Mag). The shooter divorced himself from the explosion and let it surprise him while he was still in the on-going process of simply holding and squeezing, while using the branding imagery. Sure enough, the elk only ran about 30 yards and dropped dead. The bullet hit at his point of aim. His very fi rst elk was down.Practice Hold Over Learn through gun practice where to hold over at different distances. A range fi nder is helpful, but many scopes are set up to help you estimate distances while looking at an elk or deer through the scope. Zeroing in at 200 yards is common with high powered rifl es, since little or no elevation adjustment is needed out to 300, or so, given a 6 to 8 inch drop with premium ammunition. (continued page 38)


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THE TRACKS OF THE NIMRODBy Jim Foster

After hunting and fi shing for many years, it’s quite clear that Murphy’s Law can and will enter the picture on a regular basis. Sometimes even the most carefully of planned trips have a way of unwinding in the blink of an eye. Either it’s the weather that tosses the curve, or a hunting buddy. Like in, “I thought YOU were bringing the food.” However, the majority of the time it’s a mechanical failure of one variety or another causing problems.Some of these problems can be avoided by taking care of the many details in advance of your trip. An important item for the traveling hunter is the gun case for transporting the rifl e. This is one place not to scrimp on a cheap case. If your driving the gun case is a little less important, mind you I say a little. But, for those of you who will be fl ying, it’s a whole different story. It is a proven fact that airline baggage handlers can cause massive damage to a cannon ball. Just think what they can do to a cheap gun case. I should mention that banging around in the back of a pick-up could be hard on rifl es and scopes. A good case is a wise investment for hunters with a scoped and fi nely tuned hunting rifl e.

Corey, author’s grandson preparing rifl e

If for no other reason stop and think about all the hours you have spent at the range sighting in. Checking and rechecking the scope fi ne tuning the aim point and honing your shooting skills for this hunt takes time and money. Take it from someone who knows some of these lessons are always learned the hard way. I can’t describe the sick feeling experienced when my gun case came down the baggage shoot looking like it had been run over by a truck. Not a small pick-up, mind you, but one with lots of wheels and can bend in the middle. A closer look revealed the stock was cracked and the scope was damaged beyond repair. A helpful outfi tter saved

the day with a loaner and my hunt was a success. Between the airline and my ex-insurance company they managed to take some of the fun out of the overall experience. In comparison to the price of the equipment inside, the price of a good gun case is a minor expense. There are many on the market and the prices start well in the range that most hunters and especially those who can afford traveling by air for a hunt. After a few decades of hunting the Vanguard Company makes the best cases I have found. They have a wide selection of different styles and materials, and sizes to choose from. There are other top quality cases on the market but I have had experience with these and they will take a lot of abuse. The case I use and the one my grandson used on his trip to Texas last season was the Vanguard HD 70W. It is the case made exclusively for traveling with my fi rearms. It is the best case I have found. Constructed of solid 0.063 grade aluminum alloy, Vanguard HD cases are built for hardcore travel. Impact-resistant welded corners keeps the case performing trip after – oh yes mine has wheels. Other features include a piano-style hinge, two levels of high-density foam, rubber lip seals, inset Mylar wheels, and a non-abrasive coating to prevent scratching. Just remember that even the best case available can be only so effective in severe situations. Remember Murphy.After arriving at your destination it would be a good idea to at least shoot one round

at a target before starting your hunt. Sometimes this is not possible, but some outfi tters have a shooting range and ask that their hunters check their rifl es after a long trip. If you should fi nd your scope has been jolted off center here’s a quick tip that was relayed to me by Wayne Fears, editor of several magazines. Wayne’s method will get you back on target with only four shots. On the bench shoot three rounds at the target. Let’s say you are hitting four inches high and four inches to the left. Use sandbags to stabilize your rifl e and place your crosshairs in the center of the group you just shot. Hold the rifl e steady and have a friend adjust the scope until the crosshairs are centered on the bulls eye. Your next shot should be on target. Traveling with fi rearms has become an interesting adventure with all the added security and a “rush-rush” attitude by some airline ticket agents. We are lucky to live in an area where there has been a history of hunters traveling to and from Montana in search of big game. Gun Cases are a common sight at our airports but other destinations may not be as experienced. Pick up your gear and head out. One suggestion that I have found helpful and will speed up your check in is to NOT put the locks on your gun case at home. By law the case must be open and inspected by the airline or security agent. Then after all tags have been put inside, lock your case securely before it leaves your hands. I prefer cases that allow real locks opposed to cases with the built in variety. My Vanguard case has a metal bar that runs through several metal loops the length of the case. Last but not least, I always carry a spare rifl e. It might not be your favorite hunting rifl e but in the event of an unspeakable mishap it might come in handy. I still have vivid memories of a Wyoming hunt where my prized BSA 30-06 slid down a rocky slope on board a spooky horse. The horse made it, my 30-06 didn’t. Traveling to and from a hunt should be an enjoyable experience and with care and planning it will be. Good Hunting.Author’s grandson Corey with nice Whitetail.



Hunting The CRP (continued from page 30)

the birds. Even so, as the temperature started to climb beneath the Indian summer sun I felt myself begin to overheat. I was about ready to call for a timeout when Rocky suddenly turned on a dime with his experienced nose to the ground. “Heads up!” I called to Lori just as a rooster rocketed into the air directly between us. Gentleman that I am (sometimes), I kept my shotgun pointed at the sky while my wife dropped the bird in an explosion of feathers. Moments later, Rocky delivered the fi rst bird of the day to my outstretched hand. As Lori reloaded, I suppressed the urge to wonder aloud why I always wound up with the weight of her birds in my game vest. I suppose it’s just the price I pay for the Labs’ loyalty. I can’t think of a single factor that has changed the character of upland bird hunting on the High Plains as profoundly as the implementation of the Conservation Reserve Program. And it’s hard to imagine federal policy that addresses complex matters of farm belt economics, wildlife biology and sportsman satisfaction concluding with a program satisfactory to everyone. (Well, almost everyone. Ground set aside for wildlife doesn’t provide much marketing opportunity for corporations that make fertilizer and tractors.) Now a brief review of the history, although most upland hunters—at least those who hunt the Midwest—are likely familiar with the program. Congress fi rst authorized the Conservation Reserve Program as part of the 1985 federal Farm Bill, in response to several factors including declining Midwestern waterfowl production, increasing soil erosion and expensive commodity supports triggered by agricultural surpluses. Paying farmers to take marginal cropland out of production and re-seed it to various forms of ground cover addressed all of these issues at once. The program proved extremely popular in the agricultural community. By 2004, parts of over 400,000 farms were enrolled. The average ratio of application to acceptance was three to one nationally. The program had converted 37 million acres of marginal farm ground to prime habitat, and wildlife benefi tted immediately. One

Iowa study showed a 40 percent increase in successful pheasant brood production in CRP as opposed to adjacent, limited fence row habitat. Waterfowl studies from 1992 through 1997 demonstrated a 46 percent increase in the production of fi ve species of puddle ducks nesting near terrain con-verted to CRP, with an estimated fall fl ight increase of 12 million birds. Because of decreased erosion and improvements in the water table, taxpayers got cleaner air and water with money that would otherwise have gone to commodity supports. I recently sat down with Montana pheasant hunter and Pheasants Forever supporter Craig Roberts to talk to him about his perspective on the program and what it has done for upland hunters. Roberts has been hunting wild ringnecks for over 40 years and has served as president of the Central Montana Chapter of Pheasants Forever since its fi rst banquet 17 years ago. He fondly recalls the growing popularity of the program among local ag producers in the early 1990s and describes its effect on pheasant populations as “mindboggling.”

“We’d push toward the edge of a CRP fi eld,” he reports “and when the birds ran out of room to run, waves of pheasants would erupt into the air, sometimes numbering three or four hundred birds.” When Roberts acquired a promising, but over-grazed, tract of river bottom ground, he enrolled 90 acres in the CRP. “When we bought the place,” he told me, “there wasn’t a rooster on it. The CRP changed that. Now, even though we allow limited public hunting, that security cover allows the place to support a good population of pheasants throughout the season.”

But despite the program’s success, hunters can’t afford to be complacent, he pointed out. “The last Farm Bill reduced the CRP acreage cap from 37 million acres to 32. And enrollment applications are down, probably because of a transient spike in commodities prices. The only alternatives for that lost security habitat acreage are small grain farming and grazing, and neither is good for wildlife.”

My own views have always derived from the perspective of the enthusiastic bird hunter and wildlife

advocate on the ground. And that back-ground leads us to two questions. How has the CRP affected upland hunting? And last, but not least, how do you go about hunting the stuff? The biological data showing an increase in habitat carrying capacity for upland birds when ground is enrolled in the CRP is clear. And the program doesn’t just increase numbers of pheasants and other upland game birds; other benefi ciaries include waterfowl (as noted earlier), deer and a host of important non-game wildlife species. It is my personal observation that the impact of CRP acreage on upland game bird distribution in a given area varies by species. Huns, for example, don’t seem to pay much attention to it. I don’t doubt thatCRP provides them with important security cover under adverse conditions, but when I’m hunting Huns I still look for the sparser native grasses close to stubble fi elds where I found them decades ago. Sharptails, on the other hand, fl ock to CRP like iron fi lings drawn to a magnet. When the program was fi rst introduced, it took me a season or two to realize why I was no longer fi nding sharptails in some of my favorite traditional grouse cover. If there was any CRP nearby, that’s where they were, and that’s where I hunt them nowadays, with consistent success.

Pheasants fall somewhere between these two extremes. Ringnecks still seem happy to occupy their customary creek bottom habitat whenever it’s available. Where I hunt, the primary impact of the

program on pheasant numbers and distribution has been to convert otherwise marginal areas into good pheasant cover by providing the birds the security habitat they need to compliment the abundant food sources available in adjacent crop lands. Setting out to hunt a broad expanse of CRP can be an intimidating experience. Despite its proven value as habitat, the stuff looks featureless, and in a sense, it is. Even in unfamiliar cover, an experienced pheasant hunter can study a mile of creek bottom, coulees, pasture and stubble and accurately predict the 10 percent of the ground that’s going to hold pheasants. Not so in a comparable expanse of CRP, where the birds are likely to be almost anywhere. It’s still possible to narrow the search. In older stands of CRP that have started to thin out, swales and other terrain features that concentrate moisture can produce better holding cover, and hunters should learn to look for them. As noted, edge habitat can be more productive than the vast middle of a large chunk of CRP acreage, especially one that adjoins a ready food source like a stubble fi eld. When the CRP ground cover is thin and pheasants more likely to run, working toward edges—or better yet, corners—can produce spectacular action when the birds run out of escape cover. And you can always just gird up your loins and wade through the rest of the stuff. I doubt that there’s a hundred acres of CRP in Montana that won’t produce some (continued next page)

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shooting for hunters willing to work it. It’s easy to summarize CRP hunting techniques in one word: dogs! In fact, it’s almost impossible to hunt the stuff effectively without them. If the cover is sparse, the birds will simply run out absent natural terrain choke points to force them into the air. If it’s thick, they’ll hold tight and let you walk right past them. A good canine nose is the best solution to both problems. Hunters working pointing dogs will want to fi t them with a bell (or better yet, an electronic locating collar). It’s easy to lose track of a dog on point in a vast sea of thick CRP ground cover. Flushing dogs should be kept close—you’ll make your money on the birds that choose to hold tight and try to let you walk by them. And the more dogs the merrier. While I prefer to work well-defi ned strips of traditional pheasant cover with just one dog, you can’t have too many good noses on your side when you’re hunting large expanses of CRP. A good retriever is essential. It’s hard to mark downed birds in featureless terrain, and with so much room to hide in, wounded roosters can be almost impossible to recover without the help of a capable dog. Just as hunting CRP cover invites the company of lots of dogs, it invites the company of lots of hunters as well. Large hunting parties may be standard in Midwestern cornfi elds, but here in Montana I prefer to work creek bottom and coulee pheasant cover with one other gun at most. It’s just too hard to keep track of larger numbers of hunters in that kind of terrain. That’s not the case in the CRP, where it’s easy to keep an eye on other members of the hunting party for safety reasons. Also, a well-coordinated line of hunters has a better chance of getting birds into the air. As a fi nal note, check that initial sense of intimidation back at the truck. As the movie Field of Dreams reminded us: Build a fi eld and they will come. The Conservation Reserve Program built the fi eld, and the security habitat it created is so good that the birds will be there. Finding them and getting them airborne within shotgun range will likely take some work on your part and the dogs’, but that’s what bird season is all about.

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Gun Practice (from page 33)

If you don’t know how far an animal is, but you know signifi cant drop will probably occur, it may be safe to hold on or slightly below the spine, above the lung area. If the bullet doesn’t drop, you make a spine hit. With an elk, it’s best to get the bullet into the lung area, however, to avoid having to track a wounded animal. During gun practice guess distances and check with a range fi nder so you know your limitations, preferably in the terrain you’re going to hunt in. Most of us fi nd that we just aren’t that good at eye-balling distances, especially over up and down terrain.Use a Small Caliber Rifl e for Gun Practice Another practice tactic is to practice with a small caliber rifl e. It’s cheaper, so you can shoot a lot. Since there is no kick, no fl inch develops. It’s best to avoid fast shooting with a semi-automatic rimfi re, which teaches the shooter not to take careful shots. Take your time, just like you would with a big rifl e, making every shot count. When you move to big guns, pretend it is a .22. Don’t anticipate the big boom! Let it surprise you. “Stump shooting” or hunting small game is a lot of fun during the off season and keeps good shooting habits sharp. A gopher at 100 yards is tough to hit and requires good focus skills. In the summer of this writing we’ve burned through a brick of .22 shells and eliminated four or fi ve dozen gophers to the ranch owners’ delight.

eyes are open. If they’re not, the animal probably isn’t dead. If its eyes are open, touch one of the eyes with a long stick. That will keep you out of harm’s way if the animal is still alive. Once the animal is dead, fi eld dress and cool its meat immediately. It’s usually warm during the archery hunt. The warm temperatures can cause the meat to spoil quickly.Cook also provides tips for reducing confl icts with homeowners and those who don’t hunt:Find access points to your hunting area well in advance of the season. If access requires crossing private land, you must obtain written permission from the landowner. If you can’t obtain written permission, fi nd another access point. Before you start hunting, make sure you’re well beyond the minimum distances you must maintain from roads and dwellings. If you’re going to hunt in Salt Lake County, please remember that the county’s hunting restrictions are more restrictive than the rest of Utah. Read the 2010 Big Game Guidebook closely for more information. Avoid hunting in areas that a lot of people use. Also, whenever possible, avoid hunting near heavily used trails. “Most of the people in Utah choose not to hunt. But they support hunting as long as hunters are legal, safe and ethical,” Cook says. “When hunters don’t behave that way, how people feel about hunting can take a turn for the worse.”

Safe Archery Hunt (from page 28)

Solid Fall Fishing (continued from page 32)

Ants, Beetles, Purple Haze, Tricos, Caddis, Hoppers, and an assortment of attractor patterns will take fi sh on most days. The fi sh will have moved off the bank and into the middle of the river to escape the heavy summer fi shing pressure. This makes it a tougher task to get a fi sh to rise to a dry fl y as the boat has to be in the same water depth as the fi sh. Nymphing deep runs is effective as the fi sh escape the beating sun and inhale an assortment of midge patterns, pheasant tails, copper johns, princes, and soft hackles. Nymphs have been the most productive form of fi shing on the upper reaches for me. The lower Big Hole will fi sh well with hoppers, ants, and beetles on the surface. Angler pressure weakens as you move down the river, and the fi sh will respond with better eating habits. Nymphs work well from start to fi nish and you will experiencing a mix of trout and whitefi sh fi shing subsurface. Girdle bugs, princes, caddis pupa, pt’s, zebra midges, soft hackles, rubber leg hares ears, and copper john’s will all work well. Look for the fi shing to pick up in the coming weeks as the brown trout spawning season nears. A good diversion from archery antelope and the up and coming archery elk seasons! It’s a beautiful time of year to be on the waters of Montana. Fall colors have already started to appear in the high country and they’ll spread down the valleys in the weeks to come. As for the fi sh, they’re starting to perk up with the coming of cooler water temperatures.Best of all, you’ll fi nd far less competition for fi sh wherever you go because the summertime fi shermen are gone. So what are you waiting for, hurry up and get a few good trips in before those bugling bulls take you up and away from some of the best fi shing of the year!

Appeal Filed By USFWS Over Yellowstone Ecosystem Grizzly Relisting (continued from page 7)

According to USFWS Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator Chris Servheen, “The Yellowstone grizzly population is increasing at 4-7 % per year and is recovered and the agencies are committed to spending more than $3 million per year to maintain this healthy, recovered population. “ The appeal process takes the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals where the September 21, 2009 decision by Molloy overturning the March 22, 2007 delisting will be reviewed. According to YES Chair Steve Schmidt, “The state, federal, county, and tribal members of the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee are united in their support for delisting and are committed to maintaining the long-term health of the Yellowstone grizzly population.” YES members believe that legal action to obstruct recovery efforts for grizzly bears only serves to erode public support for species conservation and also reduces public support for the Endangered Species Act. The appeal process began on August 9, 2010 and is expected to take 12 to 18 months.


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Spring Bear Hunt 2010By Mike Lloyd, Outdoor DNA

I have hunted the Northern Idaho area for spring bear for the last two years, with one year being great and the other being terrible. The fi rst year was the only time I had baited anything and I had no idea how to doit. After talking to some friends and

researching the internet, I came up with a game plan and an area chosen to hunt on the map. It took only one day to get my fi rst hit and the bears kept coming night after night. After baiting for only two weeks I went in and shot my fi rst archery black bear. I had a blast and could not wait until

next year. Well, that next year came and went and I had nothing to show for it but trail pictures of mountain lions, wolves, and other hunters. I told myself I would never do it again.

With that being said, after a cold winter I could not resist the urge to jump over the hill and try it again. Another reason to be excited was to try my new OUTDOOR DNA Phantom FG4 bow sight. It is a very innovative sight and I wanted to see how it would handle my hunting style. It did great on my turkey and now was the time to test it out on bear. I knew that I would have to hunt harder than all the other guys out there and really do my homework. I scouted a few different areas and decided on two that looked ideal and diffi cult to get to. By mid-May I set my baits out. After one week of baiting I had no bears and was beginning to get frustrated. Finally, by the second week I had bears hitting the bait. Two small blonde bears and one black revealed themselves on my trail cam. The black bear wasn’t a monster, but a good bear. I baited every other day so I could attempt to get him on a schedule. He was coming from 7:30-9:00pm routinely. When the day arrived that I was going to try and kill my bear,

I was jacked! I set my bait out at 7:30am and then climbed into my stand around 4:30pm. However, when I arrived at the stand the bait had already been hit. I just knew that this night would be the night that I get my bear. The weather looked good considering that every time I had baited, it was raining. Around 6:30pm I looked up the ridge to my right and there he was. He was heading down the ridge and I hoped he would just come into the bait. That is when he did what I didn’t want him to do. Instead of going to the bait, he went straight downwind of me, stood on his hind legs and then took off on a dead run. After running about forty yards he stopped and came back to the bait. I knew then that the free food was overpowering his fear of me. After about fi ve minutes at the bait, he fi nally gave me the shot I had been waiting for. At the impact of the shot he ran up the hill and tried to climb a tree. Not a good idea. He only made it about ten feet up when he came fl ying off the tree and rolled down the hill. He was dead as a stone by the time he rested at the bottom of the hill. I could not have been happier. I had been waiting two years to shoot another bear and it was worth all the headache and heartbreak.


Montana Sportsmen For Fish & Wildlife It’s that time of year again. It’s an awakening and rite of passage for many men and women in Montana as hunting season draws near. As of the writing of this column, we’re exactly two weeks away from Archery season. I’ve just fi nished a good mountain bike ride into some rugged, yet beautiful country with my good friend. We didn’t glass anything up, but not to worry as there is more feed and water than the past several years in many areas. They are there, but don’t need to move very far right now! Just being out there in beautiful country with fl owing ridges, groves of Aspens, and crisp air, gets the blood pumping for opening weekend. But in the midst of the beauty and solitude, I’m still faced with the uncertainty many of you who read this may feel. The uncertainty of being somewhere opening weekend that’s not over run by every other hunter and his dog. Or seeing someone who takes an ATV where they are prohibited after you’ve humped on mountain bike or foot for two hours. Or worse yet, seeing the wrong dog, right in the middle of a once game rich area. The gray wolf. The wolf is now the most pressing problem in our state hands down. Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife (MT SFW) is the leading

Sportsmen organization in Montana and the Rocky Mountain West addressing the problem of the Gray Wolf. SFW now has chapters in Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Idaho, and Alaska. We have been driving solutions and bringing the issues of dwindling Elk, Deer and Moose populations and loss of habitat, to the forefront for over 15 years now in the Rockies. Our mission statement is simple: To Preserve, Protect and Enhance Montana’s Fish and Wildlife resources & outdoor opportunities and to ensure our heritage of hunting, fi shing and trapping through hands on conservation efforts and responsible predator management by Montana Sportsmen. If you are a steward of the land, the herds, and our way of life, I encourage you to become a member of SFW through the above membership card or our website at www.mt-sfw-org. Every dime raised stays in Montana to fund efforts for our lands and herds and to fi ght predators that now run unchecked. Montanans fi ghting for Montana’s ungulates and fi sheries. We are accepting members statewide to protect our way of life and family heritage, end the Gray Wolf problem for good, and stop the ever encroaching federal government that has become increasingly visible in recent years. We need your help. Take a stand

for wildlife, hunting, fi shing, and trapping in Montana. Join SFW today and help us take back our state. Better yet, preserve the resources we have for our children to enjoy some day before they are gone for good. Montana SFW has been a driver for recently proposed legislation to de-list the Gray Wolf for good. Our wildlife can no longer be mismanaged by a federal Judge in Missoula. This legislation will be introduced soon in Washington D.C. in both the House and the Senate. We are working tirelessly with our Senators, Congressman, FWP, Cattlemen and Wool growers to fi nd a solution. In addition, you’ll be helping to address issues of loss of public land and access, a broken block management system, and mismanagement of quotas or tag allocation on species in certain areas. We intend to hold FWP and our elected offi cials accountable to the Montana Sportsmen, who religiously fund the conservation efforts and pay their salaries year after year. When will you reach the breaking point to do something? These corrupt environmentalist groups, such as Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife and a slew of others, have had their day in the sun. Over 300,000 people hunt and fi sh annually in our state. And it’s high time we stop this and not let them dictate what

happens in our backyard and back country any more. Especially from Connecticut or California! Get in the fi ght with more than 500 members who’ve already joined SFW in Montana since it’s inception in March. If you don’t fi ght, then it’ll be on your hands, not the eco-“Jihadists” that threaten our herds and Hunting heritage and seek to end hunting altogether. If every person knew ten other like minded individuals and got them to joined SFW, we’d have our state back in two years. We’ll be able to sleep at night knowing our sons or daughters will be able to pick up bow, rifl e or fi shing rod, and have the same opportunities our grandparents have had. Good luck this season with your fair-chase hunt on Montana’s public lands. And god willing, with SFW and you, we’ll get to do it again next year. Join now!

Bill MerrillState PresidentMontana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife

JOIN MONTANA SPORTSMEN FOR

FISH AND WILDLIFEFISH AND WILDLIFEENSURE YOUR HUNTING FENSURE YOUR HUNTING FUTURE!UTURE!

8 membership levels!8 membership levels!membership includes quarterly subscription to Sportsmen’s membership includes quarterly subscription to Sportsmen’s

Voice magazine (4 issues), annual membership card, Voice magazine (4 issues), annual membership card, window decal , MTSFW ball cap and welcome letterwindow decal , MTSFW ball cap and welcome letter

from the MTSFW President, Bill Merrillfrom the MTSFW President, Bill Merrill

There’s never been a more important time for you to FIGHT for your hunting and fi shing rights. Complete this application today and Join Montana Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife!

Name:

Address:

City: St.: Zip:

e-mail: Phone:

Signature:

How did you hear about us?

Return this application with payment to:

MTSFWP.O. Box 2243Missoula, MT. 59806

The Future Of Montana’s Big Game Animals is in Your Hands!

To preserve, protect and enhance Montana’s fi sh and wildlife resources & outdoor opportunities. And to ensure our American heritage of hunting, fi shing and trapping through hands-on conservation efforts and RESPONSIBLE PREDATOR MANAGEMENT by Montana sportsmen.

Youth 1-21 $12.00/yrIndividual $35.00/yr.Family $50.00/yr.Lifetime Senior 60+ $350.00Lifetime Individual $750.00The Spike $350.00/yrSatellite Bull $500.00/yrHerd Bull $750.00/yr

MONTANA SPORTSMEN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE OFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONor join online at www.mt-sfw.org

STAY INFORMEDVISIT www.mt-sfw.org


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Bob Ward & Sons New Gear ReviewEach month we select several products that are brand new to the market and may appeal to our Montana readers and customers

Diamond Archery Razor Edge Boww/Boondock accessory packageDiamond bows do not require a new cam or module to set your draw length. The Razor Edge is the most adjustable bow available for younger archers. It uses a dual cam, rotating mod system for a maximized draw length range of a full ten inches. Two available peak draw weight versions and the ability to back down 50% allow you to adjust the Razor Edge over a range from 15 to 60 pounds. Additionally, the optimally designed ergo grip fi ts a broader range of hand sizes comfortably and the riser refl ects the serious hunting bow it is. Such fl exibility makes the Razor Edge the only bow that can accommodate an archer from fi rst-time shooter to successful big game hunter. Available with the optional Boondocks Accessory Package:3-Pin Fiber Optic Sight Hostage Capture Arrow RestBlack 4-Arrow 2-Piece Quiver Braided Wrist SlingTube Peep Sight

Eberlestock G29 Tailhook Camo Pack 21 Separate Storage Compartments & Pockets - The small upper bag provides a platform for a bow or a rifl e to rest on, and makes the pack carry them with exceptional stability. The upper bag’s inter-nal pocket incorporates a spacer pad to keep the bow or rifl e away from your head. Safely stow your bow, and keep your hands free for climbing, crawling, clearing branches, and all of the other stuff you do when you’re out there. The Tailhook is also an excellent gun pack. The new design features a vertically adjustable ButtBucket™ that you can drop down in order to carry your rifl e at your preferred height. The butt of a gun rests in the ButtBucket™; wrap the Ripcord around the forestock (it works well if you go around below a swivel stud), pull it tight, and off you go. To get your rifl e off of your back, just grab the barrel with one hand and the Ripcord buckle with the other, and pop it off. And they didn’t stop there. While wearing a Tailhook, you can sit down. Which means that you can ride a horse or an ATV or just sit down with your Tailhook on

Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40mm CDS Rifl e Scope Your scope will be in perfect synch with the way your rifl e and load shoots.Leupold VX-3 CDS™ models allow you to quickly dial your elevation to different sight-in ranges with a custom adjustment matched to your specifi c ballistics information.The CDS dials change out easily, allowing you fl exibility with different loads, conditions and calibers. Every CDS dial features 1/4-MOA click increment fi nger adjustments and no adjustment covers to lose, making the VX-3 even more accurate and rugged. How the CDS™System Works: The CDS System works by laser-inscribing your scope’s elevation dial to match your load, velocity and conditions. Your scope will be in perfect synch with the way your rifl e and load shoots, even for hand loads. Each CDS dial is unique, taking all practical ballistic and environmental factors into account: Cartridge & Caliber, Bullet Weight, Bullet Make/Brand, Bullet Type, Ballistic Coeffi cient, Muzzle Velocity, Average Elevation, andAverage Temperature

Danner 2010 Pronghorn Hunting Boots Ideal for high mileage over rugged terrain.The new Danner Pronghorn™is built to stand the test of time. The Danner Pronghorn series has been a favorite of hunters for years. Now, in 2010 Danner has introducing some key changes while keeping most elements of the classic design. The new Tech-Tuff toe and heel protect the leather and your feet from sharp rocks and other hazards on or off the trail. An improved lacing system and more aggressive outsole were engineered to keep you secure and agile over long distances. Boot features include: the NEW Abrasian resistant tech-tuff heel and toe wrap for superior strength and long lasting durability, the NEW Lightweight, yet highly durable full-grain leather upper, 100% waterproof GORE-TEX® lining for ultimate, breathable comfort, Advanced stability and exceptional support of the TERRA FORCE® platform, Fatigue Fighter™ footbeds for quick drying and high-mileage arch support, the NEW Claw-like Danner Mountain Goat TF™ outsole for superior traction over rugged terrain, scuff-proof Tech-Tuff toe and heel, and 400 grams of Thinsulate™ insulation.Women’s and men’s models: 42282, 42284, 42286, 42292, 42294

Available products shown available at Bob Ward & Sons or at www.bobwards.com.

Style shown #42284


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(406) 728-3220

Bozeman3011 Max Ave.

(406) 586-4381

Helena3323 Dredge Dr.

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(406) 363-6204SPORTING GOODS, MONTANA STYLE

Shop 24/7online at

And everything

Bows • Rifl es • Ammo Decoys • Calls

Optics • GPS • Packs Boots • Camo

Clothing • Footwear & More

Camping GearHiking Gear

GolfPaintball

Athletic GearFootwear

Travel GearPremier Outdoor Clothing

& So Much More!

See our friendly,knowledgeable staff

for all of your Sporting Goods Needs

Rods • ReelsFly Lines • Waders

Tackle BoxesLures • NetsFloat Tubes

Pontoon BoatsFishing Clothing

& More


Meeting real needs...for real people

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Documents

Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - September 2010