Much-Delayed Montana Gratification

Jokes about Al Gore, Mother Nature and snow tires are running rampant right now in Montana.  When in doubt, it is always easy to chat with your neighbor about weather, but currently most have tired of that too. It is nearly as fun to discuss tax day.
While March began to transition nicely, April has been a setback to progress so far.  Some reservoirs were nearly ice-free, but began to refreeze the past week. Geese that have flown north have been met with snow and ice.  Spring bear season has opened, as well as turkey season, but so far, both hunters and game have been confused on how they should be acting.  I have my ice-fishing gear, cohabiting with my boat and fly rod currently.
But, spring will happen, and eventually summer. With the exception of perhaps upland birds who are vulnerable to spring blizzards, an extended winter, with additional snow and rain is probably a blessing.  The snowpack in the mountains is still virtually at mid-winter levels.  This moisture should keep stream flows at trout-friendly levels longer this summer.  Reservoirs will be filled more than expected after they took a modest drop in 2012.  Fire danger will still be an issue come August, but it too should be more manageable with the much-discussed, often-cussed, sixth month of winter.

Did you get your taxes in?

Last Ice

During the worst of winter, ice fishing can simply seem like survival.  Roads to and from the destination can be treacherous.  Snow can block roads behind you, making your return home troublesome.  On the lake, your holes freeze up as fast as you drill them.  You hunker down in your shelter, only going outside when absolutely necessary.

Typically, the game changes toward the latter half of February.  Temperatures moderate greatly and allow you to enjoy the fresh air.  Often, one doesn't even need a fish house or if you do, it doesn't require much to heat it.  Heck, sunburns are more likely than frostbite.  

This recent trip was all you could ask for.  The highways were dry, a lack of snow on the ice made travel easy and temps near 40, made for less focus on fighting Mother Nature, and more focus on fishing.

Fortunately, the fish also cooperated.  We had a nice assortment of walleyes, perch and northern pike.  Some of the pike, which mostly came on our tip-ups, were trophy fish, exceeding 15 pounds.  We threw most of the larger pike back, only bringing a few smaller northerns home, along with our legal limit of walleyes.  While jigging up a large northern, a chunky walleye or a jumbo perch is a lot of fun, eating these flaky, tasty species is just as enjoyable.

December Mallards and Solitude Afield

20 days left to hunt ducks and geese! With big game done and fairer weather behind us most hunters have hung it up for 2012. But for the few late season fanatics now is the time to hit the rivers and find those little known pockets ducks and geese pile into on rivers and streams. The best part about it is there is little to no pressure at all. Any morning when I think about hitting the snooze and rolling back into the warm comfort of my bed, a cold nudge from my lab's nose on my arm reminds me that there are only so many hunting days left. When she's bringing in a fat, late-season greenhead I'm glad I got up.

The weather has been up and down of late but the cold snaps seem to be coming in quicker succession with only a day or two of warm up in between. The stillwater is staying locked up good now and the birds are sticking to the rivers which means better access to the birds. A half dozen dekes and a flapper are about all a guy needs. If you find them piled in already on a spot you may not need any dekes at all. If heading to a new spot scout it out the evening before to see where birds are flying to. If you can get on moving water in good grain country good shooting should not be far away. Think food and open water and birds will be there.

Don't sleep in! Get up and go get 'em.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2012 Big Game Season Ends

Sunday November 25, the sun set on another Montana big game season. As always each season has its own character. I can say this is one of the warmer ones I can remember in the last ten years. Some years its freezing cold at the beginning with fresh snows only to be melted off by brutal chinooks the last two weeks of the season. This year was definitely a mixed bag here in southwest Montana. We only got one-what I would call good-cold snap that really got the game moving. The snow was a foot deep in my back yard only to be melted bare by last week. However during that cold snap things turned out really good for some friends of mine. Two got their elk and one got a very respectable whitetail. The last day of the season was perfect weather-cold, a gentle falling snow, a long day's hike in good country, and me getting stuck way out in the middle of nowhere after dark. Thank God for Hi-Lifts and Chains! Til next year.

Now that general big game is over there are still some weapons restricted areas running seasons into January for antlerless whitetail, check the regs and get at it while you can if you still need meat in the freezer. We also still have a good chunk of waterfowl and upland bird season to get after. The coyote pelts are going to be at their prime from now until mid February. So there is no excuse to be cooped up inside.

As for my friends-Ty(first bull!), Doug and son Cody(first head of big game ever!), and veteran Brian(Nice Buck!)-Congradts gentlemen!

The Second Season

It seems like it was yesterday that we were digging out our bird vests, complaining about the heat and smoke from western forest fires.  The dogs were heavier then, also sporting more feathering on their hocks and tails.  We were mostly hunting blue grouse in September, on the mountain ridges that are now covered with snow.
We moved downhill for a few weeks of pheasant season, combined with the occasional Hun and sharptail outing. I also chased sage grouse one day with a friend from the Deep South, who was shocked at the size of the big bombers.
Then, to the dogs' dismay, the 20 and 28 gauges were moved to the back of the gun safe for a few weeks.  Antelope, deer and elk hunting took up valuable time during the precious autumn, but the thrill of the big game chase is pretty special too, when you consider the speed of the prairie pronghorn and the alertness of majestic mountain elk.

Now, the only barriers to keeping the dogs out of the field are weather and work.  I don't mind hunting in snow and cold,  but sometimes the icy roads are the real problem.  Hunting pressure is virtually nothing now, the pheasants are in the heaviest cover and Huns are full-grown and handsome.  Hunting in December is as sporty as it gets. Some days, the gun never is fired, when the roosters decide to run and the sharptail and partridge flush wild. There aren't a lot of easy birds, but that isn't the concern.  Those of us with dogs know that their lives are short and every day hunting during the second season, is a gift.

Out and About with Hunting GPS Maps

As I write this it appears the weather forecast is turning in our favor. A few flakes have started to fall and temps should dip into the single digits soon. Maybe it will get the game moving-just in time for the rut. The last two weeks have been..well...weird, in terms of weather. Usually by this time the Schnee's pacs are laced up and the wools are shedding knee to waist-deep snow up high. Just this week I'm wearing jeans and light hikers and it's the third week of general season. I guess I should appreciate it for what it is.

On another note, I've been making good use of my Hunting GPS maps app in the Garmin. My first season with it, I've been intentionally taking it to places where you have to mind which side of the fence you're on and often times the fence isnt even good enough to keep you in line-that is the boundary line is a good 200 feet away from the fence. Not a problem with this new software though. In addition to having high resolution topo features it shows color coded land ownership data along with the name of the property owner. As we all know there are great public areas that butt up to private land and sometimes its a sliver at that. With this you can narrow down to within mere feet exactly where the boundaries are. If you haven't heard of this software check it out at huntinggpsmaps.com.

Good hunting!

-Matt

Road Huntin' Slobs

We were sitting on the couch, as we had just finished lunch after our successful morning pheasant hunt.  The morning temperatures had been in the upper teens, probably closer to zero with windchill. So, it was nice to take  a little break, warm up and come up with the game plan for the afternoon, which featured Huns and sharptail on the menu.

We were based in northern Montana at a quiet farmhouse, miles from a small town, hundreds of miles from something classified as a city.  On an average day, two or three vehicles may pass by, so when shotgun shots rang out, just outside the house, we rushed outside, as if we were under attack.
As my host headed down the driveway, additional shots were fired, in a slough adjacent to the gravel road. Surprised to see anyone home this weekday afternoon, the road hunters attempted to race back to the truck, ejecting shells as they jogged to the awaiting getaway car, its engine still running. My host was more cool-headed than I predicted, explaining that no one is allowed to hunt near the farmyard, especially without permission.  The "hunter" in the backseat, quickly tried his best to diffuse the situation, by offering us a cold beer from the 18-pack at his feet. The driver, who was let of the hook since he was from town, offered a number of excuses, the most memorable being the doozy in which he "had meant to ask permission, but didn't want to bother anyone during work hours".  The leader of the dumb-pack had continued to ramble on, telling my hunting partner where else we could find roosters on my host's land.  Thanks.

What is lost in the whole issue of seeking permission first, is the overall impression that road-hunting types make on non-hunters and more importantly, the farmers and ranchers that own the land.  I always have been curious about the rural folks that have to erect no hunting signs on their driveways and next to their homes. Now I know why.  Guys like this give all of us hunters a bad name.  If you fire your gun near my house,  can I trust you to not shoot the windows out of my combine or to not sprinkle lead into my herd of milk cows? Doubtful.  Instead of enrolling their entire ranch or farm into a hunter access program, based on one encounter with knuckleheads, you and and I are also banned from running our bird dogs or taking our sons or daughters deer hunting.  Beer cans and shotgun shells on the road tell everyone that hunters are slobs and they don't have respect for the countryside or those that make it their home.

This is preaching to the choir, but hunting on private land is a privilege, not a right.  Shooting off roads and littering is endangering the future of our sport.  Please clean up your act.  Even during work hours.