Billings Woman Gives 615 Acres to BLM

A Billings woman requesting anonymity has bought 615 acres south of Bridger and donated the property to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. With the gift, access to a popular area called Weatherman Draw is under government control.

The previous owner of the land had allowed people to cross it so they could reach Weatherman Draw, and had listed the property for sale at $185,000. Some access advocates worried a buyer would put the land off limits to the public.Weatherman Draw is know for sandstone cliffs featuring historic pictographs and petroglyphs.

The land was bought from Rodney Crosby of Crowley, Wyo. Jim Sparks, manager of the BLM’s Billings Area Field Office, described the benefactor as a person of modest means. Sparks said a buy-sell agreement was signed in May, and details for the BLM’s acquisition of the land were worked out in the ensuing months. The deal closed Dec. 30, he said.

Weatherman Draw, also called Valley of the Shields, holds special significance for several American Indian tribes. Some of their members have gathered there for prayer. In years past, talk of possible oil and gas drilling raised concern about the future of Weatherman Draw. In 2002, Anschutz Exploration Corp. transferred its mineral leases to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.The BLM has designated the place an area of critical environmental concern, a designation that also will apply to the land just acquired, Sparks said.

Coyotes will do anything to get a meal

A local taximdermist near Daphne, Alabama thought it'd be funny to put this yote on the back of his truck. Apparently he gets asked to pull over all the time so his "dog" can get back in the truck! Too funny. Gotta love where this pic was taken huh!

Mountain Goat Transplanted to the Front

State wildlife officials, with help from Safari Club International (SCI), recently moved 15 mountain goats to the Rocky Mountain Front.

The move was the second and final year to release mountain goats on Ear Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Last year Fish, Wildlife and Parks released 10 goats in the same area.
"We wanted to augment the population there," says Brent Lonner, Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologist. "The country is good goat habitat and the population, which was low, needed a boost."

This year’s animals came from the Crazy Mountains, in central Montana, where the population is over objective. Last year’s transplant came from Round Butte east of the Highwoods.

The Great Falls chapter of SCI helped defray costs both years, contributing $8,500 last year and $10,000 this year, says Brad Lencioni, chapter president. THANK YOU SCI!!!

"One of our goals for the last several years was to get goats transplanted," Lencioni says. "With contributions from our members and local businesses we were able to help." The local SCI chapter is eight years old and has about 155 members, Lencioni says, adding the club has also bought equipment for Eagle Mount, which assists the disabled; contributed to FWP’s hunter education program, and funded three $1,000 scholarships. "We fight for hunters’ rights first," Lencioni says.

This year’s goats came in two groups: seven on January 10 and eight on January 15. The animals consisted of 12 female nannies, two male billies and one male kid. The animals were moved to mountain goat hunting district 442, where one license was available last year.

Mountain goat hunting in Montana is by permit only.

A Montana Trio 3 bucks over 200 B&C

There were some great bucks and bulls brought into the show at the Billings, Metra this past weekend. Here are a trio of bucks that scored over 200 B&C points.

The first place buck in the youth division was taken this year by a young lady in Rosebud County. It scored 201 5/8 and was taken by a rifle.

The next buck is a buck that scored 209 and won 1st place in the non-typical, rifle division. It was taken in Rosebud County also but was taken in 1995.

This next buck took 1st place in the archery division for non-typical mule deer. It scores 206 4/8 and was taken in 2002 in Carbon County.

A great trio of bucks!

Castaway Buck

Last week when I was at the Great Rockies Sports Show in Billings, I was demonstrating our website and showed someone our blog. I have some unusal photos on the blog and was talking about a set of photos I had not put on the site yet. It was these pics that show this buck floating down a river. One of the guys observing said, "I took the pictures of that buck floating down the Yellowstone River near Miles City". Small world huh!


Nice buck I hope he made it out of the river.

Bridge Access Bill Moves Forward

The Bridge Access Bill sponsored by Rep. Kendall Van Dyk, D-Billings cleared its first hurdle Tuesday afternoon January 21st.This bill guarantees that sportsmen can walk from public bridges to float or fish state waters

The House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee passed House Bill 190 by a 16-2 bipartisan margin. The two dissenters were Reps. Ken Peterson, R-Billings, and Joel Boniek, R-Emigrant. If you live in Emigrant or Billings you may want to give these guys a call and find out why they voted the way they did!

After the last bill that clarified stream and river access died in the 2007 Legislature, a group of ranchers, farmers, conservationists, and anglers began working on what became HB190.

The bill clarifies:

• Landowners have the right to attach fences to county bridges.


• The public cannot sue a landowner if someone gets hurt crossing a fence to access public waters.


• Landowners cannot build fences deliberately to keep out the public
  
  
  The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks will pay for any fence modifications that need to be made to accommodate the public and FWP will broker any dispute that arises between a landowner and a citizen.
  
  Mark Aagenes, conservation director for Montana Trout Unlimited, said Tuesday’s vote showed how far all parties have come in the debate about bridge access.
  
  “We have a good bill that sportsmen and women, landowners, Democrats and Republicans seem to like,” he said Tuesday.
  
  The entire House could take up HB190 later this week or early next week.

Chance of a Lifetime

Have you ever thought what it would be like if you won one of Montana’s super tag lottery? What would you do if you received a call from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks that let you know you had won the super tag lottery for sheep, goat, moose, elk, deer, bison, antelope or mountain lion? Would you yell and scream? Hang up because you thought it was a prank call? Call back the number on your phone because you thought it was a hoax?

Photo by Don Marty Photos

All of these reactions have happened to Ron Aasheim from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Aasheim is the person responsible for letting people know they have won the super tag lottery. As a 33-year employee of FWP, Ron has seen it all. “Most people are so excited they won, they usually just yell and scream in disbelief” he says. “This is definitely one of the best parts of my job.”

The super tag lottery was started in 2006 to give hunters a chance to hunt in the best areas of the state for a given species. This differs from the Governor’s tags which are auctioned each year for big, big dollars. For example, the 2008 Governor’s tag for sheep brought in an amazing $195,000, for elk $17,000, for mule deer $13,000, for moose $12,500, and for goat $9,000, for a total of $246,000 to the state. In contrast, the super tag lottery gives the average hunter a chance to hunt in any unit in the state by buying a five dollar “lottery tag”. This is issued in a special drawing each year, and gives the winner a unique opportunity to hunt the trophy of a lifetime.

One of the best attributes about this program is that all the money generated by the super tag lottery goes back into providing access programs for all sportsmen and for wildlife enforcement. This program is definitely a win-win for the lucky hunter, FWP, and all sportsmen.

In 2008, the sale of the super tag lottery generated $356,595. The total number of super tags sold was 71,319—38,229 chances bought by residents and 33,090 chances by non-residents. This represented a $30,000 increase above 2007 according to Aasheim.

Here are the number of tags sold by species in 2008:

Sheep 22,429
Goat 6,393
Moose 11,222
Elk 15,541
Mule Deer 6,866
Bison 5,018
Antelope 2,335
Mountain Lion 1,515

All but one of the eight winners in 2008 were from Montana:

Species Winner Location Chances purchased
Sheep Shawn Hall Boulder, MT 5
Goat Aaron Franz Sidney, MT 50
Moose Glen Majors Manhattan, MT 2
Elk John Laughery Moses Lake, WA 3
Mule Deer Ryan Wantaja Summers, MT 20
Bison Lori Clyde Bozeman, MT 1
Antelope David Smith Victor, MT 1
Mtn. Lion Matt Enrooth Butte, MT Unknown

Shawn Hall hunted unit 680 for sheep and was lucky enough to take the ram featured above.

This ram measured 42 inches on the right and 40 inches on the left, with bases of 15 ½ and 16 respectively. The ram is expected to score over the B& C minimum of 190 after the required drying period.

If you’re the lucky one drawn for the lottery, it’s an opportunity to hunt in the best units in the state. Who knows, maybe $5.00 will give you the one chance at a Boone and Crockett trophy of a lifetime. Even if you don’t win, you’re still investing in our great state to help gain hunting access and support wildlife enforcement.

Great Rockies Sport Show Billings

THe Great Rockies Sport Show began today in Billings, MT. The show has some great gear, free door prizes, free clinics, and outfitters and guides from Canada to New Zeland. If you got time to make a sportshow make time for this one.

Be sure and stop by our booth for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Sportsman's Warehouse.

Shows will be held in Billings-Jan, 16-18, Great Falls- Feb 6-8 and Kalispell Feb 27-March 1.

Visit http://www.greatrockiesshow.com/ for more information.

Wolf Delisted in Montana Hopefully by Jan 27

PUT ON HOLD BY THE NEW ADMINISTRATION 1/22/2008

Montana wildlife officials today welcomed the second effort to remove the Rocky Mountain gray wolf from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. Wolf conservation and management in Montana will become the full responsibility of the state when the decision takes effect 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register.

The federal delisting decision includes wolves in the western Great Lakes region, Montana and Idaho, but not Wyoming, where wolves will remain classified as a nonessential experimental population under Endangered Species Act rules. The delisting decision is expect to be published in the Federal Register on Jan. 27, but federal officials also noted that the new Presidential administration, set to take office Jan. 20, has the prerogative to review and reconsider new federal proposals.

Upon delisting, wolves throughout Montana will become reclassified under state law as a species in need of management, which also offers wolves legal protection much like other managed wildlife.For instance, upon delisting wolves could only be purposely killed legally during an official hunting season; when a wolf is killing, attacking or harassing livestock; and to protect human life, Maurier said. With delisting, the flexibility to protect livestock and domestic dogs is provided in Montana law. Similar to lions and black bears, a wolf seen actively biting, wounding, chasing, harassing, or attacking livestock or domestic dogs could be killed. Such incidents must be reported to FWP in 72 hours.

The new flexibility, however, may soon face additional court challenges. Several groups say they will closely scrutinize the second federal delisting decision and may renew legal challenges to block it. "If this decision is challenged, FWP will again participate in the litigation and will work to uphold and defend the delisting decision," Joe Maurier Acting Director of of MFWP.

Pending legal challenges may also affect the sale of hunting licenses for a 2009 wolf-hunting season previously adopted by Montana’s FWP Commission. Officials said none would be offered for sale until Montana is assured a wolf-hunting season could occur.

Nevertheless, the recovery of the wolf in the northern Rockies remains one of the fastest endangered species comebacks on record. In the mid 1990s, to hasten the overall pace of wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies, 66 wolves were released into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho. The minimum recovery goal for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains was set at a minimum of 30 breeding pairs—successfully reproducing wolf packs—and a minimum of 300 individual wolves for at least three consecutive years and well distributed throughout the recovery area. The goal was achieved in 2002, and the wolf population has increased every year since. The northern Rockies "metapopulation" is comprised of wolf populations in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. About 1,500 wolves, with about 100 breeding pairs, live in the region, where wolves can travel about freely to join existing packs or form new packs. This, combined with wolf populations in Canada and Alaska, assures genetic diversity. About 420 wolves inhabited Montana, in 73 packs and 39 breeding pairs at the end of 2007, Maurier said. The population is expected to be close to that level when 2008 minimum estimates are finalized. FWP has led wolf management under the federal guidelines since 2004. Delisting allows Montana to manage wolves in a manner similar to how bears, mountain lions and other wildlife species are managed, guided by state management plans, administrative rules, and laws. "The recent recovery of wolves, grizzly bears, peregrine falcons, and bald eagles are each remarkable American wildlife conservation success stories," Maurier said. "To ensure their future, Montanans will continue to need the financial support of the American people who have long looked to Montana to provide habitats and careful management for these nationally important wildlife species."

To learn more about Montana’s wolf population, visit FWP online at fwp.mt.gov . Click Montana Wolves.

MFWP Kills Two Cow Elk in Dome Mountain WMA

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials today removed two radio-collared cow elk from the population near Gardiner that recently tested positive for exposure to brucellosis.The two elk are among 29 fitted with GPS collars and tested for brucellosis in February of 2008 as part of ongoing elk research. The GPS collars, which contain nearly a full year of elk-movement information, are set to fall off the animals later this month. Researchers will retrieve each discarded collar. The elk range from the Dome Mountain Wildlife Management Area in the Paradise Valley in winter to south-central portions of Yellowstone National Park, where they spend most of the spring, summer and fall. The brucellosis test results were delivered last spring.

"Our knowledge of brucellosis in these elk is derived from ongoing research that reveals the movement of the herd and the time of year elk can be expected to inhabit areas also used by domestic cattle," said Quentin Kujala, FWP’s wildlife management bureau chief in Helena. "Based on the distribution of the two elk, our data suggested the animals could come into proximity or contact with livestock this winter or early spring so we removed them now," Kujala said.

It is not the first time such efforts have been conducted. In 1988, five elk were removed from herds in the Madison Valley and Gravelly Range under similar circumstances, Kujala said. Kujala noted that FWP’s elk research in southwestern Montana is striving to learn more about minimizing interactions between cattle and wildlife during critical late winter and spring months when the potential for brucellosis transmission is highest, and not targeting brucellosis-positive elk for removal.

The concern stems from two different cattle herds in southwestern Montana that tested positive for brucellosis in 2007 and 2008. Test results from the National Veterinary Services suggested the brucellosis infection likely came from elk.

Because two such cases of brucellosis were found in Montana within 12-months, the U.S. Department of Agriculture revoked Montana’s 23-year-old brucellosis-free status, requiring all Montana’s livestock producers to test most cattle a month before interstate shipment. Since 1981 FWP has tested nearly 7,000 elk for brucellosis exposure, mostly in the Greater Yellowstone Area north and west of Yellowstone National Park.

The results of those tests show brucellosis exposure rates that range from 0 to 5.5 percent. Fewer than half of the elk that test positive for brucellosis exposure are actually infected with the disease.In 2006, FWP established a committee to expand and improve brucellosis surveillance programs across the state.

This year, FWP expanded efforts to collect blood samples from hunter-harvested elk in southwestern Montana, to further define the area of the disease in elk, complete elk and livestock risk assessments, and determine if elk or livestock management practices need adjustments. Results from this year’s surveillance efforts are expected this spring.

New World Record Elk Boone & Crockett Makes Official

We reported on October 8th that a possible new world record elk was taken by Denny Austad of Ammon, Idaho. B&C officials made it official on January 5th.

Denny purchased the govenor's tag from Utah and hunted with Mossback Outfitters. He hunted the Monroe Mountain District in south-central Utah. Austad killed the bull on Sept. 30, 2008. This bull was taken on public land and many oufitters and hunters had seen this bull earlier in the season but could not connect with him during the open season.

Back in October I called Mossback's office and found out this interesting part of the story...

Denny spent 12 straight days in the field searching for this brute. He actually missed this bull on the 12th day. One of Doyle’s guides saw this bull over 8 miles away from where Denny took the shot. Denny came back and they were able to locate the bull and took him on the 13th day of his hunt. Congratulations Denny and Team Mossback!

The bull had 9 points on the left antler and 14 points on the right. The larger antler base had a circumference of over 9 inches! It is the only elk on record with a gross score approaching the 500 inch mark, at 499 3/8.

The previous World’s Record for non-typical American elk was 465-2/8 B&C points. That bull was found dead, frozen in Upper Arrow Lake, B.C., in 1994, and was entered into Boone and Crockett Club records by the provincial Ministry of Environment on behalf of the citizens of British Columbia. For hunter-taken non-typical American elk, the previous top bull scored 450-6/8 B&C points, taken in 1998 in Apache County, Ariz., by Alan Hamberlin.

Win Free Predator Hunting DVD's

Visit SportsmensAccess.com and enter your name to win one of three predator hunting DVD’s.
These DVD’s feature Randy Anderson, from Butte, Nebraska. Randy has been featured on Outdoor TV and featured in many Primos Truth videos.

The three DVD’s are:

• The Verminators Predator or Prey
  
• Calling All Coyotes
  
• The Verminators Bow Mania (yes) taking over 20 coyotes with a bow!
  
  These videos are informative and also very entertaining. So visit SportsmensAccess.com and enter to WIN!