Montana Hunting and Fishing

Birds and the Opener

2009-09-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sage grouse and blue grouse were pleniful this weekend in areas south of Dillon. I saw at least a dozen birds over the weekend. A few out of state hunters were out for the opener with dogs in tow. I didn't see any Montana residents hunting in the area for birds. Archery yes, birds no.

I did hear of reports from hunters who went for sharptails in eastern Montana that the hot weather kept dogs moving slow and birds in deeper cover. Overall it seems like the hot weather did make it difficult for bird hunters.

Elk Season off to a slow start

2009-09-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

The archery elk season seems to be off to a slow start due to warm weather and a full moon on the opener. Hunters I talked to this weekend reported seeing and hearing a few elk but not many. A lot of people were also in the woods with the Labor Day weekend the same as the archery opener. So with the increased traffic and the warm weather elk and deer are at the top of the timber pockets in the highest basins.

Antelope Season Has Begun

2009-08-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hey it's Hunting Time!!!

Yeehaa, time to start chasing the little critters around. Here a one buck I let walk this past weekend. After looking at this photo I think I blew it. But it was the first day and he was at 35 yards. Yeah I should have taken the shot.

Elk Drawing Results Available

2009-07-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

The drawing results for Elk are now available on the FWP website. I didn't draw my permit this year either. Bummer. I also didn't get my second choice ;(.

Maybe you'll have better luck than I did.

Remember the Antelope drawing will not be completed until August 6th. A short time to plan on if you draw the 900 archery antelope tag. The bison drawing will not be completed until September.

Drawing Results for Deer are Available

2009-07-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

The drawing results for limited entry deer are now available on the FWP Website. I didn't draw AGAIN. That's ok I'm JUST KNOW I'm going to draw the Elkhorns this year for elk. The drawing results for elk should be available in the next few days. Antelope results won't be available till August 6th.

Crossing my fingers!

Deer Hunting at the Marias River State Park and WMA

2009-07-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

The FWP Commission recently approved a limited-access deer hunt at Montana's new Marias River State Park and Wildlife Management Area, southwest of Shelby.

Hunters have until Aug. 7 to apply online or by mail. Applications are available at all FWP regional offices or via the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov <http://fwp.mt.gov/default.html>.

Click "Marias Deer Hunt Access <http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/hunteraccess/marias.html>."
"At meetings last winter, area residents stated their preference for a limit on the number of hunters using the new property," says Gary Olson, FWP wildlife biologist.

Access to the new Marias River State Park and Wildlife Management Area will be allocated as follows:
Archery Season - Sept. 5-Oct. 18, 2009
· 10 archers for the first 2 weeks
· 10 archers for the 3rd and 4th weeks
· 10 archery hunters for 5th and 6th weeks

General Season - Oct. 25-Nov. 15, 2009
· 10 rifle hunters for the 1st week
· 10 rifle hunters for the 2nd week
· 10 rifle hunters for the 3rd and final week

Each of the 60 hunters randomly drawn will be notified by letter of their access. Public access remains open for all other species - antelope, birds and fishing. Maps of the property and general area rules are available online or at FWP’s Region 4 office in Great Falls.
For more information call the FWP Region 4 office at (406) 454-5840.

Points to remember:
· Hunter may apply only once per year.
· Hunters may apply for either the archery season or the general rifle season, but not both.
· No party applications accepted.
· Hunt periods will be allotted at the time of drawing and are not transferable.
· Hunters must include their full name, address, phone number, ALS number and desired hunt method (archery or rifle) on the application.
· Successful applicants will be contacted with hunt access information and authorized permission before the start of archery season.
· Successful applicants may use any deer license valid in Hunting District 406.
· All hunting will conform to regulations for hunting district 406, which has a three-week deer season.

River Fishing Report

2009-07-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

Beaverhead
Provided by Frontier Anglers
The Beaverhead is fishing great, lots of big fish! PMD's are hatching and the dry fly activity is picking up every day. The nymph fishing has been fantastic. Yellow Sallies are popping in full force and the fish are looking up.

Fly pattern suggestions: Size 16-18 PT Crusers, size 14 T-Bur stone, Size 20 Tailwater tiny's in olive, yellow, red, and rust, Size 18 Split case PMD's, Size 16-18 Tim's Sparkle Spieder, Size 16-18 L-PMD-F, Size 16-18 PT flashback, Size 18 Tungsten Dead head LGF, Size 18 PMD Challenged, Size 16-18 CDC PMD dry, Size 18 Quigley Loopwing Dun, Size 18 LT. olive Smidget.

Big Hole
Provided by Montana Troutfitters
The river is now flowing at 1730 and it's come down a lot in the last few weeks. The salmonflies are done but we have had great reports from people using attractor dries throughout the river. Some of the favorite patterns have been golden sallies, trudes, and pretty much any other green, yellow, or even purple patterns. There are a lot of natural bugs on the water right now so it is important to have a large selection of flies with you. Gray and Green drakes, caddis, pmds, and flying ants have been some of the most predominant but you never know what might be the ticket. I haven't seen the river in this good of shape in a while. There is plenty of water right now so it's a great time to escape the crowds and float the upper sections. Unfortunately, you probably won't be the only one chasing fish on the Big Hole because of the 35 inch behemoth they pulled out above Eastbank a few weeks ago. Check the story in the Montana Standard. The guy probably deserved it as much as anyone since he's been floating it since he was 14 years old and he's in his 50's. But to say it was big is an understatement.

Fly pattern suggestions: Cat Puke Orange and Black: 4-6 Mystery Meat Salmonfly: 4 Henry's Fork Salmonfly: 4-6-8 Berrett's Rubberlegged Salmonfly: 4-6 San Juan Worms (assorted colors): 8-10 Rubberlegs Tan, Chocolate, Black: 6-8 Pheasant Tails: 14-16-18 Anatomay Hares Ear: 12-14-16 Yellow Yummy: 2-4-6 Homewrecker Yellow: 2-4-6 Sex Dungeon Yellow and Natural: 2 Yuk Bug Red Belly & Black: 2-4

Big Horn
Provided by Big Horn Trout Shop
Can you say big water? The Horn is flowing at 12,200 cfs. This is historically some of the highest flows we've seen. But the fishing is phenomonal from a boat. Trying to wade the river is almost pointless. The high water is making this almost impossible. Consider floating Afterbay to Bighorn or even all the way to Mallards. Take your time, too, or you'll end up being done with your float very quickly. The key to successful fishing is getting your nymphs down to where the fish are, so some guys are fishing 1x or weighting the line to get it down quickly.

Fly pattern suggestions:
Scuds, Sowbugs in sizes 14-16 and San Juan Worms

Bitterroot
Provided by River Otter Fly Shop

The Bitterroot is in prime dryfly form right now! There are a variety of dry flies that will work right now from Goldens to PMD's, Sallies to Drakes, pick one and go! The entire river is fishing well. The lower river should fish very very well in the clouds.

Fly pattern suggestions: Golden Stones, Bitterroot Stones, Green Drakes, Sallies and PMD's BlackfootProvided by River Otter Fly Shop After a few days of funk, the Blackfoot is back to fishing well. You should be able to fish dries all day. Look for Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies and PMD's; they should be the hatches to match. The water is clearing a bit, so you may need to drop down to 4x or even 5x for your small dries. If you have a bright sunny day and there are no bugs out, try fishing a small heavy dropper under a dry fly. Look for fish eating Mayflies throughout the day. Especially when there is a bit of cloud cover. These fish will not be picky; just get the right drift.Fly pattern suggestions:Golden Stones, Green Drakes, Sallies and PMD's

Boulder
Provided by Montana Troutfitters
The whole river is still really high and although clear, it makes for some really hard fishing being backed up into the brush. I would let her be until the flows start coming down. Other river options might be a safer and more productive bet. When it does start shaping up again, get a raft and hit this if you know how to row a boat. As with many other waters around the state right now, if you are attempting a float make sure that the oarsman is very comfortable with high technical water because many sections can be fairly tricky. Try weighted stones, hares ears, and streamers and make sure to hit any slack water along the banks because fish will be trying to escape the heavy current. Fly pattern suggestions:Tungsten Black Retriever & Brown Lab: 6-8 Mega Hares Ear: 6-8 Lightning Bug: 10-12 Mega Prince: 4-6 San Juan Worm: 10 Mega Hare's Ear: 6-8 Delektable Coppertone: 6-8 Delekta's Big Red: 6-8

Clark Fork
Provided by River Otter Fly Shop
The Clark Fork is fishing well with the upper stretches consistent with Golden Stones, Mayflies and Caddis. The lower reaches have been fishing better and better as the water levels drop. Again, Goldens, PMD's and Caddis are the flies to play with out there.

Fly pattern suggestions:
Golden Stones, Green Drakes, Caddis and PMD's, Any Streamers!

Gallatin
Provided by Montana Troutfitters
It's coming down and clearing day by day which has made the fishing pretty good, but watch for heavy rain which can blow it out quickly right now. Up the canyon around Big Sky has been popular lately and there have been some good reports of salmonfly action up high. Others have been fishing nymphs and attractor dries in the valley and doing well, too. As you probably know, the higher up river you go the clarity gets better and better. However, the fish don't need much visibility to eat. Many people are deceived by muddy water that is still very fishable. Caddis and PMDs are thick so go throw some dries in the evening after work. Nymphing will be your mainstay so bring black rubber legs, golden stones, yellow sally nymphs and pretty much any mayfly nymphs. Just remember the river is still big and dangerous, so be careful wading.
Fly pattern suggestions: Yuk Bug Brown, Black, Red Belly: 6-8-10, Mega Prince: 4-6 Mega Hare's Ear: 6-8 Mega Pheasant Tail: 8-10 Lightning Bug: 12-14 Copper Johnson Blue, Red, Black, Yellow: 10-12-14-16 Ugly Bug: 6-8-10 The Turd: 6-8-10 Cone-nan The Barbarian Black, Olive, White: 4 Sex Dungeon Black, Yellow: 2

Jefferson
Provided by Montana Troutfitters
The river continues to get clearer and clearer and it is totally fishable right now with over two feet of visibilty even down low. A few people have been out and had decent reports on streamer fishing picking up a lot of good cookie cutter browns and rainbows with a few big fish in between. Crawdads are the best bet fished deep and twitched through the good runs. Higher sections on this river are often overlooked and they can provide a good escape and chance to try a new float. There is almost always a monster (30" plus) pulled out of here every year so it might be a good time to go play the big brown lottery and put in some time for the fish of a lifetime.Fly pattern suggestions: Sex Dungeon Natural, Yellow, Black, Olive: 2 Mike's Flankhead Rainbow: 2 Articulated Fathead Tan, Olive, White: 2 CFO Streamer Tan & Olive: 4 Mike's Wounded Rainbow: 2 & 1/0 Bearded Clam (why not right?): 6 Yuk Bug Red Belly: 2-4 and whatever big concoctions that you might have aborted at your own vise...

Kootenai
Provided by Kootenai Anglers
River Discharge: 9,000 cubic feet per second.River Temperature: 55 degreesRiver Condition: 8 - foot visibility, below mid-range flowHatches: PMD's and some Tan Caddis. BWO and Little Blue quills.
Fly pattern suggestions:
PMD"s and Tan Caddis, parachute adams, gray sparkle duns. Other: prince, pheasant tails, black and olive wooly buggers, bunny buggers, da-bomb Guide Report: fish are very active with the warmer water temps. Fishing Conditions Forecast: Flows are slowly decreasing to 7,000cfs for the summer.

Madison Upper
Provided by Rivers Edge
The Salmon Fly hatch continues on the Upper Madison. Look for most of the bugs to be between Lyons and McAtee bridges. The dry fly action has been mixed, depending on the day.There are a lot of naturals around and that should keep the fish looking up for quite a while. Try going below the hatch and fish large attractors and golden stone patterns to get away from the crowds. Look for Caddis and PMD's to provide good fishing opportunities along with the salmonflies. Large stone fly nymphs and Caddis patterns should be the ticket above the hatch in the wade section. Fly pattern suggestions:
Nymphs Yuk Bugs - #4,#6Bitch Creek - #6Olive Hurless Nymph - #8Braided Stone Golden or Brown - #6 TNT Caddis - #16Super Pupa Olive - #16Serengold Chart. - #16Copper John - #18Streamers Black and Olive Buggers #4-6Sex Dungeon Black - #4Natural Circus Peanut - #4Dries Half Down Salmonfly - #6Gorilla Salmonfly - #4-#6Cat Puke #4Stimulator #6-#10

Madison Lower
Provided by Rivers Edge
Flows on the Lower Madison continue to drop, but remain above average and the fishing has been holding steady. Look for the best fishing to be nymphing in and around the weed beds and the deeper runs. Large numbers of Caddis are still around and the best dry fly fishing will be late in the evening. Sculpin and crayfish patterns trailed by smaller beadheads will be the most productive though reports of fish eating large attractors may provide an opportunity to catch some larger fish on dry flies. Look to fish early or late as the crowds of non anglers are starting to become overwhelming during the middle of the day.

Fly pattern suggestions:
Nymphs Bush's Dad - #10Clouser Crayfish #8Zirdle - #6San Juan Worm - #10Dropper Nymphs Soft Hackle Hare's Ear - #16Yuba Pupa - #16Lightning Bug Silver #16-18Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail #16Pheasant Tail #12 or #14Riverborn Worm - #10TB Flashbug - #18SH Lightning bug - #18Dries CDC Caddis Tan - #16Elk Hair Caddis - #16Corn Fed Caddis- #18 Parachute PMD - #16Streamers Olive Sculpzilla-#6Olive and Tan McCune Sculpin-#6Clouser Crayfish #8Deaddrift Crayfish #8

Missouri
Provided by The Trout Shop
As good as it gets on dries? Don't wait until the river drops, but when it does.... Caddis, PMD's, and Yellow Sallies are thick. Spent caddis save the day. PMD spinners are necessary at times. Riseforms are abundant. Flows coming into the system are slowly declining. The flood pool at Canyon Ferry Lake is 24.8% full and slowly declining. At some point, PPL and the Bureau of Reclamation will get the green light to stop spilling water. The river will go wild. When?

Rock Creek
Provided by Rock Creek Trout Bums
Good hatches of PMDs beginning early in the day should get you into fish pretty much right when you get to the water. If the weather remains even semi-sane, your day should continue productively with little yellow sallie stoneflies, smaller hoppers and caddis. Water levels have dropped to the point where wading is a good option although with flows still above 900 cfs, it's not a cake walk by any means. Remember, never fish your hopper farther from the bank than a hopper could jump.

Ruby Provided by Five Rivers Lodge
The water has been clearing up here although still murky. Guests have been doing well fishing PMD's and Caddis in the evenings. Fishing has been very good with trout being landed in the first few casts of hitting the water.

Stillwater
Provided by Montana Troutfitters
The river is still high at the moment, however the upper stretches have good clarity but lots of water volume. It can be a little frustrating because even though you can fish you will be pinned up in the brush having a very hard time casting. I would highly recommend other places at these flows unless whitewater is your goal. But look for the river to get really good here soon as it continues to drop. Try large stones and streamers with attractor nymphs off of the back. Keep in mind that this can be a dangerous float so do not attempt it unless you are comfortable with rowing more technical water and wait untill it slows back down. With that said, some friends fished it a while ago and said fish were eating rubber legs, big prince nymphs, and Mega Hares Ear so it should be great when it clears in a week at least. Fly pattern suggestions: Delektable Hurless Gray & Olive: 8 Mega Hares Ear: 6-8 Mr. Rubberlegs Goldenstone: 8-10 Rubberlegs Olive, Brown, & Tan: 6-8-10 San Juan Worm: 10 Copper Bead Mayfly: 18-20 Lightning Bug: 16-18 BHFBPT: 14-16-18-20

Yellowstone
Provided by Rivers Edge
While the river is still big, it fished well yesterday up in the Paradise Valley for the first time this summer. Nymphing with bugs close to the bank was the ticket and they had to be fished deep. There were signs that the Salmonflies had already passed through, but we have guides today on the way to the upper river trying to catch the last bit of them. We'll know tomorrow if they found any up there. Remember if you go to the Yellowstone it is still a big powerful heaving river and you should only be on it if you are confident on the oars.

Fly pattern suggestions:
Streamers Black Buggers #4Olive Buggers #4-6Yuk Bugs #6Girdle Bugs #6Nymphs Soft Hackle Hares Ear #12Prince Nymph #12-14Soft Hackle Copper John #14Flashback Hares Ear #14Dries Cat Puke #4Royal Stimulator #6Gorilla Salmonfly #4

Yellowstone Park
Provided by Montana Troutfitters
The park has been fishing well lately and everyone we have talked to has been catching fish on a regular basis. Have seen consistent evening caddis hatches and some rusty spinners starting to show their heads. Not much new on the Madison--olive streamers are working and fun to fish. Gibbon has been busy but productive with caddis, PMDs, and trudes. Try a Prince nymph for a dropper. Firehole is fishing the best in the park. The Slough is fishable with some Caddis and dry fly action. Lamar and Soda Butte are still about a week off.

Special Drawing Results Available July 15

2009-07-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

The special drawing results for deer, elk, bison and antelope should be available this coming week (July 15) from Montana FWP. Be sure to check the FWP website to see if you get drawn for any limited entry hunts.

Good luck in the draw and let us know if you were successful in drawing a permit. I know I'm crossing my fingers to see where I'll be hunting this fall!

Details For Wolf Hunt

2009-07-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Montana wildlife commission voted Wednesday to allow the hunting of 75 wolves in the state or about 15 percent of the Montana population. The hunt is scheduled to begin in mid September. However, legal challenges are almost certain to try to block the hunts. Montana's top wolf biologist Carolyn Sime said, "We're signaling our commitment to being responsible wildlife managers."

Hopefully we'll see this hunt happen sometime this year. As most hunters have seen, unchecked populations of wolves will bring down populations of deer, elk and other game animals. If only the animal right's groups would look at the overall impact the wolves are having on the Eco-system, I think they would agree that we need to manage all game species.

35 INCH Big Hole Monster Brown Caught by Area Angler

2009-07-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

WOW WHAT A FISH....Gotta Read this story too.

Story By Justin Post
of The Montana Standard

Bob Kingston and Gary Keeler of Butte bought their first raft as teenagers and have been floating the Big Hole River ever since.

Now in their mid-50s, the longtime fishing buddies have their best fishing story yet.

On Friday evening, Kingston caught what appears to be the elusive, monster brown trout that has been the talk of many area anglers in recent years.

The beast measured 35 inches and made its way to the raft cooler following a roughly 30-minute battle between man and fish, said Kingston, who is having the trout mounted. The fish weighed slightly over 20 pounds after it was wrapped in a damp towel in preparation for the taxidermist.

“He just kept going wherever he wanted,” he said of the fight.

Kingston caught the fish with a five-weight fly rod rigged with eight-pound leader and two stonefly nymphs above Mallon’s, west of Wise River, after launching from East Bank.

“I was just throwing my fly right by the bank and it gobbled it up,” he said.

Keeler rowed the boat to shore and remembers Kingston saying he might never land the fish.

“It was a big log,” Keeler said. “We’ve never seen one like that.”

A survey crew with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks caught a similar fish while electro fishing in the same area of the 153-mile river in the fall of 2007, said Jim Magee, a fisheries biologist with the agency.

The crew snapped a photograph at the time of a surveyor mugging with the lunker, and the photograph soon was being circulated among anglers who hungered to have the fish on the end of their line.

“The size is so much different than what we normally see,” said Magee, a 15-year employee with FWP. “That was an anomaly. That was a big fish.”

Markings on Kingston’s fish are similar to the one caught and released during the 2007 FWP survey, which means Kingston — a 55-year-old optician at Big Sky Optical in Butte — may have landed the much-discussed fish.

“That’s the trout of a lifetime,” said Bob LeFever at Fran Johnson’s Sporting Goods in Butte.

Longtime fisheries biologist Dick Oswald remembers two brutes he surveyed while electro fishing the Big Hole in the late 1980s.

He never heard of an angler claiming to have caught either one of those fish, which included a 20.5-pound trout nicknamed “Big Mamma” that lived in a deep pool above Melrose, and an 18-pound trout dubbed the “Hogback Hog” below Glen.

Oswald said those fish lived over 10 years and presumed that Kingston’s fish could have been around the same age.

To reach those portly sizes, Oswald said the big browns eat other fish while also having “unique genetics” that allows them to focus on gobbling fish rather than slurping caddis and mayflies from the surface like an average brown that would likely reach a maximum length of 19.5 inches.

“These things have to be freaks,” he said. “Those fish are exceptions in many ways.” Kingston, who has snagged big steelhead on Idaho’s Clearwater River, agreed he may have caught the fish of a lifetime when it comes to fly fishing the Big Hole River.

“I’ll probably never catch one that big again in my life,” he said.

The state’s record brown trout weighed 29 pounds; it was caught in 1966 at Wade Lake.

Drawing for Sheep, Goat and Moose Available

2009-06-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

The drawing for sheep, goat and moose are now available on the FWP website. I did not draw. Maybe you'll be luckier than I was. Well you still have an opportunity in the supertag drawings.

Carping Good Time

2009-06-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

The Montana Bowhunters annual carp shoot was a big hit with the winning team collecting 162 carp. Man that's a ton of carp. Also think about how many times you have to shoot to come up with that many fish!

I took my canoe and and an electric trolling motor to cruise some of the back bays in search of the elusive carp. I tell you I must have shot at least 100 times. FINALLY, thanks to some help from a bowhunter in Anaconda, I learned to shoot shoot 1 foot to 1 and a half feet below the fish! I shot 3 of them slimy buggers and I earned every one of them. THANK YOU DAVE!

If you're going to shoot carp here's what I would recommend:

Use a recurve You will acutally get more shots with this set-up and shooting a tab or glove

Lighten up If you end up using a compound lighten the poundage on the bow. You certainly don't need to be cranking out 300 plus feet per second shoot at angle into the lake bottom. Not unless you enjoy having your arrow stuck in the mud and trying to wrangle it out.

Give up the Sites The sites on your bow are pretty much useless trying to look through a peep with the glare of the water is very difficult. So bag the sites and shoot instinctively.

Pair up with a Buddy You can take turns on spotting fish gives you a break from time to time

Join Montana Bowhunters It's a fun group of people that enjoy shooting and getting out to the field!

Salmon Flies are Here

2009-06-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

Salmon Flies have been spotted on the Lower Madison and rumors are running amoung the tight lipped crowd on the Big Hole that these big bugs have arrived there as well. We'll of course confirm this later this weekend or on Monday! Good fishing.

Tongue River Reservoir Fishing Day 3

2009-06-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

It rained hard all night. It looks like it's starting to snow. Temps dropped down to 35 degrees. Definitely put the bite down. I decided to head out and not fish in the snow and sleet.

I checked out the Tongue River Reservoir Marina. It has just about everything you can think of for a well equipped convenience store. It also has minnows, night crawlers, and leeches for sale. They rent pontoon boats too. They also have a varitey of lures, hooks, and assorted fishing gear.

The state did a great job of creating this campground lots of spots including 40 with electrical. If you are looking for more remote camping go below the dam. The spots there are by the river and there aren't as many people around. There was only one camp trailer parked below the dam.

Tongue River Reservoir Fishing Day 2

2009-06-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Woke up last night to a constant rain. The tent campers decided to call it quits. I can't imagine that they got away without getting wet. The water must have come up 4 inches last night. Wow.

I fished today below the dam with my fly rod just to check it out. I only managed to catch 1 walleye. I came back up to the lake and grabbed my bow to shoot some carp in the back bays. I rigged everything up and found a great back bay loaded with carp. You can simply wade into the shallows and shoot them from the shore or in 1-2 feet of water. On my first shot my arrow hit something and broke the nock off. Urrrgh. So my bow fishing is over for the day.

I did fish the lake later that evening. I caught 3 crappie, 2 small mouth bass, 2 sunfish. The bite was very slow! Windy today too.

Tongue River Reservoir Fishing Day 1

2009-06-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I fished the Tongue River Reservoir. What a fishery! I caught 10 fish from the bank the first time I had fished this place. I caught 4 Crappie, 3 Sunfish, 2 Bullheads, and 1 Walleye. The water is very high and fishing from the bank is challenging as there isn't really a flat spot where the water meets the land.

Due to heavy rains the water is coming in very fast here and going out very slow. I think someone told me that over 4,000 cfs is coming in every day and they are letting about 400 cfs out of the reservoir. So conditions the conditions you'll find at the lake will be high water with the back bays flooded and high.

The bite for crappie is slow. Due to the recent colder weather the water temps are going down not up. Bummer.

The Lakes Are Fishing Hot

2009-06-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

Many higher mountain lakes are beginning to lose their ice and the fishing on them is very, very good. On Sunday I fished Hyalite Lake above Bozeman. I caught 7 cutthroats and 1 grayling.

The grayling that I caught was 18 inches long and I couldn't get both my hands around the girth. It was a great fish unfortunately I didn't have my camera. Bummer!

All the cuts were about the same size from 15-17 inches. They were biting below the surface on some soft hackles and san juan worms.

So look around at some lakes in your area and get out and it em!

Good Bear

2009-05-27T12:52:00.001-07:00

I saw this bear up close and personal last week. Nice bear looks like a mature boar with wide feet, long legs, blocky face and straight back. I got up to 30 yards on this guy. Unfortunately he was on the Blackfeet Reservation. I could hunt him for $1,500.

Blackfeet Nation Fishing Trip

2009-05-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

In the nearly fifteen years I’ve lived in Montana, one of the things that’s been on my to-do list was: “I should go up north and fish on the Blackfeet Reservation.” Like many of you, I’ve heard of the monster rainbows that inhabit the lakes on the Blackfeet tribal lands. As the years have gone by, I just never got it done. During this past winter, I vowed this year was going to be different, so I contacted Joe Kipp of Morning Star Outfitters.

Joe is member of the Blackfeet tribe and guides both fisherman and hunters. Yes, non-members can hunt on tribal lands, too—contact Joe at 406-338-2735 or Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife at 406-338-7207. Only members of the Blackfeet Nation are allowed to guide on tribal lands. Joe was one of the first guides when the program was set up in 1985. He has a lot of experience and knows intricacies of fishing the lakes that will put you in the right place to catch these monster fish.

The Blackfeet Fishery took a hit during the drought years that led to many lakes being unfishable due to low water conditions. The drought kept pressure on the few lakes that were open and impacted the amount of trophy fish in the lakes.

However in 2007, a full time fisheries biologist, Toby Taber, was hired to more closely monitor the Blackfeet Fisheries. There are more than 1,200 miles of streams and 11,000 acres of lakes occurring on the tribal lands, so Toby has his hands full. One of the items on Toby’s agenda was to conduct a fishery population survey on thirteen of the lakes on the Blackfeet Nation. As a result of this survey, many popular lakes such as Duck, Mitten, Mission, and Kip were stocked in 2008 to much higher levels than in the past years, in some cases doubling the number of fish that were stocked. This should pay off handsomely in the future given the fish growth rate is approximately one inch per month for the first two years in the fishery.

The day I fished with Joe I landed four fish, ranging somewhere in the 2-3 lb. range. As Joe said to me, “You don’t travel this far to catch 2 lb. fish. Let’s go look for some bigger ones”. This fisherman was very happy catching fish in the 2-3 lb. range!

One of Joe’s clients who fished the day before landed 50 of these rainbows! Why do I always hear, “Should have been here yesterday!” He had a tough time casting as his arm was still fatigued from fighting those big rainbows.

Hiring a guide for one or two days can be a great way to learn the lakes and how to fish them. This can also save you time and in the long run, money. It may also send you home with some fish instead of a stringer of frustration. I know the day I spent with Joe Kipp will be a memorable one for me. The fishing was great, but so was the opportunity to explore the Blackfeet culture and visit some beautiful parts of the nation. Thanks Joe!

If you fish without a guide, be prepared to bring all your gear—tippet, leader, weight, hooks, etc. as the local IGA has a very limited amount of fishing equipment. There are no fly shops located in Browning. However, Duck Lake Lodge has a good assortment of locally tied flies and is located three miles from Duck Lake. Visit their website at http://www.montanasducklakelodge.com/ . Be sure to allow for time to purchase a tribal fishing license. These can be obtained from guides, Teeples IGA and Duck Lake Lodge.

If you plan on fly fishing take a sinking fly line. Not only will it help get your flies down to the fish, it will also help you cast easier in the ever present wind. For flies, look at bringing black and brown leeches in sizes 2-6, scuds, and wooly buggers in an assortment of colors.

One thing is for sure: this country is wild, open and beautiful. It’s hard to find a better view than when fishing in one of 20 lakes that this area has to offer. So take the time to head up north and spend some time fishing on the Blackfeet Nation. I’ve never fished someplace I had a harder time leaving.

Blackfoot Reservation Fishing Report

2009-05-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

We've all heard of the MONSTER fish that the Blackfoot Reservation holds. So I thought I'd up date you on what is happening up north. It's not too late to catch the big fish in the shallows!

Joe Kipp of Morningstar Outfiitters filed this fishing report to SportsmensAccess.com.

I will be fishing with Joe on Monday, so check back here to see how we do!

Fishing Report

Mission Lake
Fishing is slow but consistent. Water is good color and fish are +5 lb. This is Joe's recommendation for the best place to catch a monster. He also cautioned that you will get few hookups, but the ones you do hook into will be big.

Kipp Lake
Kipp is full for the first time in many years. The water is the color of tea. The bite is on with fish in shallows. The average fish here are in the 3-1/2 lb. range. This is also a place where you can hook into a monster.

Hidden, Dog Gun, Mittens and Four Horns Lakes
All fishing fair. The water quality is good with some fish in the shallows.

Duck Lake
Fishing is fair now with most fish still off the color change. Water quality (visibility) is the best of all the lakes and sight fishing should start in a few days.
The fish will be smaller than Kipp or Mission but the clarity of the water will allow for more fish to be caught.The average fish here are 2-1/2 lb. The biggest fish tend to "only" be in the 4-1/2 lb. range.

ONLY 4-1/2 lb. Really? What a bummer, huh!

Last Weekend for Spring Gobblers

2009-05-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is the last weekend to hunt spring turkeys as the season closes Sunday, May 17th. Reports from the field have indicated that bird activity has remained good, but birds have become less responsive to calls as the season comes to a close.

Remember to visit our website and search the database if you don't know where to go.

Some Black Bear Units Close TODAY!

2009-05-15T12:49:00.001-07:00

Field reports from Region 1-3 indicate that bear activity picked up this week. One hunter I spoke with reported that he looked at nine different bears in the area he was hunting in--Region 3.

The third week in May is typically the week with the highest harvest in Montana. Warmer temperatures and increased moisture have had a positive impact on forage that are important to bears this time of year. If you are hunting in Region 2, take precautions if you are in the Blackfoot Watershed and the Clearwater Drainage. Both these areas continue to have a lot of grizzly activity. The bulk of the activity is taking place in the Seeley Lake, Lincoln and Helmville areas, with a few grizzly bears reported downstream between Potomac and Clearwater Junction.

Throughout Montana bears are foraging along streams, rivers and grazing in lower meadows and fields. Reports indicate that most bears being spotted are in lower elevations due to the heavy snow pack in the mountains.

Check the bear regulations as units 100, 102, 104, 105, 108, 280, 290, 300 close this Friday, May 15th and others remain open either through May 31st or through June 15th.

Weekend Fishing Report

2009-05-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

This looks like a great weekend to go fishing. So go out and get it done!

Visit the website for an up to date report of area rivers with direct links to fishing reports from across the state. Here's a sample of what you'll find on the rivers and lake.

Looks like Fort Peck is hot and fishing very well. If your up for a drive this one would be a great pick for a lake to fish on. Lake Ridge Motel and Bait Shop reported that fish were really biting in the weeds and brush along the shoreline. The water is up over 12 feet. They reported seeing some lunkers brought in throwing jigs into the bruch and weeds along the shoreline.

Visit our website and go to Current Conditions Fishing to get current updates of fishing reports from around the state.

Missouri River

Flows have been holding around 8200 cfs. Water temps are up to 46 coming out of the dam which should do good things for the fishing.The Baetis have been out in good numbers, as well as March Browns down low. Higher flows have kept the dry fly action to a minimum so far. Warmer temps this weekend should put caddis on the water soon which might change the dry fly picture. The best shot at any dry fly fishing has been late in the day.There is a fair amount of water coming out of the tribs adding some color to the lower reaches. So far it's still in fishing shape through the lower reaches.Persistent streamer fishing can produce some big boys. Nymphing is still offering the most consistent option for numbers.

Big Horn River

Water flows are at 3,600 cfs. Water temperatures are starting to climb slowly. Starting Wednesday at 4PM, river discharges will increase to 4,000 cfs. Fishing is good on Sowbugs, Scuds, Baetis and Midge Pupa. Streamer fishing has been fair depending on the day. There are fish feeding on Single Midges, Midge Clusters, and Baetis Duns in the afternoon.

Bitterroot

The whole river is on the drop, but its not going to last long. You should see fishing through Friday and maybe Saturday when the warm weather hits . Fishing with nymphs will probably be the most reliable, but you might see a little afternoon action with dries. The spring mayfly hatches have still been going strong and the caddis are out down low.

Blackfoot

Flows are holding relatively steady for the moment around 4100 cfs. It's green enough to catch fish, but it just hasn't turned on much this spring. Big Leggy Nymphs in the soft water might get you a few. Look for fishing to pick back up in late June with the Salmonfly hatch.

Rock Creek UPDATED!!! from ROCK CREEK TROUT BUMS visit them at www.rockcreektroutbums.com

Skwalas are gone, and though the march browns were good, but are now getting scarce. There have been a FEW caddis, but not many yet – it’s just been too darn cold for much bug action! The water has been like a roller coaster, but has remained clear. Floaters have gotten some good action under water; no wading is advisable on the lower end (because of the flow) but the upper end has been good with even some dry fly action on the warmer days. Any dry fly action has been between 1 and 3 pm. Then it just turns off.

Koocanusa

The Koocanusa Fishing Derby is this weekend. For more information, check out the Koocanusa Resort website.Canyon FerryRainbow fishing has been good on the north end. The hottest spot for shore anglers has been off the Outhouse between the Dam and Yacht Basin and around Shannon boat ramp. The Rainbows are being caught on egg sacks, bead-headed nymphs and flies. Walleye fishing is slow, with some action off the south dikes. TiberThere are not many people fishing. A few Northerns are being reported as well as the occasional Walleye. The weather has been pretty windy all week.

Fort Peck

Water is up over 12 feet with all the run-off. Fishing is very good for Lake Trout and Walleye. Throwing jigs into the weeds is producing nice, big lunkers! This is a great time to hit the lake near the dam.

Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin, Beaverhead

The caddis hatch is officially upon us, despite the weather! They're out on the Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin, Beaverhead, and should be showing up soon on the Big Hole. So now is the time before all of the rivers come up and get dirty, to get out there and enjoy some fine dry fly fishing. You'll want to check the river reports before heading out as fishing is day to day depending on temperatures.

Enter to Win Montana's Top 20

2009-05-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to visit http://www.sportsmensaccess.com/ to win 20 flies selected by Montana Troutfitters. Chris Kumlien the store manager picked this flies out as his favorites!

They include everyday dependable flies like:

Prince Nymph
Hare's Ear Nymph
Black Wooly Bugger
Elk Hair Caddis
Adams Nymph

And some surprises like the:

Hot Wire Mayfly
Bushes Crayfish
Gummy Stone
Electric Butt Caddis

There are 11 more! So get to the site and enter to win.

Beaverhead Sportsmens Association

2009-05-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I attended the Beaverhead Sportmen's Association meeting in Dillon. Approximatley 50 sportsmen attended. Also at the meeting were a number of FWP personnel including, Pat Flowers, Curt Alt, 3 area biologists, and Quentin Kujala.

The meeting was called by the association to bring attention to:

low bull to cow elk ratios across southwest Montana

Lack of quality of mule deer buck hunting

High numbers (500-700) elk harboring on private land prior to the hunting season.

The effect of HB 42 requiring area bioligist to manage elk to a specific number not the biological carry capacity of a hunt district.

Since Region 3 contains 50% of the elk in Montana these issues are critical to the future of quality elk hunting in Montana.

Incidently HB 42 was passed two legislative sessions ago by Debby Barrett, now sentator in the Montana legislature. She is also a rancher in this area. She also introduced a bill this session that would take the management of elk out of the hands of FWP and put it in the control of the Montana Legislature. Tell me that this isn't a bad idea. Politicians managing our ELK!!!

The conclusions from the meeting were:

The area of SW Montana will likely moved to brow tined bull only

Validation of an area will be considered to manage hunter numbers

Game manager need to work with land owners to move elk out of pivots prior to the opening of general hunting season and on to public land.

There will be more to come from this for sure! Look for an article in Big Sky Outdoor News and this blog!

Spring Time is Bear Time

2009-05-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

May means that spring black bear season is in full swing. We’ve had a handful of reports from the field that bears were seen outside of their dens in the first two weeks of April. As the warmer, longer days of May arrive black bears will be out in full force.

I spoke with, Jamie Jonkel, bear biologist for Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks about black bears. Jamie shared with me that large boars are the first to emerge from dens usually coming out sometime in March or early April. He also shared that the largest numbers of bears come out of hibernation in May. So waiting till May to hunt black bears is a good strategy if you are looking to see a larger number of bears.

The best bear habitat in the state is in region 1, followed by region 2. The wet, dark, thick, forests in these regions make great habitat. Consequently these forests support a higher density of bears. The Northwest corner of the state, the Bitterroot Range, and the Seely Swan area are some of the best bear habitats in the state. This FWP map shows the typical black bear range in Montana.

Map Courtesy of MFWP

When looking for spring bears look for drainages with a south facing slopes. Then use your optics to look for snow chutes with pockets of green vegetation. Most major drainages will have at least one area like this. If you find the green you find the bears. Jamie let me know about two of the most important foods emerging spring black bears look for, Glacier Lilly and Spring Beauty, pictured here.

Glacier Lilly

Spring Beauty

Cow Parsnip

He went on to say that, “bears will focus on these snow chutes until creek and river bottoms start to green up with grasses, Skunk Cabbage, Cow Parsnip, young Nettles, and Horsetails.” Be sure to look for these key bear foods.

Jamie also suggests a few precautions when looking for spring black bears:

1. Know what kind of bear you are shooting

The highest mortality for grizzly bears comes from hunters. Visit FWP website to take the bear test or to refresh your identification skills. Here is the link: http://fwp.mt.gov/bearid/default.html

2. Take care not to shoot sows

Every year hunters shoot large sows with cubs. If you do you are almost guaranteeing the cubs won’t survive. Take care to avoid shooting any sows as they will not always have cubs traveling with them. Black bears sometimes stash their cubs in trees and return for them later. These large sows are some of the best cub producers. Shooting them hurts bear recruitment. It is estimated that shooting an older sow like this takes not only her out of the population but also on average, seven cubs that she would have given birth to.

Recently I found a great black bear video produced by the late Duncan Gilchrist, Spot, Study, Shoot. It outlines the key traits to look for to determine whether the black bear you’re looking at is a sow or a boar. The video goes on to say that, “determining boars from sows is no more difficult than telling boys from girls in humans.” After watching the video I would have to agree. It identifies key traits to look for in bears to determine if the bear you are looking at is a shooter or not. Here’s a sample:

Young adolescent bears
These bears are more difficult to tell the sex of, just like in humans. This is typically not the kind of trophy a hunter is looking to take. Characteristics of a young bear are:
-Upright narrow ears
-Teddy bear look
-Fluffy fur
-Long legs

Mature Sows
These bears are the ones we definitely do not want to shoot as they are great cub producers. Taking them out of the population means reducing huntable numbers of black bears. They are characterized by:
-Prominent rear end
-Short neck
-Pointed snout
-Short front legs
-Back line is sloped forward

Trophy Boars
These are the kind of bears we are looking to harvest. The characteristics to look for are:

-High front end
-Back is straight or higher in the front than it is in the rear
-Big square snouts
-Square faces
-Wide front shoulders compared to the head
-Wide ear spacing, if you can put four ears between the ears you are looking at a trophy bear

You can order, Spot, Study, Shoot, at Outdoor Books and Videos, 405 Dutch Hill Road, Hamilton, MT 59840 or call 406-961-4314. Or by going to Ebay and search for Spot, Study, Shoot: Bear Hunting by Duncan Gilchrist. At $14.95 it is an investment worth making.

Now that you know, the areas that have good bear density, the habitat to focus on, and some key characteristics in identifying a boar vs. a sow, the only missing ingredient is you out in the field!

Turkey with Three Beards

2009-05-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

One of our subscribers took this Tom Turkey a few weeks ago. Kind of odd that it had three beards. I personally have never seen a turkey with three beards!

22 Incher...

2009-05-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

Fishing was tough over the weekend with unpredicable weather and high winds. I fished for two days and landed one fish worth talking about a nice 22 inch rainbow from and area lake.

Wouldn't you like to know where? Anyway here's the fish...

Joe from Belgrade if you are reading this I owe you man! I caught this one on the fly you gave me a year ago. You are the MAN!!!

Caddis on the Stone

2009-05-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had reports that the caddis flies were on the lower part of the Yellowstone River around Livingston. Now's the time to get your gear ready and book a trip or fill your fly box with a good caddis seclection.

We recommend elk hair caddis, goddards caddis, peacock caddis. To name a few of my favorite flies. You may also want to pack some caddis emergers. Look for flies in the evenings, so plan on a float or wading from 3pm on given warmer weather. Which could totally be a question mark.

New Law Change Spring Black Bear

2009-04-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

A new law passed by the Montana Legislature now allows hunters to purchase a black bear license after April 15 at FWP offices, but hunters must wait five days before they can participate in the spring hunt. Only one black bear license is issued to an individual each year. Montana’s spring black bear season runs until May 31 in most districts.

Spring Turkey

2009-04-20T08:45:00.001-07:00

We saw plenty of turkeys this past week. Unfortunately not on places where we had permission to hunt. Bummer! But that's hunting.

Bears Gone Wild!

2009-04-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

Here's what you don't want to have happen when you release MR. GRIZ. I wonder if the guy that released this fella went to MSU?

State tiger muskie record nullified

2009-04-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

A Harlowton man's state record for tiger muskie was short-lived. State game wardens discovered Steven Salazar did not purchase a required $5 warm water fish stamp until the day after he caught the big fish, the Billings Gazette reported on its Web site.

Salazar caught a 32.4-pound tiger muskie at Deadmans Basin Reservoir north of Ryegate on Friday. It would have broken the state record by just over 3.5 pounds. However, further investigation found that Salazar didn't buy his warm water fish stamp until Saturday morning. The state's computerized licensing system time- and date-stamps all license purchases.

"Everything has got to be legal for it to be a state record," said Bob Gibson, a spokesman for the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.The nullification means Marty Storfa of Billings still holds the state record with a 28.87-pound tiger muskie caught at Deadmans Basin in July 2006.

Salazar, 19, said he had been fishing from the east shore of the lake for several hours Friday before the big fish bit. He fought the fish for 45 minutes, bringing the muskie close to shore four or five times, but each time the fish ran back into deep water. Another fisherman tried to help with a big net, but the muskie would not fit. Salazar said an angler who helped him beach the fish shot it in the head. "That was a little shocking," Salazar said Monday. The shooting piqued the curiosity of Harold Guse, an FWP regional warden captain. Shooting a fish is illegal if it is in the water. It's legal, but not necessarily safe, if the fish is on shore. Salazar said the fish was on shore when it was shot.

Tiger muskies are a hybrid cross between northern pike and muskellunge, neither of which are native to Montana. Tiger muskies were brought to Deadmans Basin from Wisconsin starting in 1998 to prey on white suckers, which were competing for food with more desirable trout and kokanee salmon, according to Ken Frazer, regional fisheries manager for the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Wife Bags Big Gobbler!

2009-04-13T16:51:00.001-07:00

Ok so how'd you all do for the opener of Montana Spring Turkey Season?

Score wife 1, Joe 0.

I called this nice tom in on our bluebird opener on Sunday at about 4pm. He responded right away to calls when we were cruising some new country looking for roosting sites. We ended up jumping a hen. Then quickly set up the decoys and called. He came in on a string to 15 yards. It was my wife's first turkey and first big critter. She was excited and so was I.

I had a feeling we could get him close but had no idea we could've have reached out and spit on him. I had my bow but wanted her to get the first opportunity. She took one shot and it was all over but the flapping.

If you want to have a great time take out a first time hunter. We got on some private land because of it AND because we asked! Nice bird!!! Well done Ris!

B&C President Admonishes Wolf Activists

2009-04-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

Modern wildlife management through regulated hunting has never pushed any species to threatened or endangered levels, and there’s no science to suggest it would happen with wolves, either.

The Boone and Crockett Club is offering this simple, historical fact to activist groups threatening new lawsuits designed to forestall state management of gray wolves.“We’re calling upon activists to look at the impeccable track record of modern wildlife management, end litigation and join hunter-conservation groups in celebrating the completion of wolf recovery,” said Lowell E. Baier, president of the Club.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service set May 4 as the next target date for turning gray wolf management over to states. Last month, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar endorsed removing restored populations of wolves from the list of threatened and endangered species. His announcement celebrated another vanishing-to-flourishing wildlife success story. It also meant that states might soon use hunting to manage wolf populations alongside other resident species.

That’s the perfect scenario, says Baier.“It’s time to get on with what’s best for both wolves and people. All other game species and their habitats are being carefully managed on balance with biological and cultural carrying capacities.

Now that wolf populations have reached and exceeded population goals, they need everyone on board to ensure the balance of protection and management required for top predators in healthy ecosystems,” he said.Baier added, “Lawsuits that block state management authority are not about state borders determining population management, or genetic interchange or more science needed. They’re about activist groups not wanting wolves hunted. And that ignores the reality that America is well past the day when one species, especially an alpha predator like the wolf, can be left unmanaged.”

Well SAID PRES!!!

Stream Access Law Passes House!

2009-04-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

The stream access law clarifying the right to access streams and rivers in Montana passed the house today by a vote of 96-3. This law will now go to the governor's office for signing. The law was put together by a coalition of ranchers, conservations groups and other interested parties. This is a good law for all concerned. We got this one right!

Update to Stream Access Law

2009-04-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

The stream access law HB 190 passed the senate with ease and is scheduled for a hearing today at the house. This is the last stop for the bill. It gained approval in the house earlier in the month so it is anticipated that it will pass with ease! We'll keep you updated along the way.

Gophers Out

2009-04-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

As reported a few weeks ago gophers are out in full force. Did some plinking on them yesterday. It was a target rich environment for sure. I know the eagles and hawks were happy for a meal! Don't forget to take a brick of ammo too. You could go through 500 rounds easy!

Bison Application Changes

2009-03-30T13:24:00.001-07:00

This year bison hunters must apply by May 1 for this fall and winters bison hunt.

The moose, sheep and goat application now include bison . In another change, while bison hunters will continue to have the option to apply for one of two areas for an either-sex bison, north of Gardner (395-00) or near West Yellowstone (385-00), hunters will not have the option of applying by time periods this year.

The cost for applying for a bison license will be the $5 drawing fee. The drawing will be conducted in September once the Commission sets the final Bison quotas and seasons. If you are successful in the Bison drawing you will be required to purchase the bison license for $125 prior to hunting.

Stream Access Law

2009-03-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

HB 190 is winding it's way through the Montana Legislature and is scheduled for the it's second reading after being amended by the Senate Fish and Game Committee. It made it out of committee by after being amended by a vote of 7 Yays and 2 Nays.

The second reading is scheduled to occur today 3/30/2009.

We'll keep you posted!

World Record Shiras Shed For Sale

2009-03-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

The World Record Shiras Moose shed that was found in Flathead County in 2007 is for sale. If you are interested please call Steve at 406-253-9294.

Huge Victory for Trout Unlimited!

2009-03-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

March 25 marked a huge victory for Trout Unlimited and for conservation. Rep Rehberg VOTED NAY AGAIN!!! He did not respond to my letter or email regarding this issue.

None the less the House of Representatives passed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, a landmark public lands protection bill that would ensure access and opportunity for hunters and anglers today and for generations to come.

Passage of this bill does more for hunting and fishing and outdoor recreation than any other measure in the last 15 years.

By a landslide vote of 285-140, the House of Representatives moved this bill over the finish line.

Now the bill will go to President Obama for his signature on Monday, March 30th.

According to Trout Unlimited....This victory would not have been possible without your help. Your continued engagement and efforts to communicate this bill’s importance to your Members of Congress paid out huge dividends. We were able to get landslide votes in both chambers which shows the hard work and perseverance you gave over the last 18 months. Trout Unlimited Thanks You!!!

Because of your help, we have successfully protected over 2 million acres of public lands. We have protected places like Copper-Salmon in Oregon, the Wyoming Range in Wyoming, the Wild Monongahela in West Virginia, the Owyhees in Idaho, the Eastern Sierras in California and so many other special places. We have also permanently protected the National Landscape Conservation System, a network of highly valuable public lands of acute interest to anglers and hunters. Included in that system is the famed Gunnison Gorge of Colorado, one of the best trophy trout fisheries in the West, and the Steens Mountain region, an irreplaceable hunting and fishing destination in eastern Oregon.

Many of the bills in the Omnibus have tremendous fish and wildlife conservation merit, have local community support –including ranchers and farmers who are partners in watershed groups – and have been developed in a bipartisan manner.

Passage of the Omnibus, which includes nearly 160 bills, is truly historic and one that will be considered an outstanding achievement for generations to come.

Rehberg Votes Against Sportsmen!

2009-03-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

Denny Rehberg voted against Ominbus Public Land Management Act of 2009 supported by Trout Unlimited, RMEF and various sportsmens groups across the country. The vote was only two votes shy of passing. It needed a 2/3rds majority to pass. Leadership will likely bring this to a vote again in the coming days.

Let Denny know where you stand on this bill and ask him to put sportsmen first and energy companies second! http://www.house.gov/rehberg/contact.shtml

While it doesn't affect Montana directly it would protect the following :

The Wyoming Range Legacy Act that would protect 1.2 million acres of Wyoming hunting and fishing paradise from unnecessary and unneeded oil and gas drilling. It's estimated the range sits above six hours worth of oil and only 24 days worth of natural gas—resources we can live without, given the above-ground resources that will produce hunting and fishing opportunity for generations to come.
The Copper-Salmon Wilderness Act that would protect the headwaters of the Elk River and, by extension, the pristine lower reaches of the river that provide some of the best coastal salmon and steelhead fishing on the West Coast.
The Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act that would permanently protect 450,000 acres as wilderness, including acreage in the headwaters of the Owens and West Walker rivers, (the Upper Owens being one of the top destinations for anglers and hunters in the entire state). It would also protect land in the San Gabriel Mountains vital to sportsmen who crave fishing and hunting destinations closer to Southern California’s urban centers.
The National Landscape Conservation System, a vast network of federal real estate that includes fishing destinations like Colorado’s famed Gunnison Gorge and hunting destinations like Oregon’s Steens Mountain Region.
The Wild Monongahela Wilderness Act in West Virginia, that would protect about 40,000 acres of backcountry in that state that provides some of the Eastern Seaboard’s best native brook trout angling and excellent deer and upland game bird hunting.

For more information on this important bill, visit www.tu.org. Thank you for your help with this vital issue, and thank you for your continued support of Trout Unlimited.

RMEF Banquet Upper Yellowstone

2009-03-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Upper Yellowstone Chapter of RMEF put on a great banquet on Friday night at the Livingston County Fairgrounds.

I didn't win anything after numerous tries but many others did. I also had a great time talking about elk and elk hunting. When do you get enough of that? .

The RMEF 25th Anniverary Rifle went for less than $1,000. There were some other great values too.

Check out the Event Calendar for the banquet in your area....

http://www.sportsmensaccess.com/index.php?page=events

Good News for NW Montana Wetlands

2009-03-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

Ken Salazar the Secretary of the Interior approved $6.6 million for a wildlife habitat conservation project in Northwest Montana.

The Migratory Bird Conservation Commision charied by Salazar, approved funding for the Glaciated Valleys of Northwest Montana Project. Salazar said last Thursday that the project will receive a $1 million dollar grant, $2.8 million in matching funds and $2.8 million in non-matching funds.

The project seeks to protect wetlands and associated fish and wildlife in Northwestern Montana.

Gophers Are Out

2009-03-14T08:16:00.001-07:00

I saw the first gophers of the season yesterday. So it's almost spring. Break out the .22's and bows and go out and shoot some gophers.

Attention Horn Hunters

2009-03-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

Remember horn hunters...WMA's are closed through May 15. So avoid getting a ticket for tresspassing. A new law under review currently in the legislature would make tresspassing on a BMA have a penalty of losing your hunting priviledges for one year. Legislators aren't making up this rule because no one is tresspassing. I turned in someone last year who rode up a BMA with horses and a pack saddle to collect horns. Blew right by the sign. Didn't give a squat who was watching.

The areas are meant to give wildlife, primarily elk, a wintering area free from human presence and keep them off neighboring ranch land.

WOLVES DELISTED!!!

2009-03-06T15:34:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the politicians get it right... Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s announced today agreeing with the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in January to remove gray wolves from the list of threatened and endangered species in Montana, Idaho, and parts of Utah, Washington, Oregon. Wolves will remain a protected species in Wyoming.

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, which is expected within a few weeks. Just in time!

If you've been in the woods this past year you know the impact of wolves on elk herds this year. Now it’s time for the state to take over management of the wolf just like it should've been in the first place.

USFWS originally announced the decision to delist the wolf in January, but the new administration decided to review the decision as part of an overall, government-wide regulatory review when it came into office.

Federal officials said the USFWS decided to delist the wolf in Idaho and Montana because they have approved state wolf management plans and solid programs in place that will ensure the conservation of the species in the future.

At the same time, USFWS determined wolves in Wyoming would still be listed under the Endangered Species Act because Wyoming’s current state law and wolf management plan of shoot'em on site doesn't cover a management plan according to the Feds.

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 transition, however, may face court challenges. Several groups say they will closely scrutinize the latest federal delisting decision and may renew legal challenges to block it. "We belive this decision is on solid biological and legal footing, " Maurier said. "If challenged, FWP will defend the delisting decision.

Legal challenges could 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 confident a wolf-hunting season could occur.

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 1,600 wolves, with about 95 breeding pairs, live in the region now. MORE THAN 5 TIMES THE ORIGINAL STATED number.

About 420 wolves inhabited Montana, in 73 packs and 39 breeding pairs at the end of 2007, Maurier said. The population is expected to increase slightly when 2008 minimum estimates are finalized.

Top Trophies Great Rockies Show Kalispell

2009-03-03T17:05:00.000-08:00

Here are the top trophies for Montana hunting at the Kalispell show. Two of the most consistent complaints were heard were, the abundance of wolves and the lack of game in the area.

The heavy snows last year and this year have made their impact felt on mature deer with only a few nice whitetails brought in. One mule deer came in that scored over 180 but it was taken out before I could get a photo of it.

Here are the top trophies....

This was the best bull elk brought in with a score of 317 6/8 it was taken in Flathead County in 2008 with Archery equipment.

The trophy below was 1st place in the youth division. It scored 167 and was taken with a rifle in Flathead County in 2007. This non-typical whitetail was taken this year with a rifle in Pondera county and scores 179 4/8

This next whitetail was found in 2008 in Lake County and scores 183 4/8.

This ram was taken this year with archery equipment in Blaine County and scores 184 5/8.

This one may still be wandering around! This moose shed was is a World Record Shiras Moose but only one side was found. It was found in Flathead County in 2007.

Predator Call Give Away

2009-03-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

Be sure to enter this month's drawing for a predator pack calling sportsmen's dream. This one is a must for Montana Hunting.

We're featuring Walt Earl Sr.'s DVD's, diaphram calls, and call pouch. Also to be given away is the call the Walt likes to use the, Crit'R-Call. So don't miss out on this one visit our home page at http://www.sportsmensaccess.com/

Smith River Permits out Today!

2009-02-24T08:51:00.001-08:00

I DREW A PERMIT!!!

I can't believe it I actually drew the permit. Now I have to see if there is going to be any water in the river in August. This was my second choice I never thought I would draw so now we'll see.

This year, 5,704 people applied for a permit to float the Smith, and 915 received the permit they sought, a 16 percent success rate.

Total applications this year were behind last year’s record of 5,820. Of this year’s applicants, 4,785 were Montana residents; 919 were nonresidents.

To see if you were one of the lucky one's LIKE ME check on the FWP web page: http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licensedraw/results.aspx

Beginning March 18, the Smith River reservation line, (406) 454-5861, will be in operation Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon. Here you can pick up any cancelled launch dates. You can also use this number if you need to cancel a launch date.

50 Years Of Predator Hunting Wisdom

2009-02-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

What do you ask a guy that has been predator hunting longer than you been alive?

I had to ask myself this when I decided to write about Walt Earl Sr. Walt has been actively working in predator control for over 50 years and at 70 years old Walt is still going strong.

Walt started his career at 19 years old as a government trapper. He held that position for 22 years. Then in 1980 because of some changes in government rules he decided to leave the federal workforce and turned his career turned to predator control for the private sector. That was 29 years ago. Today he conducts seminars across the country and Montana. He also conducts a hands on predator control school where he teaches his methods to students. Visit www.olcoyote.com for more information on the school and the product and calls he uses.

Some people might say why hunt coyotes? Over 10,200 sheep and lambs were killed in Montana by coyotes in 2008. On sheep alone, coyotes accounted for 67% of the predator caused losses or $700,000 according to the USDA News Release this month. This is more than all other predators combined!

The day I met him we drove to a local ranch that was losing calves to coyotes. As we pulled up to the ranch I looked it over and thinking where I would set up to call. Walt pointed out where he had patterned the coyotes that were living on the ranch. “The coyotes here are living in very close territories. The proximity of the territories is determined by the amount of food and cover available in the area. Obviously here there is a lot of both”. He pointed out the different places each breeding pair was and where they hunted.

Walt’s tactics are typically different than an average predator hunter. This is the way Walt makes a living and is paid to reduce the predators on a ranch. “Some fur hunters may not like that I hunt coyotes all year around” Walt shared with me. “I think if they were in my shoes having to make a living doing this they would probably do the same thing.” In my opinion I agree with Walt, I would do the same things he is doing if I were in his shoes.

I was here on Walt’s invitation which I sincerely thank him for. I wanted to glean some of the wisdom and knowledge that he has from the 50 years of chasing predators, so time to learn.

We checked some snares that he had set up and saw one female coyote sitting out above a fence where Walt had caught the “Dog” or male coyote. “She’s hanging out where I caught him a few days ago. “ Walt shared. As we neared the location we saw eagles circling and some magpies fly off. All of this told us something was in the snare. As we approached we could see that it was a snowshoe rabbit. Now we know an additional reason the female coyote was hanging out there. Between the coyote, eagles and magpies that were all eager for a meal there wasn’t much left. I asked Walt if we would call to the female. He told me, “90% of the time if a coyote sees you it won’t respond to the call”.

We went checking snares and set up for a calling session where the ever changing wind was making our choice of calling location tough. First the wind was blowing from the south, then switched to the north and then back again. Nevertheless we found a place where the wind was consistent and we set up for a calling set.

The first thing I noticed as Walt started his barks and howls on his diaphragm call was how loud my calling was compared to his. I asked him about this. He let me know, “most people call way to loud”, “I think you want to challenge a coyote but you also want to invite him to some see what you are, not scare him off”. He went on to say, “if you get an answer back, call a little softer, maybe not so course or tough. It’s like telling the coyote that maybe I’m not as mean and tough as I thought I was before he answered.” Earlier I had let Walt know that I archery hunted and he brought up this question, “What happens if you bugle and bull answers you, then you let out a big, mean, deep bugle, like you’re the baddest bull in the woods?” I replied, “Usually the bull will gather up his cows and head off in the other direction.” Walt let me know that it was the same thing with coyotes.

During the day we saw three coyotes and called in one location. “No sense in educating the coyotes and making it tougher for me tomorrow.” Walt shared. With the shifting wind and tough open approaches the coyotes definitely had the advantage this day.

Here are Walt’s top Common Mistakes hunters make when calling and tips on choosing a calling location.

Walt’s Top Five Mistakes
1. Most people call too loud (Guilty as charged)
Remember a coyote can hear a mouse in the grass so he can hear you calling

2. Don’t expose yourself to the calling area
Keep hidden using the terrain to shield yourself from being seen

3. Don’t park too close to the calling area
Park at least one mile away

4. Always be aware of the wind
Don’t set up and call if the wind isn’t in your favor. All you do is educate the coyote
5. Watch your own scent
Don’t wear cologne, deodorant and clothes with heavy detergent odors
“We here to kill the coyote not ask it out” Walt let me know

Walt’s Tips on Choosing a Call Location
1. Call any place
Sincerely these coyotes are smart and they can be anywhere

2. Locate coyotes
Hunt coyotes like you would if you were turkey hunting. Know where they hang out and where they live before you call to them

3. Plan your route calling route
When you approach give care not to be seen as you enter the area and look at the
wind as before you make your way into their territory. If it’s not right don’t do go into their territory and educate them.

4. Select the right call for the right time of year. For example;
December through March I use a bark and howl
June through August use the kiyi (but locate the den first)
September through November use the fawn in distress and fawn in distress with coyote giving chase

5. Shoot straight and don’t miss
Cause we all miss at some point.

As a predator hunter myself I had a couple of questions I had wanted to know the answer to…Here are my questions with Walt’s answers:

Q: If you get a howl or bark back what should you do?

A: “Don’t be the aggressor. Howl shorter or bark and yip softer. Don’t be the biggest and
baddest.

Q: Is it possible to get mange from coyotes?

A: No mange is only species specific coyotes to coyotes, wolves to wolves etc.

Q: Should you cover your face when calling?

A: I don’t, and none of the noted callers in the country like Randy Anderson, Les
Johnson, or Wiley Carol did. But I do cover my hands. Cause your hands are moving
all the time and the white on the back of your hands flashes from the movement.

Q: After you shoot a coyote should you let it lay while all the fleas and ticks come off of it?

A: I put them in a black plastic bag and spay in this stuff called Ortho Home Defense, it
kills whatever comes off them.

Q: Do coyotes use the same den each year?

A: No then use a new den each year.

When I asked Walt about calling he told me to remember that all coyotes sound different and there is no such thing as a perfect howl. So go out there and try. See what happens and learn from it. He told me that in 1976 he and the rest of the government trappers were sent a free Crit’r Call from Major Boddicker and he’s been using one every since. Walt produces some diaphragm calls he uses for barks, howls, and kiyi’s. They are very effective.

After spending a day with Walt I felt like I was the one who really benefited from taking the day to spend with him. It was a great day! Check out his website and think about attending one of his predator schools. I know I’m trying to see how I can fit it in my schedule.

If you’ve have any questions for Walt visit his website at www.olcoyote.com where you’ll find a place to send him an email.

Good luck and Shoot Straight!

Joe Esparza

Status of Bills Affecting Hunting, Fishing and Access

2009-02-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

Bill Recap and Status Montana Hunting and Fishing

HB 79 - Restricts the State to no net gain in State Land acreage.That means no new Fishing Access Sites, Habitat MT purchases.

HB 190 - Bridge Access Bill, passed through the House with only 5 no votes on 2nd reading and 97-3 on 3rd reading. Will be transmitted to the Senate. This is one we all want to see passed!

HB 172 - Hearing 02/03/2009~ Provisional Hunter Safety Certificate for Persons with Disabilities. This bill will offer hunting opportunities to those individuals with "special" education needs, but does not give gun privileges to those who have been precluded from using firearms. Passed 3rd reading in House 2/10/09.

HB 253 - The Montana Wild Bison Recovery and Conservation Act would put primary bison management responsibility into FWP authority. Bison are a game animal in MT but Dept. of Livestock has had the primary role within the Interagency Bison Management Plan discussions. HB 253 would change that. HB 253 was tabled in committee.

HB 317 - Guarantee special hunting license forfeited because of military deployment. MWF supports our troops and believes this provision is only the fair thing to do for those abroad sacrificing for their country. Passed 3rd reading and will be scheduled for the Senate soon.

HB 314 - Our Harboring Act that would provide relief to ranchers who offer public hunting but suffer crop loss due to a neighboring landowner that harbors deer, elk etc. but not allow public hunting to control animal numbers. Hearing held Tuesday February 17, executive action expected soon.

HB 382 - Hearing 02/03/2009 Hunter Mentoring for Certain Hunters and exempts beginner hunters from Hunter Safety instruction, for up to 5 years. That 26 states have begun a "mentor" program sets some precedence, but no reports on their success are available and it is questionable that Montana needs this program. This bill passed out of the FWP Committee after amendments changed the requirements to "only hunters over the age of 14" and limiting the exemption to 1 year. Passed 2nd reading, 3rd reading scheduled for today 2/18.

HB 402 - Removes sunset on Land Banking and increases maximum acreage trade to 500,000 acres. Sportsmen want to keep current 200,00 acre maximum and a sunset to ensure the program isn't abused.

HB 430 - Establishes in law that although Stockgrowers can fence across navigable streams to keep livestock under check, those fences can't be barbed wire for public safety reasons. Hearing scheduled for March 5 in House FWP Comm.

HB 614 - Makes it a state crime to ride off-highway vehicles on closed public lands. No such law exists making off-road violations difficult. Hearing likely on Friday February 20 in House Judiciary Committee.

SB 31 - Requires that a member of the FWP Commission to own 1280 acres & be in the full-time business of raising livestock. By state law, one member of the Commission must have a history with raising livestock already, we shouldn't eliminate good Commission candidates who might raise hay or wheat, or someone who depends on leasing for their operation. This bill has passed the Senate 28-21and is scheduled to be heard in House FWP Committee.

SB 162 -Requires FWP to ONLY make season/license changes where biological reasons dictate. This is an attempt to take any social elements from the season-setting and harvest processes in response to changes in Archery license requirements in select Hunt Districts. SB 162 will be heard on the Senate floor on Monday February 9, 2009 at 1 pm. Passed 2nd reading, Killed on 3rd reading 23-26.

SB 163 - Will require FWP to do an Economic Impact Analysis within every rule making procedure. The cost to sportsmen and diversion of license dollar funds is enormous for no perceivable gain. Fortunately this bill has been tabled.

SB164 - Requires a set 40% of any purchase price for FWP properties to be set aside for maintenance whether or not the condition of the land requires any weed containment or other upkeep. This bill's intent is merely to cripple FWP's authority to establish a responsible budget. It was amended to require 20% additional money to be set aside for maintenance and removed the requirement that no further purchases until that maintenance/weed control has taken place then passed on 3rd reading in the Senate.

SB 183 - Prohibits cooperative work with US Government in regards to wolves. Hearing 2/19 at 3PM in Senate F&G Comm, 3PM.

SB 213 - Hearing 02/03/2009 ) Require FWP plan to manage wildlife to prevent disease transmission: Senate Bill 213 will require FWP to manage wildlife to "prevent disease transmission". Because of its vague wording, this bill could be used to begin a "test and slaughter" program for elk in the Yellowstone area. FWP already has the authority to address disease issues and always has. SB 213 was heard in the Senate Fish and Game Committee. Fiscal note shows a $300,000 cost in sportsmen's dollars. SB
213 has been amended to prevent disease transmission BETWEEN livestock and wildlife, a change that takes the teeth out of the bill. Likely to pass 3rd reading soon.

SB 217 -Requires that testing costs be borne by FWP with license dollars for any livestock diseases that can be attributed to wildlife if big game numbers are over FWP objectives. In many areas in MT, we cannot manage by hunting or get access to big game to manage populations then how can we meet objectives using our number one technique: public hunting! The Fiscal note shows a cost to sportsmen of $18 M in state and federal funding .
Tabled in Committee.

SB 314 - would change the definition of "natural waters" for Stream Access purposes, to only those streams that have NO irrigation return water, or have any water diverted for irrigation purposes, essentially eliminating almost all streams outside of National Forest boundaries. Any such streams would be ineligible for stream access until they return to Class I waters, or those which meet Navigability requirements. Additionally, it alters portage requirements to apply only to "manufactured" obstructions, which now are defined as anything "manmade". You could not portage those boulders and rootballs put into streambeds to divert water into headgates!! February 12 - SB 314 was to be heard in Senate F&G Comm. at 3PM but has been postponed to a later date. Currently the sponsor has asked that the bill not be heard.

SB 316 - Hearing 02/10/2009 Allow Attorney General Assistance to County Attorney in Road Disputes. Please support this excellent bill carried by Jeff Essman (R) of Billings. As more and more public/private road disputes arise, the work load imposed upon County Attorneys has grown to unmanageable levels. This short bill clarifies the role of the AG in determining legal status of questionable road ownership. Hearing was canceled in Senate Judiciary Committee but expected to be rescheduled in March.

SB 383 Requires full-size license plates on ATVs and off-highway vehicles.
When abuses occur in the field, identification is difficult. This bill will provide another tool for prosecuting violators. Hearing scheduled for Thursday, February 19 at 3PM in Senate Highways and Transportation Committee, rm 405.

SB 404 - Revises location requirements for Bird Shooting Preserves, increases maximum size requirements and requires no net loss of public hunting opportunities as a result. Passed out of Committee headed for Senate floor.

Issues and Bills of Concern and Their Current Status: (fromhttp://www.blogger.com/www.montanawildlife.org)

Don't Forget to Renew Your License

2009-02-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

March 1 is the beginning of the new fishing and hunting license year. Current fishing and hunting licenses expire on Feb. 28, except for licenses that cover furbearer trapping and mountain lion hunting. New licenses are available at FWP offices or from FWP license providers around the state.

Fishing in FEB follow-up

2009-02-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, maybe I'm not the shapest knife in the drawer. Too many tequillas in college or did my mom drop me once to many.

I was fishing again this past weekend. Again no fish but is was beautiful. Is there a trend here???

$245,000 Paid for MT Sheep Tag

2009-02-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

The conservation tag was auctioned off to an Illinois man at the Wild Sheep Foundation's convention in Salt Lake last weekend. Good thing I missed the auction....yeah right! The Foundation would not release the Champaign, Illnios bidders name. But we do know that he owns a chain of sandwich shops. Can you say $245,000 foot long?

This year's tag sold for $50,000 more than the tag a year ago. Considering that three, possibly four rams, were shot this year that scored over 200 this year this gentleman has a great opportunity to take a book ram.

A Montana hunter from Whitefish bid $10,000 for a mountain goat liscense and the Mule Deer Foundation auctioned off a mule deer liscense for $8,500. The elk liscense will be auctioned off at the Elk Foundations big convention to be held in Fort Worth, TX March 5-8. We'll keep you posted on that one.

Unlike Utah where the new world record elk was taken, these conservation tag winners have to hunt during seasons and with weapons that apply to the rest of us.

Response From Senator on SB 314

2009-02-11T07:01:00.001-08:00

UPDATE

Here is Senator Wanzenried's response to my inquiry of status of SB 314 Received February 18.

As of this moment, it still has not been scheduled for a hearing, Joe.

Watch for a last minute hearing, rushed testimony, and a favorable vote just prior to the transmittal deadline, when we have a flood of bills.

Please see if you can follow this link:

http://laws.leg.mt.gov/laws09/LAW0203W$BSRV.ActionQuery?P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&P_BILL_NO=314&P_BILL_DFT_NO=&P_CHPT_NO=&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SBJ_DESCR=&P_SBJT_SBJ_CD=&P_LST_NM1=Hollenbaugh%2C+Galen+&P_ENTY_ID_SEQ=5479

Respectfully,

Dave Wanzenried

I thought that I would let you all know that your voice does make a difference here is the response I got after emailing all the Senators on the Natural Resources Committee. Thank You! Senator Wanzenried, Senate District #49 Missoula.

Hello, Joe.

Based on my reading of SB 314 and the input I have received to date, which has been overwhelmingly against the bill, I intend to vote against NO.

As you can see from this link, a hearing on the bill has been canceled two times:

http://laws.leg.mt.gov/laws09/LAW0203W$BSRV.ActionQuery?P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&P_BILL_NO=314&P_BILL_DFT_NO=&P_CHPT_NO=&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SBJ_DESCR=&P_SBJT_SBJ_CD=&P_LST_NM1=&P_ENTY_ID_SEQ=

As of this evening, I have no idea as to when it might be re-scheduled.

Please continue to make calls and send e-mails to the members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, especially the R's.

Please continue to keep in touch with me.

Respectfully,

Dave Wanzenried
Senate District # 49
Missoula

Legislative Alert Take Action to Protect Your Access

2009-02-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

We recevied this legislative alert and ask you to take action right away!

Montana TU Legislative Alert - February 7, 2009

Your help needed today! Help defeat SB 314, the radical anti-stream access bill.

Background
Sen. Rick Laible (R-Victor) is sponsoring SB 314, a bill that will dramatically reduce the number of streams in the state that you can legally access for fishing.

Sen. Laible seems to be carrying this bill for a few landowners - several who are not even Montanans -- who live along Mitchell Slough, a natural side-channel of the Bitterroot River. For years, a few of these landowners have been employing legal actions to have Mitchell Slough declared off limits to public access.

Last October the Montana Supreme Court unanimously rejected the landowners' strategy to have the stream declared not "natural" and thus the stream access law wouldn't apply. Now, the landowners, with Sen. Laible's help are seeking to close the stream by having the Legislature re-define what a stream is.

In order to help a few landowners who have lost their case in the state's highest court, Sen. Laible's bill will turn the stream access law on its head by creating a new definition that could make hundreds of other streams in the state off-limits to access.

SB 314 says that a stream is open for access only if it flows perennially without the benefit of return flows from irrigation. However, one reason some streams aren't "perennial" is because they are dewatered by irrigation or occasionally by drought.

SB 314 further says that Class 2 streams that receive return flows from irrigation are not open for access. This includes most streams in many agricultural valleys. SB 314 then says that when an irrigator takes water from a stream, puts it on crops, and the remaining diverted water flows back into the stream, it makes the stream not "natural" and thus off-limits to access.

This occurs with most every stream in most irrigated valleys in Montana, including many in Sen.Laible's own district -streams that the public have been legally accessing for decades. Besides eliminating access, SB 314 provides incentives for some landowners to completely dry up streams.

SB 314 undermines the Montana Supreme Court's decision on what a stream is for access purposes, and it violates the Montana Constitution by saying that the water found in some streams is NOT owned by the public.

You can help stop this radical bill by doing four things:

Respectfully contact Sen. Laible TODAY and urge him to drop the measure. Tell him he should represent all Montanans by preserving the stream access law. Call him at 406-444-4800 during regular business hours and leave a message. Or e-mail him at ricklaible@aol.com .
Contact other members of the Senate Natural ResourceCommittee, where the bill will be heard, and tell them to oppose SB314. They are:

Kelly Gebhardt gebby@midrivers.com
Debby Barrett grt3177@smtel.com
Aubyn Curtiss aubyna@interbel.net
Ken Hansen hansen_kenneth@email.com
Christine Kaufmann kaufmann@mt.net
Gary Perry perrysd35@aol.com
Jim Peterson jpranch@mtintouch.net
Donald Steinbeisser donstein@midrivers.com
Mitch Tropila tropila@mt.net
David Wanzenried daveew@gmail.com

3. Contact your state senator and tell them to oppose SB 314 because it undermines our finely honed access law for the benefit of a few.

4. Write a letter to the editor of your paper asking the public to oppose SB 314 because it harms all Montanans for the benefit of a special few.

TAKE ACTION NOW OR LOSE YOUR ACCESS TOMORROW!!! I did two of the four today!

Frontier Anglers 2nd Annual April Spring Fishing Packages

2009-02-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

I just received a great Spring Fishing Package from Matt at Frontier Anglers on my personal favorite river in Southwest Montana so I thought I'd pass it on.

Come join Frontier Anglers this April on a can't miss spring fishing package. You'll get 3 nights lodging, All meals, All flies and of course 2 full days of guided fishing with one of our experienced professionals. Float the legendary Big Hole River for the seasons 1st DRY FLY hatches. You'll experience Blue Wing Olives, Caddis, Skwalas and fish with large appetites. Or, choose to fish the Beaverhead River, loaded with over 4,000 fish per mile. Sight fish to pods of rising trout eating Blue Wings Olives, Caddis and Midges.Enjoy early season fishing, NO crowds & unsophisticated trout!At a price anyone can afford...........$575 per person/dbl. occupancy.

Tell'em SportsmensAccess.com sent you

Call now to ensure your space....1-800-228-5263. Time is limited - April Only!

Missouri Breaks Stimulus Package DIY Archery Elk Hunt

2009-02-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Current success rate of this hunt: 50%
Average success rate of DIY archery hunters 12-15%
Current shot opportunities on 270-320 class bulls 70-80%
Killing a 300 point bull with your bow PRICELESS

If taking a bull like this with a bow is something that you want to do then check out Trip ID 2226

This is a DIY HUNT out of ground blinds and tree stands for bulls that have been averaging 270-320 B&C. This hunt even has a mobile home for you to stay in. At two hunters at $2,000 each this is a deal on a great private land elk hunt in the Missouri Breaks. Remember you can only book this hunt if your a member so JOIN TODAY.

New Bill has Elk in Crosshairs Brucellosis

2009-02-04T17:24:00.000-08:00

Lawmakers took their first crack at the newest chapter in Montana’s long battle with brucellosis Tuesday: Elk.

A bill sponsored by Sen. Keith Bales, R-Otter, would add to the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ duties the task of preventing disease transmission between livestock and wildlife. While those diseases include everything from tuberculosis to ungulate fever, there was no question at the bill’s afternoon hearing that brucellosis gave rise to the bill.

Two cattle in Montana tested positive for brucellosis last year. The disease causes cows to abort. While Yellowstone bison have been the focus of brucellosis control, elk are thought to be the source of the most recent cases. “If this bill had been in place five or 10 years ago…we might not be in the situation we are,” Bales said of his bill. While Chris Smith of FWP said he does not necessarily agree with that statement, he spoke in favor of the bill as one that would allow his agency to continue its work on controlling brucellosis and other diseases.

“They’re not livestock problems. They’re not wildlife problems. They’re disease problems,” he told the Senate Fish and Game Committee. Since the spring outbreak of brucellosis, FWP has killed two elk thought to be carrying the virus and has been working with landowners to control herds that threaten more cases of the disease, Smith said. Ag groups also came out for the bill.“A lot of ranchers are being overrun by elk, and they are fearful of a brucellosis outbreak,” said Ariel Overstreet of the Montana Cattlewomen’s Association. Jay Bodner, natural resources director for the Montana Stockgrowers Association, said he would like to see the bill move FWP toward practices like “strategic hazing,” something Smith said is not now in FWP’s disease control playbook.

Opponents of the bill said they were concerned the wording of the bill could force FWP to devote a disproportionate amount of resources toward disease-control.v“This could set a precedent for managing wildlife for one particular reason,” said Ben Lamb of the Montana Wildlife federation.

The bill, which carries a cost of $300,000 per year, was also the recipient of Budget Director Dave Ewer’s disapproval via form letter, which is being sent out to many hearings involving bills that cost money. Bales maintained Senate Bill 213’s importance.“The disease was spread to livestock from elk. Since the Department of Livestock has not authority over elk at this time, they cannot prevent that,” he said. “This will help. This will add the final key to trying to control disease.”

While we at SportsmensAccess.com we agree that:
There is a problem with elk carry brucellosis
FWP is the agency that needs to deal with elk with this disease
FWP would need additional funds from somewhere other it's normal operating budget to deal with managing this disease

We don't agree:

That the elk should be shot by FWP officials. Why not have sportsmen on the game damage control list take these elk. Lower cost and less manpower spent by FWP.
The point of view that ranchers "are being overrun by elk"

The two cows that we taken were shot on public land. Not on ranch lands. What do we do about these elk?

As we know large herds of elk gather on some private grounds with no access allowed. This is one of the tough issues that will need to be addressed. What do we do with large herds of elk that gather on private land where no hunting is allowed? Will FWP officials be able to "haze" elk of these properties? We stradle a fine line between private property rights and controlling a disease. No easy answer on this one.

Proposed Bill Looks to Change Hunters Ed Requirments

2009-02-04T17:06:00.001-08:00

A Missoula lawmaker thinks Montana can bolster youth hunting by easing hunter education requirements in the state.

House Bill 382 would allow first-timers to go out with an experienced hunter instead of attending a hunter education course, which is now required for anyone born after 1984. The hunters would have to take a safety course within five years, but Rep. Robin Hamilton, D-Missoula, said his bill would allow parents and grandparents to more easily get youngsters in the family interested in field sports.The bill was heard Tuesday in the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee.

Supporters of the bill echoed Hamilton’s assertion that the bill would get more youngsters into hunting and the outdoors.But many others n including many hunter education instructors n are opposed to the plan, in part because it would allow kids of any age to participate in the program and removes hunter education requirements.
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“There’s no age determination,” said George Golie of the Montana Wildlife Federation. “Does that mean a 7-year-old can have a .30-06 out there hunting?”“This bill guts the mandatory hunter education requirements,” said Ron Moody, a hunter education instructor from Lewistown.

Hamilton and other supporters attempted to calm fears that the program would make hunting less safe.“Modern hunters are so different and consciences of safety. The data doesn't bear out those fears,” Hamilton said.

A bill resembling HB382 has passed in 27 states, Gray said.“The mentored hunter, as a block, is the safest group of hunters,” Gray said. “We’ve had no incidents that involved an apprentice hunter.”

Underpinning the bill is a decline in hunters nationwide, a decline that’s largely to blame on fewer young people getting into the sport.According to the Families Afield Coalition n a group that is promoting legislation like Hamilton’s nationwide.

Montana has a 56 percent “replacement rate” for hunters. That means for every hunter taking up the sport, about two hunters are hanging their rifles up. Steve Gray of Families Afield said in other states, the mentoring programs they’ve helped create have worked. Nationwide, 208,000 people have gotten hunting permits under the programs, Gray said. He could not say how many of those hunters would have otherwise entered the sport by other means, but said he is confident it is helping to reverse declining numbers. “This is a proactive approach to ensure hunting well into the future,” he said. Opponents challenged that hunter education requirements are impeding young people’s interest in hunting. They pointed to changes in social norms and private property concerns. “Let’s get to the heart of the problem, which is access,” said Golie. The committee did not take immediate action on the bill.

We at SportsmensAccess.com disagree with Golie's point of view. New and young hunter numbers are declining not because of lack of access but because of video games, cell phones, ipods, and kids that aren't being recruited into the sport. There is solid data showing this from a study at the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Update to the Stream Access Law from Jan 22nd

2009-02-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

The only surviving bridge-access bill won the support of its most vocal critic in a House vote Monday, but several Southwest Montana lawmakers made up the extreme minority voting against the bill.

House Bill 190, sponsored by Rep. Kendall Van Dyk, was approved 95-5 in the House and will presumably be sent to the Senate after a final vote by representatives.

The bill seeks to put into law a Madison County judge’s ruling that people can access Montana rivers from most county bridges and puts into place a state enforcer to ensure that access.

The Montana Cattlemen’s Association, The Montana Farm Bureau, Trout Unlimited and many other groups are supporting the bill. Critics, however, say HB190 eliminates local control of bridges and could compromise private property rights.

The bill has proven to be one of the highest profile of the session thus far. One lobbyist even formed a lighthearted betting pool on what Monday’s House vote would be. HB190 makes the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks responsible for resolving conflicts. The Montana Association of Counties supports the bill as is.

Three of the five representatives who voted against the bill hail from Southwest Montana, home of the most popular fishing destinations in the state. Reps. Scott Sales and Gordon Vance, both Bozeman Republicans, joined Joel Boniek, R-Livingston in opposing the bill. Reps. Scott Mendenhall, a Clancy Republican and Lee Randall, R-Broadus, also opposed the bill. Sales, the House minority leader, said after the vote that Montana already has “tremendous access” and that this bill could enhance it “at the cost of property rights.” However, he may change his vote during the third reading of the bill, he said.Vance and Boniek both said they opposed the bill because they prefer counties oversee bridge access.

Fishing in FEB Burrrrr

2009-02-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

Ok it was sunny when we started but as we all know does it change fast! Out on the Lower Madison on Super Bowl Sunday. Saw two other guys dumb as me to be out there fishing. No fish only one bite and froze my As%$#@(* off. Did I tell you I only had a vest on. "Forgot my jacket.

Sorry about the audio...Oh did I forget to say it was windy!

Billings Woman Gives 615 Acres to BLM

2009-01-30T16:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-30T12:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-22T05:40:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-15T07:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-13T07:27:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

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!

Recap of Extended Elk Season

2008-12-31T18:08:00.000-08:00

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks released a preliminary estimate indicating 1,840 elk were harvested in the longest hunting season extension implemented by the agency. They went on to report that approximately 1,411 antlerless elk and 424 bulls were harvest across the 18 extended hunting districts. Despite this record long extension pre-established harvest quotas were not reached in any extended area. FWP noted that bull harvest quotas were not exceeded in any extended season area.

According to Kurt Alt, Regional Wildlife Manager, “Harvest approached bull quota first in hunting district 314 and shortly after that in other extended areas.” All extended areas were closed to bull hunting and in advance of severe winter weather.

Hunters should expect to see continued elk harvest opportunities in various areas of Region 3 through management seasons and game damage hunts until Feb. 15, 2009, including in hunting districts 360 and 362.Hunters needed to sign up by July 15 for management season and game damage hunting opportunities through FWP’s game damage roster.

41 wide MT buck?

2008-12-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

WOW look at this beauty. It was taken a few years ago on a special permit hunt which also produced the #2 buck in the state. The draw on this unit is very, very low but if you draw it wow! This buck is reported to be 41 inches wide. Enjoy the photos.

Taking of Pending #2 Big Horn Under Investigation

2008-12-08T17:47:00.001-08:00

We've confirmed that the taking of this ram that we reported back in October is under investigation by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. I heard some buzz shortly after this ram was taken that this was a sting operation. I won't go into the details of the rumor mill and if you hear anything that's all it is...RUMOR. Remember a man is innocent until he is proven guilty!

Calls to the Region 6 information officer confirmed that there is currently an open and on-going investigation into the taking of this ram. Since it was an on-going investigation they couldn't provide any details.

We'll keep you appraised on the situtation.

FULL OF BULL

2008-12-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

This gives new meaning to the expression full of bull. Ok! Only in Montana do you load a big bull whole into your JEEP! These guys get the "get'er done award"!!!

With enough muscle and rope just about anything is possible. I do believe that is a diamond hitch, yeah right!

Missouri Breaks

2008-11-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Need A Place To Go?

Where can you go to hunt in Montana that provides you with opportunities for huns, sharptails, pheasants, geese, ducks, turkeys, antelope, deer and elk? (Of course, you need to draw tags for antelope and elk.) The answer is the Missouri River Breaks. What makes this area even better is that you don’t have to wonder if you are trespassing.

This area, commonly referred to as “the Breaks” encompasses the upper Missouri River Breaks, which begin at US Highway 87 near Fort Benton, includes the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, and concludes at Fort Peck Dam. All told, this area is approximately 274 air miles in length and provides 1,475,000 acres (including Fort Peck Reservoir) of recreation opportunities for the outdoorsman.

Stories of Success
On this trip, a friend scored a bull elk tag and shot one that we rough-scored at 330 B&C. My friend saw 11 bulls one morning and took the biggest one. In addition, he shot a 24 inch mule deer. Not bad for 10 days of hunting. I joined him later on his trip and was able to shoot the buck pictured above whose rack measured 22 inches wide and 20 inches tall.

As luck would have it the next day we saw 3 bucks that were all bigger than the buck I took. We were able to get 83 yards from them (I had my rangefinder). The biggest buck was a brusier. We guessed him at 26 inches wide. He had deep forks and a very heavy frame. With only a few weeks left in the season and where he's at I think he has a good chance at making till next year.

Sharptails

2008-11-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

In addition to a successful hunt for mule deer. I also packed my shotgun and hit some of the public ground around the breaks. We hit some of the local BLM and Block Management lands and found great sharptail hunting. These birds didn’t seem to have received too much pressure and were flushing well inside gun range. This was great considering we weren’t hunting over dogs. We got into groups of birds numbering in the 40’s and 50’s, some of the best sharptail hunting I’ve experienced. Other members in our group saw even larger numbers of birds. Needless to say, it didn’t take long to get our limits.

If this story motivates you to make a combo hunt, don’t forget your decoys. We saw so many geese and ducks we wish we had packed them. The geese were piling into stubble fields and winter wheat, and we didn’t see anyone else hunting.

Just one more thing. We visited a local rancher who provides access to hunters, and we saw over 30 turkeys just on his place. When we asked if we could hunt, he told us, “Have at it.” Unfortunately, we ran out of time. The good news is turkey season closes on January 1.

Suburban Elk

2008-11-15T15:48:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of some elk near Bozeman about a 1/2 mile from my house. These elk have been causing problems on this end of town for over 4 years. They lead to altercations between hunters, people who like watching the elk, landowners, and unethical slobs who would do anything to shoot an easy elk.

Pheasants, Pheasants, Pheasants

2008-11-05T12:52:00.001-08:00

After traveling around central Montana looking for some pheasants I was able to locate some on a ranch near Winnett. The cold, wet weather we had in May and June along with a late season hail storm really took the toll on birds. Although the ranch owner described this as a down year I was able to get a 3 bird limit in about 1.5 hours. I saw an abundant amount of birds and had ample shot opportunity. This ranch has ideal habitat with 3 miles of creek bottom and closely controlled access. The ranch owners also manage the coyotes very closely to limit predation. If you want to hunt this place look up TRIP ID 2211, only members get hunt this ranch! Click here to join today!

Central Montana Bird Hunting

2008-11-04T06:03:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last few days chasing birds with some mixed results. It seems like some areas experienced huge problems with a hail storm that swept through Montana. This effected nesting birds and seemed to really take a toll on pheasant numbers.

However, yesterday I shot 2 pheasants and did see over 20 birds. Here's why I think I saw as many birds as I did.

I was hunting on private land with limited pressure (You can too with a membership to SportsmensAccess.com)

I had access to dogs

I was willing to walk

I took my time and talked to the land owner for over an hour before I started

All of these things can make the difference to being successful in the field or not. So sieze the day and get out there and hunt!

I'm hunting a different ranch today and will keep you posted. It seems like some areas were not as hard it with the hail storm as others.

Shoot Straight! (I know I could've used this advice yesterday! A few too many missed shots)

Possible New World Record P&Y Mountain Goat

2008-10-28T11:25:00.001-07:00

A possible new world record Pope & Young mountain goat has been taken in northwest British Columbia. The goat scored 54 2/8 inches, comfortably surpassing the current Number One of 53 inches. The lucky bowhunter who bagged this exceptional trophy is Tim Metcalfe. He hunted the Telegraph Creek area with Golden Bear Outfitting. A second hunter on this same hunt also took a Pope & Young goat that scores 53 6/8. What's truly remarkable is that this is the outfitter's first year operating in this hunt area.

Elk Opener 2008

2008-10-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

Opening day of the general rifle season found me on a new ranch we just picked up. This is a 7,400 ranch that butts up to National Forest and is on the transition from heavy forest to open sage brush. Perfect late season elk habitat. Although I didn't find an elk I wanted to take, I did see an encouraging amount of sign and do believe this is a great late season place to hunt.

A biologist also let me know that since public access is limited in this area that there were a significant amount of elk in the area. He also mentioned that since this ranch lies a transition zone between forest and open sage brush this is great spot for elk after snow is on the ground. We just got some Tuesday night!

Here is a short video of my time on the ranch. If you like what you see check out TRIP ID 188 on SportsmensAccess.com Only members can use the Trip Search feature so Join Today!

Win a Pair of Nikon Monarch 10x42 Binoculars

2008-10-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

As a new and growing business, SportsmensAccess.com is very interested in learning more about you and providing the best possible services. Please take a moment to complete our simple survey below - it's just one question.

As a bonus, if you complete the survey you'll be entered in a drawing to win a pair of Nikon Monarch ATB 10x42 binoculars which have a retail value of $299.99! Please click on the link below to complete the survey, and we'll announce the winner of the binoculars drawing on October 30th.

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2drqw9afmdqcoku/start?test=t

Shoot Straight!

Joe Esparza

Pending New TOP 10 Missouri Breaks Ram

2008-10-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

The rumor mill is churning about a 204 Missouri Breaks ram that was killed in unit 680. Here are some photos of the awesome ram.

Uncomfirmed reports are the ram green scored at a whopping 204 4/8". The only ram larger than this taken in the US was the James Weatherly ram (204 7/8). The Weatherly ram was also taken in Montana in 1993 in Granite County. This make will make five entries in the top 20 in the world from the state of Montana.

Here are the uncomfirmed detailed measurements.

Right: 41 x 17 4/8 x 17 x 15 2/8 x 9 7/8 = 100 5/8
Left 44 2/8 x 17 4/8 x 17 x 15 2/8 x 9 7/8 = 103 7/8
Total= 204 4/8" green

Pending New World Record Elk Taken in Utah

2008-10-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with the stepson of the Outfitter that shot the probable new world record elk in Utah. The bull's unofficial gross score in the field was just over 500 B&C. Denny Austad took the bull and was the 2008 Utah Statewide Conservation tag, more commonly known as the Governor’s Tag. This bull was a massive 9x14, with main beams of 49 inches and over 133 inches of mass. He unofficially nets 488! This bull became know as the Spider Bull and if you look at this rack you can guess why.

The bull was taken with Mossback Guide and Outfitters owned by Doyle Moss. Amazingly the outfitter had footage of this bull last year and they estimated him at 350. In one year this bull put on 150 inches of points.

Sounds like Denny earned this bull spending 12 straight days in the field searching for this brute. Another amazing point of this story is he actually missed this bull on the 12 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!

My Last Weekend Chasing Bulls with a Bow

2008-10-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

Ok your probably going to call me a liar but this is the truth. I saw 143 total elk in 3 days of hunting. I didn't get one with my bow. I needed a rifle this past weekend. A lot of the elk I saw were over 1 mile away when I saw them. The first night I saw 3 bulls with 2 branch antlered bulls one looked like a smaller 6 point and one spike.

Most of the elk were concentrated on upper ridges. They were in the head of the basin about ½ mile from the top. Hunting this late the elk were not very vocal at all. I heard an occasional soft bugle. No grunts. Just a low soft errrrrhugh…no more than 3 seconds. I also heard no cow calls. I saw cows but when I meowed they were quite. With the elk bunched up like that it was almost impossible to stalk them with a bow.

It raining, windy and with fog on day two. The rain started at 2:45 AM and never let up. It rained so hard it came in under the door of the trailer and in the vent of the refrigerator. Visibility was down to about 100-200 yards. Last night as I drew my bow back I realized some how my peep sight had gone missing. I decided to head to Dillon to Uncle Bob’s and get it fixed. I also stopped at Tim Tollets and said, Howdy too. Opening of waterfowl season was today. Perfect weather for that. They mentioned that a lot of birds were in the area and with the weather for the opener should be fantastic.

On my way back I stopped at a spot I've wanted to check on the last few weekends. I wanted to see if I could legally gain access. I could but only walk in so I humped it in about a mile and started to glass. I saw over 55 elk and three 6 point bulls. Unfortunately, they were on the wrong side of the fence. So I’ll I could do was look.

On day three I forgot my binoculars. I realized this about a mile from the truck I decided to hunt without them and just use my range finder. I was at a serious handicap. Don’t do this. Take the time to walk back and get the binos.

I saw 88 total elk on this day. One group on I saw counted for 74. There were two herd bulls in this group that even from 1 mile away you could see were huge. It looked as there were other bulls in the bunch but the distance and the lack of my Swarovski’s put me at a definite disadvantage. I won’t make this mistake again. Here's a small group of elk I crept up on I couldn't narrate for obvious reasons.

I can say that I absolutely love hunting here. It is wild, it is remote it is spectacular; it is why I live here and get out and do this year after year. Here is a bull that I ended up getting 58 yards away from...he saw me before I saw him. Nice 6x6 though.

So the next elk hunting I'll be doing is with my rifle. Here are a few photos for you to enjoy.

A Price Break Considering The Economy

2008-10-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

When the Goin' Get Tough, the Tough Go Hunting

I've spent a lot of time on the road in Montana lately. I've hit Miles City, Ingomar, Broadus, Dillon, Divide, Florence, Troy, the Yaak and many places in between. As a reflection of what is happing in our nation, I've noticed the effects on our economy here in Montana. I also know from experience that there's nothing like time spent in the Montana outdoors to put it all in perspective.

Special Offer on Access to the Best Hunting & Fishing in Montana.

In acknowledging what is happening in Montana and the rest of the county, we would like to offer those of you that have expressed an interest in our site this $40 off coupon. This coupon will give you an opportunity to join the site for just $59.00 for an entire year! Please feel free to forward this great offer to a friend.

As a Member of SportsmensAccess.com You'll Get:

Free Hunting Opportunities
Private Ranch Hunting and Fishing
Great Lodging with Access
Email Alerts on Reduced Fee Hunts or Free Hunts
And much more!

So don't delay. This offer expires on Opening Day for Deer and Elk - October 26, 2008. Enter Coupon Code F51922BCE4 and take $40 off your membership. Join Now!

Shoot Straight,

Joe Esparza

Owner

SportsmensAccess.com

Bugling Bulls Part 2

2008-09-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I was out chasing bulls. Action was fast and furious. In two days I saw over 68 head of elk and approximately 15 bulls. The biggest bull I saw was a whopper. I estimated him to have a B&C score of between 330 and 340. This bull had two satellite bulls near his heard that were both six points! I saw these two bulls fighting and the herd bull just sat and watched.

I got up close and personal to this herd bull, 68 yards. I could see his rack just going back and forth over some brush. I needed to close the distance but the wind and an errant cow that came up from behind me ruined that chance. I was close (125 yards) to these elk for approximately 4 hours but just didn't get a shot.

I also saw 13 deer with only one decent 4x4 this is a permit area so it was a no go on the deer. I also saw 2 moose.

Yaak Whitetails, 80 degrees, and the Bull and Bitterroot Rivers

2008-09-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all I've decided to start posting again. I had take a small break from writing and am now back on it!

Over this past weekend drove up to the Yaak to scout out some Whitetails. The hot weather, over 80 degrees watching the field as the sun went down, kept the whitetails down and in heavier cover. We did manage to see some deer but not the trophy caliber that we were hoping for. So when it’s hot and the animals aren’t moving what do you do? Fish!

We went down to the lower Bull River and then hit the Bitterroot river. The Bull was low but in the lower reaches the fish though few in number did rise to hoppers. My two best fish were a cutthroat at 17 inches and a nice plump brown that went 21 inches. To tell you that I wasn’t surprised to see him come out of the depths of the Bull would be a lie. I was expecting little fish but plentiful fish. So when I saw this guy come up to gulp my hopper I was surprised to say the least.

Fishing new water can sometimes be a humbling experience. I was with a friend of mine I have known for over 20 years and hadn’t seen in probably 15 years. Way too long. But like most guys time makes no difference. Well maybe some gray hair and a few more inches around the waistline. We just picked up where we left off.

We hit the Bitterroot with the expectation of a big hatch and a cloudy day; perfect conditions. The water was very flat and glass like, leaders were long and thin. We managed to make a good day out of it with fish averaging 17-19 inches. We caught and released over a dozen fish, mostly rainbows and cutthroats. Fish were rising regularly and gulping tricos to start and then. We cast throughout the day to pods of fish most were finicky some were not. A long float with few boats on the water.

Bugling Bulls

2008-09-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

I was out hunting public land for the opening weekend of archery season. The good news was I saw lots of elk; the bad news was I didn’t get one tagged! I did see one bull harvested, a 5x5 taken by a gentleman from Butte. According to him, “it came in on a string”, from his partners calling, “Just like Outdoor TV”.

I did see over 23 elk that weekend and of those 9 were bulls, two were over 300 points with the largest one pushing 330. This area is a general season area open to all those willing to put in some hard work and get out there and find the elk. If you look at the video I misspoke and said I saw 23 bulls I meant to say elk.

The elk were talking in the morning and in the evenings with not much in between. This should change as the month progresses.

If you don’t have a spot to go use the RAM maps to find some promising areas and take out your binoculars and spotting scopes and head to the woods. Be sure to use the elk distribution overlay Region 3 is in general over objective and has the largest herd of elk in Montana.

Archery Antelope 2 years 2 Bucks

2008-08-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

The beginning of August 15 found me in Ingomar, MT. On one of my favorite hunts of the year. Archery Antelope. The season runs from August 15 to November 9th. So plenty of time to take to the field in the unit of your choice.

Drawing a 900 antelope tag is relatively easy draw in Montana, at least this year. Time to pause and thank the Montana Bowhunters Association for lobbying to create this great opportunity for us archers! THANK YOU! If your an archer and your not a member please consider joining an individual membership is $25 for one year or $45 for a business memebership.

Something to note if you hold a Montana Antelope tag. Blue tongue has taken a toll on antelope in some areas. The norther part of region 5 was effected along with other areas. Check with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and our website to get the latest antelope report biologists to get the detailed information on the areas you plan on hunting. With the price of fuel you don't want to head to the field without getting some solid information first.

I did notice that antelope numbers were down on the ranch that I hunt. However in two days I did see over 65 bucks but noticed that the does and fawns were less plentiful. I took my buck on the second morning of the hunt. The ranch that I hunt on is huge, with over 250,000 acres of land. I personally hunt a "pasture" that is 3 miles wide and 7 miles long...that's over 21 square miles of habitat. I was the only one there! If your interested in booking this hunt join the website and look up hunt 189. So far I've taken two bucks in two consecutive years on this ranch.

Here is my buck from last year.

Lake Agnes

2008-07-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

My wife and I decided to forgo the rivers and head to a high mountain lake for some tube fishing. We headed to a Lake Agnes located above Brownes Lake in the Pioneer Mountains near Glen.

Having never been to Lake Agnes we consulted the RAM maps and looked over the hike. I then made a call to the Beaverhead National Forest Office for some quick information on the best way to get in to this lake. We found a 2 mile route that although very steep and rocky was less an hour hike up. After a creek crossing of Rock Creek and some frequent stops to catch our breath we arrived at Lake Agnes.

I wasn’t prepared to find a beautiful sandy beach to greet us at the lake. Wow what an unexpected treat! This is a beauty of a lake.

One great thing about this lake is how many grayling inhabit the lake and although the fishing wasn’t on fire we were treated to some spectacular scenery. No crowds here, no drift boats passing by, just my wife and I and about 4 other people spread out across the lake.

I had decided to pack in float tubes for my wife and I complete with flippers. So we unpacked them from the pack and started to blow them up. One of the tubes was my son’s which I had never used before. It did not have a blow up type of tube in it but rather a type that required a pump which of course I didn’t have. So we were down to one tube. I know I can hear all of you now…”you should have looked”. I paid the price of a 2 mile hike with the dead weight of a useless float tube and fins.

We ended up catching 10 fish 6 grayling. Here is a sample of them.

One of the most outstanding things of the day was yet to come; dinner at the Melrose Café, Bar and Casino. My wife and I had never been here before. (Mistake!) . Everything was excellent, from the tossed greens with raspberry vinaigrette, to the gourmet burgers, home fries and ice cold beer. To top it all off we had Sonya’s Strawberry Pie, here grandmothers recipe. We got the last two pieces.

So if you’re coming off the Big Hole or on your way down I15 take the time to pull off at Melrose and stop by for a great meal and great service. They win our EAT HERE award!

Best Day on the Big Hole

2008-07-01T17:32:00.001-07:00

One of our employees parents came into town and my wife was leaving on a early flight out of Bozeman. So we decided to float the Big Hole. I would get them started on the raft, then jump into my pontoon and fish for the day.

I tried about 8 different fly combinations before I hit the mother load. The combo that was making it happen was a yellow stimulator with more of a dark body than a yellow body and a prince nymph dropper in a size 16.

I ended up having a forty fish day! I caught rainbows, brookies, and grayling. It was a fantastic day with lots of hook ups and fish landed. My best day on the Big Hole! I caught little ones and 2 rainbows over 20 inches. The fishing was so hot I never stopped to eat or take a drink of water. OK I did stop once to slug a cold beer and eat a piece of friend chicken. I still was casting in my other hand. I just didn't want to stop to eat when the fishing was so fantastic.

I stopped and talked to a couple from Oregon, they had not hired a guide and were true DIY fisherman. They caught 1 fish and floated the exact same stretch of the . The secret to fishing the Big Hole is try lots of combos before you find something that works for you. I told them they had just made an investment on learning the river so tomorrow they could really hammer the fish. They were very excited. I showed them the flies that were working for me. I hope they did well.

I also got a ticket for not having a PFD on my pontoon. The two wardens were floating the river checking licenses and PFD's. So $45 later I was still up to my elbows in fish. As a matter of fact as I pulled out from where I landed to recieve my citation I landed a nice 14 inch rainbow. So don't forget to carry your PFD on your pontoon boat!

Here is a sample of some of the fish I caught!

Father's Day and A Gift for My Wife

2008-06-23T04:27:00.000-07:00

This father's day I thought I'd do something a little different, buy my wife a gift.

I asked her for father's day if she would learn how to fly fish. So we made the appropriate stop at the local sporting goods store and outfitted her with waders and boots. She was set. I had plenty of extra rods, reels and fly vests, so with gear in tow we headed to the Beaverhead early Sunday morning.

As we drove into the Dillon valley my wife called her father, I received a call from my son who is a Captain in the Air Force. We sat on the side of highway 15 and took advantage of technology that enabled us to communicate with people in two different time zones.

Ris (my wife) managed to hook three fish in the tailwater of the dam. They were nice fish two were in the 20 inch mark. Landing them proved to be a little harder for a first time angler. If you fish this beautiful little river you know why. The fish are big and have been fished hard. She had a great day and was a very fast learner.

I landed 8 fish hooked 11. It was a fine father's day. Here is a sample of two nice browns I landed and a rainbow. These fish were taken with nymphs under a strike indicator. The flies were size 18-22. I tried a variety of flies from, San Juan Worms, Prince Nymphs, Scuds, Tailwater Tinies, and a variety of midges.

Shoot Straight!

Big Hole June 23, 2008

2008-06-22T11:59:00.001-07:00

Big Hole was in full bloom yesterday with 80 degree weather throughout Montana. The put in at Jerry Creek was loaded to the gills (no pun intended) with trucks and trailers spilling out to the road.

I decided to forgo the crowds and headed up above Wise River. Floated from Fish Trap to East Bank. Put in about 9:00 and was finished at 4:30. Water was high running at about 3,800 fps. Fishing was tough talked to 3 groups of fishermen, they landed one big fish over 20 inches the rest of them caught nada!

I was able to a catch 6 fish total:

3 grayling on a rubber legs fly
2 rainbows on a prince nymph and salmon fly
1 whitefish on a prince nymph

Beautiful day with boats filling the river but not till about 11:30. So it was quiet and peaceful float. salmon flies weren't present but the fish were doing a lot of window shopping. Coming up to take a look and taking off, with only one taker. Great day on the water!

Get out there and enjoy all of what Montana has to offer.

Shoot Straight!

Joe