Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - January 2012

ICE FISHINGICE FISHINGPRIMERPRIMER

JANUARY 2012bigskyoutdoornews.net

OUTDOOR NEWS Big SkyBig Sky

Winter Fishing Winter Fishing TacticsTactics

SPECIAL WINTER ISSUE

The Elk RutThe Elk RutIn ReviewIn Review

Hunting Hunting Predators Predators

Gear Give-Away WinnersGear Give-Away Winners

At-The-WireAt-The-WireWaterfowlWaterfowl

2 • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net • JANUARY 2012

JANUARY 2012 • ON-LINE AT www.bigskyoutdoornews.net • BIG SKY OUTDOOR NEWS & ADVENTURE • 3


ADVERTISING - RICK HAGGERTY(406)370-1368PUBLISHER - AMY HAGGERTY 8591 Capri Dr., Helena Mt. 59602 [email protected] entire contents is © 2011, all rights reserved. May not be reproduced without prior consent. The material and information printed is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure. Nor does the printed material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure. VOLUME 8 issue 10Cover photo - courtesy Frabill Inset cover photo - Kasi, age 16

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SSlug it Out Shotgun slugs have changed dramatically in just the past few years, and are not just the ammo you use when you have no other option. Slugs are now the ammunition of choice for many situations.

TIP 1: LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING. The fi rst shotgun slug was designed by a German gun designer named Wilhelm Brenneke in 1898. It was a solid lead slug with rifl ing on the outside. It’s design was both good and bad – it had excellent penetration and did not deform much on impact, but it was only accurate at ranges of 30 to 50 yards.

TIP 2: LESS IS MORE. Karl Foster improved shotgun slugs in 1931 by making the nose rounder and providing a deep hollow cavity on the back end of the slug. This allowed the slug to move more effi ciently through the air and moved the center of gravity close to the front of the slug. Known as the ‘Foster’ slug or ‘American’ slug, the hollow end provided more stability in fl ight and extended accuracy to 75 yards.

TIP 3: THREE PROBLEMS, ONE SOLUTION. The rifl ing on the outside of the slug does three things: reduces the friction as the slug travels down the barrel, allows the slug to easily pass through a restricted choke at the end of the shotgun barrel, and provides spin to the slug in fl ight, which makes it more stable.

TIP 4: THE DEDICATED BARREL. A rifl ed slug barrel allows slugs to be much more accurate, and modern slug designs take full advantage of this rifl ing. The rifl ed barrel cannot be used with conventional shot shells since it produces a donut shaped pattern. Using rifl ed slugs in a rifl ed barrel is possible, but will result in lead fouling in the barrel. Slug barrels have iron sights just like rifl es, and are drilled and tapped so a scope can be easily installed.

TIP 5: MODERN SLUG DESIGN. Sabot is a French word, with a long “a” and “o” and a silent “t” (sa–bo), originating from a wooden shoe worn in the 1600s, and is the root of the word sabotage. A sabot in shooting consists of a bullet smaller than the barrel it is intended to be shot from, surrounded by a sleeve that is intended to fall away after the projectile leaves the barrel. The sabot provides excellent spin, which allows a high degree of accuracy out to 200–300 yards. It also allows the metal slug to be designed like a rifl e bullet with a better ballistic coeffi cient, bonded with metal other than lead, or use hollow point designs that expand on impact. In addition, the lighter bullet can achieve faster velocity, fl attening the trajectory of the round and improving the range of the slug.

TIP 6: TIMES ARE A CHANGING. Where I grew up in Minnesota, slugs were the only option for hunting white-tailed deer, due to state regulations. The performance of modern sabot slugs now make them a choice for any big game, in North America or the world. Lightfi eld slugs have taken big game all around the world, including bears in North America and dangerous game in Africa.

TIP 7: THREE ROUNDS, ONE SIGHT-IN. Lightfi eld has a line of slugs – the Hybrid Light, EXP, and Elite – that go from light to very heavy, but if you sight in with any of them, you will be sighted in with all of them. They call this SameSight Accuracy, and it’s real. In addition, from 50 to 150 yards you do not have to compensate for holdover, making it easy to use in the fi eld. The Hybrid Light rounds are perfect for deer, and you can sight in and practice with these 23⁄4-inch slugs, and if you are going after bigger game you can then switch to the 3-inch slugs that produce 1,730 fps and 3,628 ft. lbs. of energy at the muzzle. On paper this is about the same energy as a .460 Weatherby shooting a 500-grain bullet.

Slug it OutWhitetails Unlimited

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Picture of a Favorite MemoryBY DAN BOUDETTE

My childhood and adolescent years will always carry some un-forgettable memories with my father. Dad taking precious time off from being a D.O.to take my brother and I hunting and camp-ing. It was always an unbearable wait looking back as a young man. I was a young suburb kid with a horse and a BB gun stuck to imaginary big game hunts. The cure, a weekend adventure in the mountains camping. It was the absolute only way to calm the restlessness. I still get a comforting satisfaction whenever I take a moment to refl ect, when I am looking at particular pictures as to why and how they have so much meaning.

One particular moment frozen in time came at a particularly sensitive time in my relationship with my youngest teenage daughter. The twist and turns of being a divorced dad trying to be the parent mentor; hoping somehow your kid takes away the value of nature with its calming tranquility. Good luck! How-ever, for a brief moment the picture hanging over the bulls rack gives a bit of hope that my little girl has as much of a smile as I do of our special time together.

Strangely enough it had been a couple of years since I had been camping with the kids anywhere, so I was anxious to load the rig up and go camping for opening archery elk season. My youngest daughter Jessica, was excited to go with me and share in the mental rush of open archery elk season. I had just arrowed a descent antelope buck the week before, so the chase had given me the prelude to getting in shape for elk season.

Opening morning presented itself with Jess and I cutting fog. We were swimming to get to that much anticipated opening day spot. After all, position with timing is everything in getting early season shots. This particular mountain pass, although accessible, is a great intersection of trails from open meadows to thickets from multiple sides. The darkness and fog didn’t give much visibility however, so relying on sight to plan a stock wasn’t going to be the plan this morning. The steady rain with the brisk temp made it feel good to keep the blood pumping as we hiked. Quiet anticipation relying on smell and hearing slowly gave way after a couple hours hiking that there is one certainty to hunting elk, and that is there are no certainties. The elk were not to be found this morn-ing. Soaked it was time to get dried off and try another spot. Wind, clouds, fog, and showers were the theme of the weather for the day. Jessica didn’t complain a bit. In fact, she was really quite the trooper. The chilly September day had me smiling with a warm sensation from having the company.

It was early afternoon, and the sky was still

uncertain, but the fog gave way to moving clouds. As Jess and I ate a sandwich enjoying the view we noticed a black blob a mountainside away. Lifting the glasses to confi rm the sighting the young black image was sniff-ing through a rockslide at a casual drifting sort of walk. Noting the distance I was pleasantly surprised when Jess said, “lets go after him dad.” I thought “nice. Game on!”

“Let’s see if we can get within bow shot of this guy!” Pack on, bow in hand, off we went. It took an hour and a half of steep heart pounding through your chest climb-ing just to get to the last place we saw the bear. Taking a much needed breather I thought, “wow! I’m winded. I’m really proud of my girl hanging tough.” Thinking to myself, “The price for success. Man I really feel wonderful; alive and well.”

Back to the moment. Surely after all this time the bruin was gone. After a granola bar washed down with a few sips of water, we started across the rockslide game trail maybe fi fty yards. Directly above us, the bear was still nosing around. Conditions such as they were didn’t allow for a shot, but the encounter was still just as exciting. He winded us a short time, turned and quickly vacated. Bears are cool and fun to watch. Amazingly fast, but that’s a story for another time.

Having climbed the majority of the way up the moun-tain in the middle of the afternoon; Jess was still hanging in there, being quite the gamer. We concurred that we should shoot for the summit. Another hour later the mountainside leveled out to a nice bowl before the saddle over the top. (continued on page 32)


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Favorite tactics for getting coyotes and predators in close for in-your-face bowhunting action like nothing else. BY BRODIE SWISHER

>

TThe distress cries of a cottontail gasping for life had barely penetrated the deep woods when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. A coyote sneaking through the woods still brings a rush of adrenaline, no matter how much I try to anticipate its arrival. With nature’s ultimate predator already in bow range and already closing the distance, I squeezed the grip on my bow and tried hard to control my nerves. The winds had changed, and the bristled-up coyote was now approaching from behind my right shoulder. I prayed

that the coyote’s attention was focused on the decoy to my left and not on my trembling body. At twenty yards his pace came to a crawl; its body close to the ground as he approached the unsuspecting decoy. I knew shot opportunities would be few and far between with the thickness of the swamp-bottoms around my setup. It was now or never. And with one untimely movement on my part, the opportunity was blown...or so I thought. On a dime, the coyote turned making a hasty retreat. I grabbed my calls and made a series of squeals, letting him know the invitation for dinner was still open. Moments later my disgust quickly turned to excitement as I encountered not one, but two coyotes doing the mean-walk towards my decoy. Over and over I questioned my ability to make the shot. Two of nature’s ultimate predators were close enough to smell their musky stench, yet I was trying to muster up the energy to draw my bow with my now violently shaking hands. Yote fever? I didn’t know there was such a thing until this point. With coyotes too close to draw my bow, I waited. I knew then I was immersed in an excitement unlike any other critter could provide. The opportunity to draw

>

never came, and swirling winds helped those coyotes live to see another day. But it’s the memory of that singlebowhunting quest for coyotes that has continued to fuel a passion for hunting one of nature’s wariest of creatures.

In this issue we’ll take a look at a few of my favorite tactics for getting coyotes and predators in close for in-your-face bowhunting action like nothing else.

CONCEALMENT FOR PREDATORS

That fi rst feeble attempt at taking coyotes with a bow taught me a valuable lesson in the unforgiving eyes of these crafty canines. Following that hunt, I realized that to take coyotes with a bow, I would have to raise my hunting prowess to the next level. I had to come up with a way to get to full draw, even with predators in bow range.

It was about that time that portable pop-up ground blinds came on the scene in the hunting industry. No matter what game animal you seek, blending in with your environment is essential. Whether it’s coyotes, turkey, deer, or elk, the use of a portable blind will help tip the odds in your favor when trying to get the draw on unsuspecting game. A make-shift blind can be made relatively quickly by simply

>pruning a few branches and strategically placing them in such a way that allowsyou concealment when trying to draw your bow in the presence of a coyote.

However, coyote hunting requires multiple setups and calling stands. That’s where a portable blind is worth its weight in gold. The Primos Double Bull blind is my blind of choice for such endeavors.

Features I look for in a ground blind when hunting coyotes include:

a window system allowing for ample viewing and shooting opportunities,

black backed interior,

ease of transport and setup, and blend-ability.

Primos Double Bull ground blinds have all this...and more. The ground blind will allow you to come to full draw on a coyote facing your direction at less than 20 yards...a task rarely possible in the wide open.

>BRING THEM CLOSER

Few hunting experiences compare to that of a coyote charging hard to the decoy.

Δ

Long-range shooting is gaining popularity with each passing year, and coyote hunting seems to be the perfect outlet to put long-range skills to the test. But for the bow-packin’ predator hunter, the challenge is cranked up considerably. Shots at 60-600 yards are not what we’re after! We must bring them closer. This is accomplished with the use of a decoy.

Few hunting experiences compare to that of a coyote charging hard to the decoy. With proper decoy placement, shots within archery

range are not uncommon. One of my closest encounters with a coyote came as I videoed a buddy killing a coyote chargingthe decoy at just 8 yards! The key to such success is greatly attributed to a motion-style prey decoy. I’ve found that few predators can resist a motion decoy once they lay eyes on it. A motion decoy will not only get the predators attention, but hold its attention making shot preparation much easier. The motion decoy also allows the hunter to direct the coyote’s path of entry to a pre-determined area for the kill. They never take their eyes off of it! When hunting coyotes, bobcats, or fox, make sure to put the decoy where you

want your shot to be. With the use of a motion decoy, you can literally “place” the predator where you want it for the shot. I like my decoys set up at just 12-15 yards in front of my setup. I place the decoy on the highest terrain available for maximum visibility in every direction possible.

An extensive new line of predator decoys is now being offered by the folks at Primos Hunting www.primos.com . Everything from rodent decoys to fawn decoys are in the lineup, all featuring lifelike motion. When hunting in a clean, unobstructed agriculture fi eld, I like hunting with a smaller rabbit or


When set up in open country, a ground blind will often be overlooked by an approaching coyote and seen as nothing more than a hay bale, farm equipment, or other structure. If it’s not moving, and they don’t smell you, the ground blind will not typically present a threat to an approaching predator. When in tighter cover, I like to try and break up or blend in the blind with brush, pine boughs, etc. The ground blind can also be quickly and easily blended into a snowy landscape with the use of a white bed sheet.

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WITH DECOYSrodent-style decoy. They are very easy to stick in your pocket or pack. The Primos Sit’n Spin Crazy Critter and Whobblin’ Whabbit are perfect for such sets due to their smaller size and packability. However, when hunting in fi elds where the terrain features ground cover, brush, or growth, I like to switch to a fawn-style decoy like the Frantic Fawn or Wooly Bully that are easily adjusted for greater visibility in taller landscape. These decoys are sure to grab the attention of approaching predators from great distances.

Over the years I’ve heard hunters say, “That’s no longer a challenge for me,” or “It just doesn’t do anything for me anymore,” when talking about various forms of hunting.And my guess is they just haven’t tried hunting predators with a bow. Want a lesson in humbleness? Leave the rifl e at home and take a bow, decoy, and ground blind on your next predator hunt. When you get the draw on a coyote in bow range, you’ll know you’ve matched wits with nature’s ultimate predator.

For Quick Tips for Hunting Predators with a Decoy turn to page 32


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GREAT ROCKIES SPORT SHOWBY MARK WARD OF THE MONTANA OUTDOOR RADIO SHOW


January is here and if you are like me you are probably ready for a 2012 adventure. The New Year brings on a lot of new adventures and opportunities. One of the events that will take place this January might just give you an idea of where to go for that Montana adventure or beyond. In fact the Great Rockies Sport Show in Billings is an adventure in itself. “Billings has been very responsive to the shows we have had in the past and we are expecting a good crowd again with all the new exhibitors and events”, said Bill Reier Jr, the owner of Great Rockies. The Metra Park is the perfect venue for this show with all its activities. “One of the reasons we love coming to Billings and doing the show is because of the quality facility”, said Reier.

This year the Great Rockies Sport Show will feature one of many of Montana’s boat shows. You can see all the top brands up close including Lund, Alumacraft, Skeeter, River Hawk, Duckworth, HewesCraft, Smoker Craft, Weldcraft, Reinell, G3, and Porta-Bota. You will be sure to fi nd the boat that will fi t your fi shing and family lifestyle.

Maybe it is an RV or Camper that you want to purchase in 2012. See the exciting lines of Puma, Canyon Cat, Puma Unleashed, Sabre, Sabre Silhouette, Northstar, Adventurer, Wildcat, XLR Toyhaulers, Rockwood 5th wheels and travel trailers. If you are looking for a great place to vacation or go on a fi shing or hunting adventure, then check out the many exhibitors from around the world. “One of the comments I hear every year is how the folks enjoy learning about what trips and lodges are available from Canada and Alaska and from faraway places too like Africa and New Zealand,” added Reier, “and the added bonus is you

more than likely will be talking to the person that owns the lodge or hunting and fi shing company”. Once you enter the Great Rockies Sport Show look around and plan on staying the whole day or coming back a second day. There is certainly plenty to do. Check out the fl y casting and fl y tying demonstrations and then when you fi nish with that, take a tour of the impressive Northwest Big Game Display. Make sure you register for all the door prizes to be given away. The kids will really enjoy the kids catch and release trout pond. Watch the smiles on their faces as they hook into a lunker of a fi sh. After, that take the kids over to the Kids Corner which is brought to you by the Montana Trappers Association. It is both educational and fun! If you like calling competition then you might want to enter or check out the Predator calling com-petition. Don’t forget to bring your trophy rack and enter the Big Buck Contest too! The main attraction this year is the Great Bear Show featuring live black bears with shows daily. The whole family will enjoy this animal educational show and folks can view the bears up close. The Great Rockies Sport Show is three action packed days of fun where you meet old and new friends alike and spend time with your family. Plan on attending January 20-22nd in Billings and kick off 2012 with an adventure.

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

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

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THE ELK RUT- 2011 IN REVIEW By Casey L. Ripple

By looking back on years like this hopefully we can learn how to better predict how the conditions will affect the Elk, and what adjustments we need to make to be successful.

Another year of chasing those majestic creatures has gone by, and our blisters and egos have started to heal. In talking to and hearing from a lot of different people not only here in Montana, but from all over Elk country that “It just seemed to be an off year”. At the same time others had good success even with diffi cult conditions and big lulls in activity. Now would be a good time to get out our hunting journals and look back and see if we can piece together some of what caused what we weren’t seeing and more importantly hearing. By looking back on years like this hopefully we can learn how to better predict how the conditions will affect the Elk, and what adjustments we need to make to be successful. Also looking at how much of it was actually quite predictable. This year was truly a kind of “perfect storm” when it comes to creating a diffi cult season for a lot of Elk hunters. Here are a few often over looked elements that we should all try to pay attention to in the future.

One of the most common things I hear from Elk hunters is “The rut is late this year” often based on a hotter than normal September. Or “I think they went in early” based on a lack of rut activity at the normal peak period. The “Rut” or breeding period is actually very predictable and quite constant. The Elk breeding cycle is photoperiodic, or caused by light. But more precisely an exact ratio between daylight and dark that occurs each fall. This ratio causes hormones to fl ow in cows that result in an estrous cycle. The “peak” of the Elk rut or cycle will be within 5 to 10 days of Sept. 22nd or 23rd, the fi rst day of fall. Now that we’ve taken some of the mystery away from that part of the equation we can look at some of the things that do vary greatly from one year to the next.

Tomas Del Amo|Dreamstime

WEATHER Probably not very many of us are thinking about the water temperature in the Pacifi c Ocean when we are getting ready for an Elk hunt. But believe it or not, it does have a great impact on our weather here in the west. Weather plays a huge roll in Elk distribution in their habitat, which has a huge impact on Elk behavior especially during the rut.

Starting in June of 2010 we went in to a weather pattern known as “LaNina”. Simply put this is the result of the water temperature cooling in the Pacifi c Ocean. The result is a much cooler and wetter winter and spring weather pattern in the Northwest section of the country. This also creates much more north to south movement in air masses causing more radical ups and downs in temperatures.

Another one to pay close attention to in years to come is “ElNino.” This is a more common and well known condition that is caused, and results in essentially the exact opposite of LaNina. Higher water temperature in the Pacifi c results in hotter, dryer weather in the Northwest and has basically the opposite effect on Elk habitat and distribution.

With the LaNina of 2010 we had record snowfalls and a long drawn out, cold, wet spring with fl ooding. Later in the summer this resulted in massive amounts of feed throughout Elk habitat and some of it where there might normally be almost none. (continued page 28)


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There are several ways to fi sh this fl y. In lakes some anglers use a full sink or sink tip line, cast and let the fl y sink to where the fi sh might be. Then use a slow hand twist retrieve until a fi sh hits or you are ready to cast again. Some say that if you donʼt drag up a few weeds once in a while you are not letting it sink long enough. However, you donʼt want too many weeds and the fi sh might not be on the bottom, so the key is to experiment when necessary. Another way is to fi sh it on a strike indicator called “chironomid fi shing” by some and denigrated by others as “bobber fi shing.” Decide how deep you want to the fl y, attach a strike indicator to the leader at that distance, cast, let the fl y sink and relax while you watch the strike indicator. Most of the time when a fi sh hits the indicator goes down forcefully, and you can set the hook with a sweeping arm motion. Sometimes it goes down an inch and pops up; then a quick set as the indicator starts down is worth a try. Fluorocarbon is a popular leader material because it sinks fast and is almost invisible in water. The strike indicator may be yarn; stick-on, fl exible-foam patches; a variety of hard foam fl oats with or without tooth picks or a little corky with a tooth pick.Streams provide many opportunities to use Kinckers. If fi sh are occasionally taking bugs on the surface then double team them. Attach a dry fl y to the main tippet, and suspend a Knickers under it. Dead drift the fl ies as long as you can. If the fl y does anything strange (stop, move sideways or sink) strike. At the end of the dead drift let the fl ies swing, lower the rod and lift up. Spend a little time with the fl ies hanging below you. Sometimes fi sh will hit after the fl y hangs there for a few seconds. If there is no hope for a surface take then use a strike indicator. The usual rule for length of leader between the fl oating fl y or indicator and the wet fl y is: Use a leader that is twice as long as the desired depth for the wet fl y.MATERIALS LIST--------------------Hook: Dai-Riki 135, or equal, sizes 10-16 Weight: Brass beadThread: Black Uni 8/0 Rib: Medium amber v-rib Body: Gold Mylar tinsel Herl: Brown ostrichDubbing: Olive brown, Hairline Ice Dubbing Collar: Peacock herlHackle: Hungarian partridgeTYING STEPS---------------------------------------1. Pinch barb2. Put on bead. An easy way to do it is hold the hook in pliers, and scoop it through the beads. He learned this from Britt Phillips.3. Attach thread on front third of hook, wind thread base rearward to half way around bend and spiral thread forward stopping a beadʼs width back from bead.4. Attach v-rib on top of hook tightly, pull v-rib to stretch it and wind thread over it to past the bend.5. At back of hook tie in ostrich herl, dubbing loop and tinsel. Wind thread forward stopping a beadʼs width from bead.6. Wrap tinsel forward, secure and trim. Make a sparse dubbing loop and spiral it forward in wide open turns. You only want to tone down the fl ashy tinsel. Trim excess material.7. Pull ostrich herl forward, make one wrap of v-rib behind herl and one in front of it to lock herl in. Spiral v-rib forward leaving space between wraps. Secure last wrap with four turns of thread. Trim excess. Leave plenty of room behind bead for more material.8. Spiral ostrich herl forward in the gaps of v-rib, secure and trim excess.9. Prepare the hackle by pulling off any fl uff y fi bers, and secure to hook by the stem so barbs curve toward rear of hook when wrapped, make 1-1/2 turns of hackle, secure and trim excess.9. Attach peacock herl, wrap forward a turn or two against the bead, secure and trim excess.10. Whip fi nish head, trim thread and add a drop of head cement if you want the added security.

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Try the east bay of Flathead Lake for feisty perch this time of year. Use a quarter-ounce All Glow Trilobite baited with fi sh eyes. For whitefi sh, tip your jig with maggots and keep your lure vertical to the bottom for good results.There should be ice on all of the bays around Flathead. Monster macks around Elmo Bay have been reported well over 30 inches. Try Leadhead jigs with strips of northern pike minnows, sucker meat or squawfi sh for bait.

The early season bite at Georgetown will be excellent for trout and kokanee. Locate remaining weed beds and you’ll fi nd fi sh. Traditional good points are Piney Point, Rainbow Bay, Denton’s Point, or the Pump Housearea. Try using Swedish Pimples, Rocker jigs, Hali jigs, and Rat Finkies. Size and color will matter, so try a variety until you hit on one that works. Pink, black, orange, white and tip them with a maggot for best success. Fish early in the morning for kokanee.

The bigger northerns have benefi ted from the cisco into the lakes forage base. Cisco were introduced in the 1990’s and were intended to beef up Tiber’s walleye. Instead it appears the pike have followed the adult cisco into deeper water making the northerns hard to pattern. Try to mimic the cisco by jigging silver spoons such as Hopkins or Kastmasters in 40 to 80 feet of water. If you locate a school of cisco (also known as lake herring), you’ll be in business. Try jigging or dropping down a large minnow hooked through the back or tail. Tiber has no shortage of points and drop-offs. Willow Creek Arm is a good place to start. The state record walleye weighing 17.75 lbs. was caught here in 2007 by Bob Hart.

NELSON RESERVOIRAs soon as the ice is safe, target northerns, walleye and perch with tip-ups and sucker minnows. It can be some of the best fi shing of the year, as the lake has not received much pressure for the last month or so, and the fi sh will be spread out and eager to bite. A good depth for walleye should be 12 to 15 feet and a bit shallower forfor perch and pike. A lot of folks will be spearing for pike this time of the year as well, as pike will be active, even if they are not hungry, making them fair game for a spear. Most of these fi sh will be in the 4 to 6 pound range, butevery now and then, a double-digit northern will get caught. Add in walleye and yellow perch to the mix and you’ll have a good day on Nelson.Nelson Reservoir is located on Hwy. 2 about 10 miles east of Malta.

TONGUE RIVER RESERVOIRThis reservoir is known for producing lots of crappie this time of the year. Try using a Swedish Pimple along with a Wax Worm. Chartreuse has been the go-to color here. Minnows work well too. Crappie will average about a pound and there are lots of them! Move around an the ice until you locate fi sh and you will put 50 in thebucket rather quickly. Target depth is about 10 feet. Don’t stay in one location too long for success.

Say Hello To Success: Where to chase the Fish this Month

HEBGEN LAKELocated off Highway 287 around West Yellowstone, you’ll fi nd some of the best ice fi shing the west has to offer. The abundance of feisty, deep running rainbow trout can be encountered (as well as big brown trout), hanging near the bottom of the lake. Use a night crawler for big browns. Also try Swedish Pimples, Rat Finkies and Wooly Buggers, jigging these set-ups with a maggot or night crawler that those big rainbows just cannot resist.

GEORGETOWN LAKEThere will be safe ice on the water in most areas around Montana in January.Break out your ice gear. It’s time to gofi shing!

BROWNS LAKE Browns Lake has more than it’s fair share of enormous trout, but they can be diffi cult to catch at times. Most successful anglers will focus around weed beds and points by the boat launch. Try using Powerbait, Swedish Pimples, Jigging Rapalas and Rocker jigs. A night crawler can be effective here, or a spawn sac on a tip-up.

choices for cutthroat. Use a small Swedish Pimple or Rocker jig with a maggot. Harper’s Lake is also a popular trout hole, stocked regularly with 4 to 10 pound brood stock, these fi sh will pound and give you a great fi ght through the ice. Hold on! If perch or pike is what you are after, head to Salmon and Seeley lakes, as I’ve mentioned before, there are big northerns lerking in the waters here. Set-up tip-ups rigged with smelt, then fi sh a second rod with a jigging Rapala or Puppet Minnow. For perch, try a Tear Drop jig with a maggot. Perch and pike will attack this set-up, so be ready to go!

CANYON FERRYWhile walleye and perch fi shing may not provide as much action as one would like right now, rainbow trout are still fi shing well here. Fish anywhere from a foot to around ten feet below the ice using Marabou jigs scented with your favorite chemical fi sh attractant.This will fool the trout. Rapala jigs work for rainbows as well. Fish night crawlers on the bottom and you may attract a perch or two. Try fi shing around the Silos and White Earth. (continued on page 16)

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LAKE MARY RONANIf you’re in western Montana, make the drive to Lake Mary Ronan for some good perch and kokanee fi shing. For Kokanee try using Z-Rays and Swedish Pimples with Glow Hooks tipped with a maggot. You can fi nd kokanee normally in about 20 to 30 feet of water on most lakes. On the perch front, try jigging Rapalas or Swedish Pimples. Perch will be around 9 to 11 inches in length. Crystal Lake, the Upper Thompson Lake, and the Little Bitterroot Lake also offer some good fi shing.

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around and hit remote bays. Live minnows are the key. Bring jigging rods and fi sh big spoons and jigs. The vast majority of fi sh are caught on a live shiner minnow suspended from a foot to three feet from the bottom. This is tip-up country. Impale the minnow or a large frozen smelt if you are targeting big northern pike and leave it until it hits.Look for walleye in around 10 to 12 feet of water. Go deeper for lake trout and fi sh outside of Rock Creek Bay around Haxby Point and Bear Creek. Try jigging with bright, colorful spoons and swimming jigs. Generally, the big northerns will be in 6 to 20 feet of water, including Rock Creek, McGuire Creek and Box Elder Creek Bays. Other fi sh you may encounter on this side of the bay will be smallmouth bass, crappie, carp and perch. There is no shortage of fi sh on Fort Peck in the winter.

HAUSER LAKEHauser generally takes a while longer to freeze over. The Causeway arm will ice up fi rst. Trout fi shing will be good using a Swedish Pimple tipped with a worm. Perch and walleye have been caught around the power lines as well. Ling or burbot will move into shallower water around Black Sandy. Use a Lindy Rig with about a 2 inch piece of smelt to attract these good eating fi sh. If you can stay up and fi sh after midnight, your odds will go up when fi shing for burbot.

CANYON FERRYPlenty of fi sh in the 1-1/2 to 2 lb. range are normal. Fish early and late at last light, especially around both sides of a full moon. Hole In The Wall and Duck Creek become accessible as soon as there is safe ice. It it’s perch and walleye you are after, then fi sh 25 to 35 feet of water using Swedish Pimples, Jiggin Raps, Halis tipped with maggots, perch eyes, meal worms, or a crawler.

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LAKE FRANCESLocated just west of Valier, Lake Frances is a relatively shallow reservoir, but is known for its consistent production of single digit northerns, but now and then will produce a big fat one. The walleye have been picking up here, as well as yellow perch. Fish along western and southern shorelinesusing minnows in fairly shallow water.Spearing works here too.

FORT PECK RESERVOIRA half dozen tip-ups and a bucket of live minnows and you’re set to catch a variety of fi sh on the ice at Fort Peck.Walleye are normally the headline here, but expect big northerns, lake trout, sauger, burbot and catfi sh on this huge piece of icy real estate. Big Dry Arm will be a good place to start and you can get access at Rock Creek.Use a snowmobile or 4 wheeler to get

CLEARWATER RIVERBait fi shermen and fi shing guides are reporting great fi shing from September right through December on the Clearwater, and with a mild winter to report so far heading into January, it should remain steady this month. A bit of rain or snow would help matters a bit, as it’s been a dry end to 2011. Trollers are using sand shrimp set-ups with divers to get the bait deep. Small blue plugs such as Pirates and Hot Shots are catching fi sh. Bobber fi shermen are catching fi sh around bridge structures with jigging set-ups like the Marabou jig. You’ll fi nd steelies in deep water from a foot to three feet from the bottom.Jigs may be the best shot in the morning hours then try trolling in the afternoon.

January can be a roughmonth for fi shermen. Cold temps and windy conditions in the middle of the water can be challenging, but there are also those days when mother nature loosens her tight grip and makes for great fi shing days. Be ready when these days come.


Spring Steelhead Season Opens January 1st IF&G

With the opening of the spring harvest season Sunday, January 1, steelhead fi shing in Idaho continues through the winter on parts of the Clearwater, Salmon, Little Salmon, Snake and Boise rivers.

The steelhead limit is three per day, nine in possession and 20 for the season. Once limits are reached, the angler must stop fi shing, even catch-and-release.

On January 1, anglers will need a 2012 Idaho fi shing license and steelhead permit to fi sh for steelhead. Steelhead anglers may use only barb-less hooks - except on the Boise River where barbed hooks may be used - and may keep only hatchery steelhead marked with a clipped adipose fi n.

Steelhead fi shing on the:Clearwater River mainstem from the mouth upstream to Memorial Bridge of U.S. Highway 12 in Lewiston is open until April 30.

Mainstem and Middle Fork Clearwater River from Memorial Bridge of U.S. Highway 12 in Lewiston upstream Clear Creek is open until April 30.

North Fork Clearwater River from its mouth upstream to Dworshak Dam is open until April 30.

South Fork Clearwater River from its mouth upstream to the confl uence of American and Red Rivers is open until April 30.

Salmon River from its mouth up-stream to the Lake Creek Bridge about six miles upstream from the mouth of the Little Salmon River, and from Long Tom Creek (about a quarter mile

upstream from the Middle Fork Salmon River) to the posted boundary 100 yards downstream from the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery weir, near the town of Stanley is open until April 30.

Salmon River from the Lake Creek Bridge to Long Tom Creek (about a quarter mile upstream from the Middle Fork Salmon River) closes March 31.

Little Salmon River from its mouth upstream to the U.S. Highway 95 Bridge near Smokey Boulder Road remains open until May 15.

Snake River from the Washington state line at the confl uence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers upstream to Hells Canyon Dam is open until April 30.

Snake River upstream of Hells CanyonDam to Oxbow Dam is open until May 31.

Boise River from its mouth upstream to Barber Dam is open until May 31.

In the boundary waters on the Snake River between Idaho and Oregon or Washington, an angler with a valid Idaho fi shing license and steelhead permit may fi sh where the river forms the boundary between Idaho and Oregon or Washington, but may not fi sh from the shoreline on the Oregon or Washington side, including wading or in sloughs or tributaries. An angler may have only the limit allowed by one license regardless of the number of licenses the angler holds.

Consult the 2011-2012 fi shing rules brochure for exceptions and special restrictions. For more information on steelhead fi shing in Idaho, go to http://fi shandgame.idaho.gov.

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AN ICE FISHING PRIMER[ ]Photo Ed Endicott|Dreamstime

Photo Steve Mcsweeny|Dreamstime

Photo Reino Jonsson|Dreamstime

Those of us lucky enough to call Montana home have the opportunity to take advantage of some great ice fi shing opportunities every winter. For some Montana anglers ice fi shing is the pinnacle of their fi shing season and for others it is a wonderful distraction to fi ll the period in the winter of little open water fi shing opportunity. In it’s purest form, ice fi shing involves a man, a frozen lake and a fi sh.

While there is a great deal of gear available to the ice fi sherman, it is possible to catch fi sh with a hand auger and a couple of ice rods baited with small jigs. Even the angler without a boat has access to the entire lake when it is frozen, creating opportunities for everyone not available during the open water seasons.

From perch in Lake Mary Ronan to walleye in Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana waters contain a wide variety of fi sh species for the hard water angler to pursue.

Some of the most popular ice fi shing species in Montana include a variety of trout, perch, kokanee salmon, walleye and northern pike.

The species of fi sh the ice angler is targeting will likely depend on the area of the state in which they are fi shing.

SMALL ICERODS

SETTINGTIP UPS

SPEARING

The western portions of Montana tend to be dominated by trout and perch waters with some northern pike and kokanee salmon to be found in certain waters. The waters of Eastern Montana tend to be inhabited by warm water species including walleye, northern pike and perch.

The method of fi shing utilized by the Montana ice angler will also largely be determined by the species of fi sh being targeted as well as the regulations for the particular area, body of water and type of fi sh.

The most popular methods of ice fi shing in Montana are 3

The angler fi shing with ice rods will typically be targeting trout, perch or kokanee salmon while the angler after walleye or pike will usually set out tip ups baited with smelt, cut bait or live minnows where legal.

^

The typical ice rod is a light to medium spinning

ROD /SPEAR

24 to 36 inches long outfi tted with a small spinning reel spooled with 4 to 10 pound test monofi lament line. A small jig is usually tied to the end of the line and baited with maggots, worms, white corn or one of several other natural or artifi cial baits available.

The angler targeting kokanee salmon or perch will often include an attractor spoon tied above the baited jig also.

The spear fi sherman will usually be seeking northern pike or walleye. Spear fi shing involves cutting a large hole in the ice, placing a shelter over the hole and jigging a decoy in the hole in an attempt to lure a fi sh into range to be speared. The typical spear is about 5 feet long, weighted and will have 4 to 8 barbed tines.

The ice fi shing regulations in Montana will vary depending on the management region the body of water is located in as well as the regulation exceptions for the individual body of water. The ice angler will typically be allowed to fi sh with 2 to 6 rods or tip ups. The spearing hole will count as one rod or tip up also if the angler is spear fi shing. It is important to read the regulations prior to fi shing each body of water as the regulation can vary signifi cantly throughout the state.

SPEARFISHING

ICEAUGER

Ice anglers have a tremendous variety of gear available to enhance the ice fi shing experience. The primary tool of the ice fi sherman is the ice auger. A hand auger is a good option if the ice is not too thick or if weight is large concern but most Montana ice fi sherman utilize a power ice auger. The power auger will usually be powered by a 2 stroke gasoline motor but electric augers are available powered by a 12 volt battery. The latest in power auger is a propane powered auger from Jiffy. Utilizing the 1 pound disposable propanecylinders to power a 4 stroke engine this auger eliminates mixing gas and oil for a 2 stroke motor and runs cleaner and quieter than a 2 stroke. Most ice augers will drill a hole that is between 6 and 10 inches in diameter. The most common sizes are 8 inch and 10 inch with the 8 inch being favored by the trout and perch anglers and the 10 inch being more popular with walleye and pike anglers. When the ice thickens to 30 inches or more during a cold Montana winter the power ice auger becomes an essential ice fi shing tool.

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The portable shelter has become the most popular form of shelter for the ice fi sherman.

ICE FISHING MONTANA

The portable ice fi shing shelter is an increasingly popular accessory for ice fi shing. While it is certainly possible to fi sh without a shelter or fi sh in a semi-permanent shelter that is left on the lake the entire winter, the portable shelter has become the most popular form of shelter for the ice fi sherman. There are several styles of portable shelters available and most are either fl ip-over style, cabin style or pop-up style. The fl ip over style consists of a sled base with 1 to 3 chairs mounted on it and a tubular frame supporting a nylon fabric tent that can be raised to enclose the sled or folded into the sled for transport. This style has the benefi ts of being very quick to set up and the sled base can be used to transport the ice auger and the remaining ice fi shing gear onto the ice. The cabin style shelter is generally lighter than the fl ip over shelter and offers the additional advantage of a full fl oor insulating the angler from the ice. The pop-up style ice shelter is the lightest of the styles and sets up quickly but does not offer the protection of a fl oor. The choice of a shelter will also be infl uenced by how it will be pulled or carried onto the ice. The weight of the shelter matters little if it is a sled style that will be pulled by an ATV but the weight can be critical if the shelter is to be pulled or carried by the angler.

SHELTER

^

ADDITIONALSUPPLIES

^

rod savers to prevent the fi sh from pulling the rods down the hole and ice cleats to make walking on the ice much easier and safer. The fi sherman using tip-ups will also need an ice chisel to chip out a tip-up left in the ice hole for an extended period of time. The ice chisel also comes in handy to check the thickness of the ice if there is a question about it’s ability to support the angler.

SAFETY

Safety is a very important consideration when ice fi shing. It is generally accepted by the ice fi shing community that 4 inches of ice is a minimum thickness to safely walk out on and fi sh through. Many anglers will fi sh on less and more still wait until it is thicker, particularly if an ATV is to be used as transportation onto the ice. A simple item that every ice angler should carry at all times is a set of ice picks which will make climbing out of the water onto the ice possible should a break through occur. Above all ice fi shing is about having fun, enjoying the great Montana outdoors and possibly enjoying a meal of fresh fi llets if everything goes well.

Additional items used by most ice fi sherman will include an ice scoop to keep the fi shing holes ice free, rod holders to hold the rod above the ice with the tip over the hole,

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Sprinkle onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon garlic over Pike fi llets. Add the remainingmixture into the cracker crumbs. Beat eggs into beer. Dip Pike into beer mixture then roll into cracker crumb mixture. Fry for about 5 minutes per side in 1/4 inch oil at375o or until golden brown.

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Whitetail Whitetail Propagation versusPropagation versus Mule Deer in MontanaMule Deer in Montana BBy Dy Dave Pave Pricerice

giving birth to a single fawn on her fi rst birthday. During the following November she can breed again, birth twins then repeat that process each year for the rest of her adult life.

In areas where mule deer and whitetails overlap the more aggressive whitetail bucks tend to push mule deer bucks away from their mule deer harems. In many cases, whitetail bucks inter-breed with mule deer does. The offspring are a hybrid called by many in the Mountain West a “mule tail”. The hybrid deer’s body features take on mule deer traits, but their antlers usually develop whitetail characteristics. I shot a 5x5 “mule tail” buck in Wyoming in an overlap area. One antler beam carried a typical fi ve point whitetail display with a large brow tine and a single main beam with all points growing vertically from the beam. The other antler displayed mule deer characteristics with antler tines forking off the main beam as well as a stubby brow tine.

Hybrid doe fawns continue to display mule deer traits and not show whitetail deer traits. Bucks, on the other hand, are sterile, and even though he’ll gather a small harem of does he doesn’t have the “wherewithal” to do anything with them. The downside to hybrid whitetail/mule deer buck behavior is that they tend to keep their accumulated harem away from the other potent bucks. Add this to the fact that hunters usually locate mule deer much easier because they don’t always detect danger by sense of smell, but rely on visual acquisition of the source of a threat which can spell the demise of the mule deer. Trophy quality of large branch antlered mule deer bucks makes them more sought after by hunters.

It’s easy to see how mule deer fortunes are poor when the two species of deer interbreed. The only time that a mule deer doe can escape aggressive whitetail bucks is in mountainous regions where the mule deer’s body structure and “stotting” gait give them an advantage over rut-crazed whitetail bucks. Usually, in mountainous terrain mule deer does simply run away from whitetail bucks until his energy level is spent and he gives up the chase. Largely for that reason interbreeding and hybridization between whitetail does and mule deer bucks occurs more frequently on the open plains than it does in mountainous areas.

The “Late Season Antlerless Archery Season” in Region 2 south of Missoula along the Bitterroot Mountains, both sides of the highway is a good one for a youth hunt or even a meat hunt. The licenses are over the counter 260-10-B and you can have up to 5 antlerless tags. This late season archery only is open until January 15th 2012. The areas specifi cally are 240, 250, 260, 261, 271 and 283. See the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks regulations or the web page at FWP.MT.Gov for more specifi c details.

There is a late season antlerless archery season because human encroachment and suburban sprawl make hunting with archery equipment the safest method to harvest a deer. There is minimal public property in these areas. It’s time for a lesson on how to gain access to some of the best private properties in the valley – and bow hunters have an advantage here.

Brush off your shoes, dress nicely, put on a big smile, knock on doors and ask for permission to hunt private property with archery equipment. This isn’t as diffi cult as you may think - some landowners actually complain about the number of deer eating their expensive shrubbery. The deer are accustomed to seeing people so they’re much easier to pattern and they can usually see or scent you and not run like they’re being chased.Drive the roads in the area during the late afternoon and you can usually see where the highest concentrations of whitetail deer are found. After you’ve found the deer herd then begin contacting area landowners.

When you go out knocking on doors seeking permission to hunt bring a small, tasteful gift for the landowner and you’ll be surprised how well it will create opportunities for you. If they don’t give you permission to hunt the landowner usually won’t accept the gift. (continued on page 32)

Help control the whitetail population and protect the mule deer population. The whitetail deer population and range is expanding in most areas - a whitetail doe fawn born in June can breed in the “secondary rut” during mid-December

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MONTANA’S 2012-2013 HUNTINGREGULATION PROPOSALS UP FOR REVIEW MFWP

Montanans will have an a number of opportunities to review and comment on 2012-2013 hunting regulations proposals by going on online now or by attending one of 40 public meetings beginning in January.

Last summer, FWP held seven meetings across the state and received more than 150 comments that led to several new hunting season proposals. Details on the proposed hunting regulations are available on FWP’s website at HYPERLINK http://www.fwp.mt.gov/fwp.mt.gov Click “ HYPERLINK http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/publicComments/2012_13season-Setting.html 2012-2013 Hunting Proposals where one can fi nd a complete calendar of the 40 meetings times and locations and additional information on each proposal. The proposals encompass hunting season dates and nearly every huntable species in the state, including antelope, black bear, bighorn sheep, bison, deer, elk, moose, mountain goat, mountain lion and a variety of upland game birds and waterfowl.

Comments may be submitted at the HYPERLINK http://fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=53403 local meetings, which are set for Jan 3-19 statewide, or online at HYPERLINK http://www.fwp.mt.gov/ fwp.mt.gov . Written comments may be sent to: FWP Wildlife Bureau, Attn: Public Comment, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701. For questions not covered on the website, call: 406-444-2612. Comments are due by 5 p.m. on January 23. The FWP Commission will adopt fi nal regulations at its February 16, 2012 meeting in Helena.

Important Update on Wolves in CongressBY RYAN BENSON BIG GAME FOREVER

Congress released their spending bills for the next year. Good news and bad news. The good news is that Congress knows that WOLVES are the priority. Only two issues were listed in the spending summaries for US Fish and Wildlife Service. Wolves was one of the two. Here is the language:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) – The FWS is funded at $1.5 billion in the bill, a cut of $28 million below last year’s level. Funding for mitigation fi sh hatcheriesis restored, which returns $28 to the economy for every federal taxpayer dollar invested. Wolf monitoring and livestock loss programs are continued.

Now for the bad news.While this shows Congress is hearing that wolves is a top priority, much better wolf language was stripped out of the bill at the last minute. Word from multiple sources is that Senator Jack Reed from Rhode Island and the White House removed lan-guage that would have stopped lawsuits for pending wolf delisting in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Here is what happened. The Republican controlled House of Representatives sent bipartisan wolf language intended to stop the litigation and return wolves to state management. Key house members fought for this language. (See language below)

The Senate stripped out this wolf language at the last minute. We have been told that Senator Klobuchar from Minnesota was the only Democratic Senator to ask for this language to remain in the bill. Here is where the Senate missed the boat. The wolf issue can’t be fi xed by just paying for livestock kills. The issue can’t be fi xed by “monitoring” wolves. The only way to fi x the issue is to stop the litigation and return wolves to true state control.

It is time for Sportsmen to ask their Democratic Senators to deliver. Where was Michigan’s Senator Stabenow? Where was Minnesota’s Senator Franken? Where was Wisconsin’s Senator Kohl? Why is the White House listening to Rhode Island instead of Senator Klobuchar from Minnesota?

Rhode Island? It is time to start listening to the people of each state affected by the growing wolf problems. It is time to acknowledge that out-of-state special interests should not dictate wildlife management in our states. Don’t they get it? Sportsmen can be trusted. The states can be trusted. America’s hunters and outdoorsmen have shown tremendous patience. Have we shown too much patience?

Why doesn’t the White House Support state management? Why doesn’t the White House support protection of all wildlife? Why does USFWS want to spread the destructiveness of unmanaged wolves across America?

It is time for sportsmen to take a stand. Help us reach the goal of 100,000 signatures on our petition. We need an army of sportsmen in this fi ght. The system is failing America’s wildlife. Each one of us need to make clear that the future of wildlife, hunting and our outdoor heritage is OUR priority.

Here is the text of the wolf language that was stripped by the US Senate: Sec. 119. Hereafter, any fi nal rule published by the Department of the Interior that provides that the gray wolf (Canis lupus) in the State of Wyoming or in any of the States within the range of the Western Great Lakes Dis-tinct Population Segment of the gray wolf (as defi ned in the rule published on May 5, 2011 (76 Fed. Reg. 26086 et seq.)) is not an

endangered species or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), including any rule to remove such species in such a State from the list of endangered species or threatened species published under that Act, shall not be subject to judicial review if such State has entered into an agreement with the Secretary of the Interior that authorizes the State to manage gray wolves in that State.

To join visit http://biggameforever.org

ATTENTION WOLF HUNTERS MONTANA SPORTSMEN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE IS CONDUCTING A MONTANA WOLF HUNTING PHOTO CONTESTParticipants who submit photos of a successful wolf hunt in accordance with the listed qualifi cations/rules will be awarded $100.00 Plus an annual membership in MT-SFW.Qualifi cations/rules:Photographers must demonstrate the following criteria for pictures to qualify:-Photos must be of a successful wolf hunt and show the tag with number;-Photos must be of good quality so they can be republished and/or posted on the MT-SFW website;-Photos must be of a wolf harvested between December 19th and the close of the season or the quota being fi lled;-Photographers must acknowledge that the photo was taken of a wolf harvested in any open Montana WMU;-Photographer must acknowledge that all laws and hunting regulations were followed;-Photographers must acknowledge that MT-SFW has all rights to reproduce and publish the photos as it sees fi t and appropriate;-Only one award per successful wolf hunt photo; - the date, time, place of the photo and the person(s) in the photograph; -overall best photo qualifi es for additional prize.

For receipt of prize, please send your photos and acknowledgment of these rules to:MT-SFW PO Box 2243 Missoula, MT 59806

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Keith Kubista President Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife

The imbalance between predator and prey in Montana and Idaho continues to result in dramatic declines in moose, elk and deer.

Folks,

When are we going to start protecting and recovering wildlife in the Northern Rockies?

Let’s be frank. The imbalance betweenpredator and prey in Montana and Idaho continues to result in dramatic declines in moose, elk and deer. In areas where high wolf populations exist, hunting opportunity is down and further restrictions are forthcoming. This runs contrary to MCA 87-1-217 which requires MTFWP to manage predators to meet the goal of preserving citizen’s opportunities for hunting large game species.

The problem is that balance is not being restored in Montana. Data shows that wolf harvest must reach a minimum of 50% in consecutiveyears to reduce wolf populations. In 2009, total wolf mortalities in Montana reached approximately 50% of the confi rmed population (255 of 524) and wolf populations increased to well over 525 documented wolves the following year. With the current excessive population of wolves, the hunting quota cap in Montana of 220 wolves

is not suffi cient to reduce wolf populations.

Now more bad news. The recentheadline in Montana is “Western Montana wolf quotas still trailing.” As of 12-16-11 Montana has only harvested 109 wolves in 2011. Since elk and deer seasons have closed, Montana won’t have much chance of reaching their harvest objectives, even with the extended wolf hunts into January.

Remember, the Tester/Baucus language which delisted wolves in Montana and Idaho required ongoing federal oversight. States can only manage with permission from the federal government. Is the USFWS using this fact to mandate many restrictions on wolf harvest in these states? With excessive restrictions being imposed by federal offi cials, there is no evidence that states can manage wolves.

Montana Reality Check

Numerous Examples of Excessive Restrictions in MontanaLow harvest objectives - Ban on wolf trapping in Montana - No baiting allowedNo electronic calls allowed - Only one tag per year per personA short general wolf season - Ban on use of artifi cial scents or luresExpensive tags - Currently resident wolf tags cost more than a deer tag Nonresident tags cost $350Federal Funding was cut for USDA wildlife services needed to control problem wolvesExcessive time, place and manner restrictions now imposed on wildlife services even when funding is obtained

PROBLEM - WOLF REMOVALS ARE DOWN47 removals in 2011 is now less than 1/3 compared to previous years (previous years approximately 150 problem wolves were removed).

Montana FWP is far more restrictive than the state of Idaho when it comes to wolf management. Many feel this is a result of pressure on the state from federal oversight. Regardless of the source of the pressure the fact is these restrictions are a result of politics, not good wildlife management policy.

CONCLUSION - The status quo is not working for Montana. It appears that warnings about the Tester/Baucus bill may have been well founded. The fact remains that the Tester/Baucus bill only allows the state of Montana to manage with permission from federal offi cials for the next 5 years.

Wolf hunting won’t fi x this mess. It is time for full authority over wolf populations to be returned to the people of the state of Montana. It is time for Montana FWP to acknowledge that excessive restrictions aren’t working. It is time for leadership in the state of Montana needed to protect wildlife and livestock.

Get involved today. Visit www.mt-sfw.org


CALLING IS THE KEY TCALLING IS THE KEY TOOBBringring In A Montana Coyote In A Montana Coyote

BY RICK HAGGERTY

www.booneandcrockettclub.com

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Delmer E. HaydenDelmer E. HaydenRocky Mountain GoatRocky Mountain Goat4747-2/-2/88Chouteau County, MT.Chouteau County, MT.20020077

NNow is the perfect time to call in a coyote here in January. Why? ow is the perfect time to call in a coyote here in January. Why? Several reasons come into play this time of the year. Several reasons come into play this time of the year.

••Coyotes are fi nally starting to settle down after being shot at by deer Coyotes are fi nally starting to settle down after being shot at by deer hunters for the last 2 months during rifl e season. hunters for the last 2 months during rifl e season.••Young and curious coyotes are out on their own and are especially Young and curious coyotes are out on their own and are especially vulnerable to coyote calls and ambush set-ups. vulnerable to coyote calls and ambush set-ups.

••The breeding season will start in a few weeks, so the male dogs are The breeding season will start in a few weeks, so the male dogs are out roaming a lot more territory than they normally would out roaming a lot more territory than they normally would during the daylight hours. during the daylight hours.

••Right now is as good as their fur gets. They start their territorial Right now is as good as their fur gets. They start their territorial fi ghting to mark their areas soon and that takes a toll on their hide. fi ghting to mark their areas soon and that takes a toll on their hide.

SETTING-UPSETTING-UP••Start with picking the right spot to call.Start with picking the right spot to call.••Set-up on a small hill facing an open area with the wind in your face. Set-up on a small hill facing an open area with the wind in your face. ••Be stealth on your approach to set-up. Be stealth on your approach to set-up. ••Camo-up to match your surroundings. If there is still a lot of snow, Camo-up to match your surroundings. If there is still a lot of snow, white yourself out, if not, then wear camo that looks like the area you white yourself out, if not, then wear camo that looks like the area you are hunting. are hunting.••Use your best Scent Killer spray and keep an eye downwind. An Use your best Scent Killer spray and keep an eye downwind. An incoming coyote is programmed to smell you. incoming coyote is programmed to smell you.

CALLINGCALLING••When you start to call, be noisy, but brief. You’re trying to get the When you start to call, be noisy, but brief. You’re trying to get the attention of a coyote that may be up to a mile away. attention of a coyote that may be up to a mile away.••If you’re using an electronic call, stick with the high-pitched rabbit If you’re using an electronic call, stick with the high-pitched rabbit and bird calls. Give it ten minutes, then stop and spot. and bird calls. Give it ten minutes, then stop and spot.

MAP MFWPRichardseeley | Dreamstime.com

RESPONSERESPONSE••If you’re not into coyotes within a half hour or so, pack up If you’re not into coyotes within a half hour or so, pack up and move to your next spot. and move to your next spot.••When you do call in a coyote, always be on the lookout for When you do call in a coyote, always be on the lookout for two or three more at the same time, as they travel in groups two or three more at the same time, as they travel in groups and can be very aggressive when it comes to fi nding a meal.and can be very aggressive when it comes to fi nding a meal.••If you can, hunt with a partner, so you can follow each other, If you can, hunt with a partner, so you can follow each other, and watch each other’s blind side. and watch each other’s blind side.

CHOOSING YOUR AREASCHOOSING YOUR AREAS••Coyote hunting will be good pretty much anywhere. Coyote hunting will be good pretty much anywhere. ••Hunt transitional areas where high quality irrigated Hunt transitional areas where high quality irrigated agriculture is available. Coyotes love to chase deer and agriculture is available. Coyotes love to chase deer and rabbits right now looking for susceptible prey. These are rabbits right now looking for susceptible prey. These are good early and late set-up stands where you can intercept good early and late set-up stands where you can intercept coyotes that are moving back and forth to their dinner table. coyotes that are moving back and forth to their dinner table.••All of the Hi-line areas around Great Falls, Havre, Glasgow All of the Hi-line areas around Great Falls, Havre, Glasgow and and Scobey are infested with song dogs, and should make Scobey are infested with song dogs, and should make for easy call-in hunts. for easy call-in hunts. ••Check out the rough country that falls from Wheatland Check out the rough country that falls from Wheatland north to Jordan, into the Missouri Breaks. These are north to Jordan, into the Missouri Breaks. These are phenomenal areas to fi nd mid-winter phenomenal areas to fi nd mid-winter coyotes. There is a descent amount coyotes. There is a descent amount of BLM land available here as well. of BLM land available here as well. ••Remember, go where there is Remember, go where there is abundant wildlife, cattle and water and abundant wildlife, cattle and water and you’ll fi nd coyotes sure to be hiding in the you’ll fi nd coyotes sure to be hiding in the tall grass or small timbered areas. tall grass or small timbered areas.

The Hi-Line & Jordan offer plenty ofBLM land for Coyote Hunters



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At-the-Wire WaterfowlAt-the-Wire WaterfowlBY STEVE HBY STEVE HICKOFICKOFF F

PHOTO PHOTO BY BY STEVE HSTEVE HICKOFICKOFF F In southern parts of the country, lingering waterfowl seasons run through the next few weeks, then drop like a decoy anchor weight in a fl ooded timber hole. Even up north, coastal sea duck opportunities continue then close at January’s end. Ways to make your late duck and goose hunts great follow here:

Use your Yamaha ATV or Side-by-Side to lug decoys to and from pit blinds and fl ooded timber. This time of the year, breeding-paired birds want to be with others. Give them a reason to drop into your hot spot.

You love to call ducks and geese; so do I. There’s a real pleasure in turning overhead birds that were moving the other way. Now, it’s different. Your best call might be no call at all. Put your ego to the side. Sure, take those calls along; wear that lanyard around your neck. But vocalize sparingly. Use subtle calls. Once you turn that mallard pair, or that single high-fl ying specklebelly, shut it down and let ‘em come in close.

It’s okay to have fun these waning days of the season. Really. Some of us started way back in September and have had fi ve solid months of waterfowling. Enjoy these waning days. Take a new hunter along, or someone else who might just want to enjoy the pleasure of a pit blind sunrise. Don’t forget your camera.

Innovate with your tactical approaches here at the wire. Flash hunts that involve jumpshooting loafi ng ducks rival upland bird hunts. This fl ush and shoot approach will keep you warm as you walk, and offer a fresh angle outside of blind sitting. Hunt a different waterfowl species than you might typically. Mix it up.

For the most success, isolate single ducks and geese when they appear on the horizon. Often this is your best chance at interesting a bird with your late-season vocalizations. Again though, watch the reaction, then go silent as it approaches and cups to your decoy spread. Savor these fi nal days of the season.


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Selected Results from a 2011 Resident Mule Deer Hunter Preference Survey Conducted by FWPMichael S. Lewis, Quentin Kujala, Justin Gude, and Zoe King - courtesy MFWP

Following the 2010 general hunting season, the Commission for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) requested the agency begin exploring whether or not there is a need to update Montana’s mule deer management plan (Adaptive Harvest Management Plan 2001). To kick-off this effort, FWP conducted a survey of resident mule deer hunters to help evaluate Montana’s mule deer management relative to hunting and harvest opportunities.

In late may of 2011, a survey was mailed to a randomly selected sample of N=5,000 resident Deer A license holders from the 2010 general hunting season. Two weeks following the initial mailing of the survey, postcard reminders were sent to all the survey participants. Surveys were successfully delivered to a total of N=4,813 resident deer hunters. There were a total of N=1,980 survey respondents, resulting in an overall 41 percent response rate for the resident survey. This response rate is considered to be good for a mailback survey of this kind.

This summary presents selected overall statewide results from this important survey. In addition to this summary, separate reports have been developed that provide detailed survey results for Montana as a whole and detailed survey results for seven administrative regions of Montana.

Overall, 80 percent of all the survey respondents reported they have hunted mule deer in Montana during the past fi ve years. These resident mule deer hunters are the focus of this summary.

IMPORTANCE OF MULE DEER HUNTING IN MONTANANearly two-thirds of the survey respondents indicated that mule deer hunting is “one of my most important hunting activities” or “my most important hunting activity” (see Figure 1 below).

Figure 1. Response to...”How important is mule deer hunting to you in Montana?”

PERCEPTIONS REGARDING OPPORTUNITIES TO HUNT MULE DEER IN MONTANA-On a scale from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), 85 percent of the survey respondents rate overall opportunities to hunt mule deer in Montana as being better than average (a score of three out of fi ve or higher).-Using the same scale, nearly 50 percent of the respondents rate opportunities to hunt large mule deer bucks in Montana as being better than average (a score of three out of fi ve or higher.

SATISFACTION WITH CURRENT MULE DEER HUNTING REGULATIONS IN MONTANAOn a scale from 1 (very dissatisfi ed) to 5 (very satisfi ed), 77 percent of the survey respondents rate mule deer hunting regulations in Montana as being satisfactory (a score of three out of fi ve or better). Only two percent of the respondents indicated they believe mule deer hunting regulations in Montana are “very diffi cult to understand”. And, only two percent of the respondents reported they have “often” decided NOT to go mule deer hunting in Montana during the past fi ve years because they thought the hunting regulations were too diffi cult to understand.

OPINIONS REGARDING HOW RESTRICTIVE MULE DEER HUNTING REGULATIONS SHOULD BE IN MONTANAManaging for higher numbers of mature mule deer bucks (e.g., bucks 4-5 years of age or older) may require implementing more restrictive mule deer hunting regulations. (continued on page 29)


THE ELK RUT- 2011 IN REVIEW (continued from page 12)

Allowing the Elk to use parts of their range they would normally ignore. This spreads the Elk more evenly and thinly across their range, and takes Elk from areas we would normally fi nd them in great numbers and puts them into several other areas in smaller groups.

One of the single most important elements that have the biggest effect on our perception of the Elk rut is “herd dynamic”. In order to have a really vocal and hyper active breeding period you need to have a lot of competition (elk in one area) and a very complete age structure both in bulls and cows within the herd. First and foremost you need a lot of cows of various ages. Older cows will generally come into estrous sometime between the 15th and 25th, while the yearlings and younger cows will generally come in a little later. This helps to prolong the peak activity. Then you need a good age structure and hierarchy in the bulls from top to bottom. For instance if you take a 3 1⁄2 year old bull and put him into an odd area he wouldn’t normally be, with a few cows all to himself and no one to harass him, how much advertising (bugling) do you think he would do? To get those truly magic mornings we need them all, from the yearling cows to elongate the cycle, to the satellite bulls to keep on constant pressure, and all of them preferably in good concentrated groups.

Then to make things even more diffi cult we started to come out of the LaNina pattern at the worst possible time. Right around the July- August time frame we began to go back in to an “Enso” or neutral weather pattern which allowed for some record heat here in Montana in the month of September.

Hot weather is one of the single biggest limiting factors in day time animal activity. The hot weather was fairly unpredictable.

CASEY RIPPLE

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THE MOON

Saurabh13|Dreamstime

But our next attributing factor is something that is often overlooked by hunters, yet it is very predictable and plays a huge role in our hunts and the level of Elk activity during day light hours.

That is the moon phases or more importantly the timing of the full and or the new moon. This is something we can look at right now in planning for our 2012 hunting season schedule. In 2011 we had our full moon on September 12th, one of the worst possible times during the breeding period. This enabled Elk during some of the peak times of the cycle to do a lot more in the moonlit hours of night than they normally would with a darker moon phase. Obviously the more activity there is at night, generally the less there will be during the day.

WOLVES

One other major attributing factor in changes in Elk behavior, activity and or location that is weighing heavier on all our minds these days is the explosion in the wolf population.

Suffi ce it to say that if there are wolves in an area, the Elk in that area are probably not going to advertise their location (bugle/vocalize) nearly as much. If you are focused on calling techniques for hunting Elk and you are hearing and or seeing wolf activity in your area your time would be better served looking for a different area with less outside pressure from other predators. Elk that are not constantly being tormented by wolves are far more likely to be the vocal and rambunctious animals we all know and love.

We have now examined some of the factors and issues that created the conditions of the hunt this last season and their predictability and or lack thereof. This brings us to our next topic. Essentially what can we do to overcome diffi cult conditions.

BE VERSATILEIn the beginning I mentioned that some people we talked to had great success on Elk this last season. One of the key things they all had in common was a true willingness to be “versatile”. To me there is no bigger limiting factor for a hunter than being one dimensional. The guys that had success this year all said the same things that others were saying about diffi cult conditions and quiet Elk, but where they were different was how they responded.

This year was a hot and dry September. Elk are a lot more predictable and patternable when it’s hot and dry. A lot of the hunters actually switched from their normal techniques and used tree stands over water sources to be successful. One of the things we do a lot is use their travel routes to and from feeding and bedding areas to ambush the Elk. Another more risky tactic we use is actually going into their bedrooms silent with a good steady wind and waiting (sometimes hours) for the bull to make a check loop that is just a little too wide for his own good. This tactic is very high risk and probably not one to use unless you have some back up bulls on hand. Elk do not tolerate getting blown out of their sanctuaries very well at all, but if done correctly it can be very effective. Another tactic that is gaining some popularity among serious Elk hunters is good old fashioned spot and stalk methods. This can be a bit terrain dependant, but early and late when bulls are on their own it can be very deadly. Even in heavy timber if you know your area well enough to know what ridges they bed on, you can still hunt and fi nd them bedded and then stalk in for a closer look. The key to these tactics is to error on the side of caution and know when it’s right, and if it’s not then back out rather than blowing your Elk in to the next county. To be truly “versatile” as hunters we should go in to any hunt with an open mind and an adapt and overcome attitude. In order to achieve consistent success we need to fi rst be willing to fail at least once.

I am guessing that if you go and do a search on Elk hunting right now you will come up with a bunch of “most popular search” suggestions that are related to calling. The hunting industry has driven the words “Elk” and “calling” together so hard that a lot of hunters probably can’t think one without the other. A lot of the hunters that struggled this year were hyper focused on calling based techniques. While the guys that were successful this year were hunting the same elk with the same conditions but they were willing to think outside the industry and adapt to the diffi cult conditions.

The future of Elk hunting is a constantly changing one. The days of running around in the woods with a vacuum hose and having bulls run you over every day are a thing of the past. To be consistently successful we will need to continue to redefi ne ourselves as hunters. We will need to study more, start training earlier, push harder, be more versatile and go farther than ever before. “If Elk hunting don’t hurt you’re not doing it right!”

OVERCOMING DIFFICULT CONDITIONS


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Mule Deer Survey (continued from page 27)

For instance, in current limited permit areas in Montana the average drawing odds are once every four years. With this in mind, survey respondents were asked the following forced-choice questions to help assess how restrictive mule deer hunting regulations should be in Montana. The numbers in red represent the percent of survey respondents who selected that choice for each of the three survey questions presented in the box below.

Overall, 55 percent of the respondents selected the non-restrictive option for all three of the survey questions listed above. Thirtythree percent of the respondents selected the restrictive option for all three questions. Of note, respondents who reported thatmule deer hunting isn’t very important to them were more likely to select the morerestrictive option. For instance, 50-53 percent of the respondents who reported thatmule deer hunting isn’t very important to them selected the “opportunity to hunt mule deer bucks once every several years” for each of the three survey questions. This compares to 33-35 percent of respondents who mule deer hunting is important to them. Also of note, respondents who reported that harvesting a trophy buck is an important motivation for going mule deer hunting in Montana were more likely to select the more restrictive option. For instance, 45-46 percent of respondents who reported that harvesting a trophy buck is important to them selected the “opportunity to hunt mule deer bucks once every several years” for each of the three survey questions. This compares to 28-29 percent of the respondents who reported that harvesting a trophy buck is NOT important to them.

Related to the three forced-choice questions listed above, respondents were also asked, “How important is it to you to be able to consistently hunt mule deer in thesame place in Montana each and every year? Fifty-seven percent of the respondentsincidated this was important to them, while 25 percent reported this was unimportantor very unimportant to them. Eighteen percent reported this was neither importantor unimportant to them.


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Mule Deer Survey (continued from page 29)

OPINIONS REGARDING THE TIMING OF THE MULE DEER HUNTING SEASON IN MONTANA

Nearly two-thirds of the survey respondents “support” or “strongly support” hunting mule deer bucks in Montana during the rut (see Figure 2 below). Fourteen percent “oppose” or “strongly oppose” hunting bucks during the rut.

Figure 2. Response to...”To what extent do you support or oppose the hunting of mule deer BUCKS in Montana during the rut (generally after mid-November)?”

A strong majority of respondents (78 percent) “support” or “strongly support” the current timing of the fi ve-week general rifl e season for mule deer hunting in Montana (see Figure 3 below). Only seven percent “oppose” or “strongly oppose” the current timing of the season.

Figure 3. Response to...”To what extent do you support or oppose the current timing of the fi ve-week general rifl e season for mule deer hunting in Montana which starts the third weekend in October and ends the Sunday after Thanksgiving?”

In addition to the above, 65 percent of the survey respondents believe it is “important” or “very important” that the general rifl e season for mule deerhunting matches up with the timing of the general rifl e season for elk huntingin Montana. Fifteen percent of the respondents think that this is “unimportant” or “very unimportant.” Twenty-one percent reported this is“neither important nor unimportant” to them.

INTEREST IN HARVESTING ANTLERLESS MULE DEER IN MONTANAA little over half of the survey respondents (51 percent) reported they are “interested” or “very interested” in harvesting antlerless mule deer in Montana. Twenty-eight per-cent reported they are “disinterested” or “very disinterested” in harvesting antlerless mule deer in Montana. Twenty-one percent were “neither interested or disinterested”.

REASONS FOR HUNTING MULE DEER IN MONTANA

Survey participants were asked to rate the importance of ten different potential reasons for going mule deer hunting in Montana. Each of these reasons are listed below along with the percent of respondents who rated each reason as being “important “or “very important”.

To enjoy nature and outdoors (91%)To be with friends who have similar interests (77%)To do something with my family (75%)To get venison for eating (69%)To feel the exhilaration of the hunt (69%)To experience solitude (67%)To develop my skills and abilities (64%)To test my hunting skills (64%)To feel a sense of accomplishment (59%)To harvest a trophy buck (47%)

TO OBTAIN COPIES OF THIS SUMMARY (or more detailed survey results)Contact the Human Dimensions Unit of FWP by phone (406) 444-4758 or visit FWP’s website at http://fwp.mt.gov (and click on the following links...”Doing Business”, “Refer-ence Information”, “Surveys”, Social & Economic Surveys”).

None of the respondents have hunted mule deer out-of- state each of the past fi ve years.


Place the decoy where it is visible from multiple directions (elevated ground, fence post, etc.)

Place the decoy exactly where you’d like for the predator to be standing for the shot. Unless you booger things up, a coyote will quickly close the distance to the decoy in an effort to get to the decoy.

Leave ample shooting opportunities downwind of your decoy...coyote’s will likely approach from the downwind side. When necessary, add color to your decoy to make it stick out from the surrounding landscape. Add a white rag to a brown or grey decoy when hunting in a dead (brown & grey) landscape.

Whenever possible, add motion to the decoy. A still decoy will often go unnoticed...and don’t forget extra batteries!

Glass the surrounding country around you before walking out into the open to place your decoy. Coyotes will often be sitting at the edge of the timber waiting for an easy meal...if they see you approach, the game will be over.

Quick Tips for Hunting Predators with a Decoy

You won’t fi nd this information in any book – this technique comes from 30 years of experience seeking permission to hunt some of the best private property around. If the property offers quality hunting the landowners usually won’t let anyone else hunt the area after they grant you permission to hunt.

For the archer who wants to try a new broadhead, arrow shaft or bow this is a good time to hunt. If you want to determine whether mechanical or conventional broad heads offer more penetration you want to do your research on live animals, but not on a 6x6 bull bugling with steam coming out of his nose. It’s not a good idea to experiment with a broad head for the fi rst time on a trophy animal – give it a try fi rst on a 3-D target then try it on an antlerless deer hunt. The smaller sweet spot in the target zone on a deer is a good test of your accuracy under pressure. You’ll still get all of the adrenaline rush associated with going to full draw on an animal and sending an arrow down range without spending mega bucks on a trophy bull or buck tag in a limited draw area.

Whitetails Propagation (continued from page 21)

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Picture perfect habitat was rewarded by the unmistakable musk of a bull. That combination of musky- urine torn up pine sapling and mud. The aroma brings about an uncontrollable sensation of anticipation of what might happen!! To top it off, the series of beds, (a dozen or so), were still warm.

I knew Jessica was really tired, so we skirted to the saddle just below the wallow to energize with a candy bar. A little restraint can pay off big. Everything was perfect! Perfect partner, perfect ridgeline, perfect wind. We moved along ever so slowly through a small cluster of jack pines. Twenty yards slightly downhill a cow then a calf were grazing.

Taking it easy, side-by-side, we eased ourselves ever so quietly and quickly to all fours. Knocking an arrow and slipping the pack from my shoulders, the preparation now second nature. I could see the ivory tips bobbing back and forth, a body completely obscure from the rock ledge below, like a beacon beckoning me. Jess has never told me what she was thinking at that moment , but when I looked back with my clenched fi st for her to hold fast the eye contact gave me a quiet satisfaction that she was feeling all the emotions that I was.

Flash of a moment, and a magnifi cent crash of tan bodies exploding into a stampede. A second later all was absolutely silent. Before I stood up Jess was standing behind me holding my pack with a huge smile.

It didn’t take long. We found the bull rack resting against a small pine sixty yards from where he had bolted. Sure enough, the sky was clearing.

We spent the next day packing the meat out with the horses, and my Jess stood tough avoiding a huge wreck with a slab of meat shifting from a stumbling horse. The steep angles of the mountainside were a chal-lenge. I have a plethora of hunting stories, but to share this outdoor adventure and picture will always be my favorite and dedicated to my daughter Jessica.

Picture of a... (continued from page 5)

Elk hunting legend, game call innovator, outdoor personality and Hunter’s Specialties pro staffer Wayne Carlton is the latest esteemed hunter to join the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation as a feature member of Team Elk.

RMEF recently launched the Team Elk concept to help capture the spirit of all RMEF members, now more than 180,000 strong, working together for a common goal—ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat.

Carlton moved to Montrose, Colo., in 1976. It was there that he began adapting his turkey-calling prowess for pursuit of elk. Along the way, he pioneered the fi rst diaphragm elk call. Carlton began marketing the calls in 1983 and since then has developed many innovative calling devices and hunting products. As a member of the Hunter’s Specialties pro staff, he continues in product development and hosting seminars nationwide to demonstrate the latest in calling and hunting techniques.

Carlton, an inductee to the Bowhunters Hall of Fame, is a devoted conservationist and a life member and former director of both RMEF and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Elk Hunting Legend Wayne Carlton Joins Team Elk RMEF


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Bobcats are a slow and secretive animal, one you can’t hurry. When you call cats you do so on their terms. This takes a lot of patience by the hunter.

The biggest mistake callers make is quitting too soon. You have to stay with it a least twenty-fi ve minutes or longer for best results. I have had cats respond to my calling forty-fi ve minutes after I stopped calling. A bobcat is no harder to call than a fox or coyote. But, it takes more patience and time to deceive a bobcat; bobcats are not as plentiful nor as widespread as other predators, and it lives in a different type of terrain;

and probably most important of all, the character of the bobcat makes it hard to tell if you actually called one in or not, especially in daylight.

This is because of the cat’s ability to use native cover to its best advantage, moving very slowly and always staying hidden. A bobcat might come in close, look the situation over, see something that looks out of place, and move away, never being seen by the hunter.

Bobcats are widespread throughout the United States and parts of Canada and Mexico. They are found from southern British Columbia down to northern Mexico, and from Nova Scotia to Florida, both lengthwise and crosswise the continent. Cats favor dense brushy habitat, the thicker the better.

Twildlife|Dreamstime

A bobcat can be destructive at times, killing livestock and pets. For this reason most landowner’s welcome hunters wishing to pursue cats. Bobcats follow trails and along roads, and these are

likely spots to look for signs, droppings and tracks. Another prospect is around water. The best time to call at a waterhole is just after dark, when they go to get a drink.

When calling in daylight look for them along streams, which are fl anked with heavy brush and trees. Occasionally at night you can call them on fl ats; but brushy terrain is better.

If you are in a spot where you can see no more than thirty feet in any direction, you are in likely in a good place.

Bobcats do not roam over a lot of country, being animals of limited range. If a bobcat is sighted, you can be reasonably assured when returning to the same area that the cat will not be far off. continued on page 37

TAKING A SHOT AT BOBCATS

BY JASON HOUSER

MONTANA BOBCAT SEASON:-Western & Southwestern Districts 1, 2, & 3 Dec.1 - Feb. 15, 2012-Central & Eastern Districts Dec. 1 - March 1, 2012 •Bobcat season may close earlier when the quota is reached.


Gartside Reservoir In Eastern Montana Offers Up Walleye

Bureau of Reclamation & MFWP

The Fresno Dam, Milk River Project, is located on the Milk River 14 miles west of Havre. This reservoir, with 5,760 water surface acres, 25,618 land acres and 65 miles of shoreline, offers good fi shing opportunity for walleye, northern pike, and perch.

Walleye caught on a drop-shot rigFedor Kondratenko|Dreamstime

Fishing Access Site on Gartside ReservoirOpen: January 1 - December 31Size: 160 acresElevation: 1978 ftNearest Town: Sidney

Hand LaunchFishing Pier/PlatformPicnic SiteToilet (Vault)

Directions Hwy 16, 1 mile north of Crane, west 1 mile on County Road.

Fishing PressureYear Days Fished1 Trips2 State Rank3 Regional Rank32009 1,201 25 265 102007 1,881 31 168 92005 2,178 31 175 82003 1,905 46 188 92001 596 15 347 16

1 Estimated yearly fi shing use in angler days (one angler fi shing one body of water in one day for any amount of time).2 The number of times that a section of water was reported as having been fi shed (used to estimate the number of “Days Fished”).3 How this section of water ranked among all surveyed sections in the state or region, based on “Days Fished” in a survey year.

Stocking InformationStocking Avg NumberDate Species Length (in) StockedMay, 2008 Walleye .2 40,000Jun, 2007 Walleye 1.4 80,000May, 2007 Tiger Muskie 8.7 1,000Sep, 2006 Tiger Muskie 5.8 400Jul, 2006 Smallmouth Bass 2.2 5,000Apr, 2006 Walleye .2 40,000May, 2005 Walleye .2 40,000Apr, 2005 Walleye .2 40,000Jul, 2004 Smallmouth Bass 1.8 5,000May, 2004 Northern Pike .2 40,000

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LAUGHING WATER CREEK SKI TRAIL visitmt.com

Laughing Water Creek Ski Trail, which leads to Martin Lake, is an ideal tour for beginners and offers a good view of the Tobacco Valley and Salish Mountains. There is also a good view of the Whitefi sh Range. There are a number of connecting trails available if snow conditions are favorable; up to an additional 11 miles.

Length: 4.4 miles

Trail Begins: Road 7008 adjacent to Murphy Lake Ranger StationTrail Ends: Martin Lake Area

Season: 12/15 - 4/1

Activities offered:Cross-Country SkiingHikingIce FishingSightseeingSnowshoeing

Phone: 406-882-4451

Web: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/kootenai/

Directions:Turn right on Laughing Water Road 7008, 0.2 mile north of the Murphy Lake Ranger Station. Follow approximately 0.5 miles to the trailhead.



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Taking a Shot at Bobcats

(continued from page 33

Blow on the predator call just as you would when hunting coyotes or foxes, but stay at it longer. Carefully watch your surroundings for the movement of a cat, but be careful that you do not move too much and get noticed. Look below bushed for the slightest movement. A cat is probably the easiest of all predators to call within range, because when a cat approaches as close as it intends to come, it will, more often than not, sit down and look around, staying there only for a very short period of time, not moving, making an inviting target.

Check your watch and use it as a guide. Thirty minutes is longer than you might think. It is easy to quit calling too soon if you do not check the time. Sometimes a cat will answer right away, like the fox, but only if it is close by when you start to call.

The most important thing to remember is to call steadily for at least 30 minutes.

OTHER TIDBITS•The more people you have on a hunt, the less are your chances of success. Try to keep it to just two hunters, with three being the maximum.•Always wear camoufl age. •If you plan on calling an area several times in a short time frame change your calls. Begin with a coarse call, one with low pitch and tone. On your next hunt use one with a higher pitch. On the third hunt use a very high-pitched call, like the squeals of a mouse. Then maybe a wounded bird call.•When hunting in the snow wear an all white camoufl age outfi t. This also means putting a white wrap on your weapon. •Wear suitable clothing for the weather. It is better to over dress than under dress. The uncomfortable caller is a careless caller.•When using an electronic caller always make sure you have good batteries, and take extras with you. Also, have mouth calls at the ready if all else fails.It is the little things that will make or break a hunt. Never take anything for granted. Calling any predator is a real challenge that you must work at, both manually and intelligently.

Once you have prospective spot pinpointed, search out a place near the edge of dense brush, where the bushes thin out somewhat, and are separated by enough patches of clearing to make the cat show itself should it answer the call. A good spot, which offers the best possible vantage, and where you are less likely to be detected, is the low fork of a tree. Ground blinds are another good option.

Another point to keep in mind is that the bobcat depends on eyesight for its primary defense, not its nose, as do the fox and coyote. This is why concealment is particularly important when calling bobcats and the caller should remain as still as humanely possible. A bobcat might cross down wind and ignore the danger signal, but let it catch the fl ash of a casually turned rifl e barrel, and it will make tracks.

In daylight, camoufl age clothing is almost a must, even down to the head net which covers the face. The subtle blend of browns and greens in camoufl age patterns does a good job. I would not attempt to call in a cat in the daytime without it. I am convinced that camoufl age clothing makes the difference between a successful hunt, and one that is not. A predator is not like other animals. It knows that it has to either kill or be killed. You do not outwit one by being careless. Camoufl age clothing is an aid the hunter can put to his advantage.


Technology, Ducks and “MoJo” By Asa Merriam

Today technology has touched every part of our lives from cars to houses to hunting. 111111111111111111In the world of decoys, we have gone from waterfowl decoys to big game decoys that are easy to carry and are light weight, fl at and present a three dimensional look. One of the newer innovations is a design that has taken it one step further. All wildlife expects movement of their fellow animals and can become leery if the decoys don’t move. This new battery powered movement has taken on the name “MoJo” after the company which began the animated movement. While hunting birds – doves, ducks and geese - wing movement is the key. These decoys can be set to leave the decoy moving its wings all the time or control the movement with a remote control device. With ducks wind movement wasn’t enough on water so they added swimming turbulence for more of a realist look from above. For dove decoys the design of the wings forces them to roll over and over with the slightest breeze.

Being a waterfowl hunter for most of my life I am still fascinated by how small differences in decoy setups can have a big impact on how approaching birds react — and ultimately on the success of your hunt. To be honest, I can’t tell you I have all the answers, but experience tells me that setting up a highly effective decoy spread is both an art and a science. And, like most other worthy pursuits, it’s something that you can never quite perfect...it requires continuous experimentation and a passion for lifelong learning. The goal is to add life to the decoys - in the past a wisp of wind was great, otherwise there were no water waves around the ducks. I learned this lesson with binoculars at a distance by watching a fl ock of ducks.

Small differences in decoy setups can have a big impact onhow approaching birds react111111111111111111

The Science of Decoying Waterfowl111111111111111While the laws of physics hold constant waterfowl behavior does not. The variables that make your spread work for you are always changing...and so your approach to setting decoys will need to keep changing too. There are probably more variables that affect a duck’s behavior over decoys than we will ever know, but here are some of the most important ones you need to be thinking about:

• Decoy movement• Wind conditions• Big water setups• River and Stream Setups

Decoy Movement: -------------------------No matter what type of water you hunt, decoy movement will add life to your spread and increase the confi dence of pass-ing ducks that your spread is in a safe place to land. There are dozens of techniques for adding movement: motion stakes, spinners, quiver magnets and jerk strings. I’ve heard mixed opinions on all of these except for the old-fashioned jerk string which seems to be a time-tested favorite. If you’ve never used a jerk string in your spread give it a shot. If you’re hunting an area with low wind or water movement it can make a big dif-ference. From a distance it can be what gets the fl ock’s attention, and that is what movement is all about.

Wind Conditions: -------------------------Ducks and geese typically try to land into the wind. Set up your decoys upwind from where you want them to land so that your “pocket” or landing area allows them to fl y into the wind and right into where you want them to “fi nish” or set down.If possible, try to hunt with the wind at a quartering angle to your blind. This can keep the birds’ attention on your decoy spread and not on your boat or blind. They won’t be as likely to land looking directly at you if the wind is blowing at a quartering angle from your back.

Wait to call the shot until a fl ock sets up to land upwind of your blind. More times than not, this will cause fl aring birds to pass back over the top of your blind giving you a better chance at making good kill shots.

Big Water Setups: -------------------------Big water can mean big rivers or lakes. The Classic J-Hook: In this classic setup you’ll put the bulk of your decoy spread upwind and then run a line of decoys downwind past your blind making a rough “J” shape. If it’s common for different species of birds to feed or rest together in your region don’t be afraid to mix some geese in with your duck decoys and use a few different species here and there at different parts of the “J”. This can help add realism to your spread and provide increased visibility since some decoy sizes and paint schemes can be more visible than others (goose and black ducks).

The Lucky Horseshoe: This doesn’t always work, but I had a few banner days on early season mallards last year at Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay using this technique. With the wind directly at our backs and occasionally quartering off one shoulder we set up a spread with a heavy concentration of mallard decoys extending out in a “U” shape 20 yards to the sides in each direction and 35 yards out placing our boat blind at the closed end of the horseshoe. Just outside the top ends of the U past the mallards we set a couple of small family groups of four to fi ve geese on each side. We also included a spinner mallard in the landing area closer to one side of the shoe providing some movement, but in a comfortable land-ing area. Several fl ocks of early season “local” ducks saw our spread and pulled 90 degree turns to pitch right in front giving us great shots and a three man limit of greenheads.

Rivers & Stream Setups: ----------------If you’re on a river, stream or slough here are some tactics that many experienced hunters use. On a small river channel or slough use enough decoys to block off the entire channel with a large group of decoys upwind of your blind. Flocks of ducks that are fl ying up the main artery of a river often fl y into these side channels and dump straight into your setup if you com-pletely block off the stream. The bunch part comes into play by setting a few more small groups of decoys downwind of your stream serving as “blockers” along both sides of the stream. Placing a majority of these “bunches” along the opposite bank to force decoying birds to land closer to your blind usually provides higher percentage shots.

Duck hunting is some of the hardest work you’ll ever love, but it’s worth the effort.


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Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure - January 2012