Hunting & Fishing News - April 2013

HUNTING & FISHING Montana

April 2013

News

~Spring Fishing Techniques ~Hunting With A Decoy ~Bear Tactics That Work ~Goat, Sheep, Moose Outlook New Look Same Dead on Accuracy Made in Montana. Available at your local retailer.

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Dallas Land N ext Season Is Already Here COMPANY

BY JASON HERBERT

T he pungent smell was familiar, and got my heart pumping. I’d been watching bucks file by my stand all evening long and although

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I did not choose to shoot one of them, I felt rewarded that they had read my script. One of them in particular was really rutted up and stunk something fierce. The wind was swirling but I hunted with confidence that my ScentBlocker gear and scent control routine would help me get close enough to kill. Unfortunately the big buck I was after never showed up that night, but I still left feeling very satisfied.

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Eric Lawver with his 2012 Missouri Breaks Bull Elk

To most people, hunting is a hobby; a time honored tradition they partake in each fall with friends and family. For others, us “Whitetail 365” guys, it’s an obsession. I think about deer hunting every day of the year and don’t like it when I am not doing something hunting related. While most are nursing their “hunting hangovers” in late winter, my season has already started and I’m out working toward my next buck.

POST-SEASON SCOUTING Once the season ends, I contend that the most important thing a deer hunter can do is get outside and scout. Late winter is a great time to scout because sign from the past season can still be seen before everything greens back up again. I’m reluctant to invade a bedding area during the season because I know that the fence line will be lined with neighboring hunters, but this time of year, everything’s fair game.

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4 - Hunting & Fishing News

When scouting time hits, I like to dress light but warm making sure my outer layer is ScentBlocker Recon with Rip Stop fabric to bust through thickets and thorns, throw on my 17” Boa Dream Season boots, and hike all over my hunting properties. Just to be safe, I also saturate myself with ScentBlocker Ti4 Titanium spray to make sure I am leaving no trace of my human scent. My memory isn’t the best so I usually bring a map and write down everything I notice. I’m looking for trails, bedding areas, food sources, escape routes, possible stand sites, etc... anything that is deer related gets documented on my map. My goal is to learn exactly what the deer were doing during the season.

This is challenging at times because the preferred food sources will change from October 1st to January 1st.

Keep in mind the deer do alter their patterns throughout the fall so an area that may have been smoking hot in October, say an oak flat, might not show a lot of sign come March. Either way, a scouting mission should be a learning experience, so any information gathered will be better than none. Later in the year when hanging stands, I reference the map for a refresher of the property.

TRAILS/FUNNELS Winter is also a great time to get out the old chainsaw and dust it off. I heat my home with wood and quite often cut at my hunting properties. Before cutting any trees, make sure to discuss ideas with the landowner and get their blessing. I like to blaze wide, really obvious trails for the deer to use. These trails will often become deer super-highways, so be on the lookout for potential stand locations. I’ll connect bedding and feeding areas for the deer, and also create access and exit routes for me to use. If I have located a great stand site, I’ll also cut shooting lanes. It’s really important to cut very wide in the winter. Mother Nature has an amazing way of re-growing and making sparsely cut winter trails non-existent come October.

Deadly funnels can also be created in this time of year. The hunt I described above happened near one of my funnels. There is a heavily used trail at one of my hunting properties which logically runs downwind of a thick, nasty, doe bedding area. The problem is that there are no safe trees to use for stands anywhere near the trail.

So, last winter my dad and I went in and dropped a few trees over the trail. The entire endeavor took us about 15 minutes and the end result is that the deer using that trail now have to go around those trees, and walk through one of my shooting lanes in order to get back onto the main trail. It’s a slick setup; as the bucks cruise downwind of the doe bedding area, I’m downwind of them. Tree dropping is simple and effective. The bucks I was watching were downwind of the doe bedding area and were forced to walk toward my stand to get around the trees.

Funnels can be created in all sorts of ways. Another funnel I like to create is by blocking access to a food source.

For instance, if I have a food plot that I plan to hunt, I might drop trees or stack brush all around it except for a few places. Naturally the deer will have to enter and exit through those specific openings, creating a perfect stand location and ambush site.

BEDDING AREAS Winter is also a great time to create or enhance bedding areas. Generally I find a bedding area and add to it, but sometimes I’ll simply create one. The objective is to thicken the area and provide screen cover for the deer. To enhance a bedding area, I’ll fire up the chainsaw and 3⁄4 or “hinge” cut any undesirable trees or bush. To hinge cut a tree, I simply start about waist high and cut about 3⁄4 of the way through it, so the tree will fall to the ground but not be cut completely. By not cutting it all of the way, I allow the tree to live and send several precious shoots of new growth skyward each year from that point forward. The logs, brush, and treetops will create bedding cover. The new growth will also create cover, and provide browse for the deer to eat.

The desirable trees, such as hardwoods and fruit trees, will be left to grow tall and strong with little competition from the scrub I just cut. Eventually, all sorts of vines and berry bushes will grow in as well, offering even more food and cover. (continued on page 44)

FISH LIKE A PRO Quick Tips from Berkley

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Jigging Stream Trout

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In-Fisherman Stream trout feed more selectively than many gamefish. Whatever big trout are feeding on, whether it’s insect larvae or minnows, it’s important to use a presentation that looks and moves like the real thing. Most of the major diet items can be imitated by a jig. Tiny 1/64-ounce jigs tipped with a plastic nymph imitate nymph-stage insects, while a larger 1/16-ounce jig with a 1-inch white curlytail grub imitates a larger pupae or small baitfish. Jigs can be worked slowly (bounced lightly across bottom) or swum through deeper waters of pools and runs. In summer, cast jigs along under-cut banks, around deeper wood, below cascades into plunge pools, and behind boulders in runs.

Throw to the Edge Byron Velvick

Instead of using the standard heavy weight flipping technique in tough bite, heavy cover situations, try backing off the spot a casting distance away.

Tie on a 3/16 oz. Mushroom head jig and a 7 Power Worm. Throw to the edge and just inside weed line letting the lure make its way slowly through the cover.

Those fish cannot resist. Most anglers won’t try this.”

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Scents are a product that I firmly believe in. I will put Berkley’s PowerBait on my crankbaits, hair jigs, fuzzy grub tails and a little on the line in front of the lure with my fingers. It works especially well on FireLine. You can actually still smell the scent on the FireLine hours after you have applied.

Pitching Tubes to Riprap Banks In-Fisherman

Reservoir smallmouths often congregate close to shore along riprap and rocky breaks into deeper water during early spring. The rocky shallows warm early, drawing bait.

Though this is typically considered to be a feeding movement not connected to the spawn, spawning habitat will be nearby and smallmouths might simply be enjoying the warmer water because they tend to be active, but they will not chase much until the water warms (at least) into the high-40F range. A subtle 3- to 4-inch tube is often the best bait, with a wire-guard jig head inserted. With the plastic of the tube surrounding the lead of the jig head, it will work its way out of rocky crevices much more easily and fall into such crevices less often. Lift slowly, then drop the rod tip and let the tube fall vertically from one rocky ledge to the next down to 15 feet or so in early spring.

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April 2013

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The buck spun and leaped, returning the way he had come.

The strange thing is that before he spun, he was a ten point and after his feet hit the ground, he was a five point. One of his antlers shed when his front hooves

hit the packed snow. The shed skidded to a stop a few yards away. What we’d witnessed was something that happens millions of times a year in the whitetail woods but is never observed. I picked up the antler.

This Ohio whitetailer, Jimmy Shilling, connected while the buck still had his headgear.

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I’m part of a management plan in SE Ohio where we have put together over 5000 acres of land under QDM (Quality Deer Management). QDM generates a healthy deer herd and quality bucks. It’s working. We had a 150 + and a 170 + taken from the farms adjacent to mine this fall. The good news is we saw many bucks that were even bigger.

The Shed Antler Story

By Bowhunting Biologist Wade Nolan Sponsored by: Swhacker Broadheads, C’Mere Deer & Atsko Products Reprinted with permission from Bowhunting.net For more please go to: www.bowhunting.net

Twenty years ago while filming a late season whitetail hunt in Missouri with my friend Dan Brothers we saw something that was beyond amazing.

We were treestand hunting on a 5-degree morning. The snow was squeaky walking in. Once settled, we noticed that the woods were dead silent and we had to be very careful about making noise when we moved.

The frozen treestands wanted to creek and pop.

About the time I began to shiver uncontrollably, I saw a nice buck moving through the brush below me. I turned

and raised my bow. The buck was only 30 yards away and he was going to pass within 15 yards of our tree. It looked like a 10 point with a perfect five on each side. At twenty yards, he stepped behind a big oak tree and I drew. However, his body didn’t come out the other side, only his head. He stopped. The wind had shifted and he got a whiff of two bowhunters nearby...us.

6 - Hunting & Fishing News

Motion sensitive trail cameras have opened up the secret world of whitetails. Many research projects utilize trail cameras to cheaply monitor whitetail’s movement, behavior and presence.

This camera shy buck avoided most game cameras until December. By then all of the guns were silenced and the woods were virtually free of human predators. Then, just last week, he dropped one of his antlers at a neighbor’s feeder. That antler was dropped on February 18th.

Judging from actual measurements on the one shed and the pictures, we believe that he is a 190-class buck.

He shows no signs of going downhill. There will be more bone up there next year. A bruiser like him walking around the farm will keep you in that treestand a bit longer.

My friend James found this shed in mid-February. It is the right antler of the big guy in the photos above.

I often have hunters ask me when bucks lose their antlers and why.

Let’s examine this topic from a biologists perspective.

Antler casting has been heavily researched and this info has been cross-referenced in various studies. (continued)

As you know, whitetail bucks grow a new set of antlers yearly. The antler originates from a pedestal of bone called a pedicle. This is the attachment point to the skull. As the antler is growing a very blood vessel rich skin, called velvet, covers the antler. The vessels supply nutrition and oxygen to the fast growing tissue at the end of the growing antler, which is actually cartilage initially. Antler’s within the deer family grow fast. Actually, faster than any other mammal bone.

The arrow points to the area where the osteoclasts ate the bone and separated the antler from the pedicle. Although this is a mulie antler, the same process occurs throughout the deer family.

Antler grows from the pedicle beginning right after the antler is shed and scabbed over. This growth begins in the late winter but really gets cranking during the summer months when the buck has access to the best forage. Growth stops in late summer and

by September 1st to the 10th the growth is complete. Just prior to that, the buck does something that had to be thought up by God. The bucks “borrows” stored bone from his skeleton, notable his ribs and shoulder bones, and redeposit’s the calcium and phosphorus in his antlers. His skeleton acts as a savings account for antler minerals. Go figure.

Once hardened the antlers are solidly attached to his skull. It is as if they would never come off. Indeed, you can hang 300# Sask. buck from his antlers and there is no chance that they will fail to hold his weight. That is the story in the fall but soon he begins to lose the testerone that propelled him through the rut and those magic antlers do something crazy again.

As his testerone levels begin to wane a unique layer of cells located at the pedicle begin to do their thing. These cells are called osteoclasts. They are responsible for weakening the bond between antler and skull. They actually reorganize the minerals making up the attachment point. Soon the antler is not attached firmly to the pedicle and it loses the war with gravity. Next, a rodent finds it or you do. (continued on page 38)

April 2013

7

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406-562-3553 Montana bird email: birds@shocoranch.com hunting Outfitted like a stealth fighter, Bro’s Humminbird-based console gets a workout simultaneously running LakeMaster digital maps and Side Imaging to locate and then document spring crappie locations. Photo by Bill Lindner

Floodwaters Point to Spring Crappies National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA)

Utter the word ‘flood’ in some

low lying neighborhoods and folks wince. Real flood victims might go into sandbagging mode. Flooding is a normal occurrence, however, typically benign and predictable.

From the simplest flooding model we learn how water collects via tributaries, overland melt and seepage; how the occurrence

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8 - Hunting & Fishing News

influences fish location and activity levels. And crappies, more than any other species, are suckers for the flood.

Lifelong buddy Brian Brosdahl - aka the acclaimed rodsman ‘Bro’ - patterns his spring fishing after the flooding phenomenon. The intrepid fishing guide studies individual bodies of water and identifies stretches where spring flowage pools to become a primo crappie haunt.

Tributaries get dibs. An inflowing creek or small river brings with it tepid temperatures, as a result kick-starting an entire food-chain overture. The warmer, energized water carries with it foodstuffs that drain in from higher ground.

Everything from earthworms to expired baitfish to insect-life strum together, presenting Hungry-Man options for panfish...as well as the baitfish they eat. Swarms of baitfish gravitate to the flow and its micro tablefare, individual members succumbing to gulping crappies.

And as Bro recognizes, not only mapped tributaries bring forth warmed water. “Bog and wetland melt and spring rain seepage are major warm water influxes. As water flows over and through the vegetation it’s literally heated. Combine that with stained water, which gathers light and warms faster, and the key ingredients are in place.”

So look for weedy, saturated shorelines that taper into shallow water - soft bottoms preferably, as they’re rife with life and warm the fastest.

Along those lines, Bro is particularly keen on cattail and bulrush edges

that end abruptly in a root mass. The ‘tuck under garage’ feature is a preferred spot for springtime crappies, offering warmth, shelter and eats.

The creme de la creme in Bro’s watery world is a tributary that spills through lowland vegetation. He has several such places on speed dial.

His favorite, unnamed for this exercise, is a creek that wanders into an upper bay on a supersized lake. (Keep it under the hood if you know the one.) The narrow flow opens gradually into the bay, gaining size and depth along its path.

Bro tames it annually. But every year is different, its superstructure modified by the seriousness of the melt or intensity of spring rains. So before dipping a bait, the techno geek picks the area apart with his electronics package. Humminbird Side Imaging drills sideways 100-plus feet, spying for actual fish - described as a “tornado of leaves” - as well as pods of nutritious baitfish. Below, Down Imaging paints a picture of the bottom, even yielding info such as bottom softness.

Exploration centers on channel bends, particularly eddies forming on the backside of inside turns.

Deep carving outside bends also warrant a scan. But those backside pools are the main event. Bro says panfish, which are not physically designed to buck current, will establish on slackwater seams where they loiter and wait for the next trick or treat. Baitfish can’t brave the current, either, so they also amass in the less mercurial water and fall victim to ‘ol papermouth.

Downstream of the eddies, Bro hopes to find standing rushes or wild rice, perhaps even retired cabbage. Washed clean, the vegetation becomes structure. No longer are the dead vegetation’s oxygen consuming traits a concern, as the fresh flow brings with it breathable water.

Downstream logs, docks and rocks add to the rich fish-holding environment.

Depth-wise, Bro says it’s more important for the spot to be feature-rich than deep.

Five feet of water will do, even less if everything else sets up properly relative to the current seam, structure and presence of baitfish.

Conditions call for holding and casting. Anchoring mid-channel and pitching baits is an option. But in the best of all possible worlds, Bro recommends locking down and slowly slipping with a Minn Kota electric motor. Bow aimed at incoming water, he tempers speed to a stalemate. Cast - cast - cast. No enchilada? The control freak slides downstream a couple boat lengths and peppers the water again.

If crappies are sprinkled throughout, he hits the repeat button, motoring back to the top of the eddy and re-slips. In an all-points-bulletin bite, Bro hits Spot-Lock, which tells the trolling motor to stay put. “Minn Kota’s Spot-Lock is a modern day marvel. Grab the remote. Push a button. And it’s like deploying an anchor without rope or that whiny fishing partner.”

Bro’s lure selections are based on a test of crappie cooperativeness.

A Northland Thumper Jig, with its garish underbelly blade, ferrets out the aggressors. He tips a 1/32-ounce Thumper with an Impulse Waterbug, a scented soft plastic, or foolproof live minnow.

Contrasting colors perform best, particularly in darkish water. He might also purposely mismatch the Thumper and Impulse creature to manufacture the same effect.

Technique is guided by a philosophy of fishing slow and steady. Bro throws long and rolls the jig back leisurely, mixing in a cadence of mellow lifts.

The test ends there if bites come with frequency. But if strikes are short; hits are few; or crappies are layered in a tight spot, Bro moves to a slip-bobber and jig. Ice fishing’s broad universe of detailed, realistic baits get bit in the spring, no questions asked. Northland’s Bro Bug, Mud Bug and Slug Bug are top choices. Each is adorned with an Impulse Tapeworm or banana-bunch of live maggots, which he manages in a Frabill Crawler Can. Bro further defines the rig and technique: “Set the bait halfway down the water column under a slip-float. Give it a whip and let the bobber and jig settle. If you knock a crappie on the noggin, you might get dunked immediately.

Next, give it two gentle pops, or short pulls if you will, and then pause a few seconds. If the water’s really cold, say still in the 40’s, I extend the pauses.”

The wand Bro wields is selected with thoughtfulness as well. “St. Croix developed the Panfish Series for ‘round fish.’ The lengths and actions marry-up with common techniques for taking crappies, bluegills and perch. For early crappies, I work a 7-foot medium-light - it casts like the dickens. In a wind, I go with the 5-foot, 4-inch light action - less chance of line ending up in a dust devil.” Bro’s package concludes with a spooling of 2-pound Bionic Ice braid and 24-inch span of 3-pound fluorocarbon leader line, affixed to the main line with a uniknot or micro-swivel...

HOW NOT TO MISS A TURKEY

BY STEVE HICKOFF YAMAHA OUTDOORS

A wild turkey steps into range. Scouting, locating, calling and reducing your wallet’s weight have all paid off.

It’s time to close the ultimate deal on your investment.

But suddenly that black eye drills you. The big gobbler flicks a wing and turns. It’s now or never, man.

Wait a second and it might just mean never. But let’s back up a bit.

How can you ensure not missing a bird from start to finish?

Steve Hickoff

Your four Yamaha wheels can put you in position to find, call in and take a turkey with a good shot.

Get comfortable: Set up against a tree that is at least as wide as your shoulders, and high as your camouflage-covered head.

See everything: Make sure you have a clear view of shooting lanes in front of you, and to each side.

Watch your partner: If you’re hunting with a buddy, know where they’re sitting.

Know distances: Establish ranges in which you’ll shoot your shotgun or bow, either you alone, or you and your hunting partner.

Go with the flow: If your turkey is moving toward your shooting lanes and calling, point your shotgun or bow in that direction, slowly flowing with the action.

Reference points: When that bird appears, use landmarks to reference shot distances.

Stay still: Limit your movement. Adjust your position when the turkey’s head is behind a tree or another object.

ID your target: Pull the trigger or let the arrow fly true only when the bird has been fully identified, and the head, neck and body is exposed.

Make a mental picture: Visualize the mental shot before you take it.

Pull it all together: Listen. Watch. Anticipate. Close the deal.

Anything we forgot here? Let us know on the Yamaha Outdoors Facebook page.

April 2013

9

2013 SPRING MACK DAYS LAKE TROUT FISHING EVENT ON FLATHEAD LAKE 34 DAYS OF FISHING! through

May 19th Entries taken until the last day of the event.

Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays-except the last week* *Enjoy 10 straight fishing days from May 10th - May 19th at the end of the event.

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Weekend Prizes-eleven $200 & $100 Golden Angler Award (70 & older)-$200 & $100 3 days of single/team-heaviest 4-fish-go to www.mackdays.com Last Day Only: $500, $300, $200, $100 & Heaviest Mack under 30”-$200 & $100

BONUSES: ALL ANGLERS WHO ENTER 20 OR MORE LAKE TROUT WIN. The higher your total is at the end of the event-the higher your bonus-every day (34) counts.

Fish Fry for participants & families-May 19th at Blue Bay Awards Ceremony at 5:00

Entry forms will not be mailed out.

Enter online at www.mackdays.com

or pick up entries at local sporting good stores - or you can even enter when you check in your fish at the check in stations during Mack Days. It is easier if you enter before the event begins.

We remind you to follow all fishing regulations. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have a special $12 fishing permit for the south half on Flathead Lake that is available wherever fishing permits are sold.

Sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks 10 - Hunting & Fishing News

Randy Skinner from West Virginia with a Columbia River Chinook Salmon Steve’s Guided Adventures www.stevesguidedadventures.com 360-609-1902

Abundant Runs Of Columbia River Chinook, Puget Sound Pink And Coho Salmon Projected Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

F ishing prospects look bright this year for chinook in Washington’s ocean waters and the Columbia River, according to preseason salmon

forecasts released today at a public meeting in Olympia.

Opportunities for anglers also look good in Puget Sound, where coho and pink salmon runs are expected to be strong this year.

Forecasts for chinook, coho, sockeye, pink and chum salmon mark the starting point for developing 2013 salmon-fishing seasons in Puget Sound, the Columbia River and Washington coastal areas. The forecasts were developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty Indian tribes...

Salmon fisheries developed through this extensive process will once again be driven by the need to rebuild depressed wild salmon populations while protecting healthy stocks, said Phil Anderson, WDFW director.

“This year’s preseason forecasts point to a number of opportunities for us to design some exciting fishing opportunities in waters across the state, while staying true to our conservation principles,” Anderson said. “We look forward to working with our constituents in designing salmon fisheries.”

As in past years, salmon-fishing prospects in 2013 vary by area: COLUMBIA RIVER: Nearly 678,000 fall chinook are expected to return to the Columbia River this season. About 80 percent of those fish are “bright” stocks, most of which are destined for areas above Bonneville Dam, including the Hanford Reach and Snake River. Brights are really the foundation of the recreational fishery, “and with the numbers we are expecting there is good reason to be optimistic about this season,” said Ron Roler, Columbia River policy coordinator for WDFW. Columbia River fisheries also are expected to benefit from a significant increase in coho numbers. The abundance of Columbia River coho is forecast to be about 501,000 fish. That would be better than the five-year average and total nearly three times as many fish as last year’s actual abundance.

WASHINGTON’S OCEAN WATERS: Chinook salmon returning to the lower Columbia River will also contribute to fisheries off the coast, said Doug Milward, ocean salmon fishery manager for WDFW. About 126,000 lower river hatchery chinook are expected back this season, about 15,000 less fish than last year’s return. Those salmon, known as “tules,” are the backbone of the recreational ocean chinook fishery.

“The numbers of lower river chinook are slightly down from last year, but it’s still a pretty good return,” Milward said. “Add to that the expected increase in lower Columbia River coho numbers, and we should see great fishing opportunities in the ocean this summer.”

COASTAL BAYS AND RIVERS: For the second-straight year, fishery managers are expecting a strong return of wild coho salmon to many of

Washington’s coastal streams, including the Queets and Quillayute rivers, as well as those flowing into Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay, said Ron Warren, regional fisheries manager for WDFW. “Coho fishing started off slow in those areas last year – likely due to the lack of rain – but picked up later in the season,” Warren said. “If this year’s coho runs come in at forecast and the weather cooperates, I expect fishing to be good throughout the entire season.”

PUGET SOUND: Another strong run of coho salmon will boost fisheries in Puget Sound, where millions of pink salmon also are expected to return this year.

About 880,000 coho are forecast to return to Puget Sound streams, about 150,000 more fish than last year’s forecast. “Fishing for coho was really good last season, and we expect much of the same this summer,” said Ryan Lothrop, Puget Sound recreational salmon fishery manager for WDFW. In addition, more than 6 million pink salmon are expected back to the Sound this year. Most pink salmon return to Washington’s waters only in odd-numbered years.

“It’s a pink year, which is a great time to introduce a friend or family member – especially children – to salmon fishing,” said Lothrop.

“Fishing this summer should be similar to 2011, when anglers were catching limits of pink salmon throughout the Sound and its rivers.”

Summer/fall chinook salmon returns to Puget Sound are expected to total about 264,000 fish, similar to the last few years.

Most chinook fisheries in Puget Sound, where the bulk of the return is hatchery chinook, will be similar to last year, Lothrop said.

Meanwhile, a Lake Washington sockeye fishery is unlikely this year. The sockeye forecast is about 97,000, well below the minimum return of 350,000 sockeye needed to consider opening a recreational fishery in the lake. However, fishery managers will once again consider sockeye fisheries in Baker Lake and the Skagit River, Lothrop said.

One fishing rule on the agenda this year is a proposal to lower the minimum size limit from 22 inches to 20 inches for chinook salmon in Puget Sound sport fisheries. For years, anglers have requested that WDFW consider making that change in the Sound’s marine waters, said Pat Pattillo, salmon policy coordinator for WDFW...

April 2013 11

MFWP

Kookoosint Fishing Access Site on the Flathead River MFWP

K ookoosint Fishing Access Site is located on the Flathead River 4 miles from the mouth on the left hand side as you face downstream.

The Flathead River holds a good population of medium sized rainbow and cutthroat trout. Fish obvious holes and pools behind rocks and along bank cover. Northern pike can be found as the river branches into numerous sloughs. This is northern pike country and the spring and fall are the best times to catch these big bruisers as they cruise the shallows. A larger streamer will work for the fly fisherman or try a Dardevle spoon if you’re using spinning gear. Mountain whitefish are also common in this system, as are bull trout.

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April 2013 13

Reader Don Henry took this black bear in the Clearwater National Forest.

Predator Calling for Bears INTENSE PREDATOR CALLING CAN ENTICE SPRING BEARS

J

By Hunting & Fishing Pro Staff

ust because the snow is gone and the grass is growing doesn’t mean you should hang up your predator calls. Use them not for coyotes, but for spring bear seasons, which end May 31 in most areas of the state.

Here in Montana, where you can’t use bait or dogs to boost your success in spring bear season, most hunters spot and stalk bears in likely habitats, which can include grassy subalpine meadows to avalanche chutes to remote National Forest roads.

But what if you could use the same tactics that work for spring turkey hunters and fall elk hunters? What if you could call bears? It turns out, you can, and calling can be highly effective, says Wayne Carlton, owner of Carlton’s Calls and a longtime wildlife caller based in Montrose, Colo.

“I called in my first bear accidentally,” says Carlton. “I was turkey hunting when a bear crossed the road in front of our vehicle. I had some predator calls with me so I started belting out on the call, just screaming into that call like something was trying to pull my rib cage apart.”

The bear came charging in, “hair up and ears back,” looking for the source of the intense pain and emotion.

That experience educated Carlton that while generic varmint calling will appeal to some bears, shock

the omnivores stop with what they’re doing and come in on a rope.

calling for bears will make

“You do that with a lot of volume, a lot of excitement in the call, and you don’t let up until that bear gets to where you want to shoot it. You have to call continually and with extreme emotion,” says Carlton, who says that high-pitched calls work best, especially big-barreled calls that can push a lot of air and reach out with high volume.

“Calls should squeal like a hog caught in a fence,” he says.

Calling will work best if you can first locate a bear, then call it into range. “I’ll spot a bear and then stalk in as far as I can without spooking it, then call it in close enough for a shot,” says Carlton. By viewing the bear’s response, you can learn more about which calls, volumes and emotions have the best response.

Calling can work early in the season, but Carlton says it’s better in later April and through May, after bears have been out of their dens for several weeks and gotten their digestive systems primed. And he says the most intense calling works better on bigger, more mature bears.

“The younger the bear, the less confident they are, so a big, loud, intense call can actually scare them off,” says Carlton. “But you take a big dominant sow or boar and they’ll come in to control the situation and seize whatever they think is hurt or in trouble.”

So where should you call? Wherever the bears are, which is going to be where the food sources are. In the spring, that includes winter ranges for elk and deer, places where bears can dine on carcasses. It might include ranchers’ bone yards, greening grass in remote meadows or streams where a variety of early emerging vegetation attracts bears.

“Don’t worry about being an expert caller,” says Carlton. “Just call as hard and loud as you can.”

14 - Hunting & Fishing News

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Montana Stream Access On Trial Again By Joshua Bergan H ere we go again. The folks who have put Montana’s fabled stream access on trial over the past few years are fighting to uphold a ruling from

January 2012 by a Madison County Montana District Judge. That ruling states that a historic prescriptive easement (basically public use of a road, without permission of the landowner for a five-year period – as opposed to the standard public county road that was created to be public right-of-way ) on the lower Ruby River may not be used for recreational activities. A Montana non-profit citizen group, the Public Land/Water Access Association (PLWA), has appealed the lower court ruling to the state supreme court, and a hearing has been scheduled for April 29 on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman. The unusual location is due to the expected turnout.

The 2012 ruling was that a right-of-way easement on Seyler Lane over the Ruby south of Twin Bridges, Mont. applies just to the roadway surface, not the borrow pits or bridge abutments, or the traditional 60 foot easement, disallowing access to the river. The property’s owner, Atlanta media magnate James Cox Kennedy, has brought litigation regarding stream access via the bridges on his property for years, and this is his latest attempt at foiling Montana stream access in favor of private property and its owners.

This district-court ruling applies only to the Seyler Lane bridge (each road or bridge has to be ruled individually, but this sets a troublesome precedent).

PLWA, along with most of Montana’s anglers, believes that the right-of-way is the full fencepost-to-fencepost width and that recreational use is allowed just like any other legal use.

From their website: “The opposing attorneys argue that the scope of the easement is just for ordinary vehicular travel for a 16-foot right of way.

PLWA contends that the scope of use on the easement includes all legal uses such as herding cattle, road maintenance involving the borrow pit, recreational use, etc., all of which require much more than 16 feet... The other side contends that the width of the road is the ‘travel way’ or the 16 or so feet of the hard surface – unlike county roads which have a 60 foot right of way. PLWA contends that it is at least 40 feet based on historical use during the prescriptive period. PLWA also contends that whatever the width of the prescriptive road, it does not narrow at a bridge.” If the right-of-way covers only the road surface on prescriptive easements, children waiting for a school bus or motorists changing a flat tire would be trespassing.

PLWA previously won a similar case regarding the Ruby River’s Lewis Lane bridge (the next bridge upstream on Kennedy’s property) that upheld legal public access via the bridge, stating that the road right-of-way and the river right-of-way overlap. Lewis Lane, however, is a dedicated county road.

In this case, Kennedy has also cross-appealed; stating that allowing access to the river is an unconstitutional infraction of his property rights.

His appeal is a direct attack on two Montana statutes – the full 1985 stream-access law, and the 2009 law that upheld that the public may access rivers from public-road bridges.

The esoteric nature of these cases can sometimes serve as a road-block for public interest and support. In a nutshell, big-money interests are trying to piece-meal away the public’s long-held right to access Montana’s streams, one bridge at a time. Shooting down the 2012 district-court ruling by winning this appeal would go a long ways to thwart these attempts. For now.

Montana Trout Unlimited has filed a friend-of-the-court amicus brief supporting PLWA, while the United Property Owners of Montana and the Property and Environmental Research Center have filed briefs supporting the opposition.

The public can support PLWA on this case and multiple public-access cases statewide, by becoming a member for $20 annually (www.plwa.org).

It has also set up the “Stream access defense fund” specifically to defend Montana’s fabled law against the big-money opposition. All funds donated to PLWA between now and June will default to the fund; after that a note in the memo section of your check can indicate that you want the money directed to the funds.

Similar or worse stream-access restrictions have recently been imposed in Utah and Virginia. Thinking they cannot be in Montana, as well, is a mistake.

To support PLWA and stream access in Montana, the public is encouraged to attend the April 29th hearing at 9:30 a.m. in the Strand Union Building, Ballroom A on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman. The more the merrier and the future of stream access in Montana may depend on it.

April 2013 15

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redator hunting gains more and more popularity each year. The sight of a coyote charging your decoy set and(sic) is addicting. This is great for the sport, but more hunters mean more pressure. In order to be successful, hunters need to go a step further. They need to be mobile. They need to add realism to their sets. And they need to take the focus of an approaching coyote off themselves and onto something else. Our predator decoys will help you jump these hurdles.

Realistic Coyote Decoy Sets Unless they are like a certain Notre Dame football player, coyotes need visual confirmation of what is calling. Predators coming to a call are looking for the source – either a rabbit-in-distress or another coyote, based on what calls you are using.

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Lion harvested in Crazies Migrated from South Dakota MFWP An adult female mountain lion harvested in February at the north end of central Montana’s Crazy Mountains apparently traveled there from South Dakota, where it was fitted with a radio collar last summer.

The lion was the third from a South Dakota study to make its way deep into Montana within the past two years.

Leif Holman of Melville, a freshman at Sweet Grass County High School in Big Timber, killed the big cat Feb. 21 after his father, Dave, and a friend treed it using hounds on a nearby ranch. They did not know the cougar was carrying a radio-transmitter collar until it was on the ground, Dave Holman said.

When Leif reported the harvest to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, as is required by state law, he gave the collar to FWP wildlife biologist Justin Paugh of Big Timber. Paugh said he never had seen the collar and knew that no wildlife biologists were doing radio tracking of cougars in south central Montana. So he called regional and state officials, who could only speculate as to the source of the tracking collar. Eventually, Paugh said, he called the collar manufacturer and learned that a transmitter with that serial number was sold for a cooperative study by South Dakota State University and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.

SDSU biology student Beckie Juarez confirmed that the mountain lion was captured and fitted with a radio collar last year near Jewel Cave National Monument in the Black Hills National Forest, 55 miles southwest of Rapid City, S.D. Biologists followed the lion for about a week before radio-tracking receivers lost the signal from the collar. The female cat weighed 76 pounds, was two or three years old and never had borne kittens, she said.

Nobody could guess what route the lion followed before it ended up 420 miles to the northwest in Sweet Grass County in Montana...

16 - Hunting & Fishing News

The ultra-realistic HD photography on Montana Decoy’s Miss Hoptober or Kojo takes realism to an all new level and these predator decoys will fool even the most demanding eye for detail.

Use Decoys That Are Easy To Move and Set Up Coyotes are quick to respond to calls, so if your decoy sets and calls aren’t luring in inquisitive coyotes, it’s time to move.

Montana Decoy prides itself on developing easy to move and quick to set up decoys. Weighing in at mere ounces, you won’t notice the life-size predator decoys in your pack until you need them to lure a coyote into range.

In addition to the decoys’ portability, the lightweight and compact design allows you to pack more options for the hunt. It’s easy to mix and match the decoys to the types of calls you are using, and you can make changes to your sets on the fly. The Miss Hoptober used in combination with the Kojo coyote decoy will give your setup more realism and it is easy to pack both with you. The same goes for a Kojo decoy combined with Fawnzy.

All Eyes Off You Imagine you are a coyote looking for love or an easy meal. You hear the calls of a mate or prey, but you can’t see it. Your eyes go into hyperawareness, scanning the terrain intensely for any movement.

If coyotes are not spooked by the phantom sounds of your calls, then they will be when they spot you. A visible decoy, keeps the scene real. A coyote hears the call, he sees the decoy and he approaches. Make sure you are out of the coyote’s line of site when you set it up.

Place your decoy 20-30 yards upwind or crosswind from your shooting location. Coyotes tend to circle downwind of decoys. Ideally, you want the coyote looking past you when his eyes are locked on the decoy. And remember, if the coyote can’t see the decoy, then it will not be effective.

Place it where it’s visible, because once they hear your calls, the decoy will seal the deal for a shot opportunity.

There is a reason coyotes are called “tricksters” in Native American folklore.

A decoy can turn the tables of deception and give them a taste of their own medicine. And this game of cat-and-mouse game lures more hunters into the woods every year. Pack some decoys, throw on some camo, and get ready for a heart racing adventure hunting coyotes.

$30 Million Torstenson Family Endowment a “Game Changer” for RMEF Conservation Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

T

he Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is the recipient of one of the largest endowments ever gifted to a hunter-based, wildlife conservation organization. The $30 million Torstenson Family Endowment will allow RMEF to vastly accelerate the rate at which its carries out its mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.

“This is a monumental game-changer for RMEF,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Thanks to the generosity of the Torstenson family, this endowment allows RMEF to expand Bob Torstenson’s passion and vision for wildlife and conservation in ways we could have never imagined.”

The Torstenson Family Endowment (TFE) comes as a result of the sale of the Torstenson Wildlife Center, former known as the Double H Ranch, a sprawling 93,403 acre ranch in west-central New Mexico gifted to the RMEF by Bob Torstenson in 2002.

RMEF will use proceeds from the TFE to further its core mission programs: permanent land protection, habitat stewardship, elk restoration and hunting heritage.

“The impact this endowment will have on RMEF’s on-the-ground projects is incredibly far-reaching,” said Blake Henning, RMEF vice president of Lands and Conservation. “This gives us the potential to increase our mission accomplishments substantially.

RMEF plans to invest half a million dollars this year alone toward improving elk habitat and supporting hunting heritage projects.”

The TFE allows RMEF to increase project funding by attracting matching funds both from the private and public sectors. It also allows RMEF to much more quickly meet and head off the habitat changes and challenges taking place across the United States.

RMEF also maintains a conservation easement on the entire 93,403.4 acres of deeded land which stretches between two mountain ranges—the Datils and the Gallinas—and two portions of the Cibola National Forest. It harbors thickly timbered ridges, deep coulees and steep hillsides. At the property’s center is an expansive plain, 80-acre lake and accompanying riparian habitat. It is home to elk, deer, pronghorns, mountain lions, coyotes, quail and a variety of song bird and other species. The easement looks the same today as when Bob Torstenson originally placed it on the property, meaning the habitat remains conserved and protected forever.

April 2013 17

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

Jeff Halsey 40” - 33 lb. Lake trout

bait fish, these aggressive fish will attack. Crappie fishing will remain good as well. A simple combination of a jig tipped with a mealworm or a tiny piece of minnow is all you need. Chartreuse, orange and white are preferred colors to use now. Experiment with depth and lure colors until you find the right mix.

TIBER RESERVOIR

S

pring ice-off will produce some of the best fishing of the year on area waters. As the lakes, rivers and reservoir water temperatures begin to rise, so will the activity level on all fish species that call these waters home. Mother Nature’s winter grip has been very loose this year, forcing lakes and reservoirs to melt their winter caps early. You should see excellent fishing conditions here in April. It’s an exciting time of the year, as most anglers are very antsy to get out onto open waters. Here’s a look at a few spots you can count on for some good fishing!

DEADMAN’S BASIN

Springtime tiger muskies are at the top of the food chain at Deadman’s Basin near Harlowtown. Stocked over a decade ago, tiger muskies were put in the lake to control nuisance numbers of white suckers that were out competing the managed rainbow and brown trout, as well as kokanee salmon. All of these species of fish have been able to co-exist, making for some very good fishing here. For tiger muskies target shallow bays where the water warms fastest.

These big, aggessive predators will be hanging near weed edges in just about any pocket along the perimeter

of the lake. Look for cuts that provide easy retreat to deeper water. The face of the Dam on the eastern side of the lake is a good place to start.

Some of the methods used to catch big muskies include swimbaits, spinnerbaits, shallow running crankbaits, as well as top water baits that draw these fish to strike. As the water warms, these big fish become very active, with major activity in the months of May and June. For rainbows, size down your minnow imitations for trout that will go up to 4 lbs. and 20 inches. Brown trout that grow up to 8 lbs. can also be caught on smaller hardware. White and silver Rapalas, as well as yellow, white, blue and rainbow pattern spinnerbaits work here.

TONGUE RIVER RESERVOIR

In southeast Montana, the Tongue River Reservoir will start to warm up, and so will the fishing. Expect good northern pike action in mid-to-late April here. You can find good action in the shallows as these fish will come up to sun themselves.

If you run smelt 3 or 4 feet under a bobber on a steel leader or cast larger spoons with anything that imitates a

Also known as Lake Elwell, Tiber Reservoir is located east of Shelby, MT. and is home to Montana’s State Record walleye. These waters will start to produce good spring fishing.

Target spawning areas which include any rocky outcroppings and points in and around the Willow Creek Arm, where bait fish congregate.

Pike, walleye, and lake trout can be caught now. Tiber has produced some very nice northern pike the last few seasons. Fish in the 15 lb. range can be caught consistently using cisco imitating lures. Rapala’s Husky Jerk #14 should get a few hits. Traditional bottom bouncing with a minnow is a good tactic at a slow trolling speed. Walleye will hit on a small jig tipped with a nightcrawler or Berkley Gulp Alive.

BIG HOLE RIVER The Big Hole Valley will be heating up this month, and the trout will start gorging themselves with dry flies.

The hatch along this Blue Ribbon Trout Stream can be sporadic in the spring, but when the conditions are just right, this is the time you will want to be fishing these waters in southwest Montana. Fish will actively start feeding once the water temperature reaches 50 degrees.

One thing that’s great about fishing the Big Hole in the spring is that there is very little fishing pressure on the river right now compared to

the summertime slam. The local patterns work best if you’re fly fishing. Match the hatch with BWO’s, Skwalas, and Nymphs this time of the year.

NOXON RESERVOIR

It’s location in Montana’s Banana Belt means that the ice has been off for a couple of weeks. This Clark Fork River impoundment has a very good pre-spawn bass bite. Fish the back bays that have warmed up first for the best action here.

Largemouth bass in the 5 lb. range will hold up in the deep sides of ledges that lead to good nesting areas with sand banks. Big pre-spawn bass will hit on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs tipped with a trailer and plastics.

Marten Creek Bay just northwest of Trout Creek is a productive area to start. Both bass and big northerns will be aggressive and hungry. Pike will hit on these same presentations, so be ready for that big strike!

FLATHEAD LAKE April and May are the best times to target the larger lake trout on Flathead. Some of the biggest fish of the year are caught in the spring.

If weather co-operates on the lake, fishing can be tremendous. Expect to catch lake trout from 8 to 20 lbs. and up this month. Spring Mack Days will continue through May on the lake. Imitating baits that match the profile of Lake Superior whitefish do well, as does jigging spoons or trolling using Flatfish on plugs on the bottom. Typical colors are red and white, silver and green. April will also bring in good perch fishing on the lake. The perch should turn on in East Bay as the water warms to near 50 degrees. When the fish are lethargic and the water is clear enough to see the bottom,

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nightcrawlers on a snelled hook may be best. If the water is muddy, a more visible yellow or pink jig baited with perch meat is best. It’s not unusual to pick up a bass using this method, so be ready.

HOLTER LAKE

You can bank on amazing fishing this spring, on this lake just east of Helena, MT. For rainbows, you can cruise the shorelines using minnow imitating crankbaits or planer boards. For big rainbows and brown trout, planer boards will get the bait out away from your boat producing more fish. There is not much boat traffic now, so it is a great time to fish Holter. Walleyes can be caught in abundance as well, as the water warms throughout the canyon. You can jig for walleye using a nightcrawler or Berkley Gulp near the bottoms as the big females become active after the spawn.

Look for walleye to become more aggressive at night or on cloudy days. You can catch many eater-sized walleye in these waters, as well as some trophy sized monster fish. We like to let the big ones back in the water, and take the smaller ones home for a great meal.

CANYON FERRY

Significant stocking programs by MFWP has made Canyon Ferry one of the best rainbow destinations in the Northern Rockies. Rainbows and walleye are most angler’s desire on this big body of water.

You can catch yellow perch as well during the spring. If you’re fishing from shore, try using a floating jighead tipped with a nightcrawler with a slip sinker (AKA as a Lindy Rig), attached about 18 inches below. Cast out and wait. A floating Rapala will also work. Fish off of rocky points that extend out onto the water working both sides.

Yellow, pink or black marabou jigs tipped with a worm will also work on these fish. Boat fishing along shorelines using crankbaits trolling slowly and throwing baits towards the shore in shallow waters will take plenty of fish. The southern end of the lake is the place to go now. Work the mud lines between the mouth of the Missouri River and the clear waters of the lake for big walleye that could reach state record size.

LAKE KOOCANUSA The rainbow fishing on Lake Koocanusa will start to turn on here, and the best fishing is coming soon. Try fishing for giant rainbow by trolling kokanee

colored Rapalas or Lyman Lures on this lake. Rainbows will average 3-5 lbs. with an occasional 8 pounder.

Catch and release on all bull trout that you pull in. Kokanee fishing should be good as well. Average kokanee will be 8 to 12 inches.

Rainbows can be a bit finicky at times, so don’t be afraid to try different colors and speed presentations.

Try the 3 mph mark when trolling streamer flies. Bucktail flies also work well up here. Lake Koocanusa is located between Libby, Montana and the Canadian border. You can fish out of Rexford Bench, which is on the north end of the lake near Eureka, Montana.

CASTLE ROCK RESERVOIR

This 160 acre lake just outside of Colstrip, Montana has a little bit of everything to fish for now, including northern pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and bluegill. All of these species will be active at ice-out, and the best time to fish is before the water, which comes from the Yellowstone River, becomes turbid. Try using spinnerbaits in spring colors for bass and pike.

For small panfish a smaller twister-tailed jig will keep you busy catching fish all day.

THOMPSON LAKES The Thompson Lake chains consist of three separate and distinct lakes that lie just off of Highway 2 between Kalispell and Libby Montana. All of these lakes will be fishing good now.

Both spin and fly fishing will produce.

You can fish from shore effectively here as these lakes are relatively small, or a small raft, float tube, or canoe will also do the trick. All of these lakes provide excellent fishing for largemouth bass that will average 2-3 lbs. Fish weed beds along the shorelines using top water gear and spinnerbaits. The rainbow and brown trout are best fished around the various creek inlets on small dry flies or light spinning tackle or a jig and worm will do the trick. The Middle Thompson Lake gets most of the fishing pressure on these lakes.

Spring fishing is finally here, and now is the time to hit the water. Yes, it might be raining or snowing or nice and warm, (or all 3 in one day). It’s also one of the best times of the year to fish in Montana. Whether it’s big spawning rainbow trout, predators like walleye or northern pike, panfish or bass, now is the time to get out and enjoy Montana’s best, and remember to take a kid fishing with you when you can.

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Sure, lighter equipment is nothing new when anglers need a subtle approach, but name five people you know who carry a light-weight setup to go catch big spawners? Most of the guys I know are breaking out the monstrous tubes, heavy rods and big hooks to fish this time of year.

These are also the same guys who spend hours sight fishing one fish and to me that’s not right.

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Still Cash To Be Hooked By South Fork Anglers Idaho Fish and Game S

ome people still fish to catch a tasty meal, but many anglers nowadays fish purely for the fun and relaxation that it provides...

Rainbow trout introduced into the South Fork of the Snake River have proven to be a major threat to the survival and genetic integrity of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout because they hybridize and compete with cutthroat. The hybrid offspring are able to reproduce so that successive generations of pure cutthroat become fewer and fewer.

Fish and Game has worked on a variety of methods, ranging from regulation modifications to electric barriers on spawning tributaries, to help keep native cutthroat abundant.

In 2010, with the aid of funding supplied by federal sources, biologist Brett High and his crew were able to begin tagging rainbow trout with tiny coded wire tags, each tag having a cash value ranging from $50 to $1,000. The tags were embedded in the snout of rainbows caught and released back to the river and could only be detected if the fish head was taken to the regional Fish and Game office to be scanned.

“The strategy was to encourage anglers to harvest more of the rainbows they are already catching,” High said.

Records show that the total value of potential incentive tags placed in fish since the beginning of the program has been nearly $400,000, but that number is deceptive... Since 2010, there have been 74 winners, and Fish and Game has paid $8,350 in incentive money. This year Fish and Game has picked up the responsibility for paying for incentives. It is difficult to estimate how many tagged fish are still swimming around in the river.

“There likely is at least $150,000 worth of incentives still out there,” High said...The struggle to maintain the Yellowstone cutthroat trout is ongoing, but battles are being won daily. Anglers who want to know more about how they can be part of conservation efforts and at the same time possibly win a few dollars may call the regional office at 208-525-7290...

20 - Hunting & Fishing News

from their spawning haunts. If you know my style, it is anything but conventional. I like to mix up things and go against the grain. Instead of all these me-too baits, I look to throw something different during the spawning season, dangerously light equipment.

I like to burn through water during this time of year with light spinning tackle. To me, this makes perfect sense because there are spawning fish everywhere. You may see a single big fish, but trust me, right around the bend in another rough outcropping there is another big female waiting to jump your bait.

TARGETING THE SHALLOWS IS THE DEAL DURING APRIL.

Find areas that have traditionally held spawning fish or just look at small pockets of grass, gravel flats, the back of boat docks or any shallow laydowns. These areas will hold a bunch of fish waiting to scarf down the offering. I like to use heavy worm baits, like the Berkley Heavy Weights SinkWorm, for this lighter approach. Heavy worm baits serve a few purposes: They offer a unique fall that fish can’t resist, and they are far more durable than traditional worms, which will come in handy when encountering many strikes. Wacky rigging the SinkWorm on a 1/0 octopus-type hook is my preferred method, but if you are fishing a ton of structure, you could get by Texas rigging the weighted bait. The only weight of this setup is the worm itself. If needed, slide on a 1/32-ounce weight to get the worm to the bottom more quickly.

A 3000 series Abu Garcia Soron STX reel spooled with 8-pound fluorocarbon is perfect on a 6-foot, 6-inch medium action rod.

The STX reel is excellent for handling fluorocarbon line. Fishing Fast Is The Name Of The Game When I Am Using Lightweight Gear. Once I cast my bait out to its destination, if nothing gets it on the way down, I reel back in and repeat the process.

LINE SELECTION IS KEY WHEN FISHING FOR BEDDED FISH. Spawning bass are far more aware of their surroundings and can detect the slightest discrepancy. Fluorocarbon lines are as clear as it gets, and Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line is what I prefer. The extreme abrasion resistance and lack of line memory really pay off when spending a day on the water catching spawners. When it comes to selecting lure colors, I always fish lure colors based on where I am, but in April I usually throw something like Watermelon or Green Pumpkin. Early in the year I like black, but in April I prefer green shades.

Speaking of shades, the type of polarized lenses you choose will greatly affect the outcome of your fishing trip. April is the month of all months to rely on eyewear. There is a bunch of lens colors that have their own purpose, but I stick with a few basic principles. If the weather presents a bluebird day I like to go with gray lenses. On a cloudy day or early morning hours, I roll with a green or brown lens, and those days when the water is extra dingy, I break out the yellow lenses to help bring out the bass’ shade of green.

Keep it light this spring while searching for spawning bass, and cover as much water as possible. Throwing something just different enough will be the ticket that offsets the big baits and puts more fish in the boat.

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Techniques For Spring Fishing In Montana (By Species)

By Bart Bratlien, Capital Sports & Western Wear

Trout:

T he versatile marabou jig is one of the top lures for rainbows in the large reservoirs of the Upper Missouri as well as many other waters around the state open to fishing throughout the early spring. An angler with a light, fast action spinning rod and a pocket full of Kit’s Jigs is set up for a memorable day on the water. The best colors are typically perch patterns followed by the egg-sucking leech and rainbow trout patterns. The zonker jig is a variant of the marabou jig that has proven very effective.

Pro Series Marabou

Crankbaits like the F09 Rapala trolled near the shoreline of Montana lakes and reservoirs can be very productive as rainbows cruise the shallows in the spring. Top colors are rainbow trout and perch.

Fly fishermen can experience some great fishing in Montana rivers in the spring as the rainbows prepare to spawn. An egg pattern drifted near the bottom or an egg-sucking leech will draw strikes from rainbows as well as any brown trout positioned to feed on drifting rainbow eggs.

Photo: Dr. Eric Berkner D.M.D. Smile Missoula Dentistry Anglers tossing hardware with spinning gear for spring trout will do well with a Krocodile spoon in Hammered Brass/Fire Stripe or a Panther Martin Spinner in Holographic Rainbow pattern.

These can both be effective in lakes or streams retrieved just fast enough to swim or spin properly.

Krocodile Spoon in Hammered Brass/Fire Stripe

An angler fishing bait from the bank has the best opportunity of the year fishing during the rainbow trout spawn in the spring.

A rig consisting of a sliding sinker and a snelled number 4 baitholder hook tipped with a spawn sack will do well. The spawn sack can be tied with salmon eggs or trout eggs with trout eggs as the better choice if available. (continued) 22 - Hunting & Fishing News

Walleye: Spring walleye fishing requires a slow presentation right in front of their nose. This is usually accomplished by vertical jigging with a round or stand-up jig tipped with a Gulp! bait or nightcrawler. The most popular Gulp! baits for vertical jigging include the Minnow and the Minnow Grub in pumpkin seed or chartreuse color.

Minnow Grub in Pumpkin Seed

The Lindy rig is another popular way to catch walleyes in the spring. A simple rig with a walking sinker followed by a Gum-Drop Floater tipped with a nightcrawler drifted slowly Gum Drop Floater through a likely walleye area can be productive.

Northland Tackle Rapala Husky Jerk Yellow Perch

The bank angler wishing to catch a few walleyes will often do the best casting Rapala Husky Jerks during the last 1⁄2 hour of daylight. The size 10 in Glass Perch or Yellow Perch is a good lure to start with.

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Glass Minnows from Kit’s Tackle have proven to be a very effective tool for the walleye angler. The Glass Minnows Glass Minnow are usually cast towards shore or some structure and Kit’s Tackle retrieved slowly near the bottom. They can be tipped with a nightcrawler or fished without bait depending on the mood of the fish.

Trolling deep diving crankbaits is often perceived as a summer technique but when nothing else is working or the walleyes are on a shallow flat it is worth a try. A perch Shad Rap or Purple Tiger Flicker Shad has proven effective when the walleyes are positioned in shallow water on a flat. A planer board can assist in moving the lure away from the boat to avoid any walleye that may Purple Tiger have been spooked by the boat.

Flicker Shad

Pike:

Berkley

The top choice for pike fishing as the ice melts in Montana lakes and reservoirs is often a size 12 or 14 Rapala Husky Jerk Rapala Husky Jerk in Clown or Glass Perch color.

Clown Fire Tiger can be productive also. The Husky Jerk is fished with an erratic retrieve including extending pauses allowing the lure to suspend. The strike often occurs while the lure is paused and motionless.

Spring pike in Montana can be enticed with a dead smelt suspended from a slip bobber. The smelt should hang level and be rigged to suspend about 1 foot from the bottom. A quick strike rig constructed with two number 2 treble hooks and a steel leader is an effective smelt rig.

Pike can be caught with large spoons in the spring.

Some of the best choices will be the Eppinger Dardevle or Mepps Syclops spoons in firetiger or five-of-diamonds Syclops Firetiger color. The best size is usually 3⁄4 to 1 ounce.

Mepps As the hungry Pike cruise the warming shallows in the spring they will often hit soft baits such as the Berkley Power Minnow in perch or the Storm WildEye Live Perch. The 4 inch size is a good place to start but occasionally the 3 inch Storm WildEye Live Perch will work better.

4 Inch

The most fun a pike angler can have is catching pike on top water lures. This is not always productive but when it is, it is fantastic.

The Zara Spook in Black Shiner is a great top water lure to try to tempt a pike with on a calm, warm spring Zara Spook Black Shiner day. The resulting explosion when a pike cooperates Heddon is one of the most exciting experiences in fishing.

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Hunting & Conservation News Proudly Sponsored By

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Outdoor Life’ Editor Receives National Award National Wild Turkey Federation Andrew McKean remembers July 4, 1976 as more than our nation’s 200th birthday.

It was also the day McKean, then 10 years old, saw a wild turkey for the first time near his home in rural, northern Missouri.

“I was right at the age where turkeys in Missouri were rare - like mythological creatures,” recalled McKean, the recipient of the NWTF Communicator of the Year Award Feb. 16 at the NWTF Convention and Sport Show. “The hen looked like a roadrunner coming in from the field. It did a classic double-take and ran right past us.

Now, McKean, the editor of Outdoor Life magazine and current vice president of the NWTF Montana State Chapter, has a happier story to tell.

“We have wild turkeys all over back in that part of Missouri now - it’s like Ground Zero for wild turkeys,” he said.

And as the de facto spokesman for Outdoor Life, McKean tells stories well - and often - in person and on paper.

He makes it a point to blend conservation themes into his stories, even hunting adventures. Several of his stories have highlight NWTF wildlife habitat conservation projects.

“I think that’s missing from a lot of first-person hunting (story) experiences.

“I don’t want us to lose sight of why we hunt. I hope that all my stories have that layer of depth - that North American wildlife is priceless.”

McKean honed his communications skills while working for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. His time was split between various duties, including teaching - hunter’s education, conservation and fishing to kids...

With MFWP, McKean served as an editor with Fishing and Hunting News.

He also contributed to Outdoor Life as a freelancer for several years. He was the magazine’s hunting editor for four years before his promotion to editor last winter.

“Many people in the general public, and even many hunters, do not understand the deep connection between hunters and conservation.

Andrew has an amazing ability to tell that story in an educational and entertaining way,” said NWTF Public Relations Manager Josh Fleming.

“Andrew’s ability to connect the dots between hunters and conservation should aid the hunting community for years to come.”

McKean, who lives in remote Glasgow, Mont., helped start the Montana NWTF chapter and served two terms as president. He has worked closely with our conservation and outreach efforts in that state. Throughout the country, McKean talks about his passions - hunting, conservation and the magazine. McKean’s humble, low-key persona suits the role...

The NWTF, a nonprofit organization, is the leader in upland wildlife habitat conservation. Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore 17.3 million acres of wildlife habitat, investing $412 million.

24 - Hunting & Fishing News

HUNTING & CONS FWP Reports Wolf Hunting & Trapping Season Results MFWP, March 4, 2013 S tate wildlife officials released today the results of the 2012-13 wolf hunting and trapping seasons, which saw a substantial jump in harvest over last year.

The wolf hunting and trapping seasons ended with a total harvest of 225 wolves, 36 percent more than last season. Hunters took 128 wolves and trappers 97. The hunting season ran 181 days from Sept. 1, 2012 through Feb. 28, and the 76-day trapping season opened Dec. 15, 2012 and closed Feb. 28.

“We’re generally pleased with these results,” said Jeff Hagener, director of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Helena. “The overall harvest of 225 wolves this season is higher than last year and reflects the more liberal harvest opportunities that were added for 2012. The effectiveness of hunters and now trappers together continues to grow.”

In all, 84 wolves were taken between Sept. 1, 2012 and the end of Montana’s general big game hunting season, which closed Nov. 25, 2012. Sixty four of the 84 wolves taken before November 25 were opportunistically taken by hunters who were in the field hunting other species. The majority of the harvest, however, took place after the general hunting season by hunters and trappers who were exclusively seeking wolves. During Montana’s first wolf hunting season in 2009, the opportunistic harvest was almost 80 percent.

“The best news is that hunters and trappers, the core of Montana’s wildlife conservation program, are helping us manage Montana’s most recently recovered native species,” Hagener said.”

A total of 18,642 wolf hunting licenses were purchased for the past season—246 by nonresidents. Most successful wolf hunters were Montana residents who harvested 222 wolves.

Additionally, more than 2,500 prospective wolf trappers participated in mandatory educational certification classes held by FWP last fall. About 1,500 of the certified trappers purchased trapping licenses.

Reflecting the increasingly liberal harvest opportunities over the last three wolf hunting seasons, Montana’s 2012-13 wolf harvest of 225 wolves was up significantly over the 2009 and 2011 seasons. Court challenges barred Montana’s hunting season in 2010.

Hagener stressed that even with this season’s hunting and trapping success— and an additional 104 depredating wolves removed from the population as a result of more than 70 control actions—Montana’s wolf population remains robust. With more than 650 wolves reported at the end of 2011, when the 2012 season was adopted, population data indicated a harvest of nearly 400 wolves would be required to reduce the minimum population below 500.

“We need to achieve a reduction” Hagener said. “Montana has made room for wolves, we are long past the period of recovering wolves, and we are committed to managing for a recovered population. We also need to remember it is FWP’s responsibility to manage with an eye to how all of our special wild resources affect each other and address issues such as public tolerance, including that of landowners. That is what we continually hear the public asking us to do. FWP is working to manage wolf numbers and will continue to use reasonable tools to maximize harvest opportunities.”

Wildlife managers are now compiling Montana’s 2012 wolf population data and FWP’s wolf report will be complete in late March. Montana’s wolf advisory council, which was originally convened in 2006 to assist with the development of Montana’s Wolf Management Plan, will be reconvened following completion of the annual report.

The intent, according to Hagener, is to check in with the broad spectrum of interests included on the original council to again discuss issues associated with Aaron Daniel with his 2013 wolf Montana’s evolving management of wolves...

SERVATION NEWS

Join us April 20th for the Bitterroot Chapter Banquet

Spring Black Bear Western Montana Hunting Season Chapter SCI www.westernmtsci.org Opens April 15 MFWP Montana’s spring black bear hunting

season opens April 15. Licenses purchased after April 14 may not be used for five days and are available at FWP offices, license providers and online.

Black bear hunters are limited to one black bear license a year.

All black bear hunters are reminded that they must successfully complete Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ bear identification test before purchasing a black bear license.

Hunters who have already passed the bear identification test do not need to retake it, but FWP encourages black bear hunters to continuously hone their ability to distinguish a black bear from a grizzly.

To take the bear identification test, visit FWP’s bear identification training website at “http://fwp. mt.gov/” fwp.mt.gov. Click “http://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/” Hunter Education” under the Education tab, then click “http://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/ bowhunterEd.html” Bear Identification Program”.

Complete the training and test, and then present the printed on-line certificate to purchase a license.

The training and test is also available on paper, with a mail-in answer card, at FWP regional offices.

The 2013 black bear regulations are available online on the FWP website at “http://fwp.mt.gov” fwp.mt.gov and from most FWP offices and license providers.

Spring Turkey Hunting Opens April 13 MFWP Montana’s spring turkey gobbler season opens April 13 and ends May 19...

A 501(c)4 organization, the Western

Montana Chapter of SCI has funded numerous education, conservation and humanitarian efforts over the years. These efforts are made possible through the generous support of our members and interested businesses and organizations. 100% of...income is used by SCI with over 70% staying here locally .

EDUCATION What are we doing today? Through the SCIF Sables, the Western Montana Chapter has placed, and continues to place, Hands-on-Wildlife (formally Safari-in-a-Box) educational tools.

What is a Hands-on-Wildlife? It is a hands-on kindergarten through 12th grade educational learning tool for anyone who has a desire to educate others about wildlife and habitat. It gives teachers and others who work with young people resources and ideas to introduce youth to important concepts of habitat, wildlife management, and impacts resulting from human and wildlife interactions.

For many, the kit is the gateway to appreciation of the outdoor world and provides their only contact with a wild animal.

The Western Montana Chapter also continues to support the SCI Foundation’s American Wilderness Leadership Schools by sponsoring local teachers to attend this enriching educational program. The program introduces participants to the complexity of environmental and wildlife management issues, and the shooting sports (rifle, pistol, trap, muzzleloader, and box) with an emphasis on firearm safety and use.

College education units are provided.

If you are interested in learning more about Sables, please contact Bonita Smith at 406.589.3948.

Do you have a program or education effort that you would like to suggest? Please contact... info@westernmtsci.org with your idea.

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Hunters should remember when transporting a spring turkey within the state of Montana, one leg and foot must be left naturally attached for evidence of sex. Montana law requires permission for all hunting on private land.

April 2013 25

REGIONAL NEWS Officers Busy With Wildlife Violations W

Men From Norwood And Texas Fined More Than $5,500 In Western Colorado Poaching Spree

Three men in the Norwood area who admitted to being involved with poaching two mule deer bucks have paid hefty fines and may lose their hunting privileges for many years.

The wildlife crimes were detected thanks to a local resident who noticed the three men behaving suspiciously and reported the activity to Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers. The poaching occurred in a remote area of western San Miguel County south of Dry Creek Basin.

“The informant just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” said Renzo DelPiccolo, area wildlife manager in Montrose. “We wouldn’t have known about this if he hadn’t called. This shows how vital a role the public plays in protecting Colorado’s wildlife resources.”

On Dec. 6, 2012, a wildlife officer received a call from the informant who said he was suspicious of what three men were doing near a road in the area known as Pony Draw. After seeing the informant’s vehicle approaching, the men moved quickly from a stand of trees just off the road, got into their vehicle and drove off quickly. The informant recognized one of the men, got a description of the vehicle and returned to the location a short while later. He walked to the spot in the trees and discovered a freshly killed buck.

He then called Colorado Parks and Wildlife and two officers met him at the scene and inspected the dead animal. One of the officers drove to Norwood and located the vehicle that the informant had described. In the meantime, the other wildlife officer and the informant found another buck that had been killed nearby.

In Norwood, the officer made contact with all of the men by late afternoon and conducted interviews. The men confessed to shooting the deer.

Nathan E. Wilson, 30, of Norwood, and Weldon. R. Kavecki, 65, of Throckmorton, Tex., were both charged with hunting out of season, unlawful take of wildlife and waste of game meat. In January both men paid fines of $2,317.50. They were also assessed with 45 penalty points against their hunting and fishing privileges. Timothy Taylor, 69, of Euless, Tex., who accompanied the other two men, was charged with being complicit in unlawful take. He paid a fine of $947.50 and was assessed with 15 penalty points.

Wilson and Kavecki will be required to undergo a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission administrative hearing process to determine the length of time that their hunting and fishing privileges will be suspended.

They could lose their privileges for up to five years or possibly life. Any suspension of hunting and fishing privileges in Colorado is also honored in 36 other states through the Wildlife Violator Compact.

“These deer were in the middle of the rutting period and were very vulnerable to poachers. There was no deer season going on at the time and these animals were shot from the road,” DelPiccolo said. “Colorado’s wildlife is precious to us all. We cannot over-emphasize the importance and value of citizens reporting wildlife crimes, and how much we appreciate that they do.”

26 - Hunting & Fishing News

hile bears may hibernate and cranes fly south for the winter, individuals who violate Idaho’s wildlife laws are busy year round, and that means those who protect Idaho’s wildlife resources can never rest.

Conservation officers in the Teton Basin have been dealing recently with violations ranging from illegal trapping and illegal wolf hunting, to illegal taking of trophy mule deer. Unfortunately violators sometimes do not react well to being caught, resulting in one being charged with pointing a shotgun at a conservation officer.

Lauren Wendt, senior conservation officer in Driggs was investigating an illegal waterfowl hunting incident on November 16, 2012, when a local man pointed his shotgun at her. In addition to two other wildlife violations, he was charged by Teton County with exhibition or use of a deadly weapon.

While general seasons exist for wolf hunting in the Teton Basin, conservation officers have recently wrapped up a case in which an individual was cited with illegal trapping, with hunting a gray wolf without a tag and with possession of an unlawfully taken gray wolf. The wolf incident occurred on the last day of 2012. On January 31, James D. Fullmer, of Tetonia, admitted to conservation officers that he had taken a gray wolf near Squirrel Creek in Fremont County without a tag.

Officers are also investigating the illegal taking of a mule deer buck from Teton Canyon. A Boone & (sic) Crockett scorer gave the buck a green score of 181 2/8, meaning officers were able to cite Ben Brown of Tetonia with illegal taking of a trophy animal.

Jacob Knight of Park Valley, Utah, was also cited in connection with this incident...

Elk Plan Revision Is Under Way Idaho Fish and Game has launched a revision of its long range plan for

managing elk.

Idaho’s current plan is more than 12 years old. Starting in late 2011, Fish and Game launched an effort to revise and update that plan. Strategies in the plan will be driven by public expectations and changes in elk populations.

The 1999 plan divided the state into 29 elk management zones, each made up of a group of units dependent upon habitat similarity, management similarity or distinct populations. Objectives were established for each zone based on elk herd movements, habitat potential, harvest opportunity, depredation concerns, population and survival.

Revisions being considered are based largely on a survey of Idaho elk hunters in the spring and summer of 2012, and in part on changes in habitat, predation and agricultural depredation conflicts.

Preliminary information sheets on elk status compiled for each elk management zone are being distributed at open house meetings on 2013 big game seasons.

A series of open-house meetings is being planned for later this spring.

Meeting dates and locations will be announced when they are set.

Comments may also be submitted to wildlife managers at regional offices, by e-mail to idfginfo@idfg.idaho.gov; or by mail to Elk Plan Comments, P.O. Box 25, Boise ID 83707.

A draft plan will be made available for public review and comment this summer before it is considered for adoption by the commission. Public comment will be solicited through public meetings and online.

To stay informed anyone interested may track the elk planning progress online at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/elkplanning.xZ

REGIONAL NEWS Anonymous Letter Leads to Multiple Wildlife Convictions for Cheyenne Taxidermist Troy T. Hall of Cheyenne with mule deer he killed Nov. 2, 2004 after the season closed and while trespassing in southeast Johnson County.

Hall was fined $6,080 and accessed $4,000 in restitution for the crime.

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An anonymous letter received in January 2012 alerted game wardens that a Cheyenne man imported feral pigs from Texas to Wyoming and

also killed a mule deer buck out of season. These tips directly led to the recent convictions of Troy T. Hall for those, and several other wildlife violations.

The investigation discovered that in 2004 Hall intentionally poached a buck mule deer out of season with no license while trespassing and falsified an Interstate Game Tag to cover the crime, illegally imported live feral pigs in 2006, guided several hunters without a license in 2010, and as a taxidermist failed to attach an Interstate Game Tag to a bighorn sheep mount.

For the variety of violations, Hall, 43, was assessed $16,080 in fines and restitution, was placed on 18 months supervised probation, was placed on 30 months of concurrent unsupervised probation, lost his hunting privileges for six years and forfeited the mount of his illegally taken deer and other penalties.

“The investigation was complicated by the fact that some of the violations were up to eight years old,” said Cheyenne Game Warden Shawn Blajszczak. “It was a true cold case. Memories fade and are lost and evidence disappears, so it took a lot of extra interviews and a great deal of evidence collection to piece things together.”

The investigation confirmed Hall imported two feral male piglets from Texas to his ranchette east of Cheyenne in the spring of 2006. One of the young, unneutered pigs later died and the other escaped confinement before being lured to bait and shot by Hall at night in August 2006.

Hall told officers he was hoping to raise “Hogzilla” – a very large feral hog – that was in response to the almost 800-pound feral hog shot in Texas in 2004, which received that nickname and generated considerable publicity.

The investigation, led by Blajszczak and Laramie Wildlife Investigator John Demaree, also confirmed Hall killed a heavy-antlered 5-by-5 mule deer on Nov. 3, 2004, 19 days after the season closed and without the limited-quota license required for that area. Hall, a professional taxidermist, had permission to hunt elk on a ranch in southeast Johnson County – but he did not have permission to hunt deer. In following years, Hall entered his mount of the illegally harvested deer in taxidermy competitions and was awarded several ribbons. He falsified the Interstate Game Tag on the mount by attesting the deer was killed Nov. 20, 2004 near Hulett...

Blajszczak added that evidence seized from the warrants proved to be very important to the investigation and prosecution of the case.

“That included not only the pedestal mount of the illegally taken buck mule deer and many trophy photos of Hall’s illegal activities, but also a trophy set of bighorn ram horns on an attached skull plate that did not have the required plug or Interstate Game Tag,” Blajszczak said.

Hall told officers the horns were a replica of a ram from Estes Park, Colo. and hence did not require a tag, pointing out a portion of a horn that had been repaired. Blajszczak doubted the story and had the mount X-rayed...

The X-ray revealed the horns were real and only a small portion was a repair patch. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Forensic Laboratory also confirmed through DNA analysis that the mount was a bighorn ram. Blajszczak later determined that the ram was taken by another individual in Colorado, but no record of a hunting license was found and the case was turned over to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

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Biologists Move Bighorn Sheep Biologists move a bighorn sheep from the handling area to a trailer.

Photo by Brent Stettler

T he animals were relocated to prevent them from coming in contact with domestic sheep and goats. Domestic sheep often carry respiratory illnesses that can be lethal to wild bighorns. When a domestic herd comes in contact with a wild herd, these illnesses are easily transmitted. Even if only one bighorn becomes ill, the disease can spread through the entire herd.

The small herd that was relocated had been in close proximity to domestic animals in Castle Valley.

To capture the bighorns, a helicopter crew netted and airlifted the sheep to a trailer, which biologists then drove to San Juan County.

The crew moved four rams, seven ewes and five lambs.

The sheep were released in John’s Canyon on the San Juan River.

The canyon offers excellent bighorn habitat and a permanent water source.

The area already supports a population of wild sheep. Biologists say the transplanted sheep should thrive.

Much of the funding for the Feb. 26 move was provided by the Utah Foundation for North American Wild Sheep.

April 2013 27

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One of my clients with the nice trophy bear taken on the second night of this spring’s hunt.

28 - Hunting & Fishing News

Reprinted with permission from Bowhunting.net For more please go to: www.bowhunting.net

B efore I get started I should set the record straight by admitting I’m a bear hunting “NUT”. In addition to hunting black bears 48 times over the years

I’ve also hunted brown bears, grizzly and even polar bears. I’ve done all these hunts with a bow and I can honestly say I’m not done yet!

Well I am done with brown bears and polar bears and if/when I finally get a grizzly I’ll cross that one off the list for good as well. But black bears, I’ll most likely never stop chasing the dream of taking a Boone and Crockett qualifier with my bow to life mount in the trophy room and once I get that done I’ll still keep looking for a bigger one!

To be honest I’m not 100% sure why I feel the need to be sitting in a stand over bait every spring. Perhaps it’s the rush I get when a black bear comes into sight quietly sneaking through the dense forest floor toward my stand.

Perhaps its hope for a chance at a 500# black bear with a 20+ inch skull.

Then again it could just be that it’s much better to be hunting bears in the spring than to have to wait four more months for the fall seasons to begin.

I may never figure it out.

To try to find a large black bear requires research. They can be taken almost anywhere from Newfoundland to Alaska, from northern Canada to North Carolina.

The trick seems to be finding a place where the bears get to live long enough to reach their full potential and where they have the genetics and food to support that growth. In addition to finding a place to hunt large bears there are considerations about travel and costs.

This client took his first bear the first day. He’s coming back this year for a bigger one.

There are hunts in areas of Alaska and Vancouver Island where there is a good chance of finding seven foot bears, but the cost of these hunts, excluding travel, can run $6,000.00 or more. As someone who likes to hunt bears every year, with a limited budget, I look for good opportunities closer to home (East Coast) and for far less money.

That is what took me to New Brunswick in 2012, and what will bring me back again this spring. The percentage of bears taken that are true trophy quality in New Brunswick is not as high as some other places, but that doesn’t mean the big bears aren’t there! A big part of the reason for the low percentages of big bears taken is that the majority of hunters that go to New Brunswick will shoot the first bear they see. That is because they are hunters looking for their first or second bear, not trophy hunters willing to hold out for that one monster that may visit your bait site.

To give you an example, I was on a hunt this spring with four other guys. Two of them had never hunted bears before, the other three of us had. Not surprising, the two that had never hunted bears before shot the first bears they saw, and ended up with small bears. Two held out for nice trophies and killed spring bears that weighed over 300 pounds with skulls close to, or in excess of, 20”. I held out all week for something special and finally saw a true trophy at last light on the sixth day. Alas, I didn’t get him but I came close!

Further research led me to another camp for next season. This camp had but three clients in 2012, and all of them shot smaller bears rather than wait for larger ones. Looking at the records from the last few years I found that very few clients had visited the camp over the last five years, which means that the bears have had an opportunity to grow. I also found that the area supports large bears, has the food, and the genetics necessary.

I visited the camp this summer, and again this fall, to check things out. I found the camp to be in wonderful shape and only seven hour’s drive from my home in central Massachusetts. (continued on page 32)

April 2013 29

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Is Your Rifle More Accurate Than You Are? Whitetails Unlimited

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M ost rifles, if held in a mechanical rest, will produce smaller groups than their owners can manually produce even under the most ideal conditions. However, there are variables in the rifle itself that can have an impact on accuracy.

TIP 1: Understand the Issues. A rifle is a mechanical device, with both moving and non-moving parts that can affect accuracy. Four primary areas of concern are the barrel, action, trigger, and ammunition. Along with these issues, the aiming device must be installed and zeroed properly, which is a separate discussion.

TIP 2: Worry About Harmonization. When a bullet travels down a barrel, it makes the barrel vibrate; engineers know this as ‘harmonic vibration.’ In a rifle barrel, this vibration is normally in a circular motion, created as the bullet travels through the helical rifling. Most modern rifles ‘free float’ the barrel, meaning that nothing touches the barrel, which can interfere with the natural harmonic motion.

TIP 3: Quit Touching Me. While synthetic stocks are dimensionally stable, wooden stocks can expand with humidity, causing problems from one day to another. Check for problems by wrapping a dollar bill under the barrel, and see if it slides smoothly between barrel and stock. If it hits anything, you’ll need to have a gunsmith remove material from the stock. (Some rifles have a post that secures the stock to the barrel, and you can’t do anything about that.)

TIP 4: Crown Me. The very end of the barrel, at the last possible point where the bullet contacts the barrel, is called the ‘crown.’ Any damage, knick, or burr in the crown can degrade accuracy. As the bullet exits the barrel, gases can exit through a knick and force the bullet off a straight line. The crown is normally recessed from the end of the muzzle, and if it is damaged a good gunsmith can recrown the barrel. Cleaning a rifle from the breech to the bore will reduce the chances of damaging the crown.

TIP 5: Those in Glass Beds... While it is good for a barrel to float, the action should have a very solid connection to the stock. You can find torque specifications for the screws that connect barrel to stock, and an even better connection can be made by ‘glass bedding,’ a process that involves filling the spaces between the stock and the action with an epoxy resin that contains a binding matrix (fiberglass or metal). This provides an even, complete connection between the action and stock. This can be done at home if you are handy with tools, careful, and can follow directions; but this does not work on some synthetic stocks.

TIP 6: Easy Squeeze. Newer rifles have better triggers out of the box than they used to, and some are user adjustable. After-market triggers are available from several companies, and those are often replaceable by a user. However, if you are not confident, have a gunsmith do it. Most factory triggers are set at 5-6 pounds, and may have significant creep (the distance the trigger must travel). A 3-pound trigger pull is pretty light, and can improve accuracy, but the shooter must make sure it is still safe to use—a very light trigger can be dangerous!

TIP 7: Find Your Favorite Ammo. Modern ammunition is very dependable and consistent. However, there are gun-ammo combinations that just don’t work. Go get three or four brands of ammunition in a particular bullet weight and shoot groups of each under the same controlled conditions, on the same day. If one brand groups better than the others, you’re good; if they are all the same, even better. If one, or more, won’t digest properly in your rifle, remember to make a note of what brand, and give the rest of the box to your brother-in-law for Christmas.

30 - Hunting & Fishing News

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Spring Bear Hunting

BY RICK HAGGERTY

(continued from page 28) I couldn’t hunt bears in this zone last fall, but I could hunt deer, and while there got to check out baits, and trail cameras at them. We had a lot of good pictures of trophy class bears during daylight, but finding big bucks proved more difficult.

My hunting buddy Ray Moulton with a fine trophy spring bear taken the third night of our hunt this spring.

Kenneth Rush|Shutterstock

S The owner of the Camp (Dave Winchester) lives at the camp year round and doesn’t have internet access. It has made it difficult to book clients, which explains the decreased number of clients. He baits great areas, and baits well. There are plenty of bears and all that is lacking is a strong marketing effort. We struck a deal. I would handle all bookings going forward if he would agree to limit the number of clients so we could offer reasonable opportunities to kill trophy class bears. He also agreed to limit most of the hunting to bowhunters.

We settled on twelve bear hunters per spring and another twelve in the fall. The hunts will be six days, and cater to only six clients at a time. In the spring we’ll hunt the last week of May and first week of June because those are historically the best weeks. In the fall we’ll hunt the two middle weeks of September (which are bowhunting only). To make things even more attractive the first week in the spring will be open to bowhunting couples. This way husbands and wives can enjoy a couples environment (with cozy cabins). If a bowhunter wants to bring a non hunting spouse to enjoy the adventure this can be arranged for a small additional cost.

I have agreed to manage the camp in the spring and will be there personally to make sure things run smooth.

We are looking for a few bowhunters to share a great experience with us this season. The baits are active, the camp is comfortable, and the rates are reasonable. For more information contact me at roygoodwin@comcast.net.

32 - Hunting & Fishing News

pring bear hunting in Montana can be a tough time to find a bear to harvest. A lot of your success in April will depend on weather conditions where the bears live. Milder weather will bring bears out earlier in the season looking for just about anything they can find to fill their stomachs.

Search for bears high up drainages that have lost their winter snow coat and where green vegetation has started to show.

MID-DAY AND EVENING HUNTS CAN BE A PRODUCTIVE TIME TO SEARCH FOR BEARS. Set-up on a high basin with good optics to find bear movements.

Only about 8 percent of all spring black bear hunters in Montana manage to fill a tag, and most of this low percentage rate has to do with weather, late emergence from hibernation with heavy snow in the high country, and the fact that most hunters do not put as much effort and time in the field that it takes to find the right bear.

Much of fall hunter success has to do with deer and elk hunters having a bear tag in their pocket.

If weather conditions in the state remain mild, hunter harvest numbers should jump as more bear will be out in open areas early in April. (continued on page 40)

Your

Trophy Photos Brett Naillon Archery Bull Elk 5x5 17 yards

Best Turkey Decoy Setup: A Papa Strut with Hens From Montana Decoy www.montanadecoy.com Read the remaining articles referenced below at www.montanadecoy.com

T his is the first article in a series of turkey hunting articles we will be posting to help you choose the best turkey decoys to use during your

hunt. From opening day, until your tags are filled, you can check what decoy setup works best depending on the phase of season.

Turkey Decoy Setup: Papa Strut 3D Tom with Hen(s) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan Foy Denton BMA Mule Deer

Situation: This turkey decoy setup is best used in the early season when birds are establishing a pecking order and still traveling in large flocks. If you see several gobblers together and strutting with hens, this is a great setup to challenge the dominant bird of the flock.

Why it works: In the early season, strutting turkeys are a lot like rutting bucks. They have urges to defend their turf and to breed. The boss tom will not tolerate another strutter over a hen in his domain, and will often come running in a jealous rage. This is the best turkey decoy in the early season (the first 10-14 days). If you are finding that toms are hanging up, swap of the tom with a jake to get a turkey to move into shooting range.

When it works: In the early season when the turkeys are not yet responding much to hen calls. Locator calls can be used to find the general area of turkey, but after that, the hunt is more like hunting – waiting for the turkey to come into the field and be attracted to your decoy spread. Also, in the early season, when the woods are not yet green with cover, a decoy will help keep a turkey’s focus off you and on the fake intruder.

Don Schmidt Opening Morning Bull Elk

Decoy Tips: 1. Use feeder hen decoys.

2. Position the strutting decoy so it’s facing you. Most birds will approach a subordinate tom head-on or from the side.

3. Keep your decoys close so if a bird does hang up, he is in range of your shotgun or bow.

4. As the season progress a week or two, use a jake decoy instead of a tom to limit the dominate display. The closer to breeding season a turkey gets, the less tolerant he becomes of his competition. Using a tom may turn-off subordinate birds that have been roughed up by a tom already, but they will see a jake decoy as a chance to redeem themselves.

email your photos to: huntingfishingnews@yahoo.com April 2013 33

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REMINDER: Colorado Sells Over-The-Counter Licenses Colorado Parks and Wildlife C olorado Parks and Wildlife is reminding sportsmen that over-the-counter big game licenses go on sale July 9, 2013 at 9 a.m. (Mountain Time).

The licenses, which are for elk and bear hunting in the state, will be available through the upcoming hunting seasons or until supplies run out, depending on the license type.

Over-the-counter licenses include the bull elk tags for second and third rifle season and are valid in 92 units during the applicable season (see gold areas on the map). There are an unlimited number of these tags available. Statewide archery either-sex or cow elk licenses are also available as unlimited over-the-counter licenses until the archery season ends on Sept. 23. Archery, muzzleloader and rifle bear licenses are also available as an over-the-counter license, but bear licenses are capped and stop being sold when the set license quota for a specific unit is reached.

Some bear units sell out quickly. A list of available over-the-counter licenses is updated every 15 minutes on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website at http://wildlife.state.co.us/Apps/WildlifeLicenseReports/BigGame/pdf/otccap. pdf. (list not live until mid-June) Hunters can pick up their over-the-counter licenses at more than 730 authorized license sales agents around the state, at Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices or Parks, by phone, or on-line. A list of license agents can be found online at http://wildlife.state.co.us/ShopDOW/AppsAndLicenses/ LicenseAgents/Pages/licenseagents.aspx. Hunters can buy a license over the phone by calling 1-800-244-5613. Online purchases can be made by clicking on the “Buy and Apply for Licenses” button at http://wildlife.state. co.us/ShopDOW/AppsAndLicenses/Pages/totallicensing.aspx

Colorado’s elk population is the largest in the North America with approximately 260,000 elk.

Colorado also boasts more than 23 million acres of public land accessible to hunters.

Colorado offers non-residents and residents the opportunity to purchase unlimited over-the-counter licenses for bull elk. In a select number of units, archery hunters can purchase both an unlimited over-the-counter bull tag and an over-the-counter antlerless elk tag. (continued on page 37)

Hunting Solo

Bring It!

By Jennifer Bickel

Reprinted with permission from Bowhunting.net For more please go to: www.bowhunting.net

O

ne thing I have found in the hunting industry is there are lots of shows and people that are into solo hunting. The one thing that is rare with these shows and people, are women. What I want to do is blow that wide open. I want to show other women, who may be afraid or think they can’t do it, that they can!

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Being a solo hunter wasn’t something I had really thought I would want to do when I started hunting.

I always enjoyed the company of having people to hunt with and be able to share everything as I went along. Solo hunting isn’t something that you go out once and master. It takes time and definitely some patience. I can’t even count the amount of times I wanted to just throw my bow off a cliff. It’s one of those things that you learn as you go along and the more mistakes you make, the more you learn.

It will push you to limits to where you want to just give up. It is not only physically enduring but mentally as well. But it is also one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. It will give you feelings that you can’t even explain, no matter how hard you try. Believe me, I have sat here for over 5 hours trying to think of some way to explain how amazing it all is.

I’m no solo hunting expert, I’m still learning, I just want to share my experiences from past and present with you.

I am lucky enough to have grown up on a ranch in North Central Wyoming.

I have always been involved in the outdoors. It was something we always did as a family when I was growing up. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I took things into my own hands. As most of you know, Wyoming is a great state to hunt. Between the plains and the mountains, there is no shortage of animals.

My first solo hunt experience was mule deer in 2009. This was a pretty easy way for me to start because I started out by hunting on my parent’s ranch which I knew very well. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a high fence ranch so it’s not easy to hunt mule deer there. I just knew the land and so I was not worried about getting lost or anything like that. I also made sure I had a First Aid kit and a cell phone just in case.

It seemed like I had blown stalk after stalk after stalk. I went home each night and watched mule deer hunting videos to try to see if I could figure out what I was doing wrong. I was used to hunting with my other half, Travis, and he would tell me what to do and how to do it. I wasn’t used to making decisions on my own and coming up with my own “game” plan.

I got frustrated and felt defeated. I started questioning my hunting skills and wondered if I was really cut out for this. I really put myself down a lot during this hunt. I thought I would be able to go out, find a deer, stalk up and shoot it. I was finding this was much easier said than done.

After hunting several days with no success, I gave up. I decided I needed some more help and more time to develop my hunting skills. It was a real wake up call for me. I knew that even though I felt like I was a good hunter and was confident in my skills, I still had so much to learn. I vowed to continue researching and teaching myself new techniques, shooting my bow more and doing everything I could possibly do to make myself a better hunter. I knew this was my passion and what I wanted to dedicate my life to.

I gave it almost a year before I decided to try hunting alone again.

Archery antelope had rolled around and Travis was in Oregon salmon fishing at the time. I decided to make the 4 hour drive to where I antelope hunt and try the whole solo thing again. (continued on page 39)

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If the signs are new, and nailed to every other fencepost, something bad has gone down, and it might be fresh as a wildfire in the mind of the landowner; then again, maybe the land has just changed hands.

If the signs are old, and torn or worn, it may no longer be officially posted.

You’ll never know until you step up and ask.

1) Names and contact numbers should be listed on these posters, which can provide a direct link to information, so jot down these details. Other times such signs are left blank, as if the landowner wants to convey the message that visitors aren’t wanted, and that they don’t wish to be contacted about the matter. Sometimes posters might also hang on properties where access isn’t legally prohibited. They may have no right to post it.

2) “Just because our land isn’t posted doesn’t mean you have an invitation to hunt it,” a landowner once said to me on a road trip through upstate New York.

Awkward or not, it is always best to ask permission even if the property seems ripe for hunting.

On the other hand, in some states the use of private unposted land by the general public or state residents is a time-honored tradition. As an example, New England states such as New Hampshire offer longstanding public common-law access on non-posted land. Abuse it though, and you can lose it. Once the posters go up, it ends. Game over.

Do whatever you can to keep those orange and yellow signs from appearing.

3) Ironic or not, in some locations reverse-posting situations apply. If the land isn’t posted for a specific use, you can’t hunt it. Other states require landowner permission to hunt, whether the land is posted or not. Some turkey hunters routinely pay annual lease fees for using posted landowner-held property.

It can be on a daily, weekly, or annual basis. (continued)

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````````````````````````````````` 4) Sometimes you can secure access directly by talking to the landowner. Other times you may need an intermediary. This go-between person can be your good-will ambassador, making subtle suggestions to the landowner.

5) Off-site places and situations like roadside diners, town-meeting locations, grocery stores, yard sales, even Friday night at the local bar can provide the connection you need. You could run into a person who owns the property, or a neighbor who knows the people who do.

`````````````````````````````````

Photo: Steve Hickoff 6) You need to research the full ownership picture. If you can’t figure out who owns the land in a casual, conversational way, courthouse records can be studied. Who really owns the land? Who really calls the shots?

Is ownership fragmented? Is ownership in transition?

7) If possible, seek permission in the off-season, under relaxed circumstances rather than desperate.

8) Let landowners know how you’ll hunt, where you’ll do it on the property, what you’ll be doing in there, and who—if anyone—you’ll bring along. Visit them wearing clean pants, a pressed shirt, and a smile on your mug, and you might pass the initial test. Image is sometimes everything. Sell yourself. Don’t intimidate.

9) Though it might seem a little solicitous, you can also market yourself by running off a brochure at your local printing center or using computer software, which you can hand to them when you seek access.

List your membership in certain conservation organizations. Record your professional credentials there.

Indicate you’ve successfully passed a hunter’s safety course. Mention your wife, kids, and even church affiliation if applicable. Shape your image. Indicate you’re serious about your hunting, but also safety-minded.

Sell yourself.

10) Sometimes though it is definitely not in your best interest to tell the landowner everything you’re doing there. Keep it simple. You may love hunting, but it isn’t for everyone. Think about your audience. Don’t lie to them, but if necessary, don’t elaborate too much either.

11) Ask the landowner if it’s okay to ride your Yamaha ATV or Side-by-Side on their trails, and where it’s best to park that vehicle.

12) Once you get permission, keep it.

````````````````````````````````````````

Reminder: Colorado Sells... (continued from page 34)

Hunters with questions about what licenses they can purchase and where licenses are valid can find more information on-line or by phone with one of the new Colorado Parks and Wildlife Hunt Planners at 303-291-PLAN (7526). Hunt planners are hunters themselves and well versed in the opportunities available around the state. This is a unique service offered by Colorado to help hunters find an opportunity that fits their group needs.

Over-the-counter licenses shouldn’t be confused with “Leftover” limited licenses – the limited licenses that went unsold during the limited license drawing process. Leftover licenses will not be sold until Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 9 a.m. at offices and Wednesday August 7 online.

April 2013 37

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The Shed Antler Story

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One clue as to why he held his antlers may be the dark tarsal glands on his hocks. This indicates that he is still sexually active with high-T looking for does during the second rut. The date stamp says that this is exactly 28 days after the first rut on November 11th.

The question is what triggers the osteoclasts to get busy detaching the antler? It seems like the T-count or testerone level of the buck plays a role. A number of factors can influence this T-level. Nutrition is a big one.

Healthy bucks have higher levels of testerone and hold their antlers a bit longer. Also if there are does around who are in estrus this tends to elevate the T-levels.

Put your thinking cap on and decode this puzzle. Southern bucks tend to drop their antlers later than northern bucks. Sometimes antlers shed into April. Something to consider is that northern bucks are stressed by winter way more than southern bucks and this may be playing a role with early antler casting.

The reason for the “exact when” may be even more complicated than once thought? A Mississippi study discovered that with pen deer, individual bucks were dropping their antlers on the same day every year.

Sort of an internal drop-clock was at play. This was also observed on the King Ranch in Texas where significant individual bucks held antlers later than others then lost them at roughly the same time every year.

Now you know some of the why and when concerning antler shedding.

Take notice: this is the week you should go out into the whitetail woods and collect those sheds. This is the “when” for you.

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38 - Hunting & Fishing News

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Hunting Solo

(continued from page 35)

This time I had one more obstacle I had to overcome. I was 6 months pregnant and not small at all! The area I was hunting opened for archery on August 15th. August is the hottest month in Wyoming and for any of you who have been pregnant; you know how uncomfortable the heat is.

Now add on trying to put on stalks. I am lucky there were no cameras around at that time. Trying to army crawl up on antelope was probably one of the funniest looking things ever. My stomach would get in my way and basically trip me to the point where I found myself constantly face planting.

I stayed and tried to hunt for a week. I was unsuccessful and went through all of the same emotions again. I was mad at myself and extremely frustrated.

I kicked myself the whole way home. I felt once again, like a failure.

September finally came around and I decided to be persistent and try archery mule deer hunting again. I kept telling myself to not get so depressed when a few stalks didn’t go the way I wanted them to.

With each unsuccessful stalk that I did, I started a new routine. Instead of beating myself up about it, I started reviewing the stalk over and over in my head and trying to figure out what I could learn from it. This made it so much easier when I saw those horns running the opposite way and my arrow still nocked.

Then, it was almost a picture perfect stalk, even with my huge pregnant stomach in the way. I had seen this buck a few times. He was a 4 x 5 with eyeguards. I have a definite “thing” for mule deer with eyeguards. He had kickers off each side and was just gorgeous. He was with only one other doe and they were both walking across the top of a hill, feeding on some sagebrush. Every once in a while they would feed in on the hill a little bit and disappear from my view but I could tell where they were heading. I watched them until they fed over a little bit and I couldn’t see them anymore.

I checked the wind one last time and then, I ran. Which I’m sure wasn’t much as a run as I was thinking it was, probably looked more like a fast waddle to anyone else that may have been watching. I got ahead of them a little ways and got set up. Then, just as I had hoped, the buck made his way back over to the side of the hill where I had a clear shot at him.

I ranged him at 18 yards, a shot that I practice probably a few thousand times every year. He stopped broadside, we locked eyes as I drew back.

I got my anchor point and then placed my 20 yard pin, right where it needed to go. I slowly slid my finger onto my release trigger and pulled......

I stood there staring. My bow still out in front of me, I was froze. I had pulled the trigger on my release on a buck at 18 yards. I watched my arrow as it flew perfectly out of my bow and straight into the broadside buck. I felt like I had been holding my breath for 20 minutes. I let a deep breath out; I knew I had made a perfect shot. The buck took off running with my arrow still in him over the hill. Even though I was 7 months pregnant, I ran up that hill faster than I had ever run in my life. I got to the top of the hill and saw the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, it is a picture that will be forever ingrained in my head. (continued on page 43)

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available now. The Premier Issue covers Turkey Hunting and will be followed by June, September and November issues. Registration is free.

The new web site is there right now so bowhunting enthusiasts can see who, what and where it’s happening and to sign up if you have not already done so.

“I am really excited about the lineup of great articles by some of the best writers in the sport.” said Editor Rich Walton .

“This first issue is our Special Turkey Issue with some great turkey hunting articles and tips from pros like Bob Robb, Patrick Meitin, Pat Durkin, Bob Humphrey and others and a couple other articles not exactly turkey hunts thrown in for some added excitement. Each issue will also have some videos to watch as well and we’ve got a few other exciting things subscribers are going to love that we’ll be announcing in the future.”

Subscribing is fast, easy and FREE. You’ll not only get the four issues in March, June, September and November, but you’ll also, as a subscriber, get Bowhunting Newsletters from time to time with Industry News, Special Deals and more.

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Spring Bear Hunting (continued from page 32) HERE ARE A FEW UNITS THAT HOLD BEAR AND GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPRING BEAR HUNTERS: REGION 1: Including 100, 102, 104, 105, and 108 These units are in the extreme northwest corner of Montana bounded by Idaho and British Columbia around Lincoln, Sanders, Flathead, and Lake Counties.

Look for bear movement around the Kootenai river drainage areas.

Hunter success averages anywhere from as low as 3.4 percent up to 16 percent success in years past, mostly due to weather conditions.

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(Hunter note: For the last several years MFWP has required spring bear hunters to declare their intention to hunt these districts in Region 1 where harvest trends tend to be higher than other districts in western Montana. The trade off is you give up your ability to hunt elsewhere in the state.

(Check current 2013 regulations for any changes in those units.)

REGION 2: Black bear management units 200, 216, 240, 280, 290 which include areas in Missoula, Mineral, Ravalli, Granite, Powell and Deer Lodge counties. Areas to consider here would be up Hwy. 12 on the Montana/Idaho border, Clark Fork river drainage areas, Swan-Clearwater river drainages, and the Miller Creek area near Missoula.

All produce good bear hunting. Hunter success rates vary from around 7 percent to 8 percent annually.

REGION 3: Black bear management units are 300 and 301 which are around the north Helena area in Lewis and Clark County south to Jefferson County. 316, Big Hole unit which includes Silver Bow, Deer Lodge, Beaverhead and Madison Counties. 317, Ruby-Centennial unit west of Butte, 319, Bridger mountains and 341, Madison-Yellowstone-Gallatin unit. All of these areas have good populations of black bear. Around Helena hunt the mountains around Stemple Pass towards Lincoln on open land, south-facing slopes.

These are mostly big timbered areas. Hunt towards the tops of ridges down towards creek bottoms and drainages to spot black bear.

In the Big Hole area, hunt around Melrose north and south along the foothills up from river bottoms on both sides, south to the Dillon area. All of this Continental Divide area is rugged, beautiful country that is perfect habitat for black bear to thrive.

REGION 4: Black bear management units include 411, Snowies Complex around the Judith Basin, Fergus, Petroleum, Musselshell, Golden Valley and Wheatland Counties. 420, Little Belts/Castle Mountains which include portions of Cascade County North, 440, Big Belt Mountains and 450, Rocky Mountain east of Lewis & Clark, Pondera, Teton and Glacier Counties. This area traditionally known for exceptional deer and elk hunting holds black bear as well. East of the Continental Divide hunt around Fort Benton and the Missouri River areas, Rogers Pass area, Choteau, White Sulphur Springs South to Ringling.

Note: Sun River Preserve closed to black bear hunting.

REGION 5: Black bear management units include 510, Pryor Mountains of Big Horn, Carbon and Yellowstone counties. 520, Beartooth Face around Park, Sweet Grass Stillwater and Carbon counties, 580, Crazy Mountains of Big Horn, Golden Valley, Meagher, Musselshell, Park, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Wheatland, and Yellowstone counties.

There are lots of black bear and grizzly bear in these areas.

A black bear and grizzly are fairly easy to tell apart. Just remember the old saying, “If in doubt, don’t shoot.”

Some cinnamon colored black bears do look like a grizzly from far away.

REGION 7: 700 region is the portion of Big Horn, Carter, Custer, Powder River Country, Rosebud, Richland, Dawson Counties east and south to the Wyoming border. Definitely deer and elk country, but good bear hunting in these drainages as well. You must call a harvest reporting line at 877-397-9453 within 48 hours of the kill in the 500 and 700 regions as these areas have small quota limits and will close once these are met. For quota status call 1-800-385-7826. (turn to page 44 for 2013 Montana Black Bear Season Dates)

40 - Hunting & Fishing News

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Lessons From Shane Mahoney

By Nick Simonson, Nodak Outdoors http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/lessons-from-shane-mahoney.php

T his weekend, while attending the 30th Annual Pheasant Fest event in Minneapolis, I had the privilege to hear a speech from renowned conservationist

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1107741 42 - Hunting & Fishing News

Shane Mahoney...

Mahoney’s three-part message was resounding and clear: we need wildlife and wild places to remind us of our past and our humanity, the hunting, fishing and outdoors opportunities we have now must be guarded or they will be taken away – one way or the other – and bearing that mantle is a continuous and sometimes tiring process, but it is always worth it. The latter, he stressed must not be forgotten while we campaign in an era of energy and food demands and the ever-expanding human footprint.

“Why do people in Texas have fireplaces? Why do we put our bedrooms on the second floor of our houses? Why do we have phobias for heights and spiders and snakes, but none for cars?” Mahoney asked these questions to us slowly and deliberately; giving our minds a couple of seconds after each question to figure out the answer. It is because our need to light our surroundings was far more important than warming; our fear of ground-based predators left us longing for a safe place above them, and trepidation of those things which 10, 20 and 30 thousands years ago which represented certain death lingers with us, long after we have left the darkness our ancestors lived in and we have seemingly forgotten our past in favor of progress.

He spoke of those caves in Spain where early man painted the images of the longhorned bison and other beasts in their world with such accuracy that archaeologists and biologists were able to identify species and even subspecies which went extinct millennia ago. Some of the paintings were in openings only three feet high and hundreds of feet below the surface.

They were found in total darkness, which with the tools at the time meant that the artists would only have a few moments of illumination from a small flame in animal fat to paint a tiny portion of the herd which eventually spanned the entire rock ceiling. That unbelievable effort was evidence of the reverence, honor and importance of those animals to the artists.

Mahoney recognized the same effort of conservation groups like Pheasants Forever and its members, along with many others throughout the country and the world. And it is our efforts, our reverence for animals and wild places, which must persist in order to fight for wildlife, for hunting and for fishing, or they would be taken away – through habitat loss, through disuse, or many other real threats.

The passing of tradition, the preservation of clean waters and promotion of diverse biotic communities, huntable populations of wildlife and open fields are required in order to maintain generations of stewards who revere the land and the life forms which are so important to us – not only as sportsmen, but as members of a greater humanity. But the efforts of getting children into the outdoors, of getting people to listen to the need for conservation, are not easy to maintain, but those efforts are far more justifiable than any number of the excuses we can make for not doing so.

There’s a need for food and energy, a government divided, a thousand other issues and a ten thousand more excuses why conservation should not be at the forefront of our efforts. But none of those excuses stopped people like Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir and the conservationists who followed in their footsteps in times much more dire than these. During wars which threatened human existence and a ten-year depression which made the most recent recession look like a tea party, these common leaders found ways – sometimes in just a matter of months – to call public attention to preservation of mountains, prairies, streams and lakes and all the animals that call them home, and make conservation a priority, because the natural world and all of its creatures are important to all of us.

The presentation left me astounded, sobered and readied for the year of challenges that lay between this year’s annual Pheasants Forever meeting and the next, knowing that whether I was hanging posters for my chapter’s upcoming banquet or helping a young person shoot a clay target or cast to a rising bluegill, my efforts were worth it. And it was worth it to protect these free wild animals and their homes and pass the tradition on to others who would do the same...into our outdoors.

Hunting Solo (continued from page 43) The sun was still coming up and the sky was a deep blood red, there was a fresh fall crisp in the air as I took a deep breath. I scanned the brown hillside looking for signs of my buck. I took another deep breath and this time I got choked up and felt a lump starting in my throat. I was scanning the hillside and couldn’t find my buck. My eyes were racing back and forth looking over everything, all I saw was brown grass and sagebrush. I closed my eyes and replayed the entire hunt in my head all the way to the point where the buck took off running.

I started second guessing myself. Did I not see my arrow hanging out of him? Was that just my mind playing tricks on me? I replayed it all again and again. I opened my eyes, calmed my nerves and took another deep breath and scanned the hill again.

There he was, not even 20 yards from where I had shot him. It was one of the most emotional moments I have ever had and not just because I was pregnant. Everything that I had worked for in the past year, all the frustration, preparation, heartbreak and everything else finally came together. I had shot my first animal while solo hunting. Not only was I solo hunting but I was hunting with my bow and I was 7 months pregnant.

I walked up to my buck and was in awe. It was one of the most amazing feelings I have ever experienced. There were so many different emotions mixed into it and I felt relieved.

After thoroughly checking him out, I finally decided to go share my news. I got back in my car and drove to my Dad’s house. I told him I had just shot a nice buck and wanted to get the bobcat to go grab him and hang him in the shop. My Dad looked at me in disbelief, like he was waiting for me to tell him I was just kidding. When I finally convinced him that I really did shoot one, he got his knife and came with me.

When we walked up to my buck and I was able to show my Dad, I felt a sense of pride from him that I had never felt before. We got the buck all dressed out and loaded onto the bobcat. I had called Travis and he said he was about 2 hours away to come check out my buck. He couldn’t believe I had shot one either. It was a day I will never forget.

When my son was born in November, I named him Easton. I figured it was a fitting name and it had a story to go with it. A story that he could tell his friends at school. It’s a story that I still love to tell and I get people who think I am absolutely crazy for bowhunting solo while being that pregnant.

After shooting that buck and knowing then what it felt like to hunt solo, I knew it was a new obsession. It lit a fire under me to only become better. To continue to push myself to new levels and see just what I was able to accomplish. It’s a feeling that I don’t think anyone could ever explain and get even close to the actual feeling of. It’s something that you have to experience in order to know what it is truly like.

I did not elk hunt that year while I was pregnant because I figured that was a little too much for being that far along in my pregnancy. Immediately after shooting my buck, I knew that next year, I was going to try to elk hunt alone. But I knew I was no solo hunting expert and I had a lot to learn before then. One thing I did know though was it was one of the most exciting hunts I had ever been on and it gave me the shove I needed to become the best solo hunter that I could be. This was only the beginning!

Solo hunting requires more than just grabbing your bow and hitting the field. In my next article I’m going to cover some of the necessary items you need to have with you when you hunt alone. See you next time.

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Next Season is Already Here

Continued from page 4

2013 BLACK BEAR SEASON MFWP

SPRING SEASON - GENERAL START April 15

END DATE May 31 (June 15 in some bear hunting units)

ARCHERY START September 7

END DATE September 14

FALL SEASON - GENERAL START September 15

END DATE December 1

NOTES: •Hunter orange required to hunt black bear •Hunters must pass a black bear I.D. test before purchasing a black bear hunting license •Fall season, a black bear hunting license purchased after August 31, 2013 may not be used until 5 days after purchase of license and may be purchased only at a FWP office or online •NO DOGS - NO BAITING in Montana SPRING AND FALL LICENSE PURCHASE RESTRICTIONS: Spring Season: •A black bear license purchased after April 14 may not be used until 5 days after the license is issued AND may be purchased only at a FWP office or online.

•A spring season black bear license must be validated at the time of purchase.

Fall Season: •A black bear license purchased after August 31 may not be used until 5 days after the license is issued.

As always, check the MFWP Regulations before heading out to hunt.

44 - Hunting & Fishing News

Creating a bedding area takes a bit more time and calculation. Deer need to feel safe and secure where they bed, and wind plays a big factor. They certainly like to have thick cover and plenty of escape routes, but they also need to be able to smell what they can’t see. I like to create bedding cover near food sources. For instance, if I can I will drop all the scrubby trees around the perimeter of a crop field.

This will allow the quality trees to grow, and also create a thick mess for the deer to bed near the field, no matter the wind direction. When I create large block of bedding cover, I’ve had good luck keeping a few open pockets within the interior. These clear, open pockets are great places for small food plots, or tall weeds that will appear naturally. I always notice several scrapes and rubs in these internal openings, and really think the deer feel secure there.

GAINING PERMISSION I make it a goal to find a new piece of land to hunt each season and my quest always begins in January. Winter is a great time to start seeking permission for the next season.

Obtaining hunting permission is a lot about building meaningful relationships with the landowner. I start by introducing myself, asking what I can do to earn hunting rights, and follow through with their suggestions. I always call the landowner on a hay farm I hunt in March. He is never baling at that time, but I want him to know well ahead of time that I am planning on baling again that summer, and hunting again in the fall. I also turkey hunt that farm so that helps solidify my presence as the resident hunter of that farm. I always offer to earn the right to hunt. Many people simply ask, and occasionally do get permission. I find it easier to keep a hunting property when the landowner depends on the help I provide.

As I mentioned previously, I burn wood to heat my home. Some landowners need wood cut, and fence rows cleared. These types of relationships are really beneficial to both of us. Others may want yard work done, need help with household chores, or simply appreciate someone stopping by to chat now and then. Either way, winter is the perfect time to start building these relationships.

SET SOME GOALS Set new hunting goals for the New Year.

Try to scout a few extra acres of property. Create some trails, a deadly funnel, or maybe a new bedding area. Stop by that old house and see if anyone hunts out back. Do something productive that is deer hunting related.

Remember, although it seems so far away, next season has already begun.

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2013 SHEEP, GOAT & MOOSE OUTLOOK I

t’s time to put in for moose, sheep and goat tags here in Montana.

Your deadline is May 1, 2013.

A few fortunate folks are able to draw these coveted tags each year and without a question, the best odds of dropping a once in a lifetime animal is by drawing in a limited tag area, where thousands put in, but only a few are able to harvest a trophy.

Hard-core trophy hunters plan diligently and expend plenty of their own sweat to create success, but even the most consistent hunters confess that “luck” plays a huge role in tagging an exceptional animal.

However, there are tags available, and you never know. It could be “Your Year” to draw.

Here are a few areas to consider:

For Mountain Goat: HD 323 - south Absaroka If you’re looking for a trophy goat, this unit has them. District 323 is one of the larger units that borders Yellowstone National Park.

Other higher success percentage units to consider would be: HD 313 - Crazy Mountains southeast of White Sulphur Springs In 2011, 69 tags were issued with hunters harvesting 51 animals.

Close to 3,000 applied for this draw.

HD 329 - Hellroaring - Slough Creek This unit also borders Yellowstone National Park. In 2011, 211 tags were issued with hunters bagging 19 animals, with around 500 applicants.

HD 314 Gallatin Range - south of Bozeman This unit borders Yellowstone River country.

Montana’s State Record Goat Scored 54-0/8” Taken by Jason Beatty in 1998 Flathead County

For Bighorn Sheep:

Wild sheep are spread throughout the state from the Bitterroot Mountain Range to the Missouri River Breaks, down to the Yellowstone River area.

Montana is home to 45 herds, 40 which are considered “huntable populations.”

The upside is that a Montana Bighorn Sheep Conservation Strategy is in

place to help protect, enhance and rebuild sheep populations. The genetics are here to produce world class sheep. Since 2006, Montana has produced more 200 plus point rams, more than any other state or province. Montana also now claims nearly half the rams in the Boone and Crockett record book that meet the minimum of 180”. Another reason Montana has become “bighorn country” is that FWP issues relatively fewer hunting permits than other states, allowing these animals to mature.

Here are a few hunting districts you might consider: HD 680 - Chouteau - Blaine - Phillips Easily the most popular area, this Missouri Breaks country has the resources to produce bighorn growth, and many of Montana’s trophies have been taken in this country.

HD 622 - Middle Missouri Breaks This rugged Missouri River Breaks country sits north of Charles M. Russell N.W.P., and is home to big mule deer, elk, and bighorn sheep.

If you have ever been in this country, you know how truly wild, remote and beautiful it is. Pack your GPS and a map to hunt here, or hire an outfitter for best odds.

By Rick Haggerty

HD 424 Ford Creek & HD 422 Castle Reef These districts are next to each other and can produce big rams.

Montana’s State Record Bighorn Sheep Scored 204-7/8” Taken by James Weatherly in 1993 Granite County

For Moose: For a trophy moose in Montana, normally the closer you get to Yellowstone National Park, the better your chances. However, with the state’s burgeoning wolf populations, moose numbers are down and now it’s more common to see wolf tracks than moose tracks. That said, there are still some outstanding bulls in Montana if you can draw a tag.

Here are a few hunting districts you might consider: HD 105 - East Cabinet Mountains Moose country will be along the Kootenai River drainage and lower Thompson Lake areas near Libby.

HD 102 - Eureka Lots of lakes and river drainages in this country, which borders Canada. It’s dense country, but that’s what moose thrive in.

April 2013 45

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his is the rifle the range riders of the 1800’s would have loved to have had close at hand for picking off varmints or just plinking at whiskey bottles. But since the .17HMR didn’t hit the market until 2002, it will be up to you to make it a legend.

The Henry Varmint Express® rifle packs eleven .17HMR rounds in its tubular magazine. It features a 20” barrel, comes with a checkered American walnut Monte Carlo stock. Like all lever action Henrys, the action is incredibly smooth from the very first shot. It will enable small game and varmint hunters to take full advantage of the .17HMR with regard to velocity, trajectory, wind drift, ricochet resistance, quietness and accuracy.

Already considered by many to be the most accurate rimfire cartridge ever produced, the .17HMR incorporates a .17 caliber bullet into a necked-down .22 magnum case. This high-powered combination produces a sizzlin’ muzzle velocity of up to 2,550 feet per second and the laser-flat trajectory makes it lethal for long-range shots on woodchucks, prairie dogs, foxes and other small varmints. Henry’s take on this revolutionary caliber, the Varmint Express, has a 20” barrel that delivers dead-on accuracy.

Just like all Henry rifles, it’s handcrafted in the United States using only high-grade components such as a checkered American walnut stock, and Williams Fire sights and, of course, it’s outfitted with that legendary, smooth-operating lever action that sets a Henry rifle apart from all the imitators. *Varmint Express is a registered trademark of Hornady Mfg. Co. Specifications: Henry Varmint Express .17 HMR Model Number: H001v Action Type: Lever Action Repeater Caliber: .17 HMR Capacity: 12 rounds Length: 37.5” Barrel Length: 20” Weight: 5.75 lbs.

Stock: Checkered American walnut Sights: Williams Fire Sights Finish: Blued barrel and lever M.S.R.P.* $540.00 *Ask your local Henry dealer to give you a quote.

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