Hunting & Fishing News - February 2013

HUNTING & FISHING Montana

February 2013

News

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Sitting in a tree stand for hours on end gives me ample time to study my

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surroundings. In so doing I see potential problems. The bough of a nearby fir offers just enough cover to shield a deer passing through a small opening in front of me. A dead tree has fallen across a major trail leading by my stand. And I’ve seen a few deer pass in the distance, just out of range. What is it that makes that place more attractive than where I’ve placed my stand? Maybe it’s the “creak” my stand makes every time I shift my weight.

I’m tempted to do a little trimming, and scouting of the immediate vicinity, but won’t for fear of disturbing the area. The season is rapidly drawing to a close and the deer have already been pressured enough. Instead I make a mental note to deal with these things before next season.

For most folks that means late next summer; but by then things will have changed and memories faded. After the season ends we put away the guns and bows and shift our attention to other things, like snowmobiling, ice fishing, watching football or tying flies. That could be a mistake, because there’s no better time than the present to start getting ready for next fall.

1) Scout - Sign will never be fresher than it is right now.

Look for the heaviest trails, the greatest accumulation of fresh droppings over the recently fallen leaves and this year’s scrapes and rubs. In many cases deer will use all of the above again next year, but they’ll be much harder to find in early fall. More importantly, you can travel without fear of disturbing the deer.

You might, but by the next time you hunt, they’ll have long forgotten about your intrusion.

2) Trim Shooting Lanes - All the things that could block a potential shot are still fresh in your mind, and most similar to the conditions you’ll be hunting in. Things will look a lot different next summer, when the leaves are on.

There are a couple more advantages to altering the area sooner as opposed to later. The trimmings will be a great source of easily obtainable coarse woody browse, which makes up a big part of a deer’s diet right now. You can also use larger branches and trees you cut to build natural fences or obstructions, making deer go where you want them to. And they’ll have a year to adjust to the new trails you create.

3) Inspect and Repair Existing Stands - Inspect all webbing, straps and ropes for wear. Loosen and re-tighten them and replace where necessary. Attend to all those creaks, pops and dings that have developed over the season. Remove all the padded seats and store them away until next season.

4) Set New Stands - Why wait until next season? Your post-season scouting may turn up a few new hotspots, and if you set stands now, the deer will have more time to get used to them.

Again, the biggest advantage of doing all of the above now is that you no longer have to worry about disturbing the area.

Instead of slipping in quietly, you can walk in casually, or even ride. Load the ATV up with all the tools you’ll need - hand tools, saws and stands - and ride in. And while you’re at it, you can work on ATV trails as well, making it easier to access that big buck you’re going to bag next fall.

The Healthy Hunter: Physical Conditioning 101 Story and photos by Tracy Breen This article was reprinted from www.turkeycountrymagazine.com with permission from the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Learn more how the NWTF benefits sportsmen and women at www.nwtf.org.

Y ou’ve probably read how animal rights and anti-gun groups are trying to stop us from shooting and hunting. But there’s another threat that we don’t often read about that can keep people out of

Coach Paulsen leads an active life and enjoys hunting.

the woods and end hunting careers — obesity.

Many of us who used to be lean and mean suddenly find ourselves overweight. The more overweight we become, the more lethargic we are, which makes hunting more difficult. A study revealed the average hunter does not travel more than a third of a mile from his truck when hunting, which is often because many hunters are overweight.

Perhaps the thought of going to a gym keeps most hunters from exercising and losing weight.

However, according to Mark Paulsen, a former strength and conditioning coach for the University of New Mexico, hunters don’t need to be gym rats to lose weight and stay in good enough shape to chase turkeys in the backwoods and elk in the mountains.

“I tell people the only way they will be able to lose weight is to find an exercise they enjoy doing,” said Paulsen, founder of Wilderness Athlete, a company that makes nutritional products for outdoorsmen. “After they discover that exercise, they need to do it 30 minutes a day, three times a week. It is all about getting the heart rate up and burning calories, and there are many different ways to do that. I enjoy hiking. Some may enjoy swimming or riding a bike.”

Dragging a deer out of the woods or carrying a turkey over your shoulder for an extended period can take the average hunter’s breath away. If you are out of shape, it can be dangerous. Hunters have heart attacks in the woods every year.

“The saying, ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’ is true. As we age, the only way to stay in good shape and reduce the chances of serious health problems is staying active,” Paulsen said. “Many hunters like hunting because they enjoy being in the woods. Hunters should exercise in the woods. One routine that can help someone lose weight is hiking for a half up to a full mile. Stop every once in a while to do five pushups. Eventually, five will turn into 10, and 10 will turn into 20. Walking, rollerblading and mountain biking are a few other options to get into shape for hunting season.

Exercising can be fun. Finding an exercise that is fun to do is the key to success.” (continued on page 42) February 2013

5

It’s Banquet Season!

By Rick Haggerty

F

or the next few months, the biggest fishing, hunting and conservation organizations will be holding their annual chapter banquets around the state. These banquets play a huge part in raising money for many different outdoor related efforts, including fish enhancement on rivers, lakes and streams, big game and small game conservation efforts, grants for shooting sports, efforts to bring our youth into these arenas for the future, and protecting our rights to fish, hunt and bear arms.

There are numerous businesses across the state that support these efforts, as well as caring volunteers who donate their time and resources to organize these events.

Please take the time this year to attend these events as much as you possibly can. It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening with family and friends. You might even meet a few new friends.

Here are a few organizations that will be holding banquets. Check out their websites for complete details.

RMEF - rmef.org MDF - muledeer.org Friends of the NRA - friendsofnra.org Pheasants Forever - pheasantsforever.org Ducks Unlimited - ducks.org Nat’l Wild Turkey Fed. - nwtf.org MT. Bowhunter’s Assoc. - mtba.org MT. Walleyes Unlimited montanawalleyesunlimited.net MT. Pikemasters - pikemasters.com Wild Sheep Found. wildsheepfoundation.org Trout Unlimited - tu.org MT. Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife mt-sfw.org

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Publisher - Amy Haggerty - Helena, MT. huntingfishingnews@yahoo.com www.huntingfishingnews.net The entire contents is © 2013, all rights reserved.

May not be reproduced without prior consent. The material and information printed is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. Nor does the printed material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. All photo & editorial submissions become the property of big sky outdoor News & adventure, Inc. to use or not use at their discretion. VOLUME 9 issue 11.

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Thank you and thanks for reading the Hunting & Fishing News.

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tart your planning by choosing which specific species you’ll hunt. A single species hunt or one designed for multiple species are both available. Choosing a trip after the animal with the highest priority on your bucket list is the best place to begin. A good way to choose is to think back. Which hunt have you thought about since you were a kid? Somewhere, back in your youth, one animal caught your attention – that’s the one to start with!

Picking an animal, or animals, for a trip will determine where you’ll need to go to fulfill that dream. Not all locations have access to all species; mountain goats and Dall sheep are not found in flat country and huge moose are not high mountain animals. Bears are everywhere, both black and grizzly, while the Barren Ground caribou are found in flatter country on the tundra.

Next, match the hunt to your physical condition – and don’t lie to yourself! Goat and sheep hunting means climbing mountains and if you’re a full time desk jockey, trying to have fun on such a trip could turn out as a huge disappointment. If you’re determined to go, and will admit you are not ready – then start a year in advance and get into shape. Roll out of bed and walk three miles every morning, rain or shine, till it gets easy, then add hills or mountains. Or better yet, add a bike to your morning trips, not a Harley, a pedal bike. You’ll be darn glad you did about the second day when you can still keep up with your guide as you stalk a huge ram in near vertical country. Skip the hunt preparation and you’ll cuss yourself for the next 10 years. There is no excuse for spending money on a hunt when you cannot participate and enjoy it.

Now comes the hard part. ARE YOU GOING DO IT YOURSELF OR WILL YOU USE AN OUTFITTER? Not all species in Alaska allow you to go DIY. The guides and outfitters have pretty well sewed up the tough hunting opportunities for non-residents, which works fine for first time visitors. Reliable outfitters know where the good hunting is, and can get you in and out pretty close to your time table, but remember, travel is always weather dependent!

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Choosing an outfitter is an important chore, but made easier by contacting good references. Always ask the names of unsuccessful hunters – they will tell the true story. A good place to start is: http://alaskahuntguides.com.

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After you pick a species from the array of animals Alaska offers, then find your guide-outfitter. Part of your homework for a DIY hunt is to find a reliable air taxi service to get into your hunt area.

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(continued on page 38) Big Moose are the order of the day.

Good planning and a good guide can put you in the picture with a big moose!

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February 2013

7

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If it’s action you would rather see, it’s time to hunt the calendar where you live!

Hunting the Odds

By Marc Anthony Sponsored by Marc Anthony Outdoors Reprinted with permission from Bowhunting.net.

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C halk up another strange whitetail season here in Illinois. With our diminishing deer herds (whether it be from the IDNR’s admitted deer

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reduction plan or EHD), the deer in many parts of the state just didn’t want to come out to play. From time to time, you’ll hear one of us Illinoisans complain about the conditions here mainly because we were around long enough to once enjoy these creatures in abundance.

The deer quantities seem to be more of a localized problem in some parts of the state, which is why some of us go off on a rampage for the state to remove the “one plan fits all” strategy and to create a more specific plan for areas that have special needs. With all of that said, we really don’t expect anything to happen because after all, we’re still dealing with a government agency and one from Illinois!

So what does an avid whitetail hunter have to do in order to become a successful whitetail hunter each season? For starters, we have to hunt the odds if we are striving for that feeling of elation that comes from a well executed hunt.

Yes, my little rant above makes me feel better but bringing home the venison (with enough bone on its head) is a better solution. For me to achieve that, I hunt the odds. Let’s face it, whitetails go through a series of changes from October through December here in the Midwest and those changes are just weeks apart. Early October, deer are still in their feeding routine and toward the latter part of the month, they’re morphing into fighting machines. A few weeks later, mating drives them insane and from there, it’s back to being Jethro Bodine and eating sometimes the equivalent of a whole box of Cornflakes in just one sitting. So does one strategy fit all? I think not.

It’s customary for many areas of the country to have unpressured action at the beginning of the bow season but for some reason, 2-3 weeks into the season, the deer seem to disappear into nowhere.

This disappearing act is sometimes known as the October lull period.

This period is nothing more than a transition period for the whitetail where the buck becomes more of a testosterone filled teenager rather than a young boy out for dinner. Add into the equation that does are now starting to move into areas bucks once bedded, (but aren’t ready for mating) and you’ll quickly understand why the disappearing act happens so abruptly. So instead of hunting in the same spot you have been for the last 2 weeks (over corn fields), it’s time to reduce the odds of getting skunked and relocate deeper into the timber. By relocating, the does will still be able to feed in a timely manner but your bucks that are breaking away from their bachelor groups, are going to be in motion and traveling to find safer and less bothersome places to live for the next week or so. So in essence, even though it appears you’re seeing less activity over feeding areas, the bucks are really moving all over the place deeper in the woods and doing it more in the middle of the day! (continued)

This year was no different. After 2 weeks of moderate activity, the action came to a complete halt. That was my first indication that the lull period was kicking in. On October 23rd, I found a break in my hectic schedule and took advantage of a late morning gap and went hunting.

I arrived in the timber at 10:00am. and had arrowed this nice ten point 170” typical shooting Victory VAP’s from my Bear Carnage at 11:10am.

Author with his 170′′ buck.

It was a text book hunt under text book type lull conditions. I had success like this in the past but like all hunting scenarios, have also been skunked too! Bottom line: I reduced the odds and it worked in my favor.

When the rut finally kicked in, I changed strategies and went after a 200+” non typical I’ve been chasing for 2 years but after I found out he busted his rack, I pulled away from him and his home area (with hopes of getting him next year) and hunted another bruiser.

A broken tine probably saved this fine buck for next year.

Being toward the end of the rut, I tried to time what we call the “second rut” based on 28 days after the peak rut here in Illinois and found myself glassing a 160+” bad boy with his girl friend after 3 days of pursuit. My strategy was to hunt him just outside of his bedding area and on the 4th day, it paid off when I sent him a Muzzy 125 grain MX-3 via airmail through the boiler room. From here, it’s back to food sources for the rest of the season.

A slight change in tactics resulted in this nice 166′′ trophy.

I’m not one who gambles a lot, so I don’t like playing roulette with whitetails. Sure, you can pick a spot or have a favorite stand to sit in day after day, but if it’s action you would rather see, it’s time to hunt the calendar where you live! Reduce the odds of failure and increase the odds of success.

Hunt the animal according to his chronological attitude and put your cognitive skills to the test as there is no other game animal out there, in my opinion, which will test your nerves more than the monster buck.

SPECIAL THANKS: I tested the HECS suit this season on both bucks by wearing it under my “Marc Anthony” Bow Hunter Ghillie Suit. The HECS, along with products by Trophy Ridge, Bear Archery, Muzzy, Goat Tuff, Arizona E-Z Fletch, Carbon Synergy, Vortex, Carl Zeiss, Victory Archery, Watson Air-Lock and several others, all made these successful hunts possible. A special thanks to these manufacturers who have been along side me through this season!

Be sure to follow Marc at: www.marcanthonyoutdoors.com and see his product reviews at Marc Anthony.

February 2013

9

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Ideas For End of the Season Ice Fishing

BY BOB JENSEN berkley-fishing.com Photo courtesy Hell Creek Marina on Fort Peck Reservoir www.hellcreekmarina.com (406) 557-2345

T he end of the ice-fishing season is approaching. It’s not here, but it’s closer. This is good news in two very different ways. Folks who prefer to fish in open water are glad to see the ice go away.

However, those who enjoy ice-fishing know that some of the very best action of the year can take place in late season. Some of my best ice-fishing down through the years has been in late February and early to mid March depending on the area being fished. It doesn’t matter if you like to catch perch, walleyes, or an assortment of panfish through the ice, the next few weeks will provide the opportunity to do so.

Many ice-anglers feel that mobility is the key to late season ice-fishing. If you can find the fish, they’ll usually bite. The key is to get your bait where the fish are, and moving around is the best way to find those fish. Pop a few holes in a fishy area and keep moving until you get on a hole that has fish under it.

The air temps are generally pretty comfortable this time of year, but I still like to fish from a shelter to block the wind. It doesn’t matter how warm the air temps are, the wind blowing across the snow and ice can get cold. I like to put my shelter in a position where it blocks the wind, but isn’t pulled all the way over. The Frabill Glide-Trax shelters pull from hole to hole easily, and serve as a great wind block and fishing position.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR SONAR, AND DO WHAT IT TELLS YOU TO DO. One thing that was very apparent on a late ice-fishing trip last season was that the fish, especially the crappies, wanted the bait above them. The MarCum LX-5 sonar that I was using does an outstanding job of showing fish right on the bottom. With some units it’s hard to differentiate between bottom-hugging fish and the actual bottom, but the LX-5 leaves no doubt in your mind.

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The crappies would come in very tight to the bottom. We would put a bait right in their face, but they wouldn’t bite. After this happened several times, we started holding the bait above them, trying to tease them into biting. It worked! They were willing to move a foot or two up to take a bait, but they didn’t want it right in their face. If the fish won’t eat what you’re showing them, or how you’re showing it to them, show them something else in a different way. That’s why I particularly like the Berkley Atomic Teaser. It keeps the fish biting in a wide range of situations.

One last idea. Sometimes some fish are more susceptible to being caught than others are. For instance, the perch might want to bite but the crappies don’t. Don’t get too hung up on catching a particular specie of fish. It’s more fun to catch a bunch of perch than to not catch any crappies.

The next few weeks of ice-fishing season are a great time to be out. Yes, it might be a little slushy, but it will probably be pleasant weather, and the chance for getting bit is very good. Even if you prefer open water fishing, this is a fishing opportunity you don’t want to miss.

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re successful opening day spring turkey hunts pure luck?

Nope. Usually you earn the gobbler you tag.

SHIFTING HABITAT USE You can study roost locations as they shift during the spring dispersal when turkeys move around in breed-driven mode. Imagine the hunt you’ll have later. What path will a spring gobbler take to you based on their preferred roost? Will it chance at hanging up and not coming the distance? Will it be on an adjacent property?

If so, can you secure permission there? You want to make it as easy as possible to get on that gobbler, call it in and tag it.

Map out access. Plan your hunt.

SCOUTING ON FOOT Cover all the ground you’ll hunt on foot, reading recent turkey activity (tracks in mud and dirt, fresh droppings, scratchings and molted feathers). Listen to turkey talk, learning about current conditions as vocal birds move from morning roosts to feeding/strutting areas.

Pinpoint activity.

DRIVE-BY SCOUTING Drive-by road scouting in the off-season helps you get a fix on local birds, glassing distant turkey flocks now and later as the season approaches. Look for strutters with hens, plus gobblers without hens.

You should also note other hunters scouting to anticipate possible opening day pressure. This might be a better late-season spot if opening day will see a lot of traffic.

FOUR-WHEELER SCOUTING Your four Yamaha ATV or Side-by-Side wheels can help get you deep into country other hunters never see. Take time now to plot a course far into the woods. If you find winter turkeys now, they may not be there in spring. Then again, habitat tends to draw shifting patterns of turkeys if roosting cover, food and nesting areas are all available. Don’t scout just once; do it often.

Photo from Steve Hickoff, Yamaha Outdoors 12 - Hunting & Fishing News

KEEP A TURKEY JOURNAL Plot your opening day hunt now.

Record turkey movements in a journal as birds change habitats. Note shifting roost sites and feeding zones as conditions vary. Create a hunting playbook. You can start the turkey pre-season today, even if you don’t carry a gun or bow until later. You will soon enough.

Support Families Afield ByVice-Chairman Jon Wemple, president of the Western Montana Chapter of Safari Club International of Membership and Chapter Development, Safari Club International in Tuscon Did you know that Montana ranks as one of the top ten most restrictive states in the nation when it comes to youth hunter opportunity and new

hunter recruitment?

Important legislation is under way to change that. Families Afield is a proven program to successfully recruit and retain new hunters through a supervised apprentice license. Similar legislation has now passed in 34 states, with data that is irrefutable- these apprentice hunters have the safest record of any hunter in the field- by over four times! It is finally time for Montana to join the vast majority of this country.

Consider this; a sixteen year old driver is statistically one of the most dangerous drivers on the road. That same sixteen year old driving with a guardian is statistically one of the safest... the same principal applies to a mentored hunter in the field.

Under an apprentice license, a new hunter of any age can experience hunting under the close supervision of a mentor, typically a loved one. This “try it before you buy it” approach, provides the opportunity to hunt before attending the hunter education course to become a fully licensed hunter. The legislation allows parents, not politics to determine when our kids are ready to hunt and what game to safely hunt- from upland birds to big game.

Let’s get our youth safely hunting earlier, before the allure of video games, iPhones and organized sports consume their interests.

Families Afield allows new hunters of any age to participate. Let’s say someone from your work overhears you sharing a tale from a recent hunting experience. He or she then pulls you aside and says they have always wanted to go hunting, but never had the opportunity. With Families Afield, this co-worker may purchase an apprentice certificate and hunt with you as their mentor as soon as the next day.

Please understand, this legislation is not designed to circumvent hunter education. In fact, statistics prove that nearly half of the apprentice hunters go on to complete hunter education the following year. And further, into the third year of apprentice hunting, 75% have become fully licensed hunters.

It is also not designed to create additional competition in our sought-after special tags. Apprentice hunters are ineligible from participating in any permit that is not either a 100% success draw or over the counter.

The bottom line is this: With a shrinking demographic and over-restrictive government regulation, the odds stack against us maintaining our hunting heritage for future generations. Montana must embrace change; provided change is safe, effective and meaningful.

We, as hunters are the true conservationists in this country. Our dollars fund most resource management and habitat projects through license fees, Pittman-Robertson Act excise taxes and through the many organizations we support. We must be pro-active to insure we maintain this tradition of hunter conservation through a proven recruitment and retention model.

Leading pro-hunting and conservation organizations such as Safari Club International, U.S. Sportsman’s Alliance, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Rifle Association, Ducks Unlimited, Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, Mule Deer Foundation, Montana Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife, and others, are always the first to step forward protecting the species we hunt or our rights to hunt.

These organizations and more are also the same ones who endorse this legislation of Families Afield here in Montana.

Please help this bill become successful in Montana by contacting your Senator and House Representative, telling them you are in favor of Families Afield!

Blessings, and Good Hunting!

February 2013 13

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HARDWATER HEADSHAKE

By Trevor Johnson, Kit’s Tackle

I

thought I had hooked a beaver under the ice!!! As if I wasn’t nervous enough, when my partner got a glance he said, “DUDE...when I saw the head it swam by for five minutes before I saw the tail.”

With a new year upon us what fishy possibilities await us in the year to come???

The biggest walleye of your life, learning how to fly fish, catch more fish??? In the first couple days of 2013 the most popular resolution I have seen on social media sites (ie. Facebook) has been to catch more fish. I feel I should do my part to help you net that resolution! I would like to anchor the focus on ice fishing since the hard-water has cast across our lakes.

I was lucky enough to finish 2012 out with a big bang battling some giant rainbow trout through the ice. We were using the Pro Series Marabou (black, undeniably the best color under the ice in marabou), and the Micro Glass Minnow Series with the “Parrot” and “Rainbow Flash” being magic flavors. We were tipping the jigs with maggots (not the marabou), and we caught fish both jigging and dead-sticking the baits. The beauty of the Glass Minnows is even with no current the material is so subtle it undulates on its own, driving fish crazy! They also play a large part in inducing strikes from BIG fish, because of their realistic representation of natural forage.

Big fish are big for a reason; they have big appetites, but the presentation MUST feel right to their lateral line for your jig to end up in their feeding hole.

So let’s not just focus on more fish, let’s focus on more quality fish right?? I mean hey, I love catching big fish, don’t you?

The first topic I would like to cover is the importance of color and “matching the hatch.” We were fishing a prairie lake where the forage consists primarily of freshwater shrimp...so of course pinks and oranges would work great! So you’re probably wondering why we were using trout representations then right? Great question. Although the freshwater shrimp imitations will produce, I’m looking to catch the pond monster and his family!! Believe it or not, our gentle rainbow trout doesn’t just feed on caddis and shrimps...they are carnivorous beasts from the deep that will gladly devour a juvenile of their own species or something out of the ordinary. It relates very well to me after coming home from the brewery after a few hard earned tipples. Of course I could go with the staple Doritos in the cupboard OR I COULD COOK A GIANT DELICIOUS PIZZA AND EAT THE ENTIRE THING!! I think you get the point...although after I destroy the kitchen my wife says I’m no big catch. So the tidbit is, to have out the staple presentation to put fish on the ice and have the BIG GUNS to entice Grandpa Bow. (continued) 14 - Hunting & Fishing News

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at 200 S. Montana Off Highway 12 East - East Helena 406.227.6519 The next topic I would like to drill on is rod or tip-up placement on the ice. I feel like a broken record here but every time I go ice fishing it never fails. I see an angler with his spread set out in a circle. I think I will be stressing this point until the day I go to walleye heaven. UNLESS you’re setting up around a sunken island or you’re the Michael Jordan of ice fishing...NEVER DO THIS!! The Kit’s Tackle police will be on patrol looking for you circulars out there. Always...AND I MEAN ALWAYS

setup in a straight line to INTERCEPT THE FISH ON THEIR TRAVEL ROUTE. Fish generally always travel contour lines parallel

to the shore or underwater structure depending on the body of water you are fishing. My recommendation is to start drilling close to shore (or your point of beginning), and run holes every eight feet to the completion of your spread. This does two very important things: 1.) Intercepts fish in all travel routes.

2.) The sets are still close enough together that if traveling in schools, there can be multiple hook-ups.

Here are a few more tips for setting your spread: -Never set so far you can’t get to a fish in time. Nothing is worse than getting to your rod (out of breath), and the fish is gone. Or worse, your rod gets sucked down the hole (of course I wouldn’t know anything about this).

-If possible, set two rows parallel to each other at different depths. Now you’re intercepting the fish at all travel routes and depths, (ie. If fishing for rainbow trout have one spread down 6 feet and the other spread down 12 feet.). For the record, I didn’t tell you that. My dad would kick my butt!!

-If using a power auger, drill your holes at a slight angle (helps coast the fish up the hole, especially if they have some shoulders on em’) and always use a 10” drill blade if possible. You don’t want to know why I don’t recommend an 8” ice hole...let’s just say some fish won’t fit.

The next point I would like to cover is the importance or (unimportance) of electronics. This might be the death of Kit’s Tackle, but I am a firm believer that too much time dedicated to electronics is dead time...meaning I’m already going to have fish on the ice. Obviously they are a very important tool in any fashion of ice fishing; just don’t get too carried away...

Here are my biggest tips and uses of electronics under the ice.

(Remember I’m an amateur with technology and electronics.)

1.) My biggest use for graphs whether its open water or ice fishing is a fast track to find the depth. I can punch a set of holes and in a matter of minutes know the depth of each set. Seventy-five percent of the time sonar is strictly a depth tool for us...I’ve caught more big walleye in open water with no arcs than with arcs. Don’t rely solely on your graph!!

2.) I will be eating my words a little here, but sonar is very productive (and fun) for calling fish and adjusting to fish. For any serious ice-heads out there, you will know what I’m talking about here...nothing is more fun than calling a fish in and tweaking your jigging to induce the strike. The other game changer is when you’re jigging for trout fifteen feet down and you mark a fish at six feet and reel up, give it a few pops and BOOM!! This makes even a technology Neanderthal like myself feel like a pro.

3.) Although not a graph, underwater cameras can be very helpful when fishing. For example, if you’re starting to drill your hole set for a three day trip at Fort Peck it’s worth the time to see what you’re setting your rigs in.

I can assure you no matter how lively a minnow is, it will not get devoured if buried in weeds or between two huge rocks. Plus, it’s pretty fun to get a fish eye view! Good luck on the ponds, and cheers to “Jiggin’ the Dream.”

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IIcc e

Fishing

Significant Trip Tips

By Nick Simonson, Nodak Outdoors www.nodakoutdoors.com/ice-fishing-significant-trip-tips.php

F ishing is a social sport; ice fishing even more so. I can’t recall a morning after a hot (or not-so-hot) dawn bite that I haven’t

2013 Montana Walleye Circuit Kick Off

By Dale Gilbert montanawalleyesunlimited.net

T he 2013 Montana Walleye Circuit kicks off with things looking better than ever. We are off to another great season with tournament dates,

locations, and boundaries submitted for FWP approval, increasing support from sponsors, and a slightly revised entry form and process.

The tournament entry forms, rules, and Walleyes Unlimited membership forms are included in The January issue of Fish Tales as well as being available on the Walleyes Unlimited of Montana website: www.montanawalleyesunlimited.net For 2013 the Montana Walleye Circuit will consist of 4 tournaments across the state beginning in June with the last tournament in August.

Tournament dates and locations are: June 8-9th Fresno Walleye Challenge – 100 teams June 22-23rd Canyon Ferry Walleye Festival – 150 teams July 27-28th Tiber Walleye Tourney – 125 teams August 10-11th Fall Classic on Fort Peck – Crooked Creek or Fourchette Bay – 75 teams location depends on water levels Changes in the tournament entry application forms and process have been made to encourage early entries as well as make the process of registration and getting the rules meetings done at each tournament quicker and more efficient.

For more visit www.montanawalleyesunlimited.net

16 - Hunting & Fishing News

stepped out of my shack to see who else was punching holes in the dark, ask how the fish were biting fifty yards away and shoot the breeze with a fellow angler. Having a friend or family member along to back up my story and add a joke or a tale to the mix is fun too. It’s the companionship of ice fishing that makes the sport even more enjoyable.

Sometimes though, finding someone to tag along on an ice fishing trip can be tough...But, in reality, you need look no further than across the dinner table or in the passenger seat on the way back from the grocery store...

TIMING If you are planning to take your spouse or significant other out for the hard water experience there are many things to keep in mind, the foremost is conditions. Only the hardiest anglers hit the water when it is twenty below zero, the casual or inexperienced angler probably would balk at such a thought. It is better to present your plan to introduce them to the sport when the weather forecast leans toward calmer days with temperatures in the teens or twenties. Make sure that the ice is safe for your mode of travel, and that the spot is not too far of a hike if you plan on going on foot. Consider snow depth as well, the inexperienced angler might not be comfortable trudging one hundred yards through drifts, no matter how good of a bite might be going.

Focus on making the trip fun for your companion, rather than just for your sole enjoyment.

BE PREPARED ...The night before the outing, or the day of your trip, get some snacks and drinks ready. Remember to pack a thermos full of your significant other’s favorite warm beverage, such as hot chocolate, coffee or cider. Fill your auger, charge your sonar and have your rods set to go. Make sure propane heaters are working and have ample fuel. Advise your companion to dress warm for the trip, and to err on the side of overdressing. One can always take layers off, but can never add them if they are not along. Rig your combos with the lures you will use so you can begin fishing upon arrival at the spot you plan to fish. Know what species you will encounter, and be ready to fish for them, purchasing the proper bait before hand.

SCOUT IT OUT It is important for new anglers to have fun on the ice, and fun means catching fish. Talk to your usual fishing buddies or the local tackle shop owner to find out where the fish are biting, or use your experience from this season and others to target readily biting fish. Steady action produces an enjoyable time on the ice, even if the average size isn’t all that big. While one big fish may produce an incredible memory, a three-hour trip filled with thirty good-sized specimens will also be memorable. Target fish that bite all day, like perch for a steady bend in the ice rods. Or target evening bites, focusing on the two-hour window when crappies tend to bite the best through the ice. For these fish, don’t arrive at your honey hole too early, as the slow time leading up to a night bite just causes inexperienced anglers to get fidgety and cold.

REMEMBER THE MOMENT Don’t forget to bring a camera and include the pictures of the outing, whether you knock the fish out or only catch cold. Take photos of you and your significant other enjoying the moment together, using the auger, baiting the hook and just having a good time. Whether you skunk or catch sixty, make it a memorable experience.

Write the results down in your fishing journal as to what worked and what didn’t...in our outdoors.

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Underwater Upside-Down Traditions Media Breakthrough camera tactics yield stealth fish surveillance and tournament success

Recently, top teams competing in the North American Ice Fishing

Championship (NAIFC) discovered a specialized method of employing Aqua-Vu underwater cameras to expose rarely seen crappies and sunfish camouflaged in cover. Not only did three close-knit teams make a clean sweep of an elusive trophy panfish population, they also dominated the Championship, walking away with 1st, 3rd and 4th place finishes.

The two-day hardwater showdown, held December 14 and 15, 2012 on the southeastern bays of Mille Lacs, Minnesota, hosted a field of 81 qualifying teams from 14 states and Canada.

In the past decade, inspired by the schemes of ice fishing pioneers such as Brian “Bro” Brosdahl, serious anglers have gone vertical with their Aqua-Vu underwater cameras. “Down-viewing” describes the practice of aiming the camera lens vertically to spy on fish and the terrain from a bird’s-eye view. It’s also a dynamic means of watching wary fish react to presented ice lures.

But there’s a drawback to down- and side-viewing: Fish lurking in vegetation or over dark-colored lake floors blend in so well that they often become impossible to discern on screen. While prefishing the Championship, eventual fourth place finisher Shawn Bjonfald devised a radical fish finding solution with his Aqua-Vu Micro Plus DVR—a progressive palm-sized camera he’d been testing in his role as art director for North American Fisherman magazine.

“This past fall, we used Humminbird side-imaging sonar in our boats to uncover the best weedbeds on vast open flats,” Bjonfald reported. “We entered GPS waypoints on each key zone, and then went back during prefishing with Aqua-Vu cameras to find big ‘gills and crappies living in the vegetation.

“We found that the biggest fish were buried in the greenery and tough to spot when viewing with the camera pointing horizontally or while down-viewing.

The fish blended into the vegetation and dark colored bottom, and you couldn’t see them.”

Bjonfald then made the critical connection. “I realized that if we could down-view, why couldn’t we do the same thing in reverse— ‘up-view’— and silhouette hidden fish against the white underside of the ice?”

Bjonfald noted that his Aqua-Vu Micro Plus DVR camera contains an adjustable housing that allows the user to tilt the lens in any direction, including straight down, horizontal or even back up toward the surface.

“When I rigged the Micro camera to point upward at roughly a 75-degree angle,” he observed, “fish started popping out at me on the screen. It was remarkable—instead of dark shapes and a mass of vegetation, I was now able to see big crappies and sunfish sharply silhouetted against the light underside of the ice. There’s no doubt that the ‘up viewing’ strategy helped uncover our best tournament spots.”

From there, Bjonfald’s comrades— the top finishing team of Brandon Newbie and Ryan Wilson, as well as the third place team of Kevin Fassbind and Nick Smyers— let their presentations do the talking. On day two, despite a coldfront, Newbie and Wilson extended their lead, extracting another limit of 8 crappies and 8 perch for 11.31-pounds and a two-day total of 24.83-pounds, outweighing the field by over six pounds of panfish.

Eventual winner of the Humminbird Big Fish Award, Bjonfald iced a 1.92-pound trophy crappie on day two, confirming the big fish appeal of his underwater hotspots, and certainly cementing ‘up-viewing’ as one of the season’s biggest breakthroughs.

18 - Hunting & Fishing News

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

SPOON LAKE While you’re up in northwest Montana, you can hit Spoon Lake, located just 9 miles north of Columbia Falls on the North Fork Road. This lake will produce perch, brook trout, and some largemouth bass. Fish the southwest end of the lake straight out in front of the boat landing around the weed beds using small jigs tipped with worms or maggots.

Dennis Longknife of Fort Belknap with a nice walleye

T he best ice fishing conditions of the SMITH LAKE year will be now for area anglers. Most waters will be frozen over for the next month or two, depending on Mother Nature’s grip on winter. As we slip further into the year, fishing conditions will improve as the weather warms and the fish get more aggressive.

February can be an outstanding time to enjoy some winter fishing. Here is a look at a few Montana “go to” areas for fine fishing.

FLATHEAD LAKE

For both ice and open water anglers, the winter bite at Flathead can be unreal. Frozen bays will produce good ice conditions. You can start at Elmo Bay for oversized macks ranging in the 30” category. Try lead head jigs with strips of northern pike minnow or sucker meat. There should be open water around Blue Bay and Yellow Bay. Target trophy-sized lakers over 20 pounds trolling the Big Flats in 160 - 200 feet of water.

Try a T-50 Flatfish or a MZ SP Flat fish from Worden’s. These Flatfish have a very fast action and rattles in the body to create a lot of vibration and sound. The fish will attack them like crazy. Troll at about 1 mph, as lakers will not chase a fast moving lure. If you’re after a trophy fish head here.

Located about 10 miles west of Kalispell on U.S. Hwy. 2, this lake will be ready to fish now. Perch, northern pike, and good sized trout will be ready to bite. For big northerns try suspending frozen smelt on a smelt hook below a bobber. For perch, use a small yellow or chartreuse colored lead head jig with a worm, maggot, perch eyes or wax worms. Look for channels around weed beds for big fish.

LOWER STILLWATER LAKE

Fifteen miles north of Whitefish on Hwy. 93, you’ll find some exceptional perch fishing on the Lower Stillwater Lake. The Montana State Record Perch was caught here in February 2006. It was a 14-3/8”, 2.39 lb. perch caught by Josh Emmert. It was aged at 11 years old. Try using small jigs tipped with maggots for perch in 6 to 12 feet of water on the north side of the island. You can also use Berkley Power Bait on lead head jigs to catch these aggressive perch. Expect the pike to be hitting on smelt ranging in the 2 to 5 pound range.

SEELEY/SALMON LAKES

The statement, “The truly big fish come through the ice,” is especially true when it comes to Seeley and Salmon Lake waters. Big northern pike will be caught this winter fishing the weed beds in the 4 to 14 foot depth. The ever effective whole smelt or herring just underneath the ice will work. Spearing is legal.

Most go 3 to 4 feet using a decoy, but some have luck luring pike up from 14 to 20 feet for jigging. Do something colorful with a twister tail.

If there is open water, go with lures or big, fluttering spoons. Big northern lurk in these waters as well as kokanee, perch, whitefish, and an occasional largemouth bass. You can find northerns around the shoreline across from Big Larch Campground using tip-ups and sucker minnows, smelt and squawfish. For perch, try a Glo-Hook or a crappie jig and maggot in around 10 feet of water over weed beds. Use Swedish Pimples for kokanee, searching for schools in 30 to 40 feet of water.

Fish Seeley early or just before dusk for best fishing. You can also fish Harper’s, Rainy or Alva Lakes when you’re up in this area. These lakes have breathtaking scenery, solitude and premier fishing.

LAKE MARY RONAN It’s perch and kokanee on Lake Mary Ronan this month. The bigger lures are catching bigger fish.

These perch will be aggressive, rising from the bottom to catch jigs on the drop. Target weed beds just off of the State boat launch, the areas just off the resort access, and the north end of the lake. Try jigging Rapalas and Swedish Pimples. For kokanee, try using Z-Rays with Glo-Hooks tipped with maggots.

Good fishing can also be expected at Crystal Lake, Little Bitterroot Lake, and the Upper Thompson Lake.

CANYON FERRY RESERVOIR

While the walleye and perch fishing may not provide the action you are looking for now, fishing for rainbow trout will bring February smiles at Central Montana’s big reservoir.

You won’t have to go too deep for trout now, maybe a foot to 10 feet below the ice. Marabou jigs and a worm will work. For perch, go deeper with a jig and yellow corn or a maggot, fishing around fallen, submerged trees. The walleye seem to go dormant for awhile in the winter, so it’s hit and miss for these finicky fish. If you’re fishing deep, you may hit on a burbot (freshwater ling). That would be a bonus, as these make for excellent table fare.

You can fish near the Silos or White Earth for good results. Pink, green, white or chartreuse seem to be the best colors for your lures.

FRESNO RESERVOIR

Northern Montana’s Fresno Reservoir will offer up some sensational ice fishing for pike and walleye.

Suspending minnows below tip-ups work best for these toothy predators.

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The Lake Superior whitefish are also abundant in this reservoir, that is located west of Havre.

Maggot baited perch rigs work well around 10 feet from the bottom in the 30 to 40 foot depth. A flashy spoon like a Swedish Pimple or Krocodile is the choice here. You can fish the main channel up around the corner from the Dam to Kiehn’s Bay to land these fish.

Tip-ups along the shorelines with smelt and frozen minnows will do the trick. Expect to hit a perch, pike, or an occasional walleye and whitefish now.

TONGUE RIVER

RESERVOIR

If you’re after crappie, head to the Tongue River Reservoir located just a couple of miles from the Montana/ Wyoming border in Southeastern Montana. While live minnows are the go-to bait for crappie, expect walleye and northern pike to hit while jigging colorful curl-tailed jigs.

Jigging minnows and blade baits work well here. Good spots to fish remain Pee Wee Point, Rattlesnake Point, and Campers Point. These are all accessible from the Main Park Entrance. The western shoreline is composed of deep drops, flooded brush and sandy bottoms. It’s short, classic panfish bottoms. The walleye and smallmouth bass will be a bit sluggish to bite. Northerns are best targeted by tip-up fishermen with live bait. Use a larger sucker minnow for bigger pike. Most of the northerns you will catch here will be in the 5 pound category. But remember, the Montana State Record northern pike came out of this reservoir in 1972.

A 37.5 lb. monster. It was caught by Lance Moyer. The state record black crappie was also caught here. A 3.13 lb. fish caught in 1973 by Al Elser.

Idaho Fishing Report UPPER SNAKE REGION

Ice fishing is taking center stage in the Upper Snake Region. Anglers are now fishing on Island Park Reservoir for rainbow trout. Ririe Reservoir, and Mackay Reservoir for kokanee and rainbows, and on Jim Moore Pond for yellow perch. Open water fishing includes the South Fork of the Snake and portion of Henry’s Fork as well as Big Lost River below Mackay Dam.

CLEARWATER REGION Steelhead fishing is going strong.

The fish are responding to higher water levels with the moisture we’ve finally had over the last couple of weeks. Portions of the Clearwater, Snake and Salmon Rivers are fishing well. Back trolling dark plugs and side drifting eggs and sand shrimp are catching good-sized metal heads right now. Expect remarkable fishing for the next few weeks. The two best ice fishing spots are usually Winchester Lake and Spring Valley Reservoir. The whopper below was caught with Jarrett’s Guide Service out of Orofino (208) 476-3791.

PANHANDLE REGION

Fishing the big lakes - Priest, Pend Oreille, and Coeur d’Alene continues to be good. Anglers have been doing well on lake trout in Priest, Chinook in Coeur d’Alene, and rainbows in Pend Oreille. Look for Bonner and Boundary Counties for lakes with good ice and fishing for perch, bluegill, Nelson Reservoir is your best bet if you’re looking for consistent numbers and trout. These lakes include: Kelso, Hauser, Twin Lakes, Bonner, of yellow perch. Jig fishing with maggots in 12 to 20 feet of water, Dawson and Robinson Lakes.

NELSON RESERVOIR

or a live minnow works best. Pike and walleye are also available at Nelson. It’s the old battle between quantity and quality for the bigger fish right now. Sucker minnows on tip-ups in 8 to 10 feet of water are yielding big northerns. You can also spear for hefty pike on Nelson.

This body of water is located just east of Malta.

SALMON REGION

In the Salmon Region, anglers are catching steelhead, primarily below North Fork, but colder conditions lately are icing things up. Good ice fishing can be found at Williams Lake and Jimmy Smith Lakes.

February 2013 21

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deploy up to 26 GPS radio-collars by mid-January 2013 on bighorn sheep in the Beaverhead and Lemhi Ranges.

Continuing a 7-year, $587,000 project launched in January 2012, IDFG, U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wildlife managers have collaborated to collect critical data on bighorn sheep numbers, seasonal distribution/habitat use, lamb production/survival, health status/disease agents, and genetic connectivity between bighorn sub-populations in the North and South Beaverhead Mountains along the Idaho/Montana border, as well as in the North and South Lemhi Mountains in Idaho. According to IDFG wildlife biologist Hollie Miyasaki in Idaho Falls, “following reintroductions 25 to 35 years ago, bighorn sheep in the Beaverhead and Lemhi Mountains have persisted, but have never really thrived or expanded their ranges; our efforts are designed to collect much-needed data, and hopefully help managers understand why this has occurred.”

The Wild Sheep Foundation recognizes the importance of this multi-state, collaborative project, contributing over $70,000 to pay for high-tech GPS radio-collars. “This project matches up perfectly with the Wild Sheep Foundation’s mission and purpose,” stated WSF Conservation Director Kevin Hurley, “and we’re glad WSF could partner with IDFG, USFS, and BLM on what we anticipate will be a very significant and valuable project.”

Annually, the Wild Sheep Foundation and its Chapters and Affiliates around North America raise and spend millions of dollars for wild sheep conservation projects in North America, and around the globe. “During our 2011-2012 fiscal year, WSF raised and distributed nearly $3.6 million to programs benefiting wild sheep, other wildlife, their habitat and WSF mission initiatives. This Idaho project is just one more example of our commitment to our purpose of Putting and Keeping Sheep on the Mountain,” Gray N. Thornton WSF President & CEO stated. “Our FY 2011-12 program funding represents more than $700 per WSF member. In fact, for every membership dues dollar received, WSF puts $16 on the ground in mission programs a 16:1 multiplier unmatched in our industry,” Thornton added...

shows trapping dramatically improves nest success...

Delta’s 2012 Predator Management research report, released...documents the dramatic improvement in nest success on selected trap sites in North Dakota and Manitoba.

The most significant results were found in the Parklands of Manitoba, an area of intense agricultural activity, isolated aspen bluffs and limited nesting habitat. Delta’s trapping program took place on a 16-square-mile area near Minnedosa, Manitoba, and a 25-square-mile block near Shoal Lake, Manitoba. Nest success for 2012 was 34.3 percent and 17.1 percent, respectively.

It is common for nest success in this area, which is part of the famous “Canadian Duck Factory,” to be astonishingly low. Two control blocks, where no trapping took place, had nest success rates of .07 percent and .78 percent. In other words, less than one out of every 100 nests successfully hatched in the non-trapped areas.

“We’re extremely impressed at the results our trappers are getting,” says Joel Brice, vice president of conservation for Delta Waterfowl. “In Manitoba, there’s a 10-fold increase in nest success. This is incredible.”

In North Dakota, on two 36-square-mile trapped blocks, nest success was 46.63 percent and 40.69 percent. More than four out of every 10 nests successfully hatched. On two adjacent control blocks, where no trapping took place, nest success was 10.55 percent and 27.54 percent.

The break-even percentage — the number needed to simply maintain waterfowl populations — is 15 percent to 20 percent.

This year’s research continued to focus on “low-grass” areas of North Dakota and Manitoba. These areas have high breeding duck densities and very little grass nesting cover, often less than 10 percent of the land.

Delta will continue predator management research in 2013 on trapped and non-trapped low-grass blocks in North Dakota and Manitoba...

G & CONSERVATION NEWS New License Year For Hunters And Anglers Begins March 1 MFWP Montana’s 2013 hunting and

fishing licenses—including conservation, fishing, spring black bear and turkey, upland game bird, deer and elk hunting licenses—will be available Jan. 14 online, at all FWP Regional offices and from all license providers.

March 1 begins the new 2013 license year for Montana hunters and anglers. Late season river and ice anglers and some hunters are reminded, however, that a 2012 license must be used through Feb. 28. New licenses for 2013 do not become valid until March 1.

Most 2013 licenses will be available on the FWP webpage at fwp.mt.gov, click “Buy A License”.

Biologist Plans To Collar Wolves In Boulder Drainage MFWP A Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

biologist plans to use a helicopter in the Boulder River drainage south of Big Timber this month to put radio collars on wolves in two packs.

Abigail Nelson said timing of the project will depend on weather and likely will take just one day. Current plans call for flights late the week of Jan. 20-26.

The study involves locating wolf packs, tranquilizing at least one animal in each pack, fitting them with radio collars and releasing them at the same location.

Biologists then can use radio receivers to track movement of the pack.

“We find it useful to track wolves using radio collars in areas where they overlap with livestock,” Nelson said.

“In particular, knowing how many wolves are in a pack and where and when wolves use an area allows us to make well-informed management decisions.”

Radio collars also help biologists obtain accurate population counts and follow up with management if livestock depredation occurs.

Population counts are a key in determining harvest quotas and showing that Montana is adequately managing wolves to keep the species off of the federal Endangered Species List.

Judge Orders FWP To Reopen Wolf Hunting And Trapping Near Gardiner MFWP

January 3, 2013

A district court judge Wednesday

reopened wolf hunting and trapping seasons in two areas north of Yellowstone National Park. The areas were closed by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission on December 10 in response to concern that hunters were taking wolves with collars that supplied scientific information to YNP researchers.

The areas ordered to reopen are within Wolf Management Unit 390 near Gardiner. District Judge Nels Swandal’s order suggested that FWP failed to offer sufficient public notice about the closure and set a hearing for January 14.

(Editor’s note: At time of printing, no decision had been released).

The suit challenging the FWP Commission’s decision was brought by several sporting groups and a state representative from Park County.

In July, however, when the wolf hunting and trapping seasons were adopted, in response to public comment the FWP Commission additionally directed FWP to conduct a review of the overall harvest prior to the December 15 opening of the wolf trapping season to determine if season adjustments would be needed.

At the time, FWP noted in press releases and on its website that the FWP Commission can close the wolf season at anytime. Montana’s wolf hunting regulations also identifies FWP Commission authority to close the wolf season.

Montana’s wolf hunting and trapping seasons are open through February 28.

So far, hunters have taken 102 wolves and trappers have reported taking 30 wolves. The recovery of the wolf in the northern Rockies remains one of the fastest endangered species comebacks on record. In the mid 1990s, to hasten the overall pace of wolf recovery, 66 wolves were released into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho.

The minimum Montana wolf population estimates at the end of 2011 include 653 wolves, in 130 verified packs, and 39 breeding pairs. The minimum wolf count is the number of wolves actually counted by FWP wolf specialists, and likely is 10 to 30 percent fewer than the actual wolf population.

For more information, visit FWP online at fwp.mt.gov. Click Montana Wolf Hunt.

FWP Looking For Information About Poached Elk MFWP Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is offering a reward of as much as $1,000 for information about an elk that was killed illegally and left to waste north of Hardin.

Warden Sgt. Chris Anderson said someone shot the bull elk on Christmas night near Highway 47 about 14 miles north of Hardin. Only the head and antlers were removed and the rest was left to rot.

Montana’s elk hunting season was closed at the time. In addition, Montana law makes wanton waste of game meat a crime. Anyone with information about the crimes is encouraged to call Sgt. Anderson at (406) 860-7804 or FWP’s 24-hour wildlife tip line at 1-800-TIP-MONT (800-847-6668). The TIP-MONT program is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to a conviction in the case.

The 1-800-TIP-MONT program is a toll-free number where people can report violations of fish, wildlife or park regulations. Callers may remain anonymous. It is similar to the well-known Crimestoppers program and offers rewards for information resulting in conviction of persons who abuse Montana’s natural, historic or cultural resources.

February 2013 23

PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD JAMI SINDELAR

JASON LEISHMAN

TONY FASSIO

Antelope taken near Augusta, MT.

Wolf taken near Petty Creek, MT.

Mule Deer

BRUCE FOX

KIM BLASKOWSKI

JAY SHERLEY

Mule Deer

Idaho Chocolate Bear

Archery Elk

HAVE HUNTING OR FISHING PHOTOS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? EMAIL TO: huntingямБshingnews@yahoo.com Photos become the property of the Hunting & Fishing News to use or not use at their discretion.

24 - Hunting & Fishing News

Glendive Short Pine Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area BLM

G lendive Short Pine Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area is located approximately 6-1/2 miles south of Glendive on road

#335. Attractions include OHV trails, a shooting area, fossil collecting, wildlife viewing and camping.

The BLM is encouraging recreationists to be mindful of rules and regulations and to act responsibly when using the Glendive Short Pine Off-Highway Vehicle Area located six miles south of Glendive.

The OHV area, situated just off Dawson County Road 335, consists of 3-1/2 sections or 2,240 acres of federal lands and is seeing an increase in use from both U.S. and international off-road enthusiasts...

Short Pine is classified by the BLM as an “open” area; which means it is open for off-road and trail use by motorcycles, three wheelers, four wheelers and four-wheel drive trucks and sport-utility vehicles. Safety is of particular concern; both for the vehicle operator and for others in the area...

“When recreating at Short Pine, please know where you’re at and be respectful of adjacent private lands and livestock grazing in the area,” said BLM Miles City Field Manager Debbie Johnson. “We want you to have a safe and enjoyable experience on your public lands.”...

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Offer good on all new and unregistered utility ATVs. Not all buyers may qualify.

Higher rates apply for buyers with lower credit ratings. Offer ends 2/28/13.

Check with participating Honda Dealers for complete details. FourTrax® and Foreman® are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ©2013 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (2/13) FourTrax® and Foreman® are registered trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. FourTrax® Foreman® 4X4 with EPS / Fourtrax® Foreman® 4X4 ES with EPS honda.com. UTILITY ATVs ARE RECOMMENDED ONLY FOR RIDERS 16 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER. ATVs CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO OPERATE. FOR YOUR SAFETY, BE RESPONSIBLE. READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL. ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. BE CAREFUL ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN. ALL ATV RIDERS SHOULD TAKE A TRAINING COURSE (FREE FOR NEW BUYERS. ASK YOUR DEALER OR CALL ASI AT 800-887-2887). NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, ON PAVED SURFACES, ON PUBLIC ROADS, WITH PASSENGERS, OR AT EXCESSIVE SPEEDS. NO STUNT RIDING. RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN RIDING. FourTrax® and Foreman® are registered trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (2/13)

Map produced using National Geographic TOPO. Rocky Mountain Maps www.rockymtnmaps.com February 2013 25

Montana Family and RMEF Conserve Key Elk Habitat Dog creating a 38,000 acre landscape protected for elk and other wildlife.

The property is also bordered on the south and north by public land managed

by Montana Department of Natural Resources.

“This is a critical transaction because he Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation of surrounding private land on the east teamed up with a conservation-minded and west,” added Henning. “One parcel family to conserve 640 acres of elk of that land is already subdivided and and wildlife habitat in west-central being sold as small ranchettes while Montana. the other is receiving development “There is no greater friend to Montana pressure to do the same.” elk and elk country than the Fiehrer The Fiehrer family property is good family,” said Blake Henning, RMEF summer, spring and fall habitat for elk. vice president of Lands and Conservation. It also supports mule deer, mountain “Dan is an avid outdoorsman, hunter, lion, grouse, moose, wolverine, gray Habitat Partner and long-time supporter wolf, and even an occasional grizzly of RMEF who asked us to help his and black bear. Dave Gulch runs family conserve their property with a through the landscape and while it does donated conservation easement.” not support any significant fish populations, it does provide year round water plus The Fiehrer’s property is in Powell County located adjacent to the 27,616 there are some small springs. The acre Spotted Dog Wildlife Management property is 6,000 to 6,800 in elevation Area which is owned and managed by and contains a mixture of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and grasslands. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. owners report first-hand sightings of up There is also 10,260 acres of state to 50 or more elk at a time. public land intermixed with Spotted

T

26 - Hunting & Fishing News

RMEF Pulls the Trigger on LETHAL SHOT App for Hunters T he continuing convergence of high tech gadgetry and old style hunting

is now available for iPhone and iPad technology thanks to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which just unveiled its new LETHAL SHOT hunting app...

3-D images allow the hunter to see an elk’s body structure, both internally and externally. It’s all designed to improve a hunter’s ability to acquire proficiency on shot angles when making split second decisions in the field. In addition to preparing hunters for that once-in-a-lifetime shot, it also provides an effective post-shot analysis by simulating the trajectory and learning what vital organs the bullet or arrow possibly struck.

“This is a big technological advance for elk hunters,” added Decker.

“LETHAL SHOT is yet another way to help further our mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.”

More than a year in the making, LETHAL SHOT is not a game. No other app or product on the market shows elk anatomy and shot angles with such accuracy. By taking a shot with the skin on, then peeling away layers, the hunter gains a clear understanding of the shot’s trajectory, which translates into better shots and higher success in the field.

Download the app: iPad - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lethalshot/id534998138?ls=1&mt=8 iPhone - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lethalshot-pocket-edition/ id582722272?ls=1&mt=8 Android version is soon to follow.

Winter Tips Tips For Your Vehicle From Gomer’s/US Diesel Parts W ith winter in full swing, we would like to take a moment to share some products we believe will enhance your vehicle’s performance, reduce fuel costs, and maintain it’s interior.

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Stanadyne diesel fuel additives are the only ones in the world that are: -Made by a fuel injection systems manufacturer -Tested and approved by major diesel engine and vehicle manufacturers -Stanadyne diesel fuel additives protect and improve the performance of all diesel fuel injection systems including: high pressure common rail, unit injectors, rotary distribution pumps, and in-line pumps

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faster engine warm-up and interior heat, and keeps diesel engines at optimum operating temperatures.

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Protect Your Vehicle Interior With WeatherTech Floor Mats Winter can be wet and dirty. Protect your vehicle’s

interior with WeatherTech floor mats. They are made out of an odorless compound that have deeply sculpted channels designed to trap water, road salt, mud and sand. WeatherTech’s proprietary engineered resin also ensures that these mats will not curl, crack or harden in sub-zero weather.

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Vehicle Repair and Installation Appointments We are always taking appointments for all performance upgrade installations and basic vehicle maintenance and repairs. Just give us a call at (800) 823-4444 to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed and experienced technicians.

CALL US FOR OTHER PERFORMANCE ENHANCING, FUEL-REDUCING PRODUCTS! February 2013 27

REGIONAL NEWS

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission Sets 2013 Big Game Regulations

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission finalized 2013 big-game hunting Court Strikes Down Lawsuit Challenging regulations at its meeting in Westminster on Thursday, January 10 and Trapping In Wolf Country December 4, 2012 Friday, January 11.

The largest change in regulations from previous years is a modification to the late youth elk hunt program. Originally developed to help address overpopulations of elk on agricultural, private lands in western Colorado, the late youth elk hunting program is transitioning to continue offering hunting opportunity at a time when elk populations are being reduced to desired long-term levels. In 2013, youth with an unfilled limited cow or either-sex elk license will be able to hunt late seasons in the general area of their original license. While this is a restriction from larger late hunt areas allowed in the past, the Commission and Colorado Parks and Wildlife remain committed to find innovative ways to get youth hunters in the field.

“Allowing youth to hunt late seasons has been very popular because the late seasons typically overlap the holiday breaks from school and that makes participation easier,” said Rick Cables, Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Given this change, we’ll be looking for other ways to provide additional youth opportunity.” ...

Commissioners also approved a proposal to extend the mountain lion season through the month of April. In the past, most units closed to hunting at the end of March. Mountain lion harvest in Colorado has been below harvest objectives in recent years and the extension of the season will aid in achieving the goals for harvest. Mountain lions are native to Colorado and biologists say the population in Colorado is robust and healthy...

New Rules Take Effect January 1 S

everal new rules, including a mentored hunting program and changes to fishing rules, take effect January 1; all of them are subject of legislative review.

A new mentored hunting program will allow a person 8 and older to participate in a mentored hunt program without being required to hold a hunter education certificate. A Hunting Passport is a special authorization that allows the person to take wildlife only when they are accompanied by a mentor and participating in the Mentored Hunting Program. They may participate in the program only for one year, and the Hunting Passport expires December 31 of the year it was issued.

A person with a Hunting Passport at least 8 years old may hunt small game and most upland game birds, but a person must be at least 10 to hunt turkey or sandhill crane and at least 12 to hunt big game. The mentor must be at least 18 and must possess a valid Idaho hunting license, and he or she may mentor no more than two others at a time.

For anglers, the most significant statewide change is a shift to a three-year cycle.

This means the new rules will be effective through 2015. The extension from the former two-year cycle was done to minimize the confusion associated with frequently changing rules.

In addition, the limit on trout will go down to two per day in some streams and urban ponds in the Clearwater, Southwest, Southeast and Upper Snake regions on January 1...Affected waters are Big Elk Creek, Crooked Creek and Red River in the Clearwater Region; Parkcenter Pond, Weiser Community Pond, McDevitt Pond and Wilson Ponds in the Southwest Region; Edson Fichter Pond in the Southeast Region; and Becker Pond in the Upper Snake Region. In addition, in the Magic Valley Region the length limit is removed on smallmouth bass in Magic Reservoir; and in the Southeast Region the bass limit is removed in the Treasureton Reservoir.

In the Upper Snake Region the limit is removed on rainbow trout and hybrid trout in the South Fork Snake River tributaries. The limit on brown trout is two, with none under 16 inches. In Henrys Lake Outlet, the 400 yard section from the USGS gauge to the Henrys Lake Dam opens to fishing.

28 - Hunting & Fishing News

A U.S. District Court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit alleging the director

of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the chairman of the State Game Commission violated the federal Endangered Species Act by allowing trapping in the recovery area of the Mexican gray wolf.

U.S. Magistrate Lorenzo Garcia ruled that the environmental activist organization WildEarth Guardians failed to present facts showing the defendants’ actions directly or indirectly caused trappings or taking of wolves.

The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.

Department Director Jim Lane, who was named in the lawsuit with State Game Commission Chairman Jim McClintic, hailed the decision as a sportsmen’s victory for “real conservationists,” state authority over wildlife management, and the integrity of the Endangered Species Act. “We fought aggressively to defeat this frivolous lawsuit,” Lane said. “We are happy with the outcome. It’s unfortunate we had to spend hunters’, anglers’ and trappers’ dollars to win it rather than leveraging those same dollars toward on-the-ground conservation of New Mexico’s wildlife.”

Several organizations intervened as defendants in the case, including the New Mexico Trappers Association, New Mexico Council of Outfitters & Guides, New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau, Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties for Stable Economic Growth, United Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, New Mexico Wool Growers, and New Mexico Federal Lands Council. The Arizona Game and Fish Commission filed an amicus brief in support of the department’s position.

WildEarth Guardians filed the lawsuit in February 2012, challenging an action by the State Game Commission that lifted a ban on trapping in southwestern New Mexico where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced the endangered wolves. The organization asserted that by lifting the trapping ban imposed by Gov. Bill Richardson in 2010, the agency and commission violated the Endangered Species Act by creating a system that could kill or harm the wolves.

The court ruled that WildEarth Guardians lacked evidence and failed to present facts to support its case. The group could not support its assertion that trapping – by legal or illegal means – posed a significant threat to Mexican wolf populations, nor could it convince the court that the Department of Game and Fish or the State Game Commission were responsible for trapping-related wolf mortalities caused by third parties – trappers.

Although listed as an endangered species, Mexican Wolves are considered an “experimental, nonessential population,” which means the species lacks rigid no-take prohibitions. The species was reintroduced to southwestern New Mexico in 1998, with a goal of reaching a population of 100. The current known population is about 58 Mexican wolves in the wild.

Nationally - RMEF Rockets To Record High Membership

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Membership in the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation now stands at an all-time high of 196,079. The new membership total, as of the final day of 2012, is 11,944 higher than the end of 2011. It marks RMEF’s fourth consecutive year of record growth...“The increase in membership is definitely a positive.

We will continue to keep our eye on the big picture of ensuring the future of elk, elk country and our hunting heritage,” added Allen. “Elk hunting is a way of life for many. This success allows us to continue to do more to maintain that culture while also addressing the pressing needs of conserving critical habitat, working to create additional public access, promoting sensible management of all wildlife, including predators, seeking to restore elk to their historic ranges and doing all we can to educate the public that hunting is conservation.”

REGIONAL NEWS Giving Young People A Chance To Hunt - Wildlife Board Approves Changes For 2013 Big Game Hunts

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Education — and have a bow and arrow — those 18 years old and younger are guaranteed a chance to hunt buck deer in Utah next fall.

On Dec. 6, members of the Utah Wildlife Board approved an unlimited number of special youth archery permits. The permits are valid for Utah’s 2013 general archery buck deer hunt.

If young hunters don’t draw an archery, muzzleloader or rifle deer permit in the 2013 big game draw, they can buy a youth general archery deer permit — for the unit of their choice — starting in July.

Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says giving young hunters this chance doesn’t take anything away from adult hunters. “The youth permits are additional permits,” he says. “They’ll be offered above the regular archery permit cap.” The number of additional permits for each unit will be based on the number of archery permits available for each unit in the draw. On each unit, the number of additional permits cannot be more than 20 percent of the number of archery permits offered for that unit in the draw.

For example, if 500 archery permits are available for a specific unit in the draw, not more than 100 additional permits — 20 percent of the total — can be offered to youth for that unit.

Aoude says youth archery permits were not available in 2012. They were available in 2011, though.

About 450 youth took advantage of the opportunity and bought a permit in 2011.

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In addition to approving the youth archery permits, the board also changed two limited-entry bull elk units — the Fillmore, Oak Creek South and the portion of the Beaver that’s west of Interstate 15 — to general any-bull elk units.

Aoude says neither unit has great elk habitat. And most of the elk on the two areas are found on private land. “For those reasons,” he says, “the units don’t give hunters the type of hunting experience most of them want on a limited-entry unit.”

All of the big game rules the board approved on Dec. 6 will be available in two guidebooks.

The 2013 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook will be available in January.

The 2013 Utah Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook will be available next summer.

When they’re available, you can download the guidebooks online.

Helicopters To Count Deer In Many Areas Of Minnesota

Pending suitable snow cover, low-flying helicopters will be conducting whitetail

deer population surveys from January through March in northwestern, central and southeastern Minnesota.

“Good wildlife management decisions are based on good science,” said Lou Cornicelli, wildlife research manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “These survey flights collect some of baseline data we need to make those decisions.” DNR pilots will fly survey areas in 18 deer permit areas during daylight hours at about 200 feet. Results of aerial surveys are used to help estimate deer population in these areas.

mtstihl@bresnan.net

New State Record Black Crappie Caught New Year’s Eve at Boysen Reservoir Wyoming has a new state record black crappie thanks

to the efforts of Casper angler Troy Schnepper. Schnepper caught his 2 pound 7.4 ounce crappie Dec. 31 fishing through the ice at Boysen Reservoir.

Schnepper’s fish bested a 15-year-old state record, caught Dec. 4, 1997, also out of Boysen Reservoir, by two ounces. Schnepper, who fishes Boysen often, said he had found a good spot and was catching a number of crappie with several of them being in the 14-inch range. When a fish that measured longer than 15 inches took the small spoon he was jigging, he knew the current record was also 15 inches long. He thought it would be a good idea to have it weighed on a certified scale. Schnepper’s crappie was verified at a length of 15-3/8 inches with a 13-1/2-inch girth. The previous record measured 15 inches and also had a 13-1/2 inch girth.

The world record black crappie weighed 6 pounds and was caught in Louisiana in November 1969.

Find a complete list of Wyoming record fish and rules for entering a fish for a state record at the Game and Fish website (wgfd.wyo.gov).

Wyoming - National Archery in the Schools State Virtual Tournament

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will host the Fifth Annual Wyoming –National Archery in Schools Program (NASP®) State Virtual Tournament Feb. 18 to March 1. The tournament is open to 4th – 12th graders who compete in elementary, middle and high school divisions. The tournament allows the young archers to shoot in their home gym and record their scores on-line. Last year, 322 Cowboy State students from 12 schools participated in the tournament, shooting as individuals and on teams. Since March 2002, millions of students at more than 7,400 schools across the country have participated in NASP®.

Archers with qualifying scores can advance to the national tournament in Louisville, Ky., May 10-11, 2013.

To shoot in the tournament, archers need to pay a $5 entry fee used to cover the cost of tournament shirts and awards and teachers must be NASP®-certified.

Register at www.nasptournaments.org. NASP® instructors may register using their “Basic Archery Instructor” registration number.

The tournament begins Feb. 18 and all scores must be submitted by March 1 before 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. For more information or to get your school involved in the tournament please contact Game and Fish Conservation Education Specialist Tasha Sorensen at (307) 777-4536 (tasha.sorensen@wyo.gov) or visit http://wgfd.wyo.gov/ and click on “Education, Educator Information.”

February 2013 29

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KEEPING COZY

BY JEFF DAVIS, WHITETAILS UNLIMITED

Imiserable. f you are warm and dry you can stay outdoors forever. Cold and wet? Even if you’re having your best day hunting ever, you will still be Here are some tips to keep you cozy in the great outdoors.

TIP 1: BE PESSIMISTIC. Pay attention to the weather report, and don’t hope for the best—prepare for the worst! If the forecast is for drizzle, dress for downpour. If they say it will be a high of 40 and a low of 20 degrees, plan for it to hit zero (you can always take clothes off). Get a NOAA weather radio for immediate warnings. Bushnell makes a set of Weather Forecast Stations called WeatherFX that display a 3-, 5-, or 7-day forecast.

TIP 2: BE INFORMED. I always have a Kestrel hand-held weather meter in my daypack when I’m outside, so I can tell the temperature, wind speed, barometric pressure, humidity, and even altitude. While this nifty device may not help before I go outside, it can help confirm how miserable I am if I fail to properly prepare.

TIP 3: TAKE IT WITH YOU. Your daypack may take many different forms, depending on conditions. I have a series of bags and packs of various sizes, and I fill them with gear, clothes, food, and first aid gear depending on how long I plan to be out, and I always have rain gear. Blackhawk! has a great selection. I pack for at least twice as long as I think I’ll be out, which means if I’m going to be out all day I have what I need to keep me alive if I get stuck overnight. That means a SPACE blanket, some food, a bottle of water, flashlight, whistle, extra clothes, hat and gloves, and other gear.

TIP 4: PACK HEAT. Those nifty hand warmers from Heatmax can really make a difference. They are cheap, available everywhere, come in a variety of sizes (including little ones to warm your toes), and some last as long as 18 hours. Every fall I put a bag of them in my car, and it does not have to be January before I use them.

TIP 5: UNDERWEAR AND OUTERWEAR. Everyone knows that you should dress in layers, but I’ve discovered that when I have quality underwear and outerwear, I can save a lot of money on the clothes I put in between. The Under Amour-type garments that wick moisture away are worth the price. I’ve got old, ugly shirts and pants in cotton, flannel, and wool over the quality underwear, and then I’ve got it topped off with good outerwear. I used to replace cheap rain gear every year because it leaked, ripped, and made me sweat like crazy—until I wised up and bought a set of quality rain gear 15 years ago that I still use.

TIP 6: THAT BONE-CHILLING COLD. When it’s cold enough to freeze your eyelashes together, you need to be prepared. I grew up in Minnesota, and below zero and windy never kept us indoors, but a whole series of new products make me weep for the times we snuck blankets out of the house and wrapped ourselves like cocoons in our blinds. Heater Body Suit will keep you warm on the stand in any temperature. I’ve used a ThermoLogic coat and gloves with batteries and a heating coil to keep you warm for up to four hours, and they really worked.

TIP 7: START EVERY DAY DRY. When you get in after a cold, wet day in the field take care of your gear so you are ready to go the next day. Trying to wiggle your toes or fingers into already wet boots or gloves ensures a miserable day in the field. I’ve seen homemade boot dryers, drying racks, and a variety of drying techniques that have various degrees of success. The PEET dryer is a nifty device that takes care of safely drying boots and gloves, and lets me go to sleep knowing that I’ll start the day with happy feet and dry fingers.

30 - Hunting & Fishing News

Five Recovery Tips Performance parts & Custom Accessories

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F ail on the recovery part of your bowhunt and you lose. Across the years I have relied on five strategies that will always help you tag that whitetail after the shot.

1. LOOK. Keep your eyes on that deer until he is out of sight. This gives you a place to start looking for blood that is directional from your stand.

Don’t just look but mentally mark a tree, bush or blow down that the deer passed as you lost sight of him. It is a great idea to pull out a compass and take a bearing. You’ll be surprised how the terrain changes once you get to ground level.

2. LISTEN. Hearing a buck crashing out in the distance is a key to finding him. Blood trails can be sketchy. Hearing the crash can give you a clue that seldom fails. Don’t stop listening just because you heard some big noise. He may have broken a branch during a death run and will crash and burn a few seconds later and maybe in a new direction.

3. FIND THE ARROW. Find the blood trail and go slow. I just shot a doe two days ago on my Ohio farm. It was a donkey sized animal. A real honker of a doe. I made a perfect hit and watched her tip over at about 50-yards on her access trail. I’m telling you this because while looking for the arrow at the site of the shot, I found the arrow and a lung. Actually, it was a golf ball sized lung sample she left for a biopsy or something.

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I like to mark the blood trail with a paper towel. Just tear off dime-sized pieces and drop them on every significant blood mark. This gives me a trail I can look back on and see a pattern of escape. It also helps me find the next spot if it thins out as I can draw a line of escape and look there.

4. TAKE NOTE OF WHERE THE DEER ARRIVED FROM AS THIS IS LIKELY THE ROUTE HE WILL TRY TO TRACE TO ESCAPE. I almost always find deer dead on the trail they arrived on. Black bears over bait follow this rule too. My Ohio doe is a good example. There is a good reason for this. From a deer’s point of view, life was beautiful as they arrived.

Then something went terribly wrong and they escape to the last safe spot they were in. This is most often their back trail. Even if you lose the blood trail, go back and check their arrival route.

5. DO CIRCLES AS A STRATEGY. Only one guy on the blood trail.

Searching by party is a bad idea. If you lose the trail you may have to begin over. The trail can be ruined by too many trackers. If you do lose it, go to the last blood and start by doing circles radiating out from there.

The deer may have turned and leaped. By doing ever widening concentric circles, you will have to intersect any sign that is there. Go slowly. If it is dark, go back at first light. Be vigilant and do not give up easily.

Use these 5 Steps and you increase your chances of finding your trophy.

BONUS TIP – If you lose the trail after it had been going along in a relatively straight line I have a strategy you may employ. As an escaping hit deer dies, it may pass into a hazy consciousness before it falls. Often at this time, the deer panics and loses orientation as it jumps a few times before crashing for good. This means it may be at 90-degrees to its path of travel and 30 feet or so off to one side.. dead.

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February 2013 31

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Brace Height The term “brace height” refers to the distance between the throat of the bow grip and the string. Brace height is important for many reasons. First, the shorter the brace-height, the faster the IBO speed rating will be. This is simply due to an increase in the bows power-stroke. In other words, the arrow remains on the string for a longer period of time because the string must travel a longer distance (closer to the grip) before the arrow actually separates from it. This results in more energy being transferred to the arrow, which equals more speed. Furthermore, high arrow speeds can provide the shooter with a measure of “range-estimation” forgiveness when the distance to the target is unknown or misjudged.

In contrast, a bow with a long brace-height (string further away from grip) would have a slower IBO speed rating because the arrow would travel a shorter distance before leaving the string. This would allow less of the bows energy to be transferred to the arrow.

Therefore, errors in range estimation become more critical with a bow possessing a slower IBO speed rating.

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Brace-height should also be considered when it comes to the “forgiveness” of a particular bow. Shorter brace-heights typically result in a “less” forgiving bow. This is thought to be a result of the time that the arrow is actually on the string. Because the arrow is on the string longer, there is more of an opportunity for the shooter to mess up the shot via hand torque. On the other hand, longer brace-height bows are typically more forgiving because the arrow leaves the string sooner, providing less time for the shooter to poorly affect up the shot.

February 2013 33

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FINDING ELK MEANS HUNTING SMARTER, NOT HARDER

By David Rowell, www.elk-hunting-tips.net

Finding elk is not hard, unless you’re looking where the elk aren’t. I realize that sounds a little silly, but the key to finding them is being at the right place at the right time.

The right place changes often with elk. The right time rarely changes: early and late in the day. During the rut, noon hunts might prove to be effective, but the first and last hours of daylight are always prime time for elk to be up, moving and feeding.

WRONG PLACE, RIGHT TIME - To avoid hunting in the wrong place, even at the “right time”, be diligent about scouting and documenting significant elk evidence for future recall. Seeing elk while actually hunting is most likely to occur in areas where there is very fresh sign, along with recent aging sign.

Finding some fresh elk droppings or fresh elk tracks simply means they were there, perhaps while moving on to a spot a mile or more away.

WALK AWAY FROM FRESH SIGN? If you are finding recent mixed age elk sign made days, hours and minutes ago, the elk will be back there. Either start carefully “still hunting”, or mark the spot in your mind, map and/or GPS. If you’re not prepared to still hunt now, and it isn’t prime time, consider leaving the area.

Don’t rush a good spot by haphazard, desperate efforts at finding elk right now. Come back at “rush hour”, if it is a feeding area.

If it is a bedding area and after about 9:00 or 10:00 a.m., it might be best to back out quietly.

If you want to hunt bedded elk, try to pinpoint them with cow talk or a locator bugle from a distance. Then quiet down as you approach the area from downwind (no exception), very slowly. Use muted cow talk, if you make too much feet noise. You could just get in close and wait it out. They will begin moving again about 3:00.

If you can stay downwind and be in the right place as they move, you might get a shot.

RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIME - If it is archery season, you should set up and spend some time cow calling, and maybe some very light bugling . But if nothing shows up, consider leaving it relatively unmolested for a later prime time hunt. Don’t “stink up the joint” with human scent by tromping all over the right place at the wrong time.

WATCH INSTEAD OF HUNT - Finding elk often needs to come before hunting elk. If there is a high vista you can get up to and just glass the surrounding area before dark, do it. You might see how they come to that hot spot, or determine if they are currently using it. Watching instead of hunting, especially during archery season, may seem like a waste of time, but it could save you a lot of tiring and discouraging hikes.

If they don’t appear to be using the spot, they may have been pushed out by you or other hunters. Finding elk requires planning and patience. If the sign is fresh mixed with recent older sign, finding elk there will happen sooner or later.

ROTATE WHERE YOU HUNT - That doesn’t necessarily warrant hunting it from then on every day until they finally show up, although that might work, if done carefully. Put it down as one of several hunting spots for you to rotate in and out of. If you push them out of there with your repeated scent and presence, they might avoid the area for a while, moving on to some faraway place.

Elk keep excellent mental notes of where the current best food, water and safe refuges are. They move around for miles as food sources change and pressure (fear) is experienced. Elk constantly play the shell game with us. Once we think we know where they are hanging out and how they are traveling, suddenly they disappear overnight to somewhere unknown to us.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME! Finding elk is all about hunting several “hot spots”, rotating from one to another, until we are finally there at the right place and at the same time they are. Finding elk successfully is often the result of knowing when not to hunt, when to back away and come back another day.

Hunting hard is not always the best approach. Hunt smarter, not harder.

34 - Hunting & Fishing News

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The Kast Steelhead Glove Is Hardcore Protection For Extreme Environments Whether in a snow squall chasing chrome, or tailing a trophy King, your hands will be warm and dry.

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Quick Ice Fishing Tips From Berkley Working Flash Lures for Ice Fishing In-Fisherman

Flash lures are one of the most popular jigging lures for ice fishing.

Potential jigging sequences are limited only by your imagination and your interpretation of how fish are reacting. Yet, just as no secret lures exist, neither does a secret jigging sequence.

Several jigging moves help trigger a fish once it appears on a flasher. Jig with timely pauses. If you must, count up to five seconds to give fish time to strike. Over-jigging is the biggest mistake most anglers make. Stop jigging, or just twitch the spoon lightly to rock the bait tipped on the lower treble back and forth, keeping the spoon stationary. In clear water, try lowering the lure to the bottom where thumping and stirring up bottom content can trigger strikes. Keep it simple, but try to get a rhythm going that seems to trigger more strikes.

Trout on Ice In-Fisherman

Trout, browns, brookies, & rainbows are coldwater species, so they like cold water and remain active under ice cover.

One key to trout location in reservoirs and lakes is finding shallow flats (4 to 8 feet deep) with soft bottoms. Tiny invertebrate foods live in soft bottoms and trout feed on them and the small baitfish they attract.

Trout can also suspend off the outside edge of flats. Winter trout can be caught on a variety of baits including micro softbaits, like nymphs, worms, and curlytails, presented on a #8 to #16 hook or 1/64- to 1/8-ounce jigheads.

Swimming Lures Under The Ice In-Fisherman

Swimming lures designed to represent real baitfish are great wintertime baits. They tend to work best in clear water and specific spots, particularly during the changing light periods of dawn and dusk, when walleyes commonly feed during the winter period. Using swimming lures requires a feel for what needs to be done to make them come to life. Using a sensitive rod and smooth operating reel spooled with quality line allows you to manipulate your bait moves to fool walleyes into thinking your lure is a real baitfish. The basic jigging motion is the same as with flash lures lift-fall-hold, lift-fall-hold. Addition of jiggles within the cadence, along with changes in the cadence and in depth relative to the depth at which the walleye is approaching, are a few of the other moves you can make to trigger strikes.

February 2013 35

Ice Fishing: Hard Lessons On Hard Water

By Diane Tipton, MFWP

©Denis Pepin|dreamstime

Ice fishing puts the angler in touch with the elements in a way no other

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks does not monitor the thickness of the ice or the wind velocity on the state’s fishable lakes and reservoirs. But there are some measures ice fishermen and others recreating on the ice can take to make every trip safer.

Don’t fish alone. Let others know exactly where you

and your fishing partners are going and when you plan to return.

Keep fishing holes small and few. When drilling fishing holes with an ice auger, keep the diameter under 8 inches. Bigger holes are not necessary to land fish and can create a safety hazard for others.

Watch your step. Avoid ice fishing near feeder streams or known springs; brush, logs, plants or docks; multiple ice cracks or ice that is popping or otherwise audible; and dark-colored ice that may be weak.

Spread out. Too many people congregated in one area may be more than the ice can safely support. Disperse weight and fishing holes.

Be prepared for weather conditions. Dress in

layers and wear thermal underwear, fleece or wool, and wind and waterproof outerwear, especially for feet, hands and head.

Take extra clothes, food, water, sand for on-ice traction, and a sled for easy on-ice transport of all equipment.

Be prepared for emergencies. Carry equipment

such as ice picks or awls, rope, extra buckets and personal flotation devices. Also pack a first-aid kit and matches for starting a fire.

Being prepared for what can go wrong is one good way to assure nothing does—while it positions you to help others not as prepared.

36 - Hunting & Fishing News

outdoor activity does. Fishing “hard water” is alluring for its simplicity—ice, water, wind, fish, a line in a round ice hole, and time.

Wind might be the element ice anglers have had enough of this year.

One dedicated angler, who sometimes sleeps overnight on the ice during the season, recently had a wind-powered adventure he and his friends will remember for winters to come.

Retiree Robert Morris of Helena made his ice shanty from a recycled pop-up camper about 7 x 11 feet with 10 inch tires that carries a 2x4 framed plywood shack. This winter he is set up at Canyon Ferry Reservoir a few miles out from the Silos propped on jack stands with tie downs to the ice. His fishing buddy’s ice shack was sitting on skis and lashed to Morris’s shack with a lead rope..

During one of the longest nights this winter, Morris was up at 4 a.m. to fish for ling. The wind was already growling when he checked his line with a flashlight and crawled back into his sleeping bag. All was well for a time, until out of the black a heavy weight swamped his ice shanty hard enough to break its moorings and hurtle it across the ice.

“I was suddenly sailing at highway speed on the ice in the black night, with the wind slamming my friend’s ice shack into mine, twisting and spinning us,” Morris said.

Morris said he felt pretty certain, with all the open water and pressure cracks along the ice at that time, that he was a goner. “I started calling a few close friends to say thanks and let them know what happened to me,” he said. “Odds were they’d be out looking under the ice for me come morning.”

When the strange assemblage slowed, Morris hurriedly crawled out to take stock. The tongue of his ice house trailer was snagged on a sled he uses to pull groceries to his fishing site.

“I lifted the trailer tongue onto the ice hoping to add some traction,” he said. “I thought of abandoning the whole thing and hiking to shore, but in the dark I had no idea where I was.”

Even as he climbed back into his ice shack it took off again, traveling another few city blocks with the trailer tongue scraping and jittering over the ice.

“My fishing poles, supplies, jack stands, everything was strewn far and wide across the ice back the way I’d come,” he said. When first light dawned, he was finally able to reorient himself for a nearly two mile walk back to the Silos.

“I was so glad to be alive,” he said. “I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz blowing out of Kansas in my little ice house on wheels.”

“He walked in just as I was about to listen to my phone messages,” said Sharon Walker, manager of the general store at the Silos at the Townsend-Canyon Ferry Lake KOA. “Boy was I glad he was there in person before I listened to that message—otherwise I would have been scared to death that we’d lost him.”

Friends in the Silos area helped Morris gather his belongings over the next few days. He had lots of help, a lot of fellow ice anglers were scouting around for their ice houses and belongings too. But none had ridden the night’s high wind as Morris did.

“A few days later I was back out on the ice anchoring my ice house with bolts screwed into 2x4’s under the ice,” Morris said. “I spend 19 or 20 days a year out on the ice in winter. It’s one thing that I really enjoy—even after this experience.”

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Rust’s prices are per hunter, with a two-hunter minimum, which includes your gear, which cannot exceed 125 pounds (56 kilograms).

The price includes: Round-trip seaplane flight from Anchorage, including all game and trophies, mid-hunt check to see how you’re doing, black bear hunt at no extra cost, and Airport/hotel courtesy van service.

What you must provide: Food, hunting and camping gear, personal items, hunting license and game tags, river rafts and accessories if your hunt involves a float. (Rentals are available).

WHAT CAN YOU HUNT? Information can be found starting at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildliferegulations.hunting Caribou: Caribou range across the state in 32 different herds made up of approximately 920,000 animals of which hunters harvest about 22,000 annually.

Tags are available to residents and non-residents. Draw hunts require an application fee and are awarded by lottery. The application period for draw hunts is during November and December. A non-resident tag is $325.00 Black Bears: There are about 100,000 blacks with 2,500 -3,200 harvested annually. Two units have permits available online, while the rest are draw permits A non-resident tag is $225.00 Brown Bears: Alaska has an estimated 30,000 brown bears statewide. In 2007, about 1,900 brown bears were harvested, and of that figure, about 700 were taken by Alaska residents with roughly 1,200 (or 67 percent) taken by non-residents. Bear hunting seasons are held in both spring and fall in some areas, but only in fall in other areas. It is illegal to kill cubs and females with offspring. Non-resident brown bear hunters are required to have a guide or be accompanied by an Alaska resident who is a relative. A non-resident tag is $500.00 Dall Sheep: Recreational hunting is typically limited to the taking of mature rams during August and September. Non-resident sheep hunters are required to have a guide or be accompanied by relative who is an Alaska resident. Alaska’s Dall sheep are popular with non-resident hunters and the harvest is split fairly evenly between residents and non-residents. In 2007, for example, non-residents took 403 sheep, while resident hunters took 513, or about 57 percent. A non-resident tag is $425.00 Sitka Black-tailed Deer: These animals are native to the wet coastal rainforests of Southeast Alaska and north-coastal British Columbia. Their range has expanded via transplants, and established populations now exist near Yakutat, in Prince William Sound, and on Kodiak and Afognak Islands.

A non-resident tag is $425.00 The Sitka black-tails are smaller and stockier than Columbian black-tailed deer found in the Pacific Northwest. The average October live weight of adult Sitka black-tails is about 80 pounds for does and 120 pounds for bucks, although 200-lb bucks have been taken.

Deer populations are dynamic and fluctuate considerably with the severity of the winters. Deer have a high reproductive potential, and reduced populations normally recover rapidly. In some cases, predation may accelerate a decline in deer numbers, or slow recovery to higher levels.

A non-resident tag is $150.00 Moose: These giants are the largest members of the deer family with full-grown males standing almost six foot tall at the shoulder. Prime bulls can weigh from 1,200 to 1,600 pounds and a 1,600-pound moose will dress out around 950 pounds yielding approximately 500 pounds of meat. Alaskans and non-residents annually harvest 6,000 to 8,000 moose, which translates into about 3.5 million pounds of usable meat. For all species there is a wanton waste law that requires you to remove ALL MEAT from a tagged animal. A non-resident moose tag is $400.00 Mountain Goat: In 2007, 518 mountain goats were harvested, 158 by non-residents (about 30 percent) and 360 by resident hunters. Non-resident mountain goat hunters are required to have a guide or be accompanied by an Alaska resident who is a relative. Their range is restricted to the steep and broken mountain ranges of south central Alaska. Mountain goats also occur in Southeast Alaska, where their range extends north and west along the coastal mountains to Cook Inlet. In south central Alaska, goats are found in the Chugach and Wrangell Mountains, and a few occur in the Talkeetna Mountains. Goats have been introduced to Kodiak Island as well, as to Southeast Alaska’s Revillagigedo and Baranof Islands. A guide is required for non-residents. A non-resident tag is $300.00 Musk Ox: There are two permit areas available on Nunivak Island and the non-resident tag is $500.00.

Wolf: A non-resident tag is $30.00 and makes a great trophy on any hunt where the season is open.

The last thing? Your bank account. Guided hunts for big bears can run $14,000 or more, sheep hunts to $10,000, black bear to $4,500, goat $8,000, caribou $7,500, and a fly in hunt deep in the Wrangell Mountains - $15,000 for a single species. A hunt of a lifetime is not cheap!

For additional official information on licenses, permits, tag fees, seasons and game areas, contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game at (907) 465-4112, by mail at Box 3-2000, Juneau, AK 99802 or visit on the web at www.admin.adfg.state.ak.us/license.

38 - Hunting & Fishing News

Planning Your Slam

By Bob Humphrey - Yamaha Outdoors

Bob Humphrey Photo

ATVs allow you to cover more ground when hunting wide-ranging birds like the Merriam’s turkey.

Turkey season is still a ways off, but if

this is the year you’re finally going for your grand slam, it’s never too early to start planning. Here are a few things to consider while going through the process.

Osceola - Florida has a monopoly on the Osceola and they know it. Finding a place to hunt is tough, and finding a good place is tougher. Start planning early. Research, get references and recommendations and follow up with them. And expect to pay a premium, but if you’ve done your homework, it should pay off. Osceolas can be tough, so listen to your guide’s advice about where and how to hunt, especially with regard to the type and amount of calling you should do.

Merriam’s - Merriam’s inhabit rugged, open terrain of the west. They like to cover a lot of ground so you should plan on doing the same. Once the birds leave the roost they’ll spread out over the landscape and you may have to travel miles to catch up with them. Ask the outfitter if they use ATVs. This will allow you to cover more ground. Ride the bottoms, then walk up and glass from a high point. If you spot some birds, jump back on your ATV, get ahead of them and set up.

Rio Grande - Rios have a reputation for being easy. Don’t bet on it though.

Recently, droughts have produced a boom or bust cycle in states like Texas and Oklahoma.

One year you’ll be overrun with jakes while longbeards are few and far between – and reluctant to come to a call. Next, you’ll have to fight the two-year-old longbeards away.

Ask your outfitter if this applies to where you’ll be hunting, and if you might be better off delaying things for a season.

Easterns - Here’s another place you could be over-confident. Because they’re so widespread and usually abundant, Easterns might seem like an easy target. And they can be. They could also prove your downfall. You are best off picking a couple destinations with good densities of un-pressured birds. And don’t put it off. Plan an early hunt to get it out of the way, but have a back-up late hunt in case things go wrong.

Northern states where Easterns occur generally have the latest seasons.

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Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. Never carry passengers. Never engage in stunt riding. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. Avoid excessive speed. And be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Shown with optional accessories. ©2012 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • yamaha-motor.com 12/12 February 2013 39

HUNTING COYOTES LIKE A PRO IN MONTANA

By Rick Haggerty

Being a successful coyote hunter is serious work. Consistently taking these cagy critters is no easy task. Here are some ways to swing the odds in your favor:

• Set-up where predators have to cross an open area to get downwind of you. A small hill or bluff with the wind in your face is ideal.

• Be aware of logging roads, fence lines, and ditches as coyotes will use them to slip in. Set-up where several intersect, but where there is an opening they have to cross.

• Camo up to match your surroundings. If there is snow, white yourself out. If not, then wear camo to match the area you are hunting.

• Calm, cool mornings are the best times to call. When you start to call, be noisy, but brief.

You’re trying to get the attention of a coyote that may be a mile away. If you are using an electronic call, stick with the high-pitched rabbit and bird calls.

• Decoys can pull predators out of the brush. A rabbit skin hung on brush or a bush 50 to 75 yards in front of your position when calling, will get a coyote’s attention. Decoys are a sure bet to pull even the most wary coyote into gun range.

• Coyotes will use cattle trails and farm roads at night. In the morning, walk these areas to locate fresh tracks, then set-up nearby.

• Go where there is abundant wildlife, cattle, and water and you will find coyotes. They are sure to be hiding in the tall grass and timbered areas.

• Breeding season will start soon, and male coyotes will be out roaming a larger territory than they normally would be in daylight hours. They will also begin their territorial fighting now to mark their areas.

Coyotes travel in groups, so if you spot one, there is sure to be another close by. Follow these tips and you’ll be hunting like a pro.

Photo ©Bryant Aardema 40 - Hunting & Fishing News

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Sportsmen’s Economic Impact Report Shows Increase in Hunting & Fishing Participation, Expenditures National Shooting Sports Foundation

National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and The Congressional Sportsmen’s

Foundation (CSF) released two new reports today documenting the importance of sportsmen’s activities in America. NSSF’s Hunting in America: An Economic Force for Conservation and CSF’s America’s Sporting Heritage, Fueling the American Economy reports provide detailed information about participation and expenditures by American sportsmen and women...

“Many people may not fully comprehend how important hunting and fishing are to the fabric of this country. Yet there are more people who hunt or fish than go bowling, and their spending would land them at #24 on the Fortune 500 list,” commented Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “CSF has put together this report, utilizing data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association and the National Marine Manufacturers Association...”

The NSSF report, part of the foundation for CSF’s information, provides a detailed look at hunters and the trends in participation and spending. Information on 40plus categories of U.S. hunting-related expenditures, which grew 55 percent, are outlined in NSSF’s report as well as state by state statistics for number of hunters, retail sales, taxes and jobs.

“The major growth of spending by hunters is good news for businesses throughout the country, particularly small businesses in rural areas,” said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti. “It also is gratifying to see the nine percent increase in hunting participation. Not only is the traditional male hunter going afield more often, but more women and novices are going hunting as well, demonstrating the widespread appeal of this great outdoors tradition.”...

For example, the 15.5 million hunters age 6 and up could fill every NASCAR track, NFL stadium, NBA arena, MLB ballpark and NHL rink in the country more than twice (15.5 million vs. 7.2 million combined capacity). In addition, anglers spent $47.7 billion in 2011, which is more than the revenues for Lockheed Martin that year ($46.9 billion). Similar comparisons for many other participation and spending statistics are found throughout the CSF report.

The fishing industry also developed a more detailed analysis of anglers’ impacts on the nation’s economy and fisheries conservation that was released earlier this month. The American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) Sportfishing in America: An Economic Force for Conservation reports that the number of anglers increased 11 percent since 2006 while fishing tackle sales grew more than 16 percent. When expenditures are multiplied by the nation’s 60 million anglers, their dollars have a significant impact on our nation’s economy.

A number of reports strongly indicate that American families identify fishing as one of the best ways to spend quality time together. According to the National Sporting Goods Association, fishing as a leisure-time activity ranks higher than playing basketball or softball, skateboarding, jogging or hiking.

“Sportfishing is more than just a traditional American pastime, it is a powerful economic force, an unparalleled contributor to conservation and a vital part of the American culture,” said ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman. “Hidden, but none-the-less real, is the multiplying factor that effectively triples what an angler spends on fishing tackle when the initial expenditure ripples through the economy in terms of dollars spent on travel, food, lodging, gas and other amenities.”

A new component of the CSF report this year is the inclusion of details on the recreational boating industry. Research from the National Marine Manufacturers Association shows that more than one million boats changed hands in 2011 with sales of all watercraft (including sail boats, personal water craft, etc.), totaling $15 billion. In addition, 83 million adults in the U.S. participated in recreational boating that year...

Beyond the impact to businesses and local economies, sportsmen and women are the leaders in protecting fish and wildlife and their habitats. When you combine license and stamp fees, motorboat fuels, excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment and membership contributions to conservation organizations, hunters and anglers directed $3 billion towards on-the-ground conservation and restoration efforts in 2011 -- that is over $95 every second. This does not include their own habitat acquisition and restoration work for lands owned or leased for the purpose of hunting and fishing, which would add another $11 billion to the mix.

42 - Hunting & Fishing News

The Healthy Hunter: Physical Conditioning 101 (continued from page 5)

If you are looking for inspiration, look no further than Duran Martinez. Martinez, host of “Wild Michigan,” outdoor radio program, is an avid hunter who battled his weight for more than 20 years. Fearing he might not be able to hunt or, even worse, die young, Martinez went on a quest to lose weight.

Mark Paulsen put Martinez on a strict exercise program, and Martinez started using Wilderness Athlete products.

Over the last year, Martinez has lost close to 100 pounds.

“I feel like a new man. Chasing turkeys and climbing in and out of treestands is easier than ever now that I have lost the weight,” Martinez said.

Losing weight is much easier when we eat right.

“One reason people don’t stick to eating right is because they set themselves up to fail,” Paulsen said. “I never tell anyone to give up sweets altogether or to stop buying potato chips. Have those treats occasionally, in moderation.

The rest of the time, eat lots of unprocessed food. I think people are afraid of green vegetables today. A diet high in fruits, vegetables and venison is a great recipe for losing weight. The biggest thing to avoid is sugar.

Processed foods are extremely high in sugar. Sugar contributes to many health problems including cancer, diabetes and even arthritis.”

Paulson said one of the fastest ways to cut out sugar is to stop buying soft drinks and sport drinks. Cutting back on sugar and all processed foods can help a person shed weight and feel better, which will make hunting more enjoyable,” he said.

Another bad habit hunters get into is eating a big meal after the hunt. “I stop eating for the day after 6 p.m.

If I am hunting hard all day and walk several miles a day, I don’t worry about eating late but, as a rule, I stop eating early in the evening,” Paulsen said.

If you want to lose weight, realize the best time to do it is before hunting season. I always get into a workout routine several months before the season starts, so when it is time to hike, I am ready for it.

We make time for hunting, but Paulsen says we should make time for our health in order to fully enjoy it.

100 pounds and counting If you are looking for inspiration, look no further than Duran Martinez. Martinez, host of “Wild Michigan,” outdoor radio program, is an avid hunter who battled his weight for more than 20 years. Fearing he might not be able to hunt or, even worse, die young, Martinez went on a quest to lose weight.

Mark Paulsen put Martinez on a strict exercise program, and Martinez started using Wilderness Athlete products. Over the last year, Martinez has lost close to 100 pounds.

“I feel like a new man. Chasing turkeys and climbing in and out of treestands is easier than ever now that I have lost the weight,” Martinez said.

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