Hunting & Fishing News - February 2017

HUNTING & FISHING Montana

News

February 2017

BUDGET 101: HOW TO HUNT ELK EVERY YEAR Coyote Calling Nuances MIßOURI RIVER TAILRACƒ

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The Pursuit of Big Pike

T

By Jason Mitchell www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com

The author Jason Mitchell with a trophy caliber pike.

Late ice is prime time for encountering these big predators on many bodies of water.

he black Dacron line slid through my gloves as it sliced back and forth in the hole.

Every time the fish came close to the bottom of the ice, the fish rolled and ran. The power was untamed and unpredictable. There was no doubt that a big pike was on the end of the line but that assumption was confirmed as the long shadow slid underneath the hole. As the fish rolled closer, water rose up and down in the hole, the telltale sign of serious water displacement.

Big fish move water and this was a big fish.

For so many ice anglers, pike provide that thrill… the thrill of catching a large powerful fish.

Pike are a top of the line predator with dangerous teeth and an attitude to match the intimidating appearance. When pike surpass the benchmark of forty inches in length, they not only aspire awe but they can be a downright handful. A beautiful challenge and photo op for any ice angler.

Big pike can be specifically targeted on many bodies of water right now and the late ice window might be one of the most coveted prime time opportunities for seeing some of the biggest pike each season. Prime locations right now combine big fish opportunities with open seasons for specifically targeting these species. Top locations include Lake of the Woods and the big reservoirs on the Missouri River like Fort Peck, Lake Sakakawea and Lake Oahe right now. Other notable picks include Devils Lake and Red Lake but there are many more obscure fisheries particularly on smaller lakes that offer great pike fishing at late ice. If I had to pick a top pike region right now with big fish capabilities, I would lean towards the Missouri River reservoirs of Fort Peck, Sakakawea and Oahe. These reservoirs were rejuvenated with strong year classes of pike almost a decade ago from high water and these reservoirs all boast impressive numbers of quality fish with big fish potential. If your quest is to crack a big pike, fish these prime locations at prime time.

What makes late ice so attractive for pike anglers is that these fish concentrate in predictable locations. The larger bays in the Missouri River reservoirs all have pike populations. Typically, most of the big pike are caught at late ice in the back 1/3rd of the bay. As a general rule of thumb, nice warm weather that thaws and moves water into the backs of these bays will typically pull fish shallow where as cold fronts will push the fish deeper into the channels.

A few years back, Jason Votova and myself filmed an episode for our television show in the back of Douglas Bay on Lake Sakakawea. Votova likes to set out tip ups perpendicular across the creek arms and bays to intersect pike as they push in and out of this location. Instead of following a specific contour, Votova maintains that he contacts more pike by cutting across the bay perpendicular with holes so he has baits set at different depths.

Some days, the fish might follow a ten-foot break as they slide up the tributary. Other days the fish might be running deeper or shallower, this mentality and hole placement puts more bait in front of fish as they move.

Jig rods catch pike. Swim baits and large flutter spoons can do a number on pike but day in and day out, there are few things that can rival dead bait below a tip up. Classic Beaver Dams are still one of the best. Pair the tip up with the heaviest Dacron line you can find. Many serious big pike fanatics will use forty pound or heavier Dacron. The reason for the heavy Dacron is two fold; handling big fish but the heavier line also rolls off the tip up spool much smoother and doesn’t slice into the bottom of the ice or your hands as much.

Still one of the best rigs for catching large pike is a simple steel or titanium leader with a snap connected to a large size...treble hook. Unsnap the hook and push the eye and shank of the treble through a large dead smelt, herring or alewife. After the eye of the hook is pushed through the bait, snap the treble hook back on to the leader. This causes the bait to ride horizontal and the larger hook has a better gap and penetration particularly when dealing with large pike. Less can also go wrong with one big hook, as you don’t have a second hook getting caught on the ice when fighting a fish at the hole.

Quick strike options that use multiple hooks are also popular and are often the answer when fish start short striking the bait or won’t run with the bait.

Top quick strike rigs include the Bigtooth Tackle Quick Strike Rigs made by Clam Pro Tackle.

Big dead baits typically catch the biggest fish. Smelt are often the most popular and easiest to find but attempt to use baits that are at least eight inches or longer. The advantage of smelt is that they are soft and bend easy in the mouth of fish so the batting average can be much higher with smelt.

Some other baits like frozen anchovies and herring however seem to have much more oil and smell and often get more bites. Big dead baits can sometimes be challenging to find so you might have to order them in bulk from a commercial fish distributor on either the east or west coast.

While the big dead baits are usually the best bet, there are situations where downsizing produces more hook ups. There are times especially when dealing with really thick ice where the resistance at the bottom of the ice as fish peel off line produces enough friction where fish will drop the bait.

There are also some situations where the fish are running and than dropping the bait because of the line hitting flooded vegetation and debris.

Small pike will also often drop big dead baits prematurely. If you are getting flags but just cannot connect or the fish are repeatedly no longer on the bait when you get to the tip up, go down to half a dead bait and try to stick them sooner without waiting.

A few additional tips for targeting the biggest pike of the ice season. Warm weather increases the amount of runoff and flow into the back end of these major spawning bays and tributaries. If water is moving up and down in the hole, you have water moving. Also watch the shorelines and look for thaw as water seeps into the ice. Typically, this thaw will stain the water and improve the bite dramatically as you work towards the far back ends of these bays. Cold nights and fronts can often halt this process so typically where the fish set up is influenced by incoming flow. When the water starts to move, we often find fish shallower and further back. When the water is not moving, focus on the sharper breaks and slightly deeper water towards the secondary points within these bays.

While pike are fairly abundant across the ice belt and provide ample opportunities, big pike are a special fish and are not as common. Not only does it take the right water to grow big pike but a pike also has to live long enough to reach that trophy status. Pike are such gluttonous predators that we often see big pike fisheries develop because of remoteness where fish can avoid angling for large time frames without getting caught. As a result, catch and release is crucial for preserving big pike fisheries. In order for a pike to measure forty five inches long in most bodies of water in the lower 48, that pike was probably released when the fish was 36 inches, again when it was 40 inches and so on.

Think of good pike releases much like musky angling today. Have your release tools handy. Keep the fish in the water until you can unhook the fish.

Pose with a nice picture and get the fish back in the water. There are few moments in ice angling like watching a fish as large and powerful as a forty inch plus pike wave you goodbye as that big powerful tail kicks as that fish swims away. This season, make some of these memories for yourself and feed your fascination for big fish with these fascinating predators.

February 2017

5

BUDGET 101: HOW TO HUNT ELK EVERY YEAR

By Randy Newberg, all photo credits: Randy Newberg

Originally published at “

H

www.gohunt.com

ow can I hunt elk every year?” As one of the few lucky enough to hunt elk each year, this is a question that I hear all the time. My typical response is to answer with another question, “What does your budget and schedule allow?”

If money and time are not a worry, my system can have you hunting elk every year and in many different states. While most of us are restricted a bit by budgets and “kitchen passes,” it is probably best if I discuss a strategy for elk hunts that are within reach of most hunters.

We all have different financial situations and our elk hunting budgets reflect that household reality. For some, elk hunting is their highest priority and I find myself amazed at the amount of elk hunting some people can find on a very limited income. At a minimum, to reasonably expect to elk hunt every year, you need to budget at least $100 per month. The more you are able to budget, then more elk hunts will be at your disposal and you can add more comforts to your travels.

Many of you are familiar with how western states allocate their elk tags.

A few are over-the-counter (OTC) or general tags you can acquire without entering a limited entry draw. Most nonresident tags are limited entry draw — with all the higher demand tags issued through drawings.

We all dream of an early rifle bull tag in Arizona. Yet, that requires gambler’s luck and decades of application. Such unrealistic expectation can result in frustration. A long-term plan requires an investment over many years — sometimes decades — but those plans do not need to be changed even if you hunt elk each October.

Below is a chart that shows the time frame in which you can expect to hunt each of these states. It is coincidental that the cost to hunt these states increases as you go from left to right. The cost is usually the tag plus, in some cases, a non-refundable hunting license. If you have to do that over the course of many years, you have made quite an investment in that elk hunt.

ELK HUNTING EXPECTATIONS CAN BE BROKEN INTO THREE CATEGORIES: 1) every year 2) every five years 3) once-in-a-generation (continued on page 8) 6 - Hunting & Fishing News

6 Best Shed-Hunting Tips

By Mike Hanback www.mikehanback.com www.bigdeerblog.com

F irst thing, just go…and go and go.

A lot of people have no luck

because they look on one or two properties where the deer may not even be this time of year, or maybe the animals are just passing through to a food source.

Get permission to as many farms and woodlands as you can.

Then start walking. One of BIG DEER’s best shed hunters, Kelly from South Dakota, told me he walked 19 miles last Saturday and found 8 antlers. Go! But make sure you walk where the deer are. Remember that as a general rule 90 percent of the deer are in 10% of the woods/fields/brush this time of year, where there is something to eat, so you need to narrow down your search areas.

If you see 10 or 20 deer feeding and hanging around in a field now, some sheds are going to be there, or close. Prime food sources to check: 1) standing soybeans or a late-cut bean field where some pods are still on the ground; 2) thick, scrubby fields, with green shrubs and berries and maybe some locust trees with pods (deer love them this time of year); 3) alfalfa, clover or winter wheat.

Standing corn or stubble is good, but if you don’t have a shed dog it’s tough. If no dog, walk every 2nd to 3rd corn row. Pay attention and look hard. Antlers stick out better in the corn with a light snow on the ground.

Most of the best shedding is done in and around food sources and nearby staging areas, and from there branch out farther toward bedding areas. Hunt the connecting trails too.

If you find several sheds in a spot one year, you will probably find more there next year. Mark spots where you find big sheds on a map.

Good luck!

February 2017

7

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BUDGET 101: HOW TO HUNT ELK EVERY YEAR (continued from page 6)

The elk hunting plan Every year

Every 5 years

Once in a generation

Colorado Montana Idaho

Arizona Wyoming New Mexico Colorado Montana Idaho

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Every year tags are usually the least expensive investment and allows you to get out in the field chasing elk annually. During our show, Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg on the Sportsman Channel, we do four to six elk hunts each season. There is no way that I could possibly obtain enough elk tags by focusing on the far right columns. This means that we end up filming a lot of hunts in Colorado and Montana — for production reasons and also to show viewers that elk hunting is within the reach of anyone.

www.cmoninn.com

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Just go to www.huntingfishingnews.net Randy Newberg’s 2013 Colorado bull elk.

Colorado is a hunter’s dream since it is almost a guarantee for the archery and muzzleloader hunter. If you are a rifleman you have the additional bonus of over 90 elk units with OTC tags for the second (105 units) and third (98 units) rifle seasons. At $616, an OTC bull elk tag is within reach for all hunters — even those on the tightest budgets.

Even adding in the basic costs of travel, you can hunt elk in Colorado every year for $100 per month.

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8 - Hunting & Fishing News

Montana is next with two options: an elk tag for $846 or a combination elk-deer package for $991. It is hard to find a place to hunt deer and elk for that price, especially with a tag that is good for most of the state and allows you to hunt six weeks of archery and then come back later for five weeks of rifle hunting.

Randy Newberg’s Montana bull elk.

The reason Montana is considered an “every year” hunt is that for the last four years Montana has had thousands of leftover general elk tags following the drawing. Yes the higher tag price for Montana may require a bit more budgeting than Colorado, but the longer seasons allow for more scheduling flexibility.

Please note that the best general archery elk tag in the country is the Montana archery elk tag. It allows you to hunt for six weeks spanning the entire rut. Not only that but most of the core elk country of western and southwestern Montana are general units, which means that all you need is this tag to hunt it. Another bonus is that during archery season, the elk are usually up higher, which is mostly public National Forest land.

This means that you have access to older bulls that might be forced to the lower elevation private ground when snow and hunting pressure arrive during the November rifle season. Your best chance for a big bull in Montana is during archery season.

Idaho Like Montana, Idaho has not sold out its elk tags for many years. Idaho allows nonresidents to purchase an elk tag that is valid for a specific “elk general zone.” This means that you can hunt any of the units in the general zone, with archery season taking place during most of September and rifle season happening in mid to late October for most units.

To hunt elk in Idaho, you must have the $155 nonresident hunting license plus the $417 elk tag. You can add a deer tag for an additional $302. This is very reasonable for the traveling elk hunter. Like Colorado, you should be able to do this by budgeting $100 per month, depending upon how far you travel, how many friends can split the costs with you and, most importantly, if you can travel without fancy hotels and expensive meals.

With those three options, every elk hunter should be hunting each season. I understand the desire some have to only hunt glory tags on the far right of the chart. That is something all of us would like, too, but by deciding to hunt these general OTC elk units, I feel I have become a much better elk hunter. When Lady Luck pulls my number for one of the hard-to-draw tags, the elk knowledge that I have acquired on these opportunity hunts is invaluable. A part of me feels sorry for the hunter who has waited a decade to draw a coveted tag only to realize that this is his first elk hunt and his lack of elk hunting experience makes him “a babe in the woods.” Do not let that happen to you. Build your elk knowledge by hunting these three states whenever budget and time allow.

THE FIVE YEAR PLAN

DON’T CROWD THE PLOW!!

When approaching a plow from the rear: • Slow down immediately • Follow behind at least 5 car lengths • If you must pass, ensure visibility is good and use caution

For oncoming plows: • Don’t crowd the centerline

BE PATIENT! Randy Newberg’s 2015 Montana bull

Next up are the hunts that are a bit harder to draw. You will notice that I have also placed Colorado, Montana and Idaho in that column in the chart above. That is because these three states all have some good elk hunts that are on a limited entry draw.

This means that you might want to try for those limited entry hunts, but if you do not draw one of those coveted tags, the money you paid is not lost because you can use that license and tag for the general/OTC hunts instead. (continued on page 37)

Plow operators periodically pull over to allow vehicles to pass.

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THE DREAM”

ON THE

UPPER MISSOURI WINTER TAILRACES

By Trevor Johnson

Kit’s Tackle

www.kitstackle.com

A

s far back as I can remember dad and I would spend countless hours tossing jigs below Hauser dam during the winter months.

Slipping over snow covered rocks and breaking through the ice buildup near shore to pursue the rivers dreamy finned creatures.

Constantly delivering mouth to guide action to keep the line free of ice in the freezing conditions. I can see you saying to yourself, “Why in the world would I want to do that?!” Well, keep reading and I will have you lacing up your boots, digging for your gloves, and your jigging arm twitching. The areas below dams are called tailraces which are an artificial environment compared to a free flowing river.

Tailraces change the natural environment of the river and there are many features that create a fishing wonderland during certain times of the year.

We will focus this article on the winter months (Jan-March) and what makes fishing below a dam so good this time of year.

One of the most inviting attractions to fish of all species in the winter months to the tailraces is the warmer water.

We do have some similarities to fish ya know, we like to go to tropical places in the cold months, so do the fish! There are a couple reasons why the water below the dam is warmer in the winter months than the rest of the river or lake. The first has to do with turnover in the lake above the dam.

In the late fall, the entire vertical water column will be close to the same temperature. As the winter moves on, the water near the top where it freezes (Epilimnion layer) becomes the coldest. The densest water always goes to the lowest layer of the lake (Hypolimnion layer) where it is then pulled through the dams turbines. Now you’re thinking, well that doesn’t make sense Trevor, the coldest water should be the densest and therefore the coldest should be on the bottom layer. GOTCHA!! Water is in its most dense stage at 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit which is a heatwave compared to the near freezing water in the top column. So it stands to reason that during the winter months the warmest water in the lake is being pulled through the dam into the tailrace.

The turbidity (amount of suspended solids in the water) created in the water as it goes through the dam gives it another blast from the ol’ heatbox!

You have probably heard the term, warm water discharge. The increased volume of suspended particles in the water absorbs heat from solar radiation more resourcefully than water. The heat is then transferred from the particles to water molecules increasing the overall temperature of the surrounding water. So now, after going all Albert Einstein on you, I have shared why tailraces are the wintertime hot tub party and you’re invited!

And now, I’ll give you one guess what the number one biggest draw is that moves fish into the tailraces?

Yup, you guessed it…FOOD! TAILRACES ARE AN INFUSION AND MEGA DISTRIBUTION OF CHOPPED UP, CHURNED UP AND STUNNED FORAGE…A 24/7 FEEDING STATION. Dad and I call tailraces, the McDonald’s that is open 24 hours a day. I’m not saying there are half eaten chicken nuggets and Big Macs floating around, but it is a close second. Dang it, now a 10 piece chicken nuggets and fries sounds delicious!!

When the water is pulled through the dam, fish and other forage get taken with it. Some of the minnows and other larger fish get chopped up in the turbines and others shoot straight through, but are stunned or severely crippled making them an easy target.

10 - Hunting & Fishing News

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Along with all the snacks coming from above the dam, the water blasting out the bottom is also cooking something up.

Tailraces have the same effect as waves crashing into a shoreline rolling rocks and churning things up. This provides for an extra feeding bonanza of sculpins, crayfish and all other bottom dwelling aquatic forage resident to the tailrace.

So when fishing the tailraces on the upper Missouri river system, you know what baits to use to match the hatch!

AND MY FAVORITE COLOR BELOW ANY TAILRACE IS WHITE, WHITE AND MORE WHITE!! Nothing screams a chopped up sucker minnow like a white or bright flavored jig.

A couple Februaries ago, we were below Canyon Ferry in the boat and on my first cast with a doctored up white marabou jig I got crusted by a big brown trout. The kind of strike where it rattles your whole body right down through the rod; the kind you will never forget. Along with your chances at big cannibalistic brown trout, we have lots of days where we also boat 30-50 big rainbow trout in this stretch. We call them our “Polar Bear” guide trips so if anyone is interested in some winter jigging action we are your guys!! And in February and March we actually have a lot of pleasant days reaching into the thirties and forties! And the absolute best part about winter fishing is that it is never hard to find a place to park!! So get your butt in gear and hit the river this winter! You will need your jigging rod (or fly rod with streamers), and a handful of the Kit’s Tackle Bart’s Zonkers (www.kitstackle.com). The Glass minnows are always king, but in the cold winter months the doctored up marabou jigs (Bart’s Zonkers) can hands down be the best bait on the river!!

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Here are a few quick tips and recommendations to make your trip more successful: --If fishing from shore, I RECOMMEND BELOW HAUSER AND HOLTER DAMS. If fishing from a boat, I RECOMMEND BELOW CANYON FERRY DAM. The ramp at riverside is open all year long and you basically launch your boat right into the good stuff!

There is a couple mile stretch of river here to fish!

--NO BRAIDED LINE!! Your spool will freeze and you will not be able to fish.

--1/8 and 1/4 ounce Glass Minnows and Bart’s Zonkers (PLAIN JIG, NO BAIT!!)

--If fishing from shore, cast at a 45 degree angle upstream and work your jig back perpendicular to you. If fishing from a boat cast towards shore and jig back to the boat in the same fashion.

--Don’t be afraid to jig like you mean it, fish are still ready biters in the winter tailraces. They have learned the hard way that if they don’t take the bait, it’s gone!

--Please by all means keep a couple smaller walleye or a nice fat rainbow trout for the BBQ, but practice selective harvest.

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12 - Hunting & Fishing News

10 IMPORTANT RULES OF THE HUNTING PARTNER CODE

By Phil Bondurant

Originally published at

www.gohunt.com

T hroughout life, we encounter countless people that influence our lives in one way or another.

These relationships vary greatly based on the emotional and physical value we give them.

Photo credit: Brady Miller

Our appreciation and love for our families places them at the top of our list. We place value in other relationships, like an honest car mechanic or a familiar face at the local sporting goods store, but these tend to find rank lower on the list (although they can climb the ranks rather quickly if your truck has problems the day before the opener). Regardless of the connection or value, the rules to a successful relationship require a few simple ground rules, sometimes referred to as “The Code.”

One person that should rank high on the list for any hunter is their hunting partner. Hunting partners are much more than buddies roaming the hills looking for animals. It is a bond between friends that is forged through blood, sweat and tears. These are the people that have seen you at your highest of highs and, if you’re like me, have seen you at your lowest of lows. Good hunting partners are right alongside you to celebrate the crowning moments of your hunting career and they are the first ones to pick you up off the ground when you miss the big one for the second time. You spend hours in the hills laughing, joking and teasing one another about everything, yet find time to talk about serious issues like religion and family. In no other relationship would you answer nature’s call with only a few small bushes and trees separating each of you while you ask if they still have an eye on that buck or bull. There is no doubt that a good hunting partner has enough dirt on you to blackmail you for life, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

It doesn’t matter who your hunting partner is, how you hunt or what your gender is, the value of a good hunting partner rivals some of the most important relationships we have. The amount of trust between partners is comparable to family, even when that partner is not a family member. They have the codes to our garage doors, know where we hide the spare key and may even have the combination to the gun safe. We empower these individuals to positively influence our lives and place a significant amount of trust in them—both in the field and in life. Think about it: you wouldn’t spend 10 days in the middle of nowhere with a stranger holding a firearm or bow if you didn’t trust them. That is how horror movies start.

Although the Hunting Code has many variations, there are a few basic rules that are consistent across any partnership. Some rules apply only to short day hunts with fairly new acquaintances while others apply to week long backcountry hunts with best friends. Some of the rules are funny and highlight the shenanigans that occur between friends while others are more serious and ensure everyone involved is safe and returns home happy.

Regardless of your experience in the field, hopefully you can relate to some of the rules on the list, finding both humor and understanding in them. (continued on page 43) February 2017 13

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DON’T TOSS THE HAND CALLS YET

By Mark Kayser

Mark Kayser with a coyote he shot using an electronic caller along with hand calls. ©Mark Kayser

T he phrase “out with the old and in with the new” has a questionable origin dealing with a new mistress according to historic chronicles.

Set that image aside since the phrase also has relevance for predator hunters with the digital explosion in calling. Out with the old corresponds with

predator hunters ditching their hand calls. In with the new obviously applies to the reliance on electronic callers. New is nice and there’s no reason to ignore the numerous benefits of an electronic caller to boost your predator hunting success. Nevertheless, should you mothball your hand calls when employing the AA battery alternative?

You can’t ignore the benefits of new electronic callers. First, they provide you with hundreds of sounds to entice predators of varying species.

You can call all season and never use the same sound twice. That’s beneficial when calling to educated predators, especially those that have been targeted during coyote calling contests.

There’s also the ability to boost volume to throw sound across miles of real estate. And when those Montana winds whip up (and you know they will) you can simply turn up the volume to rise above the ruckus. Finally, you’ll be hard pressed to scare off a predator using an electronic caller.

Their pitch-perfect sounds mimic exactly the sounds needed to fool even the cagiest of predator ears, especially if you are not musically inclined.

But don’t throw the baby out with the bath water when it comes to hand calls. Having a hand call or two in reserve during any calling session has some overlooked benefits as well. My predator backpack always includes a pouch bursting with a variety of hand calls.

Begin with the obvious. You’ve just hiked into a remote setup site, plopped down the caller and turn it on only to discover … nothing! That’s right.

The batteries went dead or the rechargeable internal battery is no longer accepting orders from your electric outlet. If you have a hand call or two in your pack there’s no problem. You can continue on with the hunt and still send sounds downrange of prey or even coyote vocalizations with your mouth.

If you don’t have mouth calls stowed handily you’ll be on your way to the nearest sporting goods store and miss out on a morning of calling.

The ability to vary volume and when to call is also a bonus of a hand call. Sure digital callers have volume control, but is it always instantaneous?

Have you fumbled with a remote control volume button in subzero temperatures before? On a setup over the Christmas holiday I was forced to use mittens and tried to lower the volume as a coyote approached only to fail miserably until I yanked a mitten off and freehanded it in subzero temperatures.

And what if you need to lower the volume ASAP and temper the inflection from “I just lost a limb” to “I think I have a sliver?” Watching how a predator responds to your calls oftentimes demands those quick changes to keep a critter on course to you. Routinely I’ll watch coyotes appear on a horizon and suddenly set the parking brake due to their suspicions of what they are hearing. Stopping the caller, lowering the volume, changing inflection or going to a soft whimper all can be done with a mouth call instantly. Today’s coyotes are hunted harder than a Hidden Immunity Idol on the hit series “Survivor.” If anything sounds out of place, wrong or too loud, you can kiss that coyote goodbye unless you change the tone at a heartbeat.

On nearly every setup I mix and match electronic sounds with lung-powered-predator harmonies. This gives me flexibility to tailor my message on the spot and even save a hunt if the cold decides to drain my battery power before the hunt. My hand calls include a Johnny Stewart coaxer caller, cottontail call, crow call, fawn call and several diaphragms for coyote howling. This mix of calls, plus my electronic caller guarantee I’m set for nearly every predator scenario in my zip code.

One frigid morning I used my www.hunterspec.com Johnny Stewart caller to send messages of coyotes tearing into a baby fawn. I mixed initial coyote vocalizations with a diaphragm call to answer the electronic howls. After that I let the digital sounds carry the faux fawn attack. Fifteen minutes into the setup a guarded coyote appeared on a ridge more than 400 http://www.nikonsportoptics.com Nikon-confirmed yards away.

Apparently it wasn’t sold on the theatrics I had presented as it set the parking brake to overlook the grassy valley.

I didn’t want to risk blaring a sound too loud on my caller or scaring it with another howl so I simply switched to a soft coaxer using a hand call.

The coyote perked up and dove off the ridge with its nose pointed toward the exact origin of the sound. Five nerve-rattling minutes later it stopped at 100 yards and my http://www.bergarausa.com Bergara barked for a...Hornady V-Max ending to the morning.

“Out with the old and in with the new.” Hopefully this phrase doesn’t pertain to a mistress in your life. And as for a hand call, that’s one mistress you should keep around for predator success.

More hunting strategies from Mark at www.markkayser.com

14 - Hunting & Fishing News

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February 2017 15

2017 SPRING MACK DAYS

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Enter online at www.mackdays.com

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

Phone 406-883-2888 Ex. 7294 We remind you to follow all fishing regulations. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have a special $13 fishing permit for the south half on Flathead Lake that is available wherever fishing permits are sold.

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By Jason Mitchell

O

The author Jason Mitchell reveals some deadly insights for catching more walleye this winter with aggressive lure tactics.

ver the past decade, aggressive search tactics for walleye have been trending across many fisheries, particularly large bodies of water where the sheer acreage can be daunting. The lures combine with the mobility and mentality which allows anglers to cover more water.

Rattle baits, flutter spoons and swim lures can all be effectively used to find walleye and finding fresh fish is half the battle. One key element of breaking down water and finding fish through the ice is making sure that the fish can also find you. This aggressive style of fishing isn’t just snapping or ripping a lure to trip an aggressive reaction from a fish.. which sometimes happens. More importantly, you increase the amount of water you cover because fish can see you and react to you from much further away. A high lift with a flutter spoon for example might pull fish in from twenty feet away or more. A hard pound with a rattle spoon might create enough noise, flash and water displacement to pull fish in from several feet away. Ring the dinner bell.

So often however, there is a difference between finding fish and catching fish. Typically, the methodology of covering water and eliminating dead water to find fish is a matter of sampling as much water as possible with the time allotted so you can spend as much time as possible where there are fish. As a rule of thumb, some of the first walleye you pull off the spot can sometimes be the most aggressive fish... if you are fishing through fresh ice. As you pull a few fish off the location, the fish typically get less aggressive. The longer you wear out your welcome on a spot, the harder the fish get to catch. This decline in productivity often aligns with less competition. When fish are competing against each other to eat, these fish make you look good. When there are fewer fish on a location, there is less competition. Fishing pressure plays a huge role in how fish react to you. So many of these aggressive search and destroy tactics have originated and shined on large bodies of water because they allow you to stray away from the fishing pressure and allow you to find your own fish. (continued on page 21)

New for Spring 2017 – Requirement to certify your boat as mussel-free to participate in Mack Days

Recent discovery of zebra mussels in central Montana has elevated the need to reduce the risk of infestation in Flathead Lake. This is a very serious concern. Starting in 2017, all boats used in Mack Days must provide proof of certification from an authorized inspector before participation in the contest. The inspection form must be presented with your contest application. Fish will not be accepted from anglers fishing from un-certified boats. Numerous inspection stations and times will be available prior to the event. We are organizing the information and personnel to implement this program and will announce details on the website and in other outlets as soon as planning is complete.

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The In-Between Times

By Bob Bohland, Lindy Fishing Tackle www.lindyfishingtackle.com

T

he in-between times come twice a year for a fisherman. First, when winter begins to pull away her protective covering off the lake and it is no longer safe to venture out onto the frozen waterways to chase fish as they put on their feedbags in anticipation of the upcoming spring and spawn. Second is when winter begins her crawl across the waters as the ice slowly inches out to where you would like to fish, yet it is not safe enough to venture out.

The latter of these two times is easily dealt with if you are also a hunter. After all, there are ducks to shoot, pheasants to chase and grouse to wander after. And let us not forget the deer season, which rivals the number of outdoorsmen brought afield that the spring fishing opener brings to the lakes.

However, it is the slow, yet inevitable, process by which a lake thaws that brings the most pain to many anglers. Finally figuring out a body of water near the end of a long winter preoccupies the mind with “What-ifs”. We all know too well standing near a body of water, wondering how good the fishing might be right now.

While this is a time to slow down and stop your time on the ice, that doesn’t mean you should put away that ice fishing mindset. Now is the time to establish your goals for next winter. You didn’t hit that one little pond hidden way back in the woods? Write it down. You never found where the bigger crappies were hiding on a lake that everyone sits on the basin fishing the mediocre ones? Write it down.

As you begin to store your ice fishing gear in the garage for the transition to open water, think about what and where you would like to fish next season. Because, I can guarantee you when that first ice bug hits you next November or December, you aren’t going to be worried about what you didn’t get to the previous season. You will be simply focused on getting after something/anything that will come up through a small hole drilled in the ice.

The recipe is simple, establish your goals for next season while you put away your gear and ready yourself for open water. This allows you time to rethink things or strategies you want to change. A little bit of retrospection goes a long way to success next season.

18 - Hunting & Fishing News

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February 2017 19

Spring Steelhead Season Opens New Year’s Day

By Mike Demick, Conservation Information Supervisor, IF&G

F

A Fish’s Perspective of All-Time Great Ice Baits All-time great lures attain their status for very Custom Jigs & Spins

specific reasons. Sometimes, the best of the best baits are great by virtue of more than one trait— profile, action, vibration, texture, color, taste . . . or some killer combination thereof. Even more likely, the logic behind their magic is elusive, at least to human eyes observing above the surface. It’s why ‘ask the fish’ remains the airtight way to analyze any lure’s appeal.

But dig a little deeper, or rather, dive a little deeper, and you often arrive right at the source.

Add ice, and the only things that change are the horizontal versus vertical planes on which lures move. Same great fish-catchers, whole different season: Rat Finkee, Demon and Slender Spoon, all legendary Custom Jigs & Spins ice baits, each endowed with exacting elements that dominate tackle boxes by virtue of the fish they catch. Ditto for new classics like the Rotating Power Minnow (RPM) and Majmun tungsten jig. Fish after fish appearing in the little watery circle between anglers’ boots tells the true story. The stuff simply gets eaten.

Then again, slip beneath the icy surface and you get a different perspective; that elusive fish-eye view that gives us glimpses of what make these lures so special. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh1Kv92vD-Q Could be the subtle quivers and undulations of a microplastic tail.

(There’s a reason Custom Jigs’ Ratso continues to outsell most other jig-plastic offerings by surprising margins.) Or maybe it’s the hypnotic wobble, dart and glide of an RPM, the crazy-hottest new swimming lure on the scene. Count on the allure of the Slender Spoon, too—surely, its beautiful flash, flutter and thump all help inspire strikes. At least, we think so.

Either way, you can’t discount the power of a well-practiced, proficient presentation. Put just about any lure at the end of a skilled angler’s line, and you’re bound to catch a few. Now tie on one of the all-time greats, and fast action is but a jig-stroke away.

20 - Hunting & Fishing News

or some anglers, the best thing about New Year’s is the start of the spring steelhead season, which opens January 1 on parts of the Clearwater, Salmon, Little Salmon, Snake and Boise rivers.

But before wetting a line, anglers will need a 2017 Idaho fishing license and steelhead permit.

River sections to open include: -Salmon River from its mouth to the posted boundary 100 yards downstream of the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery weir, near the town of Stanley.

-Little Salmon River from its mouth to the U.S. Highway 95 Bridge near Smokey Boulder Road.

-Snake River from the Washington state line at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers upstream to Oxbow Dam. -Clearwater River mainstem and Middle Fork Clearwater River from its mouth to Clear Creek.

-North Fork Clearwater River from its mouth to Dworshak Dam. -South Fork Clearwater River from its mouth to the confluence of American and Red Rivers.

-Boise River from its mouth to the Barber Dam. The steelhead limit is three per day, nine in possession and 20 for the season. Once limits are reached, the angler must stop fishing, even catch and release. Steelhead anglers may use only barbless hooks, and may keep only hatchery steelhead marked with a clipped adipose fin. All other steelhead must be released unharmed immediately.

Steelhead are in the Boise River and the Snake River above Hells Canyon Dam only when stocked by Idaho Fish and Game.

During November, over 300 steelhead were stocked in the Boise River.

A steelhead permit is required to fish for and keep steelhead (rainbow trout longer than 20 inches with a clipped adipose fin). Barbless hooks are not required on the Boise River.

Consult Idaho’s 2016-2018 Fishing Seasons and Rules brochure for exceptions and special restrictions. For additional information on steelhead fishing including the latest catch rates, dam counts, and useful instructional videos, go to https://idfg.idaho.gov/fish/steelhead.

Where are the best places to go steelhead fishing?

Idaho Department of Fish and Game Answer: Because steelhead are in so many places in the state over such a long period of time, it’s hard to say there is a best time and place to go steelhead fishing. However, their upstream migration provides a general timeline for when they will likely arrive in different waters.

July through September: As steelhead start arriving into Idaho they tend to move into the Clearwater River using it as a thermal refuge.

These early arriving fish tend to remain in the Clearwater until the Snake River cools toward the end of September or beginning of October.

October through December: October is an exciting time for steelhead anglers as two things tend to happen. Fish start spreading upstream into the Snake and Salmon rivers and by the time you reach November steelhead can be caught about everywhere. Another exciting thing that starts to happen in October is the larger B-run steelhead start entering the Clearwater River.

January and February: January and February can be times to fish with a little more solitude on the Clearwater, Little Salmon and Salmon rivers.

Cold water reduces fish activity and catch rates decline, but fishing can still be productive when conditions are good.

March through May: The Salmon River upstream of Salmon, the Little Salmon River, the North Fork Clearwater and the South Fork Clearwater all provide the best fishing in the spring. Catch rates can be really good then as the fish are moving into the smaller rivers at the end of their migration.

Each month of the year and each location provide a completely different experience – the long days of September on the lower Clearwater, a warm October day in the Salmon River canyon, a cold January day in a drift boat near Riggins or Orofino, or the spring thaw in the Stanley Basin in April. The best time to fish for steelhead is a personal choice.

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Walleye on Demand

(continued from page 16)

As you move from search mode to catch mode, we are typically forced to make a lot of adjustments. These adjustments could be as simple as adapting to a fish on the screen in that we are often fishing much differently when we are not marking fish. When we are not marking fish, we are playing the lure so that we can hopefully reach distant fish. When a fish shows up, we often have to change the cadence to trigger the fish.

Knowing when to change up your cadence and how to react to fish you see on the Vexilar separates great anglers from average. So often as walleye come in on the presentation, they stall out as they reach the lure. If a fish lunges at the bait and misses or overshoots the lure or if the presentation falls behind a stalled fish, the lure disappears and this is the worst thing you can have happen when trying to trigger a fish. These fish basically drift off swimming away from the lure unless they turn around and turning around a fish that is facing away from the lure and getting a second or third chance only happens when the fish are on. When the mood is mediocre, you don’t get to screw things up. You get one chance. When a fish comes in hot and than just disappears, so often the fish simply overshot the lure and missed. Often the best way to turn around a fish is to raise the lure and pound the lure hard enough to where they can feel it. Your cadence has to become aggressive again but in a tight window.

Higher lifts create a lot of flash and can be seen from further away but they also create the greatest risk of swinging out and falling behind the face of a fish when they get close. Usually, lifting a spoon up four feet and dropping it down fast is not a good move when there is a fish on top of you.

The triggering moves become tighter and you want to keep the lure in front of the fish, you don’t want that lure to disappear. So often however, many anglers at this point don’t do enough and the fish don’t react to the lure. Most of the time, we have to keep the lure moving.

Stops and stalls will definitely trigger fish but they are usually momentary moves that follow movement.

One of the greatest and most common mistake many anglers make when attempting to trigger a walleye with a lure is letting the lure settle too much between strokes. Imagine a jig stroke and than the lure settles to the bottom of the stroke and hangs. The longer the lure hangs, the more the lure turns. On the next stroke, the lure comes off a different direction and this direction is unpredictable. One second the lure is six inches in front of the fish and than the lure shoots towards the fish disappearing... game over. Here’s a little secret that will help you catch a lot more walleye this winter.

Don’t let the lure settle at the bottom of the jig stroke. Start your up stroke before the lure settles so that the lure dances and the cadence and direction of the dart or swing becomes locked in to one direction and becomes predictable. The target becomes much easier for fish to hit.

Remember that walleyes don’t back up that well and they need room to turn around, this is why staying in front of the fish is so crucial. This is perhaps the most important reason for changing the cadence and adjusting the lure as the fish closes the distance. This is why finding fish can be different than catching fish. The moves that pull fish into the cone angle from twenty feet away often have to change as a fish gets close and this understanding of how to use tempo and cadence to find fish while reading your electronics to adapt and trigger fish will help you catch a lot more walleyes this winter.

February 2017 21

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

Most anglers are looking forward to open water fishing now as we head

into the month of February in the Rockies. It’s a transition that will slowly start to take place as we edge closer to spring. Lakes are still frozen over, and the edges of our rivers are not frozen solid, but still iced up and slick enough to wonder what you’re doing out here. Yes, some anglers prefer to have their ice in a glass mixed with a significant amount of bourbon at this time of the year. Can fishing be slow? Yes, but you can also stumble into an epic bite if you know what to look for, and understand how and what to fish with. The coldest months offer solitude, unusual beauty, and often times, plenty of fish to catch. The coolest part, (not literally), is that you don’t need a boat or have to be the greatest fisherman/woman to take advantage of the later winter bite.

Here are just a few spots to consider to finish out the winter season.

WESTERN MONTANA

GEORGETOWN LAKE: This lake continues to be one of the most

productive and popular hard water fisheries in the West. Plenty of nice trout and salmon continue to be taken on the standard Georgetown fare.

Rocket jigs, Swedish Pimples, Glo-hooks and small spinners will work, tipped with corn, maggot or a piece of crawler. The best fishing is usually along points on the outer edges of the bays in slightly deeper water than earlier in the season. The best bite will occur from first light until around 10am. Keep moving until you find the gold!

SEELEY AND SALMON LAKES: These Clearwater drainage lakes continue to produce some big predator fish through the ice. Northern pike are the primary target here. They are most readily taken on tip-ups using herring or smelt. Spearing is also an option, although a challenge, it can be rewarding. Nearby Placid Lake has been fishing well for perch using small forage minnows and Buck Shot spoons. Many of these higher lakes contain very good amounts of trout, perch and sometimes Kokanee salmon,and they can be easily reached from the highway. Or you can fish off your snowmobile to access lake points that offer exceptional scenery, fishing and solitude. Harper’s, Rainy and Alva are smaller high lakes that also offer up some of the best winter fishing you’ll find.

AREA RIVERS: February usually offers good abundance for success, particularly later in the month. If you hit the Bitterroot River or Clark Fork, using Zebra Midges, lightning bugs and glo-bugs, suspended under an indicator can put the bend back in your fly rod (something that might have been missing since December, as we’ve heard from some of our fishing friends). If you’re fishing Rock Creek, take some #10 stonefly nymphs and midge patterns in the #20 and #22 range to drift over these picky risers.

SOUTHWEST MONTANA

HEBGEN AND QUAKE LAKES: You can get creative on these bodies of water, located just south of the Bozeman area. Strategic use of an ATV or snowmobile can get you into prime hunting grounds for the big trout that inhabit them. The fishing has been quite good here recently.

Anglers have success using Swedish Pimples, Kastmasters, Jigging Rapalas or dropping down a Jig/Worm combo or tipped maggots for fast action.

Drew Baker - a little snow and cold weather doesn’t stop him from doing some winter fishing. Photo courtesy Drew Baker.

ENNIS LAKE: The angling here has been mainly good this winter.

Find the fish and you’ll have plenty of action using general jigging tactics along with a tip-up for the heavy trout that inhabit the lake. The fishing pressure here in the winter is generally very low, and many times, you’ll have a large portion of the lake to yourself.

HYALITE RESERVOIR: Ice fishing has been very consistent here since the ice first formed. Anglers have had excellent success jigging with Swedish Pimples, Kastmasters, and other flash lures. Maggots have been the most popular bait to tip the lures. You can also try a night crawler or a piece of fish meat. Access to the lake is excellent, as the roads in the area are plowed on a regular basis.

AREA RIVERS: Our rivers with free water have offered up excellent conditions this winter for fly anglers. Rivers such as the Upper and Lower Madison, Yellowstone, and Gallatin all offer exceptional winter fishing. Nymphing the deeper runs and pools will bring plenty of big fish to the net.

NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA

HOLTER LAKE: Holter Lake has been a hot spot for yellow perch,

some walleye and cruising brown trout. Keep your baits not far from the bottom now. I’m talking within a foot to pick up these fish. The Log Gulch area should produce good fishing conditions or a good pressure ridge. Jigging spoons or small flashers tipped with a worm or maggot will be a good combo now.

HAUSER LAKE: Ling or “Poor man’s lobster” can be found in Hauser. Find 20+ feet of water, rig up a piece of smelt and let it sit, or constantly jigging a jig with smelt will produce these tasty fish.

Either way, you should come off the ice with a mess of ling. The walleye are hunkered down, rainbows are cruising, and the perch are a bit deeper. (continued on page 34)

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Block Management Staff Shares Tips With Hunters MFWP W ith the big game season recently concluded, Block Management Program Administrative Assistant Bea Sturtz sits at her desk, busily

counting thousands of hunter permission slips. The slips are turned in by landowners participating in the program that opens 2,290,000 acres in southeastern Montana to hunting. Slips will keep filtering in until after spring turkey season, when Sturtz will have a final tally.

Last year, nearly 45,000 hunters accessed Block Management Areas in Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 7, spending a total of 78,826 hunter days in the field. From early numbers, Sturtz thinks this year could be even better.

“It was a good season,” she said. “It was busier for sure than last year, and we saw more hunters overall. I think hunters were finding game; the numbers are definitely up.”

Most hunters were after mule deer, which are rebounding well from recent lows. And although it’s a younger age class of deer right now, hunters reportedly were happy with their opportunities.

Block Management is heavily used by residents and non-residents, but Sturtz still encounters misconceptions about how it works.

With another general season in the books, she offered some suggestions that may help hunters better utilize the program.

Access not about big bucks Sturtz said the most common misconception is the type of information that she can provide to hunters who call or visit the regional headquarters in Miles City.

“They assume that because we’re with Fish, Wildlife & Parks, we’re going to know where the big ones [bucks] are, but it has nothing to do with that. We’re just here to help people find access to private lands, and I think that gets lost,” she said.

Sturtz’s assistant, Cori Enders, added, “They want to know where all the animals are, and the big ones, and the biggest populations of animals, by species.”

Hunters choose where to go Some hunters say they will go wherever the staff sends them, Sturtz said, “but it’s up to the hunter to decide where they’re going to hunt because it’s such a big area.”

The staff may ask people where they want to base their hunt, how far they are willing to travel and how much they want to walk, which can make a difference. And they do call landowners throughout the season to ask what type of game they’re seeing, in part to direct hunters toward better opportunities and to disperse people.

“Antelope populations are doing better in the southeast corner,” Sturtz cited an example. “But then they [landowners] get overwhelmed, so I try to find a different area for them [hunters] to go.”

Big parcels not always better Hunters tend to want large parcels of land to hunt, but sometimes landowners limit access within those BMAs. Also, hunters may be overlooking opportunities elsewhere.

“They need to know not to avoid those smaller areas, because sometimes they can be a hidden gem,” Sturtz said.

Permission isn’t automatic Access programs can vary from state to state, and Sturtz cautions hunters that access here is not automatic.

“You still have to make that step to get permission,” she said.

Some hunters think they can get permission just by calling FWP, but the agency only provides them contact information for landowners. There are two ways to gain permission to hunt: Type 1 BMAs allow a hunter to sign in at a box on site, and Type 2 BMAs require permission from the landowner or a representative. Even then, access is not a guarantee if the landowner is booked on a particular day or has certain stipulations.

Have a backup plan “A lot of BMAs book up pretty quickly, like the Powder River and Ekalaka areas where there aren’t a lot of BMAs, because game numbers are doing well over there,” she said. “They should always have a backup plan. If this one isn’t going to be open for that day, they should maybe look at another one, and I’ll give them the option to pull a different [contact] number.”...

24 - Hunting & Fishing News



Back Country Packing and Horseshoeing School Missoula County Fairgrounds April 21-24, 8:00am - 4:30 pm Sponsored by Eustance Pack and Tack Outfitters with Professional Farrier, Austin Talley, from Alpharetta, GA.

Confidently travel Montana’s most scenic wilderness by horseback.

Learn Low-Impact horse camping techniques with special outfitter tricks of the trade honed from decades of packing into the Bob Marshall Complex.

Gain the self-assured knowledge of how to shoe your own horse.

Must pre-register.

Class tuition is $875.00 for 4 days.

All livestock, tack, and tools are provided.

Class materials, breakfast and lunch are also included.

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Sunday, April 24th at 2pm – Public is welcome for Graduation Celebration and Free Demonstration.



Call or email to register: 406-452-0673 packandtack@montana.com

 February 2017 25

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February 2017 27

HUNTING & CONSERVATION NEWS

2017 Montana NWTF Banquets Havre: Missoula: Great Falls: Bozeman: Plains: Livingston: Helena: Billings: Columbus: Kalispell:

2/4/17 2/25/17 3/4/17 3/11/17 3/18/17 4/1/17 4/8/17 TBD TBD TBD

Terry Turner Eric Ibey Robert Richards Lynn Lavinder Tony Columbo Margie Nelson “BC” Caffyn Toby Vandenberg Russ Foster Paul Downing

(406) 262-2708 (406) 369-4239 (406) 750-2863 (406) 581-3657 (406) 531-3085 (406) 220-3863 (406) 270-3550 (319) 795-4053 (406) 620-7111 (406) 890-5000

The National Wild Turkey Federation - Working to “Save the Habitat.

Save the Hunt.” Across Montana

By Jason Tarwater, NWTF Regional Director jtarwater@nwtf.net

McKinlee Cox and Tyler Gillespie of Livingston were both successful on the NWTF’s youth hunt!

F ounded in 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage.

The NWTF has a membership base of over 220,000 and is represented by chapters in all 50 states. Through its team of professional conservation and field operations staff, along with dedicated grassroots volunteers, the NWTF works to conserve critical wildlife habitat and preserve the nation’s hunting heritage.

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Regional Director: Jason Tarwater (785) 221-6515 jtarwater@nwtf.net

District Biologist: Collin Smith (406) 600-9241 csmith@nwtf.net

Get involved!

Buy your tickets, donate, or volunteer today!

28 - Hunting & Fishing News

Today, it is commonly recognized by the conservation community, that current levels of state and federal wildlife conservation funding are inadequate. As an important component of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, wildlife conservation is funded primarily through hunting license sales and federal excise taxes (Pittman-Robertson funds) on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment purchased by hunters and shooters. If this important source of funding is to continue to benefit all species of wildlife, we must work to ensure that sufficient hunter numbers persist well into Montana’s future.

Critical issues facing the hunting community include the loss and degradation of wildlife habitat, lack of public hunting access, and declining hunter participation. The NWTF has responded to these issues by recently launching its “Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt.” initiative.

This is a far reaching national effort essential to the future of wildlife conservation. Through this initiative, the NWTF

has committed to raising $1.2 billion to conserve or enhance 4 million acres of essential wildlife habitat, create 1.5 million hunters, and establish 500,000 new acres of hunting access during a 10 year period.

What does this mean for Montana? These “Save the Habitat.

Save the Hunt.” goals are broken down within each state.

In Montana, our goals are to improve the quality on 35,000 acres of forested habitat, restore and enhance 5,000 acres of riparian habitat, increase hunter access by 20,000 acres, recruit 500 new hunters, and promote ways to get new hunters and shooters active. These are lofty goals, but through fundraising efforts at our local banquets across the state, our volunteers believe these goals will be achieved.

(Please see a listing of all the local banquets on this page). (continued on page 36)

HUNTING & CONSERVATION NEWS Wildlife, Riparian Habitat Permanently Protected Near Mount St. Helens Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

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The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its conservation partners

permanently protected and opened access to 1,453 acres of wildlife and riparian habitat in southwest Washington.

RMEF worked with Merrill Lake Properties LLC and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to connect protected lands and enhance recreational activities like hunting and fishing.

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“There was a possibility that the previous owner could offer this Merrill Lake waterfront property to the highest bidder, but now this landscape is forever protected and open for everyone to access and use,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer.

“Our working partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation enables us to meet the public’s demand for increased wildlife conservation, more open space and recreational opportunities,” said Clay Sprague, WDFW Lands Division manager. “We very

much appreciate and value the key role that RMEF has played in opening up this incredible landscape near Merrill Lake for the public. Their funding of the remaining acreage is a very timely contribution and enhances this public acquisition.”

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office provided vital funding through its Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program for the project and RMEF stepped in to bridge a shortfall due to a purchase deadline. WDFW takes immediate ownership of 1,016 acres while RMEF holds 140 acres until funding is acquired for conveyance to WDFW. RMEF is currently spearheading that effort.

The transaction benefits Washington’s largest elk herd and is the latest in a series of projects near Mount St. Helens. RMEF collaborated with its partners to complete the first phase of the Merrill Lake project, encompassing 297 acres, in 2015.

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“This property with its early seral and old growth forests has an extremely diverse set of conservation values that, in addition to elk, benefit black-tailed deer, mountain lions, black bears, osprey, eagles and other animal life as well as salmon and steelhead,” added Henning.

The land provides low elevation security for elk and is a vital fishery featuring some of the coldest fresh water inputs from the Kalama River that lead into the lower Columbia River system.

February 2017 29

REGIONAL NEWS Hunting Season 2017, Let The Adventures Begin

By Roger Phillips, Public Information Specialist

Light goose seasons (blue, snow and Ross’s) extend into March depending on the area, and there are liberal hunting rules.

Photo credit: Roger Phillips/Idaho Fish and Game

20,000-Acre Ranch Opened to North Dakota Hunters Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

T he Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGF) and other partners joined forces with dedicated

landowners to create North Dakota’s largest hunter access tract.

The Richard Angus Ranch Access Project covers 20,153 acres.

It also improves access to two adjacent state land sections covering another 1,280 acres.

“We are grateful to Byron and Kathy Richard for their willingness to recognize both the conservation values of their land and for allowing hunters free, walk-in access,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer.

The ranch, located approximately 15 miles north of Beach in extreme west-central North Dakota near the Montana border, is now part of NDGF’s Private Lands Open to Sportsmen program. A 10-year agreement allows hunters immediate access to what was formerly known as Beaver Creek Ranch.

The landscape features high-quality grassland with woody draws, bluffs, buttes and a winding Beaver Creek that offers quality habitat for elk, deer, pronghorn, turkeys and a wide array of other wildlife.

Volunteers also removed two miles of old fence and replaced it with wildlife-friendly fencing and better distributed water sources.

RMEF’s Torstenson Family Endowment (TFE) and Project Advisory Committee, NDGF, Pittman-Robertson funds, Mule Deer Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation and Pheasants Forever provided funding for the project...

30 - Hunting & Fishing News

With Idaho’s generous seasons, you can almost hunt year round

W

elcome to 2017, I hope you had a great hunting season last year, and it’s understandable if you think the season is winding down.

Many people think hunting seasons start in late summer, run through fall and end during winter, but there are many hunting opportunities in Idaho throughout the year.

Since we just started the new year, you can consider this the beginning of a new hunting season, too. Get your 2017 hunting license, if you haven’t already, and keep going into the field to pursue game and have the wonderful experiences that go along with it.

There’s a lot of options in January, and beyond...Duck and Canada goose seasons close at different times during January depending on which part of the state you’re in, and other waterfowl hunting opportunities run later.

White-fronted goose season goes until Feb. 19 in Area 2, which includes Southwest Idaho and portions of the Magic Valley (see the migratory game bird rules for details).

Light goose seasons (blue, snow and Ross’s) extend into March depending on the area, so again, please check the rules booklet so you can see the exact boundaries.

Snow geese, Magic Valley Region Light geese are overpopulated in some areas, and biologists are concerned that their high abundance can damage Arctic habitat, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. That means there are special rules in place to reduce these high populations, including the use of electronic calls and allowing unplugged shotguns.

There are restrictions on where those rules apply, so again, check the rules booklet.

REGIONAL NEWS

Always Ready Sunrise to Sunset

Snow geese and white-fronts are interesting and exciting birds to hunt. If you’ve ever listened to a flock of snow geese overhead, or seen a swirling mass of white-fronted geese (aka speckle bellies) landing in a field, you know what I am talking about. It’s a sight to see, hear and experience. If you haven’t, you owe it to yourself to check them out, even if you’re not hunting them.

One reason for the late seasons for these birds is they are often migrating back from the south, and following the receding snow line north, which makes southern Idaho a natural, but brief, stop over.

When you’re done hunting waterfowl, you will barely have time to stow your decoys and clean your shotgun before spring turkey season opens on April 15. It’s a great time to be in the woods as they are coming alive with the sound of gobbling toms.

JOINTHEVORTEXNATION

Some hunters compare the excitement of calling a tom turkey to calling a bull elk, but with a much easier pack out if you’re successful at bringing a gobbler within shotgun range and closing the deal.

Turkey hunting is also a great way to introduce novices to hunting because they often see and hear the birds up close, and there’s usually not the long, arduous hiking that’s involved with big game hunting.

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If you’re not a bird hunter, but still want to keep hunting, some hunters extend their season by taking on the challenge of predator hunting.

Mountain lion and wolf hunting are open and continue through March in most parts of the state and beyond March in some areas. You can find details in the big game rules booklet. Mountain lions are typically hunted with hounds, which is not an option for the average hunter, but there are outfitters available to guide you on one of these exciting hunts.

Predator hunting is also done by calling in the animals, and they all have a reputation for being wary and wily, so expect to put in some effort doing it, but you will have a trophy if you succeed.

The pelts are prime during winter, so you can have one turned into a rug, or a full-body mount.

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The end of mountain lion and most wolf seasons at the end of March dovetails with the start of spring black bear hunting in April, so you can continue pursuing big game.

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That brings us to July, and if you’re still itching to keep hunting, there are some limited opportunities for wolf hunting, but for most hunters, it’s time to start thinking about deer, elk and other seasons that start in August, September and October.

So don’t feel like your 2017 hunting seasons should be limited to a few months. If you’re willing to use your creativity and try some different quarry, and you can keep hunting nearly year round in Idaho.

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Missoula | Bozeman | Helena | Butte | Hamilton www.bobwards.com February 2017 31

Coyote Calling Nuances

By Jim Cunningham

F ew predator hunters have had such a dramatic impact on coyote populations than Nebraska’s Geoff Nemnich.

Not only is Nemnich an extremely accomplished predator hunter, winning the World Championship Coyote

Past world champion predator caller Geoff Nemnich offers some inside insight on calling coyotes.

32 - Hunting & Fishing News

Calling Contest in 2014 & 2015, but he is also one of the industry’s best ambassadors. Nemnich holds nothing back, revealing everything he has learned over a lifetime of hunting predators to any hunter who wants to learn.

This rare combination of knowledge with a desire and ability to teach sets Nemnich apart. Besides filming the popular Coyote Craze DVD series, Nemnich manages Lucky Duck’s predator pro staff and worked extensively with Lucky Duck this past season to develop the new Revolution E-Caller.

We had the opportunity to pick Geoff Nemnich’s brain for this article highlighting some of the hottest trends and considerations for hunting today’s pressured coyotes. As usual, his insight is spot on and invaluable for both beginning predator hunters and seasoned vets.

Q: How have coyotes changed over the past ten years in response to calls?

A: Honestly I don’t feel that the coyote species as a whole has changed their behavior over the past 10 years in response to calls or because of the advancement of the electronic call market or an increase in hunting pressure.

A coyote is still a coyote and each year more than 50% of the coyote population is made up of pup coyotes that haven’t experienced being pressured yet. What you get though with this increase in the predator hunting segment are coyotes that are pressured earlier in the season and at a more frequent rate. This leads to individual coyotes changing their behavior earlier in the season now as compared to 10 years ago.

Q: How does the terrain and weather affect how you set up your stand?

A: Terrain and weather play a big part in the decision making process when setting up a stand. When looking at terrain I’m specifically looking for areas where I can get my vehicle hidden from the calling area as well as make a stealthy approach into my stand. Early morning or late in the day I’m going to key in on transition areas where coyotes will more than likely be on the move hunting. These stands are generally more open with greater visibility.

Now during the middle part of the day I’m going to key in on bedding areas or the thickest, roughest areas I can find.

These stands are generally tighter with minimal visibility. In regards to the weather, I’m specifically concerned with the wind speed and direction. The greater the wind speed, the thicker the cover I’ll find to call in. As far as wind direction, I’m always going to approach a stand with the wind in my face or any variation out to a 90 degree crosswind. This will ensure that the coyotes that I’m hoping are in the area to be called in, have minimal chance to come in contact with my scent as they approach the sound of the call.

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visit us on the web at www.mountainstatescollisionrepair.com Q: What are your overall calling strategies for early season?

A: When developing a strategy for calling coyotes it’s important to understand coyote biology and the dynamic of coyotes being pressured throughout the season. Early on in the season, I’m guessing anywhere from 40%-70% of the coyote population in an area is composed of 6 month old pups. By October most of these pups will start dispersing across the landscape and colder temps deplete easy food sources like insects and fruits. These coyotes will now have to actively hunt small mammals like rabbits and rodents. Even the adult coyotes have grown less cautious with the minimal hunting pressure over the previous 6 months. Keeping all this in mind, I’ll focus my sound sequences on prey distress and pup distress sounds. Getting too aggressive with coyote vocals and fights can easily intimidate these pup coyotes that are dispersing across the area and keep them from approaching the call.

Q: How do your calling strategies change going into late season?

A: As we move into late season, the strategies once again change based off of coyote biology and the dynamic of coyotes being pressured for the previous 4 months. This is the time of year when even the most seasoned coyote hunters will struggle. In many cases the coyote population will be 50% less than what it was 4 months earlier and the remaining coyotes have more than likely been pressured or stressed in some way. Luckily for us, coyotes switch gears and start thinking about the continued existence of their species with the onset of breeding season. This opens a small window of opportunity for hunters if they are able to capitalize on it. In most cases I’ll shy completely away from prey distress sounds and use nothing but coyote vocalizations, fights, and breeding sounds. This is where having an ecall with an extensive amount of these types of coyote sounds will pay big dividends!

Q: What are the advantages of the E-Caller and how do you use this?

A: There are really 2 huge advantages to using an ecall. The first is being able to get the ecall out away from your position with the use of a remote. Coyotes are a top-notch predator and their eye sight is exceptional. Keeping their focus on the ecall and away from your position will buy you some extra time when it comes to getting a quality shot off. The second advantage is the diversity of sounds you can find on an ecall. Let’s take the Revolution ecall by Lucky Duck for example.

This call is filled with 100 real animal sounds that have been recorded in such a manner that the sound quality is second to none. Of these 100 sounds, more than 50 fall into the very important category of coyote sounds. These coyote vocals, fights, distresses, whimpers, and even estrous chirps are exactly what coyote hunters will need in order to be successful later in the season and the more choices you have the better your odds will be!

Q: Explain typical scenarios where you switch up sounds and volumes as coyotes approach.

A: Reading a coyote’s body language as they approach really dictates how I’ll regulate the sound and volume. If the coyotes is on a fast trot

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or run I’ll typically leave the call running on the same sound and at the same volume until they are close enough to stop and kill. If for some reason the coyote hangs up, sits down, or loses interest during their approach, I’ll typically start switching sounds and possibly the volume level to see if I can re-gain their interest. Sometimes I may elect to go with a more aggressive sound like a coyote fight or coyote distress.

Other times I may go with a more subtle sound like rodent squeaks.

But regardless, don’t be afraid to switch up the sounds multiple times in order to get the results you want!

Q: What trends and changes in predator hunting do you anticipate over the next ten years A: In terms of coyote hunting popularity I think we’ll continue to see an upward swing in numbers. More and more hunters are realizing the upsides to predator hunting like extended seasons, unlimited bag limits and the benefits to other game by managing predators. On the downside, more and more hunters are realizing just how difficult it can be to go out and successfully call in and kill coyotes. I think there will always be a steady influx of new hunters and hunters that give predator hunting a try a few times and then move onto something different. But above all, there will always be a tremendous amount of coyotes to hunt! In terms of technology, I see a greater increase in night hunting with the use of thermal and night vision equipment over the next 10 years by predator hunters wanting to gain as much as an advantage as they can. Also with the advancement of technology, I think we’ll start to see cheaper, more compact ecalls that will still offer all of the same big advantages that the more expensive ecalls offer today. Features like a built-in camera and revolving base in which the Revolution ecall offers, are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new and exciting additions to ecalls we’ll see in the future!

February 2017 33

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Statewide fishing report (continued from page 22)

REGULATING RESERVOIR: Small jigs tipped with a bit of Powerbait

or a maggot seems to be snatching up the perch here. The Kokanee bite has also been good here lately. Vary your fishing depths when targeting the salmon until you find ‘em. One day they may be 2 feet under the ice and the next, they could be in 25 feet of water. Perch and salmon, what a tasty combination!

MISSOURI FROM DAM TO DAM: For those of you that aren’t into fishing over ice and still have a hankering for some quality rainbows, try slinging the fly or spinning rod into the open waters of the Missouri. You can take the family for a wintery ride down to the dam, and whether it’s Canyon Ferry, Hauser or Holter, open water does exist. Countdown Rapalas seem to get a good response this time of the year, as does a good old-fashioned sinker and worm, Powerbait or the always trusty Rapala. They will all work to help you pull in the hungry fish.

EASTERN MONTANA

FORT PECK RESERVOIR: When you are standing on ice sheets that are

36 inches thick, it seems absurd to think that spring is in the air and that’s still a couple of weeks off from ice-out. But, if you can make the trip out to this sprawling inland sea, catching a giant fish through the ice is very possible.

Fort Peck Dam Area: Along the dam face and Duck Creek areas, most anglers are using tip-ups and minnows.

Dry Arm: Your chance to land a lake trout, yellow perch (by the bucket), and hungry northerns are all good bets this time of the year. Tip-ups, minnows or small spoons dropped down will keep you busy.

Hell Creek: Ice anglers are picking up plenty of northern pike, a few walleye and yellow perch in abundance here. Fish the weeded edges for these fish hanging closer to the shorelines now.

Good fishing.

34 - Hunting & Fishing News

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Making the Most Out of Shooting on Public Land

This article was originally posted on NRA Blog: http://bit.ly/2jadCr5 Reprinted from www.Ammoland.com www.NRAblog.com

F or some shooters, heading to the nearest indoor range to sight-in and enjoy an afternoon of target shooting is a convenient option to get

in trigger time in a safe, controlled environment.

However, not everyone has access to an indoor range, and many indoor facilities aren’t big enough to accommodate sighting in scopes for longer range shooting.

Public lands offer an excellent option for hunters looking to dial in before chasing their game, for recreational shooters that need longer shooting lanes, or for those that don’t live within reasonable proximity to an indoor facility. Many of these facilities don’t offer the amenities that commercial ranges have on site, so you’ll need to know what to bring, and more importantly, what rules to follow to protect yourself, others, wildlife and the environment.

There are a number of ways to find public shooting land in your area.

First, visit your local Department of Natural Resources or state-equivalent agency’s website. Here you’ll likely find a list of public facilities that allow recreational shooting, months and hours of operation, rules and regulations, maps, applicable costs, and other pertinent information to help you plan your outing. These areas include state parks, recreation areas, state-operated shooting facilities and other public land where shooting is permitted. If your state agency doesn’t feature this information online, consider calling their information line to inquire.

At the federal level, the Bureau of Land Management oversees federal lands, and sets the rules for shooting on those lands. Shooters can use the government-collaborative www.recreation.gov to search for public shooting facilities on federal lands, among other great outdoors opportunities.

By law, shooting, possession and use of firearms are allowed on public lands managed by the BLM as long as the activity adheres to the following guidelines: Doesn’t create a public hazard, nuisance or direct threat to public safety and use, including shooting any weapon from, across or toward roads or trails, shooting in an unsafe manner, or in an unsafe direction.

Doesn’t damage or destroy natural features, native plants, cultural resources, historic structures and public or private property, including the use of any vegetation or structure as a target, backstop or target holder.

Doesn’t result in littering, trash accumulation and abandoned personal property. Using any object that shatters or breaks into shards or pieces, such as glass bottles, is prohibited. Shooters are expected to police all spent casings, brass or shells and take them upon leaving.

Doesn’t violate existing usage restrictions, closure orders or supplementary rules notices.

Your equipment needs will vary based on what kind of firearms and ammunition you’re using, as well as what your shooting regimen is.

Consult the managers of the public shooting area you plan to visit to see what shooting infrastructure is available at the site, and plan accordingly to bring targets, staplers or tape, tables, shooting mats, trash bags, and other items you may need to set up and clean up.

The shooting sports are a time-honored American pastime that millions of Americans participate in each year. With more and more new gun owners enjoying shooting and hunting, there’s never been a better time to get out and start enjoying the outdoors.

Have fun, be safe, and always follow the range rules!

Photo courtesy R Bros. Rifles, LLC. https://www.facebook. com/R-Bros-Rifles-169716451489/ www.rbrosrifles.com February 2017 35

The National Wild Turkey Federation - Working to “Save the Habitat.

Save the Hunt.” Across Montana (continued from page 28) Examples of projects that the National Wild Turkey Federation has helped fund across the state last year include the North Plains Riparian Restoration Initiative (NPRRI), which is a comprehensive landscape habitat initiative developed by the NWTF to address the future management of riparian areas and the conservation of this vital ecotype. Since 2007, over 41,650 acres have been

conserved with over $5.6 million. Various prescribed fire and forest thinning projects on U.S. Forest Service and BLM lands in the Ekalaka area and the Ashland Ranger District, to the Missouri River Breaks, Snowy Mountains, and Frenchtown area.

The NWTF also provided funding to Montana’s Block Management Program to aid in opening up more public access for spring turkey hunting.

At a national level, our Chief Operations Officer, Becky Humphries has testified in front of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands, to address forest policy reform, and encourage active forest management. “Active forest

RECIPE CORNER Elk Pot Pie

By Kris Winkelman www.winkelman.com

Ingredients:

1 lb. elk steak (cooked and diced) 1-1/2 cup carrots (chopped) 1 large onion (chopped) 1-1/2 tsp chili powder 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with mild chili’s 1 13.8 oz pack refrigerator pizza dough 1 egg slightly beaten 1 tsp water 1 cup celery (chopped) 1 small package frozen peas (thawed) Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil

Directions: In skillet, add oil and saute’ carrots, onions and celery until tender.

Add diced elk, chili powder, salt, pepper and tomatoes.

Bring to a boil and simmer until liquid is just about absorbed.

Place mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.

Unroll pizza dough. Make sure it will fit your 9 x 13 pan.

In small bowl, mix egg and water for an egg wash.

Put pizza dough on top of mixture and then brush it with your egg wash.

Preheat the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until brown.

36 - Hunting & Fishing News

management benefits numerous wildlife species and their habitats as well as overall forest health.

It’s matched with economic benefits to local economies and public recreational opportunities,” said Humphries. “Additionally, increased active forest management on federal lands will help prevent wildfires and make it easier and less costly to fight them when they do occur.”

NWTF volunteers were also active in recruiting new hunters through mentoring beginning hunters during last year’s spring turkey season.

A few generous landowners allowed volunteers to take these young hunters turkey hunting for the first time. In total, 11 youth, and 2 wounded veteran hunters participated, and harvested 9 turkeys.

We are looking to spread this program across the state, and also in other hunting seasons, with our Save the Hunt Coordinator, Brandon Lavinder, from Bozeman (406) 600-6125. If you know of a new hunter, someone that has never hunted at all, or would even like to get involved as a mentor please let us know. A place to take these individuals is also something that we need in order to make this successful. Our Jakes Take Aim (youth), Women In The Outdoors, and Wheelin’ Sportsmen (physically disabled) programs are our way of helping to get everyone involved in the outdoors.

The National Wild Turkey Federation has embarked on a mission to make significant change across the nation in regards to wildlife habitat, public access, and recruiting new sportsmen and women. All of this work comes at a cost, and would not be possible without our great volunteers that organize various fundraisers across the state each year.

If you would like to become active in what the NWTF is doing across the state, please contact your local chapter to see how you can get involved.

We are always looking to build new chapters in other communities as well.

Please see page 28 for all contact information for the NWTF in Montana.

BUDGET 101: HOW TO HUNT ELK EVERY YEAR (continued from page 9) Montana In Montana, there are some great archery hunts with nonresident draw odds between 10 to 25% and the limited rifle hunts all with odds under 10%. If you are already hunting Montana, you may as well apply for those limited entry tags and build points if unsuccessful in the draw. The cost for the extra points when weighed against the quality of the hunt you might get, is fairly minimal.

Colorado Colorado has a preference point system. This means that the prior year’s drawing stats provide some indication of how many points it will take for each limited entry tag. Colorado is known for lots of elk, but with few top end units. I was a fool because I decided to wait out the point creep in Colorado and now I have 19 points. The reality is that the quality of the hunt that I will get with 19 points is not much better than many of the hunts a nonresident can get with five preference points. In Colorado, try not to accumulate many elk points. The marginal benefit to each point is very small once you get above five points. Burn those points and go hunt.

Idaho Since Idaho does not have a bonus point system, nonresidents new to the western elk game should think seriously about Idaho. Each year, all applicants have the same odds. One deterrent to applying in Idaho is the requirement to purchase a nonresident hunting license. Yet, if you are already planning to hunt there, you can leverage the investment in your nonresident license and apply for a limited entry tag, which is known as a “controlled hunt.”

Like all the western states, the more restrictions you are willing to accept, the better your odds of drawing.

Idaho is no exception. Odds for archery and muzzleloader hunts are far better than rifle hunts. In fact, the primitive weapon seasons are usually longer and the dates more favorable. Idaho has many quality elk hunts with draw odds around 20%, which means that I am likely to draw within my “every five years” plan.

The fact that I put Arizona and New Mexico on this list may surprise you. Contrary to popular assumption, there are hunts in these two states where you have a reasonable chance of drawing a tag every five years as long as you stay away from the high-demand units and weapons types.

Arizona and New Mexico Everyone wants to hunt the glory units of Northern Arizona or the Gila in New Mexico. I have been hunting other states for twenty years and I have hunted both of those famed elk areas.

It is obvious why they are popular.

Yet both states have other great areas with large amounts of public land where the age class of elk is excellent.

While it may not be the age class of these glory units, it is still very good when compared to other states.

Randy Newberg and Lee Havemeier with Lee’s Arizona bull elk.

Most nonresidents are of the mindset that if they are going to hunt Arizona or New Mexico, they want one of the infamous units — hopefully while elk are bugling!

This is fine by me because it means that I can draw the second tier units or hunt the later rifle seasons with more frequency than those guys counting on lucky fortune.

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Randy’s New Mexico bull elk.

Building points for a mid-tier unit in Arizona can be a bit expensive because of the nonrefundable license requirement; however, New Mexico does not have a point system and their hunting license fee is refundable if you do not draw. This makes New Mexico a “no brainer” for the traveling elk hunter.

Wyoming Wyoming is the most predictable of the “five year plan” states. Once you accumulate preference points, it is fairly certain that you will be going on a really good elk hunt. In my opinion, Wyoming has the best

combination of quality elk, public lands, accessibility to tags and harvest success of any western state. There is a reason Wyoming has so many applicants for their elk hunts. It is a great state.

When applying in Wyoming, make sure you understand that the state provides nonresidents with two different application options. (continued on page 38)

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BUDGET 101: HOW TO HUNT ELK EVERY YEAR

(continued from page 37)

There is the “Regular” fee or you can pay an additional $480 for the “Special” fee that, in most units, will give you better drawing odds. When the draw is done, the tags acquired in the “Regular” draw are the same as those issued in the “Special” draw, but at a difference in price.

Part of your elk hunting budget should be allocated to building points in Wyoming.

Even if you miss the draw, Wyoming allows nonresidents to buy a point for the following year by paying $50. Break that down to a monthly fee and it is only $4 per month.

I easily spill $4 of coffee on my lap each month! That $50 is going to help you as you build an elk hunting plan that involves one of the quality units in Wyoming.

THE ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION PLAN Glory units — or what I like to call once-in-a-generation hunts — are available in every state. These units are the most coveted and the hardest to draw.

Because of this, these hunts do not fit into my plan of hunting elk every year.

Yet it is possible to carve enough out of your budget that you can build points or rolling the dice each year and not have it compromise the rest of your hunting bank roll.

Randy Newberg and friends pack out the last load from his 2013 Wyoming bull elk.

Before I go into detail of why these “glory tags” are so glorious, I want to caution you about holding all your cards for that hunt only to be disappointed.

Even on these hunts, there is not a high number of 350” bulls killed. Sure, there is a higher percentage than other hunts, but do not assume that it is a slam dunk.

Weather, fires, drought and a myriad of other unforeseen events can make one of these tags seem overrated. I drew an Arizona Strip mule deer tag during a very bad drought year. I hunted all ten days of the season and did not find a single buck worthy of the maximum points it took for the tag.

That tag, in spite of burning maximum points to acquire it, is still sitting in my desk drawer, unpunched. One of my friends drew an amazing early elk tag in Arizona only to have a huge fire change the landscape for the period of that hunt.

What is the point of these sad little tales? To make sure that you are aware that these hunts might be all you dreamed of or you might draw during an unfortunate year. Proceed with caution.

SO WHAT ABOUT UTAH AND NEVADA?

You’ll notice that two states are on this list and not on the “yearly” or “every five year” list: Utah and Nevada. Here’s why: draw odds for elk in those states is in such high demand that even high point holders have minuscule odds of drawing. Since both have a bonus points system, rather than a preference point system, every applicant has a statistical probability of drawing — even if it is extremely slim odds for low point holders.

38 - Hunting & Fishing News

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Additionally, both Nevada and Utah have waiting periods once you do draw so you are not going to draw a tag in those states every five years.

It is not allowed.

Is the elk hunting good enough in those states to justify the long-shot odds? Yes, it is. I have hunted them both personally and helped others on hunts in those states. Because they manage for a very high age class and most elk are on vast tracts of public lands, the quality of the hunts are excellent. That said, do not plan your fall elk hunting schedule based on any certainty of drawing in one of those states.

Like Nevada and Utah, all the states have some limited entry hunts that justify the huge amount of applicants that create such abysmal drawing odds.

QUICK RUNDOWN ON DREAM HUNT UNITS

• Colorado has some elk hunts in the northwest corner of the state that are as good as any you can find. Even for the primitive weapon seasons in those units, nonresidents are burning 20+ points with the points required creeping each year. If you are not in the top of the point pile in Colorado, do not waste your time on that strategy.

• Idaho has some spectacular elk hunts along the Nevada border.

Your odds are usually better at winning in a Vegas casino, but every year up to 10% of those Idaho tags are awarded to nonresidents. Having deer hunted in some of that area, the bulls I saw made it clear why demand for elk tags is so high.

• Montana has some rifle hunts in the eastern and central parts of the state that are excellent, but access can be an issue in some units.

Elk quality more than makes up for the access challenges and the long draw odds. These are not hunts you can bank on for your annual hunting plans, though for little additional cost, you can apply for them and build points as you go.

• Now that Arizona has changed its method for drawing tags, the highest demand units in Arizona have essentially become a preference point system for nonresidents. This is because Arizona limits nonresidents to no more than 10% of the tags for any hunt code. Arizona has two parts to the tag drawing. The first part of the draw awards 20% of the tags to those with the highest point totals. In units with high nonresident demand, the 10% nonresident cap is filled during the first part of this draw, making it impossible for any nonresident with lower point totals to draw one of the highest demand tags. Again, if you are wanting one of those tags, plan on biding your time and making an annual investment toward that goal. Do not make it your first option for an elk hunt...

• New Mexico has become more difficult for the self-guided nonresident since passing recent legislation that caps non-guided nonresidents at 6% of the total tags. Gila units and areas near the Mescalero Reservation were already difficult. Passage of that law only added to the challenge.

• Since New Mexico has no point system, and they allow you three choices, you may as well make your first two choices one of these long-shot glory units. New Mexico looks at all three choices before moving onto the next applicant. You never know when lady luck will shine on you.

And when she does, New Mexico will truly be the Land of Enchantment.

• Wyoming has some tremendous elk hunts that rival that of Nevada and Utah. Lots of public land, lots of elk as well as some whoppers.

Late migration hunts in northwest Wyoming are the highest demand due to the quality of bulls taken. Some of the central and southwest units have rifle hunts that start while bugling is still common. Though these hunts take maximum points in Wyoming’s limited entry draw, Wyoming does allocate 25% of their nonresident tags in a separate random draw.

This means that while the odds are extremely low, you do have some small chance of drawing. Given how good some of Wyoming’s mid-tier hunts can be, my personal opinion is that nonresidents are far better off to hunt the units that take four to five points and hunt them many times versus holding all of your points for one big hurrah.

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BUDGET 101: HOW TO HUNT ELK EVERY YEAR (continued from page 39)

LET’S TALK MONEY

Now that I have taken so much of your time explaining the details, I need to talk about elk hunting finances. Most people think western elk hunts are $10,000 to $15,000 opportunities. They can be, but not at my house.

Through other hunters and my own experiences, I have learned many ways to cut elk hunting costs while keeping the experience top shelf.

Each of these recommendations is a personal preference. Some will look at the suggestion and determine it’s not worth it to them; they prefer to splurge where I might exercise frugality. Some of these are suggested cost savings for one trip; whereas, other ideas have a multi-year focus where your investment gets you in the elk woods every year.

Tags and licenses are not a variable. Yes, you can save some money by hunting the lower priced states every year. This will likely save only a few dollars. A general statement would be that most elk hunts are priced according to the quality of the hunt — and quality is measured in terms of crowding, access to land and age class of the elk. Not always, but pretty true. In other words, you often get what you pay for — at least in the general and OTC units.

State by state elk hunt price breakdown (2015) State

Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming

Point system

Bonus Preference None Bonus Bonus None

License fee $160 N/A $155 $10 $142 $65

Bonus $65 Preference N/A

Other Application Elk tag fees fee fee

$10

$15 $40* $15* $ 9* $15 $13

$50**

$10 $14

$10

$665 $619 $417 $846 $1,200 $548 regular $773 high-demand $800 $591 regular $1,071 special

and other healthy meals that can be put in vacuum sealed bags. I take many coolers of these meals to elk camp. Each night, I turn up the heat on the burner pot, put the vacuum sealed bag in the boiling water and in ten minutes I can enjoy a hot meal from home, which is much better for my body and my wallet.

Many of us leverage an elk hunt as justification for new equipment purchases.

I get that. There are no bad times to buy a new rifle, but do not do so at the risk of your elk hunting slush fund. Most of you hunt deer. What kills a deer will kill an elk. Spend that money on better bullets, not new rifles.

A well-placed bullet from any deer rifle will have you practicing your field dressing skills in short order.

An elk camp can be built over time. Invest in quality gear from the start.

Buy right and buy once. View equipment purchases as an investment, not a disposal expense. Each season you can add a bit more to your camp items. If you have the same guys who hunt elk each year, don’t be redundant in your investments toward camp equipment. You don’t need two axes, two wood stoves, etc. Make your investment in necessities the other guys don’t have. Combined, you will have one heck of an elk camp.

I love processing my own meat. Sometimes, travel and schedules require I use a commercial game processor. If not for that, nobody would get the pleasure of converting my elk to table portions, other than yours truly.

Most places will charge $300 to 500 for a big bull elk. You and your buddies could do the same thing for much less and with more confidence in the cleanliness of the final product. It is critical that you find a way to keep it cool until you get home, even if it means renting some nearby cooler space while waiting for the rest of the crew to fill their tags.

None of these cost savings tips are anything scientific. In fact, most of them are common sense. Common sense requires you to allocate your budget, however large or small, in a manner that allows you to go elk hunting every year and, hopefully, some years twice.

There is really no reason for any aspiring elk hunter to stay home from the elk woods each year. Maybe that is a personal choice. Yet, for not much more than $100 per month, a public land elk hunt can be had in many western states. As your budget increases, so does your opportunity.

*Only required if applying for limited entry permits. **Additional price needed to gain a preference point if unsuccessful.

Travel is going to be one of your larger expenditures. Most of you might be traveling more than a thousand miles. That distance precludes flying, renting vehicles, baggage fees, meat shipment (hopefully), etc., for most hunters. Odds are, though, that you are driving. The best way to lower this cost is to split it with a group of other guys. If your truck gets 15 mpg, by splitting it with another guy, it is the equivalent of getting 30 mpg.

Share those costs with a third hunter and now your travel costs are the same as if you drove your Prius across the country; a Prius than can hold a lot of gear.

When I travel, motels are not part of the equation. Time on the road is time wasted and money wasted. I realize that not everyone is willing to toss their cot out on an old logging road and spend the night under the stars, but I am. If you have a good crew of guys who can stay awake, some can rest while others drive, getting you there faster and cheaper.

This saves more time for hunting and more dollars for other luxuries.

In addition to the benefits of a partner or two splitting travel costs, elk hunting can be more “comforting” with extra strong backs in camp for packing out meat. For some, hunting with others is not a consideration.

I would suggest that it adds a level of comfort, splits the workload around camp and, if you drop a bull in a bad location, gives you some extra manpower that can be very helpful.

I really do not include food in my hunting budget. I need to eat, whether I am at home, on the road or in elk camp. I have little use for the empty calories of fast food. When I travel, I eat mostly snacks and meals from home. This not only saves money, but you will feel more nourished when you get to elk camp. Other than backpack hunts that require dehydrated meals, it is mostly all home cooked food at my base camp. Prior to season, my wife cooks up big batches of antelope lasagna, elk chili, venison stew February 2017 41

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Dear Dad, There’s something I’ve been meaning to say…

By Paul Wait

Delta Waterfowl

www.deltawaterfowl.org

I don’t know if you still remember my first duck, but I sure do.

Hunkered low in the front of grandpa’s duck skiff, I nervously clutched my shiny 20-gauge pump as you powered us through the cattails. At the far end of the main lake of Uncle Jack’s cranberry marsh, tucked back in a weedy pocket, a small flock of ducks raised their heads in alarm as we drew near.

My heart raced as the birds bunched on the water, seemingly calculating their best escape route. I shifted my grip to keep the gun barrel pointed at the ducks.

“They’re close enough!” you whispered from behind me, just before the ducks lunged skyward.

I straightened my scrawny shoulders under a too-large parka and mounted the shotgun. The flushing birds rose and flew to my left, a fortunate turn for me as a right-handed shooter. Still, they were up quickly, four fast little ducks winging toward the safety of open water.

You sat silently — and I’m sure rooting for me — at that instant so as not to distract my shot, but I recalled your earlier coaching as I took aim.

“Don’t shoot at the flock. Pick one duck and swing with it,” you had instructed.

Although I was a headstrong teenager, I had been listening. When the ducks jumped, I lined up my bead on the front bird.

I fired. To my surprise, a duck folded. I was too excited to care that the third duck in the group — not the one I was targeting — fell to the water.

I got one!

You couldn’t paddle us fast enough to reach that downed blue-winged teal. If I could have run to that duck, I surely would have set a record in the 40-yard dash. In hindsight, I probably could have made it most of the way to the bird by skipping across the lily pads on pure adrenaline.

I had shot my first duck. Finally.

It was a long time coming. Maybe your memory has faded about the hours you spent paddling me through the creeks and backwaters, flushing wood ducks along oak-lined channels and sending mallards skyward from the remnant cranberry bogs, only to have me miss time and again.

I went an entire season without killing a duck.

You were patient, and if my horrible marksmanship was frustrating, you never let on. More importantly, you kept putting me in the front of the skiff and encouraging me to “Watch up to your right” and “Be ready — the ducks like to sit around this bend.”

Somewhere along the line, I figured out that although I shoot right-handed, my left eye is dominant. I learned to compensate and started regularly hitting birds. Today, some of my hunting partners even consider me to be a pretty good shot.

I recall my first mallard, a young-of-the-year greenhead I shot over at grandpa’s farm pond. Remember that? We were hunting pheasants, and we saw a flock of 25 mallards dump in the pothole. We went into duck mode and made the perfect sneak. I tried jump-shooting that hole 20 more times over the years, but that was the one and only duck I ever shot there.

I’m positive my first Canada goose is etched in your memory. I shot it right out behind the house before school in October 1984. I surprised you that morning — I brought home a goose all by myself. Back then, a Canada goose was a rare trophy. And mine had a metal ring on its leg with numbers on it. I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant as I trotted home through the cornstalks to show you my goose, but I knew it was special.

I’ve never told you this before, but my career in the waterfowl world started that evening. I stayed up late writing all about our duck and goose hunting exploits in my little black hunting journal. I penned wild stories about paddling those creeks with you and shooting ducks — even the ones I missed.

A lot of opening days have come and gone since, and I’ve been fortunate to hunt ducks and geese at some of the most storied places in North America.

I proudly tell people that waterfowl hunting is my lifelong passion, and for me, it was born at Uncle Jack’s cranberry marsh in Wisconsin.

As you know, I’ve written hundreds of magazine columns and stories, and I’ve reminisced in several of them about my early waterfowl hunting experiences.

But in all of those pieces, I’ve never really come right out and said it: Dad, thank you for taking me duck hunting when it would have been easier and more fun to go hunting with your buddies. For my first shotgun under the Christmas tree. For all of those rides in the front of the duck boat.

Thank you for being my mentor.

Paul Wait is the editor/publisher of Delta Waterfowl magazine.

42 - Hunting & Fishing News

Like the commonly referred to “Bro Code” or “Girl Code,” below is a list of common rules every hunting partner should know.

THE 10 HUNTING PARTNER CODE RULES

1. Never give away your honey holes to other hunters or friends.

This one seems like common sense, but it happens. Friendships have been lost over this exact situation. Your secret spot is just that: a secret.

Make sure you keep it that way...

2. Never leave your partner on the hill unless the time and date was agreed upon ahead of time.

Only a few circumstances warrant you leaving your partner on the hill.

Leaving for family emergencies, serious injuries or illness or other tragic situations require no explanation. If you agreed upon a time that one of you had to leave before the hunt started, then all is well. Otherwise stick it out; you’ll be glad that you did.

3. Don’t quit the hunt because you’re tagged out.

This is an extension of #2. If you took the time off work and the animal is taken care of, stay behind to help your partner fill their tag. If you were planning on being there until a certain day, stick it out until the hunt is over. If the situation was reversed, wouldn’t you want the help and the camaraderie?

4. Don’t be late.

Do your best to be on time. 10 minutes is one thing, two hours is a completely different story. Our vacation days and time in the field is precious. Being on time maximizes this time and shows respect to your buddy.

5. Know the contact info or how to get a hold of the spouse, parents, or significant other of your partner.

You never know when you might need this. Having it allows you to contact important people if there is an emergency, but it also allows you to update everyone when you pack your animal out to the truck and find cell service before returning to camp to help fill another tag.

6. If you are going in solo, even for a day hunt, let your hunting partner know.

Sometimes explaining an area to a spouse can be tough. If you don’t come back or something happens, your hunting partner probably knows the area, knows where you parked or how you are hunting the area, which can aid in recovery efforts, if needed.

7. Define the boundaries.

Is it mutual consensus that certain animals are off limits? How do you determine who gets first shot? If you spot an animal first, do you have claim to him the entire hunt or is it fair game each day? Answering these questions ahead of time can eliminate disagreements and save wasted time on the hill while you work through the details.

8. If one of you sets your sights on taking an animal, the other partner should do everything in their power to make it happen.

Regardless of who fills the tag, the success should be shared by all.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. If your partner takes off after an animal, it is your job to help him or her be successful. Remember, success on a hunting trip is shared among the group, so their successes are yours as well.

9. Never answer nature’s call in plain sight of one another.

There is no simple way to put it. Number one is OK if your back is turned. Under no circumstances can you visit a bear in the woods while in plain sight of your partner. Being within earshot is questionable at best, but there must always be at least 10 yards between the two of you and enough brush to camouflage your efforts.

10. Most importantly, be respectful and tell them thank you.

This means during the hunt as well as after the hunt. Remember that it’s a team effort, but posting pictures and telling the story is reserved for the hunter. Be respectful and let them have their moment if they wish. On the other hand, give thanks where due. Although it’s probably understood, it’s nice to hear it once and awhile.

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There is no outline for who, what and how relationships between hunting partners are defined; all we have is a list of unwritten rules to follow.

For new hunters, these guidelines might as well be Greek. For the experienced and weathered guys, some of these rules are like doctrine and faithfully followed each year although they may have never been spoken or written down....

A word of caution: if you show up for your next hunt with a contract detailing the code and looking for a John Hancock at the bottom of the page, you will be laughed off the mountain. However, knowing and understanding the code not only shows respect for your buddy, it also improves the hunting experience and improves your odds of being successful. Following the code does not eliminate disagreements between friends and the frustrations that follow on slow hunting days.

What it does is guarantee that the friendship continues long after the hunt when all you have left is the memories of days past.

For me, that is the true value of the Hunting Code.

February 2017 43

Largest Elk in 48 Years, Largest Ever With a Bow The Boone and Crockett Club

T

oday the Boone and Crockett Club and Pope and Young Club announced that an elk from Montana taken on public land during the archery season in 2016 is a potential new archery World’s Record typical American elk.

After the mandatory 60-day drying period, the elk’s official entry score was confirmed at an astounding 430 inches.

The bull was taken on a solo hunt early in the Montana archery season by a resident hunter, Steve Felix, who then brought the bull to the attention of the Boone and Crockett Club, headquartered in Missoula, Montana.

“History was made right here in Montana,” said Justin Spring, Boone and Crockett Club’s director of Big Game Records.

This is the fourth-largest bull in our records, which date back to before 1900, the largest since 1968 and the largest from the state of Montana.”

The current B&C World’s Record taken with a rifle scores 442-5/8. The second and third largest typical elk were taken before 1900.

“It’s a milestone in the success of our commitment to this iconic species,” Spring continued. “Animals of this size do not happen by chance. It takes the combined commitment of wildlife managers and biologists, landowners, sportsmen and, above all else, it takes the best habitats we can set aside for elk in elk country.”

The last step in the process, in order to obtain an official score for Pope and Young Club World’s Record status, is to have the antlers panel scored by a group of highly qualified P&Y and B&C Measurers. This will take place just prior to Pope and Young Club’s Biennial Convention and Big Game Awards Ceremony April 5-8, 2017, in St. Louis, Missouri, where this exceptional animal will be displayed and honored.

Using the B&C scoring system for big game, the Pope and Young Club maintains records for archery taken trophies. B&C records animals taken by all legal hunting methods.

“We’re excited, not only for the health of our elk populations and bowhunting, but to be able to share this outstanding specimen with the public for the first time at our biennial convention,” explained Joe Bell, executive director for the Pope and Young Club.

The current archery World’s Record typical elk scores 412-1/8 and was taken in 2005 from Arizona.

Both organizations point to the fact that a free-ranging elk of this size, living a long life on good habitat, is just one more indicator that wildlife conservation and management is working well.

“Elk of this size are a sign that we’re doing something right out there,” said Spring. “And the end result couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

He’s been bowhunting a lot of years and really gets the spirit of the chase, the importance of conservation, and what records keeping is all about-honoring the animal and what it took to make sure we still have elk with us, and the opportunity to see and hunt them.”

44 - Hunting & Fishing News

February 2017 45

46 - Hunting & Fishing News

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February 2017 47

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