PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

PRESIDENT - STEPHEN LEPAGE 1ST VICE PRESIDENT - BRIAN KOELZER 2ND VICE PRESIDENT - MARK SCHWOMEYER - NO REPORT SECRETARY - JERRY DAVIS TREASURER - CLAUDIA DAVIS

Stephen LePage

The Montana Bowhunters Association donated money and manpower to transplant bighorn sheep from the Missouri River Breaks to the Little Belt Mountains in 2020. In an effort to keep you updated, over the winter a lion got very good at killing these sheep. Luckily that lion was killed. This spring had very good lambing. MT FWP biologists decided to enhance this new herd with another capture and release in 2021. The MBA was again invited to assist with this supplemental capture. In addition to a large group of FWP personnel and volunteers, our 2nd VP, Mark Schwomeyer, and I were in attendance and we captured several ewes and a few rams. We are fortunate to have the lead biologist on this project giving a presentation at our banquet this year. Be sure to attend to see exactly how the MBA is helping to establish a new sheep herd here in Montana.

I am writing this before the MT FWP Commission will have voted on and set the rules for the next two years. This will be published after they have made their decisions. I want to assure you that we took the information you provided through the survey and developed a comprehensive set of recommendations for the Commission to review. We can only hope that they took these recommendations into consideration when making their decisions. Thank you again for your efforts in contacting the Commission and FWP.

I am very excited that we are finally having a convention. It has been two years since we have been able to hold our biggest fundraiser and we have accumulated lots of great prizes. Although the MBA is still financially sound, our coffers have gotten low, so I expect each and every one of you to bring your checkbooks and spend way too much money while enjoying a good time with fellow bowhunters.

This may be news to some of you, but my wife is a big fan of sitting on a beach and doing nothing. To me, this is a form of torture. I do not enjoy getting sunburnt, large crowds of people, and sand getting everywhere, including my butt crack. So, when my wife proudly announced she was taking my family, including my in-laws, and the Zink family (long-time MBA members) on a relaxing beach vacation, I started plotting against her. Both the Zink family and my “no good for nuthin” father-in-law are really into bowfishing, so I found a gentleman in Miami that runs a business called “Arrow Assault” and he specializes in iguana and stingray bowfishing (separate trips.)

I threw the idea out for a vote to the large group of travelers and everyone was on board, literally. One call to Captain Donavan and I booked it.

The Zinks decided that since we were going bowfishing, we might as well go after some gators. My son, Mitchel, seemed very excited at this opportunity and the next thing you know that was booked for them. Yet again, the Zinks came to my rescue with the idea of frog gigging. Well, that trip was also booked.

If you have lost track: my wife’s five-day, relaxing, sunbathing, fruity drinking, do-nothing, beach vacation now had four hunting trips planned. I pride myself on being a very thoughtful and considerate husband, so I decided that was enough.

First was the bowfishing for stingrays: We decided to go early and eat at a restaurant located at the marina where we were going to meet Captain Donavan of Arrow Assault. We enjoyed a nice meal on the water where we were able to see some manatees, which If you did not know, you should NOT lay down on the dock and pet, as it is frowned upon by Floridians, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Poseidon, in general. After a beautiful sunset and a short boat ride, we were throwing arrows with reckless abandon. The target species was stingray, but we were also allowed to shoot at barracuda and ballyhoo. We were not allowed to shoot at sea turtles or sharks, both of which we did see.

The following morning, we met at a different landing for our iguana hunt. The main technique was the blowgun, although I requested to use archery equipment. Frankly, using the blowgun was as or more enjoyable than using the bow, I know this concept is hard to understand. Upon pushing off from shore, we noticed an iguana perched on a partially submerged jet ski. Luckily Brenda Zink was ready to try and with the blowgun, shot low and buried her dart into the fiberglass cowling of the abandoned jet ski. When she pulled on the line to retrieve the dart, it returned and buried right into her left forearm. The first blood on this hunt, not a small amount, was not that of an iguana, it was Brenda’s. Things improved dramatically after that initial setback. We were constantly throwing arrows and darts. It took a while for us to get used to using a blowgun, but the learning curve was quickly overcome and we were soon hauling in iguanas.

The following day we drove several hours to a gator hunting operation. Several alligators were killed over two days of hunting by several different means. Only one was killed with archery equipment, so I will focus on that as this is the MBA newsletter. We would drive around looking for gators on the bank and when they slid into the water, we would cast large weighted treble hooks. Eventually, we hooked into one and my son, Mitchel, played the gator on rod and reel for 20 min. At one point, the hook dislodged from the gator and we were crestfallen, but after a few more casts we had him back on the line and Mitchel had brought it to shore. If you have never killed an alligator or any reptile for that matter, they do not die easily. Your goal is to sever the spine at the base of the impenetrable skull, after that you will shoot a gun into the brain stem to ultimately kill it. With only three arrows and a large skeptical crowd of observers, Mitchel made a perfect shot and the well-placed arrow collapsed the alligator.

Moral of the story: if there is a will, there is a way to find an outlandish bowhunting adventure to supplement your family vacation. Get out there and enjoy!

In my previous President’s Message, I falsely stated that my Father-inlaw, Edwin Evans, paid $80 to purchase his used Darton bow on eBay. In an effort to maintain journalistic integrity, I have to apologize to Mr. Evans and inform the MBA membership that he paid Ebay $70, including shipping and handling. I sincerely regret not fact-checking my sources and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused either the MBA or Mr. Evans himself. I hope I am not sued for libel.