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2025 MBA Convention Highlights

Bowhunter of the Year

Paul Schaffer Award Winner

Traditional Bowhunter Hall of Fame Recipient

MBA

Regional Representatives

Region 1

Region 2

Region 3

Mike Iten 795 5th Avenue West N, Kalispell, MT 59901 406-366-5727 itenmike338@gmail.com

Marlon Clapham 4455 Hoover Lane, Stevensville, MT 59870 406-777-2408 mbaregion2@gmail.com

Kevin Robinson 2110 Wylie Ave, Missoula, MT 59802 406-531-8243 Kmrmt00@hotmail.com

Liberty Brown 275 Vigilante Tr., Bozeman, MT 59718 406-581-7216 mbareg3@gmail.com

Robin Mestdagh 1150 Vega Rd, Helena, MT 59602 406-839-6371 mestdagh.montana@gmail.com

Region 4 Justin Doll 3908 16th Ave S, Great Falls, MT 59405 406-939-0804 j.doll6190@gmail.com

Mark Schwomeyer 201 Big Sky Lane, Lewistown, MT 59457 406-350-0173 markschwo@gmail.com

Region 5 Ben Buller 4143 King Ave East, Billings, MT 59101 .................... 406-672-5616 buller_ben@yahoo.com

Luke Pisk 3420 Lovers Lane, Billings, MT 59105 406-598-6957 luke.pisk@outlook.com

Region 6 Tristan Manuel 48538 Anderson Rd, Havre, MT 59501 406-399-5114 HiLineTraditional@gmail.com

Region 7

EVEN YEARS

AT LARGE DIRECTORS

Cliff Garness 5901 Western Drive, Great Falls MT 59404 - obsession_archery@yahoo.com 406-788-9009

Jake Garness 5901 Western Drive, Great Falls MT 59404 - powderslayer22@gmail.com 406-750-4444

Guy Stickney 32 Cottonwood Way, Miles City, MT 59301 - wallguy31@yahoo.com 406-951-2506

ODD YEARS

Todd Anderson 616 Stephanie Avenue, Miles City, MT 59301 - tdanderson67@gmail.com

406-942-0572

Jackie Doyle 873 Leese Lane, Stevensville, MT 59870 - jackie.c.doyle92@gmail.com 406-274-3716

Brian Koelzer 80 Jansma Lane, Manhattan, MT 59741 - Rocknrollbowhunter3@yahoo.com 406-570-7997

EDITORIAL COMMENTS

The MBA Magazine is a quarterly publication of the MBA and is intended to inform, entertain and educate its members on happenings within the organization and to bowhunting in general.

PUBLICATION DATES AND DEADLINES

FALL ISSUE, DEADLINE, July 15

WINTER ISSUE, DEADLINE, October 15

SPRING ISSUE, DEADLINE, January 15

SUMMER ISSUE, DEADLINE, April 15

Stories, photos, or cartoons should be sent to Julie Jensen at 391 Coral Drive, Belgrade, MT 59714 or email jjensen44@mac.com. All materials are the opinion of the author unless otherwise stated, and are subject to being edited. All submitted or published photos may be used by the MBA in the newsletter,

and MBA Photo Album and/or on Facebook. Any questions as to policies of MBA please contact the President.

MEMBERSHIP INQURIES

Please send new memberships or renewal memberships to MBA Administrator, Claudia Davis, PO Box 426, Helena MT 59624 or call 406-404-6168, or register online at www.mtba.org, or ask a member.

PRESIDENT

Ken Schultz

302 Wyoming Ave • Billings, MT 59101 schultzy@iwks.net • 406-598-8550

1ST VICE PRESIDENT

Stephanie Prater 416 Entrance Ave • Lewistown, MT 59457 mthuntress406@gmail.com • 406-461-6949

TREASURER

Mandy Garness 5901 Western Dr • Great Falls, MT 59404 camoquilter@gmail.com • 406-750-9953

PAST PRESIDENT

Stephen LePage 2574 Divide Rd • Lewistown, MT 59457 mbaregion4@yahoo • 406-535-5636

MAGAZINE EDITOR

Julie Jensen 391 Coral Drive • Belgrade, MT 59714 701-361-9197 • jjensen44@mac.com

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES VACANT

MBA Committees

Legislative:

CHAIR: Justin Doll

Stephanie Prater • Stephen LePage • Jerry Davis

Liberty Brown • Jerry Davis

Financial:

CHAIR: Mandy Garness

Al Kelly • Claudia Davis (contractor)

Landowner/Sportsman:

CHAIR: Stephanie Prater

Mike Iten • Justin Doll

Mark Schwomeyer • Tristan Manuel

Nominations:

CHAIR: Stephanie Prater

Al Kelly • Jackie Doyle • Brian Koelzer

Awards:

CHAIR: Cliff Garness

Stephen LePage • Al Kelly • Marlon Clapham

Liberty Brown • Robin Mestdagh • Jake Garness

Jackie Doyle • Brian Koelzer

Membership:

CHAIR: Steve LePage

Mandy Garness • Mike Iten • Ben Buller • Ron Aasheim

Convention 2025 (Region 6)

Mandy Garness • Kevin Robinson

Tristan Manuel • Cliff Garness

Jackie Doyle • Claudia Davis (contractor)

Magazine:

CHAIR: Cliff Garness

Stephanie Prater • Kevin Robinson

Jake Garness • Guy Stickney

Jackie Doylee • Brian Koelzer

Carp Shoot:

CHAIR: Kevin Robinson

Steve LePage • Jerry Davis • Marlon Clapham

Bow-Ed:

CHAIR: Mark Schwomeyer

Al Kelly • Marlon Clapham • Ben Buller

Tristan Manuel • Jackie Doyle

Youth Membership and MBA Teen Bowhunter Camp

CHAIR: Jackie Doyle

Kevin Robinson • Robin Mestdagh

Governance

CHAIR: Jerry Davis Al Kelly

PTMAE

CHAIR: Marlon Clapham

Jerry Davis • Kevin Robinson

Tentatives

CHAIR: Stephanie Prater

Justin Doll • Mark Schwomeyer • Guy Stickney

PRESIDENT - KEN SCHULTZ

1ST VICE PRESIDENT - STEPHANIE PRATER

SECRETARY - JERRY DAVIS

TREASURER - MANDY GARNESS

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Greetings All,

Ihope this letter finds you in good Health!

As I’m writing this letter, the early tags have been drawn for hunters for the 2025 season. I hope you all had better luck than I did and was able to draw at least one tag. That’s how some years go. You can always accumulated points and have a better chance next year.

We just finished the 2025 MBA Convention in Great Falls and it was a great success and a great time for all who could attend. The Team did a phenomenal job again this year. It was great to see everyone and share some great stories and beverages of choice. Our next Convention will be in Billings, MT next year. Dates are April 3rd and 4th, 2026. The Region “5” Team will be looking for assistance from our local Teammates to get things gathered and setup. We are looking forward to hosting the Convention next year!!

1ST VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Spring is finally upon us, as well as tag drawings, bear and turkey seasons. This winter, though a legislative year, was more restful than normal as a crossbow bill did not present itself this session. Hopefully it doesn’t rear its ugly head again in 2 years. MBA did successfully pass legislation (headed to the Governor’s desk as we speak) to help get donations for our PTMAE projects for disabled archers. This will help us get more bows in more hands! While we didn’t have to fight the crossbow bill, I do strongly think the MBA will have a fight on our hands to protect our 6-week archery season. A group of 9 folks assisted by the Montana Conservation Society are wanting to restructure the Montana hunting seasons in the name of mule deer management. The MBA board will keep a close watch on it and make every effort to preserve Montana’s Last Best Archery Season.

I unfortunately missed the banquet this year, my husband won an award from Pope & Young and it was scheduled the same weekend, but I heard it was a good time. Thank you all for your support! We could use a few more folks on our board, so please consider joining us. Reach out Ken or myself if you are interested!

Shoot straight >>-------------->

Stephanie Prater

It looks like bill “SB 238” is going to pass at this time. At the time I’m writing this letter, its last remaining step is to be signed by the Governor. This Bill will raise funds to help pay for and outfit disabled hunters with the proper equipment to get back in the field and hunt again. The MBA has been sponsoring the expenses for PTMAE equipment since it was introduced in Montana. We are really excited about this Bill as an organization. I want to thank the hard work put in by Jerry Davis (creator) and Senator Janet Ellis who introduced the Bill. Without them, this could have never happened.

There are several important shooting events coming up this Summer and hope everyone will have the opportunity to get out and attend. I want to share one particular shoot that is coming up in June. Again, the MBA will partner with the Bridger Bowman to host the “Bridger Bowman Shoot” right outside of Bozeman. This a fun 2-day shoot with challenging courses and fun 3 “D” targets. The dates are June 7th and 8th, 2025. Come join us and have a great time!

Best of Luck on the upcoming tag drawing season and hope everyone has a great summer. Get out and sling some arrows and walk some courses so you can get in shape for the upcoming season. Remember, Antelope starts on August 15th!! With that, I’ll leave you with the reminder to “Shoot Straight and Always be a Straight Shooter!”

Ken Schultz

Dove, Ember and Missouri shed hunting

Mandy Garness

TREASURER’S MESSAGE

Hello!

Another banquet has come and gone. We had a great time and appreciated the donations and the chance to catch up with friends we may only see once a year. We use a placemat to reserve our seats at the banquet and it lists most of our donors, so I’ll include that further back in the magazine if possible. Please consider shopping with these folks when you’re adding to your archery arsenal. There were 20 excited raffle winners, 19 live auction paddles waving and lots of happy shoppers in the silent and dessert auctions as well as the 3 award winners. Congratulations Brian Koelzer, Marlon Clapham and Otto Anderson. We had a lovely photographer wandering the room, so I’ll label and post as many photos as possible. While the party was in Great Falls, Tristan from Region 6 was our official host and he did a great job, as did Kevin as our MC and President Ken. They’ll be hosting the next few banquets, so I’ll pass spreadsheets and wisdom, but they’ll be counting on all of you for donations and it wouldn’t hurt to send them your wish/bucket lists so they know what raffle and auction packages you may be interested in!

If you haven’t dusted off your bow yet to chase turkeys or bears, now is the time! There are lots of 3-D shoot opportunities to get out and fling some arrows and shoot the breeze with fellow hunters. We would love to see you at the Bridger Bowmen shoot in June (info a few pages back). If you’re in the Great Falls area, join us for the King’s Hill shoot July 19&20 in the Little Belts. While we love to see harvest photos in the magazine, we’re also happy to see your smiling faces year-round! Please submit photos out practicing, scouting and camping. Trail camera photos always get us motivated as well.

It’s also a good time to dump out the backpacks and get rid of the old snacks and renew the first aid supplies. I’ll remind a few of you that you’re not as young or spry as you used to be, and that bandage elastic dries out and aspirin expires! Please renew your supplies and get a tech lesson from the grandkids to learn how to send a pin for help if needed, or to make sure they know how as they join you on an adventure outdoors.

We did well at the banquet and are working to get reports together and begin the budget for next year. Please reach out if you have input for the Finance Committee (camoquilter@gmail.com). Claudia is moving on from her work as our administrator and bookkeeper and my term as treasurer ends this time next year, so we are seeking a couple fresh sets of eyes for the treasury and membership tasks. It would be nice to work together over the next year for a smooth handoff.

Have a great summer!

Mandy Garness

PAST PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Hello MBA Members,

This was the first time in a very long while that I was unable to attend an MBA convention. I sincerely missed seeing everyone and enjoying the weekend together, but I believe my excuse was valid—The Pope and Young Club held its biennial convention on the exact same weekend.

Fortunately, I wasn’t entirely without good company. At the P&Y convention, I had the pleasure of spending time with several exceptional MBA members and board members. In fact, our table at the awards dinner consisted entirely of MBA members—except for one lucky gentleman. Among those at the table were Michael Prater, whose cougar earned 1st place honors, and current MBA Board Member Brian Koelzer, whose grizzly bear took 3rd place. Montana was proudly represented by these dedicated MBA bowhunters.

If you’ve never made the time to attend a P&Y convention, I highly recommend it. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the bowhunting community and spend time with passionate individuals from across North America.

On another note, I want to share some exciting and historic news for Montana bowhunters. For the first time that I’m aware of, the MBA has introduced legislation—and as I write this, the bill is sitting on the Governor’s desk, with every expectation it will be signed into law.

This all began a few years ago when a Director at Large, June LePage, who was attending Carroll College, proposed the idea of an MBA internship. The board embraced the concept, and before long, interviews were held and we welcomed a sharp political science intern, Charlie Said. Under the mentorship of Jerry Davis, Charlie worked with your Legislative Committee to help develop and draft a bill, which was then sponsored by Montana Senator Janet Ellis.

After navigating the long, sometimes dull civics process, we now have SB 238—which passed both the House and Senate with flying colors and now awaits the Governor’s signature.

This bill will allow people to voluntarily donate to the Permit to Modify Archer Equipment program when purchasing their licenses—similar to the structure of the successful Hunters for the Hungry program.

I continue to be impressed by what a bunch of knuckle-dragging, antisocial bowhunters can accomplish when we put our minds to it! Although the board has since decided to discontinue the internship program, this effort was a resounding success. Please take a moment to thank June LePage, Jerry Davis, Senator Ellis, Charlie Said, and your hard-working Legislative Committee for their outstanding contributions.

Sincerely,

Stephen LePage Past President, MBA

REGION 1

MICHAEL ITEN

REGION 2

MARLON CLAPHMAN

KEVIN ROBINSON

REGION 3

LIBERTY BROWN

ROBIN MESTDAGH (NO REPORT)

REGION 4

JUSTIN DOLL

MARK SCHWOMERYER (NO REPORT)

REGION 5

BEN BULLER (NO REPORT)

LUKE PISK (NO REPORT)

REGION 6

TRISTAN MANUEL

REGION 7

For me, it’s an invitation to celebrate the end of winter, the rugged vitality of the outdoors fueling a desire to explore and connect, not only with nature, but with the animals I’m pursuing. Whether that’s a pea-brain bird, or a feisty belly-dragging bruin—I look forward to this time of year. Good luck in your spring pursuits!

Michael Iten

MICHAEL ITEN

t’s April 23rd and the weather is finally attempting to act like spring. For the past several years I haven’t gotten out to chase turkeys as they really haven’t been a desire of mine to hunt. However, with a recent out-of-town trip for work, I was able to hunt at a friend’s place and tried to make the most of it. It seems crazy but you can get up to 14 turkey licenses per year if you’re willing to hunt across the whole state of Montana. For me, two is more than enough.

Spring bear is here and is something that I look forward to each year. As spring arrives, mountains undergo a remarkable transformation, shedding their winter cloak and embracing renewal. The once snow-laden peaks soften under the sun’s warm gaze, revealing patches of rock and soil that have lain dormant for months. Mountain snow melts into streams that cascade down the slopes, weaving life into the valleys below.

Wildflowers emerge like tiny celebrations of color, dotting the terrain with vibrant hues— delicate blues, fiery reds, and sunny yellows. Trees stretch their limbs, adorned with fresh buds that promise a full canopy to come. The air hums with activity as animals awaken from hibernation or return from distant migrations.

Spring is not just a season in the mountains; It’s a reminder that even the most towering and timeless landscapes are part of an ever-changing dance, adapting and thriving with the rhythms of nature.

ATher e are a bunch of 3D shoots set up for the summer, I’m sure there is one going on to fit your summer schedule.

The Youth events are in full swing with their fund raisers and Expos. Jerry Davis and I attended the Helena Youth Montana Matters event April 19th. It was well attended with approximately 400 youths. Jerry and I did all the archery. Jerry ran the La-Port and I was inside with the introduction to archery target butts. When the wind came up Jerry had to shut down the La-Port and came inside to help me. The next event will be May 3rd in Hamilton so I hope Region 2 members will show up to give Kevin, Merri and I a hand. It takes 6 or 7 folks to work with the kids. After that event the Western Montana Fish and Game Association has their event May 17th at their Deer Creek Shooting Center. The MBA will be there with the La-Port and the target butts along with the 4H shooters and another archery club. We all worked together at the different stations. So, there are loads of activities to burn up a weekend Saturday. Contact Kevin, Jackie, or Marlon if you want to participate.

Jackie Doyle has been putting in loads of work with Beckie and Jerry Doyle putting together the Teen Bowhunters Camp. They are making a few changes with the age structure and actually certifying the campers with their Bow Hunter Ed certification. They will also take 12-year-olds for the first time.

Several friends of mine have drawn special hunting permits. It will be a while longer before we hear about the Moose, Sheep, and Goat permits.

nother Convention is in the books and is now history. I felt it was pretty well attended. Several of our regular attendees were invited to the Pope and Young Convention to have their entries panel measured for the top of the recording period. It is quite an honor to be invited. Stephen LaPage was on the panel of measures so he to went to the P&Y Convention. Brian was invited to be a Seminar speaker, and have his Grizzly measured for the number 2 spot. Mike Prater had his Couger measured for the number 1 spot for the period. We missed them and their families at the MBA Convention, but we’ll get over that. Congratulations for the hard work that goes into those special hunts.

Next year we will again travel off to Billings for the MBA Convention, it’s been a long time since we attended a convention there. I’m already looking forward to 2026.

By now everyone should be aware there will not a be a Carp Safari this spring, very disappointing for Merri and I but will just go and enjoy carp shooting alone.

The Bridger Bowman Shoot will take place June 7th and 8th. They will be co-hosting the event with the MBA and it looks like they will be handing the shoot over to us. Brian and Kevin should have more on this transition so look for that.

Legislatur e is finally winding down. The MBA pushed the SB 238. It was passed and is now heading for the Governor’s desk for his signature. Jerry Davis will have more on the bill in his report with a full explanation. We avoided yet another Crossbow Bill, which was a relief. There is already scuttlebutt that there will be another crossbow push next secession.

Thanks to our Legislation Committee for a job well done keeping us informed on any issue that affected Bowhunters. It takes almost a twenty-four hour watch to keep up. Job Well Done.

Well happy summer. Get those Broadheads tuned and sharp ready for the Spring Bear Season. Maybe a gobbler hunt as well. Good Luck

Keep -Em Sharp and Shoot-Em Straight.

Michael Iten

Marlon Clapham

Another convention is in the books! Thanks to all of those who attended and donated your hard-earned donations. A big thanks to Tristen Manuel and the Garness clan for working their butts off to put it all together. The Heritage Inn has been good to us these last few conventions, and I thank the staff for all their help (especially those servers in the bar). As we look towards 2026, I’m certain the Billings crew will put on another great convention.

As FWP prepares to release the 2025 special draw results, we want to wish each of you the very best of luck. Whether you’re hoping to pull a coveted elk, deer, or antelope tag, may this season bring the opportunities you’re looking for.

We’re also pleased to share that the Montana Bowhunters Association (MBA) legislative team has been hard at work this session to protect and expand bowhunting opportunities across our state. One notable success is Senate Bill 238, sponsored by Senator Janet Ellis (SD 41). This bill creates a voluntary donation fund managed by FWP to support 501(c)(3) organizations that help disabled bowhunters modify archery equipment to meet their specific needs. We’re proud to report that SB 238 has passed both the Senate and the House and is now on its way to the governor’s desk for signature.

Additionally, two bills that sought to allow crossbow use during archery season were either tabled or not brought forward by their sponsors. This is a win for traditional archery seasons—however, we fully expect the crossbow issue to resurface in the next legislative session, and we’ll remain vigilant in defending fair-chase archery hunting.

I recently received FWP flight reports for elk counts in HD’s 301, 309, 304, 311 and antelope counts in HD 360. Here are a few notes from each report…

SB238 passed! Although the bill was only in the works for the past few years, the PTMAE program has been functioning for disabled archers for many years and now more folks will have access to the program. A huge thank you to Marlon and Meri Clapham for their dedication to helping fellow bowhunters get back into the woods and shooting bows again. I also truly believe the bill would not have been possible without the help and effort from Jerry Davis. He has been the face of MBA at the Capitol and his relationships and knowledge of the system no doubt contributed to the success of SB238. It’s never too late to thank your local representatives for supporting the PTMAE program.

Region 2 has a few youth archery expos coming up in the next few months. Saturday May 3rd is the Montana Matters Youth Outdoor Expo at the Hamilton fairgrounds. There will be 40 or so Outdoor, Wildlife and conservation organizations there, including the MBA. The event will be from 10am-3pm and we will be helping kiddos shoot balloon targets. It’s an action-packed event and we could use a few volunteers even for an hour or so. Please reach out to Marlon, Jackie Doyle, or me if you’d like to donate your time.

Saturday May 17th the Deer Creek Shooting Center in Missoula is hosting the 7th annual Youth Shooting Sports & Outdoor Expo . This youth event is also from 10am-3pm and all shooting sports

Elk Observations – Hunting Districts 301 & 309

Recent aerial surveys recorded 995 elk in HD 301 and 309 combined, placing the herd above objective.

• HD 301 is 87% public land, with good hunter access via road and trail networks.

• HD 309, by contrast, is 92% private land and includes the weapons-restricted district around Bozeman.

While the herd is a valued public resource, overpopulation is creating challenges. Documented issues include disease, vehicle collisions on Highway 191, and increased game damage complaints from landowners.

Currently, FWP does not plan to propose any changes for these districts for the 2026–2027 biennium.

Elk Observations – HD 304 & HD 311

• The Flying D Ranch counted 1,995 elk, with 1,864 in the North Spanish Peaks herd (HD 304) and 131 overlapping into HD 309/301.

• FWP counted 955 elk in HD 311.

These numbers align with the goals laid out in the 2023 Elk Plan, with appropriate winter counts and bull-to-cow ratios being met in both the North Spanish Peaks and Red Mountain herds, as well as in the newly described North Tobacco Roots herd. No changes are proposed for HD 304 or 311 for the 2024–2025 hunting seasons, following redistricting in 2022.

Pronghorn Update – Hunting District 360 Aerial flights counted 1,622 pronghorn this spring:

• 727 on the east side of the Madison River

• 895 on the west side

will be represented. Again, we need some volunteers for a few hours and we’ll have the LaPorte aerial foam disc thrower there along with the balloon targets.

The Carp swimming in Canyon Ferry have been celebrating these past few months knowing that the MBA Carp Safari is on hold. Apparently, they have someone working on “the inside” at the Bureau of Reclamation, our returned application for the event was denied and there was a little fish scale stuck to the envelope. Sounds fishy to me.

June 8th the Bridger Bowmen will be co hosting their annual 3D shoot with the MBA. We will be setting up on Friday evening and could use some volunteers. After this year’s event the Bridger Bowmen will hand off the torch to the MBA and we will continue the event from then on. We’ll still have the remaining Carp Safari t-shirts for sale at the event; they’re more valuable than bitcoin as I write this.

Lastly, thanks again to all of those that came to the convention, and I hope to see everyone at the Bridger Bowmen 3D shoot in June.

Kevin Robinson

These counts fall within the 10-year average, and the population shows signs of recovery, likely due to a mild winter and reduced female harvest.

The 900-00 archery-only license accounted for about 17% of total harvest and 24% of buck harvest in HD 360 during the 2024 season—a notable increase from previous years.

Looking ahead, management will continue to limit female harvest to support ongoing recovery. Thank you for your continued passion for bowhunting and your support of fair, ethical hunting in Montana. Enjoy the rest of your spring, and may your summer be full of preparation and excitement as we look forward to another archery season this fall.

Stay safe, shoot straight, and have a great summer!

Sincerely, Liberty Brown 406-570-4280 | mbareg3@gmail.com

Liberty Brown

Kevin Robinson

Greetings fellow bowhunters!

It seems spring has sprung around here. The days are getting longer, and warmer weather sure makes getting outside more of a priority. With application season underway I hope many are successful!

It was great catching up with everyone at the banquet again this year! The seminars were once again very informative and well attended. I want to give a special thanks to Tristan, Mandy and Cliff for all the hard work they put in prior to the banquet so that everything flowed smoothly.

As I write this the 69th Montana Legislature wrapped up yesterday. While it was a whirlwind, we were fortunate to not see a crossbow bill be formally introduced. I do anticipate it will rear its ugly head during the next session. A big congratulations to Jerry Davis are necessary as well, as he worked very diligently on getting SB 238 across the finish line, which allows hunters to donate funds for archery equipment for disabled hunters.

Justin Doll

wanted to take a moment and thank everyone that came out and participated in the 2025 banquet, it was great to reconnect with old friends and meet some new ones. I look forward to seeing you all at the various shoots across the state this season. Shoot straight!

Tristan Manuel

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

TODD ANDERSON (NO REPORT)

JACKIE DOYLE

CLIFF GARNESS

JAKE GARNESS

BRIAN KOELZER

GUY STICKNEY

DIRECTOR’S AT LARGE

With spring bear season upon us I thought I’d share a tip with all of you. No matter if you’re new to hunting or have decades of experience you can always learn something new.

Peroxide ONLY foams when in contact with blood. Do you have a spray bottle in you hunting pack? If not, why don’t you?

I love blood trailing. Whether it’s for myself or a friend in need of a little help, I always have a bottle of peroxide with me. I have spent countless hours searching for blood trails in all weather conditions. No matter the conditions the peroxide has always came through for me. The tiniest pin drop of blood will bubble white when in contact with peroxide.

Where are all my COLOR-BLIND FRIENDS?! Did you know this will help you!!! You don’t need all those expensive as-seen-on-TV lights recommendations by the Pro hunter. A little $2 bottle of peroxide will be your new blood trailing friend!

I have helped many people recover their animals by showing up with my little bottle of peroxide. I have also been laughed at, and people have said, “ Jackie, are you crazy? What are you going to do with that?” I just smile and say, “Find your animal.” Once they see it for themselves, they can’t believe it and say, “I’ve never even thought about that.” It truly is a game changer.

So, there’s my helpful Sunday tip for my hunting friends and always know you can call me any time to come blood trail! It’s my favorite

Hello from Great Falls! Thank you to everyone who helped Tristan and Region 4 with the banquet in early April. While we were down around 50-60 people, I thought the banquet was a success. Thank you to all our Donors, Speakers, Vendors, Volunteers and Attendees. None of it could have been done without you. For those of you that were in attendance, please give us feedback on positives, negatives, etc... That will only help us to be better and continue to put on great banquets.

It appears spring is upon us and with that comes Turkey and Bear hunting. I have already heard of some turkey harvest successes. Please send photos and writeups for future magazines of your successes.

I didn’t draw a MT Elk tag this year, so those of you who hunt general areas, there will be one more of us in the already overcrowded woods. Good luck to all in the remainder of the draws, good luck hunting and I hope to see some of you at archery shoots throughout the state supporting the local archery clubs!!

It is April and spring came early to Eastern Montana this year. The grass is greening up and the trees are budding and leafing out. Hopefully you guys are planning to get out and enjoy one of Montana’s spring seasons this year. I am not planning to this year, as my wife and I welcomed our second child on March 20th. Lots of early mornings and lack of sleep still but for a different reason.

As spring has progressed so too has the 2025 Legislative session. I am finally starting to exhale a little from holding my breath waiting for another cross-gun bill to drop. It appears we might have lucked out this season. But like a big buck or bull, we can never let our guard fully down. Soon preparations for next season will need to be underway as well as the FWP Biennial Hunting Season Setting process will be kicking off in June. As we begin to work through these processes and season proposals, please reach out if you have any concerns you would like to raise. Sometimes it all seems exhausting and never ending but that’s why I joined MBA because collectively we are much stronger and able to meet this never-ending challenge of preserving and protecting our archery seasons. Keep your head on a swivel and always shoot straight.

Guy Stickney

Cliff Garness

Region 4 DAL

Cliff Garness

Jackie Doyle DAL Region 2

Jackie Doyle

Guy Stickney

Green grass makes my soul happy. Springtime is my favorite time of year next to the wonders of fall and the adventures it brings. Shed horns, morels, baby critters, and budding trees all excite me as the countryside slowly springs to life.

Winter took a while to get here but when it showed up it was certainly making up for lost time. I enjoyed it a lot more when I was young and had no responsibilities besides work and chasing mountain lions. Now with a young family it seems like I spend more time getting them dressed for ten minutes out in the cold, then searching the snow with a rake for a lost mitten or boot (sometimes both?). Don’t get me wrong, I cherish my family and the trials and tribulations that come with raising two wild little boys. We did pick a few whitetail sheds, and I walked my youngest boy, Schafer, into his first horn in March. It was a tiny 4 point, and he was so excited! He has been hauling that little horn around the house and when anyone shows up at the door he goes and gets it so he can show them his “treasure”. The FedEx guy wasn’t too impressed but that’s his problem.

I was blessed this spring to be asked to speak at several different bowhunting conventions around the country. It is very enjoyable to meet new people and hear the stories of their adventures. Most folks have whitetail and turkey to hunt with the odd black bear sprinkled in here or there. After that the adventures consist of woodchucks and carp. Now I love shooting carp, and I certainly spent a good bit of time bothering woodchucks when I was young, but I am ever thankful to live in MT and to have the opportunity to hunt a great variety of game. I almost (not really) feel guilty telling people about all the critters I get to bother every year on an over-the-counter basis and the length of time we can hunt a big game species of some sort or another. Literally, one season for most of us in MT is checking off multiple bucket list items for most of the rest of the country.

Promoting and preserving your archery opportunity is what the MBA board of directors has pledged to do, and I am proud to have been able to work with some pretty amazing people over the years to try and do just that. I’ve got a couple more years in me before I pass the torch and want to thank you all for electing me for another term.

From the sounds of it, this convention was a good one and the first one I’ve missed in over 20 years. I had been asked to be the Friday evening speaker at the Pope and Young convention almost a year and a half ago and had committed to it. I certainly felt guilty missing MBA and was shocked when my phone started dinging with congratulations for receiving Bowhunter of The Year. That was quite a shock and a tremendous honor! Thank you to whoever nominated me and I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone next spring!

>>>————->

Hello everyone! I wanted to thank everyone for all the help and support at the banquet. It was a very good night. Thank you to all the donors and supporters.

I hope that everyone drew the tags that they were hoping to get. I am going to have a busy year this year and grinding hard. I am going to Alaska on a grizzly and black bear combo hunt. I drew my archery bull tag for Montana, and I drew a New Mexico Bull Elk tag. I have a lot on my plate already and I’m not sure if I want to put in for moose/ sheep/goat tags this year due to busy at work and already short on vacation time. I never thought I would have had this much luck, but I am in it for the long haul now so hopefully great success comes with these tags and I hope everyone else had good luck on drawing tags. Best of luck to everyone this season and I hope to see everyone soon.

Brian Koelzer

June LePage

Jake Garness Region 4 DAL

Scott Koelzer with Brian as a child

2025 MBA ELECTION RESULTS

Out of 94 Ballots

1st VP Stephanie Prater 87 votes - elected

Odd Year DAL Todd Anderson 70 votes - elected

Odd Year DAL Jackie Doyle 67 votes - elected

Odd Year DAL Brian Koelzer 86 votes - elected

R1 Rep Mike Iten 7 votes - elected

R3 Rep Liberty Brown 20 votes - elected

R3 Rep Robin Mestdagh 14 votes - elected

R5 Rep Ben Buller 4 votes - elected

R5 Rep Luke Pisk 4 votes - elected

2025 CONVENTION DONORS

Thank you to these donors as well: Brian Rayner Sonja Anderson

Don Helmbrecht Glen Osborne

Great Falls Archery Club Wenzel Family

Libby Archery Club Michael Downer

Rick and Edie Boettcher

Colleen & Steve Garness

With over 4000 members, WUM was organized in 1983 as a 501(c)3 Non-Profit to coordinate/support members’ efforts to develop projects, to enhance/sustain and improve Walleye and warm water fishing opportunities for future generations.

Become a member of the largest warm water fishing organization in Montana. Local chapters are in: Big Horn Basin, Billings, Circle, Crooked Creek, Flathead, Fresno, Gallatin/Madison, Glasgow, Glendive, Great Falls, Jordan, Malta, Miles City, MonDak, Plentywood, Upper Missouri River, Upper Yellowstone and Wolf Point.

Visit https://montanawalleyesunlimited.net for more information on how to join Walleyes Unlimited of Montana.

The mission of WALLEYES UNLIMITED OF MONTANA is:

• The organization is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational and/or scientific purposes or to foster national or international sports competition under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue code.

• Improve and conserve walleye and other warm water fish in suitable bodies of water.

• Organize and educate fisherman to promote walleye and warm water fishing.

• Develop and maintain forage fish programs in suitable bodies of water.

• Support building and maintaining suitable warm water fish hatcheries and develop a hatchery program which can accommodate the needs of warm water fishing.

• Support any worthwhile fishing, hunting, wildlife or recreational program organized for pleasure or other non-profitable purpose.

• Dedicate its members by social and educational means to the conservation and propagation of warm water fish; to support true sportsmanship in a lawful and legal manner among those who fish; to promote and encourage good fellowship among sportsmen; to encourage support of fish and game laws; to work for the respect and knowledge of the just rights of property owners and to work for, support and encourage a close, friendly relationship between property owners and sportsmen.

• Dedicated to introducing youths to fishing; educate them to become ethical and responsible sportsmen that respect and conserve fish and wildlife, respect and preserve our public lands and public access and abide by fish and game laws and acknowledge the just rights of property owners.

• Have a positive presence in our local chapter communities through participation in

Al Kelly and Ken Schultz

Andrew Short Blackstone buyer

Bret King Darton buyer

Aron Snyder keynote speaker Kevin Robinson and Ken Schultz

Bid

Bid and WIN!

Ryan Austin Turkey blind buyer

Brian Rayner and Ken Schultz

Tall Tales being told

Stephanie Senn Pyrographic hat buyer

Will Bass Longcurve buyer

Troy Pottenger Display

Kadin and Mandy Garness

RAFFLE WINNERS

Mike Iten Target Raffle

Bret King Pistol Raffle

Trevor McGurran Stone Glacier Raffle

Cliff Garness and Ken Schultz Schafer raffle

Paul Jones Mankazana Safari Raffle

Josh Snyder Hat Raffle

Michele Tordale Mystery Ranch raffle

John Berger and Ken Schultz goofing

John Berger and Ken Schultz Michael Juretich Bowtech buyer

Kadin Garness Couples Therapy buyer

Marlon Clapham Conklin Award

Otto Anderson Paul Schafer Award

Paul and Stephanie Senn Gator Glades Raffle

Ryan Austin Yellowstone Kids Bow Raffle

BRIAN KOELZER BOWHUNTER OF THE YEAR

Congratulations to Brian Koelzer our MBA Bowhunter of the Year. As most of you probably know Brian has been an MBA member since birth and on the MBA board of directors since 2012. Over the years Brian has had some awesome accomplishments and adventures with his bow, but this past season was exceptional. At the most recent Pope and Young convention Brian received an award for his big Alaska grizzly as well. I asked Brian to share a few stories of his first bow kill, his last bow kill and some of his more memorable moments in the woods with his bow. Enjoy!

The first critter I ever took with my bow was a carp that weighed 2 lbs. on the heavy side. I believe I was 9 at the time and I can’t remember if I rode my bike, or my mom drove me over to “The Pits” which were old gravel pits on the east side of Three Forks that over the decades have turned into a recreation area for locals. I had a 15# one piece Savage Deathmaster that Bob Savage had made for me when I was born and a handful of mismatched little arrows. My method was to stalk the sides of some shallow bays and launch all the arrows I had at fleeing fish. I had done this particular hunt several times without connecting and I was in shock when my little yellow arrow with a crimped-on field point actually found its mark.

During my stalk I had spooked several small carp and as they slowly swam towards deeper water I pulled back and let loose. That little arrow hit the carp right in the head and got about 1” of penetration. He went perfectly still, and I remember wading out through the muck not sure if he was dead or not. I grabbed my arrow and towed my trophy back to shore. I looked around for a “Y” shaped stick and hooked it through his gills and headed for home. Somewhere there is a picture of me with that little fish. On that day I became a bowhunter.

The last animal I killed was a big old Kansas whitetail. My friend Trevor and I loaded up his pickup last November and headed out for ten days of seeing what we could find in Southern Kansas. We had gained access to a nice property that was bisected by a small river with lots of brushy fingers spreading out from it in all directions. With the rut just starting to heat up we knew deer would be starting to travel and our plan was to hunt the perimeter on travel routes and try to catch a big buck cruising. We also put out a couple small corn piles and camera traps to try and get some pics of who might be in the area.

Over the first handful of days, we were seeing deer, but the rut activity was pretty lackluster. Day five we got a picture of a dandy 4x4 with a broken eye guard chasing a doe by one of our piles. The pic was taken in the middle of the night but at least we had a visual of a good one. The evening of day six, I decided to hang a stand near that corn pile we got the

pic at. I hadn’t had much luck hunting travel routes as the deer weren’t really moving yet. I also had a doe tag in my pocket and figured that would be a good place to try and fill it. Just as the sun was about to touch the horizon a doe started to work down a brush line to me from my right. She passed by and went to the corn but was acting very nervous. Something told me she was not alone, and I elected to pass in hopes that her boyfriend would show himself. Ten minutes later I caught movement in the thick brush in front of me. The big broken eye guard 4x4 came stiff legged toward the doe and she took off trotting passing by just to my right. The big buck circled wide heading after her and at about the 20-yard mark he presented a decent shot. I hit him a little high and forward and I caught him in the shoulder. When I shot, I thought he was perfectly broadside but apparently, he was slightly quartering to me. This, combined with the angle from my tree equated into my arrow angling through his shoulder into his vitals. It was over quickly. I’ll take a little luck any chance I get!

Most memorable hunt or moment in the woods...this is a tough one. Over the last 33 years of hunting exclusively with a bow I’ve been fortunate to have more than my fair share of adventures. I’ll paraphrase a few.

The vastness of the far north is hard to beat. Stalking and calling big moose in northern British Columbia with my dad a couple times was amazing. They are a huge animal.

Stalking sitka blacktail in the high peaks of Kodiak Island while looking out over the ocean has probably been my most scenic adventure.

As far as taking an animal is concerned, the old griz I took last fall in Alaska is probably my pinnacle. Releasing that arrow and watching it zip though the chest of that huge beast will be on constant replay in my mind for the rest of my life.

Calling in a rag horn bull elk into my wife during her first archery season and watching her bury an arrow right behind its shoulder from 10 yards was pretty amazing too. I’m a terrible elk caller and the fact that the hunt followed the script perfectly was shocking.

Blood trailing a whitetail buck my wife shot a couple years ago with our two little boys in tow is one of my highlights from recent years. Their excitement when we found the buck and my youngest son, Schafer, saying “deer, deer” from his backpack seat was priceless.

When I was 15, I shot a 360-bull elk right in the horn. Was stalking a cow on an old logging cut when suddenly this big bull stepped out of the timber. I hit where I was looking.

I snuck up on a big mule deer a few years ago in Wyoming and posted up over him at less than ten yards. I had seen this deer in this basin the day before, and looking at him through my spotter I counted 19 points. When he finally stood, he walked straight away from me and never offered an ethical shot. I never found him again and he got shot during rifle season on a neighboring property. Word on the street was he grossed 206”. He’ll haunt my dreams forever.

I could go on and on reminiscing past adventures, but I’ll end it here. It is certainly an honor to be named Bowhunter of The Year and I’m proud to be a member of the Montana Bowhunters Association!!

PAUL SCHAFFER AWARD

OTTO ANDERSON

I’m always so pumped when the Paul Schafer award is handed out each year at the convention. It reminds me of all the ups and downs I experienced as a young whippersnapper learning the art of bows and bow hunting. This year’s award recipient was Otto Anderson from Columbia Falls. Bowhunting is a challenging endeavor, and Otto chooses to make his bowhunting experience even more of a challenge by using his own selfbow. Here’s a handful of questions I threw at Otto shortly after the convention, enjoy

K: At what age did you shoot your first arrow? Be honest here, at what age did you draw back and fling one directly up in the air? I was turkey hunting with my son last weekend and flung a few a way up and out into the pasture, it felt pretty good!

O: I probably shot my first arrow when I was around 4 or 5 years old. I remember for christmas when I was little my grandpa and my dad worked together to make me, my sister, and my cousin bows. They were super small fiberglass longbows that pulled around 10 pounds. But we loved shooting them, we would go in the yard and see whose arrow would go the farthest or sometimes shoot at the songbirds eating in my mom’s garden. We never got anything thankfully, haha.

K: Tell us about a mentor or fellow Bowhunter that has helped you get to where you are today in regard to learning the basics of archery?

O: My Dad (Cory) and my Uncle Jeremy have helped me the most when getting into archery and bowhunting. They have shot bows just like me since they were little kids. I think the way they helped me the most was letting me discover it for myself. It was never forced on me and I think that’s one reason I love it so much, the curiosity of shooting an arrow, or the adventure of the hunt. Once I started showing interest, they helped me with basic form and practice.

K: You just received the Paul Schafer award this past convention, was this your first MBA Convention?

O: This was my first MBA convention, yes, but it most definitely won’t be my last. I think organizations like the MBA and TBM are very important, and I would like to do my part in helping them out. I think one of the hardest things to do nowadays is recruit lots of the younger generation. I know plenty of kids my age that bow hunt, but I think the hardest thing to do is recruit them to conventions like this one. This is where I would like to help tell them about the MBA so they can go next year and the year after. Then my generation would be involved and have different perspectives to bring to the table.

K: You had taken a bunch of critters this past season with a self bow you made. Tell us about that bow and what inspired you to build it? I imagine Paul Schafer made a few selfbows back in his day and maybe a recurve or two as well!

O: The thing that made me interested in making and hunting with a selfbow was the challenge. Before my success I had a few failures that made me realize the difficulty of what I was trying, but that made it more fun for me. I had blown up a few bows before I finally had a functioning selfbow, which pulled around 70#, but I really enjoyed shooting it. And I shot the bow well, I shot a gopher with it at 45 yards, haha. So that fall I took it to the woods, and to shorten things up I missed two whitetail does with it from the ground. Both shots had some misfortune with the deer ducking the string, but either way I missed. The next fall I took it out on opening day. My friend and I had set our stands in the same tree hoping we could maybe film each other if we got shots. So sure enough, half an hour after sunrise a nice 4x4 makes his way down the trail on my friend’s side of the tree. I hit the record and waited in anticipation, and he passes it up. I was surprised but I also understood his decision since it was opening day and all. A few more bucks walked by out of range and it was getting late in the morning. A squirrel had been bugging us all morning, so I decided to take a crack at him. I jokingly told my friend Oliver, “watch now a deer is gonna walk by since I have my blunt arrow on.” Sure enough, suddenly a nice 4x4 is 10 yards away walking right at me. I switch my arrows as he is now right below us. I had left a small backpack below us and the deer started licking it! I couldn’t believe it, the buck motioned away from me at 3 yards, but I didn’t have a shot. Finally, he turned quartering away and I drew my cedar arrow back and let it rip. I hit him just left of his spine and I watched my arrow stop as my turkey fletchings caught the bucks hide. He ran off and Oliver and I sat there in disbelief laughing. I had a high school soccer game that afternoon, so we gave the buck some time and my dad and sister came along to track him. He went about 150 yards and piled up. We cleaned him, hung him in the woodshed, and I made it without a minute to spare for my soccer game. It was a great hunt.

K: First critter you ever shot at. First critter you harvested. Last critter you harvested?

O: The first animal I ever shot at was a whitetail doe out of a tree stand. I made a great shot, and she didn’t go far. That was also the first animal I had ever harvested with a bow. The first animal I ever shot in general was a mule deer doe in the Sweet Grass Hills. The last animal I harvested was just the other day. I was able to tag both my turkey tags on nice toms with my shotgun. The last bow harvest I had was this fall on a little button buck I shot it with a fiberglass longbow I made in shop class.

K: Favorite animal to bow hunt?

O: My favorite animal to bow hunt would probably be elk, though I have never been successful with a bow on them. I have gotten close numerous times and things haven’t entirely worked out. Whether it be flunking a shot, or calling spikes in a no spike zone, elk are kinda my bowhunting nemesis. But I think that’s why I love hunting them so much. My second favorite animal to hunt would have to be whitetails.

K: If you could go back in time with your bow and a full quiver, how far back would you go and what would be your quarry?

O: If I could go back in time I would probably go to the 60’s and hunt mountain goats with Jack Whitney. He lived in Bigfork and hunted the Swan Range of mountains for mountain goats. I think that would be an awesome hunt. And with good company.

K: As Montana bowhunters we are blessed with many big game species to hunt across the state. If you could hack into FWPs computers (hypothetical question, as hacking is a cyber crime I think) and draw yourself a tag, what when and where would you hunt?

O: This is a tough question for me, there’s so many awesome hunts that could take place. Like most guys I would have to say I would love a sheep tag. If I had the choice of time and location I would say, hunting the Rocky Mountain front by Augusta during the middle of October. That is a hunt I dream of one day going on. The location and time don’t matter as much to me as long as I got a sheep tag.

K: What are your goal for the upcoming 2025-2026 archery season?

O: My main goal for this year is to harvest an elk. My eventual goal is to harvest Bear, Pronghorn, Deer, and Elk all with a bow in a season. So, who knows, maybe this will be the year. I’m definitely gonna give it my best shot.

Congratulations again to Otto Anderson, an outstanding young bowhunter!

SCOTT KOELZER TRADITIONAL BOWHUNTER HALL OF FAME RECIPIENT

Scott Koelzer

is no stranger to the archery scene in Montana. This past March he was inducted into the Traditional Bowhunting Hall of Fame in Denver Colorado at the Compton Big Game Classic. Scott and Marv Clynke are the only living members of the HOF. The following was read at his induction.

Scott Koelzer was born in 1950 in Bozeman, MT. His father, Vern, owned a sporting goods store in town and the family resided on Sourdough Creek about 3 miles outside the city limits. Scott was the middle child in a family of 5 boys and everything the great outdoors could offer was literally right out the back door. Hunting, fishing, and trapping was a way of life for the family and his poor mom never knew what to expect when she opened the freezer.

He started shooting a bow around the age of 7 and in a family of 5 boys all launching arrows you can imagine there are some stories.

His first big game animal was a black bear taken at the age of 16 in a gully behind the house. Scott’s older brother Tom was with him when he took the bear and Scott recalls Tom picking the bear up by the back legs as you would a jackrabbit and congratulating him on his trophy.

As a star athlete in high school and college his outdoor adventures were slim for those years, but he did take a mule deer buck with his bow on a rare weekend off.

After being drafted by the Celtics but turning down the invitation to play pro basketball he immersed himself fully into the outdoors and archery. 1973 was the last year he rifle-hunted and 1976 was the first year he headed north to Canada. During that 76 season he held tags for 10 species and filled 9. The 77 season found him in the Yukon with Paul Schafer and tags for 7 species in his pocket.

In the late 70’s he went into business for himself in the masonry trade. This occupation afforded him the opportunity to work hard and to play hard.

In 1980 he succeeded Gene Wensel and became the 2nd Secretary/Treasurer of the newly formed Montana Bowhunters Association. Under the presidency of his good friend and hunting partner Lee Poole, the MBA boasted a membership of 1,400 in a state that only sold 6,000 archery permits yearly. He and Lee held their positions until 1986 when they both chose to step down. The Scott and Lee years are still considered the golden era of the MBA.

Adventures in the far north have always been his passion and more years than not found him pursuing a variety of critters in various provinces. Moose and Grizzly bears ar e his favorite and were the main focus of his efforts.

A tree stand accident in 1997 changed his life forever, but massive internal injuries and an exploded pelvis were not going to stand in the way of his adventures. After the better par t of a year in and out of the hospital and many surgeries, he was able to get back out in the woods. In the years following his accident he has taken two griz, one polar bear, many black bears, elk, antelope, caribou, whitetail, mule deer, mountain lion, and turkey.

He has influenced and helped many young bowhunters start shooting traditional equipment and has given out more bows than he remembers he ever owned.

Nowadays, he enjoys spending time with his grandkids and other young children as they launch arrows just the same as he did nearly 70 years ago.

Blast from the Past

1994 - Part 1

This segment of The Blast From the Past is a continuation from 1994 newsletter.

Our President Jim Bradford was voted in when Dick Solum’s step in term was completed, and the memberships regular elections were complete. It was a trying time for the MBA. A big thanks to Dick and the others for moving us forward.

While compiling the last issue for the Blast, I came across a survey from the Fish & Game Commission. The article was put together by Dino Fanelli. He put the questions together for the commission and the following is a summary of their responses. In part 1 of this issue, I took the response from Commissioner James D. Rector, represent from Reg. 6, 7, and 4. In part 2 (next issue) will be the response from Commissioner David W. Simpson, represent from Reg. 5 and 7. Following are their responses to the MBA’s survey questions. Now remember this survey is thirty years old, but looking as to what is going on lately, it’s not to far off.

Question #1 – Hunters in Montana have a very liberal season. Will we be able to maintain these seasons in the future? If not, how do you see our seasons changing?

Obviously, Montana hunters are going to enjoy liberal seasons for some time. Whether or not we will be able to maintain those into the future remains to be seen. As the demand for more and more hunting increases are going to continue to see greater demands placed on our resources. Those demands, of course, are going are going to eventually come down to some economic impact. The commercialization of our wild resources. Therefore, I think we are going to see several changes in the future: 1) access to private lands and public lands through private lands is probably going to continue to be a very large issue in Montana in the future. We in Montana must find a way to reach some kind compromise to stop this cancer that is eroding our present hunting heritage. If we don’t, we are going to wind up like Texas, where you will be unable to hunt anywhere without paying a trespass fee or hiring an outfitter; and 2) as more and more demand increases, wildlife agencies are going to have to by necessity limit the harvest by some means which means we will have more permit areas. Permit hunting, in my opinion, is an unavoidable future change for the Montana hunter. I believe that these unlimited over the counter multi-regional tags that are available today are probably not going to be available too many years in the future.

I also foresee larger demands being placed upon the Department to manage big game species to achieve a larger distribution of age structure. I believe that we are beginning to see pressure on the commission to remove mule deer and whitetail hunting from the rut. Either we are going to see a shorter season, or perhaps move the entire deer season up a couple of weeks to eliminate the hunting of deer during the rut. I believe we are probably going to see Brow tined bull regulations being imposed state wide as far as elk are concerned.

Question #2 – What are the major issues facing sportsman in Montana today?

The major issues I see facing sportsman in Montana today are: 1) access to private and public lands; 2) commercialization of wildlife; 3) increasing demand for activities; 4) threatened species management; and 5) antihunting influences.

Question #3 – Do you feel that sportsmen’s groups in Montana can effectively stop the anti-hunting movement?

I believe that the sportsmen of Montana can effectively oppose the anti-hunting movement. I don’t believe that they can ever be stopped, but we can effectively oppose them; first, by maintain some continuity between the various groups. It is very hard to claim that these groups represent the sportsmen of MT when there are 200,000 licenses holders and only 2 or 3 thousand hunters belong to these groups.

Question #4 – What are your feelings on specific weapon type seasons?

Regarding specific weapon type seasons, if you are speaking about archery and muzzleloader, I have no specific feelings about them one way or the other. I do believe that primitive weapon seasons are appropriate in certain circumstances. They certainly are appropriate to alleviate safety concerns during big game rifle seasons in areas surrounding residential areas. I have no concern one way or the other about the archery hunting in that it does provide a significant recreational opportunity for people who are interested in the primitive hunting program. We are seeing continued pressure to create a special muzzleloader season along with other primitive weapons. There are some concerns that that are being continually raised about the wounding losses because of archery hunting and the use of primitive weapons. I think those concerns are going to continue to be present and you need to be able to address them with sound data when they come up.

Question #5 – What can sportsmen and women do now to keep hunting a viable management tool in the coming years?

The sportsmen and women of Montana must be continually vigilant to make certain that hunting does remain a viable management tool in Montana. Other than the issues stated above, would be to watch the, Endangered Species Managements, and become extremely involved in the formulations of these processes. For example, the reintroduction of the wolves is certainly going to diminish game populations and therefore diminish the recreational hunting opportunities.

Access to state lands, federal lands and private lands will continue to be a very large problem. Become involved in the political process. Make certain your voice is heard in the present Private Land/Public Wildlife Council. That council is charged with the responsibility of making long term decisions for the Montana sportsmen, landowners and outfitters. Your involvement in that process and your input is necessary. Continue to monitor the Fish and Game Commission meetings. Bowhunters have had a presence at the commission meetings for several years, although this year I have noticed they are not always present. The sportsmen of Montana, not only the bowhunters of Montana, have to be constantly diligent to watch and participate in the public decision-making process. It is absolutely essential that you have a presence in the legislature and that you continually present your point of view to the department and the commission starting with the regional game managers, regional offices, up through the bureaucratic hierarchy to the commission.

This is the end of Part 1. Next issue I’ll finish with Part 2. So, until then hope you thought this to be interesting.

Marlon Clapham (Historian)

Region 1

Pat Tabor Vice Chair CommissionerRegion1@mtfwp.org (406) 438-1714

Whitefish, Montana

Region 2

Jeff Burrows CommissionerRegion2@mtfwp.org (406) 438-1148

Hamilton, Montana

Region 3

Susan Kirby Brooke CommissionerRegion3@mtfwp.org (406) 438-0460

Bozeman, Montana

Region 4

KC Walsh CommissionerRegion4@mtfwp.org (406) 438-3625

Martinsdale, Montana

BUSINESS & CLUB MEMBERS

Region 5

Brian Cebull CommissionerRegion5@mtfwp.org (406) 438-2551

Billings, Montana

Region 6

Lesley Robinson Commission Chair CommissionerRegion6@mtfwp.org (406) 301-0787

Dodson, Montana

Region 7

William Lane CommissionerRegion7@mtfwp.org (406) 438-0143

Ismay, Montana

Fish & Wildlife Commission Members

Expanded hunting opportunities through working with FWP and commissioners to preserve and expand bowhunting seasons

Unified voice during legislative sessions to protect seasons and access programs while opposing efforts which seek to limit the role of FWP in managing wildlife

Fellowship with others who are interested in shaping the future of bowhunting

Quarterly magazine keeping you informed on local, state, and national bowhunting issues, bowhunter education, events, and great hunting stories

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