Vol. 53 #1 Fall 2025 Issue by Montana Bowhunter's Association

MBA

Regional Representatives

Region 1

Region 2

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

Region 3 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

406-942-0575

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

Patrick Koelzer 1112 Park Ave #A, Belgrade, MT 59714 - pkmasonrymt@yahoo.com 406-570-9450

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

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

Liberty Brown

Financial:

CHAIR: Mandy Garness

Landowner/Sportsman:

CHAIR: Stephanie Prater

Mike Iten • Justin Doll

Mark Schwomeyer • Tristan Manuel

Nominations:

CHAIR: Stephanie Prater

Brian Koelzer

Awards:

CHAIR: Cliff Garness

Stephen LePage • Marlon Clapham

Liberty Brown • Robin Mestdagh

Jake Garness • Brian Koelzer

Membership:

CHAIR: Steve LePage

Mandy Garness • Mike Iten

Ben Buller • Ron Aasheim

Convention 2026 (Region 5)

Mandy Garness • Kevin Robinson

Tristan Manuel • Cliff Garness

Magazine:

CHAIR: Cliff Garness

Stephanie Prater • Kevin Robinson

Jake Garness • Guy Stickney

Brian Koelzer

Bridger Bowman Shoot:

CHAIR: Kevin Robinson

Bow-Ed:

CHAIR: Mark Schwomeyer

Al Kelly • Marlon Clapham

Ben Buller • Tristan Manuel • Jackie Doyle

Youth Membership and MBA Teen Bowhunter Camp

CHAIR: NA

Kevin Robinson • Robin Mestdagh

Governance

CHAIR: NA

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 article finds everyone in good health! The year is winding down on tag drawings for Montana. I hope everyone was able to draw at least one of your tags you applied for. I’ve visited with several folks who drew multiple tags and are going to have some serious fun this year chasing game. So, it’s time to get out and shoot your bows as much as you can and get that practice in so you’re ready when the time comes. I know there are still several 3-D Shoots going on across Montana and Wyoming, so look them up and get after it!

In June, we helped host the “Bridger Bowman Shoot” in Bozeman. It was a tremendous success and I want to thank all the volunteers that worked all weekend to make sure everything went smoothly. There were over 150 shooters over the “2” days and the course was very fun and challenging. Bill, Denver and their team did an AWESOME job organizing this year’s shoot. The MBA will be assuming the full role of putting on the shoot in 2026. We will need as many helpers and volunteers as possible to put this shoot on. Let’s keep this great tradition going for many years to come.

Recently, a group of Montana Outdoor Organizations got together and wrote a letter to our State and Federal leadership to challenge the selling of Public Lands in Montana. We as an organization signed on to stop the sell. Thanks to our Representatives (Senator Daines, Senator Sheehy, Congressman Downing and Congressman Zinke), they were able to get it removed from the “Big Beautiful Bill”! Thanks to all who signed on and/or reached out to our State and Federal Leadership on this topic. It shows that it pays off to speak up and challenge these bills.

I want to wish ever yone a successful hunting season this year! Please feel free to send us pics of your hunts so we can post them in our newsletter. We love seeing success!! I can’t wait to hear the stories and see the pictures. With that, I’ll close and leave you with this reminder “Shoot Straight and Always be a Straight Shooter!”

Ken Schultz

1ST VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Ihope this message finds all of you, our members, well and enjoying our nice summer! With the change of seasons from summer to fall, we also are seeing a shift in gears from a legislative season to the FWP season setting time, so please make sure you attend your local meetings, learn about changes and provide feedback and comments. It often feels like those comments fall on deaf ears, but one thing I want to spotlight was how amazing to see conservation groups, individuals, businesses, politicians from across the aisle and folks who just enjoy the outdoors come together to kill the public land sell-off portion of the Big Beautiful Bill. MBA signed on with other Montana organizations to help fight it and thank goodness we won. A light was shined on public lands and their importance to all of us and our voices will continue to be heard!

Shoot straight and good luck this fall,

Stephanie Prater

Ken Schultz

Stephanie Prater

Mandy Garness

TREASURER’S MESSAGE

HELP WANTED:

While we are always on the lookout for new members and board members to help guide the organization, we have a few specific needs now. By April, we will need members to run for the Secretary and Treasurer positions , and we are currently looking to fill our paid Administrative Services Contractor (bookkeeper) position.

The board of director positions are volunteer positions with just a few duties beyond the other Director roles. The treasurer works closely with the bookkeeper and is the chair of the Financial Committee, assisting with financial planning and keeping the board on track with spending and fundraising efforts. The secretary maintains general membership and board meeting minutes (recently with assistance of Zoom recordings and AI notes), is a custodian of corporate records and provides that all notices be served in accordance with our bylaws.

The ASC position is a paid position with duties to include assisting with convention planning and checkout at the convention, monitoring bank accounts including processing payments and expenditures, maintaining membership processing and the database, attending board meetings (3 per year) and submitting tax information to the CPA, as well as other duties which can be discussed. A laptop is provided, and we currently use QuickBooks Online and Wild Apricot. A full job description is available and negotiable DOE.

Our officers and board members are great to work with and assist wherever possible in these duties, so you’d be joining a team rather than taking on a job. Please reach out to Ken Schultz or Mandy Garness (camoquilter@ gmail.com) if you are interested in any of these positions.

Best of luck in the field this fall!

Mandy Garness Treasurer

PAST PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Ihave a father-in-Law, so I am very accustomed to being told that I am wrong. In fact, I hear it so often that I have developed the ability to completely ignore the critique, especially when it is uttered by him. That being said, every now and then I make a true mistake and when this extremely rare event happens, I like to acknowledge my transgressions and if possible, rectify the blunder.

In my last Past President’s Message, I was heaping praise on our current Legislative Committee and all their hard work getting SB 238 passed into law. This law allows license purchasers the option to donate money to help fund the Permit to Modify Archery Equipment and help disabled bowhunters to get out into the field bowhunting. While pouring accolades upon this committee, I made the comment that I thought this was the first time the MBA had introduced a bill and helped make a law. This is where I made my mistake and this, for the record, is my formal retraction/correction.

I was notified by an unnamed member, that previously was in a position of leadership in the MBA, we will call him Charlie, that in 1999 the MBA introduced a bill, and it was written into law. Here is an article describing this incredible accomplishment:

The Montana Bowhunter Association (MBA) recently celebrated the passing of a tough new poaching law in Montana’s 1999 legislature. For the first time, the MBA originated, rather than reacted to, proposed legislation. This new legislation benefits wildlife and sends a strong message that poachers aren’t welcome in Montana.

The law is aimed at those who choose to poach trophy-sized animals, as well as those who illegally use nightscopes, infrared, optics, or spotlights. Under the new law, restitution penalty for a poached three-quarter-curl bighorn ram is now $30,000; for a six-point bull elk or four-point buck deer, $8,000; for a 30-inch bull moose or mountain goat, $6,000; and for a 14-inch antelope, $2,000. These fines closely reflect the value of these animals to Montana residents, from whom poachers are stealing. In addition, hunting and fishing privileges will be revoked for poachers of any of these trophy animals or for using nightscopes, spotlights, or infrared scopes on any big game. This loss of license also applies to other western states that have a reciprocal agreement with Montana.

The important poaching bill was drafted by the MBA, which found a committed sponsor in Senator Fred Thomas of Stevensville. “It took preparation and testifying to legislative committees about poaching and big game values by Board members Greg Munther and Stan Rauch. In addition, hundreds of phone and e-mail messages were made by MBA members who contacted their legislators throughout the process,” said MBA President Mark Baker. “I’m proud of what a well-organized bowhunting group, such as MBA, can achieve if they are committed to organizing and working hard in a legislative environment.”

Reference: “Montana Bowhunters Initiate Poaching Law..” The Free Library. 1999 InterMedia Outdoors, Inc. 14 Jul. 2025

Look at me using a citation, all fancy and whatnot…

My Father-in-Law will be thrilled to read this, as he is always giving me a hard time. This public acknowledgement of my deeply flawed statement will be the primary topic of conversation at every Christmas dinner, birthday and campfire shared for years to come.

I am very happy that I was mistaken! I am thankful that this was brought to light; thank you Charlie. I am very pleased to write this retraction/ correction, as this simply reminded me of the rock-solid foundation provided by previous MBA efforts and reinforced how important the MBA is when it comes to protecting, promoting and preserving Montana’s precious archery seasons.

A citation and alliteration…Damn I’m good. 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 (NO REPORT)

REGION 7

There were easier places to fish, sure—calm lakes near the road, stocked ponds down in the valley. But my daughter Kennadi wanted the chance to catch golden trout.

Rare. Wild. And high up in the remote alpine lakes of the Mission Mountain Wilderness, where few even bother to go. Hiking has become our summertime weekend ritual while she’s home from college.

We stood at the trailhead as the morning mist coiled around the trees. Towering larch and cedar loomed like silent giants. She adjusted her hat and grinned at me; excitement barely contained. She was a bit on the chilly side, but I said, “Be bold, start hiking cold.”

“You think they’re really up there?” she asked.

“Only one way to find out.” I said as I tightened my pack straps.

The trailhead was quiet in the early morning hush, except for the crunch of boots on gravel and the occasional trill of birdsong. I glanced over my shoulder, grinning at Kennadi who was adjusting her pack, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“Ready for this, kiddo?” I asked.

She nodded, her messy ponytail bouncing with the motion. “Let’s find those fish.”

The air smelled of pine and cold stone, and every step took us deeper into the wild. The trail winding through towering pines and sun-dappled

meadows. The air grew cooler with every step, the scent of damp earth and wildflowers thick in the alpine breeze. This wasn’t just another hike, it was our hike, a tradition stitched into the summers of her childhood.

“This is so much better than statistics class,” she said, scaling a boulder with her rod clipped to her pack.

I laughed, more out of breath than I’d like to admit.

By late morning, we broke through the last stand of Douglas fir and lodgepole pine, and there it was—a hidden, glacial-blue lake cradled in a granite cirque, wind-ruffled and gleaming under the July sun.

“Wow.” She breathed. “This is sooo beautiful!”

We stood there in silence for a moment, letting the quiet wrap around us like grandma’s handmade blanket.

“Careful here.” I said, “One wrong step, and we’ll be sliding to the lake.” Kennadi stepped forward – steady, sure, agile like she was born for it. I followed, as we scrambled over boulders and scree navigating through patches of alders descending to the water.

We both stood there for a moment, boots off, feet in the cold shallows, watching the water for movement. Then she spotted it—a faint flicker, gold beneath the surface.

“I see one,” she whispered, eyes wide.

“Perfect.” I said, “I think you’re going to catch the first one today!”

Fly rods were assembled quickly. I chose an Adams dry fly; Kennadi went with an elk hair caddis. She beamed, casting her line out with a practice flick of the wrist, and her cast sailed smooth, landed just right—and bam—a splash, a strike, the line went tight.

“Got one!” she shouted, gripping the rod tight.

The fight was short, but intense. When the fish broke the surface, her breath caught—it was stunning. Iridescent flanks of crimson and gold, with fins tipped in white like tiny crowns. A true mountain jewel. It wasn’t the biggest trout either of us had ever seen, but it was hers, and that mattered the most.

She held it in her hands, kneeling in the water, both of us grinning like fools.

“Golden Trout,” she said softly, almost in disbelief.

“Worth the hike?”

“Worth everything.”

I snapped a photo, Kennadi released the fish, watching it swim away into the deep. Then she stood and looked around at the untouched world surrounding us—jagged peaks, the smell of snowmelt, a hawk gliding high above.

“I want to find more lakes like this,” she said. I smiled. “We better start planning our next trip.”

As we took a break, Kennadi bathed in the high mountain sun reflecting off the lake, a slight breeze afoot with few mosquitoes trying to penetrate our skin, the wind whispered through the trees with a promise: there were more wild places out there, more fish, more trails.

And the mountains would always be waiting. As we began our descent to the terminus of our journey, we discussed how public lands are essential not just for their natural beauty, but for their role in conservation, education, public health, and cultural preservation. They help protect biodiversity, support local economies, and ensure that future generations can enjoy the same natural resources and experiences. The importance of ensuring public lands remain public is paramount.

Michael Iten

Kennadi Iten with a Golden Trout

REGION 2

IMARLON CLAPHAM

KEVIN ROBINSON

waited for the last minute to write this up because yesterday I went up to the Magruder Youth Camp to set up for the weeks’ worth of Archery. Libby Roberts will be taking my place with the youth shooting archery for this camp. She is well qualified in both target and hunting. She has been involved with teaching Bowhunter Education with Jackie and I over the last few years. So, I leave the activities in good hands.

While some of the members went to the Bridger Bowmans Shoot in Bozeman the first of June, Merri and I had booked a camp site on Cayon Ferry for that weekend. Roger Lite showed up with his whole family for some carp shooting, and several other members also came up to join in the fun. I saw several nonmembers that show up at the Carp Safary every year to shoot a few carp Friday and Saturday. We all had a good time, got a few fish, had a good campfire, and had a fish fry.

The PTMAE Pr ogram has been quite busy this spring and into the summer as well. The young lady 15 from New York who wanted to participate in the NSAP shooting program needed some help requested from Merritt Compton officer from P&Y and Stephen LaPage. Born with only one arm I built her the front release and fit it to a Genises bow, which is what they use in the NASP program. I posted her with her shooting the bow on the web site. It didn’t take her long to get into shooting form. The New York Bowhunters Association footed the bill.

As of this writing I ’m working on two more fellas in need of some help. Hopefully well be able to get the funds from the MBA’s bill to help with the financing.

Jackie Doyle has moved up to Reg. 1 with her mom and dad. She will be sorely missed down here in Reg. 2. With that said Kevin and I will be needing some folks to step up and help the activities we host every year. Reg. 2 will be hosting the 2027 Convention here in Missoula. It takes a crew to put it all together. Kevin has already put in loads of time get the Hotel lined out.

The MBA has taken on some new endeavors in the 3D world and will be hoisting the Bridger Bowman shoot as it is now our responsibility. It has brought us over forty new members last June. Start looking for all the details on the web site. Stories to follow soon.

Ever yone should know by now if they drew that special permit for the 2025 season. I wish you all the best of luck.

Keep -Em Sharp and Shoot-Em Straight.

Marlon Clapham

Happy summer folks! As I write this it’s mid summer and hot but thankfully not smoky yet. Been seeing some great antler growth on the local whitetail bucks around Missoula and look forward to seeing a few walk under my tree this fall. I traded my bow fishing for spear fishing this summer with some great success! Northern Pike is the only legal target in Western Montana waters and spear fishing has temporarily scratched my bowhunting itch! Antelope opener will probably have arrived by the time you read this, so I hope those with tags have some opportunities. I mistakenly applied for the antelope 900 again this year and was successful. Knowing that a few of you may not have drawn because of the quota being met, I apologize. I encourage those folks who know they won’t hunt antelope to not apply for the 900 to allow those who do have a better chance to draw, just my opinion though.

There was a portion of the “Big Beautiful Bill” regarding the sale of public lands across the west that was removed. It took a lot of effort from citizens on both sides of the aisle to make it known to our politicians that we do not stand for the sale of any public land. Thank you to all of you that made the

effort to reach out to our politicians. Shame on Utah Senator Mike Lee. Hopefully he loses his seat next election.

Speaking of Big Beautiful Bill, the keys to the Bridger Bowmen shoot were handed over to the MBA by Bill Siebrasse and the Bridger Bowmen crew back in June. It was a great event and a great opportunity for the MBA to continue the tradition. Keep shooting your bows, get scouting and have a safe successful archery season!

Kevin Robinson

Ihope you’re all enjoying a well-earned summer and getting plenty of time outdoors with your bows. The 2025 archery season is rapidly approaching, and it’s always exciting to feel that shift toward fall and the adventures it brings. I trust everyone is dialing in their practice and preparing for a safe and successful season ahead.

On a personal note, I was thrilled to draw my 900-20 antelope tag this year — especially after missing out last season. As many of you know, drawing that tag has become more competitive in recent years, so it feels good to be back in the game for speed goats in August.

It was great seeing so many of you at the Bridger Bowmen 3D shoot. We had over 150 shooters come out to enjoy the course, and it was fantastic to see so many new faces joining the Montana Bowhunters Association as well. Events like these remind us why our bowhunting community is so strong.

Wishing each of you good luck this fall. May your arrows fly true, and your hunts be full of memories.

Sincerely, Liberty Brown

406-570-4280 | mbareg3@gmail.com

Liberty Brown

Kevin Robinson

Marlon Clapham

Greetings fellow bowhunters!

The long-awaited hunting season is about here! This fall is looking like I’ll have the opportunity to go out into the field with some old friends as well as some fellow hunters that are newer to the areas I enjoy. Hopefully, the stars align, and I will be able to place an arrow in the right spot. Either way, time spent in the field is much better than sitting at home doing house projects, just don’t let my wife know that!

I was able to attend a few bow shoots over the summer. While the shoots are about as good of practice as one can get preparing for the upcoming season, I think the best part is the comradery with fellow archers. I encourage you all to check out the shoots not only near you but around the state as well.

Best of luck to everyone this fall! I hope you can make lasting memories and even punch those coveted tags!

Justin Doll

DIRECTOR’S AT LARGE

TODD ANDERSON

CLIFF GARNESS

JAKE GARNESS

BRIAN KOELZER

PAT KOELZER

GUY STICKNEY

DIRECTOR’S AT LARGE

My bowhunting journey started in 1986 in western SD. I was 15 and working for a local gunsmith helping finish custom gun stocks. At that time my whole world was 98 Mauser conversions into amazing hunting rifles. One day a Hoyt rep stopped by the shop to inquire if the owner would be interested in selling their new compound bow. The owner allowed me to sit in the conversation and demonstrated the bow at our local range. This was the spark. I was hooked on archery.

Through the years I continued to hunt with a rifle, always wondering about that Hoyt compound. When I got to college, I purchased a Mathews Solo Cam, I believe their first model. My first harvest was a beautiful 6x6 bull elk from the Black Hills. It didn’t take long to understand the difference between hunting and harvesting. Slowly over the years I transitioned from rifle hunting to only bowhunting. Through trial and error, I became very proficient at filling the freezer using my archery gear. This also knocked out any thoughts I had of filling record books with massive antlered game. This made my hunting experiences so much more fulfilling. Every harvest was a trophy!

2longbow. It’s been to fun to shoot, and I am a long way from being proficient enough to take it out for a hunt, but the goal is there! When I brought the longbow home and showed my son, he was excited to give it a try. And wow, can he shoot! His archery journey will be much different than mine, as he has already purchased a beautiful Kota recurve and is all in on traditional archery at the young age of 20. As I age the joints hurt a little more, the 70-pound compound is now 52 pounds. The anticipation of getting up in the stand and rattling in a whitetail or the screaming bull getting ever so closer in range keep me going. I am looking forward to new experiences in the amazing world of archery hunting. I am so blessed to live in Montana and have the archery hunting opportunities we do. The mission of the MBA has always been one I appreciated and am proud to be part of it!

Todd Anderson

Miles City

Hello everyone! By the time you read this, it will be the end of summer and antelope season will be starting soon or already underway. Hopefully many of you submitted photos of turkeys and bears and maybe some overseas exotic animals for this issue??!! Cannot wait to see ‘em :)

I have not made it to too many 3-D archery shoots around the state this spring/early summer, but I am hoping to make up for it leading into fall hunting season. I did make it to the Bridger Bowman/ MBA shoot in early June, which was great weather and a great time as always. It is always good to see fellow MBA members (from all over the state) more than just one time a year at the banquet. I was fortunate enough to get to do some hunting for bears this spring and am excited to transition/prep for the fall hunting seasons of Montana to be upon us. I look forward to accompanying family and friends in their special draw areas and strategically planning time to hunt for my “general” elk tag. Hope everyone drew a tag or two. Please show us your bragging photos or trail cam photos for the magazine and look forward to some hunting stories from your success. Good luck in your remaining draws, and your upcoming hunting seasons. I look forward to hearing the lessons learned, close calls and successes at the MBA banquet in Billings, MT in April 2026.

Take care, travel safe and good luck hunting!

Cliff

Region 4 DAL

Garness

Cliff Garness

Todd Anderson

Iwas going to start this off with grumbling about how hot it is outside, but since the sky has opened and a nice rain is pitterpattering outside, I’ll hold off and be thankful for the moisture. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy summertime and a nice 90-degree day with a stiff wind is heaven on earth for me when I’m stalking mule deer in Wyoming with my longbow. Too bad I did not draw a mule deer tag this year….Grrr

This summer has been an eventful one so far. First off, I’d like to thank Representative Zinke, Senator Daines, and Senator Sheehy for all standing in opposition to the sale of our public lands. Good move fellas! Thank you to all the other outdoor groups and enthusiasts that made their voices heard as well. I’m sure that this is not the last we will hear of this, but our voices have been heard loud and clear. Not one acre.

May found several MBA members and myself in Saskatchewan for my annual bear hunt, and it didn’t disappoint. Although the first few days were a little slow for most of us, bear activity picked up and we brought home some dandies. Quality time with good friends out in the wild is time well spent, and the time is cherished. I’ve already got a fine group of MBA friends on deck for next spring!

The Bridger Bowman/MBA 3D shoot held outside Bozeman was a smashing success! The weather was beautiful, and the archers were out in full force. As usual, we signed up a bunch of new members and a great time was had by all. Thank you to the Morton family for allowing us to have our shoot on your incredible property. Also, thank you to all the shooters who showed up and made the weekend a great one!

There are only a few months out of the year that we can’t hunt a big game species of some sort here in the 406, but that doesn’t mean those months are down time. There are a multitude of 3D shoots around the state. What a better way to spend the summer than shooting arrows and preparing for fall? Road tripping to shoots can also be considered a scouting trip for adventures in the future.

My family and I returned from the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. The PBS (Professional Bowhunters Society) had their odd year gathering outside of Buffalo. It was a fun-filled weekend of great people from all over the country hanging out, shooting arrows, and telling stories. We arrived Thursday evening to a beautiful sunset. After setting up camp we caught up with friends and let the kids run around. Friday was a tad bit damp and chilly. The pea soup fog made shooting impossible, but my boys were pretty certain we were in a spooky Scooby Doo movie. I was glad we packed puffy coats and stocking hats. Saturday was a beautiful day, and we made up for Friday’s lost time shooting arrows.

Antelope are right around the corner and the adventures of fall I’m sure will not disappoint! Go make some memories out there and may your arrows fly true!

>>————>. Brian Koelzer

My name is Pat Koelzer. I was born and raised in Bozeman, MT, and I currently reside in Belgrade, MT, I have lived in the Gallatin Valley my entire life. I started bowhunting over 40 years ago, at the age of 12, and have been a dedicated bowhunter ever since.

I have been fortunate to bow hunt in the amazing and beautiful outdoors in several states and Canadian provinces. The state of Montana, however, is incomparable when it comes to bowhunting access, experiences, and heritage. I have been blessed to have had some truly memorable hunts, taken many different species of animal, and incorporated many different methods to harvest these animals. I have utilized spot and stalk hunting for mule deer, big horn sheep and grizzly, game calling for elk and turkey, and blind and stand hunting for whitetail, antelope and black bear.

Although I have been a member of the Montana Bowhunter’s Association for decades I have never taken the initiative to serve the organization in a leadership capacity. As I reflect on my bowhunting career, I realize organizations such as the MBA are what have maintained such a high level of integrity in this sport and given me so many opportunities.

Bowhunting in Montana, and for that matter, America, could not exist as it stands without the importance and dedication of people and organizations that keep our bowhunting heritage alive and safe from those who would threaten the future of this fantastic sport.

The MBA is just such an organization, and its importance in the role of maintaining high standards for those who enjoy bowhunting cannot be understated. As I continue to be a passionate bowhunter, I realize that the comradery, mentoring, and experience of the hunt is truly invaluable and outweighs the triumph of success in the field. Were it not for the selflessness of volunteers that dedicate their time and talents to the MBA, the sport, and most importantly, the lifestyle of bowhunting, would not exist at the level it does today.

I would genuinely be honored to be a representative of the MBA. I am excited to share my experience and talents and hope to be able to make a positive contribution to maintaining the validity of bowhunting in Montana.

Brian Koelzer

Patrick Koelzer

By the time you read this, the 2025 hunting season will be kicking off. Hopefully you got out this past summer and participated in some shoots or just shot in the backyard if that’s all you could fit in. For me the latter was what worked for me.

Hopefully everyone has great hunts planned and great spots to hunt for this upcoming season. One of the greatest challenges to hunting is access to places to hunt. Recently MBA signed onto a letter to the Montana delegation expressing concern with the sale of public lands being included as part of the budget reconciliation bill. In turn the Montana delegation led the successful charge to have this provision stripped from

the bill. It truly made me proud to be a Montanan and a member of the MBA.

Whether you hunt public lands or not, in my opinion, it is important to keep maximum access to hunting lands as a high priority. Ensuring places to hunt goes hand in hand with preserving and protecting our archery seasons because after all without a place to hunt there would be no archery season to preserve and protect. Good luck this fall and aim small, miss small!

Guy Stickney

Grizzly Bears with a Bow and Arrow

It seemed like it took forever for this trip to come. Day 1 we flew in and drove to camp. Got all our gear unpacked and ready to go for the evening hunt. We got situated with our guides and we headed hunting for grizzlies. It was exciting yet nerve racking at the same time. The night was warm and windy so the only way to hunt these beasts was in the afternoon into the night. Early in the night, we had a small black bear come in which was fun to watch and that was all we saw.

The next morning, I got up and practiced shooting the bow. We all know life catches up and you’re not always prepared for everything. I’ve shot thirty arrows since last hunting season. Nervous, yet confident, I had to make some minor adjustments to my sight. The thoughts that went through my head were insane. I couldn’t stop shaking. (the red bull didn’t help)

Night 2-7 was uneventful and sort of boring. I played a lot of games on the phone, looking into the thick timber, with my ears on high alert. Nothing showed up. It was getting down to the last few days and I was more than nervous. The thoughts that went through my head were unimaginable. I started to wonder if there were any grizzlies in Alaska.

Night 8 we went to a new stand. My boy/guide, Casey and I were sitting on the ground in a makeshift blind. I heard some crunching and sticks breaking behind us. Mind you the blind is open with some cut down trees laying in a two-sided triangle shape with the back open. Every time I heard a branch break my head was on a swivel. With thermocells blazing and phone batteries charged, we waited for the big one to show up. The wind was perfect, and I lifted my head to check the bait, and I

caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned over to Casey and whispered BEAR! It was a sow coming through to check out the bait. Well at that moment I was like THIS IS COOL! Well about a minute and a half later it became exciting and scary. She came across the trail to my left and stood up against a tree then back on all feet only 9 yards away. She turned and started walking towards us with no clue we were even there. Casey let her come into 4 yards before tapping his gun on one of the trees. Face to face with a grizzly at four yards was insane! She had noticed that we were there, huffed, and ran straight away from us. Casey and I laughed, wiped the sweat off our faces, and sat back in the chairs. We were hoping that the big boar wasn’t far behind her. Three hours later I was playing a game on my phone and heard this fast-paced stomp and thought nothing of it. A light bulb clicked in my head, and I looked up. There she was again. She had made a big circle and came up the trail in the opposite direction, only this time we scared each other. We had her staring us down at 6 yards. Not moving a single muscle, she took a step back and ran away. Seeing a grizzly in the wild of Alaska, I was soon filled with excitement. Night 9 came, and it was off to a new stand! With lots of bears on camera and the weather cooling down, I had an itch, and it was about to get scratched! The night started off with a small chocolate black bear and he hung out for a while. He came back and forth a couple of times, then got scared off by another black bear. This one had been in and out several times but was acting different. He was always looking around and seemed spooked. Nervous about something else being around, he took off. Then I heard leaves crunching behind us in another makeshift blind.

I turned my head, and we had a big blonde sow grizzly standing behind us at 15 feet. She caught our wind but wasn’t spooked. She turned around and walked out the same way she came in. Casey looked over at me and said he’s around here; it’s a matter of time. I kept my head up and was looking forward to seeing more bears. The black bear had come back and was on high alert. I had noticed as he was eating at the barrel, he kept looking behind us so every time he wasn’t looking, I was.

As I was watching this bear, he stood up and took off like he shot out of a canyon. Half a second later this big chocolate blob comes out of nowhere running right by us at ten feet. Casey whispers at me “That’s him! That’s him! Get ready!”. The grizzly went to the bait and flopped down facing right at us. I had my bow in hand and was shaking. Casey leaned over and says to me if you can put it right in his chest do it. I am sitting there with my bow in my right hand, and I hold out my left hand and its shaking. I told Casey I couldn’t quit shaking let alone shoot a bear and have it be a good shot right now. He laughs and says it’s okay, calm down and breathe, you’ll get your chance.

This little black bear thought he was ten feet tall and bulletproof. He thought he was going to come back and chase this grizzly off the bait. Well, he thought wrong. The grizzly got up and took 3-4 steps and the black bear took off again. He wasn’t too far from the bait which I had known the yardage for. I drew my bow back and waited. What seemed like an eternity was only about 10 seconds. He’s broadside but I have no shot with a tree in the way. Still drawn he turns right towards us and stands there, face on.

I had kept the vision of that frontal shot in the back of my mind. Not even thinking about it, the arrow was gone and on its way. The arrow buried all the way to the fletches. He hunched up and let out this deep stomach roar, nothing like I had ever heard before. He spins and only makes it 20 yards before going into a spin because he still had no idea what had hit him. The big guy was down and my dream of shooting a grizzly with my bow was fulfilled. The emotions that were going through my body was unexplainable. I have a dream fulfilled, many memories, and great new friends to carry with me for the rest of my life. I couldn’t be happier with it!

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

Colleen & Steve Garness

Blast from the Past 1995

This issue of Blast From The Past part 1, comes from 1995. Our President at that time was Jim Bradford from Missoula. Our Convention Banquet was held in Bozeman. Dwight Schuh was the guest speaker at the banquet.

The Board passed motion to kick in an extra $150.00 to the Tip Mont Program for anyone caught poaching using archery equipment. The Board also agreed to underwrite the cost of the book “Beyond Fair Chase”. The Bowhunter Education Program will give a copy to each student. Another proposal brought to the board was to rename the Bowhunter of The Year to honor Paul Schafer. After some discussion they decided to instead to create a new award to honor youths 17 and under and will be called Paul Schafer Youth Award. Paul’s own dedication to kids and family were the basis for the new award. At the Convention there were three youths nominated for the first Paul Schafer Youth Award, they were Justion Taylor (Ovando), Marrisa Richard (Loma), and Justin Traeger (Glasgow). These three up and comers are incredible Youths. We should all be proud, if these are representatives of our younger generation, bowhunting will live long with youngsters like these involved in our sport. Congratulations went out to Justin Traeger as our first recipient of the First Paul Schafer Youth Award.

Monte Moravec of Monarch Longbows approached the MBA about helping Camp-Make-A-Dream set up an Archery-Bowhunter instruction course for the camp. Monte is going to build and donate the bows. MAB members Scott and Pat Beebe from Medicine Bow Archery are donating the target butts. MBA member Dean Chaple of Bull River Bowcrafts is building the arrows; the MBA purchased the materials for the arrows. Then last but certainly not least, MBA member Bob Francis is giving his time to the camp’s instructor for two weeks. Great stuff for the kids.

Well, that’s all I got for this issue from 1995. I’ll finish this year in the next installment of The Blast from the Past.

Marlon Clapham (Historian)

BRIDGER BOWMEN SHO O T

The 9th Annual Bridger Bowmen Shoot

was a great success this year. As you may or may not know, the MBA has partnered with the Bridger Bowmen the past few years to help with the event hosted at the Morton’s ranch east of Bozeman.

The spirit of camaraderie and appreciation runs deep within the Bridger Bowmen community. Each year, countless individuals contribute their time, energy, and enthusiasm to make our events not only possible but truly memorable. It is with heartfelt gratitude that we recognize the dedication and generosity that have shaped our collective experience.

For the past 9 years the club has slowly grown the shoot to a 40 target, two course event held on the Morton family’s historic Montana ranch. Moving forward the MBA will solely continue to carry on the tradition of the shoot. The MBA has acquired all 50 plus targets, necessary gear, and trailer to keep this shoot moving along for years to come. Special thanks to the Morton family for their support and help with the set up and tear down and to the Bridger Bowmen members for creating such a great event!

To all who made Bridger Bowmen Successful and a really good time, President and founder of Bridger Bowmen would like to thank the following members/supporters: The Morton family, Harry Armstrong (RIP), Denver Rathbun, Paul Kemper, Chester Floyd; Garrett Sereday, Brady Brown, Nick Siebrasse, Ashley Siebrasse, Mike Clingan, Tim Johnson, Jamie White, Ben Baine, Ryan Sudderth, Luke Griffis, Luke Elliot, Sean Gummer, Nick Bowers, Matt Bugland, Tyson. I’m sure I am forgetting more mentions so thank you to all who donated to our raffles, sponsored our targets and many more that have helped us set up the shoot courses and run the event over the years! -Bill Siebrasse

Also, we awarded the MBAs Bowhunter of the Year at the shoot as he was absent from the spring convention. Congratulations again Brian Koelzer!

Brian Koelzer MBA’s Bowhunter of the Year

Bottom Left: Kara and Schafer Koelzer

Bottom Middle: Kara Koelzer and Bo at shoot

Bottom Right: Bo Koelzer tryin to kill a turkey at shoot

Building a Bowhunter

By Ed Evans

Every dog owner is always amazed by what old Fido drags home.

Daughters are like that also. Mine dragged home a Neanderthal throwback from Minnesota. What was she thinking? She doesn’t do drugs, wasn’t pregnant, and isn’t that ugly. But they say love is blind, and in this case all senses, including common, were absent.

But you play the hand you’re dealt with. I had the task of turning this pitiful creature into a bona fide Montana bowhunter. Parting the red sea was mere child’s play compared to this task. Minnysoda may be the land of a thousand lakes, but their gene pool is more of a mud puddle. This person wanted to remain anonymous for obvious, embarrassing reasons, so we will refer to him as Steve.

First, I had to show him that Montana had more to offer than pretty girls. He was hell bent to return to Minnysoda, where, if a guy got himself a fourpoint whitey (eastern count), he was the man. People would buy him a drink just to hear the story. I had found an elk wallow, but it was in a hawthorn patch with a narrow path leading to it, and no trees for a tree stand. The only place for a pop-up blind was only 6 feet from the trail, so I told him to sit still and be quiet and when brown hair filled the window, shoot. I was at our rendezvous

spot, when here he comes. He had gotten an elk, but it only had one horn. It was a six by nothing. He was bummed out until I told him, out west we only count one side, so he had a six-point bull elk. Then I gave him the bad news. I also had a six pointer down, but mine was in a deep canyon with no easy retrieval.

I introduced him to a pack frame. I explained how they work, a front quarter on mine and a hind quarter on his. He fell for it. Then he saw the hill we had to climb. I forgot Minnysoda doesn’t have hills; in fact, they don’t have much of anything, except mosquitoes. I told him we didn’t have to climb straight up but could kinda zigzag up. He zigzagged about 2 miles to get to the road which was a quarter mile away.

The next year, I decided to give him a taste of hunting in the breaks. We were set up on water, and here he comes, doing what he does best, ruining my hunt. He had hit a five-point elk, so we set off on the blood trail. It took some time, but there it was, a nice six point. He said it wasn’t his because he shot a five point. Now, this idiot has a higher college degree, but I guarantee it isn’t in math, because numbers above 5 are beyond his mental ability. I casually asked him whose arrow he was standing on. It was his.

To be a real Montana bowhunter, one needs to hunt different species. We had decoys and a blind set up for antelope. A nice buck came in to the decoy. I think Steve has every gadget that Cabelas sells on his bow, so broadside at 15 yards, this critter was history. He made a shot few could duplicate. He waited for the perfect alignment, shot, and took both hind legs off at the knees. Then it looked like a camouflaged walrus chasing a two-legged antelope across the prairie. The antelope was winning until it reached a fence.

I was in my stand, and the magic time had come. A silence came over the forest and I readied an arrow, listened intently for a distant bugle, cow call, or twig to snap. Things were about to happen. And they did. Nimrod roars up and does what he does best, ruin my hunt. He had a wild story about shooting a cow and we had to look for it. My hunt was done, so I said let’s go find her. He insisted that we go back to camp for a camera. Then it came out, a 360 bull had come by and he heart shot it. One of his cows stood there looking at her dead boyfriend. In a rare (for him) moment of mental clarity, he remembered that he had a cow tag and shot the cow through the heart. The spirt of great archery legends, like Fred Bear, Howard Hill, Ed Evans, must have guided those arrows, because I have seen him shoot. One heart shot maybe, but never two in a row. We loaded the elk in the side by side and went to camp but had to leave the rack for morning. He thought it was funny about the story he told me about the wounded cow. Then I mentioned how terrible it would be if a bear came along and drug the rack away and we couldn’t find it. Moral of story (don’t try to BS an experienced BS’er). He didn’t sleep all night.

Steve is one of those people who doesn’t eat breakfast. I tell them that they better eat a good breakfast, because sometimes when you are out in the woods you may not get back for lunch. You don’t get to grab a Starbucks latte and blueberry muffin at 10 in the mountains. We started at daylight and treed Steve’s mountain lion at 3PM. The snow was deep, and it was a long uphill climb back to the truck. Steve was whining about being hungry, and I mentioned that the bacon, eggs and pancakes that my lovely wife made me for breakfast were wearing thin, but I would make it.

“The Knife You’ll Hand Down.”

I was in a blind with my wife. This is my idea of a date night, not hers. Things were just about to start happening (not the dating stuff, but the hunting stuff) and here he comes, just in time to ruin my hunt and anything else that might occur. Of course, I have a better chance of getting a polar bear than any of that. He had shot an elk and needed help. Yes, he needed help. He had no knife, flashlight, saw, or game bags. He did have on some pajama bottoms with cartoon characters. We found the elk; got it loaded then found out that Steve had broken my side by side. Everything of mine he uses he can break, from a can opener to a skid steer. It was three miles back to camp, and we find out that Steve has a blister on his foot and can’t walk. My god; not a blister! If we just had cell service, we could have him medevac’d out. I walked out. Luckly, my wife was there to protect him in case a polar bear or something came along.

He became the president of the MBA and along with others, managed to defeat the crossbow bill. Ted Nugent called him a green decoy. I have called him much worse things.

We went on a shark hunt. I look over and Steve has a setup that looks like it could take out a Russian nuclear submarine. My old darton and zebco 505 look kinda puny. The shark swims up and Steve shoots and misses. His sister (who, by the way, has inherited all the good looks of the family) shoots and misses also. Now I am not one to brag, of course, but when I release an arrow, it always finds its mark. This time it was where the shark’s spine joins its head, resulting in an instant kill. Everyone on the boat stood in awe as I explained all the instant parameters that had to be considered in making that shot; the roll of the boat, the pitch of the boat, the speed of the boat the speed of the shark, the depth of the shark, the direction of travel of the boat and the shark, and the refraction of the water. People are so gullible. Just look who they vote for.

This is but a small sample of the trials and tribulations I have endured from this creature.

My Montana Bowhunter task is almost finished. If I can keep my sanity and equipment repaired faster than he can break it, I may succeed. Wish me luck and donations gladly accepted.

Cudaway Knives

Handmade in Montana.

Region 1

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Kalispell, Montana

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Martinsdale, Montana

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

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