Montana Hunting Articles
Setting Goals for Hunters
It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone. 2011 is long gone ...we're well into 2012. And with a new year comes hopes of better days ahead. It is a time when the slate is wiped clean, and we have the opportunity to make the new year better than the last. Many of us began 2012 with resolutions. For some, those included plans to eat healthier, exercise more, and hopefully to weigh less. For others, it may have included a promotion, a career change, or maybe the beginning of a new business venture. Very rarely, though, do you hear any of us diehard hunters talking about our hunting resolutions for the new year.
Finding Coyotes
I live far enough north that when mid-winter rolls around the amount of daylight available to hunt coyotes can be less than eight hours. That means I need to be spending my daylight hours hunting, not scouting for someplace to hunt. But any coyote hunter worth his skinning knife will tell you that to be successful, you have to hunt where the coyotes are. The more coyotes, the greater your success will be. The key then is to have a scouting method that finds concentrated amounts of coyotes - fast.
The Adrenal Gland
Lots of big elk owe their continued existence to a small piece of human tissue, the adrenal gland.  Our guide takes us through a week of archery hunting where adrenalin overload causes a number of misadventures for his hunter. Although the elk are plentiful and respond without hesitation to cow calls, our hunter's reaction to the big bulls that come way too close, ranges from pure, muscle locking paralysis to a black out caused when a fire breathing bull comes storming into close range.  Hunting experience and shooting skills are left far behind as our hunter falls victim to his own adrenalin.
4 Tips for Hunting Late Season Moose
We don't often hear about hunting moose in the late season. An undeniable romance focuses on calling and attracting bulls during the peak of the rut; but what about when all that hormone-driven activity subsides? Where do the moose go and what do they do? More to the point, how do we hunt them in the late season? Allow me to share the events of a late season moose hunt and offer four tips that helped me close a tag last fall. Whether we're talking about Shiras, Canada, or Alaska/Yukon moose, for much of the year bulls are reclusive by nature.
Hunting the Mule Deer Rut
After a four-year wait, my wife Heather and I finally drew coveted deer tags. Not just any tags mind you; these permits would allow us to hunt on a military base from November 26 through 28 of 2009. So what's the big deal you ask? This annual event is a management hunt designed to cull deer, but more importantly it would allow us to hunt the early stages of the mule deer rut. Each hunter is given three tags, all of which may be used for either mule deer or whitetailed deer, and only one has be used on an antlerless deer. Now, where else can a person harvest two mule deer bucks?
For the Traveling Sportsman
Every year thousands of hunters across the continent book outfitted hunts. Some are booked in their home state or province; others require considerable travel by air. For those with the means, exotic trips abroad are a unique privilege. But regardless of where a hunter goes, the research, booking and travel aspects are imminent. Simple or complex, logistics are a part of the game. I've seen it more than once with first time traveling sportsmen.
Field Judging Deer
Some might call it buck fever. In my opinion it was just plain misjudgment. Sure, my heart races the same as the next guy when I get a big buck in my crosshairs, but I've usually got it well under control. No, this particular instance was a result of poor judgment and a split decision. Too many variables and too little time, that's what this one was all about. Had I been afforded another 30 seconds to evaluate the buck's antlers, I'm certain my decision to hit the switch would have been stifled.
When Women Hunt
Sophisticates call them the fairer sex. In so many ways this is truer than most of us guys care to admit. Pride aside, I must concede. Historically dominated by men, hunting is an activity now seeing more women entering the ranks than ever before. Few men will say it, but I've witnessed it firsthand. Many women are more patient, less excitable, and yes, sometimes they even shoot better!
Planning a Late Season Cow Elk Hunt
Long after most hunters have left the woods and are sitting home watching football bowl games or worrying about paying post-Christmas bills, some lucky hunters are still chasing elk. Several Western states offer late season hunts for antlerless elk that extend into mid-February. Most people's mental image of elk hunting includes sweeping vistas, fall colors and high-pitched bugles. But for hunters who want to extend their season, a different type of elk hunting adventure awaits.
Nonresident's Guide to Western Hunting
A not-so concise look at the opportunities available to those who have decided to come out West for an elk, deer or antelope hunt and don't know where to start. This won't address bighorn sheep, mountain goats, or moose as those are typically once-in-a-lifetime hunts. This is also designed for DIY hunters, not for those looking for private land or outfitted hunts, as there are various other aspects regarding transferable tags that could also be addressed.
Capture Your Memories: Tips for Photographing Your Hunts
Every now and then I find a quiet place, plunk myself down, and leaf through my photo albums. Each holds a library of cherished memories. These sacred books are treasured diaries of my most personal hunting experiences and accomplishments. With today's digital technology, it's easier now than ever before, to capture and file those memories in perpetuity.
Field Judging Pronghorns
Pronghorn antelope can be difficult to judge on the hoof. I was reminded of this on a recent antelope hunt in Wyoming. Three younger bucks and one mature buck mingled with the group of a dozen does near a waterhole. My wife, Heather, and I had looked at so many that we were beginning to question our judgement... they were all beginning to look similar. I had to force myself to carefully analyze subtle features.
Rattling & Calling Whitetail Deer
"Clatter-clack, clatter-clack- clatter" ...as the sound of antler on antler resonated through the woods I sensed something was about to happen! Almost instantly I heard grunting and glimpsed a magnificent buck approaching from my left. Intent on seeing what the commotion was all about, he maintained a brisk pace. At the same time, another, slightly smaller buck could be seen ghosting in from my right. The situation couldn't have been more perfect.
Pronghorn: The Perfect Beginners' Big Game Animal
Imagine you were given the assignment of designing a perfect big game hunt for novice hunters. Your objective would be to make the hunt fun and exciting so the new hunter would come away with a lifelong love of hunting and the outdoors. It would be great if the hunt had some exotic appeal, something a little out of the ordinary so the new hunter wants to keep coming back for more. A high probability of success would be essential. No matter their age, beginning hunters don't want to wait several years to harvest an animal.
Reverse Slope Gobblers
I once read that the Duke of Wellington was notorious for utilizing reverse slopes when deploying his troops. The famous general, who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, would hide his forces on the far side of a hill or rise so that he could maneuver unseen, and ultimately conduct battle or ambush on his terms. If I didn't know better, I'd say the Duke was a turkey hunter.
Turkey Hunting: Scouting Early Equals Opening Day Success
Very few hunting sports have grown as quickly as turkey hunting has in the last few decades. When I started turkey hunting, tagging a longbeard wasn't as difficult as it is today. Toms used to come running every time I let loose on my favorite box call. If I made a mistake or two on a tom, most of the time he could be called right back into shotgun range. Gaining permission to hunt was a piece of cake.
Cold Weather Hunting
Cold-weather hunting is not for the faint of heart. I've seen guys throw in the towel after only a day or two, canceling their trip of a lifetime because Mother Nature dropped the mercury into the toilet. Sub-zero temperatures can make the outdoors a miserable place to be. Add wind and humidity to the equation, and things get nasty. Sure you can always hunt a heated blind, but if you need to brave the elements, some planning is in order. Gear up properly and the cold can be manageable. Venture out unprepared and you may as well write off your hunt.
Hunting Early Season Mule Deer
Ask most North American hunters and nine out of ten will probably say that early season mule deer hunting is for archers. As a committed bowhunter I've spent many early season days in the mountains, along river valleys and in the prairie grasslands chasing mule deer. It is indeed a great opportunity to catch deer relatively uneducated. But in recent years I've been hearing more about gun hunting these great deer in the early season. Aside from opportunity, the early season also presents several unique challenges. The heat alone is usually enough to keep most of us out of the woods.
The Truth About Prairie Whitetail
Dakota whitetail. Just the name inspires images of big boned, heavy racked deer standing alert at the edge of a cottonwood bluff while the last vestiges of yet another spectacular prairie sunset fade overhead. But is there really such a creature or is this simply a fabrication of our imagination bordering on elitism. After all, big-bodied whitetails have been taken throughout North America.
4 Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make on Mule Deer
In sock feet, I started easing my way towards what I hoped was the right sagebrush bush, taking painstaking measures to ensure that each step was in silence. As I slipped behind the taller of the two clumps, I caught a glimpse of movement twenty yards ahead. My heart began to pound as I first made out the ear, then the head and body of my prey. Bringing my Darton bow to full draw, the mule deer stood up, as if on cue, and presented a beautiful quartering-away shot.