Headed out this afternoon for five days of hunting mule deer in some of Montana's wildest country. Thankful that the weather forecast is shaping up nicely and should not result in frozen body parts.
Just so happens that this hunt schedule coincides with the peak of the mule deer rut. Hope it is easier than my Colorado hunt last week. Probably not easier, given how steep and ugly this country is and how much snow will be there.
We will be hunting roadless areas. Areas that are some of Montana's most historic wild lands. Places that are not even officially designated Wilderness areas, but are wild, unroaded, wildlife habitat holding some great hunting opportunities.
We want to show how it is that Montana can accomdate 160,000 over-the-counter general unit hunters, chasing elk and deer for six weeks of archery and five weeks of rifle, and still have a good age class of bucks/bulls, and plenty of animals. The simple answer is that Montana made the decision in the early 1990's that we would restrict motorized travel, either permanently or seasonally, to protect wildlife and allow us to have such great seasons and such easy access to tags.
More roads equal less opportunity, shorter seasons, limited tags, younger age classes, and many other things that are not good for the long-term values of hunting. I want to show these values in this episode, whether we get a buck, or not.
Someday I will be too old and hobbled to hunt these areas. I will be grateful for the times I have put my pack on my back and leaned into the grade, knowing these are special places with special opportunities. Hopefully I will pack many more elk and deer out of places like this before they put me out to pasture. Taking nothing for granted with recent health scares, I will be immersed in the wonders these places have to offer, thankful for every bit of it.
Report is that the grizz are looking for their last few morsels before hibernations. Hope I am not one of those morsels. Gonna have my bear spray on the ready and my head on a swivel.
Wind, deep snow, steep hills, and hopefully a nice Montana mule deer. Just the way we like it.
Will hopefully have a web connection to do nightly updates.
Just so happens that this hunt schedule coincides with the peak of the mule deer rut. Hope it is easier than my Colorado hunt last week. Probably not easier, given how steep and ugly this country is and how much snow will be there.
We will be hunting roadless areas. Areas that are some of Montana's most historic wild lands. Places that are not even officially designated Wilderness areas, but are wild, unroaded, wildlife habitat holding some great hunting opportunities.
We want to show how it is that Montana can accomdate 160,000 over-the-counter general unit hunters, chasing elk and deer for six weeks of archery and five weeks of rifle, and still have a good age class of bucks/bulls, and plenty of animals. The simple answer is that Montana made the decision in the early 1990's that we would restrict motorized travel, either permanently or seasonally, to protect wildlife and allow us to have such great seasons and such easy access to tags.
More roads equal less opportunity, shorter seasons, limited tags, younger age classes, and many other things that are not good for the long-term values of hunting. I want to show these values in this episode, whether we get a buck, or not.
Someday I will be too old and hobbled to hunt these areas. I will be grateful for the times I have put my pack on my back and leaned into the grade, knowing these are special places with special opportunities. Hopefully I will pack many more elk and deer out of places like this before they put me out to pasture. Taking nothing for granted with recent health scares, I will be immersed in the wonders these places have to offer, thankful for every bit of it.
Report is that the grizz are looking for their last few morsels before hibernations. Hope I am not one of those morsels. Gonna have my bear spray on the ready and my head on a swivel.
Wind, deep snow, steep hills, and hopefully a nice Montana mule deer. Just the way we like it.
Will hopefully have a web connection to do nightly updates.
