MT_Sourdough

I grew up on a ranch north of Butte, Elevation makes a big difference on how hard and long your winters are. Helena is not so bad, plus you have the Missouri and the lakes just east and northeast of Helena. If I had a chance, I'd be back in Montana in a heart beat, although there are winter months when I am glad to be in AZ.

That makes my 338 Fed AR10 look kinda wimpy. That's a Jurassic Park rifle right there.

17a for me

That info is from this morning. There is no wind at the moment, but if that changes, the fire is going to proceed to the east and north.

I have drawn successfully 7 out of 8 last draws for elk. I never get species point, because I keep scoring a tag with two points. In full disclosure, though, I'll point to the fact that the tags for which I am applying would have been "leftover tags" 10 years ago. The opportunity to hunt is more important to me than focusing on the opportunity to get a lifetime trophy bull.

I take back what I said earlier. This is only my 4th straight with 2 points, but it's also the 7th out of my last 8 tries. Non of those elk draws did I have more than 2 points.

I was hit for the 5th strait year with all of two points. AZG&F, I want a foot rub too!

How many apps do they get, typically, in years past?

I have been hunting for nearly 40 years. The game has changed greatly in that time. One of the things I notice is the growing scarcity of hunters tracks away from roads. ATVs, digital range finders, multi thousand dollar optics, long range rifles and on 'n on are more useful "in taking of game". Trail cameras do much less in taking of game than most advents in our sport. Cameras have not aided me in taking of game. AZG&F heads seem to press one style of hunting over others. Their bias is not based on facts, but prejudice. If we outlawed ATVs and digital rangefinders, we'd be getting closer to what hunting used to be, These AZG&F guys seem to prefer "long distance hunting" while trying to stop people from using water holes. Maybe, in their eyes, they think hunting over water is some new hunting phenomena, I am not against the way others hunt. What I am fervently opposed to is game and fish actively working against hunters. I would like to know if the hunting public has a route to replace career game and fish personal who work against the people who pay their wages.

Cameras heck! They've been talking about banning blinds on water holes. What's next? Tell you what, Why don't we all stand arms length apart and then form a circle. Next we can shoulder our firearms and open fire. Same difference,

Glenfield m60 plus cheap scope accounted for thousands of gophers (actually Columbian Ground Squirrels) on our ranch in Montana while I was in my teens.

Man, that's some cool stuff, right there.

These elk are, genetically, the same elk I hunted most of my life in Montana, In Montana, general rifle season starts in the last week of October. In the first week of the Montana General Season there is the random bugling, but the bugles basically disappear in the first week of November. There are always the rare exceptions. One November, I let a good herd slip right on by behind me, because I assumed the bugling I herd was another hunter. I ignored the bugling and walked a bit on ahead when I crossed fresh tracks from a sizable herd.

ha ha ha! YOU FUNNY

Yeah, my third cousin's boyfriend's neighbor says - You all need to be reminded of the things you post.

He payed the ultimate sacrifice for our beloved country. My memory of him will be one held in honor and dignity. Now, there will be no more pain and no more surgeries and he gets to scout out the back hills of heaven before us. Prayers for his family.

I haven't heard anything in some time about the planned Fed volunteer hunt for bison on the Park after the North Rim Part closes for the year. I have the late rifle hunt on Nov 2 and I still not sure what to expect, because if hunters are pushing bison around in the park, it could mean the proverbial kimche hitting the fan. To this point, I am told to plan for a hunt sitting blinds on water holes. On the other hand, if there are hunters pushing the bison on the park, does that mean that the critters will be pushed off park and scattering them across the the Plateau and possibly send them to the House Rock reserve?

Salt licks work well. Sooner you get them out, the better. Improve trail, both coming in and leaving the cam sight. Bull elk will use the improved trail leading them into your cam.

On Friday's opening, my truck broke down on me while heading out into unit 8 at 4am. I was able to get out on Monday, but discovered unit 8 swamped with campers. I didn't see or hear any on Monday. I discovered some birds on Tuesday, but all silent. Things were silent on Wednesday and the temps went up fast and I Left. I decided to skip Thursday due to the heat, but it the temps cooled down and I kicked myself.

I saw a long piece of a tree stump laying on the ground next to tank. Looked like a good place for a snake, so I flipped it over. No snake, but there was a camera attached. It's a Stealth cam with a combo pad lock. It looks like the cam is still good. If this sounds like it is possibly yours, pm me and we can swap info.

Talked to a guy today who is hunting 7 with a guide and he says they've gone silent in 7. I am not getting responses in 8, but that's probably because my turkey calling sounds more like a Pterodactylus. I got in on a Tom this morning and he'd talk at me personally, but couldn't get him or any others to reply to my calling.

Ya see, the real conspiracy is skinny people tying to kill off us old fat bastards. Dang you skinny people! I hope your at least smart enough to recognize a real joke.

My brother's inability to rest and take it easy has bit him on the butt. The virus has made a resurgence with him. Now, my daughter, in the Bend, Oregon area, has a co-worker going in for testing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that swine flu infected nearly 61 million people in the United States and caused 12,469 deaths. Worldwide, up to 575,400 people died from pandemic swine flu 480>12

Dang it, I was just gonna say the exact same thing. So much fresh food production, perhaps more food than I have seen for this time of year in my 11 years watching.