Hunting Guide 2015 e-edition

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An annual publication for hunters.
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A special section of the
Miles City Star
2 - Friday, October 2, 2015
Apprentice hunter program new this fall
For the first time, apprentice
hunters as young as 10 can
pursue game in Montana. By DANIEL NOLKER
Yellowstone Newspapers
21
99
The 2015 Montana Legislature passed Senate Bill 395 into
law, which created the opportunity for youth ages 10-17
See “Apprentice,” page 3
Apprentice Guidelines:
By MARLA PRELL
Star Staff Writer
The Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 7 office already has
seen a lot of interest in the new apprentice hunter program.
FWP staff has not kept count, but they have seen many
people both asking questions about and signing up for the
apprentice program.
People can either get the forms at the office or find
and download them online at www.fwp.mt.gov. If you
print the form online, you still must come to the office
to turn it in and pay the fee. Once the information from
the completed form is entered into the system, it is
returned to the applicant, and he or she is cleared to
hunt.
Staff explained that only one child and one mentor are allowed in the field at a time, so even though
siblings may apply, only one child can hunt at any given
time.
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Other guidelines for the apprentice program, accord ing to the FWP website:
An apprentice MUST:
- be between the ages of 10-17 years old at the time of license purchase.
See “Guidelines,” page 3
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“The thrill of the hunt is
really in the journey. It’s
about what it takes for me
to get there; the number
of miles and how many
hills I have to climb. The
trophy isn’t always in the
size of the animal but in
the challenges faced and
memories made along the
way.”
Hunting for the right healthcare provider is a challenge.
The biggest trophy is finding a provider who fits your
unique personality and helps meet your healthcare needs.
Steven Gard, PA is available to care for your health needs
and to help you get the most out of each appointment.
To schedule an appointment with Steven Gard, PA,
Call 874.8700.
210 South Winchester,
Miles City, MT 59301
406-874-8700 www.onehealthmt.com
Friday, October 2, 2015 - 3
Miles City Star
Apprentice
Continued from page 2
to hunt without completing a
hunter education course. To be eligible to hunt, apprentice hunters must complete an apprentice hunter
certification form, pay the $5
fee, have appropriate current
Montana hunting licenses, and
be accompanied by a mentor.
An apprentice hunter mentor must be 21 years old or
older, related to the apprentice
or have the permission of the
minor’s parents, have a current
Montana hunting license and
have completed hunter education if born after Jan. 1, 1985.
“The mentor MUST accompany and supervise the
apprentice while hunting and
MUST remain within sight of
and direct voice contact with
the apprentice hunter at all
times. The mentor MUST have
the Apprentice Hunter Mentor
Form in his/her possession at
all times while in the field,”
said the Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks Apprentice Hunter
Program Packet. “The apprentice hunter program gives kids a chance early
on to try hunting,” said License
Bureau Chief Hank Worsech.
“It is intended to get kids into
hunting before other interests
start dominating their time.”
However, some members of
the hunting public, especially
hunter education instruc-
Hunter ed, apprentice
program a winning pair
Montana has a new Apprentice Hunter Program taking
effect this fall, and judging from comments by local FWP
staff, there is already a lot of interest in taking advantage
of it. Dawson County already has 474 kids certified to hunt.
The law enacted by the 2015 Montana Legislature says,
basically, that youths ages 10-17 can hunt with a mentor
who is at least 21; is related by blood, adoption or marriage
or is the legal guardian or
designated by the legal
guardian. You can hunt
even if you haven't comMarla
pleted a hunter education
course, but you can only
Prell
be an apprentice hunter
Reflections for two license years
before you are required
to take hunter ed.
All you have to do is fill
out a form, pay a $5 fee
and visit the FWP office, as well as obtain the
proper permits. The mentor must have a hunting license and must have completed
hunter ed if born after Jan. 1, 1985.
The benefit of the apprentice program is that there may
be more kids in the field earlier, which will probably translate to more life-long hunters. Hunter numbers have been
down in recent years. Also, some folks reason that if you
don't introduce kids to hunting at an early age, they may
be too busy with other activities by the time they're old
enough to legally hunt.
The drawback, as some see it, is that these first-time
hunters aren't required to take hunter ed before harvesting an animal. We can understand their concern; however,
from our point of view, the apprentice program and hunter
ed could make for a great combination.
You must be at least 11 to take hunter ed, so if a kid
becomes an apprentice at 10, it makes sense to take hunter
ed the following year. By 12 years old, they MUST complete a course to continue hunting.
See “Pair,” page 4
Apprentice Guidelines:
Continued from page 2
An apprentice MUST:
- have appropriate current Montana hunting license(s) for the species being hunted; the
licenses MUST show that he/she is Apprentice
Hunter Certified.
An apprentice MAY:
- be a resident or nonresident
- obtain an Apprentice Hunter Certification for
no more than 2 license years before they must
complete a hunter safety and education course
tors, took issue with the new
program. “Hunter education instructors have a real pride in the
course,” Worsech said. “The
debate got emotional, and it
points to the passion in hunting
and fishing in Montana.”
Charles Hyatt, hunter education instructor since 2006, said
the new law has some positives
and negatives. “Since hunter numbers have
declined in the last few years,
An apprentice is NOT ELIGIBLE to:
- obtain a special bow and arrow license without
first having completed a bowhunter education
course
- obtain a resident hound training license for
chasing mountain lion
- participate in a hunting license or permit drawing with a limited quota
- obtain any bighorn sheep license
- obtain an elk license if under 15 years of age
Violation of these terms could result in the loss
of hunting privileges for up to one full license
season.
(the apprenticeship program)
was to get more interest in
younger people,” Hyatt said. “I
don’t know that I agree with it,
but I’m encouraging 10-yearolds to take hunter education
even if they are doing hunter
apprenticeship.”
Curently, Worsech said that
6,500 apprentice hunters have
signed up statewide and the
vast majority of the kids are
between 12 and 14 years old. In Dawson County, Worsech
said 474 youth are certified for
the apprentice hunter program, but not all of them have
bought licenses. For more information about
the requirements and process
of becoming a hunter apprentice, Worsech said people can
go to the Fish, Wildlife and
Parks Website at http://fwp.
mt.gov/hunting/licenses/all/apprenticeHunter/default.html.
Reach Daniel Nolker at
[email protected].
A friendly reminder to
All 2015 Hunters:
In administrative Region 7 the
harvest of Anterless Mule Deer
is prohibited on general
Deer A License. Please check
regulations for district specific
information.
We thank you for respecting
the rules & regulations set
in place that preserve
Montana’s hunting heritage.
Sincerely,
Miles City Star
4 - Friday, October 2, 2015
Area mountain lion populations healthy, growing
By ELAINE FORMAN
Star Staff Writer
The local mountain lion
population appears to be
healthy and growing since
the hunting season was started in southeastern Montana
in 1990, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks'
Regional 7 Wildlife Manager
John Ensign.
Mountain lion populations have been increasing
throughout the western
United States since the mid1960s, according to the FWP
Web site.
When Region 7 was opened
up to mountain lion hunting,
the quota was set at five.
Since then it has gradually
increased to this year's quota
of 45.
Because of their secretive
nature, it is difficult to get
a count on the population,
but Ensign said the region's
harvest each year is made
up of a varied age structure,
with young and old cats being taken.
Hunters are required to
ing into areas all around
this region. The population
is growing around Ekalaka,
south of Hysham and even in
the Missouri Breaks.
One young male was radio
collared north of the Missouri Breaks and south of
Malta in December 2012.
Eight months later he was
harvested, and in that time
he had traveled to south of
Zortman, across the Big Arm
of the Missouri River, to
Brusett, over to Fort Peck,
then to the Richey area before being harvested north of
Medora, N.D.
Ensign said it was a young
lion and probably likely was
trying to find his own territory.
Fresh snowfall is important in hunting mountain
lions. Hunters look for fresh
tracks, then have hound
dogs follow those tracks and
scent.
In mild winters, the harvest tends to be lower, he
said.
Deer is the main diet of
a mountain lion but "I don't
think the mountain lions are
having an effect on the deer
population," he said.
The deer were doing
"fairly well" in 2010, then a
couple of tough winters hit,
causing a high mortality to
the population. Now the deer
are coming back, he said.
Mountain lion hunting is
slowly becoming more popular locally, but it still isn't
the recreation activity it is
in western Montana because
of the lower mountain lion
population and less snow.
Ensign said the increase
in lion hunting here has
more to do with local people
getting into it, but the FWP
is starting to see more lion
hunters traveling to this
area.
Lion hunters said the
animal's white meat tastes
similar to pork with a sweet
taste.
classrooms.
As I recall it, Hunter Education is not much at all about
shooting an animal; instead, it
is about safety and preparation, respect and conservation, patience and appreciation.
These things are stressed
so much in Hunter Education that it's nearly impossible to come out without an
understanding that hunting
is a privilege and a responsibility to be honored and
taken very seriously. We are
entrusted with a precious
resource, and how we interact with it will determine
both the animals' future
and the future of hunting in
Montana.
So go ahead and take that
child into the field, and give
them your wisdom and your
time, then reinforce that gift
by enrolling them in the earliest hunter ed course available. It will open their eyes to
the larger hunting community
and the responsibility we all
share as ethical hunters.
Even if they come back with
nothing that first year, they
will have gained a hunger
for the outdoors that will
bring them back season after
season.
Happy Hunting!
EDITOR'S NOTE: Marla
Prell is the Star's managing
editor. She is proud to see her
sons following in her husband's footsteps as life-long,
avid hunters and outdoors
enthusiasts.
A mountain
lion leaves distinct tracks in
a pocket of
leftover snow
in the Bug
Creek area of
the Missouri
Breaks.
BLM photo/
courtesy of Mark
Jacobsen
submit a tooth from each
harvested lion. The teeth
are sent away and the age is
determined by counting the
rings, like the rings in a tree.
Seeing young lions and
older ones (10-12 years old)
indicates a healthy, reproducing population, Ensign said.
Also, about 60 percent of
those lions each year are
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male, meaning hunting isn't
cutting into the reproducing
population.
Some of the lions in the
area are from here, while
others are expanding into
this region from several
areas, but primarily from the
Black Hills.
"Mountain lions move quite
a bit," Ensign said.
He explained that they
follow the Ponderosa Pines
ridges to Custer National
Forest and beyond.
The ridges are used as a
travel corridor, he said.
Through the years, FWP
is seeing more lions mov-
Pair
Continued from page 3
The earlier they can take
the course, the better - don't
wait. Even if it comes a little
later, it is still vital, valuable
information for all hunters.
In a perfect world, kids
would grow up in the field
with parents or other mentors, spending years learning
about nature and respecting
the resource before ever
harvesting an animal, but
shrinking public access and
other factors are making that
more rare.
So it is the best of both
worlds if they can spend more
time alongside an experienced hunter AND have that
reinforced by the ethics and
values taught in hunter ed
Friday, October 2, 2015 - 5
Miles City Star
BLM photo courtesy of Mark Jacobsen
This pronghorn antelope grazes on the prairie.
Antelope numbers are increasing
By Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks
Montana antelope populations are continuing to
recover and grow from previous years' winter kills and
low fawn numbers in central
and eastern Montana.
This year, there are even
a few more special licenses
available reflecting that improving status.
Successful antelopelicense applicants may
recognize increased fawn
production in many areas as
populations respond to this
year's favorable weather and
habitat conditions.
Montana's antelope archery season will close Oct.
9. The general rifle season
for antelope will run Oct.
10-Nov. 8.
As always, FWP wildlife
biologists and game warders will be operating hunter
check-stations throughout
the state to collect biological information and ensure
regulations are followed. All
hunters are required to stop
at check stations.
For more information on
antelope hunting in Montana,
visit FWP's website at fwp.
mt.gov, click "Hunting" then
click Plan Your Hunt.
Here's a regional rundown
on what antelope hunters can
expect this year.
Region 2
Western Montana
• Pronghorn distribution is centered in the Deer
Lodge area and few licenses are issued to conserve
this island population.
Region 3
Southwestern Montana
• In the southwestern part
of the region, near Dillon,
antelope numbers are stable
to increasing following two
mild winters and good summer growing conditions.
Late summer surveys show
healthy antelope numbers in
hunting district 330 (Centennial Sage) where, like last
year, most antelope were
observed east of the Lima
Reservoir in the Centennial
Valley, where hunters should
focus their efforts until snow
stimulates migration to winter ranges in the Basin and
Sage creek portions of the
district. Surveys also showed
healthy antelope numbers
in hunting district 321
(Ruby-Blacktail). Antelope
have been scattered across
much of that district in
small groups of less than 10.
Depending on precipitation,
hunters should expect this to
remain the same or find antelope congregated near alfalfa
fields. Hunters hunting the
Blacktail WMA are asked
to be aware of recent travel
management changes (there
are travel maps for the WMA
at the main entrance sign).
In hunt district 320 (Tobacco
Roots) antelope counts remain below long term averages with numbers similar to
last year. Antelope numbers
are up in hunting district 341
(Highlands). Meanwhile, antelope are stable in the upper
Madison, but below objective
in the lower Madison and
Horseshoe Hills. To the east,
antelope populations have
rebounded after declines in
recent years and numbers
are now above long term
averages in hunting districts
338 (Shields River North),
339 (Shields River South) and
340 (West Boulder).
Region 4
Central Montana
• Antelope numbers are
still recovering from recent
harsh winters and spotty
fatalities caused by past
late-summer and short-lived
hemorrhagic viruses brought
on by biting insects. For
hunters, this is once again reflected in FWP issuing fewer
doe-fawn tags.
Region 5 — South Central Montana
• Antelope populations
in the northwestern hunting districts of Region 5 are
improving and fawn numbers
are increasing compared to
the past several years. In the
eastern parts of the region,
antelope numbers continue to
recover slowly from disease
and drought that affected
them between 2008 and 2011.
Harvest numbers are likely
to stay below the long-term
average because of a continuing limit on the number
of tags issued. Region 6
Northeastern Montana
• Antelope numbers are
still below long term averages here but are continuing
to rebound. Although license
numbers remain low, hunters
lucky enough to draw a tag
should have good success in
filling it.
Region 7
Southeastern Montana
• Antelope populations are
rebounding throughout the
region. Summer production
surveys indicate numbers
are 25 percent higher than
last year, but still 23 percent
below the long-term average.
As numbers continue to be
best in the region's southern
portion, FWP recommends
that hunters head in that direction for antelope this fall.
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Miles City Star
6 - Friday, October 2, 2015
Mild winter results in good elk numbers
By Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks
These are good times for
elk hunters as Montana elk
populations continue to be
strong across most of the
state.
In some areas of western
Montana, where populations
have declined, wildlife biologists have recently observed
increased recruitment of
calves.
In many hunting districts,
however, access to private
lands can be difficult, which
can affect hunting success
given landownership patterns and distribution of elk.
Montana's archery season
for elk will close Oct. 18. The
general, five-week long, elkhunting season runs Oct. 24
through Nov. 29.
Even if you didn't draw
a special permit this year,
remember Montana offers
numerous opportunities to
hunt for elk with just a general hunting license.
Depending on the hunting
district regulations hunters
can pursue brow-tined bull
elk, spike bull elk, eithersex elk, or antlerless elk.
For more information on elk
hunting in Montana, visit
FWP's website at fwp.mt.gov,
click "Hunting" then click
Plan Your Hunt.
FWP wildlife biologists
and game wardens will be
operating hunter checkstations throughout the state
to collect biological information and ensure regulations
are followed. All hunters are
required to stop at check
stations.
Here's a regional rundown on what elk hunters
can expect this season.
Region 1
Northwestern Montana
• Several mild winters
have helped with elk calf
survival and recruitment.
Elk populations in many
areas in northwestern Montana, where steep terrain and
heavy forest cover pose considerable challenges to hunters, are stable to increasing.
Metro photo
Bugling bull elk is a clear sound of autumn.
Elk numbers in "backcountry" hunting districts 150
and 151 appear to be holding
steady. Elk numbers in the
lower Clark Fork area, the
region's best elk producer,
continue recent favorable
trends with good calf numbers recorded during spring
surveys and should provide
good hunting opportunities
for the 2015 season.
Region 2
Western Montana
• Elk numbers are generally above the long-term
average, with notably lower
levels on public lands located
west of Missoula and south
through the Bitterroot
Mountains. A special permit
is required to hunt bull elk in
hunting districts 250 and 270,
the Upper Bitterroot, to allow bull numbers to rebound,
and in the northwest quarter
of hunting district 212 to help
encourage elk to redistribute
from private ranches to public land. The boundaries between hunting districts 240,
250 and 270 were changed in
2014 to reflect elk movement
patterns documented in the
Bitterroot Elk Study.
Region 3
Southwestern Montana
• Hunting opportunities
are good for those interested
in hunting away from open
roads with better opportunities in the Gravelly Elk
Management Unit (hunting
districts 322, 323, 324, 325,
326, 327, and 330) versus the
Tobacco Root EMU (hunting districts 320 and 333).
In those areas, hunting near
roads will produce hit and
miss harvest opportunities
and hunter congestion, especially during the first two
full weeks of the general rifle
season, should be expected.
This will undoubtedly be
the case in the upper Ruby
and Blacktail portions of
the Gravelly EMU. Both elk
management units experienced a 30-percent gain in
hunter-participation during
the 2014 seasons relative to
2009-2013. Snowfall will play
a significant role in harvest
success. Meanwhile, elk
populations are stable in the
Helena area with higher elk
counts reported for some
areas this past winter. In the
Highlands, Whitetail and Bull
mountains, elk are slightly
above the population average, hence the nine-day cow
season. In the Dillon area,
populations are increasing
following two mild winters
and good summer growing
conditions. Hunters should
anticipate high hunting
pressure during the first two
weeks of the season. Elk are
above objective in the Bridgers, and within objective in
the upper Madison, Spanish
Peaks, and lower Gallatin.
Elk numbers are below objective in the upper Gallatin
Canyon and portions of the
Madison. Elk numbers are
mixed in the Shields (hunting
district393), and the district
is almost entirely private land
and it can be difficult to obtain
access. Hunters need to be
grizzly bear aware across all
of southwestern Montana.
See "Elk," page 7
Friday, October 2, 2015 - 7
Miles City Star
Elk
Continued from page 1
• Elk populations are in
fine shape. The challenge
for hunters in areas along
the Rocky Mountain Front,
central Montana's island
mountain ranges, or in the
Missouri River Breaks will
be obtaining access.
Regions 5
South Central
Montana
• Elk numbers along
the Beartooth Face and in
the Crazy Mountains, Big
Snowy Mountains, Bull
Mountains and southeastern Belt Mountains remain
near all-time highs. Surveys show a trend toward
more elk and a higher
ratio of bulls in half of the
areas counted this spring.
Most elk in south central
Montana are restricted to
private land where access is
difficult. Hunters throughout much of the region
continue to enjoy liberal elk
hunting regulations, which
likely will mean a harvest
similar to last year's record
numbers.
Region 6
Northeastern Montana
• Elk numbers remain
at or above management
objectives in most hunting
districts. All elk hunting in
Stay safe
Don't drink
& drive
the Bears Paw Mountains
and the Missouri River
Breaks is by special permits awarded via the annual
drawing. Elk in these areas
are most often found in
core-habitat areas a mile or
more from active roads and
other human activity. Elk
densities are lower in the
general-season hunting area
north of U.S. Highway 2.
Region 7
Southeastern Montana
• When hunters think of
classic elk hunting country,
the plains of southeastern
Montana seldom come to
mind. And yet there is the
region's storied Missouri
Breaks, where elk numbers
continue to increase beyond FWP's management
objectives in all hunting
districts. Outside of the
Missouri Breaks and the
Custer National Forest,
elk are primarily found on
private land where public
hunting access is limited.
While special-permit only
opportunities can be found
in hunting district 700 for
either-sex and antlerless
elk, there is general license
hunting for either-sex elk
in hunting districts 701 and
703. Also, in hunting districts 702,704 and 705, there
are either-sex opportunities by special permit and
antlerless hunting within
the Custer National Forest boundaries by special
permit only. Outside forest
boundaries antlerless elk
can be hunted on a general
license.
Wildfires have good
and bad effects on animals
By Bruce Auchly
Region 4 Information Officer
Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks
Summer’s fires are over,
right?
All that smoke-in-thenose, ashes-in-mouth is past
for the year. Or so we hope.
Yet even in the worst of
it many of us had choices.
Some folks left Montana,
others sought relief in air
conditioning at home or office or both.
Animals don’t have those
luxuries. Yes, birds can fly
and bears can burrow into
a den, but fires in July and
August happen at the wrong
time for migration and hibernation.
First, let’s slay a rumor.
The rash of bear conflicts,
mostly black bears, this summer is not because smoke
from forest fires was forcing
bears out of their mountain
redoubts and into towns.
They are just farther afield
this year looking for food.
Starting in late summer,
triggered by decreasing
daylight, bears enter a stage
known as hyperphagia where
they eat for 20 hours a day or
more, anticipating winter hibernation. They will eat up to
20,000 calories a day, putting
on several pounds each day –
don’t try this at home.
To bulk up, they will
search many miles for their
traditional foods, such as
chokecherries and other
wild berries. However, this
year the berry crop has been
spotty at best. Some areas
are average, but many spots
in central Montana have few
or no chokecherries, currants or buffalo berries.
When traditional foods
fail, bears don’t stop eating.
They just keep traveling,
searching for something else
to fill their bellies. Unfortunately that can be pet food
or pets, livestock feed or
livestock, garbage, grease in
barbeques, most anything.
That’s why bears are turning up in areas they are not
usually found; it just happens
to be a year of smoke.
Fire does affect animals,
including fish, both in ways
good and bad.
As any wild land fire fighter will tell you, not all fires
are the same. Some creep
along on the forest floor, others burn extremely hot and
race through timber.
Animals that can move
quickly are temporarily
displaced by fires. Animals
that cannot out run flames
die. Think of young birds in
a nest, or small mammals,
or reptiles and amphibians.
Though a small mammal with
a burrow might survive a
fast moving fire.
Even large animals, like
deer and elk, can become
confused, trapped and suffocate.
In the longer term, fire
can be a good thing, bringing
new succulent growth to the
forest floor, which benefits
many animals and their
predators. Dead trees attacked by insects will attract
woodpeckers and other birds
to the feast.
Fish are affected by fire,
too.
Autumn rains after a hot,
devastating fire that burns a
forest down to the subsurface
can flood a stream with choking ash and mud. Not good.
And not only can small
stream temperatures rise
to uncomfortable levels for
aquatic life from the fire’s
heat, the loss of canopy cover
and riparian vegetation
will decrease overhanging
habitat and increase solar
radiation. That may mean
stream temperatures remain
seasonally elevated for years
or decades after the fire.
Still, what fire taketh, fire
giveth.
Fires free nutrients like
phosphorus and nitrogen from
terrestrial systems, transporting them into streams and
rivers. In this sense, wildfires
may be an important linking
factor between terrestrial and
aquatic systems.
Forest fires and the accompanying smoke make us
cough, choke and curse. Then
fall arrives and we move on.
To fish and animals fires
bring dire short-term and
beneficial long-term consequences.
Stock Up Before Your Hunt
Valley Drive East
Miles City, MT
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Miles City Star
8 - Friday, October 2, 2015
Hunting with bird dogs satisfies hunter, pet
By DANIEL NOLKER
Yellowstone Newspapers
As an explosion of flapping
feathers erupts from a cage
hidden in the grass, Bubba, an
English setter, remained still,
like a quivering statue. The pigeon rushes out into
the sky but with a blast from
Leroy Rathbun’s shotgun, it
plummets back to earth. Bubba
stares at the spot where the
pigeon lands.
Finally, Rathbun gives
Bubba the signal and the dog
rushes to the downed bird and
brings it back with his head
held high and tail wagging. “After the dog points, the
hunter should flush the bird,
kill the bird and the dog should
retrieve the bird,” Rathbun
said. “The retrieve is basically
the reward for a good job.”
After taking the bird from
the dog’s mouth, Rathbun
sends Bubba off to track down
and point another pigeon. “Using pigeons is about the
same thing as going hunting
except I know where the birds
are,” Rathbun said. Bubba’s training for the
day ends after a couple more
pigeons were pointed, and
Rathbun walked with him back
to the truck. He said he is careful not to push his dogs too far.
“Most hunting dogs have
so much drive that they’ll run
until they can’t run any more,”
Rathbun said. Rathbun has been raising,
training and hunting with English setters for almost 20 years.
He got started when a friend
gave him a puppy. “I always wanted a pointing dog,” Rathbun said. “An
English setter is almost like
owning two dogs. At the house
he just lays around and is like a
family pet, but when I turn him
loose, he’s all business.”
The combination of devoted
companion and driven hunter
is what most attracted Rathbun to the breed, he said. Since
receiving a kidney transplant
in 2000 and retiring at 55
from Qwest Communications
in 2005, Rathbun said he has
spent most of his time helping
neighbors and playing with his
dogs. YELLOWSTONE NEWSPAPERS photo
Leroy Rathbun's dog, Bubba, retrieves a pigeon for his master, reaping the reward of praise.
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Also, English setters are excellent for hunting his favorite
game of upland birds, he said.
Upland bird hunting captivates
Rathbun because the quarry
can be so diverse. While hunting, he said, one
dog may point Hungarian partridge, sharp-tailed grouse and
pheasants in the same hour. “Dogs will point any bird
that nests on the ground. As
they get older, they learn to
differentiate by the amount of
smell. When I start out a puppy
he will even point meadowlarks,” Rathbun said. Although he did not always
hunt with dogs, he said he prefers the partnership more than
hunting alone. “I’ve walked hundreds of
miles hunting without a dog
and I’d never do it again,”
Rathbun said. “The dog is the
reason I like bird hunting.”
In order to keep active even
after the season is over, Rathbun said he likes to compete
with his dogs in field trials. “In the spring of 1999 I
watched a field trail in Dickinson and I said, ‘well my dog
can do that,’” he said. Rathbun competes in the
National Shoot to Retrieve As-
sociation Field Trials. “Field Trials provide an
extended season, a sportsmanlike environment and competition with others who enjoy
bird dogs,” said the NSTRA
website.
After qualifying in regional
trials at events in Montana and
North Dakota, he said he tries
to compete in at least one of
the five national trials. “I enjoy the heck out of field
trials. I’ve met people from all
walks of life and I probably
knows someone from every
state through competing in
field trials,” Rathbun said.
“We’ve all got a common interest, and that’s the dogs.”
Since the competition is
supposed to mirror real hunting situations, he said the field
trials are not cancelled for
adverse weather conditions. “I’ve trialed in zero degree weather with six inches
of snow and ninety degree
weather with pouring down
rain,” Rathbun said. Not only does he enjoy the
camaraderie and competition,
he said he also has had champion dogs. See “Dog,” page 9
Friday, October 2, 2015 - 9
Miles City Star
Biologist offers tips Dog
for successful hunt
“I think that’s the biggest
thing people need to consider, is how much ground can I
Hunting opportunities for
cover?” Foster said.
game of all kinds abound
Many Eastern Montana
in Eastern Montana, but
hunting excursions, espethe vast, remote
cially upland game
landscape presents
bird hunting, will
hunters with its
involve lots of walkown unique set of
ing, Foster noted,
challenges to havthough she added
ing a successful
there is something
hunt. With the right
out there to fit
preparation, hownearly everyone,
ever, hunters have
whether it be stalka more than decent
ing pronghorns, sitshot at bringing
ting in a tree stand
home the proverbial
hunting whitetails
bacon.
FOSTER: Good or hunkering down
Montana Fish,
hunting all over in a blind to shoot
Wildlife and Parks
Canada geese.
if you look
Region 7 biologist
“The opportuniMelissa Foster, who
ties are just endis herself an avid hunter of
less,” Foster said. “It just
both big game and upland
comes down to what you
game birds, has spent the
as a hunter want to experilast several years tromping
ence.”
all over the rolling prairies
Hunters headed out into
and badlands of Eastern
the vast, open country far
Montana, and she has a few
from cities and towns are
nuggets of advice for hunters more apt to find success,
headed out into the wild.
according to Foster. HowFor starters, she said
ever, like the Boy Scout
there’s really no “magic
motto suggests, they should
spot” for hunting in Eastern
be well-prepared by having
Montana and good hunting
thoroughly scouted the area
can be found all across the
they plan to hunt, obtaining
region.
any required permission,
“I get a ton of phone calls
carrying plenty of food and
from guys asking ‘Where
water and letting someone
should I go?’” Foster said.
know where they’re going
“The reality is that in Region
before they go.
7 as a whole, there’s nothing
“Typically, the further out
that really sticks out in my
you get, that’s where you’re
mind as being ‘the place.’”
going to see less pressure
The primary key to sucand have an easier time getcess, according to Foster, is
ting (landowner) permission,
to know your hunting style
but it takes planning,” Foster
and physical limitations and
said.
to plan accordingly.
Another important piece of
“The number one piece
advice Foster has for hunters
of advice I have for folks is
is to know what the habitat
to do a lot of scouting and
conditions are before headto know what their hunting
ing out.
styles are,” she said. “Prior
“Paying attention to habitat
preparation is probably the
conditions, that plays a huge
number one deciding factor
role,” she said.
for having a good hunt.”
If conditions are drier, as
Knowing “the area, knowthey are at the beginning
ing their physical abilities
of this season, hunting will
and knowing the logistics” is
typically be better, as game
of particular importance for
animals will be more highly
hunters in Eastern Montana,
concentrated in areas with
Foster said, given that hunting good cover and access to
in the region often means covwater. ering long distances on foot to
pursue or retrieve game. See “Tips,” page 10
By JASON STUART
Yellowstone Newspapers
Bubba
goes on
point, letting Rathbun know
where a
game bird
is hiding in
the bush.
Continued from page 9
“It takes 18 points for a
dog to be called a champion,
and nine of those points
have to be from first place
wins,” Rathbun said.
His 16-year-old dog Magic,
who passed away a few
weeks ago, won a total of
47 points and was a champion twice over. Bubba, his
current hunting partner has
100 field trial champions in a
four generation pedigree. With champion dogs who
are in high demand from
bird hunters and competitors, he said a litter from his
dog is usually sold before
they hit the ground. There
are people on a waiting list
six months before the dogs
are even bred. However,
Rathbun said he generally
only raises a litter every 18
months. “I read a long time ago,
if you’re raising puppies to
make money, you’re in the
wrong business. If you’re
in it to improve the breed,
you’re doing the right
thing.”
YELLOWSTONE
NEWSPAPERS
Improving the breed and
working with the dogs are
the main reasons he spends
his time in the field pursuing
birds. “I don’t kill that many
birds. What I want is good
bird work,” Rathbun said.
“As long as the dog is doing
what he was bred to do and
he is doing it well, he’s fun
to watch.” As the season begins, he
said he will probably hunt
three or four days a week
and rotate between several
different dogs. “I hunt with other people
and I hunt by myself. I re-
ally like taking
first timers who haven’t
been bird hunting,” Rathbun
said.
With three children, five
grandchildren and many
friends, he said he has ample opportunities to continue
sharing the sport and dogs
he loves. “I’m just trying to raise
good dogs and keep going as
long as I can,” Rathbun said.
“As long as my legs and
health hold out, I’ll have a
hunting dog.”
Reach Daniel Nolker at
[email protected].
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• Game Calls • Hunting Knives
& Hunting Supplies
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ng
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ua
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700 S. Haynes, Miles City, MT
232-2716 • 1-800-367-5560
Store Hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday
Miles City Star
10 - Friday, October 2, 2015
Tips
Continued from page 9
When conditions are wetter
and the landscape is a vibrant
green, like at the beginning
of the 2014 season, hunting
in Eastern Montana can be
much more difficult, as game
animals become more widely
dispersed when there is ample
cover, forage and water.
“It makes the hunting harder when there’s more cover,”
Foster said.
There is one final piece of
advice Foster has for Eastern
Montana hunters — to enjoy
themselves and not miss the
forest for the trees. She suggests not getting so hung up
on whether or not you killed
anything and instead taking
the time to absorb the solitude,
freedom, beauty and grandeur
that surrounds you when hunting under the Big Sky.
“In our modern world, we’re
so instant gratification driven,
but even on those days when
I come home empty-handed,
I can say I took my dog and
gun on a good, long walk and
saw some beautiful country,”
Foster said.
Mule deer numbers looking up
From Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Hunters who witnessed a
drop in mule deer numbers in
many areas of Montana a few
years ago will see improving
populations this year as favorable weather and habitat
conditions kicked in in 2014
and 2015.
Additionally, in many areas
of the state, fawn recruitment
has been excellent and populations are doing well.
Even if you didn't draw
a special permit this year,
remember Montana offers
numerous opportunities to
hunt for deer with just a general hunting license.
Montana's archery season
for deer will close Oct. 18.
The general deer season
opens Oct. 24 and ends Nov.
29.
FWP wildlife biologists and
game warders will be operating hunter check-stations
throughout the state to collect
biological information and ensure regulations are followed.
All hunters are required to
stop at check stations.
For more information on
Montana's five-week long general deer hunting season, visit
FWP's website at fwp.mt.gov,
click "Hunting" then click
Plan Your Hunt.
Here's a regional rundown
on what deer hunters can
expect this season.
Region 1—
Northwestern Montana
• Mule deer populations
remain low, but among those
hunters willing to put in the
time and effort, it's clearly
possible to still harvest a
mature "trophy class" buck in
some remote areas.
• It's a different story
entirely for white-tailed deer.
Region-wide hunters can
expect to find more whitetailed deer and an increase in
the number of bucks 3 years
old and older, as populations
continue to rebound from severe winter mortality in 2007
and 2008. Fawn recruitment
is good for the fifth straight
year. Limited doe hunting
opportunity is still in place in
most hunting districts, with
the exception of hunting district 170 where hunters are
encouraged to carefully review regulations for weapon
restriction areas.
Region 2—Western
Montana
• White-tailed deer are
common and numbers remain
stable to increasing across
most of the region, but mule
deer numbers still remain
low. FWP has restricted
hunting opportunities for
antlerless deer to speed
population increases in both
species. Hunting for whitetailed bucks should continue
to improve overall. Hunting
for mule deer bucks is by
permit-only in many hunting
districts.
Region 3 —
Southwestern Montana
• In response to two consecutive productive growing
seasons and mild winters,
mule deer populations are
growing rapidly across
many parts of the region.
Therefore, hunters should
expect to see a few more
mule deer than last year.
In the central part of the
region (North Gallatin, East
Madison, and Bridgers),
mule deer numbers continue
to increase from low points
in 2010-2011. Mule deer
populations are stable to increasing in the Helena area.
In the Dillon area, mule deer
are generally increasing
under favorable environmental conditions the past
two years.
Be aware there are a number of districts including 300
(Lima Peaks), 302 (Tendoys)
and 380 that have a special
permit requirement for
mule deer; it's the hunter's
responsibility to know the
regulations. Mule deer numbers are slightly up throughout Park County. Whitetailed deer numbers appear
to be generally stable in the
Townsend and Park County
areas. And in the Jefferson
and Ruby valleys, spring
surveys showed an increase
of 79 percent and 173 percent respectively, relative
to 2014. This growth can be
attributed to healthy recruitment and reduced antlerless
harvest opportunities.
Region 4—
Central Montana
• Mule deer populations are
starting to increase but are
still below long-term averages.
• White-tailed deer numbers continue to increase, too.
After the decline of whitetailed deer in some areas
due to EHD—or epizootic
hemorrhagic disease, a viral
infection carried by a biting
midge but that's harmless to
humans—there’s been good
white-tailed deer production
this year and the recovery
continues.
Region 5 — South
Central Montana
•Mule deer numbers
throughout south central
Montana are stable or up
slightly from last year,
though they remain well
below the long-term average.
With conservative hunting
regulations in place, hunter
harvest likely will be similar
to last year.
• White-tailed deer numbers at lower elevations and
north of the Yellowstone River appear to be recovering
from a 2014 disease outbreak
that thinned the herds. Closer
to the mountains, numbers
remain reasonably strong.
Whitetail buck harvest opportunities likely will be similar
to last year, while antlerless
harvest will remain below
average for another year
with fewer B-tags issued and
conservative management in
place.
Region 6 —
Northeastern Montana
• Mule deer numbers are
at or above long term averages in the eastern half of the
region and at or below long
term averages in the western
half. In general, mule deer
hunters can expect to see
more mule deer as compared
to recent years.
• White-tailed deer numbers have continued to lag
behind mule deer due to EHD
outbreaks in 2011, 2012 and
2013. Nonetheless, very good
fawn numbers for both whitetailed deer and mule deer
have been observed across
the region this summer.
See Deer,” page 12
Friday, October 2, 2015 - 11
Miles City Star
Mapping
Montana
Photo courtesy of Eric Siegfried
Eric Siegfried, former Miles Citian, uses a GPS chip and app he created to find public and private
land boundaries in Montana or any other state.
year and a half gathering
information from as many
sources as he could find
While hunting, have you
so he could produce a GPS
ever had trouble determinmap of Montana for his pering whether land is public
sonal GPS. That first map
or private? Well, an app and showed public and private
GPS chip has made findproperty, landowner names,
ing boundary lines much
topography and more.
easier.
"Now I have a brilliant
And sportsmen and
team," said Siegfried. "I'm
women who hunt in all 50
not a software engineer."
states have a former Miles
onXmaps, once known
Citian to thank for it.
as Hunting GPS Maps,
Creator Eric Siegfried,
launched in September
33, is a former Miles Citian
2009 in Montana, Wyoming
who graduated from Custer
and Colorado.
County District High
It took another three
School in 2001 and went on
years to add the
other 47 states to the
program. Currently
they have 250,000
“Now I have a
customers across
brilliant team. I'm not the United States.
The maps come in
a software engineer.”
a chip for Garmin
GPS users and as an
- Eric Siegfried
app for Smartphone
users.
The chip can be
purchased at many
to attend Montana State
sporting goods stores, inUniversity in Bozeman.
cluding Red Rock Sporting
After he got engaged, his
Goods in Miles City. The
fiancée found a job in Mischip costs $100.
soula, where they currently
The app you can purchase
reside.
by going to your app store
Siegfried, an avid hunter,
in your phone. It is compatrealized when he moved
ible for Apple and Android
to Missoula that he had no
idea what was public and
private land. He knew if
the property boundaries
were confusing to him, then
there must be others who
www.mdt511.com
felt the same.
He then spent the next
By ASHLEY RONESS
Star Staff Writer
Road Reports
Call 511
users. The app costs $30 a
year.
The products are updated
every year. For the GPS
chip, you have to purchase
the update for $30, while
the app automatically updates itself.
"We have to keep things
Miles City native
creates GPS chip, app
now used by sportsmen
in all 50 states
updated. Land changes every year," said Siegfried.
Currently they are working on a big update for
the phone app. They are
giving the interface a face
lift. This means that there
will be a new menu and the
system will be more user
friendly. There will also
be new features such as
a tracking function, fire
perimeter information, water data for fishermen and
weather information.
For more information,
you can go to: www.onXmaps.com.
Miles City Star
12 - Friday, October 2, 2015
Continued from page 10
Region 7 —
Southeastern Montana
• Spring trend surveys
show that mule deer populations are up a healthy 20
percent from last year and
are currently 16 percent
above the long-term-average. Overwinter survival
last year was good, and
fawn recruitment this
spring was excellent—65
yearlings per 100 adults.
Buck ratios are high at
37 bucks per 100 does but
there are a lot of young
bucks in the population.
That's characteristic of a
population undergoing rapid
STAR PHOTO/Steve Allison
A doe enjoys the rich foraging and relative peace of summer.
SameDay Care
population growth. The
mule deer population here
is comprised of primarily
young, reproductively fit animals. While deer numbers
have generally increased region wide, numbers remain
below long-term averages
in hunting districts 701 and
702.
• Last year white-tailed
deer caught a break from
EHD, with all outbreaks localized in scale and small in
magnitude. Whitetail numbers can rebound rapidly
from declines, and populations in most parts of the
region are recovering well
from past EHD outbreaks.
Populations continue to be
variable throughout the
region, however, with numbers ranging from belowaverage to very high at the
local scale.
Hunters who do their
homework by scouting and
visiting with private landowners should have success
locating good areas to hunt
whitetails.
Attention Hunters:
Need medical care today?
Services include:
· Medical treatment for minor illness
and injury
· Sprains and minor fractures
· Sore throats and colds
· Muscle aches and pains
· Cuts, scrapes and minors wounds
· Coughs
· Earaches
· Minor burns and sunburns
· Insect and tick bites
· Back strain
· Sinus congestions
· Minor eye injuries, infections or
irritations
· Vaccinations offered: Flu (seasonal)
· Tetanus with injury
· Other minor conditions
SameDay Care Hours:
Monday-Friday:
8 am to 6 pm
620 South Haynes Avenue
Miles City, MT 59301
For a same day appointment
call, (406) 233-7000
www.billingsclinic.com/milescity
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