Thanks Asshole...

...That's for the guy (I now know who you are) who called Montana Fish and Game and 'thought' he could get me jammed up with them over a few semi-fictional posts on my blog and another equally absurd one on Upland Journal;..

For those who follow me on here boy have we had ourselves some fun with this one. This has all been highly entertaining in an odd sort of way.

Its one thing to cruise the blogs, the forums, and read my updates and comment from time to time, but lets be clear some of what I've written is "clearly tongue-in-cheek". I obviously use fictitious names, locations are sometimes changed, and dates are blended on occasion to save from so many posts. That this old fart has nothing better to do than read my ramblings then call LEO is sad. What an old rotten douche bag this fella must be; even his own dogs must despise him.

I also think its unfair to waste the time of our game wardens on this misadventure when they could be better spent being-proactive instead of stuck at home playing blog police. What ever happened to getting out there like the old fashioned game wardens used to and actually catch the real bad guys who corral elk with ATV's, or shoot the state bird and wear it on their hat, or pop 20 rounds into a fawn with a 45; instead of chasing the online make-believe ones like me via anonymous tips.

I'm due to receive 'a warning' I was told, but not sure what I'm being warned about; bad writing, not enough details so that its more believable, not giving precise dates or time or locations so then it can be considered factual?? Maybe I used too many smileys on the forum and he hates smileys?

That anyone would think half of what I wrote on this blog or on forums under my longtime online alias was admissible is ludicrous; and I don't for a second think that's the case. Instead he just called LEO to get back at me for something I wrote some months back directed at him. That's when I wisely called him out as a Troll; and guess what I was right (here's even more proof, not like anyone needed as much).
Of course "there's no real ticket coming" as the game warden said so as; 'duh' no one except the dip shit who called him actually believes half of what I write nor was it a legit "TIP" to begin with.

In fact all this old jackass from Idaho named:"..Missed Again" on Upland Journal, accomplished was from now on I may hesitate, no matter how bad the violation is I witness (and I see a ton of them a year) and I wont call anyone.

%$#@ em. Poachers win!

Hate to be that way, but the irony is the only way the game warden tracked me down was that "I actually called him" back during hunting season and we even spoke about a violation I witnessed and was included in part of the story I wrote about. Problem there is for sake of a single blog post (instead of multiple ones as I'll often do); I combined a few hunts into one and so it appeared I was somewhere I wasn't but never thought it'd matter since most don't pay that close attention. I also embellished a back and forth I had with someone for entertainment as though I wrote it; doesn't mean I did it.

You see game wardens are not editors nor are they moderators and there's these things called "freedom of speech" and "freedom of press" and "poetic license" that has to be factored in when its just written-words on silly forums and blogs that writers like myself use for 'a playground of words'. I write on here some things I may use in a book, sometimes I write them and post them and then take them down; as I want to preserve their originality or I might even add some back-story that makes it cohesive, but doesn't always present it as it actually occurred.

That's creative writing and is why I started the blog; as much as to share pictures of Montana with folks from afar. The fact that I didn't label my writings as either fiction or nonfiction in all these years is actually what protects me; as there's no telling what is or what isn't either and for all the examples that might prove to be true, I have a dozen others on the same blog or forum that clearly are not.

So since I'm not really a certified poacher and without bloody pictures of dead game with distinctive landmarks showing in the backgrounds or video of elk or deer getting whacked when the leaves are the wrong color; its a pretty safe bet this wouldn't have stuck in a court of law.

But it is discouraging and it has taught me something and this fella accomplished the opposite of which he wanted because he caught me in a weird time. He pissed off another guy who actually gave a shit and now I may not; thanks to him.

I'm pretty much done with big game hunting anyway; its too confusing how and where you are or are not' supposed to hunt in Montana. I used to think there was a real reason for all of this, like as in game-management, but in the few short years I've lived here; I now realize a lot of its designed to bust folks actually hunting-ethically who are confused by the 100 page book of regs, the retarded legalities, multiple tags, antler restrictions, and absurd boundary's they've imposed on BMA's and around millionaires homes to in-trap you; so they can fine you, and pay their own salaries.

I'd heard locals say this since I arrived, but had always blown that off as BS, yet now I'm beginning to believe it.

It even appears our local game wardens are able to be used as vindictive-tools, or puppets, for anyone to toy with so they can get back at guys who wrote something that made some old fart mad on an outdoor forum over 6 months ago.

That part is especially sad. It should also be illegal and there's little doubt that is what this fella did, and THIS is actually true. So maybe the real focus should turn towards him instead. No different than a vindictive ex-wife having her hubby pulled over saying there's drugs in his car when their aren't, but he was speeding and just happened to have a suspended license so by God he's going to jail after all.

Either way I intend to keep bird hunting, fly fishing, and blogging about it; only reason I haven't lately was my hard-drive crashed last month; but that's about been remedied and all was saved; so I'll keep you posted as the floats down local waters has been pretty routine lately.

Oh and for future reference when viewing my blog; its best to have a beer and read if you like, or just look at the pretty pictures. The latter is especially a guideline if your a vindictive old douche bag from Idaho.


Moe.

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A Good Year...

...
All in all I cant complain. While it was a tough one for most everyone else I talked to; for me it was about the best one I can recall in at least ten.

I had a steady job at a fly shop I loved, which gave me just the right amount of time-off to use the new boat, and float down area rivers over 40 times.

I visited several new waters and stretches I'd not fished before, and met dozens of new fishing friends in the process.





..When hunting season came I got out about as often as I wanted and even though we didn't get an elk or big buck; me and the girls bagged plenty of birds and visited all corners of this great state while 'seeing and photographing' some neat things along the way.


On our very last trip of the year the weather was also about perfect, an odd and sunny 38 degrees on January one, but a little windier than I would have prefered...(gusts of 40 plus).

Oh it was a long way for only one rooster, but the girls pointed several hens and we had a pretty neat time together exploring some new ground.

I usually dont like to think' about such things, but its safe to say for every bird we bagged this season, we logged at least 50 miles-per... and I couldn't help but do so on the long ride back...





We certainly didn't get them all and left some for next year I think its safe to say; these late-season birds flushed a hundred yards out on at least three occasions.


"&%$#"!!


Still, I found this past year to be about near perfect, and just what I imagined they'd all be like when I moved out here some 3.5 ago.

They haven't all been so swell, but I have even higher hopes for this next year; so we shall see...?





"High-five Suzie!"





The dawn of a new day in 2012...

Here's hoping yours' is a great one too!


Moe

"Where in the World have you been..?"

This' was likely the question both would've asked; if they could speak...

Though I made it clear I missed them too, and loved em up something good, Suzie especially seemded kinda pissed as to "why I left her in a kennel for the past two weeks...?!"


With a visible tan and the smell of sea salt and airplane food it was clear I'd gone somwhere they'd never been before; so without the benefit of actual two-way conversation to explain I'd been in Florida visiting my folks; I instead just loaded them both up' and headed toward where birds were as quick as I could..


















Within two hours we had arrived at the preserve and had our first bird in the bag and 'both were over-joyed at being back amongst their best buddy' (me)...or at least I like to think so..







We took four nice roosters and each were actually challenging; given the occasional 30 mile-per-hour gusts, and if it weren't for a complete dimsantle and cleaning of the old pump-shotgun, I'd have never likely hit a one; as 'all four were taken on the second shot' each (meaning I shot 8 shells and still scratched down four birds).


"%$#@ I need a new gun"!?



Regardless of my limted finances, and now lack of steady employment, along with shorting myslef on groceries a bit to pay this month's rent; I wasn't gonna cheat my girls out of a day where we actually see and shoot some birds.



..Tomorrow and the next day (last two of the season) are another story, as its raining like a son of a gun out there right now, but I'm addicted to this shit and have a full tank of gas ....so we're headed toward the Southeast of Montana first thing in the morning


...and hoping to find a wild one or two...



Moe
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Part 2...Ranch Hunt Continued...

We got and early start this time too, leaving Bozeman at 6AM

....


Suzie gets a little scratch behind the ears from Alex..



Unfortunately she was mauled by a dip shit Golden Retriever that tore up her precious face, not ten %$# damned minutes after we arrived?!

"%$#@*"!!

I knew when Alex casually mentioned there'd be another dog present when we departed that morning something like this would probably happen, but I kept my cool (and lived to regret it). It never fails, other dogs just love to dominate the little gal whose about as innocent and nieve as they come, and its usually when she simply goes up to strange dogs to introduce herself like all doggys do and all hell breaks lose when that dog is agressive. It doesnt matter whether they be males or females they tear her face open and she looks up at me everytime with that look like "WTF"?

"...why did he do that?"

It also never helps to ask the dogs owner whether their dog is agressive as they always lie and say no; even though they know damned well it is. Then after the inevitable attack, they act all like:"..Gee thats weird he's never done that before..?"


"Bullshit!"


Never again. I will never again have another dog near her. I owe it to her to protect her from these animals and the next dog that does it is dead.

...

So poor Suzie got the morning off and had to sit in the truck most of it, so her bleeding would stop, the EMT ointment would dry, and the three open punctures wouldn't get too dirty.


And Mocha was ready to go...










Unfortunately the river bottom on the ranch is nearly void of pheasants this year too, due to a poor wild hatch; so though she did point one single rooster it made an escape out the backdoor and we never even fired a shot.

She later pointed two hens which held tight for me to flush, then stared at me puzzled I didn't shoot at those either, and we went back to have lunch...no birds bagged thus far.

....


During the day we stumbled upon no less than 30 dead deer, usually around water, as EHD took a heavy toll on the ranch this year (refer to one of my earlier posts on the subject for more info).

....

Now it was Suzie's turn and she put on a good show considering her ordeal earlier in the morning (me constantly checking her wounds, making sure they were well cleaned).




We walked until our feet hurt and even switched dogs again, as tired as each got, but didn't find birds till the last light of day..





And boy did we find them. We entered what amounted to a field of dreams that held well over twenty sharptails easy, and scattered fifty yards apart, along with singles here and there; so a few actually held for Suzie and us to shoot at.

While most 'flushed wild' way out of range, given its late seaosn and they've been hunted before, more than a few should have come to bag; but we just couldn't connect. What was pure comedy at first; with both of us being caught with "safety on" when we pulled up but no shot came on chip shots, it soon was rather depressing as our combined shooting-skills sucked. Not to mention my old beater pump finally failed me and jammed repeatedly while trying to eject shells, but thats just another excuse for my misses on two more easy chip shots.

I tagged and bagged one single bird and then we headed home. Bad bite, bad shooting, but one cant complain when its 38 in December and we get to hunt the ranch; a priveldge I dont take lightly and thank Alex once again.

....

Got one more hunt planned this weekend, then off for Christmas holiday, then back for one last 'road trip' on the closer (Jan 1st).

More Photo Essays to come...


Moe

Ranch Hunt...

..."Part 1"

......

First of all, let me apologise for my last 'abreviated post' where some of you likely reached a blank page this week; if coming off another blogs' link...

- Reason for this was kinda cool, for me at least, as the last photo essay I posted only lasted a couple days before thankfully I was contacted 'via email' with someone wanting to buy it (the photos); on the condition they be "originals" as far as the internet goes; so I was forced to pull them.

Hey man's gotta eat and I'm as broke as they come these days.


So this' is whats left of that Photo-Essay...LOL


More than a few caught the original pics on that Sunday I posted it, and even a couple actually "commmented"; which I always appreciate (even though doing-so is a huge headache, I understand; given the spam blocking requirements on these blogs).





It was a fun time for sure, for both me and the girls, and we did it again the next week as well (Part 2 coming soon)...




We'll all see those pics again come February I hope, and nobody will be too concerned about this I'm sure cept me...till the check arrives as payment (to heat my single-wide that is).


A special thank you to Alex for inviting me both times (part 1 & 2); as it makes living in Montana during Decemeber bearable; knowing 'we'll hit the ranch a few times after birds'..every year!!




Where was this guy hiding all season..?

On private land of course.


Moe

Tough Year for Whitetail Deer...

..And a tough year for the deer-hunter too.


Though for us clad in orange, and carrying guns, thing were not quite as tragic of course...


- Montana' this past year recorded one of its worst ever EHD outbreaks' affecting whitetail deer; and in many regions kill-offs were as many as 50% of the herd!


EHD stands for 'epizootic hemorrhagic disease'; which is why hard-core deer hunters call it "EHD" or "blue tongue"; otherwise we'd all sound smart instead of crazed lunatics obsessed with killing big bucks for their antlers.


While death to said deer is ultimately the goal in 'deer hunting', no one wants to see any animal die this way; but such is nature; and she's often as cruel as any of us...(bitch)!


EHD does a real number on deer and its not kind as far as ailments go. It's a virus transmitted to white-tailed deer by biting gnats and once infected takes the life of the deer within a week to ten days usually. Its not transmitted from deer-to-deer as many think, but shows more of an impact when the biting gnats hit in regions over-populated with whitetail deer..as many parts of Montana are (or were) before the outbreak.

With this year’s wet spring and late fall (in Montana), it created conditions for large numbers of the midges to hatch and linger late into the season.


This meant dead deer were found quite regularly by hunters and even anglers this year; as the infected deer go to water as a way to replenish in response to a depletion in body fluids caused by hemorrhaging. Some were even reported found dead beneath the waters' surface; as its theorized they submerge themselves 'to fight off the fever associated with the infection'.


Obviously some survived (as pictured in this PE) and even deer-hunting continued as Montana has had a large population of whitetail deer and they will certainly rebound.



Muledeer,antelope, and elk, also are affected sometimes, but apparently have better imune systems to fight the disease than do whitetails (or so I read).

Some of this was from memory when I dabbled in Fish and Game, but since my memery is about as good as my spelling I gathered a bit too from recent news articles in the local paper to share what we now know about this outbreak.








Some parts of Montana, like the area I actually live in (Region 3), saw no EHD outbreak and wildlife biologists are still trying to figure that one out; as to 'why we are immune on this side of the hill' (Bozeman Pass).


Common sense - at least from my southern perspective would steer toward it being balls cold most of the damned year, but aparently that's not it.

Regardless of the actual reason, I'm still using EHD as an excuse as to why I did not take a monster trophy buck this season; nor an elk either (big surprise on that last part).

In fact, I didn't even take a doe for the freezer since a dozen people offer me venison (and occasionally bison and elk) every year; and then of course had to dodge at least five of the crazy things standing in my driveway - when I pulled in from my last 'hunting trip'.

So I might have to fill one of these 309 antlerless surplus-tags before the year is completely up I guess...just for the sake of doing my part on earth as a deer hunter (can hunt them in Region 3 till Jan 1)?!



....

Oh and for the record: I'd have shot any of these bucks I photographed above (except that little fella in pics 3 & 4), but of course these bad boys all stood there boldy and only let me take their pictures; as they knew they were on private property and I couldn't shoot them with my gun.

- That and these were all taken within the last three days of the season and the rut had turned otherwise elusive bucks into hormone crazed morons.


Moe
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