A hunt in God's Country...

We ran my GSP Mocha first and while she did her job; pointing a couple mature roosters under our feet, Rookie and I did not and both duffed the simple shot..


So we entered the river bottom and were in awe at the colors of Fall...


She ran hard and got birdy several times, but we came up empty after that. Even though it was in the 30's; Mocha worked up quite a sweat by 9 and after a 'very cool' dip in the Musselshell; and we headed back toward the house to switch her out for Suzie...

...


And so the hunt continued.. as we circled several islands around the river bottom..


Once up on higher ground, and only moments after Alex showed us what the birds were eating; Suzie went on-point and a fat rooster presented me with a cross-the-river shot which landed in cattails on the furthest side...?!


After a lot of coaxing, which included both Alex and I leading the way up to our knees; eventually Suzie followed across the chilly stream and retrieved a fine pheasant to hand.



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While the river bottom produced a few hens; we didn't find any more roosters till we hit the huge pigweed field..


The pigweed will surely provide great cover in winter, as even in Fall (me at 6'5") I disappeared several times dwarfed by the large stems and fat sunflowers since sprouted last post...

Still, even though Suzie did her part and trailed the runner just right we did'n't follow close enough and he flew out of range at the end of the field and across the river toward safety untouched.


After this we headed toward the first realease-site in 'the upper-field'; where a dozen pheasant have taken residence for the first time in 5 years (presumably those from the first batch from surrogator)..


None were where we thought they'd be at the first site; so Alex suggested "a detour" so we ventured on toward another drainage instead..


Once we reached the end of this cover (birdless) I realized Alex does not really know the definition of the word detour; as we now had to exactly backtrack where we came from and I was slightly exhausted I might add.

So was poor Suzie, so we took a much needed break beneath the cliffs for about 15 minutes to cool down...where Alex was kind enough to remove a few dozen burrs from Szuie's coat..


The break offered a nice opportunity to study just how beautiful these creatures we hunt are; in all their colorful plumage...


A 'fine gun' for just about $150.00 (mine)...
....


Back on track, Suzie quickly found the pheasants and after a wild flush we trailed two runners like a hound dog (a hen and rooster) toward a food plot where Alex took another handsome bird right under her nose...



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Just when our confidence was at its' highest a dozen sharptails we missed after a quick volley of number sevens; brought us back to the realization we were in land filled with smart birds and whether we put them in our game-bags wasn't always up to us...


Once back at the house, and after a quick lunch; Mocha seemed ready to go again and kinda bummed we'd bagged brids without her. So we gave Suzie a much needed rest and headed after sharpies and huns up top (of the ranch) and found some quite quickly.. Though again the misses outnumbered the hits..


Still, I managed to scratch down a single out front and Mocha was only happy to retrieve on a nice sharptail...

....


Over a dozen pheasants seen easy, two large groups of over 40 sharps, and two very healthy coveys of huns (we didn't even get a shot off on); and I'd say it was a pretty fine day overall...Only a few birds to bag, but I was a guest so was missing on purpose so I'd be invited back LOL...



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The million-dollar question would be 'whether the pheasant we shot were banded birds' of course; and in truth they were not. But one was very young and when we ventured up toward the group of a dozen who'd taken up permanent residence in 'the upper field' (almost exactly where we released 60); we all were in agreement these were in fact surrogator birds. Half of them were hens too; which was the point all along. If they've made it this long and fly as fast as they do now all winter; they should make it into next spring..(well over 20 during both releases got away before we could band them)..

I'm not sure of the math behind it all but I'd estimate for every dozen we see and think they are surrogator birds; maybe a dozen or more are out there we might never.

Sure over 30 likely parished under the onsluaght of hawks and other predators; but the general consensus amongst family and friends who had visited the ranch in the past and seen two maybe three pheasant (harvested only one last year) and now see over 20; is "its working". Another Surrogator has already been ordered for next year because if it..


While Novemeber is devoted to deer hunting only and no birds hunted on the ranch; come December we'll be at it again; and hopefully take a couple more nice wise pheasant ...and maybe one will even be wearing jewelry to further prove the point...


We'll see...and I'll post about em when we do too...


Moe

While the double porcupine fiasco was all their fault..

...the 3 skunkings have been all mine.

Certainly not the best way to start the season...

A week ago a friend and I, along with my girls, headed toward a promising looking BMA, but after walking a few miles came up empty.

That was skunking number 1 and a hot one too! My new minimum degree for hunting them is 65 and under after that one; plus they and myself were extremely out of shape.


When my GSP Mocha's tongue is hanging out the side of her mouth and Suzie comes up to me and lays down; thats when I know I've pushed them too far. We took a nice break then meandered back to the truck.

....

Next we hit an old place I've had luck before (yesterday) and while we should have at least seen some pheasants; instead we saw nada in the first half hour. Certainly their were birds still around, even though we missed 'openner' due to work. But before we could head elsewhere in the unit to check, BOTH girls got nailed 50 quills each in the face by a porcupine and chaos and pain ensued in the next hour and a half.

"#@%&"!!

I mean all up in their nostrils, mouths, gums, with blood and painful yelps as I used my foreceps on each; the whole thing...sucked big time!! Poor Suzie was climbing on my back while I was bent over taking some out of Mochas face. Then finally she just just lay down defeated and let me do what needed to be done.

No pics as when it happened, all I could think of was get them out fast before something worse happens; like they swallow a few of them.

We headed home and called it quits...skunking Number 2.

....

So today we hit the Lower Madison to run around and see about what we expected...nothing but deer. Then headed toward a huge BMA I know has huns to give that a try and forget about pheasant for a while...


Last year, very late in the season, I found this place and Suzie pointed two nice family coveys right around here. The only thing was their were four at best left then, after being shot-out earlier I assumed. As bad as we needed and wanted them; I passed, but made note to return this season to give them a go...


So here we were, only problem we couldn't locate them and not like we didn't try; Suzie and I hoofed two mile at least (?).


We saw lots of mule deer and two nice bucks right at dark. A few elk were skylined too; though not for long as they saw us too...


Does or fawns, something I like about muleys is they're different. I've seen thousands of whitetails and shot close to a hundred, but muleys just are neat I think; the way they bound off when spooked or stop and stare aftera short distance. Not considered 'smart' by a lot of folks for this reason, but thats unfair as no deer realzies what man has as far as accuurate ammo and scoped rifles I dont think.


Still, both girls had fun I think and got in better shape too. I know I did and am sore from head to toe..


All 3 of us, birds or no birds, enjoyed that wonderful sunset Montana's come to be famous for.


Though we had to leave since I got work tomorrow; both girls seemed sure their were birds back there (somewhere) and I am too. So I guess we'll head that way again and give it another go; just to see...

Moe

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Firehole of the Upper Madison.....

and one really pissed off bull....

I awoke ready to hit the Yellowstone again and repeat the previous days performance in waders and boots; but as my mind works; I instead thumbed thru a magazine (while on the pot) and found an interesting article on the Firehole in West Yellowstone and well...you know the rest...


The above pics of course are NOT the Firehole or even the Madison, but of the Gallatin which runs along the near entire length of the roadway upriver from my home toward the western half of the park. Its a scenic drive I never get tired of in any season and though its full of big fish I was determined to seekout new water for the sheer thrill of doing something different.


I will say this part was tempting (the rivers hidden behind the bushes). Its a long serpintile stretch I've yet to explore, but have passed many a day going to-and-from hunting or fishing spots elsewhere. Its in the park (road winds a bit into Wyoming), but without a definitive gate-entrance its really just out there and open. Your required to have barbless hooks and a Park Fishing Pass (both I have); but for simple lack of time to fish all the water I want this year; I just put it on next years' list and stepped on the gas.


After a quick bite to eat in West Yellowstone and a stop into Blue Ribbon for some flies and advice; I was soon inside the park entering from the western side for the first time (and using my new Annual Pass; avoiding any wait in traffic).


As I've posted before, bison are common sites in Montana along the roadway, but they still deserve our respect and attention when we see them; especially when there's no garuntee they (now standing streamside) wont kill you with your back turned while landing a pretty 10" rainbow on a Millers white caddis imitation...

.........

Funny, with bison I'm aware of the dangers; but elk hand't previously worried me much...


"Ah, what a pretty elk, just standing out there getting a little sip of water..how cool..."

I'm sure that was the thought of the dozen other people standing beside me taking his picture. And several looked quite serious about it with monster zoom lenses and shutters ripping off frames; though most were using flash (which probably didn't help)..


Me I just stood there dripping wet after fishing a section along the way; stopping to take a few shots with my consumer Nikon and 70-300, not even changing out of my waders and felt bottom boots...which I would later regret..


The herd of roughly 20 seemed content to just do their thing; while letting us tourists do ours; but what we didn't factor in was it being peak rut..


Soon enough the 'sweet little bull drinking water' was one really agitated dude and he put on quite a show to prove it too...



He wasn't happy thats for sure and began pissing on humself and raking his antlers in the sand...


Still, the closer he got the better pictures I was getting so I didn't even think about budging...


"Wow look at that, he has sand on his face...'old sandy face' thats what we should call him.." I told the guy next to me (sounding like a dork probably, but I was excited to be getting such nice pictures I let my touristy-voice surface for a few minutes)...


I'm pretty sure when he started swishing his rack around violently I should have detected this was not the place to be, but somewhat stupid it never dawned on me what was to come....


"What a show!" I said aloud...


"Awesome..!!"


I was shooting roughly 5 frames per second to get this sequence and I'm not sure but I think he could probably hear it we were so close...


"%#@*"


"Dude.."


At this point I zoomed-out and this put him at under 30 yards..I also finally lifted my face from my camera for the first time in over a minute and noticed I was all alone. Everyone around me had by now evaporated into their cars and no one bothered to suggest I do the same..

"Bastards!"


This is the best picture I took and its quite amazing as I was running behind a blue minivan at the time and holding the camera out, not even looking thru the viewfinder....



Unbeknownst to me a cow had slipped across the street behind me and was standing no less than 10 steps when he made his charge... Whether he mistook me for another elk (I am kinda tall and fat); I'll never know, but his intentions were clear and he won this draw by taking his gal away, before I even laid eyes on her.


Once his girls were safe; he finally seemed content.


Though just in case I "didnt get the message" he was kind enough to tell me one last time: ...I was too close for comfort, and its his' domain I'm in now...!?

...

And so I went on...'the Firehole' being the original destination.


No shortage of elk here either, though this area wasn't really the Firehole either ( a mile short of the junction and true head of the Madison); it did provide some nice 10 to 12" fish and the hatch was pretty insane.



Destination reached; the Firehole....


An otherworldly place to wet a line...geothermal gases bubbling up all around, several buffalo keeping an equally watchful eye, and a full moon overhead to illuminate the rising heads of a hundred hungry trout.

...All of it, including the elk close-encounter, provided a nice ending to another perfect day in Montana. And to think I almost just went and fished below the highway on the Yellowstone again...


Moe

The Yellowstone River.....

...In all its colorful splendor...


Carters Bridge

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Emigrant

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Some dudes coming off the river..

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Point of Rocks

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Mallards Landing

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Livingston, for a bite to eat..

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Saqaguea Park (I'm sure thats spelt wrong)?

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My destination thru town was to cross the river at 9th street bridge and find the islands under the interstate..(found them)...

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Even Montana has a few graffitti artists it appears...

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As the sun set I put the camera away and busted out the Sage Z-Axis again and threw on a hopper dropper and caught two nice sized rainbow right off the bat.

"Hot damn!"

Thats a great spot to fish, but not entirely allowed I dont think; as its signage leading in said for:'residents only' (to cross the bridge); but oh well. I also caught several white fish; as they're spawing right now and very agressive.

It was such a nice way to spend my day off...so beautiful, peaceful and relaxing; I intend to do the same tomorrow.

Cant wait!


Moe

Bulls are tending cows now...

... as the big group seems to have split up a bit...

This is good news actually; not so much for pictures but better for hunting. My hope is a few elk head back toward the public-areas I've pretty well scouted by now; and I might see one before gun openner with bow in-hand...

When I stopped to checkout the area they've congregated in the past two weeks all I saw were three bulls and a few cows (above); no sign or sound of the massive herd from just days before.

...
About a mile up the road I spied a tan hide moving thru the brushy hillside; so slowed to see what it was..?


..Two cows and a spike calf were feeding into the openning and right behind them was this guy.

He didn't stick around long, and even ran the young spike off; before tending his cows corralling them back deeper into the forest and out of sight.

Still, at this location it puts them less than two miles from public-access and moving in the right direction..
It's purely wishful thinking they might keep going and stumble back into public lands; though that's about the only strategy I have right now.

...

I'm off for the next two days, but with temps in the 80's here in Bozeman; I'm more likely to go fishing on the Yellowstone than hunting in the Bridgers, but still intend to stop up there one of the evenings to see what I see...

Check back; I'm sure I'll have more pics up by Wednesday..


Moe
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