Birding Trails Montana...

...finished at last, I hope? I haven't been posting much of late simply because I've been oh so busy scrambling to get the already late manuscript and photo package to the publisher. Late submissions are not something I do often. Fact is this is first one EVER. Of course I have what I consider a valid excuse, too many other projects on my plate--which in all honesty were not exactly my fault. Oh well, it's done, at least for time being, and the good news is we can finally continue the hunt. Been way too long since Annie and me harrassed the Montana birds...best get ready cause here we come. Hooray!

Snow...

...the good news is a healthy start to this year's snowpack and maybe, just maybe, we'll have enough water to keep our rivers flowing at more reasonable levels than perhaps most of us were thinking...

...the flip side is making it tough to get into and around in the hills. Yesterday as we started up into the Little Rockies was touch and go for a time whether or not could make not chaining up. I got a mule deer buck tag still unpunched and while I think I know where might punch it...gettin there is a whole other story. With more white stuff forcast for today...well, stay tuned...

...but the really bad news is Miss Annie's bird huntin' has pretty much been put on temporary (she hopes) hold...sage hen season's over, hard to get to blue grouse and Hun's? In my experience gunnin Hun's in deep snow while not impossible it ain't easy by any stretch...

Top Spots to Kill a Trophy...

I'm not much of a big game hunter anymore, more a meat hunter than anything like a head hunter but...If I were I'd sure pay heed to the recent Boone and Crockett Club's 125th Anniversary release of the top 125 counties in the lower 48 to down a Booner... In the Top 10 Wyoming led the way with 4 counties producing a whopping 618 pronghorn listings. California (375 Columbian black-tail deer) and Montana (266 bighorn rams) each placed 2 counties in the Top 10. The overall winner was Arizona with 15 counties in the Top 125 followed by Wyoming with 14; Montana 12 (8 bighorn ram, 3 shiras moose, 1 bison); New Mexico, 11; and Oregon and Colorado 10 each. By the way, Montana won the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Ram contest in a landslide; no other state even close.