Beaverhead National Forest: Whilst Poking About...

...the forest a couple days last week hoping perhaps we might find a spot to cast a fly or two and not risk being swept away didn't pan out we did the next best thing and went exploring...

...last spring Gale shot a sow with two tiny cubs in tow in almost the exact spot I shot this bear a couple days ago...grazing the lush green grass it (I think a sow) it eyed me suspiciously turned and walked to a nearby tree, climbed up and...

...walked out a limb, turned around and lay down...While I hopped about below trying to find a spot to continue shooting it closed eyes for a moment as if to snooze then apparently thought the better idea was instead to keep eyes peeled on this strange acting dude...same bear? Who knows....A nifty encounter just the same...

A short time later Gale spied this moose. At first we thought it a cow and probably with calf in-tow. Since I've had all the run-ins with Mama Moose this ol' boy can stand I grabbed the camera and vowing to watch my ass this time around crept over the hill real slow and cautious like...Low and behold I soon stumbled upon not Mama Moose mind you but a rather strange looking Bullwinkle...sort looks a first glance like somehow a 2X4 drove twixt the ears, eh?

Exploring up a roaring crick we hadn't tramped before revealed a ton of unidentified mushrooms of several different varieties and this one lone morel...too bad since this baby I know to be dee-lish-ous but of course one shroom...well you know.

Roaring cricks are one thing you don't have to look far this spring to find; just lend an ear most anywhere and chances are you'll hear the music loud and clear

Fly Fishing: Big Hole River

Floating the Big Hole of late is more a drag...literally...than a float trip. But the good news is most days the fishing is pretty good. Yesterday dawned chilly, with heavy cloud cover rain seemed to be more a matter of when than if...

Joe is one of the better fly guys around and like many of the good ones prefers to fish dry. So when I rigged up a bobber and nymphs, while he didn't say so he was clearly disappointed. But as we made our way painfully (for this ol' boy) and ever so slowly down the skinny river it soon became clear the trout were not much interested in munching nymphs. 

To me switching to dries seemed an even worse idea but since Joe had voiced his displeasure in having anything to with streamers why not...

Well so much for bad ideas...almost from the get go it became evident the trout were indeed looking up. And the top water action continued pretty much non-stop all the to the take-out. Though the curious thing most of the takers were on the small side...But with so many takes Joe could hardly quit grinning long enough to bitch...How many? Who knows for sure but I'd say at least 40, maybe even more...all in all turned out a fine day to cast dries and yes, there were a few hefty enough to put a severe bend in the ol' fly pole. Even caught a grayling and a couple whitefish, imagine. And we did get rained on but the brunt of the big storm went elsewhere...thank you rain and thunder gods.

For me though the day's real highlights were five moose sighted...three, a cow with two little babies in tow, I nearly hit when they burst up from the willows onto the frontage road below Melrose. Then on the way home in nearly the same spot another cow and a yearling calf...thank goodness this pair stood their ground on the field side the fence. Been sort of moosey actually as a couple days ago we spied a bullwinkle and few days before that two big bulls. 

Spring Gobbler Hunt Fails But...

Our mission was to shoot (camera) the season's first gobbler alas we failed but we did photo three moose (mama and her youngin' above) as well as Aunt Molly who was tagging along perhaps in case a baby sitter might be needed? No doubt a moose thing, eh?

And we did get Mr. Redwing to pose long enough for a few shots, at least one of which turned out pretty nifty don't you agree? And we did see a bunch of deer, whitetail and mule variety, as well as a ton of antelope, a ringneck rooster all dressed to kill in his spring finery and a fair number gooses and ducks and...and I guess that's about it...oh, almost forgot did "see" a gobbler, a herd of five actually but...but they busted us afore we could pull the trigger, so to speak.

Better luck next time, right? Right.

Morons Murder Moose

As if moose don't have enough problems these days dodging the growing blood-thirsty gray wolf population, poaching continues to gnaw away at what FWP officials say an alarming rate.

Recently a second trophy-class bull moose was discovered shot and left to rot along the Jefferson River south of Cardwell, less than a mile from where a bull moose of similar size met the same fate.

Justin Gibson, Boulder-Whitehall area game warden said he’s not sure if the two poaching incidents are related, but he’s investigating the possibility. The first was found on Oct. 28, and #2, whose antlers spread a whopping 48-inches, appears to have been shot two weeks later.

Gibson said the first bull apparently was shot from the road; the second near the river.

Two of three or four bulls often sighted in the area, landowners, hunters and fishermen reported how "thrilling it was to just to see and watch them.


A Whitehall resident is donating a $1,500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the poacher, and coupled with the state’s reward of up to $1,000, that’s up to $2,500 a person is eligible to receive.

People with information are encouraged to call Gibson at 406-439-4017 or 1-800-TIP-MONT (847-6668). Callers can remain anonymous.

Poaching is a growing problem in Montana. In the 1990s FWP typically investigated about 20 cases per year,double that in recent years. Poaching occurs statewide and year-round, with poachers taking some of Montana’s biggest and best.

Here in the Dillon area several moose were poached along Blacktail Deer Creek causing the irate Matador Ranch manager to permanently remove the entire creek bottom from Block Management...Once one of the best places around to kill a trophy whitetail...thanks to the actions of these morons now all hunters can do is watch and drool...Ya done good guys I hope you're proud.