Sage Hens Are Indeed Alive and Well After All...

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Witnessing scenes such as this, (here Annie's nailed 'em, Kate's backin' her up) are the main reason I hunt birds in general and sage hens in particular. As I have noted previously this fall sage hens, for us anyway, were tough--such that more often than not we failed to find even a single grouse. Worse in all our best spots there was little or no sign of their passing. In a typical season which runs from September 1 through November 1 the hunting starts off slow, hit or miss through much of September, then October rolls around and like flipping a switch the big grouse start to show up. Growing in numbers until the last two weeks of season it is not at all unusual to see 50 or more birds each day. Killing a limit often becomes too easy, so much so I take to shooting only when the dogs do a really good job. And then other days my heart really isn't in it. In that sort of frame of mind usually even if the dogs do good my shooting isn't so hot and...Like I said is all about the dogs anyway so what.

But with the sagebrush virtually empty all fall I fretted and fussed hoping nothing catastrophic happened. And thanks to the sage hen gods I can now report nothing did. Three weeks or so ago winter hit southwest Montana with a vengenance. Snow, bitter winds and cold (some days the high failed to top zero) and while it didn't happen overnight for the past week or so Voila! sage hens everywhere, at least everywhere they're supposed to be...Yesterday the Sisters found two bunches; one of about 12 or so and the other more like 35 or 40.

Pretty damn nifty, eh?

Wolf Debate Heats Up Following Federal Judge Ruling

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A recent ruling by Federal Judge Allan B. Johnson, Cheyenne, WY has once again reheated the debate amongst hunters, environmentalists, politicians and USFWS officials on managing wolves. Some feel because the recent ruling contradicts an earlier ruling by Fed Judge Donald Molloy, Missoula, MT the argument will now go to the U.S. Supreme Court. To my way of thinking the debate and thus the solution are not likely to end anytime soon. Click on the link below to read the article posted in Jackson Hole News and Guide.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=6716

On a different track it seems hardly a day in big game season goes by I don't hear a tale that downright sickens me, such I am ashamed to admit being  a hunter. Elk slaughters; wounded elk left to suffer while the the slob shooters (I refuse to call the slob bastards hunters) sit their sorry asses in a bar bragging; a jerk wounds and loses two bull elk in archery season then shoots a third opening day rifle season, all legal of course but c'mon; two guys bragging how they shot so many roosters opening week they had to give most of them away to stay within the possession limit...poachers shooting you name it, cutting off the antlers leaving the rest to rot or worse leaving the whole damn thing for the ravens, eagles and coyotes...and on and on ad naseum big time. The one below appeared in today's Montana Standard and all I got to say is too bad the elk can't shoot back for here is one gang doesn't deserve anything less....And good on you Nick for putting it out there, maybe just maybe it'll hit home with someone, though I for one am not holding my breath...

PS the pretty pic is to help ease the pain of all this ugliness.

http://www.mtstandard.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_f72ab9ce-f835-11df-aca2-001cc4c03286.html

Update: Deep Freeze

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The good news: the blizzard is history; Monida Pass is once again open, emptying Dillon of stranded motorists and allowing Dillonites to gobble Turkey Day feasts in peace--relatively speaking a course.

The bad news: the thermometer at first light bottomed out around negative 25 and the forecasted high is not expected to top 0 with an expected wind in the 10-20 mile range which should put the afternoon wind chill somewhere south of negative 30... Like Who-ee Baby It's Friggin' Cold Outside.

Worst thing is tomorrow the man says might even be...well lets just not go there.

Of course there ain't nothin' we can do just hope for the best and deal with whatever Ol' Man Winter tosses our way.

Obviously Annie (above) adapts well to cold and snow; Kate used to but, like us of late, sort of wimps out  once the mercury drops into negative territory. Oh well, tis all part of Montana living, like you don't like fickle weather you best look elsewhere...No, not on our agenda, at least not anytime soon.