For Montana hunters the long wait is nearly over...

Sage hen, mountain grouse, sharp-tailed grouse and Hun seasons open tomorrow, September 1 while...

...mule deer bucks such as this one, along with elk and antelope become targets September 3, as the Montana bird and bow seasons are here at last.

Annie the wirehair and your reporter will of course kick off the bird season early tomorrow morning...As is our tradition we will kick things off hunting mountain grouse high up in one of the surrounding mountain ranges; unless someone beats us to it we will hunt a particular spot where in the past we have found both blue grouse and Huns...how sweet is that, right!

Unlike some openers tomorrow's forecast is for cooler than normal temperatures (winter storm warning for the Glacier Park high country...true story, really!) so if true we should get in several hours before the sun bakes us, ends the party. But hunting season is at last here and...Well hell, hot, cold, whatever, tis onward and upward from here, eh?

Poking About Beaverhead County the Past Couple Days...

...yielded a few keeper photos. An all day tour out Blacktail, over the Clover Divide, on to Lakeview (Red Rock Lakes NWR headquarters) and then out to the highway at Monida provided us a pretty impressive bird list (for us, admittedly no expert birders by a long shot). All told we checked-off 40 for sure species while giving it our best shot to ID many others (mostly small sparrow-like birds) that just would not hold still long enough...oh well, good practice anyways...  High on Taylor Mountain we spotted two goats making their way across the shear cliffs...always a highlight for us even though no way to get even a lousy photo...

Grizz claw marks on this aspen tree in Bean Crick (noted hangout)...no, not smokin' but plenty fresh enough to get our attention...

Pair mule deer bucks gamboling about the Matador haystacks got the tour off to a fine start....

An-tee-lopes, this bunch all does and fawns, are almost cliche in the Blacktails...

...As are mule deer, especially does with fat, healthy fawns in tow...

...Sort of sad to see the once sagging roof of this old landmark barn at Monida finally give up the ghost...But as the man often noted..."to all things there must be a beginning and an end"...like ashes to ashes, dust to dust...or somethin' like that, eh?

Beaverhead National Forest: Preseason Training Sessions Provide...

...more than just training/conditioning for the dog and much needed workouts for us old folks...With that in mind one or both of us always (well almost always anyway) totes along a camera just in case. Last two mornings were spent up high in the Pioneers yesterday and the Rubies this morning. Yesterday we didn't find any grouse but we did find a butterfly bonanza and as has been the case ever since the snow melted wildflowers galore...Here are three keepers, you know just to wet your whistles...

Lewis' Monkeyflower

Callippe fritillary which saw dozens of both mornings, by the way.

Phoebus skippers (ID uncertain?) were in great abundance yesterday in the pioneers as were several other varieties which I haven't yet been able to ID...This morning nary a one although again there were many more species than just the fritillary...OK a butterfly expert I ain't but I sure to appreciate their beauty and they sure do add to any trek in the deep woods...

This morning Annie did nail a big cock blue grouse...very nice point I must say but keep it to your ownselves please don't want Little Sister gettin' a swelled noggin' not this early in the game anyways...