Some backcountry essentials: headlamp, inReach, cell phone, and water

Day 3 started with another slow morning of tahr meat sizzling on the wood stove as Josh finished fleshing and salting his tahr cape.  The sun provided some Vitamin D and warmth for a mid-day snooze.  Finally we got our gear together and once again headed up the mountain.  The weather was turning a bit more cloudy and the wind had picked up.

Roll out

Rokosch trusting his waterproof gaiters and surefooted steps

Boulder hopping up the creek

With our pressure from the past two days putting the tahr a bit on edge we elected to go up the creek bottom to just underneath our glassing knob.  From there we’d hike straight up and pop over and be ready to glass and locate tahr.  We would stay out of sight and hopefully the tahr would feed off the mountain one more time.

Tahr on both sides of the drainage, looking for the biggest one

We quickly located a large mob of tahr high in the cliffs and once again settled in to see if they’d feed down to the areas we could safely access.  After about an hour and a half we decided they would come off the mountain and we better close the distance now or else they would see us.  We dropped back off the ridge and looped further up closing the distance to about a 1000 yards and the tahr slowly working closer and closer.  After about thirty minutes they had worked into under 400 yards.  After getting closer they winded us and started back up the mountain.  When the biggest bull tahr stopped clear of the others the Tikka barked and made a lethal hit.  The bull came downhill before one more shot put him down quickly.  Fist bumps and high fives went around and we quickly scrambled up to the bull.

Zack with his New Zealand bull tahr

Three tahr in three days.  A darn successful trip with great guys.  We knew the routine and quickly had the bull in our packs and headed down the mountain.

A successful tahr camp

Success and good times with a great crew!

The next day we cleaned gear and all the tahr skulls and hides.  Unfortanately a storm blew in that evening and we were unable to hunt or fly out.  The following morning we had a chopper show up just after sunrise.

Stoked

A beautiful but bumpy ride took us back to the hangar and our New Zealand tahr hunt was complete.  If you are interested in hunting free range tahr, stag, or chamois definitely give Ben a shout over at BGHNZ > https://bghnz.co.nz/ A big thanks to both Ben and August who provided much comedic relief in camp and on the mountain! Good times boys, till next time!

-Written by Zack Boughton

The post NZ Tahr Hunt – Day 3 appeared first on Montana Wild.

MTN GRAY COLORWAY

HUNTER TWILL COLORWAY

RED COLORWAY

To purchase Good Altitude hats click HERE.

MTN TOP BLUE COLORWAY

CHARCOAL COLORWAY

To purchase Good Altitude shirts click HERE.  As a way of giving back, 3% of the sale of this product will go towards conservation (RMEF, BHA, TRCP).

The post GOOD ALTITUDE Apparel appeared first on Montana Wild.

Shot in 2015, this film follows four friends as they hope to fill their archery elk tags during Montana’s general archery season.  Filmed on public lands in North Central Montana.  To read more about the film please visit the website > www.theoutlierfilm.com 

You can also view the first trailer HERE.

The post THE OUTLIER – Official Trailer appeared first on Montana Wild.

I have found that generally speaking, less people equates to better fishing. In some cases this means getting far from any dirt road. Some anglers search for the reasoning behind their fishing addiction and I feel my answer lies somewhere between a passion for exploration and adventure. Most can’t wait to escape their office on Friday evening and forget their overpowering business life. The river is calling. So here are ten ways to finding your own fishing adventure:

1) Pick a location: The more specific the better. Use previous feedback you have heard from family, friends and the local loud mouths at the bar to help narrow down your options. A  little digging will get you a long way. Are you looking for a specific type of fish to catch or are searching for amazing landscapes? My most memorable adventures come from picking a somewhat well known river system and searching the surrounding areas. Study every possible stretch of water that could hold fish. Make a final decision on a location and dive deeper into the planning.

2) Choose a timeframe: Are you fishing summer, fall, spring, or winter (yes, I said winter)? Take into account spawning periods, runoff, weather, and where the fish will be located in the local river systems. The worst is having to hike in 10 miles to explore a lake in the mountains only to discover it resembles the arctic circle, but hey thats still an adventure right?

3) Research the area: Never been to the location you plan on exploring? No problem. The internet and mainstream fishing magazines are loaded with information. Search everything from online forums to Facebook to get insight on what to expect in the honey hole you will be targeting. You would be surprised how much info people give away through social media. The more prepared, the better your chances of catching fish in that area.

4) Scour a map: Do yourself a favor right now and download Goggle Earth onto your home computer if you haven’t already. Viewing overhead satellite imagery has changed exploring the backcountry. There is no longer the question, “I wonder what’s over the next ridge?” You can literally pinpoint pools, log jams, waterfalls, ponds, lakes, and camp sites all from your computer. Combine Google Earth with a good topo map and you have trailheads, roads, and access points all at your fingertips allowing yourself to make any knook and cranny a possible golden fishing spot.

5) Avoid the roads: Google Earth will give you a good idea of how accessible certain river systems are by road. Use this to your advantage. Take into account; river access sites, road access, trailheads, road closures, etc to determine where most fisherman will be. Does the river reconnect with a small trail 8 miles from the nearest road? Go there and explore. The added effort pays big dividends most of the time.

6) Know the Flows: Most states have streamflows and water temps available online. Keep close tabs on the rivers you plan to explore year round. If the water has been rising, you might have to deal with water clarity issues and may want to push back your trip another week. The streamflows can tell you a lot about the water you will be fishing.

7) Create a Gear List: Know beforehand where you will be sleeping and what you will be eating. Make a list of essentials for a successful trip. I have been on trips where the people I am traveling with either A) borrow my food the last couple days of our trip or B) don’t have the supplies for a comforting stay in the mountains. Don’t run low on energy and bring enough food. If you are backpacking into your fishing spot, make sure you pick out appropriate campsites beforehand. On one of my recent adventures, we did not have a topo map before heading into our location. With no foreseeable flat ground close to the river, we had no choice but to camp above a 100ft cliff. In the end it was great, but not the safest camping location. Some other great questions to ask yourself are: Do I need a water filter? Is it grizzly country? Are there going to be sasquatch sized mosquitos? Think beforehand and bring the right gear to handle every possible scenario.

8) Find a Fishing Buddy: Some adventures are just better when you know a friend is there to help in case something bad happens. Make sure this person is not a loud mouth and can be consistently trusted. You may find the fishing spot of your life, so keeping your adventures low key is a must. There is nothing worst than hearing half the town talking about your fishing spot because your buddy can’t keep his mouth shut when throwing back some cold ones at the local pub. Make a contract with your partner ahead of time, sometimes a pinkie promise is not enough.

9) Pack the Yeti: I’m a firm believer in making my adventure as comfortable as possible.  Car camping? Pack the Yeti with plenty of beer, condiments, snacks, and elk burgers. Floating a secret stretch of river? Bring the appropriate size Yeti to accomadate your needs. There is nothing better than having a cold beverage in the middle of a summer adventure.

10) Plan for a Great Adventure: Get your mind right heading into the trip. Be positive and plan for success. Your first day might not be the best fishing, but the next day could uncover an unknown section of river that is stocked full of monster trout eating mice. Who knows, you might even find the next Kamchatka. Pack your fly box accordingly, do one final checklist, and hit the road!  Adventure awaits!

-Travis

The post Plan Your Next Fishing Adventure appeared first on Montana Wild.