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2013, Hunting

Open Terrain – VIDEO

archery antelope hunting, montana, antelope, archery, bowhunting, film, video

Montana’s Antelope draw results came out today. If you put in go to MyFWP to check your draw status. With that said we decided to put up a short film we shot in 2013 that documents our first successful archery antelope hunts. We learned a lot and were fortunate enough to come back with two bucks.

Also, be sure to check out our store. We have updated our inventory on some of our hats and T-shirts as well as added a few new products. Our Outlaw knife is also back in stock. You can check it all out here > Montana Wild Store

-Zack

August 1, 2016/by Montana Wild

2013, Hunting

BUSTED – Spring Bear Hunting Film

With spring bear hunting in full swing here in the West we are releasing BUSTED. This film, shot in 2013, follows Zack as he looks to arrow a black bear in the mountains of Western Montana.

Supported by: Bear Archery

May 13, 2016/by Montana Wild

2016

10 Reasons Why Spring Bear Hunting is the Cat’s Ass: A Complete Reference

Let me preface this by by saying that the following statements, events, and recounts of events are all true. Except, of course, for the ones that aren’t. In truth, I know almost nothing about bears and bear hunting, this is all speculation.

Reason #1 – Tomahawk Chucking
First things first, if you’re in bear camp you’d better be throwing a tomahawk or two. Get to camp, dump your crap, and troll backroads in your freak-nasty Dodge until you spy a suitable round of firewood that one of your Keystone slurping, chew-mowwing brethren has left behind. Sling that bad boy in the bed and get to camp stat. You don’t need to bear hunt tonight anyway. Undoubtedly, you and the homeboys will spend the rest of the week playing grab-ass and squabbling about who threw it best. Assuming none of you are a direct descendant of Sitting Bull, you’ll all be horrid. Good luck. Loser washes dishes.

Reason #2 – Big Bonner’s
Camping beats actually hunting almost every time if you’re doing it right. After acquiring your tomahawk target you’re going to need to get a big ole’ bonner (bonfire) started. If you’ve been blessed with super neat hunting buddies like Jay and I have, they’ll probably say something like: “Hey you little gremlins, get a raging bonner started before we die out here!” Awesome. Gather as much wood as possible and get it going. Since you and the boys were busy farting on each other when your Boy Scout camp counselor explained how to start a fire, you’re going to have to grab the gas can and get aggressive. Mission accomplished.

Reason #3 – Crop Dusting
It’s noon by the time you drag your un-showered ass from the tent on day two. You’ve missed Bear:30, but just the morning shift. If you’re lucky your camp cook James has already whipped up a fresh pot of coffee; which will be about 15% actual coffee, and 85% grounds. Delicious. When you’ve chewed and swallowed your morning coffee, grab your pack and get to hiking. With any luck you’ll be hot on the six of the best beer drinker in camp. We’ll call him Zack. Stay close, and make sure you’re breathing hard. When last night’s beers hit bottom, you’ll be the first to smell it.

“Dude, they aren’t even bad!” Zack laughs.

Right. You could pass him, but it’s pretty steep. You might just have to suffer through it. Don’t stress, you’ll get him back in time.

Reason #4 – Bear Snacks
“Dude, you want some candy?” Travis asked as we filled our packs for the evening hunt. I stared at him like it was an of inside joke that I wasn’t in on.

“Uhh..no I’m good, thanks,” I said.

“Your loss,” he replied.

I’d never hunted with these guys before, and I sure as hell didn’t want them to think I was that greasy kid from the second grade who never grew out of his baby fat. You know, the kid you were afraid to high-five because of the sweat-induced film that always covered his hands? I didn’t need that crap.
Two weeks later, Zack, James and I were huffing and puffing our way through mile-three of a lengthy pack out at around 1 a.m. We reached the halfway point and scrounged for a place to take a load off.

“Dude, you want some candy?” Zack asked.

I could have cried. You bet I wanted some candy. Two Rolo’s and a stale gummy worm later we were ready to roll. Energy stores replenished, we stumbled through the next few miles without a hitch. Long story short, bring some kind of sugary bear-snack when you hit the hills chasing spring bruins. You never know when that same sugary snack that propelled your beefy, second-grade pal through recess will save your ass on the mountain.

Reason #5 – Ronnie, Lonnie and Connie
If for some reason you stumble on a bear or two worthy of naming, there are a few things you should know. For starters, names that command a certain sense of badassery should be reserved for bears to match. Average sows with cubs need names you might overhear at the local supermarket or while attending the neighborhood book-club. Margaret, Sharon and Barbara are fail-safe. Jason, Matt and Paul are good names for those schmedium boars, while Kenneth is only acceptable if he shows potential for future badassery.
Size isn’t the only thing that comes into play when naming your bears, though. Attitude should be a taken into serious consideration. On the first evening of bear camp, Zack and I spotted Ronnie (Coleman). He sauntered back and forth atop a knife ridge about a mile and a half distant. He ripped 35 inch trees apart with his brute strength, and ran sprints to and fro in some kind of high intensity interval training. As we watched, he laid beneath a hanging log and leg-pressed a monstrous ponderosa for ten sets of ten. We elected to chase him in the morning.

Ronnie was big, but it wasn’t sheer size that earned him his name, it was mostly his attitude. We saw Connie, his sister, out with the cubs later that night, and his brother, Lonnie, later met the business end of Zack’s rifle. But we never caught up with Ronnie, likely due to his aggressive attitude and peak physical condition. If your unfamiliar with Ronnie Coleman the video below will get you up to speed.

Reason #6 – Bear:30
What the hell is Bear:30 anyway? Good question. Bear:30 – not to be confused with its close cousin, Beer:30 – is when those veteran bruins get up and slow-ride their way to a favorite munching ground. Maybe it’s where the grass is the best, maybe it’s where the honeys are. Regardless, if it’s Bear:30 you need to be in the woods; and I don’t mean chilling in the whip, “glassing” with a cold beverage.

By Bear:30 you should have summited at least two peaks, crop dusted your buddies, and be looking into country that hasn’t seen a human-being since Lewis and Clark. Once you’re there, chill out. Bear:30 generally runs from around 6:30-9 in both the morning and evening, give or take a few minutes. Find a good spot and set up, it’s only a matter of time until Lonnie makes an appearance; or even better, Ronnie.

Reason #7 – Bear Chronic
Graminoids are monocotyledonous, generally herbaceous plants with narrow leaves sprouting from the base. This includes members of the family Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Juncaceae. Simple right? Actually, it is. All that shit is just grass. However, we like to use its scientific name: Bear Chronic. Bear Chronic grows everywhere, but where you find the highest concentrations of the stuff you’ll also find the bears. When Ronnie, Lonnie and Connie awake from their long winters nap they’re headed straight for the thickest, juiciest Bear Chronic.

Frequent users argue that Bear Chronic is non-habit forming, but we know better. Side effects include drowsiness, dry mouth, abundance of Bob Marley apparel, lack of motivation and over-use of words like ‘gnarly, chill and rad.’ Street names for the substance include, ‘Astro-Turf, Dinkie-Dow, Bo-Bo and Donna Jauna,’ so keep your ears open.
Old logging roads usually hold large quantities of Bear Chronic, so check ‘em out. You should be seeing piles upon piles of bear dung to boot. If so, you’re definitely in the sweet spot. Come back a little before Bear:30 and wait for the action to start.

Reason 8: Stump Bears
“I’ve got one,” James hissed.
Travis ditched the spotter and hustled to where James was glassing. I followed suit.
“Where is he?” I whispered.
The abstract directions that followed guided my glass to rest on a big, black…something.
“Uhhh…has it moved?” Travis asked.
The answer is no. It hadn’t moved, ever, at least not since it came crashing down in the blaze that charred it pitch black. The moral of the story is this: nine times out of ten, it isn’t a bear. It’s a stump bear. Yeah yeah, we know, it really looked like a bear, and you swear it was moving just a second ago.
Everybody wants to be the guy that spots the bear, you’re a hero if you do. But it’s likely that you won’t be that guy. Someone in the group might be, but it probably won’t be you. Stay frosty, keep your eyes on him, and if your stump bear takes off running or stands up on it’s hind legs, then and only then, would it be appropriate to alert the posse.

Reason 9: Truck Mobbin’
“Do you say ‘mobbin’ too?” Jay looked at me.
“Yeah man, mobbin’, it’s basically all I do,” I mumbled between bites of my tailgate turkey sandwich.
Being from the Tennessee, I guess Jay had never ‘mobbed.’ Mobbin’ is basically the act of cruising the Dodge – or whatever truck brand you and your daddy choose to associate with – down some backroads and kicking it. Whether you’re headed to town or back to camp, more often than not you’re bumping your favorite beat – Avril’s 1992 hit Sk8er Boi – and Tokyo drifting every corner. Or not, maybe you’re just chatting up an evening GP (game plan) with the dudes. Whatever the case, you’re mobbin’.

Reason 10: Ticks
Ticks are a terrifying creature. If the thought of a nickel-sized insect braving the dangers of your ass-crack to suck your blood doesn’t terrify you, you’re either a SEAL, or impressively dimwitted. I’m leaning towards dimwitted. Anyways, the aftermath of a long pack out left me standing alone in my kitchen at 3:30 in the morning. I was starving, but I struggled pouring the milk into my Frosted Flakes. Standing in the half light of the kitchen, I ran my hands through the mane. The little beasts were everywhere. I abandoned the cereal – a cardinal sin – and hit the shower. I think I pulled five or six of the little buggers off of me that night; most of which had taken residence in my fledgling mullet. I wrestled with my emotions as I contemplated cutting the hair I had worked so hard to achieve. I had already limped past the awkward stage. You know, when it’s too long for you to be a responsible adult but not enough to achieve your desired degree of mullet success? On the other hand I had serious personal issues with the tick-farm my hair was becoming. But I had already come this far, I couldn’t let them win. I kept it and returned to my soggy bowl of cereal.

So that’s it. There’s ten good reasons why you need to be chasing spring bears with your buddies. If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t see how anything will. More bears for the rest of us I suppose.

-Written by Sam Averett

April 11, 2016/3 Comments/by Montana Wild

2015, Hunting

BOW BREAKER BUCKS is Live!

This past year we had the chance to chase mule deer on public land in October. In less than perfect conditions Zack found a buck worthy of an arrow, but could just not seem to connect with a shot. Its never easy to shrug off a miss, especially when your bow is still on. Sometimes its all a mental game when archery hunting, and if you can overcome that mental hurdle, you will most likely succeed.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/134435761 w=580&h=440]

THE CRAGS – Teaser

Last fall Travis had a handful of days to fill his first ever, archery mule deer tag. Boots tight and arrows dialed in, we set foot in the badlands of Montana, with hopes of capturing this adventure on film. The result was an unforgetttable hunt, with the ups and downs that come with hunting spooky public land mule deer. Make sure to catch the full film in the 2015 Hunting Film Tour. Check here for a showing near you: huntingfilmtour.com

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/130697123 w=580&h=440]

June 15, 2015/1 Comment/by Montana Wild

2014, hunting

Persistence Pays

There would be no dark timber, no wallows and downfall this September. The subsititues would be coulees filled with sage and brush, patchy timber, clay buttes and grassy bottoms. The elk would be more visible but also much more educated. The name of the game would be spot-and-stalk, which was fine with me. When we arrived at our campsite a few days before season we were welcomed by seeing a dozen bulls trotting off from a pond nearby. The elk were here, we just needed to find the half blind, deaf and dumb ones and we’d be ok.

The first day started quick. We spotted a herd feeding up back towards the hills as the east was beginning to lighten. The wind was still working in our favor and we quickly looped ahead. A couple bugles littered the morning as we dropped the packs. I snuck up to the last bush before the saddle I figured they would travel through. Travis stayed back with the camera in a more hidden position. I slowly stood to see if they were still coming. A small raghorn was looking my way but didn’t appear to recognize me. There were a bunch of bulls behind him and I crouched back down and put my release on the string. A minute later the first of about 10 bulls came through at 56 yards. Raghorn, spike, raggy, raggy, raggy, damn raggy! The last two bulls came into view, both small immature bulls. I cow called and one stopped perfectly broadside. I held my pin behind the shoulder. He was toast if I wanted him. I let down and they trotted off. Well things were off to a good start but where did the herd bull go? We dipped over to the next small ridgeline and sat down. Soon we saw a good bull emerge across the basin, pushing cows and softly bugling. They had made it to the timber and the game was over at the moment.

Right now your probably thinking it’s just another cheery day in Montana out elk hunting but I’ll give you one word that will change your mind, mosquitoes. Heavy rains dropping multiple inches of moisture in late August had spawned the gnarliest hatch of mosquitoes that anyone had seen in many many years. At any moment you could have 20-100 mosquitoes swarming your body thirsty for blood. It made life miserable as they were there 24/7. Any semblance of scent control was out the window as you had to constantly be spraying bug spray to have any degree of comfort out there. The daily bite average had to be over 20 bites even with bug spray and head nets, which were worn during times of the most intense attacks.

After a few days of this we were greeted by heavy rain for two days. Our boots were wet and with nothing to build a fire near our truck we were stuck in the truck with wet layers, socks and sleeping bags courtesy of a leaky topper. We camped it out, it’s part of the adventure right?

When the rain had resided we began hunting again. The mud stuck to your boots in large amounts. Turning your boots into 5 pound mud clogs. We still found elk and even a couple nice deer but stalking in mud that was multiple inches deep that squeaks and sloshes makes a quiet approach almost impossible.

A day after the rain the hordes of mosquitoes were back which made for equally difficult stalking conditions. Trying to sneak through the timber within 100 yards of a bull with 10 cows is tough when your trying to swat mosquitoes out of your eyes and ears, add in a second guy filming and it gets even harder. Over the next week I was within 100 yards of 7-8 bulls that I’d be more than happy to tag. It seemed the elk had a sixth sense and would do everything opposite of what they had been doing prior to the stalk and contrary to what you thought they’d do. Add in a few stalks blown by dumb hunters (me) and a couple by death by mosquito and I was feeling a bit angry and frustrated. My time was up for the time being and it was my turn to pick up the camera and get to filming. Four days later Travis had a bull down and we were headed back to Missoula with an elk in the truck.

We knew we had to return. We had about a week and a half until we had to head east for mule deer and I had a grudge to pick with these bulls. As we pulled into our morning spot the truck read 74 degrees. This was at 5:30 am. It was hot and daily temps for the next two days would easily surpass 85 degrees. The elk were back in their first and last hour regiment and sightings were minimal. The third morning the bulls were pumped up though, with 5 different bulls firing off in one small basin. After a couple hours we had closed the gap on the one bull staying vocal after the sun had risen. He was up at the head of a small draw. The boots came off and we headed up the side of the draw. After twenty minutes we heard coughing and hacking about 70 yards in front of us. After sneaking around a couple bushes I could see a cow shaking her head and blowing her nose trying to clear her airways of something. It seems she had sucked in one of those pesky mosquitoes. I glassed around her but saw no elk. I decided to loop up around a hundred yards. As we started dropping down into the timber I heard a bugle right back where we had been just ten minutes ago. They had circled under us and they were now up and moving. A few minutes later as we closed the gap on the bull a collared cow busted us and the gig was up. As we got back to the packs Travis says, “I wonder if that bull smelled the estrus I sprayed while I was waiting as you were watching that cow?” All I could do is laugh and shake my head. Sabotage at it’s finest.

Two days later we quietly slipped down a ridge. It had once again rained and everything was quiet. As we sat down to glass we quickly spotted two bulls. One fed over the far ridge and the second bedded in a group of brush. It looked like a stalk was possible and we closed the gap. We peeked up over the ridge across the basin from him and he was still there looking complacent as he chewed his cud.

I got landmarks, took off my raingear and headed off. As I crept over the ridge I knew the brush was taller than I had expected. I kept sneaking in closing the gap and the far hill was only 60 yards. He was close but I couldn’t see anything. As I stepped back to move further down the hill I heard grass being ripped up. I turned back and saw antler tips through the brush. He was now on his feet feeding. I stepped back up but my only gap left a shooting lane that only revealed his upper back and head. No shot. He soon had wandered downhill behind the brush. I looked down the hill and noticed one small gap and the area behind it looked grassy. I hoped he’d head that way. After a tense moment that felt like ten I saw him coming. I was ready and as soon as he was a step from hitting my lane I drew. He proceeded to turn downhill and then enter my gap quartering away too hard. He was 45 yards and after just over a minute of being at full draw he turned broadside. My pin settled behind the shoulder and the arrow was off. It made a loud smack and he ran down the hill. I could see my arrow sticking out and as soon as he disappeared I heard crashing and wheezing. I knew it was over, all the effort fighting the elements and matching wits with some of the most educated elk in the state had finally paid off.

-Zack

October 20, 2014/by Montana Wild

2013, Hunting

A Lot of Work and a Little Luck

Elk hunting. It’s my passion and if I had to pick one hunt it would be a bowhunt for elk, in the mountains, during the rut. Again this year I was blessed enough to do just that. I won’t bore you with all the details but let’s just say I had my chance at my dream bull. Bad luck or a poor decision, you can chalk it up however you see fit when you see the footage next fall, but as quickly as he came to my bugle, he left equally as fast. As I searched the mountains for bugling bulls I had the opportunity to see some of the deepest, darkest, and most beautiful timbered slopes a man could ask for. To say my archery season was a failure would simply deny the fact that something positive always comes from time in the mountains.

I explored new areas and hoped I could once again lure a mature bull into bow range. I did one other time but busted the bull as I moved to get in position for a shot. As I continued my search it seemed the odds were stacked against us. September and early October saw lots of heavy rain and snow, variables that make filming a hunt quite difficult. We pushed on despite the difficulties and seemed to always be on the heels of the big bulls that called these woods home.

Eventually time ran out and my #1 goal for the season was unmet. I chalked it up as a loss and turned my focus to deer. Again the weather put a dampener on our ambition and kept us holed up in a tent during our first five days in the mountains.

The mountains won that battle and Travis and I turned our attention to lower elevations. We decided to continue the tradition of heading east to hunt mule deer in the flatlands during November. We both bagged nice bucks and you can read our stories by clicking either of the following links (All In Character) / (The Bumpy Road – Part 1).

After that I again began to think about those wily wapiti. I had never truly hunted for elk with a rifle and would definitely consider myself extremely unknowledgeable about elk movements and habits during this time of year. I had a few spots in mind that I knew elk lived in and afforded us the opportunity to use the binos and spotting scope to our advantage. As we turned off the highway I was excited to begin the hike up the mountain. As we continued down the road we soon had already passed three trucks that had hunters pouring out of them in the inky black. As we pulled up to our spot my stomach began to turn. Six other trucks were already parked there. As we sat there wondering what to do another rig pulled up next to us. The sun was beginning to lighten the sky and I knew it was too late to go somewhere else. I figured we would hike as far back as we could and hope someone spooked some elk to us. We threw our headlamps on and clamored up the mountain. As we crested onto the final logging road we saw another hunter ahead of us. He was a older gentlemen in his mid 60s and I was surprised he was back here. He must have been hiking for about an hour and a half in the dark. I was impressed to say the least. We quickly passed him as he split up the hill. A light snow covered the hillside and with temperatures in the single digits it was a crunchy mess. We quickly made it to a good lookout and built a fire. No sooner had we finally got the fire roaring a group of 3 bulls appeared from the timber 700 yards below us. A rocky deep valley lay below us and I knew we wouldn’t be able to close the distance without completely losing sight of the bulls. We scrambled to get the cameras on the elk and I got positioned on my pack. My adrenaline was raging and I struggled to get the elk in my 20 power scope. By the time I located the biggest bull he was already moving to the right and I was way to shaky to think about taking a shot. They disappeared into the timber and we grabbed our packs and began to slowly slip down the ridge. We proceeded to move about 300 yards down the mountain to an area where we could see across the creek bottom. No elk were in sight, but I could hear the faint noise of rocks crashing. I knew they were somewhere in the bottom. A few minutes later Travis spotted them directly to our right on a grassy, timbered ridge. I quickly laid down and began to look the bulls over. They were feeding slowly and I knew I had a moment to pick a bull and get settled in. After a few minutes I had found the biggest of the group and I lined up my reticle right behind his shoulder. As he stepped forward a slightly quartering away shot presented itself and I sent a 168 grain Berger right through his boiler room. He moved up the hill about 15 yards before toppling over and quickly expiring. I jumped up and yelled like a wild man. I honestly had planned on going for a nice hike, and had no plans of shooting a bull that would eclipse the 300 inch mark. Travis and I celebrated before finally grabbing our gear and crossing the small valley to go inspect my first rifle killed elk.

The bull was a great 6×6. He was on the tall and narrow side and very symmetrical. I couldn’t have asked for more and spent the next hour admiring the beautiful bull. I felt so blessed to have the opportunity to take such an amazing animal and with my brother at my side. Travis has been there for all of my elk kills with the camera rolling and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Travis and I both were blessed with great bulls this year and we quickly snapped photos of the fallen warrior.

The temperature was perfect for the task ahead of us. As we worked the sun kept us warm, while the shade allowed the meat to cool as we worked for the next two hours to get everything in order for the pack out. Soon all the quarters were in game bags and it was time to load some meat and begin the pack out. We were three miles from the truck and luckily enough it was mostly downhill. As I headed up the mountain the weight of the elk bore down on my shoulders, reminding me of the immense responsibility we take into our hands when we hunt these great creatures. It was sad to take a life, but it felt good that I’d be filling my freezer with some of the healthiest, organic meat a man can put in his body. This day was a blessing from God and even though my tag was punched I couldn’t help but think about the next time I’d get to chase the ever elusive elk.

-Zack

December 1, 2013/5 Comments/by Montana Wild

2013, Hunting

Four years in the making

Our scouting before season was paying off, as we marked rubs, fresh sign, and wallows on our GPS. The next morning we scouted another new area and found plenty of fresh rubs and beds, where large bulls had pissed and marked their home. The area was looking good and we headed back into town to hang out with our family and gather supplies for opening day.

While at home our Dad convinced us to take him out archery elk hunting for his very first time. We told him we would be sitting a wallow all day and would require a lot of patience. He didn’t care, he just wanted experience the hunt and the plans were made. We checked the weather one last time before heading back into the mountains. The forecast was looking iffy. Opening day looked as if we might get scattered showers, continuing through Sunday night. Zack and I unloaded the truck, flung some last minute arrows, and prepared ourselves for the following days sit.

The next morning my alarm sounded off and almost instantly I saw headlights pull up behind my truck. An older man walked up, asked my Dad where he was hunting and proceeded to say “I’m sitting that same spot”. It was kinda a bummer being there all night and to have some guy just charge out in front of you to go sit where we had originally planned to sit our father for opening day. We made the best of the situation and decided to have our Dad sit the wallow Zack and I had planned to hunt. We bushwacked into our location, hoping for a wind from the west. We snuck into the area, Zack and myself setting up in a small ground blind we had built this summer, which was only big enough for two people. With no choice we set our Dad on the north end in a small area of trees.

The wind blew out of the south most of the day, which was not the wind we were looking for. The only thing we saw all day from 6am-745pm was two hunters. Opening Day was a wrap. My Dad was more than satisfied, and headed home that evening.

The next morning we pulled the same routine, same location. This time the guy didn’t waste his time hiking back in through our campsite. As we finished loading the truck with our gear, we started to hear the sound of rain drops. The weather had showed up, and it was not going to be pretty. Zack and I hustled into our raingear and made the hike into our ground blinds. The wind was once again coming out of the south. With no choice we sat on the north end of the wallows, taking cover under some large trees. It was time to wait, and the wall of rain thickened. About a half hour into the sit and we heard our first daylight bugle. Faint bugles could be heard throughout the morning, and I assumed the bulls would swing by the wallow. Soon enough I could tell the elk were working farther away, and I decided to bugle. I was getting consistent response, but decided to hold our position and not risk totally frying our camera gear chasing bulls in the rain. The bugles slowly faded as late morning hit. No dice. Zack and I held out until 1230pm, before making the decision to head back to camp and try to judge the weather for the afternoon hunt.

The rain had calmed around 4pm, and we headed into the general area where we heard those bulls move earlier that morning. I set up at various locations, calling with no bugles in response. Once again the rain had picked back up and it looked like thunderstorms rolling over the mountain. We decided to hike back through some old timber and hopefully call a bull in from cover. We found plenty of great sign, but we failed to encounter a bull.

The next morning we again ventured into an area where we felt we had a good chance of calling a bull in. This part of Montana is nasty. The brush is thick and seeing an elk doesn’t happen on a daily basis. This morning was particularly nasty because we needed to be silent in the area we would be calling, so we hiked raingear free. The brush was still dripping wet from the weather from the day before. Once again we had a downright miserable hike, soaking wet. We heard one small bugle, and took a handful of spills on the slick downfall. Beaten we headed back to the truck midday.

The afternoon was slightly more pleasant, the sun peaked his head out and dried up some of the water. I decided to head down another ridge within a mile of our wallow. The area was littered with monster rubs, some fresh, some old, but the elk still didn’t vocalize that evening. It seemed the rut was still a week away.

That night we checked the forecast, which was calling for sunny weather with a high of 75F. I knew the elk hadn’t hit the wallow recently, and with the wet weather transitioning back to hot, I felt like the wallow could be a great option for day 4. That was the plan, back to the wallow in the am!

Zack and I chose to hike into the wallow from a different direction that morning. Hoping to maybe locate a bull on the way in. The route proved longer and we didn’t hear a single bugle. Once again the wind was coming out of the south! Sitting in the trees and not being able to sit either of the blinds we had built was a little frustrating. All morning was silent, other than the hundreds of squirrels chirping and chucking pine cones around our location. I motioned for my bow multiple times, thinking an elk was coming. Nope, just pine cones flying out of the trees hitting logs and branches.

We caught up on some reading, soaking in the hot weather and drying out our gear. We rotated taking small naps as the afternoon progressed. Around 5pm I thought I heard a very light bugle coming from the timber to the southwest. “Zack did you hear that bugle?” I whispered. “No,” he replied. I checked the wind, which was now coming out of the north. “Zack the wind switched, lets move the decoy and sit the blind on the south end”.

I grabbed the decoy, moved it to the east side of the wallow and we got comfortable in our best blind at that location. I had to plan on setting up for a bull coming from the southwest, and I hoped I wasn’t just imagining I heard a bugle. We sat and waited. About 30 minutes later I heard that distinct rumble of brush. “Zack somethings coming,” as I sat upright and grabbed my bow. Silence was all I heard for the next couple minutes, until I finally saw long browtines poke through the brush to our left. My adrenaline hit, this was awesome!! The bull worked slowly into the water, raking his horns in the muddy water a mere 70 yards from our blind. Zack followed the bull with the camera as he wallowed and eventually laid down in the water at 65yards. I shifted to my right in the blind, giving me a clear view of the bull. The bull stayed there, enjoying his muddy bed for a good 6 minutes. I ranged the nearest clump of grass as a marking point, 63yards. The bull stood, and I drew back. He faced away from me instantly, giving me just a view of his butt. I held full draw for 1minute 15seconds, almost letting down once. The bull turned perfectly broadside, dragging his horns in the mud. I held my sixty pin, settled for 7 seconds, felt 99.9% sure of the shot and squeezed off. I heard the smack as the bull took off towards our blind! I quickly mouthed two cow calls and nocked another arrow. The bull slowed to a walk only 35 yards away as blood flowed from the exit wound. The bull wobbled and tipped over only 30 yards from us. It was over! Finally I had arrowed my first bull! I sat there in disbelief, still having an arrow ready in case something happened. The bull quickly expired and I still sat there, wondering if it was all real.

I approached my bull completely in awe of its amazing characteristics. He was a true dark timber bull.

My #1 archery goal had finally been achieved, four years in the making. I studied the bulls muddy horns, which had great mass and unique tines. After looking the bull over I searched for my arrow and to my amazement it was floating in the wallow! As I fished the arrow out of the water, I noticed large wolf tracks in the mud from the night before.

Zack and I snapped photos as we transitioned to the real work, cutting up the bull. We used the gutless method to butcher the elk, hanging the two front quarters in a tree to avoid losing meat to the large number of bears and mountain lions in the area.

Zack and I loaded our packs with the de-boned hind quarters, backstraps, and tenderloins. Our packs rang well over 75lbs with our gear and meat. The journey in the dark began, as we crossed downfall and brush, using our GPS for direction. Soon we were heading the wrong direction as the satellite was putting us in the wrong location. S*#%! We hit walls of brush, impassable with our heavy loads, backtracking and cussing as we crossed nastly 3.5ft tall snags and downfall. I finally busted out my iPhone and used the “my location” GPS function. The iPhone instantly showed our location on the satellite imagery. Back on track, we eventually made our way through the timber, safely making it back to the truck at 1:15am. I don’t know why the Garmin GPS satellite was misrepresenting our location, but I’m glad we had a backup source for direction.

After a short 4 hours of sleep, we busted back into the kill location, hearing bugles echoing around us. Zack and I loaded our packs once again and ventured back into the thick brush with the final load. I battled every tree, branch, and log that morning. The rack did not find its way smoothly through that environment. I have no idea how those bulls travel through the brush so silently, but they are truly masters of their domain.

We let out some final war cries as the last load made it to the truck. To be able to notch my elk tag by the fourth day was unreal. That morning it really resonated with me how amazing the elk hunting experience is. To be able to enjoy it with your best friend and brother is pretty special.

-Travis

September 18, 2013/5 Comments/by Montana Wild

2012

Our Spin on Antelope Hunting

We’re fresh to the antelope hunting game. This was our second year but we both were able to fill our tags with a bow. It wasn’t easy but is definitely achievable for the everyday hunter. Rather then tell you my story of my hunt I figured I’d write down my advice, tips, and insight on what we’ve learned about antelope hunting. Much of it is common sense but hopefully you might be able to learn something that will help you be successful if you choose to go after antelope with a bow. Nothing is absolute in hunting so take these with a grain of salt and as always experience is the best teacher.

1. In case you forgot antelope can see extremely well. This seems to be their #1 defense from predators.

2. If an antelope sees you once, your chances of getting to within bow range are slim to none.

3. Stalking an antelope in your socks is the most silent and generally best method to close the gap.

4. In rolling open country your much better off cover lots of country in your truck and trying to locate them from afar. Hiking around is preferable if you know there are goats around but often you can cover many many miles without a sighting and hiking in 80-90 degree heat will drain you physically and mentally very quick.

5. Your truck is easily picked up by antelope from very long distances. If they see your truck they will be more alert and your chances of getting close diminish. Strategically using your truck to get to new areas and then using your feet to move into good positions to glass lots of country is key.

6. In our experience, antelope on public ground generally have no pattern.

7. Antelope are small targets and are easily missed. Practice with your bow daily while on your hunt.

8. Wind is almost always a factor and can and will limit your effective shooting distance to very close ranges on many days.

9. Stalking bedded bucks, especially solo bucks is a great method for getting close.

10. Bucks don’t stay bedded in one spot for long. When you locate one try to make a sound game plan and act quickly. This is where instinct comes into play. Trust it and go.

11. Hunting a blind will give you the best chance at getting a good shot and filling your tag.

12. Don’t expect antelope to regularly hit the same water hole unless it’s THE only water for the surrounding 5+ miles. This scenario seems to be quite rare.

13. Antelope don’t like blinds.

14. You can put up a blind and immediately hunt it with success but having it up well ahead of time will increase your chances of bagging a buck.

15. Bring lots of arrows and broadheads. Nothing kills a hunt like running low on either one of these.

16. Practice shooting from a blind and chair before hunting your blind. You don’t shoot the same as you do from your feet and having confidence to make any seated shot will help you convert your opportunities into notched tags and meat in the freezer.

17. Set your blind in a spot where the prevailing wind is in your favor and where you will get a good broadside shot. Good blind placement is key.

18. Take lots of reading materials to your blind and having multiple games on your phone makes the time pass easier.

19. Don’t overlook the use of a decoy. Early in the season a well placed decoy can draw in a buck from a long ways away. It’s best to get as close as you can and then put up your decoy in a spot where you can get a shot if the buck heads your way. Use the terrain to your advantage and try to get them to take a pre-defined path to the decoy that presents you with a good shot from some type of cover.

20. Being able to discern land ownership is very helpful. Hunting GPS Maps makes a great line of products that make this very easy, and I actually shot my buck on land that I was able to access using their Montana chip.

21. Have fun. This is key to any hunt.

Hopefully one of the above will help you in your next hunt. If you have any advice you’d like to add please leave a comment below and we hope your next hunt is a success!

-Zack

September 2, 2013/4 Comments/by Montana Wild

2013

Trial & Error – A Bear Hunting Short Film

Bear hunting is a key tool in managing predators across the West and especially here in Montana. No, we do not want to wipe out the entire population of black bears; actually I think they are an amazing animal and without actually hunting them I’d never have gained that appreciation. By hunting them we simply are doing our part in keeping a balance, which is weighing heavily in the predators favor in certain areas which we hunt. Black bears kill fawns and elk calves in high numbers in the spring and have only one known predator, humans.

Bear hunting is one of my favorite types of hunting that one can partake in here in Montana. It gets you back into the mountains and forces you to get back into shape. It’s not hard to see bears, but I can say that it’s much more difficult to close the gap, relocate the bear, and try to sneak within bow range.

This past Spring we saw 26+ black bears. I had set a goal of taking a black bear with my bow and was planning on sticking it out unless a true giant crossed our paths. Travis and I had some amazing close encounters, and many great memories. It is truly amazing to be out in the wild, getting close to a predator that has the power to take down a human being. With spring like conditions and lightning storms, we were given the full Montana bear hunting experience. Watch our latest short film Trial & Error as I get close to multiple black bears in my pursuit of an archery kill.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/61692641 w=580&h=440]

We are excited for the upcoming spring, and will be going out on numerous hunts with the camera in hand. To follow along with us be sure to join us over on our Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/Montana.Wild.Productions.

-Zack

March 18, 2013/1 Comment/by Montana Wild

Tag Archive for: bowhunting

Open Terrain – VIDEO

BUSTED – Spring Bear Hunting Film

10 Reasons Why Spring Bear Hunting is the Cat’s Ass: A Complete Reference

BOW BREAKER BUCKS is Live!

THE CRAGS – Teaser

Persistence Pays

A Lot of Work and a Little Luck

Four years in the making

Our Spin on Antelope Hunting

Trial & Error – A Bear Hunting Short Film

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