Len's Latest 3,200 mile Western Sojourn To WY & MT

[Len Backus]

I always feel it's not fair to the rest of the world that young Justin and Zane from Newcastle, Wyoming are so much better hunters and better looking than the rest of us. But they are so nice, they try hard to never make me really feel inferior. You should see the waitresses ogle them when we go in to town for lunch. I mean these guys are really cool. Really nice guys.

I'll be their 3rd team member in a coyote hunting contest this December. They told me that if I practice real hard on my shooting this summer, they'll let me be the "long" shooter during the contest. Thanks guys!



And they are darn good coyote hunting partners to spend time with! Here they are with one they shot after I called it in with my brand new Foxpro Shockwave caller. It was a double but the second one sneaked away without a shot fired.

I have just returned from one of my many western trips and had a great time as usual.

The wind did not cooperate in Newcastle, Wyoming and after a good morning we gave up the chase and I headed out to Bozeman, Montana. I had a meeting scheduled for first thing Monday morning with the Kenetrek Boot people. That's almost 500 miles from Newcastle so the premature start was welcomed.



At the Kenetrek Headquarters I spent almost 3 hours with co-founder, Jim Winjum. I learned the whole story of how the boot company began and how it's grown to have such a fabulous reputation. Last fall I had run into 3 hardcore hunters in Montana while waiting to sign in for a Block Management hunting spot. They all had been using the Kenetrek boots for years. By then I was already pretty sure I wanted Kenetreks for my next personal boots.

 

[Len Backus]

By the end of 3 hours with Jim Winjum I knew I wanted to carry them in my LRH Store. So Jim fitted me expertly for a pair of the Hardscrabble Hikers and I bought enough more boxes of boots to fill every spare niche and cranny of my SUV and headed off to the Great Falls area for my next adventure.





I had hoped to meet Kirby Allen in Fort Shaw but he was busy shooting with a customer who had come to pick up a new rifle. So I continued on to Great Falls and hiked a trail down along the Missouri RIver near the Lewis And Clark Visitor Center. Beautiful area.



The next morning I met up with my long time friend Troy Adams for the start of 2 more days of fun.

 

[Len Backus]

The morning greeted us with some of the nicest weather I've seen east of Great Falls. Almost no wind. No coyotes that morning but then after lunch I was introduced to rock chuck hunting for the first time.

We had a blast, literally. By the way, as I wrote the word blast I thought of my new SoundGear hearing protection. Here's a link to some thoughts on it. This was my maiden voyage trip using it.

Here's Troy with the first of the day taken with his very accurate Ruger in .204. Shortly after this shot he took a feral pigeon at 170 yards out of a tree.



Here's a couple we took with my own rifle off of a high ledge.

 

[Len Backus]

Then we spotted one across the canyon and it was my turn to shoot. I killed it and it was time for one of us to walk down our hill and up the far hill over there while the other brought the truck down to the bottom.

Troy glassing



I found my trophy up high on the other side. But as I looked down the slope toward it, I decided its final resting place was a little sketchy to get to and left it there to enjoy a final peaceful moment in the afternoon sun.



Later that afternoon Troy called in a coyote that hung up in the brush about 300 yards out. His partner was out at 625 lying down on its den. After trying for a while to get it to stand up I took the shot in a switching wind. Lost my concentration at the last moment and hadn't noticed the wind change. Missed it.

Later that evening walking back to the truck we saw the moon coming up.



The next morning we called and had a couple groups respond at once, too far away. So we moved in on them and tried again but they weren't having any part of it. Some of the surrounding areas had been flown by a government hunter just days earlier and the survivors are wary.

This was some of the prettiest land I've hunted coyotes on.





This fall I'll be on a LRH Group Elk Hunt and the outfitter says that one of the best shooting opportunities may involve a seated shot from shooting sticks on the side of a canyon. So I am working at perfecting my cross-canyon technique.

 

[Len Backus]

The last afternoon we spent shooting more rock chucks in a different spot. We also tried out a few new goodies that I'll be offering next month in the LRH Store.







All in all a wonderful trip.

Thanks so much Justin, Zane and Troy!

 

[jmden]

Nice, Len. Thanks for putting that together. Looks like a good time and good luck in the competition!

 

[silvercreekguide]

Len I glad you had fun on your trip! I'm headed up that way soon to look at possibly a new home! Thanks for posting the pictures and I'm looking forward to the new products in the LRH Store.

Mike

 

[shortpants]

Sounds like an amazing trip! I'm excited to get my hands on those rear bags. I've been experimenting but have not found the perfect one yet. I've got an A-3 going on my custom being built. I'd love to hear your thoughts on those rear bags.

 

[dkidaho]

Len;
Great looking Rifle, and I love my Kenetreks also...

 

[mtnwrunner]

Nice story and trip---good to see the chucks out. We've got two inches of SNOW this morning...............

Randy

 

[BillLarson]

We were in Whitefish mt.couple of weeks ago.
My recommendations would be keep heading north.cross the border and go past Banff and up around Jasper....

 

[Len Backus]

We are in a McDonalds parking lot waiting out the relentness rain.

4 day backpack trip is turning out to be two days.