It's mutt huntin time fellas!

[threejones]

Today is the last day of general rifle season in MT, that means no more orange for wolf hunting! Our season is open for mutts till Feb 28 and so far, our wolf harvest numbers are pretty sad, only 78 total. That's a scary number when we know that the little SOBs did alot more breeding than that.

Now that we can all get the elk/buck fever out of our brains, it's time to help out the game populations. Pull out the mutt gun and traps, grab your buddies, saddle up (or lace up the boots, for those of us w/o horses) and lets all save an elk or two!

 

[JeffP40]

I guess I should call some folks around Helmville and try for one. I would love to smack one at distance. You are right about getting out there and finding some. No way we are going to make a dent in the numbers, but we need to try.

 

[threejones]

Put on 14 miles yesterday, most of it following pretty fresh tracks. Called 8-10 sets. They didn't respond to cow talking, doe bleats, or howling. We started trying yote howls, pup in distress, and cottontail in distress later. Nothin but one mangy little coyote ( I didn't even want to shoot it, but it was so mangy that it had to be done, plus it was almost back to the truck) Looks like the mutts are safe till Saturday am... **** it.

 

[Broz]

Tag is in my pocket. Been scouting and calling ranchers for the go ahead. Got a buddy lined up and he seen 4 hazing elk toward the last of the season. I have permission to go about where ever I want too. Shot a 2" group, spot on at 720 yards yesterday just checking to make sure the 300 win and 215 Bergers were ready too. A little snow would be good to narrow down their general area. Will be cat hunting starting Sat. in wolf areas. Will be ready to switch over if the opportunity is presented. My plan also is to keep an eye on elk herds in the evening.

Jeff

 

[bigbuck]

Im sure you guys have cattle farmers in MT . What about the next time the little bulls get there nutts cut off and there horns clipped you take along a tape recorder . They will bawl extremely Loud (Wouldnt You?)

If the wolfs are eating cattle they may be custom to there crys ?

Just an Ideah.

 

[Broz]

Im sure you guys have cattle farmers in MT . What about the next time the little bulls get there nutts cut off and there horns clipped you take along a tape recorder . They will bawl extremely Loud (Wouldnt You?)

If the wolfs are eating cattle they may be custom to there crys ?

Just an Ideah.

Good idea for sure. But Montana is still playing games with laws in an effort to prove we won't kill too many. So the electronic calls are still illegal. But my cow elk mouth call is in my jacket pocket,,,lightbulb

Jeff

 

[threejones]

Tag is in my pocket. Been scouting and calling ranchers for the go ahead. Got a buddy lined up and he seen 4 hazing elk toward the last of the season. I have permission to go about where ever I want too. Shot a 2" group, spot on at 720 yards yesterday just checking to make sure the 300 win and 215 Bergers were ready too. A little snow would be good to narrow down their general area. Will be cat hunting starting Sat. in wolf areas. Will be ready to switch over if the opportunity is presented. My plan also is to keep an eye on elk herds in the evening.

Jeff

Yeah, a little more fresh snow would have made a big difference in tracking em. You're right about following elk to find mutts. I think we had to have been no more than hour or two behind em, but what little snow we had was getting rained out pretty quick.

 

[lazylabs]

kill kill kill............... I grew up in MT and now live in CO........ Do you guys really see any way to turn this around? I think the DOW for every state should be encouraging and participating in ground/arial and truck gunning. I can't believe our country has gone back to the 1800's..........

 

[rooster740]

Fellas and gentlewomen wolf hunting is a different game this year! Holy crap I can not even find a track! I think that they have delt with a little resistance since being removed from the "list"! I have just about hunted everyday for the last three weeks. Some days just a few hours, and most all day long. Still at it hard but I have found this year that the wolves are real low. I also see way less elk....way less! With the passing of big game season a lot of private land has opened up to wolf hunting.

Good luck out there!

 

[Broz]

. Still at it hard but I have found this year that the wolves are real low.Good luck out there!

Hank, I have a few reports and also seen the cattle spook once for myself. We have a pack of 4 that is down low and are running a huge drainage filled with willows. Moose country if you will. They are making this swing about once every 2 weeks from what I can tell. I figured it was from all the hunter pressure up above this area during elk season. I also got a report of two others down on the flats in cattle country just making a huge swing. So, yes they are coming low for what ever reason. I have all the neighbors on call to tell me if they see something, even a track. I also put an ad in the farm section on craigs list asking for any info or sightings and permission to go after them. I will report what I see but my plan is to watch elk herds , find tracks and try to get ahead of them on their swings, and also get as many eyes as I can watching for me.

Jeff

 

[threejones]

I hadn't given it much thought, but most of the sign I've seen has been fairly low lately as well. We were intending to hit a couple ridges around Chippy Cr. hoping to catch em crossing the open areas on the ridge. But we saw so many sets of fresh prints down in the river bottom that we stayed low all day. There was an awful lot of elk around too, kinda suprising since there's hardly a lick of snow on any of the peaks. At least we still got plenty of time, now if we could just get a little snow.

 

[elktaxi1]

ours have showed up in the valley too they were right out of martinsdale this week could hear them from my yard two times last week. have been seeing them down low since before the hunting season was done.seen 7 in one bunch and 2 in the last group.