David Heitsman
05-19-2014, 07:24 AM
Just returned from a week of bear and turkey hunting in Montana, mostly northwest of Eureka. I flew in and out of Cranbrook to keep it quick. Bear techniques included horseback and bicycles behind the forestry closed gates and dozens of miles of walking. Saw 4 bears for the week, none of them mature and minimal scat.
Our group got questioned by the US Border Patrol as they wondered why we were riding bikes with guns within a mile of the Int. Boundary.
Much of the area where my friend and outfitter normally hunt are still inaccessible due to abnormal heavy snow pack. One day we used a rhino with tracks but even then the avalanches had blocked the roads. One of the other guys had a crack at a brown phase bear and missed.
The real fun though is hunting the turkeys. There are lots of them and they can be exciting. We would walk into the bush before dawn to areas that they roosted in and wait for them to drop and then try to coax them towards us. Sometimes we would locate them by calling or sometimes just slamming the truck door would set the gobblers off. Then we would try to intercept or entice them in. I don't own a shotgun and hadn't shot one in 20 years so ended up missing the first two. Another hunter who had his turkey early loaned me his scoped shotgun and I ended up sniping a nice tom at 48 yards with 6 pellets in the brain. Should make a great strutting mount for my gallery.
I'd go back just for the turkey.
Had planned to play some golf during the mid day but somehow with leaving the ranch at 4:30 every morning and returning from the evening hunt at 10:30... a nap always seemed more appropriate!
I'll see if Half Slam can post a pic of the bird for me.
Our group got questioned by the US Border Patrol as they wondered why we were riding bikes with guns within a mile of the Int. Boundary.
Much of the area where my friend and outfitter normally hunt are still inaccessible due to abnormal heavy snow pack. One day we used a rhino with tracks but even then the avalanches had blocked the roads. One of the other guys had a crack at a brown phase bear and missed.
The real fun though is hunting the turkeys. There are lots of them and they can be exciting. We would walk into the bush before dawn to areas that they roosted in and wait for them to drop and then try to coax them towards us. Sometimes we would locate them by calling or sometimes just slamming the truck door would set the gobblers off. Then we would try to intercept or entice them in. I don't own a shotgun and hadn't shot one in 20 years so ended up missing the first two. Another hunter who had his turkey early loaned me his scoped shotgun and I ended up sniping a nice tom at 48 yards with 6 pellets in the brain. Should make a great strutting mount for my gallery.
I'd go back just for the turkey.
Had planned to play some golf during the mid day but somehow with leaving the ranch at 4:30 every morning and returning from the evening hunt at 10:30... a nap always seemed more appropriate!
I'll see if Half Slam can post a pic of the bird for me.