All winter long most outdoors-man and women go through the dreaded cabin fever. We think of spring not for the warm weather and pretty flowers but for gobbling turkeys. We prepare our gear and shoot all winter to be sure that we are ready when that big Tom comes into our decoy spread. I live for these 20 pound critters and look forward to hunting them with the bow every year. I have done well over the last 20 plus years and enjoy watching the country come to life each morning. 

A good set of decoys and and blind make bow hunting these birds a blast. You can get top pin close or more and have some great action. I usually like my standard 7 to 10 yard shot. This way if you are hunting wary birds and they hang up they are usually within 20 either way. They are way too small of a moving target to shoot much further than that, well at least for me.

This year I had tags for my home state of Montana as well as Idaho. The border is only 2 hours away and it offers some great turkey hunting. I like to try and hunt a few states and with it being so close I can give the birds a break and bounce back and forth. Even though you practice all year and would think that an opening morning 8 yards shot would be a slam dunk it is not! Well for me this year it was not. Who would think that such a little bird could get a grown man all flustered but it happens. A few days later I made good on my bird in Idaho.

The previous winter was rough for the turkeys in Montana and I was just not finding a good number of mature birds. The few that we had found this spring were already taken by my friends. I still head out every morning weather permitting to find a bird that wants to play the calling game. This weekend I found such a group of birds and was able to work them for over an hour. A little patience and subtle calling finally brought in this bird for another close up shot. I am tagged out for spring turkeys for this year.

But please don’t feel sorry for me because after turkeys are done I chase one of my favorite  animals, the bear. I am headed to Alberta Canada at the end of the week and look forward to finding a big mature boar. It is an excellent hunt and whether I am sitting in a stand over bait or spot and stalking I equally love to do them. Hopefully I will have some good stories and pictures of a big bear down in the next few weeks.

Every year I look forward to chasing turkeys with my bow and sharing my hunts with my good friend Dave. We have teamed up for some very good hunts and always seem to get it done. He is an excellent hunter and we share a lot of laughs while out in the field. We just came back from a short hunt in Northern Idaho. We have hunted this area before and have learned the best places and techniques to bagging a mature Tom with our bows.

A big key to success is having the right set up and be in the right spot to get the birds into less than 10 yards. Here we had the 1 hen lying down and the other feeding. The Tom was facing us. It is important to face the tail towards the direction you think the Tom will come from. This bird was gobbling with a handful of hens and we got close and set up. He was down the hill behind the decoys and knew he had to come up the hill to see the set up. Most mature birds will come around and face the advisary and give you a great shot.

After a little calling the Tom could not resist coming up the hill to see if he could add these hens to his group. Once he crested the hill he saw the strutter and could not resist. He came right into the spread at full strut and Dave made a great shot. I captured the entire hunt on video for him.

That afternoon we hunted a different area and I was up to bat. We noticed that a Tom we were working was very hesitant about coming into our same spread. This bird must have had a few bad encounters with another Tom in the area and was very timid. We tried to take the strutter down after he left and call him back in but he had made his mind up not to take on another Tom. We roosted the birds and set the blind up that night in the dark. We were going to be close to their fly down zone and did not want to make any noise come morning.

The next morning we decided to only put out hens and not go with the strutting Tom. It is also very important to use very realistic decoys. I have these new hens I got and as always my strutter has a real fan in it. This added realism makes the difference no doubt. Dave even goes to the extreme of replacing the eyes on his decoys with real glass eyes from a taxidermist.

I put out the 2 hens and we nestled into the blind 30 minutes before the song birds started to wake up. The gobbling began and soon the birds hit the ground. It took a while for the group to make their way out into the green field we were sitting on. There was 4 hens 2 Jakes and the 1 Tom. The males responded to our calling a few times and at one point the 3 were less than 5 yards from the blind gobbling spitting and drumming. The problem was they were on the backside of the blind and behind the pine tree we used for cover. After about an hour the hens fed out into the field and brought the Tom with them. The Jakes kept hazing the strutting bird away from my hens as the so often do.

Patience and just some subtle calling brought the big bird closer to the hens. As he cleared the window in the blind I came to full draw and made sure the camera was rolling. After a nod from Dave I settled the Hoyt in and shot the bird broadside at under 15 yards. He went only 20 yards and never left the field.

As I am writing this blog about Spring fever and the great possibilities for being in the woods we are setting records with the heat this week. The team hits the woods hard once the snow melts to chase turkeys and look for shed antlers. I enjoy being in the outdoors scouting, calling turkeys and also walking my hunting areas looking for tell tale signs of the animals that made it through the winter. It is a great way to lose the cabin fever and get some well needed exercise. 

You can also take this time to contact ranch owners and help out with their calving or fixing fences and it helps build a good relationship. I just came back from finding these sheds, running all over trying to get a big Tom in bow range and help the land owner brand calves. This little bit of work goes a long ways to keep your favorite hunting area “yours”.

Just make sure you check yourself for ticks as I pulled off 23 of the little heathens in just 1 day.

Like other members of Outback Outdoors I do a handful of seminars and appearances. This past weekend I was the guest speaker for the Lewistown Bowhunters in Lewistown Montana. It was their 35th year and I was honored to partake in it. During the day I gave a seminar on elk calling and hunting. I covered basic calling and show cased my favorite calls from Bugling Bull Game Calls. I also had a table set up to sell product. During my seminar I covered my favorite time to hunt elk which is during the mid day.

I have had great luck over the last 5 years or so hunting elk during the mid day when they are in a set area and bedded. The wind and thermals are steady and the elk are more relaxed and stationary. If you can get in close to the herd and get within a bull’s comfort zone you have a good chance of calling him in. Those bulls will also get up often during the mid day and water, wallow or walk through their herd checking for estrous cows. This can be a deadly tactic on big herd bulls that you will have a hard time calling at any other time.

There were some great trophies brought in for display including a huge 193 inch ram, a 350 plus elk and several Pope and Young deer and antelope.After swapping hunting stories with a group of men and women and future hunters the kids we all enjoyed a great dinner. I was tasked with entertaining the group for 45 minutes with a speech. I chose to discuss the ever pressing issue of the wolves and the damage they have caused to our state as well as several others. It was a topic I take serious and have posted my opinions several times on different forums. With our state being so large there were many people who did not realize how bad it was.

Everyone had a great time and I look forward to speaking for them again and finishing the spring with a few more shows and seminars. Next up it will be the mountain chicken aka turkey and then the bears of the Canada.

Almost everyone that hunts anywhere across the country at one time or another dreams of coming out West to hunt. It can be a daunting task deciding whether or not you should go with a guide or try a do it yourself adventure. Both have their place and it depends on the individual. Do you want to put in your hard work and team up with some good friends to help share in the trip? Some want to be able to come out and have all the home work done for them by an experienced outfitter who is familiar with the area.

In part one I will cover the unguided route. To do this hunt properly you have to do a lot of preperation prior to the hunt even starting. You must first decide where you want to go and for what species you want to hunt.

Each state out West has very different regulations, deadlines and laws that you must be conscious of. Some of the applications resemble that of a 100 page novel. Make sure you study the booklets and call all of the fish and game offices to help fill out these properly. Deadlines vary from the end of January up to the end of May. Applications can also be very complicated as to having to pay a partial fee or the entire tag fee up front. Seek help from friends who have been through this process before or have hunted the same state that you are choosing. You want to make sure everything is filled out properly prior to sending it in. I once lost a years point in Arizona just because my check was not addressed properly.

Now that you have sent off your tags its time to research your hunting area. With the Internet now it is far easier to scout. Google earth, Topo maps and GPS devices make this a breeze. You can not do enough home work and the more you put in now the better your hunt will be when you arrive. Scout now and hunt more later is a good saying. Check with local fish and game offices, biologists as well as game wardens. Call local taxidermists and they usually have some good current information of your area. It is always best if you have a few partners who will go on the hunts with you. This way you can share the work load and compare notes. Give each friend a task or two to handle and the research goes a lot easier.

The West can be very hard for the average hunter especially if he or she is not in top shape. It amazes me how many people spend a bunch of time scouring hunting stats, working on getting their tags in and do not work on their fitness. I believe it is by far the number one factor why people are not successful on their Western adventure. You have no excuse to not hike or walk and do some type of weight training. Put a back pack on and start walking. Altitudes range from 3000 feet to well above 10,000 feet. You can’t adjust for the altitude when living out East but if your body is in shape you can acclimate much quicker. Work on this at least 3 times a week and you will be much happier when carrying out your elk quarter on your back.

Having the right gear is a very important aspect of your hunt. Will you be hunting out of your truck everyday or using atv’s or even on horse back. Now is the time to get your equipment dialed in and be familiar with it. Make sure everything is is running order and tuned up. If it is a motorized vehicle make sure you have the proper permits to drive on forest roads. Some areas only allow you to use them for recovery during the mid day hours. A simple registration sticker is all you need. In Montana however you must have a working light, horn and rear view mirror to drive on roads. Spare gas cans and tires are also important. Most areas will be far from a local fuel stop.

Will you be hunting from a camper everyday or using it as a base camp. Are you sleeping in a tent and cooking over a fire. Another popular way is the bivy style hunting where you carry everything on your back as you go along. All have their place and people will choose a variety of ways to hunt. It does not matter to me just get out there and hunt. The weather can change in a minute’s notice whether you are out West in August or November. Having a proper shelter can make a huge difference.

Hopefully by now the mail man would have brought you good news and a tag is in hand for one of the great Western states for a fall hunt. Do not be intimidated by the process and do yourself a favor by coming out West and try it and I guarantee you will not be disappointed whether you punch your tag or not.

The Outback Outdoors team lives for the hunt and we are lucky to get to chase our dreams. One of the many reasons why I love to live out West is the wide variety of game I can hunt, the different styles and ways to hunt them and the changing seasons and weapons used. This past season I started guiding in August in the Brooks Range of Alaska and finished up at the end of November in Montana.

Alaska found me Guiding for Dall sheep and Mountain Grizzly bears. You have to be in prime physical shape and have all the right gear to walk many miles in a day. Glassing from long distances and making a game plan for a stalk are the name of the game. Everything that you harvest has to be packed out on your back and you are at the mercy of Mother Nature. The travel and scenery are memories that will live with you forever. It takes a certain person to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere and be comfortable and confident knowing that you will be OK. You get to see some of the most beautiful places on the entire planet in Alaska.

Each animal has to be hunted totally different too. The sheep make a living in the highest of mountain peaks using their eye sight to protect them from danger. You have to get high above them and close the gap from above. The bears are generally  looking for meals in the creek bottoms and side hills of the valley floors. They rely on their noses primarily to alert them of food or danger. You have to be very careful with the wind and if a bear smells a human intruder he might run for a mile or more and wont return to that area again.

Once back in Montana it was time to chase my favorite animal, the elk. Nothing beats the month of September out West. The weather is changing and the bulls are screaming. I hunt them in the semi open country of central Montana. You can see a lot of country and setting your hunters up for an up close and personal encounter with 700 pounds of  jealous bull and calling them in is what I live for. Now we have to get very close and interact with our quarry. A little different from the month before. Learning to call correctly and using the terrain to your advantage is a must. Nothing beats tricking a mature animal into your love sick set up for a clean harvest. Elk rely also on their noses but you can fool their ears and eyes.

These animals were made for archery hunting and I enjoy chasing them year after year and take pride in being a pretty good elk hunter. For years I hunted elk but over the last 8 years I have become an elk hunter. There is a big difference. They are huge animals so make sure you have a good plan and back to get them off the mountain. Watching an arrow bounce off your hunters rest or yours when a bull is screaming at less than 10 yards in fact is a priceless thing for sure.

Then you have to switch gears and go from more open country to the thick oak brush country of Colorado and now the rifle is the weapon of choice. Both elk and mule deer are on the menu. Here the big difference is the altitude. Going from 3500 feet to over 9000 feet can wear you down quickly. This is why you try and stay in shape year round so you can handle all types of hunting scenarios. The elk are mostly over the rut and are in large herds. You have to ambush them and try and single out the elk you want which can be a challenge when there is 200 to 300 animals in a group.

Most of the bigger herd bulls have left the cows and the second rut is carried on by the lesser but still good quality animals. The weather can also be a factor as you progress through the seasons so knowing what gear to have is important.

You will also have a combination hunt where you can chase mule deer around as well. Being able to switch gears from elk to deer happens often when they occupy the same country. Temperatures can range from 60 and sunny to a foot of snow and wind and minus zero type weather. Being versatile is a big key in having your hunters or yourself  when trying to punch a tag.

Managing your wild life is also very important for the Outback Outdoors team and we enjoy hunting for cow elk as well. I helped the Rocking Mountain Elk Foundation this past fall on a few cow elk hunts back in Montana. Now you have to switch back to spotting and stalking due to the fact that the elk are back in bunches and there are many eyes, ears, and noses to fool. Most people think that hunting cow elk or doe deer is a walk in the park. I beg to differ, these lead girls are very tough to outsmart. Fellow team member Adam Wells and I have been aggravated more times than I can remember trying to harvest cow elk or white tail doe.

Doing your part to help manage herd numbers is a good way to extend your season as well as fill your freezer with some good quality meat. I live year round on the venison I take and have not bought store bought beef in years. For me it can’t be beat.

Finally November hits and I have to switch gears to white tail deer hunting and also mule deer. Now I usually have my hunters sitting in tree stands so scouting, hanging stands, and putting up ground blinds become the work of the day. The weather is generally colder and the rut is on for deer in our part of the country. I really enjoy trying to out smart a big whitey along the river bottom country where I guide and hunt. Morning and evening hunts take place and most of the time you are stationary. But again out West you can take a great deer by using the spot and stalk method.

As you can see why I love the West and my job. I take pride in having to be a well rounded hunter and what better place to do it. I am proud to be a part of the Outback Outdoors team.

On part two of my blog I will talk briefly about gear, what to expect on a sheep hunt and the do’s and don’ts of what I have experienced in the far North. 

Sheep hunting can be one of the most exciting hunts you can ever imagine. The remote locations where these animals live, the scenery and just the trip getting into their country. Most sheep hunts start out months if not years before the actual hunt takes place. Booking a guided hunt usually requires being on a waiting list as the outfitters only get a limited number of tags each year. Even a do it yourself type hunt requires a lot of planning and most of all a strict training regiment to get you in shape both physically as well as mentally.

You can expect to walk anywhere from 3-15 miles each day and this country is far from gentle. Many mountain peaks and valleys will have to be crossed in a days hunt. I would give yourself a solid year or so to train so that you are prepared for this type of hunt. Cardio is very important but it must be mixed with a good weight program. On average your pack will weigh close to 30 pounds or more so having strong legs is a must. Try and train with the gear that you will be using during your hunt. It does you very little good to jog all summer in shorts and running shoes and then head on your hunt. Make sure that you wear your boots, clothing and carry your pack and even your weapon with you when training. This sounds funny but if your back and shoulders are not prepared for the 10 day long adventure you will have a miserable hunt.

 You can expect many plane changes when heading into the North country and these planes always get smaller as you go. They have very strict weight limits and you must be able to condense all your gear into just 2 bags and a weapon and have enough to last you up to 2 weeks. Make sure that you buy the best gear you can afford in clothing, optics and foot wear. A solid back pack is also required because you might come out “hopefully” with more in your pack then you went in with. The small planes used to get around do not allow hard gun cases so make sure that you have a quality soft case for your final flights. Also do your research on excess baggage and weight coming back out. These prices can be very high and you want to be prepared.

Make sure that you pack a good quality point and shoot camera with you on these trips. You will see some spectacular scenery and some critters that you might not see anywhere else. It is fun to come back home and share your experiences with friends and family. Be very thorough with your outfitter and ask him how his operation runs and what to expect from start to finish. You do not want any surprises once you are in camp. What kind of hunt to expect, what is and is not covered with the original hunt price. Tips required for guides, packers and cooks. Who is responsible for getting your cape ready for the taxidermist. 

The reason I call this trip the “disaster” is because I endured everything from a not so forthcoming outfitter, 2 plane crashes while in camp, and very upset hunters. On only my third day of guiding but after walking almost 40 miles and one trek lasted 30 hours I tore my lateral meniscus and that ended my sheep season. The rewards are great but just be prepared for some unexpected and usually always occurring changes to your Northern adventure.

Most hunters dream at some point in their life about chasing one or all of the four species we have in the sheep family. The Grand Slam of sheep is a high light that very few hunters achieve but most aspire to do. For those that are not familiar with the names of all four species in North America they are the Rocky Mountain, Dall, Stone and Desert sheep.

Just the adventure alone to travel to the places these animals call home is amazing. A hunter has to be prepared physically as well as mentally before ever attempting to hunt sheep. I want to share just a few lessons learned in my experience chasing these animals.

I mentioned earlier about the travel to areas where these sheep call home. I was recently in Alaska and in this country the planes get smaller as you travel farther North. The standard jet that you fly in shrinks considerably with every plane change.

Usually you are flown by a plane similar to this into a pick up area where all of the hunters are dropped off. Here you will wait for your outfitter to shuttle you to your hunting area. This does not seem like much of a problem but remember that once the plane leaves it could be hours before you land in camp. Make sure you have some food and gear at the ready in case of bad weather or delays which are more the norm rather than the exception in Alaska.

A plane such as this is capable of carrying a pilot and two hunters along with your hunting gear. It is capable of landing on rather short run ways and is very popular for mountain flying.

Some of the areas have landing areas that are very small and you will have to fly in an even smaller plane. It is the work horse of the North and is the sole means of flying into these remote areas. I hate these little planes and if you are not very comfortable in planes sheep hunting might not be for you. Be honest with yourself because this type of travel can be very dangerous. Talk with your outfitter and make sure you are prepared.

This plane is called a Super Cub and only carries the pilot and one hunter and minimal gear. You are limited to the amount of stuff you can bring along and the average weight limit is about 60 pounds plus yourself. This plane can land and take off in a span of less than 100 yards. It is basically made of wood, some metal and fabric. They only weigh in at about 1200 pounds and are the main stay in wild country. Again did I mention that I HATE to fly in these.

Usually just a short flight of less than an hour and you are in camp. You can stay in lodges or wall tent camps or even back packing style tents. I can’t stress enough to be prepared well before you touch down in this unforgiving country.

This is all the gear I need to handle a sheep hunt. I have enough clothing and survival gear in my pack to withstand the rigors of sheep hunting. The total weight of my load is about 60 pounds plus my rifle. You have to be in the best shape of your life to hike long miles in rough terrain and carry a full pack like this everyday. Notice I have my rain gear handy and on top of my pack ready in case a storm were to roll in. On this particular hunt I was the last one picked up and sat on the runway for close to 4 hours before flying into camp.

Keep a camera handy for the flight into your area and take tons of pictures so you can share your memories with all your friends.

These sheep live on the most unstable ground you will ever walk on. Loose shale slides, rocky slopes and steep mountain passes are where they call home. They live at or near the top of all the peaks. They want to have the high ground so they can see danger. In this country they have wolves, grizzly bears and of course hunters to hide from. They also have the best eye sight in the animal kingdom. 8 power vision enables them to pick off danger at great distances and their escape route is usually to just climb up and over any mountain near them. Proper boots are critical when hunting sheep so do not go cheap. I do not care how expensive your rifle is or how many power your optics are if you can’t get to them it does not make a difference.

  In part two of the blog I will cover some gear and fitness required to partake in a sheep adventure. Until then stay down wind!!