I agree that it isn't a good situation, at all. I'm a NR, so I have 0 input on Montana's regulations. Cut tags and regulate it. I don't have nearly the experience in the area as others like @brockel but I seriously stopped applying for deer tags, and stopped hunting upland birds there...
I'm trying to help the situation by not hunting Mt. until the state finds a way to reduce pressure on available public / BMA's etc. Going through 5 books seems crazy to me.
Looking at getting one of the small hand held metal detectors to try to find shotgun pellets in my pheasants, grouse, etc...
I found 2 online and don't know anyone who has used these before, so I don't know if they work, for starters, or if one is better than the other. Huge cost difference...
I let one of my antelope sit in the garage in Sept for a couple of weeks and the horns slipped off the sheath. Stunk a bit, and I cleaned it out with something, can't remember. Congratulations on your antelope!
That sucks. My friend shot a deer once and it had a .223 bullet lodged in the hindquarter. Had been there a while and that whole quarter smelled like infection. Hope you can salvage yours. I think my friend ground his up or canned (pressure cooked) the other 3 quarters, backstraps...
You should check to see where the new bullets are impacting. It probably (edited-may have) changed. Edited my post- sounds like you have a bunch of experience, more than I do. Side note- different Hornady bullet but I used FBP and it worked great on deer. I've used the Power belts in the...
If he bedded down that soon, he's probably hurting fairly bad. You may have hit it in the liver or guts. Like others have said above, go very slow this morning and keep scanning for him in front of you. If you don't see him laying somewhere, then start looking very closely for blood in the...
Was in a college classroom. Instructor came in and said "we're under attack" and dismissed the class. Went home and noticed a few hours later that there weren't any commercial jets in the sky after they said the planes were all grounded.