Coming to Eastern Montana to hunt deer? Bring snowshoes!

[OntarioHunter]

literally a few minutes ago. No snow and I can actually see cover from the freakin hwy cam.
View attachment 163600

This is the Hi Line yesterday within earshot of Hwy 2. Photo taken by me, not downloaded from the net. Three moose in the center of the photo. Plenty of snow. And ice. Plenty of cover too (two cows could not be seen till they got up out of their beds) ... in this place where cattle are not allowed. I doubt you would last ten minutes down in those cattails and bullrushes with crusty snow up to your knees. Very hard on dogs. Actually, hiking the bald looking hill in the foreground is worse than fighting the cattails. Though snow is not as deep it is crusted harder ... but not hard enough for dogs to walk on top.

 

[Irrelevant]

You are aware that the hi line, if measured from Browning to ND is 450 miles, right? And that there's a fair amount of variability across that expanse? And that my pic was effectively LIVE, as in right now, from north of hwy 2 in eastern MT?

 

[MTLabrador]

Brutal conditions. Everyone should probably stay home.

 

[HighWildFree]

Just got back from a few days hunting on the hi-line. Brought my snowshoes, xcountry skis, snowmobile and avy pack. Had to use the snowshoes and skis at the same time at one point

 

[OntarioHunter]

You are aware that the hi line, if measured from Browning to ND is 450 miles, right? And that there's a fair amount of variability across that expanse? And that my pic was effectively LIVE, as in right now, from north of hwy 2 in eastern MT?

Where? I have been hunting west to Chester and east to Saco and haven't seen anything remotely like that. And that's quite a spread of the Hi-Line ... all still covered with plenty of snow and ice. I seriously doubt conditions are any better west of Chester. That would be quite the anomaly. Perhaps you are looking at something on the North Dakota border? Mtlabrador is driving to east side to hunt so I'm assuming he is not planning to drive to ND border to hunt birds. But maybe it won't be a bad idea if the ground is that clear.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Just got back from a few days hunting on the hi-line. Brought my snowshoes, xcountry skis, snowmobile and avy pack. Had to use the snowshoes and skis at the same time at one point

Why did you pack all that crap? Not a lot of gear needed for road hunting. Just a good heater and big lunch cooler.

 

[BuckRut]

literally a few minutes ago. No snow and I can actually see cover from the freakin hwy cam.
View attachment 163600

That camera is just northwest of Glendive.

 

[Irrelevant]

That camera is just northwest of Glendive.

Shit, I didn't zoom in far enough. How about this one? I still see no snow and cover.

Edit: I actually looked at the rest of the cams, MOST of eastern MT appears to be snow free. Western/Central hi-line being the exception

 

[OntarioHunter]

By the way, Glendive is quite a ways south of the Hi Line ... and on the ND border. I thought something was odd. I know Hwy 2 like the back of my hand and that image was totally unfamiliar.

As I was eating breakfast things have warmed up CONSIDERABLY with a mild west breeze. Snow is softening ... and I'm sure the gumbo is as well. Hope it doesn't get too cold tonight. I may give the Lab a workout this afternoon. My French Britt is done for. One front paw/wrist is raw. Lab has a small bad spot on the edge of one pad but not raw. Her pads are quite callosed. Missing some hair on her shins but doesn't appear to bother her. We only have a few days left. May as well go for it ... IF the snow is soft.

 

[BuckRut]

Shit, I didn't zoom in far enough. How about this one? I still see no snow and cover.
View attachment 163606
Edit: I actually looked at the rest of the cams, MOST of eastern MT appears to be snow free. Western/Central hi-line being the exception

That camera is not at Wolf Point. It is where highway 2 meets the ND border. I feel like your only goal here is to start arguments.

 

[Straight Arrow]

By the way, Glendive is quite a ways south of the Hi Line ... and on the ND border. I thought something was odd. I know Hwy 2 like the back of my hand and that image was totally unfamiliar.

As I was eating breakfast things have warmed up CONSIDERABLY with a mild west breeze. Snow is softening ... and I'm sure the gumbo is as well. Hope it doesn't get too cold tonight. I may give the Lab a workout this afternoon. My French Britt is done for. One front paw/wrist is raw. Lab has a small bad spot on the edge of one pad but not raw. Her pads are quite callosed. Missing some hair on her shins but doesn't appear to bother her. We only have a few days left. May as well go for it ... IF the snow is soft.

You sure talk a lot.

 

[Wrong Burgundy]

Well, it was a tough go, and we lost a good man to the arctic weather gods. But everyone shot pheasants, Huns, one grain bin pigeon and filled 48 doe tags. We brought backcountry skis, shovels, fur coats, an ice auger and my son's favorite sled. It was brutal, but we pulled through.
At one point, being about 500 yards from the truck, we knew it was too almost far and the specter of fear and hunger overtook us and we looked at my buddy's black lab, and wondered if lab tartare is an option...but we pushed on and made it just within distance to start up the truck with the remote key fob. Damnit, I am choking up even writing this thinking how close to death we came.....a frozen, dark death....alone.....on the Hi Line.........somewhere between mile marker 33 and 36, where the stretch of highway doglegs left just past the three Quonset huts on the old Svenrud's place but before the old bridge......be careful out there fellas.

 

[MTLabrador]

The drifts must be hiding somewhere...

 

[OntarioHunter]

That camera is not at Wolf Point. It is where highway 2 meets the ND border. I feel like your only goal here is to start arguments.

I feel like you're right. Immature.

 

[OntarioHunter]

The drifts must be hiding somewhere...
View attachment 163663

So you did go to North Dakota to hunt.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I feel like you're right. Immature.

It’s the bed you’ve made by trolling and talking down to people, welcome to the internet.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

And sincerely happy thanksgiving to all the hunters on the line, drifts or no.

 

[MTLabrador]

Happy Thanksgiving folks!

 

[Hunting Wife]

View attachment 163797

OMG...please tell me those aren’t floodwaters from our epic snow melt. Frickin’ 2020.

Hope you have a great trip, and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[Northwoods Labs]

So I must've missed something.....jeez you guys are being kinda harsh to Ontario, guy is just giving a weather report.

Many ducks around Glasgow right now? Always thought of heading over that way to extend my waterfowl season. Never been to Northeast or North-central Montana