If you could go back to age 25

[Shangobango]

Hard to say for me.

At 25 I had been a single parent for 3 years. It is hard to imagine my life working out much differently from that point until now.

Part of me wishes that I would have picked up and moved to Wyoming or Montana at that age, but my family's roots in this area go back 215 years.

Now, if the question was if you could go back to 18, I could write a novel on what I would have done differently. I could have avoided some bull wrecks and car wrecks for sure.

At the end of writing the novel on things I would change I would probably burn it though. I am happy with the way my life has went.

 

[Happy Myles]

Don’t look back. You are not going that direction anyway...... i am 82 it has been a good run, not perfect but could have been a whole lot worse.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Buy one share of Berskhire Hathoway.

Or like NHY recommended.

 

[Shangobango]

There's a woman I'd advise myself to avoid.

Just one?

You were smarter than me.

 

[Irrelevant]

If Montanans don't create new economic opportunities in these small, dying towns, we are going to lose the small town lifestyle.

It's a Catch 22, if you do create those economic opportunities it will lead to growth and you will lose the small town lifestyle.

I watched my hometown flip flop from one with a one-block almost completely boarded up main drag in the 1990's- without a bar or a gas station, where everyone was pleading for some economic stimulus, explode into a tourist meca. Downtown in thriving and expanding. Everyone who wants a job has one. But property tax goes up damn near 10% a year, land is being developed like crazy, 2nd and 3rd (and even 15th) McMansions everywhere, and no one knows their neighbors anymore. Hell there's a GD traffic light now. If you went back and asked anyone which time period they preferred everyone is going to choose being broke, there's a lot to enjoy in a dying town.

 

[OntarioHunter]

This is and has always been private land since it was homesteaded by my wife's family. The state land that surrounds it is open to the public. I understand your viewpoint, trust me, I do, but the realities are a bit different up there. Gates left open, fence lines driven over, meth pipes in the pasture, beer cans everywhere...I understand my father-in-law's hesitancy to enroll in block management. My life has changed considerably since that idealistic sentiment was posted. We've purchased a home here and have no plans of taking over the operation. We've met some real ranchers that want to lease eventually, so it will continue to be a cattle ranch. I hope to open it up to charity hunts for the disabled someday, and I'll continue to take friends and family up to fill their tags. Other than that, I'm happy the deer have a place to get away from the pressure.

As for easternization, I'm from Kalispell, grew up in Helena. Ariel is from PWood. We are Montanans, through and through. If Montanans don't create new economic opportunities in these small, dying towns, we are going to lose the small town lifestyle. The days of ranches and farms that requires families of 12 are no longer a reality. One man can now farm thousands of acres or tend to hundreds of head himself. I've seen the monopolization of farmland in that area; small outfits running huge operations and the death of the small farm. So, if flying in (and flying OUT) city boys that want to shoot a MT buck will ensure that the Sherwood Inn, and Fergies, and Ruebs can keep their doors open, it doesn't seem that evil to me.

I was raised in Columbia Falls and still own the family home there. But I will never live on the West Side again. What a mess. Lots of job opportunities there ... wrecking the land that was family farms when I was a kid. Or "service industry" jobs that pay squat so your kids have to work two or three to survive. Forget about buying a decent home. Even if they could find a bank that would loan them two lifetime's income, they could never pay the property taxes. That's what you want for Plentywood? I say leave it the way it is. The unfortunate thing is, and I know this all too well, Montana does not have jobs for everyone and still stay Montana.

As to gates left open, meth pipes in the pasture, etc., I have been hunting block management property for nearly twenty years and haven't seen anything like that. Not to any extent anyway. In fact, I am very vigilant about watching for abuse. Last year I sent one fat slob hunter packing who was driving off road scouting for animals when unit instructions expressly forbid it (most ranchers will allow it for retrieving game ... but not all so check the maps). The only gate I've ever seen left open was rancher's neighbour's kid, a transplant with his little piece of posted hunting paradise (I think his kid may be mentally handicapped so probably excusable). I had to close it. Last year one new gate on another property was strung up so tight I couldn't close it. I got out my tools and remade it so it could be closed by a normal person. I'm surprised that one wasn't left open! On block management land I have rescued sheep caught in wire, expensive horse on wrong property about to get into the wire, cattle through the fence, drove truck during harvest, and saddled up to help move cows. For many years I carried a fencing tool in my game bag that I used to fix broken wire (lost it two years ago). The advantage to block management that is too often overlooked is hunters can help keep an eye on things. Or we are there to help if needed. It's not unusual for me to leave a fifty dollar cheque in the mailbox to help in other ways. I am grateful so many Montana ranchers still enjoy seeing a smile on a hunter's face and sharing what belongs to all of us.

 

[Kiwi]

My suggestion is runaway and make a living as a drifting hunting guide.

 

[OntarioHunter]

My suggestion is runaway and make a living as a drifting hunting guide.

I knew enough to steer clear of that profession. Several opportunities came up but I'm not an arse kisser. Besides, the rule usually is the guide can't hunt when the client is hunting. Being in the field during the season and not able to hunt would drive me nuts ... admittedly a short trip.

 

[turk870]

The only job I ever regretted turning down was on offer to move to Montana live on a ranch work cattle in the summer and guide hunts in the winter. I had just gotten engaged to my exwife. Should have took the job and ditched the girl. Had I done that I probably wouldnt be where I am today, but it would have been nice then when I was young.

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

I was raised in Columbia Falls and still own the family home there. But I will never live on the West Side again. What a mess. Lots of job opportunities there ... wrecking the land that was family farms when I was a kid. Or "service industry" jobs that pay squat so your kids have to work two or three to survive. Forget about buying a decent home. Even if they could find a bank that would loan them two lifetime's income, they could never pay the property taxes. That's what you want for Plentywood? I say leave it the way it is. The unfortunate thing is, and I know this all too well, Montana does not have jobs for everyone and still stay Montana.

As to gates left open, meth pipes in the pasture, etc., I have been hunting block management property for nearly twenty years and haven't seen anything like that. Not to any extent anyway. In fact, I am very vigilant about watching for abuse. Last year I sent one fat slob hunter packing who was driving off road scouting for animals when unit instructions expressly forbid it (most ranchers will allow it for retrieving game ... but not all so check the maps). The only gate I've ever seen left open was rancher's neighbour's kid, a transplant with his little piece of posted hunting paradise (I think his kid may be mentally handicapped so probably excusable). I had to close it. Last year one new gate on another property was strung up so tight I couldn't close it. I got out my tools and remade it so it could be closed by a normal person. I'm surprised that one wasn't left open! On block management land I have rescued sheep caught in wire, expensive horse on wrong property about to get into the wire, cattle through the fence, drove truck during harvest, and saddled up to help move cows. For many years I carried a fencing tool in my game bag that I used to fix broken wire (lost it two years ago). The advantage to block management that is too often overlooked is hunters can help keep an eye on things. Or we are there to help if needed. It's not unusual for me to leave a fifty dollar cheque in the mailbox to help in other ways. I am grateful so many Montana ranchers still enjoy seeing a smile on a hunter's face and sharing what belongs to all of us.

I don't mean to disparage the block management program. I think it is an honorable use of one's land. From what I understand, it wasn't like that up there before the Balkan boom. But the bottom line is, it will never feel like my land. I want to honor the wishes of the man who owns it now and will always own it in my eyes. He enjoys it as a ranch where friends and family can come fill the freezer. The man offers the opportunity to anyone who chats with him, so if you see a giant, lanky dude in dirty jeans, go say hello.

 

[glass eye]

 

[Phaseolus]

25 would be hard to beat, I spent that year hitchhiking through the south pacific, New Zealand, and Australia.

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

At 25, I had been married for 5 years and had a 3 year old and 1 year old. I was 4 years into my post-college career (that I'm still in) and working my butt off. Would I change anything? Maybe. I would have made sure we spent more time out West. But that's nitpicking. I've been married to my best friend for 30 years now, all our kids are grown and through college, and I still love what I do. The last 30 years of my life have been as wonderful as the first 20 were awful. I am a blessed man.

 

[justdada]

25, ok, this thread has me thinking for sure. I'd probably spend more time telling those in my life, how much I appreciate them... never know when the ones you love wont be there anymore. And let's face it, young men aren't the most compassionate people.
That, and maybe put some money on a ravens superbowl win... who'd of thunk it?

 

[diamond hitch]

At 25 I hunted every fall and trapped to make enough to go to college in the spring. When fortunate, I could pick up enough work to enhance my college poke but never enough to interfer with as much hunting as possible. I have never let anything get in my way of hunting during my entire career. Go back to 25 ? Only if I could go back to do what I did then knowing what I know now and to spend the time wiith my folks again.

 

[jlmatthew]

Turned 25 in 1996. I was stationed in Germany at Rhine Ordnance Barracks with 1/7 ADA. Not a bad year me thinks from this current perspective, but I probably bitched like crazy that year because of all the days spent in the field preparing for a NATO TACEVAL. Anyone that's been to Baumholder knows what a fun place that is

 

[tzone]

Well I was married with kids and a house at 25. If I was t, I’d be a motorboatin sonovabitch!!

 

[FranklinME]

I was a motorboatin sonofabitch! Wouldn’t change a thing always did what I wanted and mistakes are part of life. Except getting sheep/goat/moose points yeah I should have started then...

 

[Runnin_Chupacabra]

I'm 29, not married, no kids, no debt and have a bachelor's degree. It's an interesting perspective, being committed to building a career from the ground up while hearing the hills calling's your name. If I had to choose one word to describe hunting in my 20's it would be scrappy, as I'm sure many can identify with. There is something fun about having 2nd hand hunting gear, used rifle a two wheel drive car and still finding a way to chase deer, ducks and give elk hunting a shot soon. Living in the West is great and have thought about joining the migration out of CA but some hunting in our neck of the woods is very underrated.

 

[tarheel]

I would have bought that '63 split window Corvette and Austin Healey 3000 then stored them at some time.