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MT upland opener reports

D4570 said:
I have not been in the mountains as of late but a month ago I did see a lot of grouse.
I went out by myself yesterday North of Great Falls to Dutton.
I hit a LOT of state sections 5 BMAs and even a WPA. Most had some water source Lots of grass cover and Butt loads of hoppers. Food, cover, and water. I know hunting one guy and no dog is a tuff hunt for sharptail but I put on MANY miles on foot mostly hunting Fetchers, fence lines, sunny slopes, and water. Not a sign of anything, not even a pheasant. No tracks, no droppings, not even a feather.
I saw one dove on a wire.
Going to be a tough year birding I think.
On a bright note, I did see a LOT of antelope most had Fawns, the bucks are in great looking shape and are claiming their areas. A lot more than I have seen in 8 years.
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Appreciate the info. In Idaho and doing ok with grouse and shartail but would sure like to find some wild not planted pheasants on public ground.
 
Anyone got an up to date report on pheasants in northern Montana? I'll be heading that way shortly.
 
Man, driving back home this afternoon across NE Montana, couldn’t believe all the bird hunters that have descended. Hope they brought their oxygen tanks. The smoke the last two days has been some of the worst we’ve seen all year. My eyes and throat were burning just driving.

Be careful out there. Even with the cooler weather, we’ve still been having red flag warnings.
 
Hunting Wife said:
Man, driving back home this afternoon across NE Montana, couldn’t believe all the bird hunters that have descended. Hope they brought their oxygen tanks. The smoke the last two days has been some of the worst we’ve seen all year. My eyes and throat were burning just driving.

Be careful out there. Even with the cooler weather, we’ve still been having red flag warnings.
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Unbelievable. October and things are still burning up back there. Plenty of rain here. I'll be bird hunting in muddy fields tomorrow.
 
i travel 3 ne counties daily gravel roads, all i can say is bring your own phesants and lots of orange, little habitat, most of it has veen hayed, and more people then ive seen in a few years,,,
im gonna antelope hunt and forego phesant opener, 1st time in 14 years,,,,,,
 
300stw said:
i travel 3 ne counties daily gravel roads, all i can say is bring your own phesants and lots of orange, little habitat, most of it has veen hayed, and more people then ive seen in a few years,,,
im gonna antelope hunt and forego phesant opener, 1st time in 14 years,,,,,,
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Yeah, I'm worried the ranchers will be putting cattle on winter ground early and crush all the pheasant cover before I get there at the end of the month. That's what happened last year. I try to avoid the openers. Just too crowded. Up here back in the days when I hunted moose, I would wait at least two weeks into season before loading a gun. Finally it got so nutty I'd wait till end of November. The last couple years I waited until last two weeks of season in December. Still too busy. By then the resource was depleted to death and price of tags became ridiculous. Decided it was time to stop being a part of the problem ... over twenty years ago.
 
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Took a trip east with the young dog and the young bird for 4 days. Multiple flyable points on sharptail each day plus a few hun points (that got flown). Sage grouse, too. Bird knocked one hun down but didnt finish, put some ducks back into the pond, also, with some nice flying - he is almost there, still young doing young bird stuff. Pup still doing fantastic - quite the motor, ranging a few hundred yards and holding point til the end of time (or until I release her). Good to see birds and some nice dog work.

Back to local huns now. Still havent had a point on grouse in my valley this season, stark contrast to last year where there was lots.
 
Oh, and I was glassing a pond out in the middle of nowhere watching a couple ducks swimming round. A golden was watching so I couldnt fly the pond, too risky. The ducks blew, golden in pursuit, save one. As I was watching, the one swam slowly to shore, walked a few feet, then keeled over. So I went to check it out. Dead right there was a perfectly intact drake wood duck. Out in the middle of the sage brush, no cover around. Couldnt believe it. No idea what it died of, but its in great shape and Im going to have it taxidermized.
 
Although I have seen better years, this isn't a bad year at all. I have been finding plenty of mountain grouse. Mostly Ruffed, but when I get high enough, there are Blue grouse.

I have only been out once for Huns, but saw several coveys and managed to put 3 on the ground with a nice old shotgun.

A friend went up by Poplar for a few days and got plenty pheasants. Birds are still out there, as fragile as their mortality rate is, there still seems to be plenty from all the guys I have talked to.

thumbnail_IMG_4617.jpg
 
Ya, lots and lots of mountain/forest grouse this year. Have sluiced a couple ruffed grouse behind my place along the river. There is a bunch more back there, one nice @#)(# bird thats been strutting around. Ive been trying to catch him when I have an air rifle in hand, would like a nice mount done. Not going to shoot any more, tho, other than him. Also seen some random ruffs in sparse cover running dogs.

All the other reports of friends and acquaintances from the mountains are that there are lots of ruffs and blues. I havent chased them this season.
 
Pheasant hunting is poor mostly due to lack of cover. As predicted, cattle were moved onto low ground early. What was shocking was the federal bird refuge allowed someone to run a shitload of cows on the land WAY too long right up to the week upland season opened. As far as I can tell grazing the refuge is unprecedented, and I have been hunting the place every fall for past fifteen years. In years past I have seen the odd cow pie on the north end but always suspected a couple head briefly got through the fence where it crosses the canal. Almost no evidence of grazing. This year I show up and half the land that is open to hunting is obliterated! Grass grazed to the roots and cattails stomped down everywhere. You know the pheasants went for a second hatch this year since few chicks survived the heat of the summer. And what happened to the second hatch? Those that didn't get stomped were picked off by raptors out on the bald plain. This is BULLSHIT! I know the drought was tough on ranchers but it is a BIRD refuge not a cattleman's refuge. I'm betting it was the outfitter/rancher neighbour who I see has kept the cattle off the range on HIS side of the fence, also unprecedented.
 
That sliding wrist action might be the most unusual shotgun I have ever seen. I had to look it up. That's pretty cool.
 
We are wintering in Polson, MT.
The last time I hunted pheasants in western MT was 2000 when I lived in Lolo for a year.
Back then I hunted only on weekdays to avoid a crowd and mostly on creek bottoms
where I would jump shoot mallards as well as shoot a rooster or 2.

Is blaze orange a requirement in MT?
 
Looking forward to an extended season...my last duck hunt in AK was Oct 1.

MT Pheasants and Huns end Jan 1.
MT Mallards end Jan 14.
Then I plan to hunt with friends in eastern WA,
pheasants/quail end Jan 17, chuckar ends Jan 31 in eastern WA
 
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