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Antelope opener in MT |
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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Posted: October/09/2009 at 17:39 |
I am really looking forward to Sunday. We're heading to our usual spot in the Big Timber area and it will be cold (5-25F) with a few inches of snow from the last couple days. I love hunting when it's below freezing...cools the meat right down and makes for good eating. Still, I hope not to experience certain bodily functions early in the day. It will be a good test of my gear. One thing I've learned is to always let the water from a drinking tube flow back into the bag. It's no fun when the line freezes.
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RONK
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: April/05/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3199 |
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I've killed a few antelope near Big Timber, Montana, on private land along the Sweetgrass River. Some of the most fun I've ever had. I love those wide open spaces, but you're going to get a whole special kind of cold!
I had never used one of those backpack hydration water systems until recently, but I really like them. I've learned to pressurize the bag by blowing air into the tube before trying to draw the water out when drnking. It flows a lot better under a little pressure.
Good point about letting the tube drain out when it's really cold outside.
Good luck and let us know how you did!
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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That Big Timber country sure is pretty. Good luck on your hunt!
My wife and I drew doe tags further north and east and are waiting until later on to go hunting, after the big crowd blows through. There will always be plenty of does! Meantime we're headed down to Wyoming to do some other hunting. The hunt won't start there until later in the week, and apparently it will warm up some by then....
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lucytuma
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: November/25/2007 Location: Wisconsin Status: Offline Points: 5389 |
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I also will be traveling to Montana on 10/30 to hunt deer and antelope, I truely am looking forward to it.
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"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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Where are you hunting?
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lucytuma
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: November/25/2007 Location: Wisconsin Status: Offline Points: 5389 |
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Saco, Mt. North east part of state. Deer is a landowner sponsored hunt. Antelope is in area 620-00
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"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson
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helo18
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: December/02/2006 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 5620 |
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Jon, just drove through the Big Timber area Thursday evening on the way to Lewistown, and then this morning on the way back. Saw 400 to 500 dear just north of there and about 15 miles north, about 100 antelope. There was a nice big one standing off from the pack. He looked like he could go 14 or bigger. Should be some good hunting!
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To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.
GEORGE WASHINGTON |
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John Barsness
Optics Optimist Joined: January/27/2009 Status: Offline Points: 785 |
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lucytuma,
Oh, yes, I know the Saco area pretty well. They had a pretty hard winter in NE Montana last winter but there shoudl still be plenty of deer and antelope left!
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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helo, was there any snow on the ground along there? I'd imagine just a few inches.
It drives us nuts seeing all those deer along that section of Hwy. 191. From what I've been told there's a couple big out-of-state landowners that don't allow any hunting. Someday that will be the CWD hotspot in the state. JB, we're lucky there aren't huge crowds where we're going but I hear ya. I really look for spots away from roads to do my hunting unless I can get out during the week a couple weeks after the season opens. I also sometimes get an early start just to be the first one up to some spot. However, this year, I'm going in the evening before (also just to have some mountain time to myself) and will bivouac about 30 minutes away from where I plan to be at first light. This morning provided an excellent opportunity to test out my Climashield XP quilt I had made last spring. It was 4F - 16 degrees colder than my previous test (http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f23/survival-bivy-quilt-test-41635/ has pics) - and that insulation continues to amaze me. At some point I will do a test where I'm going to soak my feet and legs up to the knee, then rig my shelter and see how long I can stand it. |
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Terry Lamb
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/19/2009 Location: Sagle, Idaho Status: Offline Points: 150 |
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Good Hunting!
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Terry Lamb
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helo18
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: December/02/2006 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 5620 |
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Jon, There was only a couple inches of snow when I came back Friday, but was still snowing at the time. Most of the deer I saw were in the bottom in the first ten miles north of there. I have hit three deer down there in the last two months. Two with the semi and one with my pickup. Thank God for grill guards. No damage to the trucks.
You are right about it being a hotspot for CWD. When you see 400 deer in 10 miles, there is something wrong with that picture. Never have seen a hunter in that stretch, but have seen some nice big bucks in there. Just a note though. If you want to shoot a stag, there is one hanging out about 5 miles south of Melville. Have no idea who's land it is, but it would not be hard to find out. |
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To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.
GEORGE WASHINGTON |
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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Not much snow here in Big Timber but plenty cold. And the Lazy J has wi-fi! Might have to come back for that deer in a few weeks. We saw a real nice antelope buck south of Townsend. I bet he won't be there tomorrow.
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