Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Why people live in Montana - Part II -- Very pic heavy

ranger1, great story.

A friend of mine went on a hunt like that years ago when his son drew a goat tag in the North Cascade National Park area (Chelan WA area) and they had similar regulations. Hunting is open but they found that they could fly in but the helicopter could not "land". It hovered and they jumped off and tossed off their gear. Chopper was scheduled to come back in a week. The son wandered off to look around while Dad put up the tent. Shot rings out and the hunt is over but they did have to wait the full week before their ride came back.

I was wondering if Greenhorn will ever tire of shooting those monsters he seems to find. I can imagine he does not find them without a lot of work.

Chic-good to see you around!

Dober

Over the past twenty...even TEN years, hunting has really changed in many parts of Montana. There are many areas where simply having ACCESS to a good piece of property IS the whole hunt. I'm not talking some private shooting preserve/paradise but simply decent land that contains deer and elk.

So many key parcels are being lost each year that access is getting more and more difficult.

FN in MT

And I thought I had it fugured out... With gates going up as fast as they are, I thought I was a rocket scientist for accessing many of my hunting places on a mountain bike.

Now who do I know that has a chopper???

Cool story, really enjoyed reading...

This has to rank up there as one of the best threads of all time.
Loved the story and the out side the box thinking of the hunters involved.

Awesome story and pictures. I was stoked to see your bulls suspended. It give's new meaning to "DustOff". As a beat up old Vietnam Veteran it make's me happy to see young bucks showing the initiative. Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome!
SEMPER FIDELIS

Ranger:

Bad part of flying elk out with a chopper is that some folks will notice. And they will call people they know who are hunting nuts and ask questions. For the most part, us hunting nuts think these people were "smokin' something," until reading this post.

Your spot will stay a secret with me. Hope you do it again next year.

I admire your inginuity to get into that place. Very nice elk, and we both know some elk in that area are even better than the good ones you got this year.

Congrats!

While I'll never reveal the "secret spot" either, this endeavor's not entirely secret nor without precedent. I know of another who was actually landing a plane in that spot going on ten years ago. Crazy crop duster! Doesn't diminish Ranger's ingenuity though. Like Greenhorn said earlier, I too bet this BURNS SOME PEOPLE UP!

While I debated on whether or not I should post the story and possibly deal with competition, it is a permit only area, the pilot refuses to fly in more than 2 groups a year (money isn't a big issue with him), and only a few people (most who know already knew) could have been able to figure out where it was by my post. I'm not the first guy to go in there, and it wasn't my intent to make it sound that way, but it was a completely original idea on my part as to how I would get in there. There are some giants in there, the sister of a friend dates the guy who manages the ranch to the south of the area I hunted and she took a gorgeous 370" bull this fall.

ranger1.. is that the baby bull picture? Woman with newborn baby in it too.. and a huge bull?? Don't worry I won't slap any picutres up or name the ranch.. But that photo really was a classic.

Ranger1: You guys "are the man"!
Way to go - both of you!
I would have paid big bucks just to have been along on that trip and watch you two SCORE!
Great game plan - great execution - great story!
Many happy returns of that day!
I have Hunted Montana since the late 60's and I have seen SO MUCH LAND LOST to road closures, greedy landowners, drunken outfitters, leased Hunting situations, Wilderness restrictions, huge congloms buying smaller ranches and on and on!
I wish I was half as smart and half as energetic as you and your partner!
I am not much of a drinker but I plan on hoisting a jigger of fine whiskey in memory of and appreciation of your achievements!
Way to go!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Helicopters in Alaska are another thing!
There are SERIOUS restrictions regarding their use for Hunting up there!
To make a long story short I was Hunting Mt. Goats in SE Alaska one late fall and a float plane had taken myself and another Hunter into a remote lake.
The weather turned bad and our exit from the camp was delayed by low clouds and poor visibility.
Once our bush pilot got to us he relayed a story of some other Hunters he had out. The planes were unable to reach them for a week past their scheduled departure date and they finally had to send in a helicopter that could fly at treetop level and follow a stream to their camp on an alpine lake!
The Hunters were sick, cold and out of food and had been existing on blueberries (causing more sickness!) for many days.
The helicopter pilot was told in no uncertain terms (by the Alaska Fish & Game that he could NOT retrieve any game or any Hunting implement INCLUDING Rifles from the camp!
The Hunters had to leave their Rifles and camp gear/outfit at the site!
They were both so sick they went out - PAID the helicopter rescue fees and were waiting to go back in on a floatplane (once the weather lifted!) and retrieve their Rifles and gear!
Personally I can not see the difference between being taken into (or out of!) a Hunting area by plane or by helicopter.
But thats just me!
I agree with the restriction on flying and shooting game on the same day - completely.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I knew a guy in North Pole, Alaska that used an ultralite plane to scout and to hunt in places that were near by, but almost inaccessable because of no roads and no choppers and landing strips too short for a super cub.

It was a two seater, and the other seat was used to ferry gear in and game out. Still had to wait the day after flying, but the commute was trivial compared to the alterantive.

+++1 on hunting w/ Rick Bin. Have had the pleasure twice and can say he is a guy that anyone would love to hunt anything with. On both hunts I was skunked and he made the hunts pleasurable.

Great story and pics.Congrats

I can't hardly believe that crappy A-bolt didn't jam up, or break a firing pin or maybe even that bolt should have fell out. Almost to hard to believe it worked liked it should have. I must have a defective one too, the thing always works like it should. Awesome hunt, the memories you'll have forever.

Funny, that rifle has killed more than a dozen bears, several dozen deer, a pile of antelope, two elk, and a few random coyotes without ever having the slightest malfunction. I'm thinking the main issue that some have with A Bolts occurs due to the nut behind the butt being on wrong. Course I would put more emphasis on having the skill needed to find and take the animals I'm after every time. Fancy custom rifles, premium bullets, $1000 wool hunting outfits, hand made knives, and euro optics are nice, but not more important than knowing how to accomplish the objective and getting it done.