April Scouting In Montana
05-11-2006, 07:37 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Halifax PA USA
Posts: 59
April Scouting In Montana
Special Report: April In Montana 2006
Greetings everyone!…
Here we go again…if you have been following the news page which I try to update regularly, we just returned from our work week in Montana on April 29th. The first thing I want to say is wow!…the numbers of deer we seen where amazing! I arrived at the airport at 12:55pm to a warm, bright sunny day. The anticipation ran high as I jumped into the rental and speeded towards Wilsall. First I had to stop and drop off everything at the cabin we would be staying at for the week. I had all afternoon to myself as I had to pick John Hollander up at the airport that night around 10:30pm, and Adam Flod the next day around 1:00pm. I headed for the ranch house to fire up the vehicles and was surprised they all started very easily after sitting all Winter. I drove to meet some of the ranchers to say hello and let them know we where in town.
That afternoon I spent a few hours trimming out some trees where stands will be hung later this year. While working on that, I was eagerly anticipating the drive through our leases that evening to look for deer. And good night!…did I ever find them! As I started the search on the North end of our leases, it didn’t take long to get into them (just turn your head one way or the other, and you’ll see some). Deer where everywhere as in just one field, I stopped counting at 140 whitetails!…seriously! During the 10 mile drive through our leases I counted well over 500 whitetails and over 50 mule deer. The mule deer sightings where a bonus since I didn’t even drive close to our mule deer hunting areas, when during the Fall, you can see more than 200+ animals. I truly wish everyone could have seen the amount of deer feeding in the fields that afternoon, …simply amazing!
After picking up John and Adam from the airport we walked the river bottom and started marking stands with ribbon and bright eyes/limb lights for easy morning and daytime access. Adam or I climbed into each stand we visited and made sure all the stands where safe, had bow ropes and hooks, adjusted the seat height if needed, placed new seats where applicable, and cleared shooting lanes.
As the days passed bye, we definitely improved something on each stand for either comfort or by increasing shooting opportunities on all 48 stands we had time to work on. We trimmed additional shooting lanes to new trails that had developed over the last year or two at some locations and re-trimmed existing ones. Due to the river being very high and running out of time, the rest of the stands will be addressed over the Summer or early Fall. Being bow hunters ourselves and taking articulate measures to increase the odds towards a successful hunt, attention to detail was our goal and will greatly enhance each hunters opportunities and enjoyment during their hunt with us.
Throughout the week, we set 7 new Gorilla ladder stands, while placing some new Gorilla seats on some of the older stands. Eventually, all the old ladder stands will be replaced with new Gorilla stands while some new lock-on stands are already ordered for this Fall. While walking the river bottom, we also found some awesome stand sights for the future, and when we get time to put them up, wow!…these spots are going to be smoking hot…!
One thing from this trip I’ll never forget was when I climbed into one of the lock-on stands on the Zimmerman ranch mid-week. Adam was at the base of the tree waiting to trim some shooting lanes when I mentioned that everything looked perfect! (it overlooks a small meadow). He then walked over to the edge of a willow thicket just to the North of my stand. I was looking to make sure bow hooks and a rope where in place when I heard Adam (50+ yards away) mumble something in a rather excited tone. I turned to see the entire willow patch explode in fur and fire as whitetails where airborne everywhere! I think I shouted holy #@%$ 4 times as deer stampeded across the river bottom. I started counting and quickly fumbled around the 75 mark when I just couldn’t keep track anymore. The next time I talked with Adam, he said the ground in front of him just got up and took off!…Meanwhile, John was sitting in the truck waiting for us on a vantage point just 200 yards straight across from where the deer ran towards. Once we arrived at the truck he said over 100 whitetails busted out of that thicket…whew!…must be in Montana!
On Thursday, we got to tour our new lease, the Hayhook Ranch. After meeting Sky Anderson at 9:00am sharp, we headed off through the prairie to get a feel for what the Hayhook had to offer. It finally dawned on me just how big 4,000 acres really is after driving for over ½ hour and still not seeing the entire ranch. We seen some antelope bucks and some Mule deer while getting the boundaries squared away. On a side note, we have access to another 1,500 acres to the North, which borders this 4,000 acre wildlife Mecca. There are plenty of places for animals to water (two meandering creeks and 1 small lake) with several brushy draws and two large hay fields located among the rolling hills that supply some grazing for all the animals on this part of the lease.
After touring the mule deer and antelope hunting areas, we where more than ready to hit the river bottom portion of the lease. First, Sky stopped by his brothers house which lays right on the river bottom to show us some of the sheds he picked up this Winter on the lease. The pile consisted of several good 5 pt. Sheds from bucks gross scoring well into the 130’s and 140” Pope & Young class. With a mild Winter and good moisture, these 10 points should be awesome this year! There where also some solid 8 pt. Sheds that should push past the 120”+ this Fall. I can’t wait to get some hunters in after these Montana whitetails!
Now, after seeing those, we where more than ready to hit the river bottom in search of stand locations and to finally walk what we leased the place for in the first place. We all spread out and eagerly studied field edges, willow thickets, cottonwood swamp land and beaver sloughs while taking mental notes of the best stand sites. It didn’t take long find some great spots. There where tons of old rutting sign preserved through the Winter months, scrapes, rubs (lots of them), and trails deep enough to hold rainbow trout where everywhere we walked. We found some unbelievable bottlenecks between the river and beaver sloughs that will have hunters drooling from their stands…I mean, just awesome! But first, we targeted some early season field edge locations. There are several medium to large alfalfa fields smack in the middle of the river bottom. Our first Gorilla stand on Hayhook was placed on the edge of a lush alfalfa field bordering a thick bedding area to the Southeast. A large cottonwood provided a perfect ambush with trails passing 5-25 yards in front of the stand leading into the alfalfa. After we trimmed shooting lanes and set bow hooks and a bow rope, we quickly headed towards a spot Adam had picked out while looking for sheds (this guy finds sheds like there growing on trees!…). The travel corridor Adam found lays between two alfalfa fields, a small pond, and a poplar filled tree line. This made for a great stand site in which later that evening, John witnessed 4 bucks (antler growth was evident on a good number of deer we glassed) walk the trail 5 steps directly in front of the new Gorilla stand we set just hours before. And the first stand we set, 12 deer ( 3 bucks) walked out into the alfalfa field following the trails directly in front of the stand.
It was now time to head for the cotton wood swamps in search of a morning stand location. What I found has got to be the perfect “textbook” bottleneck on the Ranch. Tracks on top of tracks funnel through a high spot in the marsh pinched between the Shield’s River and a beaver dam. The trail splits as it enters the higher ground into the tall cottonwoods. The perfect tree lays right between the split and is covered with a tangled mess that only I…, a machete, a chainsaw, a bulldozer and 10 sticks of dynamite would have a remote chance of clearing. Trust me, there will be a stand in that tree regardless of how much blood and sweat I shed before this Fall. So, with time against me, I set off and found two more awesome locations for morning and all day rut hunting stands. I placed one of the gorilla ladder stands on a peninsula of high ground on the edge of the river where trails crisscross to another alfalfa field (on the other side of the river), and to a thick bedding area bordered by water on it’s East and West side. It was now close to dark and our last full day to enjoy our working vacation. The Hayhook ranch looks very promising as seen by the sheds found this Winter, combined with perfect bow hunting habitat. This is going to be a great year!…
Overall, John, Adam, and I had a great time. Between all the hunting stories, meeting the ranchers, seeing literally hundreds of animals (whitetails, mule deer, antelope, elk, moose, coyotes, sand hill cranes, porcupines, beavers, and hundreds of prairie dogs), while also dining out (sometimes burritos in the microwave), we found 22 sheds and a 127-6/8” 8pt. Skull. Adam found the most sheds and the 8 pt. Skull. This guy found two sheds while I was driving down the road…incredible! The 48 stands we visited this week are only 1 improvement we accomplished so far and believe me, there will be many more in the near future. ***********************will only get better and better as the years roll by. Our week was filled with positive results that will translate directly into client success.
Our #1 goal is to always increase success for our clients because there is always room for improvement. Those of you who have hunted with us before know how good the hunting and experience can be, and we always encourage feedback so we can target specific areas to create the perfect whitetail bow hunting paradise. Please feel free to give us your opinions on what we can do to serve you better.
Have a great Summer, and start tuning that bow. Some big bucks are going to fall this year.
Please check out our photo gallery for pictures from this trip (April In Montana 2006) Thank you for your time.
Best regards from, Keith Miller, Adam Flod, & John Hollander
Unless an advertiser with Huntingnet.com any links must be moved to the classifed section.
Greetings everyone!…
Here we go again…if you have been following the news page which I try to update regularly, we just returned from our work week in Montana on April 29th. The first thing I want to say is wow!…the numbers of deer we seen where amazing! I arrived at the airport at 12:55pm to a warm, bright sunny day. The anticipation ran high as I jumped into the rental and speeded towards Wilsall. First I had to stop and drop off everything at the cabin we would be staying at for the week. I had all afternoon to myself as I had to pick John Hollander up at the airport that night around 10:30pm, and Adam Flod the next day around 1:00pm. I headed for the ranch house to fire up the vehicles and was surprised they all started very easily after sitting all Winter. I drove to meet some of the ranchers to say hello and let them know we where in town.
That afternoon I spent a few hours trimming out some trees where stands will be hung later this year. While working on that, I was eagerly anticipating the drive through our leases that evening to look for deer. And good night!…did I ever find them! As I started the search on the North end of our leases, it didn’t take long to get into them (just turn your head one way or the other, and you’ll see some). Deer where everywhere as in just one field, I stopped counting at 140 whitetails!…seriously! During the 10 mile drive through our leases I counted well over 500 whitetails and over 50 mule deer. The mule deer sightings where a bonus since I didn’t even drive close to our mule deer hunting areas, when during the Fall, you can see more than 200+ animals. I truly wish everyone could have seen the amount of deer feeding in the fields that afternoon, …simply amazing!
After picking up John and Adam from the airport we walked the river bottom and started marking stands with ribbon and bright eyes/limb lights for easy morning and daytime access. Adam or I climbed into each stand we visited and made sure all the stands where safe, had bow ropes and hooks, adjusted the seat height if needed, placed new seats where applicable, and cleared shooting lanes.
As the days passed bye, we definitely improved something on each stand for either comfort or by increasing shooting opportunities on all 48 stands we had time to work on. We trimmed additional shooting lanes to new trails that had developed over the last year or two at some locations and re-trimmed existing ones. Due to the river being very high and running out of time, the rest of the stands will be addressed over the Summer or early Fall. Being bow hunters ourselves and taking articulate measures to increase the odds towards a successful hunt, attention to detail was our goal and will greatly enhance each hunters opportunities and enjoyment during their hunt with us.
Throughout the week, we set 7 new Gorilla ladder stands, while placing some new Gorilla seats on some of the older stands. Eventually, all the old ladder stands will be replaced with new Gorilla stands while some new lock-on stands are already ordered for this Fall. While walking the river bottom, we also found some awesome stand sights for the future, and when we get time to put them up, wow!…these spots are going to be smoking hot…!
One thing from this trip I’ll never forget was when I climbed into one of the lock-on stands on the Zimmerman ranch mid-week. Adam was at the base of the tree waiting to trim some shooting lanes when I mentioned that everything looked perfect! (it overlooks a small meadow). He then walked over to the edge of a willow thicket just to the North of my stand. I was looking to make sure bow hooks and a rope where in place when I heard Adam (50+ yards away) mumble something in a rather excited tone. I turned to see the entire willow patch explode in fur and fire as whitetails where airborne everywhere! I think I shouted holy #@%$ 4 times as deer stampeded across the river bottom. I started counting and quickly fumbled around the 75 mark when I just couldn’t keep track anymore. The next time I talked with Adam, he said the ground in front of him just got up and took off!…Meanwhile, John was sitting in the truck waiting for us on a vantage point just 200 yards straight across from where the deer ran towards. Once we arrived at the truck he said over 100 whitetails busted out of that thicket…whew!…must be in Montana!
On Thursday, we got to tour our new lease, the Hayhook Ranch. After meeting Sky Anderson at 9:00am sharp, we headed off through the prairie to get a feel for what the Hayhook had to offer. It finally dawned on me just how big 4,000 acres really is after driving for over ½ hour and still not seeing the entire ranch. We seen some antelope bucks and some Mule deer while getting the boundaries squared away. On a side note, we have access to another 1,500 acres to the North, which borders this 4,000 acre wildlife Mecca. There are plenty of places for animals to water (two meandering creeks and 1 small lake) with several brushy draws and two large hay fields located among the rolling hills that supply some grazing for all the animals on this part of the lease.
After touring the mule deer and antelope hunting areas, we where more than ready to hit the river bottom portion of the lease. First, Sky stopped by his brothers house which lays right on the river bottom to show us some of the sheds he picked up this Winter on the lease. The pile consisted of several good 5 pt. Sheds from bucks gross scoring well into the 130’s and 140” Pope & Young class. With a mild Winter and good moisture, these 10 points should be awesome this year! There where also some solid 8 pt. Sheds that should push past the 120”+ this Fall. I can’t wait to get some hunters in after these Montana whitetails!
Now, after seeing those, we where more than ready to hit the river bottom in search of stand locations and to finally walk what we leased the place for in the first place. We all spread out and eagerly studied field edges, willow thickets, cottonwood swamp land and beaver sloughs while taking mental notes of the best stand sites. It didn’t take long find some great spots. There where tons of old rutting sign preserved through the Winter months, scrapes, rubs (lots of them), and trails deep enough to hold rainbow trout where everywhere we walked. We found some unbelievable bottlenecks between the river and beaver sloughs that will have hunters drooling from their stands…I mean, just awesome! But first, we targeted some early season field edge locations. There are several medium to large alfalfa fields smack in the middle of the river bottom. Our first Gorilla stand on Hayhook was placed on the edge of a lush alfalfa field bordering a thick bedding area to the Southeast. A large cottonwood provided a perfect ambush with trails passing 5-25 yards in front of the stand leading into the alfalfa. After we trimmed shooting lanes and set bow hooks and a bow rope, we quickly headed towards a spot Adam had picked out while looking for sheds (this guy finds sheds like there growing on trees!…). The travel corridor Adam found lays between two alfalfa fields, a small pond, and a poplar filled tree line. This made for a great stand site in which later that evening, John witnessed 4 bucks (antler growth was evident on a good number of deer we glassed) walk the trail 5 steps directly in front of the new Gorilla stand we set just hours before. And the first stand we set, 12 deer ( 3 bucks) walked out into the alfalfa field following the trails directly in front of the stand.
It was now time to head for the cotton wood swamps in search of a morning stand location. What I found has got to be the perfect “textbook” bottleneck on the Ranch. Tracks on top of tracks funnel through a high spot in the marsh pinched between the Shield’s River and a beaver dam. The trail splits as it enters the higher ground into the tall cottonwoods. The perfect tree lays right between the split and is covered with a tangled mess that only I…, a machete, a chainsaw, a bulldozer and 10 sticks of dynamite would have a remote chance of clearing. Trust me, there will be a stand in that tree regardless of how much blood and sweat I shed before this Fall. So, with time against me, I set off and found two more awesome locations for morning and all day rut hunting stands. I placed one of the gorilla ladder stands on a peninsula of high ground on the edge of the river where trails crisscross to another alfalfa field (on the other side of the river), and to a thick bedding area bordered by water on it’s East and West side. It was now close to dark and our last full day to enjoy our working vacation. The Hayhook ranch looks very promising as seen by the sheds found this Winter, combined with perfect bow hunting habitat. This is going to be a great year!…
Overall, John, Adam, and I had a great time. Between all the hunting stories, meeting the ranchers, seeing literally hundreds of animals (whitetails, mule deer, antelope, elk, moose, coyotes, sand hill cranes, porcupines, beavers, and hundreds of prairie dogs), while also dining out (sometimes burritos in the microwave), we found 22 sheds and a 127-6/8” 8pt. Skull. Adam found the most sheds and the 8 pt. Skull. This guy found two sheds while I was driving down the road…incredible! The 48 stands we visited this week are only 1 improvement we accomplished so far and believe me, there will be many more in the near future. ***********************will only get better and better as the years roll by. Our week was filled with positive results that will translate directly into client success.
Our #1 goal is to always increase success for our clients because there is always room for improvement. Those of you who have hunted with us before know how good the hunting and experience can be, and we always encourage feedback so we can target specific areas to create the perfect whitetail bow hunting paradise. Please feel free to give us your opinions on what we can do to serve you better.
Have a great Summer, and start tuning that bow. Some big bucks are going to fall this year.
Please check out our photo gallery for pictures from this trip (April In Montana 2006) Thank you for your time.
Best regards from, Keith Miller, Adam Flod, & John Hollander
Unless an advertiser with Huntingnet.com any links must be moved to the classifed section.
05-12-2006, 12:09 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NW Montana / SW Alberta Rockies
Posts: 3,258
RE: April Scouting In Montana
That was the good ole days till the wolves drove all the herds south into colorado. I did manage to see a deer track in the woods last week though. 
Bobby
************* I BE BACK*******************
Bobby
************* I BE BACK*******************
05-12-2006, 04:26 AM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Halifax PA USA
Posts: 59
RE: April Scouting In Montana
We are located in Southwestern Montana and the wolve threat is always a concern. They can literallyclean out an area of game and wreck an outfitters operation or cause financialsetbacks to ranchers who make a living off their lands. It's sad the very same people who want to "save" the wolves don't realize the economical impact of letting these wolve packs devastate our natural resources that will take many years to recover while substantially effecting the financial stability of game departments through reduced license sales because of fewer game animals. This problem needs to be addressed beforethe outcome is irriversable.
05-12-2006, 06:46 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dover, PA USA
Posts: 5,497
RE: April Scouting In Montana
Steve,
Tell Adam I said hello, and I sent a little business your way for 07'.......been hearing fantastic things about your operation. Good luck this season.
(PS, you might want to consider becoming a sponsor of the site?)
Tell Adam I said hello, and I sent a little business your way for 07'
.......been hearing fantastic things about your operation. Good luck this season.(PS, you might want to consider becoming a sponsor of the site?)
05-12-2006, 06:47 PM
#5
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Halifax PA USA
Posts: 59
RE: April Scouting In Montana
Hello, Thanks for the feedback and potential clients for 07'. I just talked with Adam and we are both anticipating a great year in Montana. That trip was awesome and I can't wait to get back out there. The amountgame there is unbelievable! Especially from a bowhuntergrowing up inPa.
I will be advertising with the site starting in August. I have the ad information and I will be contacting Huntingnet over the Summer to set it up. I will also have a field journal set up so I can post results straight from the camp in Montana. This site is the best on the web and I am looking forward to hooking up with you guys for the future.
Thanks for writing and call anytime you want to talk hunting!
Keith
I will be advertising with the site starting in August. I have the ad information and I will be contacting Huntingnet over the Summer to set it up. I will also have a field journal set up so I can post results straight from the camp in Montana. This site is the best on the web and I am looking forward to hooking up with you guys for the future.
Thanks for writing and call anytime you want to talk hunting!
Keith
05-12-2006, 09:36 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dover, PA USA
Posts: 5,497
RE: April Scouting In Montana
Sorry Keith, I thought I was talking to Steve........
You guys have a heck of an operation, I know Adam well enough to know that if he says "You NEED to come out here" that you better start rooting through the couch cushions for any spare $$ you can find to make it happen.
I can only imagine what the buck parade must be like compared to here in PA. [:-]
If some stroke of luck hits me and the $$ gets freed up I would be out there with you.
Best of luck.
You guys have a heck of an operation, I know Adam well enough to know that if he says "You NEED to come out here" that you better start rooting through the couch cushions for any spare $$ you can find to make it happen.
I can only imagine what the buck parade must be like compared to here in PA. [:-]
If some stroke of luck hits me and the $$ gets freed up I would be out there with you.
Best of luck.
