Montana big game hunting season opener

I liked how my wife put it, "Opening week should be a holiday". I agree wholeheartedly. I opted to skip the weekend rush for hunting and went out today. I was like a kid before Christmas last night, going over my hunting plans as my head drifted off to sleep. I rolled out of the driveway at 615, a late start by most accounts. Down a gated road with my bike in the dark, then off through fluffy white snow for the morning. Didn't see any live critters, save a bald eagle that was spying on me. But I found a nice set of whitetail sheds, matching nonetheless.

Later in the day I met up with a buddy in a different spot and we checked out some new ground. Fat flakes fell sideways out for most of the late afternoon but failed to accumulate. We climbed a few ridges and saw lots of fresh sign. Finally close to the end of the hunt we found a cow elk just 50 yards away. Trying to grow horns on it, we ended up unsuccessful and were only able to take home the adrenaline and a good story. Twelve miles covered today, and big smiles.

Missoulian article on opening hunting weekend: Montanans seemed to ease into hunting season this year, taking advantage of a longer opening weekend to bag a lot more game.

Last year, game wardens at the Darby, Anaconda and Bonner check stations recorded 164 deer and elk at the end of the first weekend of big-game rifle season. The tally grew to 251 animals this opener. But hunters got to start on Saturday instead of Sunday, giving them two days to reach that total, and some had been in the field even longer.....

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