Hunting Season Going Well

Start of our fourth week of rifle season and we have new snow!  That will really help our hunters.  We are seeing elk still very high and the deer are just now starting to rut.  We have a wonderful group of people this week and we are wishing them the best.  Check out our photos so far this season at https://picasaweb.google.com/uppercanyon/HuntingSeason201102?authuser=0&feat=directlink

First Week UCO Hunting Camp 2011

 Getting back into the swing of hunting season did not take long.  It has been an eventful first week of rifle season here at Upper Canyon.   By the end of the first day of rifle season we had harvested two nice 6x6 bulls, two cows and a respectable eight point whitetail.   Then, on day two, one of our hunters harvested a monster of a 5x5 bull elk.  It will score well over 330.  

We have a great group of hunters this week, pleasant, fun and they have a great mental attitude about the hunt.   They realize hunting is hard work and dedication.  Being in good shape can help your hunt immensely, however there is much more to a hunt than just hiking around the mountains.  Having a good attitude can be the difference from having a fantastic week of hunting with your buddies or a week of being miserable in the cold and only thinking about that perfect shot you need at a monster bull.  Personally, I would much rather guide a person with a good attitude than someone in top physical condition who has a bad one.  Don’t let the little things that go wrong in your hunt sour your attitude of the whole experience. 

Staying Warm on Your Western Hunt:

Regardless of how well you’re geared up, there is no denying that cold weather hunting requires perseverance and determination.  Remember, dressing properly can take the edge off the cold and add extra comfort, but nature shows no mercy.  I've seen hunters arrive unprepared and suffer the consequences.  Those hunters who plan and come prepared often reap the benefits of acknowledging nature's unforgiving chill.  With a reasonable amount of clothing most hunters are able to endure even in extreme cold.  Use layering.  Layering traps air which keeps cold out and body heat in.  You can peel off layers as you exercise and avoid overheating.  Use an under layer to handle perspiration, a middle layer to provide insulation, and an outer layer to cut the wind and provide protection from precipitation.

Here are a few tips to help keep you warm while you are hiking and riding horses on your western hunting adventure.

• Feet.  Start with warm, dry boots, warm feet, and don’t impair your circulation by tight boots or socks that are too small.  Use a thin sock liner with a medium weight wool outer-sock.  This provides wicking, insulation, and cushion.  Choose boots that fit well but are not the least bit tight.  Even slight pressure will cut off circulation and result in cold feet.  As guides we wear the Kenetreck 13” Cowboy Boot or the Schnee’s Western Adventure.  UCO is on a dealer program for Kenteck boots.  You can now order your boots directly from the ranch - give the Upper Canyon Office a call if you would like to place an order.  To review boots available go to http://www.kenetrek.com/ Wearing a liner sock and wool in either of these keeps my feet warm even on the coldest days.
• Hands.  For temperatures around thirty degrees Fahrenheit, cross-country ski gloves, often a blend of warm fabrics and leather, provide grip and warmth.  For hunting I favor wool mitts almost exclusively, particularly the kind with the flip-open fingertips. Accessibility to shooting fingers is very important.  In evere temperatures and the high wind chill I like a couple of different methods.   I will use the wool as a liner and adding a Thinsulate^TM glove or for  riding in colder weather we wear heated gloves by Gerbings we have enjoyed these so much that we sell them at our ranch store to review their products go to http://coreheat.net/Products/Products.html#Gloves   I always have extra gloves in my pack.
• Head.  Don't be negligent in your choice of headgear you can lose a great deal of precious body heat through your head.  When the weather is below freezing, and especially if there is wind, choose an insulated hat with a tight outer cover to deter heat loss from convection by the wind.  A hat with ear and forehead flaps will save you if the weather changes for the worse mid-ride.   We like the rancher caps that are a specialized western hat with ear flaps.    http://www.kenetrek.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ST-5050BLK  NOTE- we do not like orange caps. 
• Protect yourself from Ultra-Violet rays.  Take care of your eyes by wearing sun glasses that provide protection from UV rays.  Tinted lenses without UV protection may be worse than no sunglasses at all because the dark lenses encourage the pupils to dilate, thus letting in more harmful glare.
• Neck.  Clothing around your neck should be adjustable or removable so you can vent body heat and perspiration.  Choose jackets with zip collars, zip turtlenecks, neck gaiters and silk scarves.  A young man in the valley has supplied us with his homemade oversized silk scarves.  These work great to keep you warm and help with a collage fund for Sam Wood!!
• Legs.  For very cold weather, choose insulated pants.  DO NOT WEAR CARHARTTS THEY ARE LOUD AND THE SAME COLOR AS AN ELK. To keep the bottoms of your pants dry and your boot from filling up with snow (especially when you are hiking and leading your horse) use gaiters over your pants and boots. 
• Upper Body.  Since your trunk rarely gets cold (due to heat of circulation, respiration, digestion), be sure you layer your upper body.  Some jackets perform the functions of the middle and outer layers. Choose outer garments that unzip or unsnap from both the top and the bottom and if you can find it a nice feature is rear gussets which unsnap to cover the cantle.  Be sure your riding jacket allows freedom of movement in the shoulder and arm area. 
• When we have you hiking it may be best to minimize your clothing and carry a pack containing proper garb.  It can get very cold riding a horse up a mountain trail so have your gear handy for when you get back on your horse.  

Now you're geared up for cold weather hunting and riding.

GREAT VIDEO

This is a fantastic video of our ranch hunts and a look at the extreme conditions in the backcountry camp.  Now remember why we sold that camp.  Great hunting footage by Outdoor Life Magazine.

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/hunting/2011/03/grand-slam-welcome-montana

Lucky UCO Client

This is a story sent us my one of our clients:  Thanks Dave

                                             My Lucky Montana Hunt

How a Michigan Hunter Scored Twice Thanks to Upper Canyon Outfitters

                     and the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association

My  2010 Montana hunting trip was originally planned for October of 2009. The previous winter, after watching a hunting show on TV, I had sent an e mail to the show’s host, Ron Spomer, requesting his  suggestion for a good mule deer trip. My wife, Diana, although not a hunter, would accompany me since we would make the western trip into a vacation. I needed  accommodations that would be comfortable and allow activities for Diana as I hunted. Ron advised me to  contact Donna and Jake McDonald of Upper Canyon outfitters on Montana’s Ruby River saying, “They’re fine folks.”  After talking with Donna a couple of times I sent a deposit check and the arrangements were set. As fate would have it, about a week later our daughter, who lives in the Chicago area, called and asked just exactly when we would be in Montana. She and her husband had just found out that they were expecting their second child about that time in October. I immediately called Donna, who was very understanding, and my Montana hunt was rescheduled for October of 2010.  As expected, Elisabeth Madeleine arrived right in the middle of what would have been my October hunt. When we later finalized arrangements in the spring of 2010, Donna encouraged me to apply for a combination deer/elk tag. “If you don’t Dave, that nice bull elk is going to step out there and you will wish you had the tag.” Donna’s advice proved prophetic.

On the third day of my (2010) hunt, guide Paul Simmon and I were working up a deep ravine near an area where Paul had spotted a decent mule deer buck the day before. Suddenly Paul stopped and pointed up the steep slope to our right. “That’s a legal bull elk!” Two days before, when separated from Paul, I had missed the chance at a decent bull trying to spot the requisite brow tines which make the bull legal in the area we were hunting.  The elk that Paul spotted was nearly straight up in a cluster of cedar and junipers. With no time to even take my pack off, I pulled up the rifle and looked for a shot as the elk moved between the thick shrubs. After I took my shot, the elk moved up the slope, I immediately worked another round into the chamber and  fired again.  Momentarily I  lost sight of the elk.  Suddenly it appeared that the bull had turned course and was moving off to our right. Just as I prepared for a third shot Paul shouted “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot! That’s a different bull!” As I lowered the rifle, three or four cow elk followed this bull up the slope and out of sight. Swinging his binoculars back to the left, Paul, very excitedly, exclaimed “you got him!” Sure enough the antlers of my bull elk were sticking up in a small opening high up the slope.

With significant effort Paul and I worked our way up the steep rocky slope to what turned out to be a very nice five by five bull elk. It was my first elk. I was thrilled, but I believe Paul was just as excited. Had he not spotted the bull,  I may  never have seen it nor had this opportunity. Although it was only  10 AM or so, the balance of the day was then spent quartering and packing out the elk. Donna and  another guide and his wife arrived to help Paul. The elk had to be packed and transported down the steep slope and  then up the opposite slope to where ATV’s could be used to haul the elk back to camp.

Although we didn’t see a mule deer that we wanted to take, I was more than satisfied, not just with the hunt, but with the wonderful food, accommodations, and companionship provide by Jake and Donna, their staff, and the other hunters in camp. We left Montana wanting to come back for another hunt or perhaps a summer trip to experience the wonderful fly fishing on the Ruby River.

That was about as much fun and excitement that anyone should expect. But on a Saturday night  in January we received a call at about 1 AM (Michigan time). Sleepily, Diana handed me the phone and said “It’s someone from Montana - something about an ATV, I think maybe Donna’s there.” As I came to the phone I remembered a couple of raffle tickets that Donna had taken from me the night before my hunt started, saying  “If you win something,  I’ll call you.” I believe that  I replied “The last thing  I won   was a  cake   at PTA carnival when I was in the 3^rd grade.”  Well, my losing streak was over.  I had won a brand new Honda Rancher 4x4 in  the raffle which was held by the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association (MOGA), which Donna and Jake actively support. MOGA, through its membership, promotes hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities throughout the State of Montana.

MOGA also sponsors their own charity known as Big Hearts Under The Big Sky. The ATV raffle was  in support of the Big Hearts Program. Through the Big Hearts Program, and with the help of its members, MOGA provides outdoor activities for deserving veterans, youngsters with life threatening illnesses, and ladies fighting their personal battles with breast cancer. My late night call came from Donna and MOGA Executive Director, Mac Minard right after they had concluded the raffle and other activities that end their annual meeting.  The Honda ATV, which is now in my garage sporting a snow plow, was very generously donated to the Big Hearts Program by the Winchell family, owners  of Montana Honda and Marine in Billings. They have been gracious supporters of the Big Hearts Program. Montana Honda  and their business manager Mike Ryan, along with Donna and Jake McDonald  helped me immensely  as I  arranged shipment  of the ATV.

Yes, Jake and Donna, are truly “fine folks,” as are all the people at Upper Canyon Ranch,  MOGA, Montana Honda and Marine, and just about everyone we met in Montana. There seems to be a common love not just for the hunting, the fishing, and  the ranching, but also the preservation of this western heritage and the land  that makes it all possible. I can’t guarantee that anyone’s hunt or vacation will be as lucky as mine proved to be.  However, I do know some folks in Montana that will certainly do their best to help make it happen.

Dave Drake