SSONS FROM THE 1910 FIRE HOW F^P^RO^A/S -2^ -. ^ -V •X-ft Best Magazine: 2005, 2006, 2008 Runner-up: 2007, 2009 Awarded by the Association for Conservation Information STATE OF MONTANA Brian Schweitzer, Governor MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE & PARKS Joe Maurier, Director MONTANA FWP COMMISSION Bob Ream, Chairman Willie Doll Ron IVloody Shane Colton Dan Vermillion COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION Ron Aasheim, Chief MONTANA OUTDOORS STAFF Tom Dickson, Editor Lul>' FAL ILLUSTRATION BY LUKe.DURAN". 19.10RRE PHOTO IMAGE OF WALLACE, IDAHO, COURTESY BARNARD-STOCKBRIDGE PHOTOGRAPH COLLEOION. UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO LIBRARY Deckmber 2.pio, Ryp-rht-goy/mcoucdoors The Great Fire of How the Big Burn shaped the nation's fire-fighting policy and transformed a 4,700-square-mile landscape in northern Idaho and western Montana. BY MICHAEL JAMISON 1 ut of the underbrush dashed a man — grimy, breathless, hat ' in hand. At his heels came another. Then a whole crew, all casting fearful glances behind them," wrote forest ranger Joseph Halm in a chapter of /'// Never Fight Fire With My Bare Hands Again. "'She's coming!'" the man cried. "'The whole country's afire! Grab your stuff, ranger, and let's get out of here!'" Although Halm and his men had been bat- tling wildfires for weeks, this breathless warn- ; from the terrified arrivals was his first real hint of the unimaginable hours to come. It was mid-August 1910, and the heat was like a hammer. It hadn't rained since May. Halm worked on Idaho's Coeur d'Alene Na- tional Forest, and his crews were fighting fire in the high headwaters of the St. Joe River, not far from the Montana line. They'd spent days slashing their way into the remote wilderness, 65 miles from the nearest rail- road, and by August 18 they finally had their blaze contained. But then came those terri- fied men, rushing out of the brush with hell at their heels. ►►■ i^it^S^ MoNTAitlA.Olri "For days," Halm wrote, "an ominous, sti- fling pall of smoke had hung over the valleys and mountains. Crews of men, silent and grim, worked along the encircling fire trenches." Even wild animals ventured close to camp, their fear of fire overwhelming their fear of men. "Birds, bewildered, hopped about in the thickets, their song sub- dued," Halm wrote, "choked by the stifling smoke and oppressive heat." The sun "rose and set beyond the pall of smoke. All nature seemed tense, unnatural and ominous." And then, on the afternoon of August 20, the wind started to howl, the result of two pow- erfijl weather systems colliding over eastern Washington. The fire that Halm's men thought was trenched rose and roared and rampaged into their camp. "As if by magic," Halm wrote, "sparks were fanned to flames, which licked the trees into one great conflagration." The men dashing into camp "had dropped their tools and fled for their lives. A great wall of fire was com- ing out of the northwest." Halm's men headed for a small gravel bar in a nearby creek, "an open space scarcely 30 feet across." By the time they gathered there, fire had surrounded their tiny island and "the quiet of a few minutes before had become a horrible din. The hissing, roaring flames, the terrific crashing and rending of falling timber was deafening, terrifying." A few tried to hide beneath wet blankets, but were flushed out as towering trees came crashing down around them. A downstream logjam ignited into "a threatening hell," Halm wrote. "If the wind changed, a single blast from this inferno would wipe us out. Our drenched clothing steamed and smoked; still the men fought." They fought shovel by shovel, bucket by bucket — now not to control the blaze, but to survive it. Dawn sneaked up slowly, filtered by thick layers of smoke. As the forest lightened, Halm saw for the first time that "the green, standing forest of yesterday was gone." A crew member asked him what he'd do now, and Halm mut- tered something about calling in more men. But there were no more men. "Little did I Michael Jamison of Missoula is a freelance writer who also works for the National Parks Conservation Association. know, as I spoke, that our fire that morning was but a dot on the blackened map of Idaho and Montana," the fire ranger wrote. The 1910 fire — fanned by hurricane-force winds called Palousers and known variously as the Big Burn or the Big Blovioip — scorched 3 million acres of Idaho and Montana, killed 78 firefighters and nine civilians, turned entire towns to cinder, and darkened sunsets all the way to New York City. But on the morning of August 21, Halm — like fire bosses throughout the region — had no way of knowing that. So he set out, surveying a landscape abruptly transformed by wind and flame. "On the ridges and slopes," he wrote, "every tree was now uprooted and down." Halm and his men came across the rem- nants of their horses and supply camps and "saw the remains of an elk and several deer; also, a grouse, hopping about with feet and feathers burned off — a pitiful sight." They also found the body of a prospector, "burned beyond recognition," one of many unable to outrun the firestorm. Halm knew then that nothing in these forests would ever be the same. 1,000-YEAR EVENT "The fires of 1910 transformed forestry in the Inland Northwest," wrote U.S. Forest Service (USPS) historian Hal Rothman in the introduction to I'll Never Fight Fire With My Bare Hands Again, which he also edited. "The scope and scale of the fires, and the need for response, dramatically reshaped the way foresters assessed their obligations. The culture of the agency, the way in which! foresters saw themselves, and nearly every- thing else about the agency at the grass roots changed in the aftermath of the fires of 1910." 10 I November-December zoio | fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors ^-S^r - ."^8*^" i,f«^'- #'"#^i-.',^ ^>«^ - ~#^-: aefe';_ i^ihS^ -* :-7~. -"v ■L:*^^;l£j^»^"iJ OUR MOST mMefOL'^'^ ^!3 NEVER AGAIN The Big Burn and other deadly blazes so unnerved the American public that Congress afterward demanded total fire suppression from the fledgling U.S. Forest Service. Above: Fire- fighters train in the Umatilla National Forest. 1939, under the Forest Service's new/ policy: All fires to be extinguished by 10 a.m. the next morning. Left: Smokey Bear, who first appeared in 1944, is the longest-running public service advertising cam- paign in U.S. history. The iconic ranger mascot helped convince Americans that every fire de- stroys forests and wildlife. That enduring public perception continues to put pressure on federal firefighters to suppress all fires at all costs. Some say the Big Burn and the roughly 1 ,700 other fires that summer were sparked by years of slash left by loggers. Others say fuels had built up following a century of dousing the Native American tradition of burning forests. Still others blame the rail- road, whose coal-fired engines kindled the main drivers, if not the main driver, of the Forest Service getting deadly serious about fighting fire." The horrific maelstrom produced a public outcry to suppress fijture forest fires at all costs. Previously the fledgling Forest Service, formed by conservationists Gifford Pinchot and President Theodore Lk We've interrupted the natural cycle of low-intensity, high-frequency fire. And when you change fire interval, you change everything." many forest blazes. "But in realit)'," says Steve Barrett, a fire ecology consultant in Kalispell, "it was a 1,000-year event, a per- fect storm of long-term drought, lightning, high wind, and a total lack of trained people on the ground." The Big Burn, says Barrett, "was one of Roosevelt, struggled to obtain even modest funding from Congress. After the Big Burn the agency was given carte blanche to battle blazes, and it invested heavily in roads, look- outs, and highly trained fire crews. Later the Forest Service introduced bulldozers, smoke- jumpers, and planes that dropped tons ot flame retardant — what some now call the wildfire-industrial complex. The policy, endorsed by lumber companies fearful of los- ing precious timber, called for extinguishing all fires on national forests by 10 a.m. the fol- lowing morning. The USPS has since revised its policy to allow some wildfires to burn and to use man- aged "prescribed" fires to reduce fuel buildup. But in the aftermath of the Big Burn, public pressure made any approach but absolute fire suppression untenable. Dousing all fires may have been good public policy, but it weakened forests and allowed them to grow more flammable. Long adapted to cycles of fire and regrowth, "protected" forests grew thick and tight. As years passed they became increasingly choked with dead and downed trees — ripe for another big burn. Previous to the 20th century, American Indians and lightning produced low-heat fires, which were health- ier for forests. But after 1910, says Pat Van Eimeren, a fisheries biologist with the Flathead National Forest, the USPS "started putting out [all] fires, and ultimately that resulted in more forest fuels and higher- intensity burns." Ironically, the nation's response to the 1910 fire was to create a policy that created in future decades conditions for a new era of destructive fires. In 2000 the combination of dry conditions and fuel buildup caused more than 7.2 million acres to burn, prima- rily in western states, nearly double the ten- year average. Six years later, almost 10 mil- lion acres burned nationwide. Fire experts warn that high-intensit)' fires have become unavoidable. "We've interrupted the natural cycle ot low-intensity, high-trequenc)' fire," Barrett says. And in an ecosystem historically cleansed and shaped by periodic flame, he adds, "when you change the fire inten-al, you change everyahing." HEALTHY FLAMES Fires can destroy propernv threaten himian lile, and transform a lush woodland into a charred netherworld. But fires also can revi- talize forest ecosystems. F\XT fisheries biolo- gist Mark Deleray says trout streams have long evolved in a landscape periodically set aflame. Fires release carbon and nitroKn, Montana Ovrrooois ! I which wash through the system and nourish aquatic vegetation. Aquatic insects thrive, providing more food for trout. Van Eimeren adds that fires also create habitat by toppUng big trees that dam streams and create water- falls and deep pools. "That large, woody debris is what fish need," he says. "It's cover, shade, a place for bugs to live." But exceedingly hot fires can do more damage than good. Soon after the 1910 fire, rain washed scorched, powder-dry soils off bare hillsides into streams, suffocating trout, aquatic insects, and fish eggs. Landslides ol cobble formed dams that block fish migra- tion to this day, isolating and weakening populations. Abundant sunlight warmed mountain tributaries beyond what trout, especially bull trout, could tolerate. Because snow in brushlands doesn't last as long as in shady, timbered areas, where it can remain well into June, streams were deprived of trickling snowmelt that keeps water temper- atures cool throughout summer. Another result of the Big Burn was con- struction of a vast transportation system with- in national forests to get firefighters and their equipment deep into forests and allow log- ging companies to reach timber. "By far the greatest impacts we have to fisheries today are from forest roads," Van Eimeren says. He explains that dirt roads bleed fine sediment into streams, clogging the gravel in stream bottoms where trout spawn. And metal cul- verts built a half century ago where forest roads cross streams prevent fish from moving to and from historic spawning waters. The Big Burn and its aftereffects on forest policy have also shaped western Montana wildlife habitat. When Mike Thompson, FWP regional supervisor, drives west from his Missoula office toward St. Regis, he sees scars of the 1910 fire still visible along the 1-90 corridor. "The whole way you think you're looking at mature forests," he says. "But dien, all of a sudden, it's 'holy cow.' Sticking up about two times higher than the rest of the forest is this old remnant stand that the 1910 fire somehow missed. That's when you realize that the forest you've been looking at is 100-year-old lodgepole, and it's butting up against these huge, ancient larch. The forest that's here now bears very little resemblance to the one that was here before the big fire of 1910." After the Big Burn, hillsides were opened to sunlight, prompting the growth of huckle- berry, willow, and other shrubs. Over the next half century, mule deer populations bur- geoned as the animals browsed emergent again, mule deer numbers declined, elk num- bers tapered off, and populations of white- tailed deer — a species that prefers denser cover — increased. The complexity of old-growth forests was largely replaced by the relative homogeny of ^i We've finally gotten around to talking about fire management rather than just fire suppression." shrubfields. Elk benefited years later, as forests grew and expanded to abut open grassy win- ter range. Moose, also shrub eaters, initially thrived in the newly opened landscape, while lynx lost the dense forests that held their main food source, snowshoe hares. Then, as trees shaded shrubs and the forest canopy closed lodgepole pine. In many areas between 1-90 and the Idaho border, decades of fire sup- pression created dense stands of aging lodge- pole that has become weak and susceptible _ to attack by pinebark beetles. | When Thompson talks to seasoned hunters about the wildlife populations and landscape 12 ; November-December loio | fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors DON'T MISS a single issue: Subscribe today! YES! I'd like a year (six issues) of Montana Outdoors for just $9. My/Donor Information: (Required for gin subscription) Send a Gift to: (Pleasepnm) Name Name Address Address City Select: lYear 6/$9 State 2 Years 12/$16 Zip 3 Years 18/$22 City Select lYear 6/$9 Payment enclosed Bill me later Add $3 per year for Canadian subscriptions. All other hreign subscriptions are $45/year, paid in advance For faster service, subscribe by phone: (800) 678-6668 Or subscribe on-line: fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors State 2 Years i2/$m Zip 3 Years l8/$22 Best Deal! UIDA Place Stamp Here ^IdnffiaOiiE loors BLAGKBEARS Is hunting h'ufling'the population? MONTANA OUTDOORS MONTANA FISH WILDLIFE & PARKS 930 W CUSTER AVE PO BOX 200701 HELENA MT 59620-0701 i'iliinllil>i"l'"lilli|i|l Pirl I'M'I'M' Subscribe today and you'll receive the latest on Montana's: ■ Fish and wildlife management ■ Conservation issues and activities ■ Hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching Plus the annual photo issue! of 30 or 50 years ago, he's reminded of the tremendous change the region has undergone after the historic fire. "They say, 'This is how it was when I grew up,' and I think, 'It's a whole different forest now.'" DESCENDENTS OF FIRE The 1910 fire indirectly ushered in modern wildlife management practices that have led to healthier game populations and better hunting. Retired FWP wildlife biologist John Firebaugh explains that the logging and fire- fighting roads constructed up many drain- ages gave hunters in the mid-20th century more access to backcountry area.s, increasing deer and elk harvest beyond sustainable lev- els. That forced wildlife managers to devi.se stricter harvest regulations, which later led to today's finely tuned management of big game populations in dozens of different hunting districts. Adds Thompson, "I guess you could say today's wildlife populations are descen- dants of that fire." The Big Burn also created vast tracts of near-wilderness. While some ol the 3 mil- lion acres scorched in 1910 retained healthy trees, many large tracts were so devastated the timber could not be salvaged. Long since recovered, those areas are now secure wildlife habitat containing no roads. "These factors helped maintain one of the largest backcountry complexes in the lower 48," wrote Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a national conservation organi- zation, in an editorial published in the Missoulian on the 100-year anniversan' of the 1910 fire. "Benveen the North Fork Clearwater and Lochsa drainages of Idaho and the middle and lower Clark Fork drainages of Montana, more than 1 million acres of roadless areas remain today." The centenary of the Big Burn offers opportunities to examine both the horrors of fire and its value. A blackened tree stump or smoldering building makes the devastation obvious. But the seeming paradox of benefi- cial fire remains difficult to grasp. The old message was simple: "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires." The new message is more com- plicated and harder to comprehend. "We've finally gotten around to talking about fire management rather than just fire suppres- sion," says retired USPS fire ecologist Stephen Arno of Florence. "But by the time we started that conversation it was already pretty late in the game, and the public had already been brought up on Smokey the Bear. " Federal agencies have learned much about fire over the decades. By the 1980s many forest managers were endorsing the reintro- duction of wildfire into ecosystems. In 1995 the USPS officially revised its fire-fighting polic)' to allow some wildfires to burn them- selves out. A report by the Departments of Interior and Agriculture following the 2000 fire season noted, "'While the [old] policy of aggressive fire suppression appeared to be successful, it set the stage for the intense fires that we see today." For years Kalispell writer Ben Long has been pondering the relationship benveen humans, forests, and fire, especially in the aftermath of the Big Burn. "A century after that horrific fire, we are still tn'ing to shape forests to our designs, " he savs. "Were squan- dering huge amounts of mone\' — and some- times firefighters' lives — in the process, but still were never reallv satisfied witli how the tinkering turns out. It seems that how we view our relationship with fire and forests has for too long been blurred by fear, by economic interests, and by a lack of understanding of ecological processes. "Maybe 100 years later the haze and smoke is finally clearing," Long adds. "Maybe now we can see what it is we're doing to forests — and to ourselves in the process — a bit more clearly. " ™ Montana Outdoors 1 '. LIVING UP TO ITS 14 November-December, 2010 ''fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors NAME i How controversial hunting regulations restored big bulls to the Elkhorn Mountains BY LEE LAMB ELK PARADISE Rising liiw»i ike an island, the isolated 300,000- acre Elkhorn Range rises trom the f surrounding vallev tioor to more than 9,000 feet. The mix of alpine kikes, torests, meadows, aspen groves, granite outcrops, creeks, and juniper shrublands provides a wildlife haven. Species diversin' ranges from mountain wildlite like bighorn sheep and cougars to prairie mainstays such as antelope and long-billed curlews. Humans have had a presence in the Elkhorns for thousands ot years. But not until Europeans arrived in the Montana On tuv mid- 1800s with the onset of hardrock min- ing and Hvestock grazing did wildUfe popu- lations dedine. As elsewhere in the West, the range's elk herd quickly diminished under pressures of market and subsistence hunting. In 1905, Theodore Roosevelt designated the Elkhorn Mountains as a permanent forest reserve to protect it for wildlife and public use. Two years later, it became part of the national forest system. In 1939, wildhfe biologists captured 34 elk in Yellowstone Na- tional Park and released them into the southern Elkhorns to help reestablish the population, which by then had nearly disap- peared. By the early 1960s, the herd had grown to 400, and over the next two decades that number more than doubled. Despite the growing population, all was not well with the Elkhorns elk herd. Relendess hunting pressure on antlered elk made the ratio of bulls to cows extremely low. "This is how bad things were," says Carlsen. "Of 1,000 elk we identified by aerial surveys in 1985, only nine were bulls, and they were all yearlings." Males "Males made up less than 1 percent of the population." made up less than 1 percent of the Elkhorns popula- tion. Healthy elk populadons have at least 10 males for every 100 females. Concerned that there might not be enough mature males in HD 380 to breed with cows, FWP adjusted hunting regulations to increase bull numbers and help bulls live longer. Under the spike season, any archery or firearms hunter with a general elk license may shoot a spike as long as its antlers don't branch. If branched, the point must be less than 4 inches long as measured from the main antler beam. "About 20 percent of yearling bulls have a 4-inch or longer branch, so they are protected," says Carlsen. "Those are the more robust year- lings that live to be 2V2-year-olds." Hunters who want to shoot a mature bull must enter a drawing each summer for an either-sex per- mit, which allows them to shoot a branch- Writer Lee Lamb grew up in the foothills of the Elkhorns. She now splits her time between Poison and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. FORTUNATE FEW Growing one of the nation's top trophy elk herds comes with a cost: Only a handful of lucky hunters draw a permit to hunt the mature bulls each year. antlered bull or an antlerless elk. Hunters can also apply for a B license, which allows them to harvest an anderless (cow or calf) elk. As FWP biologists expected, hunters were slow to accept the new regula- tion. Check station surveys the first year showed only 25 percent in favor. But three years later, 75 percent of Elkhorns hunters supported the spike season. "We knew it would take several years to build up the different age classes of bulls. We started off pretty conservatively in issuing permits, only about 35 a year," Carlsen says. "But after only a couple of years we were seeing 4-, 5-, and a few 6-year-old bulls, and hunters started to come around." Support for the Elkhorns spike season has remained high as elk continue to mature. Carlsen says the average age of bulls harvested by hunters has increased from 1 V2 years old to 6 Vi years old today. Hunters are also seeing more elk. The herd has grown to more than 2,000 animals thanks to more breeding bidls and harvest restrictions on cow elk. FWP's elk manage- ment plan for the Elkhorns, revised in 2005, calls for being able to observe 1 ,700 to 2,300 elk in the population following the himting season. It also stipulates a ratio of 1 5 bulls per 100 cows on the winter range and an average age of harvested mature bulls between 5 Vi and 6 V2 years old. Carlsen says these objec- tives, along with the percentage of yearling bulls that survive hunting season and winter each year, determine the number of either- Bulls in Hunting District 380, 1983-2010 By limiting the harvest of mature bulls starting in 1987, FWP vastly increased the overall number of males in the herd and the number of bulls 2V2 years and older. 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Total bulls Bulls 2y2 years or older T+ T^ tm 1111 I I nriiii^ft.. , n n I I I I 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 I I I I I I I I I r 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 w 2005 2007 2009 1 6 November-December loio fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors sex permits issued annually. That number has stayed at 1 1 0 for the past decade. Because anyone can apply for the either-sex permits, less than 2 percent of the several thousand applicants are drawn. But luck}' hunters who win an Elkhorns either-sex permit have a success rate of roughly 70 per- cent— more than three times the statewide average. "Because they realize it's more or less a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, they gener- ally hunt pretty hard," Carlsen says. Lifelong elk hunter Al Christophersen of Helena spent months pursuing his trophy bull after drawing a coveted Elkhorns per- mit in 2002. After scouting that summer, he spent archery season crawling through a gauntlet of downed logs and doghair lodge- pole pines play- ing cat and mouse with bug- ling bulls. After following many dead-end trails, Christophersen eventually shot a massive GxG bull during the final days of the sea- son. "I've been a meat hunter my whole life," he says, "but when you've got one of those permits in your pocket, you tend to zone out the cows, the spikes, and even the raghorn bulls. I passed up 1 5 bulls that season, waiting for that 'special one.' And when I finally found him, it took three more days of hunting before I tagged him. He was 8 Vi years old, a tribute to elk management in the Elkhorns." Elk management in the Elkhorns is made easier thanks to abundant hunting access. Most of the Elkhorn Range is public land (including an 80,000-acre roadless area) cooperatively managed by the Helena and Beaverhead- Deerlodge national forests, the Bureau of Land Management, and FWP. Portions of the foothills and surrounding valley bot- toms contain large working ranches — ideal places for elk to hang out when fall snow- storms, or hunters, drive them down from Elk management in the Elkhorns is made easier thanks to abundant public hunting access, including 100,000 acres in Block Management. x5 TIRED BULL DiJfi . - '80s, the Elkhorns elk population . . lacked enough males to breed with ' females, dropping at one point to a ratio of just 1 bull per 100 cows. W^: .=£. PROUD HUNTERS IN HD 380 Over the past two decades, Tom Carlson, FWP management biologist for the Elkhorns, has collected these and other snapshots of successful bull hunters. Carlsen says mature bulls with antler scores of 340, 350, and higher are not uncommon in the Elkhorns, where bulls average 6% years old. A typical letter from a hunter who drew an either-sex permit and killed a big bull: Thanks FWP!!! All of your efforts in the 380 area made my hunt fantastic! It is one I will never forget. Great ivork! — Brock Thomas, Belgrade, Montana SOMETHING TO BUGLE ABOUT Mature bulls were rare in the Elkhorns not long ago. Says Tom Carlsen, FWP biologist: "In 1985 we ciiecked on a tiarvested bull that was four years old, and we all remarked how highly unusual it was to see one even that old." Today the Elkhorns contain bulls in their mid-teens— ages unobtainable back when any hunter had the opportunity to kill a branch-antlered bull in HD 380. the mountains. Fortunately for hunters, roughly 20 Elkhorns-area landowners have enrolled a total of 100,000 acres in Montana's Block Management Program. Through the program, FWP helps landowners manage hunting activity in exchange for providing free public hunting access to their property. "Because these Block Management Areas are pretty well scattered around the mountain range and offer good access, they've been real impor- tant in helping us manage elk numbers," Carlsen says. FWP controls the size of the Elkhorns herd by adjusting the number of cow elk that hunters kill each season. During years when the population gets too low, the department reduces antlerless elk permits. When elk numbers get too high, FWP increases permits. Each year over the past decade, the department has offered from 350 (1989) to 900 (2010) antlerless per- mits, now known as B licenses. Though he considers elk management in the Elkhorns a success, Carlsen concedes that FWP took a risk by instituting the spike sea- son. "If it hadn't worked, we'd have taken some real heat, " he says. Fortunately, the elk population has doubled since 1987 and the proportion of bulls has grown from 1 percent to roughly 1 1 percent. Some of those bulls are now 13, 14, and older — ages rarely reached in Montana (and in only a tew other parts of the West, for that matter). "We even had a 15-year-old bull har\'ested last tall, the oldest that's come out ot there," Carlsen says. "That's the exception, but just the fact that a bull had the chance to live that long is pretty rare." FWP monitors elk age in the Elkliorns by asking hunters who shoot a bull to mail in an "We've got every age class in the bull population up to 15 years old." incisor, which is then torwarded to a private laboratory in Milltown for aging. After clean- ing, sectioning, and staining the tooth, tech- nicians count the dark rings that grow each winter in the cementum (the tissue terming the outer layers of the root) — much like counting growth rings on a tree. Despite the high number ot "old growth" bulls in the Elkhorns, there's no getting around the tact that only a small number ot hunters each year e\er have the opportunit)' to hunt them. More people apply tor the HD 380 either-sex permit than .ui\- other permit in Montana. But that in no wa\' lessens Rehwinkel's enthusiasm for hunting the Elkhorns. "I love the spike season," says the Townsend hunter. "The first time I saw a 7-point over on Hog Hollow, 1 couldn't believe it. I spent the whole day watching him. I've never drawn an either-sex permit, and I rarely kill a spike, but I've .seen a number of pretty nice bulls in a day, and that's something nice to see." "%, Montana Olitdoors I >'• Welcome to Montana Elk Hunting Advice for residents and nonresidents on finding where to hunt, obtaining reliable information, and negotiating the licensing and permitting process. BY TOM DICKSON ,„ponantNote-.TK.s9.'<'e^- Jeo.ta>na«ofMontan e,(,hontin9regulat^o"^-B^^°^^ .anting elM"*^""«rs are tttponsibleforreadmgand therequiations.avatoWe ,. J ,t all FW offices. on-\\ne and at ai\ r""' ■ o a beginner-whether resident or nonresident- ■ trying to learn about elk hunting in Montana can I seem like entering a secret society. The elk hunting — ^^ world is replete with inscrutable numbers and symbols (210-80, 390-00, HD, WMA, BMA, LPT), intimidat- ing restrictions ("Elk HD 424 may be subject to 1 2-hour clo- sure for the antlerless portion of the general brow-tined bull or antlerless elk season...."), and a thick regulations hand- book. The only thing missing is the special handshake. Then there's the challenge of finding somewhere to hunt. Many longtime hunters are understandably reluctant to share with newcomers the locations of their public land secret spots, earned through years of hard work and exploration. Other experienced hunters have gained access to private land through relatives, friends, and business associates- relationships that are tough to develop quickly. Fortunately, deciphering the mysterious lingo, negotiat- ing the complex procedures, and even locating a hunting spot are not as hard as they might appear. What follows is information from FWP wildlife biologists and front desk staff who regularly explain the rules, regulations, and lan- guage of Montana elk hunting to people learning about the sport for the first time. AA/here to hunt Elk range across several million acres of Montana in 148 hunting districts. Most live west of a line running from Glacier National Park to Yellowstone National Park. Roughly 50 percent of the annual elk harvest comes from southwestern Montana (FWP Region 3), in places like the Gallatin and Beaverhead-Deerlodge national forests. Elk also live along the Rocky Mountain Front and in the Big Belt, Little Belt, Pioneer, Bitterroot, Purcell, Mission, and Cabinet mountains, as well as in the Swan, Garnet, and Whitefish ranges. Two essential resources to help you decide where to hunt are the FWP Montana Elk Management Plan, available on the FWP website (fwp.mt.gov, go to "Wild Things" then "Wildlife Management" then scroll down to the elk image), and Elk Hunting Montana: Finding Success on the Best Public Lands, published by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The 400-page elk plan, last updated in 2004, lists public access opportunities, elk harvest over the previous decade, and other helpful information for each of the state's 35 EMUs, or elk management units. (Each EMU contains from two to five hunting districts, or HDs.) The plan also 20 : November— December 20 io f\vp. mt.gov/mtoutdoors f^m mmm includes a history of elk management in Montana, state- wide harvest and hunter numbers over the past decades, and the comparative densities, by EMU, of bull elk and antlerless elk harvest during selected years. Elk Hunting Montana, available at booksellers, divides Montana's hunting range into 19 geographic areas. For each area, the book provides an overview of elk distribu- tion, explains where to hunt, and offers hunting strategies. It also includes a matrix-based on FWP harvest data and experiences by Montana hunters-indicating whether each area has low to high elk numbers, hunter densities, trophy bull potential, and proportions of roadless areas. Once you have a rough idea where you want to hunt, lliyjlgj^lj^lliggj check the FWP elk regulations (available at FWP offices and fwp.mt.gov) to see what hunting districts you will be in and the boundaries, special seasons, regulations, and required permits that apply there. HUNTING PRIVATE LAND Though most elk in Montana during much of the year are on public land, many are on private property, especially at sea- son's end. Snow and cold drive them from mountains down into valleys, which are composed primarily of ranches and farms. Gaining access to this private land is not always easy, even for locals. The exception is on Block Management Areas (see below). The best way to get access to private land is to ask politely well before the season begins. The odds are better if you ask to hunt for antlerless elk only. BLOCK MANAGEMENT AREAS Montana's Block Management Program provides free hunting access to private land, under various restrictions. Eastern Montana holds most of the 8 million acres in Block Management, but tens of thousands of acres are in western Montana's prime elk range. New Block Management maps and tabloids are available each year at all area and regional FWP offices starting in mid-August. Call or write the FWP regional office where you want to hunt and ask for their annual "Hunting Access Guide." This booklet summarizes the current year's Block Management opportunities and the rules and regulations for each area. You can also access maps to all Block Management Areas at fwp.mt.gov. C k Other helpful hunt planning resources i FWP Hunt Planner-Found at fwp.mt.gov, this interactive website t. ^ .,. 1 FWP Hunt Planner-Found at fwp.mt.gov, this interactive website rov, es deta,led elk drawing statistics for licenses and permits, useful for figurmg out which districts have the best odds for lot- tery drawings. FWP website (fwp.mt.gov)-ln addition to the Hunt Planner you can find information on the Block Management Program, hunting public land, obtaining permission on private land, and more ThcConiplete Book of Elk Hunting-i„forn^,r^,, elk hunting books abound, but this one published by the Rocky Mountain Elk Found3t,on covers hunting situations and strategies particular to Montana-especally the state's southwestern region ■Too Many Places to Hunf'-Advice on figuring out where to hunt on Montana's overwhelming 30 million acres of public land Montana Outdoors article, September-October 2007. •■Montana Access Guide to Federal and State Lands"- T IS rochure, available at FWP regional offices and fwp.mt.gov, details all state and federal land access opportunities. bTth^M T'''7 ''•""''"'■"" ("^^'■'"t.gov/hunting/)-Developed by the Montana State Library and FWP, this interactive website provides links to several state mapping sites and also provides essential hunting information. Essential Maps Montana public and private land ownership maps (http// nris.mt.gov/g,s/ownmaps.asp)-This website has two map series covering the entire state. One shows all public lands; the other al, private lands and the names (though not addresses or phone numbers) of every landowner. DcLorme Montana Atlas a Gazetteer and Benchmark Maps- Montana Road a Recreation /Itte-Tabloid-sized map books sold at gas stations and sporting goods stores. BLM maps-Officially called Surface Management Edition Maps these show public and private land boundaries. Sold at BLM offices statewide, on-line at the agency's Montana-Dakotas web- site (bim.gov/mt/st/en.html), or at many sporting goods stores. National forest maps-Sold at USFS offices and FWP offices. U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps-Sold on-line and at sporting goods stores throughout Montana. "Directory of Montana Maps"-Phone numbers and addresses for obtaining county plat books as well as maps from state and federal land-management agencies in Montana. Available at fwp.mt.gov and all FWP offices. ? Expectations Think beforehand about what you want most out of your hunt. Maybe your pri- mary goal is simply to spend a week in Montana's scenic mountains with a rifle or bow and the chance of killing an elk. Maybe you're most interested in the elk camp experience. Maybe you'd be satis- fied with killing an antlerless elk. Or maybe you are determined to kill a big bull. Some expectations are more likely and realistic-and more under your control— than others. ►Elk hunting versus deer hunting: Elk hunting is typically harder than deer hunt- ing. Elk move more often and farther, and they are often in steeper and more rugged terrain. Elk hunting usually requires far more effort, and success rates are far lower. ►The odds of killing an elk in Montana: Over the past two decades, the statewide average combined annual success rate for bulls and cows has been roughly 20 percent. That means that each year, one of five hunters kills an elk. On average, successful hunters in Montana spend 10 to 12 days hunting before killing an elk. ►The odds of killing a big bull : Each year only about 4 per- cent of elk hunters kill a 6x6 (six points, or tines, on each antler) or larger bull. Most of those elk are shot by local hunters who have figured out elk movement patterns or hunt the backcountry for many days and by hunters who hire out- fitters and have access to prime private land. ►Time: The more time you spend in Montana's elk country— scouting before the season and hunting during— the better your odds of finding good spots to hunt and see elk. It's unrealistic to expect to kill an elk by hunting only a few days. ^^^ art 5^^^-f-_ ^^^ .^^^^^ ►Physical fitness: Hunters in good physical condition are more likely to reach areas where elk hang out. The ability to hike with a pack for 5 or 6 miles each day increases your odds substantially. Generally, the harder the hunting conditions, the more likely you are to see elk. To become fit enough, consider spending some time each day hiking hills for at least three months before your hunt. If the landscape where you live is flat, hike up and down riverbanks or the stairs of office buildings. Gradually add weight to a pack until you can go at least 5 miles uphill with 20 pounds on your back without keeling over. Check with your physician before undertaking any exercise program. r When to hunt Montana offers some of the longest hunting seasons in the West. Archery begins in early September backcountry firearms areas r.^?h T T °^ f ^P^'"^^^^' ^^en they have the best opportunity of calling in a bull. In a few backcountry areas, fireanns hunters also can lure bulls by calling during September and early October. Hunting this time of year requL peak fitness to reach the high country where elk live. By the time the general firearms season begins in late October, rutting activity is winding down. Intense hunting pressure on opening weekend sends both bulls and cows deep imo the ttmber, often at high elevattons. Hunters find elk in early November mainly by hiking into heavy ttmber or findmg where elk emerge at dusk and dawn to feed on fiinges of open parks Elk stay at high elevations, resting and building fat reserves for winter, until snow or cold pushes them down into the valleys. Though elk become easier to locate, the low land is mostly pnvate y owned. So even though elk are often more visible later in the season, they can be less accessible to huners. ^ 22 I Novembkr-December 2010 fwp.mt.gov/mtoucdoors Licenses and permits GENERAL ELK LICENSE A general elk license is the basic license for hunting elk. It can be used only according to the specific regulations of the hunting district in which you hunt. Many districts also offer a separate antlerless (B) license (see page 24) to hunt cow elk. Some districts require a special permit to hunt bull elk, while cow elk may be available with a general elk license. Look for "General Elk License" in your hunting districts in the FWP elk regulations booklet to see what restrictions apply. RESIDENT GENERAL ELK LICENSE Resident hunters may purchase this license over the counter at FWP offices and other license vendors for $20 plus the required conservation license ($8) and hunter access enhancement fee ($2). Residents may also buy a sportsman's Ucense (prices vary), which includes a general elk license. Some disabled, youth, and senior hunters may qualify for discounted licenses. NONRESIDENT GENERAL ELK LICENSE Nonresidents can't buy their general elk license over the counter. They must obtain what's known as a "combination" license, which includes a general elk license as well as several other licenses. To get draw a combination license, you need to apply in a random lottery drawing for either a: ►Big game (deer and elk) combination license (roughly $650), which is also good for fishing and upland bird hunting, or a ►Elk combination license (roughly $600), which is also good for fishing and upland bird hunting. The odds of drawing either a nonresident big game or elk combination license are about 2 to 1 (50:50). You can apply for only one of these licenses each year. If you hire an outfitter, you can buy, without going through a lottery drawing, a ►Big game combination outfitter-sponsored license ($1,250, price in 2010). To be eligible, the applicant must first contract the services of a licensed Montana outfitter and then conduct all sponsored license hunting with that outfitter. The outfitter-sponsored quotas and prices are based on a five-year market rate average. All three nonresident combination licenses include the conservation license and access fee required to hunt in Montana. Bowhunters must also purchase a nonresident bow license for an extra $ 10. Nonresident combination license applications are available each year from mid-January through the mid-March dead- line. FWP announces drawing results in mid-April. ►► I Outfitters J ,io„ .cnses Montana .,pica«v ™ «- * ^ ^e *n„<, the nun.ing season T..ote ■» "" ^ „,^, „„„,,, , g.,ed .ve- know by early spring how many customas tney , „„„«„, discontmuing the outtine V eawa'ded Py lottery^ (See the ""^^''^^tfooo* including the S.,250 (20,0 P"« «"« '^^^^ ,„, ,„,,,™ „ff ,„,a few days, day elk hont m Montana tons "="3" «^™ " ! „, ,h ,„ ootfine. packsyou and your <>«''«';;'=„„ ^^J^^veral days later to For about half the price, consider a drop camp. .n__ ^^ ^^^ ,„„, „„ own_ The ou f t ^^ ^^^ ,^ ^^^ ^^ " pack eyerythihg back to *^''-'''«''^^' ^',3, , read, se, up Jhe outfitter- :;*::2rtra:To::rrampop.ibn,sonon,esiden.s„ouid,,eed to apply for a regular combination license^ Association web- j^in:^r:r:rb:re:r^^^^ you interview. -^...k who lead the hunts. Guides work for „„r;s^r:::iX::rr-;- are also themselves guides. No TTlOre ^"^^ Montana ballot initiative, 1-161, calls for abolishing outfitter-sponsored 1 nonresident licenses. It would add more nonresident licenses available by lot- OUimier -5}JU ^^^ ^^^ increase the price of the licenses. As this issue of Montana Outdoors ■nonresident licenses . went to press, it was not certain whether a lawsuit filed earlier in the year would prevent 1-161 from appearing on the November 2010 ballot. ... /" Licenses and permits (continued) ELK B LICENSE An elk B license (resident, $25; nonresident, roughly $280), awarded by lottery, is a second license that allows a hunter to take an antlerless elk in certain hunting districts that have overabundant elk. This is in addition to an elk you may tag with your general or combination elk license, thus allowing you to harvest two elk. To buy or use an elk B license, resi- dents don't need a general elk license and nonresidents don't need a combination license. But both still need to pay the access fee and buy the conservation license (page 23). Many hunting districts offering elk B licenses comprise mostly pri- vate land, so gaining access can be tough. Some over-the- counter elk B licenses are available, but only for a few hunting districts where public access is extremely limited. The application deadline is June 1, and results are an- nounced in late July. If you draw an elk B license for a specific hunting district, you can only fill that tag there. But you can still hunt elk in that or any other hunting district with your general elk license under the specific regulations there. SURPLUS B LICENSES r Each year some hunting districts offer surplus elk B licenses, left over after the late July lottery drawing ($20 resident, $273 nonresident, plus access fee and conservation license). In early August, surplus licenses go on sale over the counter and on-line until the quotas are filled. Because many surplus licenses are in hunting districts where most of the elk range is on private land, hunters need to find out about Block Man- agement Areas there or seek permission from a landowner. Some elk B licenses may be used only on private or state land and not national forests. Check the elk hunting regulations to see which restrictions apply. ELK EITHER-SEX PERMITS Elk permits, most allotted by drawings, allow you to hunt in a restricted area or time period or to harvest a bull where bull harvest restrictions exist for hunters who have only a general elk license. (Because bull permits are "either sex," you also have the option of taking a cow or a calf) Permits are not a second license for killing an additional elk. Rather, you must use them with your general elk license. Montana makes up to 10 percent of all permits available to nonresidents. Nonresident hunters may not apply for per- mits (due June 1) unless they drew a combination license (results announced in mid-April) or bought an outfitter- sponsored combination license for that year. Permits and licenses are labeled with a three-digit number followed by a dash and then a two-digit number (such as 24 , November-December loio fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors How to obtain a permit or license ■ Visit fwp.mt.gov, go to "Licenses and Permits," and download a blank application to fill in and mail to FWP. ■ Request a printed copy, either at the Licenses and Permits section of fwp.mt.gov or by calling (406) 444-2950. ■ In person at an FWP regional office. "345-20"). The first three digits identify the hunting district, and the last two digits are FWP codes for additional restric- tions related to that license or permit. Learn about the hunting district you wish to hunt before applying for a permit. For instance, don't put in for a back- country area if you aren't willing and prepared to backpack in. And don't apply in hunting districts that are mostly pri- vate land if you aren't certain you can get permission. BOWHUNTING LICENSES In Montana, you may hunt elk with a bow during the archery season and then hunt with a firearm during the reg- ular season. Resident and nonresident bowhunters need to purchase or apply for the licenses and permits listed previ- ously and also buy a bow license ($ 10 for both residents and nonresidents). To buy a bow license, you must provide either a National Bowhunter Education Foundation course certificate of completion or proof (archery stamp, tag, per- mit, or license) that you bowhunted in Montana, another state, or a Canadian province during a previous year. BONUS POINT SYSTEM This is a way to increase your odds of drawing a license or permit. For $2 (resident) or $20 (nonresident), you may pur- chase one bonus point every year for each license or permit you apply for. These points accumulate each year you are unsuccessful. Bonus points don't "move you up the prefer- ence ladder," as many hunters believe. Instead, they are like extra tickets in a lottery. The more points you accumulate, the more chances are entered for you into the drawing. Keep in mind that many other hunters are accumu- lating points, so they too have "extra tick- ets" added to each drawing. For lotteries where competition is fierce, such as for either-sex (bull) permits, the bonus points don't make much difference. But for lot- snnts. teries where hunters have better odds, like the nonresident combination li- cense, bonus points can make the dif- idteryo^" -^ ference between drawing a license and '^Arch having to wait another year or two Note that if you draw a license or permit, you lose your accumulated bonus points for that license or permit and have to start over the following year. .0» it. '^ff 0.520 560, ^m,^^ ^Sr M Legal elk definitions Some hunting districts have special regulations restricting elk harvest to certain sizes of bulls. These regulations pro- duce bigger bulls and increase the ratio of male to female elk so more bulls are available to breed. Antlerless elk: Male or female with no antlers, or both antlers are less than 4 inches long as measured from the top of the skull. Generally these are calves and cows. Antlered bull: An elk with one or two antlers at least 4 inches long as measured from the top of the skull. Spike bull: An elk, usually Vh years old (also known as a yearling], with antlers that do not branch. Or, if branched, the point (tine) is less than 4 inches long from the tip to the main antler beam. Roughly 20 percent of yearling bulls have a point longer than 4 inches long. Brow-tined bull: An elk with one or both antlers having a point on the lower half (see photo below) that is at least 4 inches long. YOUR ALS NUMBER Like many states, Montana assigns each hunter a unique identification % number (ALS stands for Automated a Licensing System). Your ALS 1 number is your birth date (month, I day year) followed by another g one-, two-, or three-digit number. 1 Once you receive your ALS number, % you can use it to check your 2 status in license and permit o 1 drawings. If you forget your § ALS number, look it up at ; fwp.mt.gov (search for 3 "Automated Licensing System"). ^ REFUNDS When you apply for a lottery license or permit, you pay at that time. If you are drawn, FWP mails you the license or permit. If you aren't drawn, FWP sends you a refiand check minus a $5 application fee for each license or permit you applied for (to cover printing and processing costs). FWP can- not refund a license or permit unless the licensee dies or has- and can document— a medical emergency or a death in the immediate family. The exception is with nonresident combina- tion licenses. For those, FWP grants refunds for any reason for unused licenses turned in by August 1 (80 percent refund) or before the start of the general elk hunting season (50 percent refund). For more information, call (406) 444-2950. NONRESIDENT COMBINATION LICENSE ALTERNATE'S LIST When FWP grants refunds on nonresident combination licenses, it then reissues them to nonresident hunters who have asked to be put on the "alternate's list." The odds of obtaining a combination license this way varies greatly from year to year. From mid-April to early May, you may request to be listed as an alternate (see fwp.mt.gov for details). FWP holds a random drawing in mid-May to deter- mine the order in which hunters' names appear on the list. Nonresident hunters who correctly applied for that year's combination license but were unsuccessful have preference. The website allows you to check your relative position on the list throughout summer and fall. NONRESIDENT LANDOWNERS Nonresidents who own land in Montana still have to put in for a nonresident combination license if they want to hunt elk on their land or elsewhere. State law stipulates that only Montana residents can buy a general elk license over the counter. However, both resident and nonresident landown- ers receive special opportunities in drawing certain special permits or licenses. In each hunting district, 1 5 percent of special permits are set aside for landowners who own 640 or more acres of land used by elk in that hunting district. '"nwi j?^'^ 'in °pp, oto, O/i/i IQ/i- '"'^oZ^"^/;?^ ;^'--«^ ALS NUMBER: 9/28/1%9-iO totana Fish, Wildlife H'arks License Usting «: : 1 "^ ' License Year': ^^^ Usage: 03/01/20J0_*o_^'8/-PU D.-„.,.1d,- - C' The. ;0«e. Only I rcfte Crk."^'" Potion k a. (It I I c Don't make an error Each year FWP rejects hundreds of hunting l.eens an:;^;erm,tapp.,eationsbecauseofs,mpleerrorsby applicants. The most common ones. 1 forgetting to sign the application; 2 missing information on the mandatory and ■general portion of the application; -, no oavment, wrong amount of money, wrong '■"morpayment (such as nonresidents paymg th personal checks); and the applicant s hunter safety certificate. If requ of red. The hunt KILLING AN ELK Many people accustomed to hunting deer approach elk hunting underprepared. Ellc generally move farther and more frequently than deer. It usually takes more hiking, especially more uphill hiking, to reach elk areas. The caliber of rifle or type of bullet used for deer may not be enough for elk, which are much larger. Read up on calibers and loads suggested for bringing down an elk. Learn where the elk's kill zone is. Elk often don't die as eas- ily or quickly as deer, even with a killing shot. Sometimes sev- eral shots are required. Mortally wounded elk will often walk or ran several hundred yards or more before dropping. PACKING AN ELK OUT A field-dressed adult bull elk weighs from 300 to 500 pounds, a cow 200 to 300 pounds, and a calf 100 to 1 50 pounds. That's a lot of meat to haul. One option is to pack the entire animal out yourself That's easiest if you bone out the meat and make several trips to and from your vehicle. Dragging an entire elk out of the woods is nearly impossible for one person, except in the rare cases where the trip is all downhill with snow on the ground and there is no downed timber. Another option is to rent a game cart from the nearest sporting goods store. Or hire beforehand a horsepacker— get names from the local game warden, meat processor, or taxi- dermist-to haul out your elk. ► Spoilage: Early season hunters should know ahead of time how to prevent an elk from spoiling in warm weather. Three tips for cooling the carcass in the field: From the inside of the carcass, split the backbone lengthwise with a hatchet; cut open the hip at the socket joint; roll the carcass up onto logs to get it off the ground. GRIZZLY BEARS Roughly half of Montana's elk range overlaps grizzly range. To reduce the chances of running into a bear, watch for sign such as scat and tracks, avoid thick cover, and don't become so focused on following prey that you stumble upon a grizzly. Always carry approved bear spray, keep it handy, and know how to use it. When camping, follow U.S. Forest Service food storage guidelines. If you kill an elk, be especially wary of bears as you field dress the animal and when you return to the carcass to pick up another load of meat. Learn more about safety in bear country at fwp.mt.gov. If you are uncomfort- able with the idea of hunting in grizzly country, Ansit the web- site and compare the range maps of grizzly bears and elk. Other information TROPHY BULL AREAS Montana has many areas renowned for trophy elk- including parts of the Snowy, Judith, Big Belt, High- wood, and Bull mountains. The Missouri River Breaks and the Elkhoms have become especially well known. Hunters hoping to hunt these and other trophy areas should know it's difficult to draw a permit because so many hunters put in for one. In the Elkhoms (HD 380), southwest of Helena, any hunter with a general elk license may hunt a spike bull. But to hunt a cow you need an elk B license, and to hunt a branch-antlered bull you need a special permit, available only by lottery drawing. Much of the private land sur- rounding the Elkhoms is in Block Management, which provides public access. In the Missouri River Breaks (HDs 410, 417, 521, 622, 631, 632, 652, and 700), hunting forbulls-both for firearms and, since 2009, archery-is by permit only. Access to private land in the Breaks can be difficult, though not impossible. There are also some opportunities there to hunt cow elk. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN CALLING FWP It's fine to call FWP offices for advice on elk hunting. But don't expect staff there to tell you exactly where to find elk. Elk move around. Where they are one year-or even one day— they may not be the next. As one front desk worker at a busy regional office says, "If we knew where to get an elk easily, all of us here would shoot one every year, and that's definitely not the case." FWP staff can provide general information about public land and Block Management Areas in specific regions. CAMP OR HOTEL? Figure out where you will spend nights well in advance of your hunting trip. If you plan to stay at a motel, book a room early. In some popular elk hunting spots, hotels fill up quickly and hunters book rooms up to a year in advance. If you camp, prepare for winter conditions, with freezing tempera- tures and snow. ADDITIONAL ADVICE ► Bring warm and waterproof clothes. Even in September, elk areas can have snow, cold rain, and low temperatures. By November, deep snow and freezing temperatures are common. Dress in layers. Make Tom Dickson is editor o/'Montana Outdoors sure your boots are sturdy, waterproof, and well broken in. ►Always carry an emergency kit containing first-aid supplies, fire-starting materials, a whistle, a space blanket, and a compass in case you become injured or lost. ► Carry lots of water. Dehydration is one of the most com- mon causes of hunter fatigue and weakness, especially in the high, dry mountain air. ►Have fun. And don't get discouraged. Keep in mind that most elk hunters, even highly experienced ones, don't shoot an elk every year. If you don't see elk, keep hunting. They are out there. The key to a successful hunt is having a good time, not necessarily killing an elk. "^ K 1 1 UL ^ Congressional cutbacks and high commodity prices are compelling landowners to convert Conservation Reserve Program grasslands— which benefit pheasants, ducks, and other prairie wildlife — back to crops, by dave smith Montana farmers and farmland wildlife have seen plenty of changes during the past five decades. In the 1960s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) phased out its Soil Bank Program, which controlled commodity surpluses by paying landowners to convert croplands to grasses and other cover. The pro- gram helped boost pheasant and other grass- land wildlife populations throughout the Great Plains. During the next decade, en- couraged by rising grain prices and a federal government eager to increase worldwide agricultural exports, farmers in Montana and other states plowed up millions of acres of marginally productive land and planted wheat, corn, soybeans, and other commod- ity crops. When grain prices tumbled in the early 1980s, farms began failing at a rate not seen since the Depression. What's more, the intensive cropping drastically increased soil erosion and chewed up grasslands that sup- ported upland birds, waterfowl, songbirds, deer, and other wildlife. By 1985 mallard, pintail, and blue-winged teal populations were at or near their lowest levels in 30 years. All that began to change when President Ronald Reagan signed the Food Security Act of 1985, enacting the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The program pays land- owners to take highly erodible croplands out of production and plant them to grasses. In addition to reducing price-depressing com- modity surpluses, CRP grasslands anchor soil to the landscape, reducing erosion and making streams and lakes cleaner. Another , benefit has been the restoration of wildlife | habitat at a scale unmatched by any state, federal, or private wildlife conservation pro-J 28 November-December 2010 fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors Great catch: one year only $9. Subscribe today! ■^ YES! I'd like a year (six issues) of Montana Outdoors for just $9. My/Donor Information: (Required for gin subscription) Send a Gift to: (PleaseptinO V^'ii-"'^ Name Address Name Address ■~-l^S^ ' City State Zip City State Zip Select: 1 Year 6/$9 2 Years 12/$16 3 Years 18/$22 Select: lYear 6/$9 2 Years 12/$16 3 Years 18/$22 Payment enclosed Add $3 per year tor Cartadiar] M other foreign subscnpt/ons Bill subscriptions. sne $45/year, paid me later n advance Best Deal! For faster service, subscribe by phone: (800) 678-6668 Or subscribe on-line: fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors UIDB MONTANA OUTDOORS MONTANA FISH WILDLIFE & PARKS 930 W CUSTER AVE PO BOX 200701 HELENA MT 59620-0701 Place Stamp Here nliii'illil>i»l'"lillii»i|»i'l|i>"> i|iM'l'M< >> gram. In Montana alone, more than 3 mil- lion acres of" grasslands, wetlands, and other habitats are currently conserved under CRP contracts on 6,247 farms. The state contains nearly 10 percent of the 31.2 million acres now enrolled nationally. CRPs benefits to wildlife have become iegendan'. Dave Nomsen, vice president of governmental affairs for Pheasants Forever, calls CRP "the most successful conser\-ation program in histon.'," not only for roosters but also waterfowl, deer, and other game animals. Brian Martin, director of science for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Montana, adds that the federal farm pro- gram "provides key linkages between large blocks of native prairie" essential for popula- tions of nongame grassland birds such as Baird's sparrows and bobolinks. Valley Count}" farmer Don Fast, who has enrolled marginal cropland into CRP for vears, has witnessed enormous increases in pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, and other wilcOife on his properr)-. He has also seen far less erosion throughout the count)'. "We forget how many dust storms we had in the 1980s, and the importance of CRP in preventing wind erosion on the lighter soils," he says. Despite its benefits to farm- ers and wildlife, CRP may be in trouble. Congress, faced with growing federal deficits, reduced the amount of acreage that could be enrolled in CRP by nearly 20 per- cent in 2008. Some congressional leaders claim the program — which costs SI. 7 bil- lion per year in payments to landowners — is too expensive. Federal officials have refused to increase rental payments to keep pace with rising prices for wheat and other commodities. As a result, plowing up CRP grasslands and planting them to crops has become more attractive to farmers. The amount of CRP in Montana has declined by 1 1 percent since a peak in 2006, and conservation leaders fear far greater declines in the next few vears. FLUSH WITH PHEASANTS Farmers enroll propert)' in CRP by entering into 10- or 15-year contracts with the USDA's Farm Ser\'ice Agency. Landowners agree to stop raising crops there and plant grasses (native or non-native), shrubs, or trees. They are reimbursed from 50 to 90 percent of the cost of the plantings along with annual payments that average, in Montana, S32.40 per acre. i^ CRP is a huge part of the reason people come up here. It means a lot to main street businesses." Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, and TNC have successfully lobbied Congress to make the program do more to protect criti- cal habitats such as prairie pothole wetlands and duck nesting grasslands. Pheasant popu- lations in particular have boomed under the federal program. The upland birds thri\e in young stands of grass and forbs planted on CRP lands. A study by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources showed that pheasant numbers increased by nearly one-third after croplands in that state were con\erted to CRP grasses. Rick Northrup, statewide game bird coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, says the state's pheasant harvest has climbed from an annual average of 84,000 birds before 1985 to an avera^ of .\ lONTANA Oin DOORS ?^ 124,000 annually from 1986 to 2009. "The relationship between CRP and our pheasant harvest is pretty clear," he says. It's clear for ducks, too. Biologists with the U.S, Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) con- cluded that CRP lands contribute an addi- tional 2.2 million ducks to the continental fall flight each year. Increased CRP acreage produces more grasslands where ducks nest (usually near wetlands) and makes it harder for predators such as foxes and skunks to find eggs and ducklings. Nongame prairie bird populations would suffer without CRP, say biologists. Re- searchers at the University of Montana and USFWS determined that converting CRP acres to cropland in the Dakotas would cause some grassland bird populations to decline by half, and the combined popula- tions of five species would drop by 1.8 mil- lion birds. Even with existing CRP acres, "grassland birds are declining faster than any other bird species," says Steve HofiFman, executive director of Montana Audubon. "CRP is absolutely vital to maintaining the quantity of grassland habitat needed by species like the grasshopper sparrow that require big blocks of grass." And then there are the environmental benefits. According to research by the Food and Agricultural Policy Institute at the University of Missouri, CRP reduces soil erosion on a single acre by 12.1 tons each year and prevents the annual loss of 25.6 pounds of phosphorous and 6.4 pounds of nitrogen per acre compared to an acre of cropland. The USDA has determined that CRP reduces soil erosion by 450 million tons per year nationwide. "The experiment is over," says Pat Gunderson, FWP regional supervisor in Glasgow. "It's clear what will happen if CRP goes away." WORTH THE HIGH PRICE TAG? Let it go away, say some critics, or improve it, say others. People in some rural commu- nities believe the program takes too much farmland out of production, thus hindering Dave Smith of Missoula is a freelance writer who also works for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as coordinator of the Intermountain West Joint Venture, a migratory bird program. Projected Loss of CRP Acres, Prairie Pothole Region, 2007-2012 Acreage loss 1 0-10,000 10,000-25,000 25,001-50,000 50,001-75,000 ■ 75,001-100,000 ■ > 100,000 Most of Montana's CRP acres are in the state's portion of the Prairie Pothole Region. Known as North America's duck factory, the region produces most of the continent's mallards, teal, and other dabbling ducks. Montana, the number three duck-producing state in the United States, is projected to lose the second most acres of CRP. Potential CRP acres lost North Dakota 1,705,179 Montana 1,154,179 South Dakota 764,169 Minnesota 601,884 Iowa 106,000 economic growth. They argue that fewer crops mean fewer equipment dealers, seed and fertilizer sales, and other forms of agribusiness. And while applauding the program's wildlife benefits, many hunters complain it doesn't guarantee public access to CRP lands. Other critics maintain that the $36 billion spent on the program over the past quarter-century could have bought millions of acres of unproductive farmland outright and permanently restored it to native grasses. If CRP vanishes, they say, taxpayers will be left with nothing of last- ing value. But CRP proponents argue that outright farmland acquisitions by the federal govern- ment are politically unpopular in many states. Nomsen notes that short-term land retirement opportunities like those CRP now provides are essential for retaining sup- port for the program from farmers and farm state lawmakers. "A successful landscape- scale program must include a suite of options, and ten-year contracts are part of that reality," says Nomsen. "At the same time, we do believe that opportunities exist to move some CRP acres into other pro- grams that provide long-term wildlife and water quality benefits." Supporters of CRP point out that annual payments to Montana landowners total $100 million each year. What's more, the fed- eral program generates tourism income for many rural areas. "CRP is extremely impor- tant to our community," says Mike Jensen, a Sheridan County farmer and owner of Cousins Restaurant in Plentywood. "We have some of the best upland game bird hunting anywhere, and CRP is a huge part of the rea- son people come up here." Based on an FWP economic analysis of upland hunung, Jensen estimates that bird hunters spend S2 million in lodging, food, equipment, and other related costs each year in Sheridan County, which contains nearly 150,000 acres enrolled in the federal program. "CRP means a lot to main street businesses," he says. Still, the program's future is by no means secure. Montana has lost nearly 400,000 acres of CRP in the last four years and con- tracts for another 1.5 million acres are scheduled to expire by fall 2012 — a signifi- cant loss that worries conservation leaders. "Since Ducks Unlimited started in Montana in 1984, we've conserved 82,000 acres of j habitat through a lot of hard work," says I Robert Sanders, the group's regional biologist for Montana. "We'd have to be here for a cen- 1 30 ; November-December 2010 | fwp.int.gov/mtoutdoors HATCHING MULTIPLE BENEFITS CRP acres provide essential nesting grasses for waterfowl. They also create grasslands important for deer, pheasants, and prairie birds such as curlews and bobolinks, says Pat Gunderson, FWP regional supervisor in Glasgow, shown checking a CRP field enrolled in Montana's Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program. Land rich in CRP acreage attracts upland bird hunters and their pocketbooks. Mike Jensen, a farmer and the owner of Cousins Family Restaurant in Plentywood, estimates that bird hunters each year spend roughly $2 million in Sheridan County on food, lodging, gas, and equipment. tury to conserve what could be lost through CRP expirations in 2012." This past August, the USDA allowed landowners their first opportunity since 2006 to renew expired CRP contracts or enroll new acres in what is known as a "gen- eral signup." Further, the federal agriculture agency recently added 150,000 acres nation- wide to CRP's State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative, which focuses on protecting critical wildlife habi- tats on private land. Montana's three SAFE projects totaling 18,700 acres conserve pheasant winter cover, prairie potholes, and sagebrush habitats, says Northrup. Nomsen and other conservation leaders who closely follow federal farm policy say the August general signup will help offset some recent CRP acreage losses. And demand by conservationists and landown- ers to maintain the program remains strong. But with growing nationwide unease over federal spending, congressional leaders and other policymakers may be dubious about CRP's public costs when weighed against public benefits. Mark Sullivan, FWP wildlife manager in Glasgow, says local hunters, bird watchers, and other conservationists understand how political winds can reroute federal farm pol- icy. While trying to remain hopefiil, they can't help but feel uneasy over CRP's future. "People around here know that if you take it off the landscape, you are taking away a lot of wildlife and a lot of hunting opportunin'," Sullivan says. ^ a ring the Montana bird hunters are helping make CRP even more attractive to landowners — and CRP plantings more beneficial to wildlife. FWP's Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program (UGBEP), funded with upland game bird hunting license dollars, pays landowners some of the costs to seed CRP acres to bird nesting cover and maintain the plantings. Since it began in 1989, the habitat program has helped pay for grass seed on more than 100,000 acres of CRP land in Montana. "That's been a big help to landowners and also to upland bird hunters and other folks who ap- preciate healthy grassland bird populations," says Debbie Hohler, UGBEP biologist for FWP. Hohler adds that landowner interest in the program has grown following the recent general signup allowing new CRP enrollments. iBLLearn more about the Upland Game Bird ancement Program cost-share opportunity at any FWP area or regional office, or on-line at fwp.mt.gov (look under "Habitat" then "Wildlife Habitat" then "Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program"). Montana OuTDOons 32 November-December 20IO fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors COLD WARRIORS How do wildlife survive Montana's brutal winters? By Dave Carty COYOTE BV OONALOMJONESCOM NIONTANA OlTDOORS 3 } Maybe the meadowlarks and mourning doves have the right idea: When the snow flies, take the first flight out of here. So where does that leave bears, deer mice, frogs, and other wildlife when Montana's long, cold winter sets in? Like you and me, they're stuck here for the duration, dealing with it. Grizzlies seem to have mastered the art of winter survival. The bears in and aroimd Yellowstone National Park begin preparing for winter as early as August, when they start gorging on cutworm moths. Their appetite only increases over the next few months as they frantically consume calories — a period of intense eating known as hyperphagia — to build fat reserves. According to Kevin Frey, a Fish, Wildlife & Parks grizzly bear manage- ment specialist in Bozeman, there's not much grizzlies won't eat in the weeks before cold weather arrives. "Animal carcasses, berries, whitebark pine nuts — they're all high-protein and high-fat foods the bears are looking for to get heavy enough to make it through winter," he says. Meanwhile, grizzlies are also digging dens, usually on north-facing slopes, which are less likely to see cycles of freezing and thawing in winter. "Otherwise, they get water leaking into their bedroom," explains Frey. The bears' metabolism undergoes dramatic changes before they enter a state of semi- hibernation known as dormancy or lethargy. COPING WITH THE COLD In the months leading up to winter dormancy, grizzly bears (left) and black bears go on a feeding frenzy known as hyperphagia, consuming carrion, berries, nuts, and anything else they can find. iVlink (below) stay active all winter, feeding on fish, cray- fish, and small mammals. "Throughout the fall, their body tempera- ture will start dropping off, and while their food sources are diminishing, they're getting sleepier and slower," Frey says. "Their aver- age temperature is 101 degrees. But we've captured bears in October that are already down to 97 degrees. It's kind of odd, because even though they're getting frirrier, they're cooling down at the same time." Unlike ground squirrels and marmots, which go into a near-death slumber known as deep hibernation, grizzlies and black bears awaken occasionally — notably to give birth to cubs — before drowsily falling back asleep. Then in April or May they rouse themselves for good, emerging from their dens to begin a ravenous search for food. UNDERGROUND SLUMBER Many species survive winter by fully hiber- nating, which conserves energy by severely SLIPPERY SURFACE A thick, woolly coat helps bison endure cold temperatures that would kill many other animals, but their hard hooves make it tough to negotiate Icy conditions. 1 ■\ I slowing normal body functions. Ground squirrels are extreme hibernators, dropping from 200 breaths per minute to just one or two, while their heartbeat declines from 400 beats per minute to five or six. Hiber- nating bats also experience a dramatic drop in heart rate — from a high of 1 ,200 beats per minute while in flight down to just three or four during hibernation. This allows the winged mammals to survive during a time when flying insects — their regular food source — are unavailable. Marmots, badgers, and many other mam- mals don't hibernate but survive by burrow- ing underground below the frost line, where temperatures stay above freezing. The close quarters also retain the animals' body heat. Deer mice and meadow voles stay warm by digging extensive tunnels under the snow. The earth's ambient temperature combined with insulation provided by snowpack keep them relatively warm all winter. Voles and mice eat seeds, sedges, and other bits of food ' they cached in summer along with additional morsels they find while moving under the] snow. During extreme cold snaps, several! deer mice may curl up together for commu- 34 November-December loio" £;ov/intoucdoors nal warmth and doze for a few days. When temperatures ease, they resume their hyperki- netic search for food. The American pika is another animal that survives winter underground — actually, under rock. These gerbil-sized mammals live in boulder fields and talus slopes in high alpine areas. In late summer they harvest grasses much as ranchers do, building up "hay" supplies. In winter they squeeze into rock burrows and live off the cured vegeta- tion stored near the entrance. Because pikas do not hibernate, skiers in high-country areas occasionally spot them sunning them- selves on rocks during warm winter days. Even more active in winter are beavers, which live in ice-covered ponds created behind the dams they build. As fall days get shorter, beavers construct a lodge of mud, sticks, and grass. The structure, impenetra- ble to predators, has several underwater entrances that allow the rodents to swim to submerged cottonwood and aspen saplings that they cut and stored the preceding sum- PUniNG UP HAY In early fall, American pikas cut grasses and forbs then store their "hay stack near the entrances of rocky ] burrows, feeding on the cure( vegetation throughout winter. mer. A thick, lustrous coat of fur and a layer of fat keep beavers warm in icy water just a few degrees above freezing. Insects, amphibians, and other cold- blooded animals are among the first to go dormant before winter's onset. They can't afford to wait too long or cold temperatures will slow them down before they can find a suitable place to hole up. For instance, by September snakes often gather in communal dens, called hibernacula, in rocky areas deep below the frost line, sometimes in groups of dozens or even hundreds. According to zoologist Bryce Maxell, interim director of the Montana Natural Heritage Program, most of Montana's sala- manders and toads overwinter below the frost line in burrows they dig themselves or ones constructed by other species. The plains spadefoot toad, for example, digs down as deep as 20 feet below the surface of OTHER STRATEGIES Tiger sala- manders escape the cold by moving to underground ro- dent burrows below the frost line or deep inside rotten logs. Rough-legged hawks actually migrate into Mon- tana each winter from north- ern Canada. In our relatively mild climate, the hearty rap- tors feed on rodents they can hear, even while flying, scurrying along tunnels beneath the snow. loose, sandy soils. Montana's two native aquatic frog species, the northern leopard frog and the Columbia spotted frog, over- winter below the ice of lakes and ponds for up to nine months each year, absorbing oxy- gen from water through their skin. A few Montana frog species can actually sur\'ive being partially frozen above ground. Their livers produce glycerol, which acts as a natu- ral antifreeze that prevents the formation of damaging ice crystals within individual cells while the spaces around the cells freeze. As much as 65 percent of a frog's body can freeze solid repeatedly throughout winter with no apparent ill eftects. HEARING DINNER Many species are able to endure winter liv- ing entirely above ground. Weasels, foxes, and coyotes sur\'ive by wearing a thick fur coat and eating mice and voles, which they scent through air shafts in snow tunnels. They also find the small rodents by listening to the sounds of scurr)'ing beneath the snow. Birds of prey are especially good at this. Impossible as it might seem, some raptors can actualK' hear a mouse beneath a blanket oi snow when perched in a tree or even circling in the frigid winter air above. In tact, Montana's rodent population actually attracts snowy owls and rough-legged hawks each winter from nesting grounds on tundra in the Arctic. Long after most of the state's songbirds and waterfowl have fled Montana in search of warmer weather, rough-legged hawks and snow\' owls migrate in — looking tor tood. Montana Qr It would be nice, at least once in our lives, to spend winter somewhere warm. Typically, rough-legged hawks show up around late October in valleys and prairies across the state. They're a ubiquitous winter raptor that Montanans see regularly during the cold months. Snowy owls are far less common. Their southern migration into Montana typically stops somewhere around U.S. Highway 2, a region infamous for bitter winters. According to Denver Holt, a snowy owl expert and founder of the Owl Research Institute near Charlo, the cold doesn't bother these birds, thanks to their extraordinary feather insulation. He describes their feathers as "second only to Adelie penguins for insu- lative value and comparable to arctic fox and Dall sheep for mammals." Dave Carty is a frequent contributor to Montana Outdoors. Just as hunger drives snowy owls and rough-legged hawks down from the Arctic, it pushes many ungulates down from the mountains. Elk and deer spend their sum- mers in high-elevation areas where grasses are abundant and temperatures stay cool. When the snow flies, they head downhill into foothills and open valleys. Most congregate in open grasslands, where strong winds sweep the underlying grass free of snow. Julie Cunningham, FWP area wildlife biologist in Bozeman, says migrating elk move quickly when cold weather hits. "They don't dawdle; they pick up and go," she says. "We've had GPS collars taking locations every half hour, and what they show is there's not a lot of rest- ing or stopping. Elk have a destination in mind. It could be 70 miles away, and they will just go until they get there." Deep snow and bitter cold are major prob- lems for wintering elk. Snow covers grass and hinders their movement, causing the animals to burn up precious calories as they wade through deep drifts. During severely cold winters, elk in open, windswept areas bed down in tight groups or move back up into dense timber, where conifers provide some insulation. Elk also seek south-facing moun- tainsides and sunny slopes, where they can stay as warm as possible. As elk, deer, and other mountain species move down in elevation, dusky (blue) grouse, strangely enough, insist on doing the opposite. In early fall these timber birds for- age along the edges of mountain meadows, stuffing themselves with grasshoppers, berries, and the leaves of wild strawberries and other forbs. When the thermometer drops and snow buries their foods, dusky grouse actually migrate farther uphill to high-elevation stands of Douglas-fir. There they spend winter feeding almost exclusively on conifer needles. Ruffed grouse also must adapt when snow covers their foods. But instead of moving to higher elevations, they stick close to home and feed in trees on aspen and alder buds throughout the winter. At night, perhaps taking a cue from voles and deer mice, they burrow into the snow, using its natural insu- lation to stay warm. During dry winters when snow is sparse, ruffed grouse are forced to roost in conifers, which are much colder dwellings and expose them to raptors. I sometimes wonder if like me, those shiv- ering ruffed grouse and other wild creatures ever consider joining migrating meadowlarks and mourning doves in September. It would sure be nice, at least once in our lives, to spend winter somewhere warm. ^ "TRUD6ERY" Elk burn up precious calories plowing through deep snow in search of open, windswept areas where they can feed on exposed grass and bed down. .£> a* 36' NoVEMBER-D-EeEMIiER ZOlO. fwp.mt.gOv/lTltOUtdoOrS RECOMMENDED READING I < G- (A O s < icrq r-r fa fa !i "3 70 §0 so o THE nationalI PARKS DAYTON DUNCAN I KEN BURNS o ,m RECOMMENDED READING Several new books we thought would interest Montana Outdoors readers. BY TOM i:)lCKSON The National Parks: America's Best Idea Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns. Alfred A. Knopf, 432 pp. $50 Historian Wallace Stegner once observed that national parks are "the best idea we ever had," and it's hard to read The National Parks and not agree. This mas- sive, richly illustrated history of the national park system can give the reader goosebumps. It was written by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, filmmaker and writer, respectively, of the acclaimed 12-hour PBS series of the same name that ran earlier this year. The authors delve into the origins of the national park concept, starting with the first sighting by white men in 1851 of the valley that would become Yosemite and the creation of the world's first national park at Yellowstone in 1872. It's inspir- ing stuff. Montanans intimately familiar with Yellowstone and Glacier national parks are reminded that the park system extends far beyond the Rockies, to Haleakala in Hawaii to Acadia in Maine to the Everglades in Florida. MATIONAL PARKS DAYTON DUNCAN KEN BURNS In addition to historical pho- tographs and documents, lavish color photographs, and lyrical prose, the authors include interviews with writers and conservationists, such as Paul Schullery of Red Lodge, who provide additional insight into park history and how Amer- icans today view what John Muir called "nature's sublime wonderlands, the admiration and joy of the world." Visions of the Big Sky: Painting and Photographing the Northern Rocky Mountain West Dan Flares. University of Oklalioma Press, 234 pp. $35 University of Montana history professor Dan Flores brings to Visions of the Big Sky a scholar's insight into the artistic tradition of depicting the dlversit}' and richness of the Northern Rock- ies. The book features 140 color and black-and-white images ranging from prehistoric rock art to modernistic paintings. Flores explains how artists inter- preted the region in their work, paying particular attention to women artists such as Fra Dana and Emily Carr. In his final essay, "What Was Charlie Russell Tr)'ing to Tell Us?" Flores concludes that Rus- sell's paintings of Indians, cow- punchers, and trail riders "tell us that restoring the West is some- thing every westerner who loves the Big Russell vision ought to embrace personally." ►►• MONT.\N.\ OlTno. rOEOlEADIM The Quotable Fisherman Nick Lyons. Skyhorse Pub- lishing, 208 pp. $14.95 No pastime, not even baseball, has inspired more literature — and quotable words of wit and wisdom — than fishing. In The Quotable Fisherman, renowned fishing writer and editor Nick Lyons, former publisher of Lyons Press, has compiled more than 350 memorable quotes expressing the passion and pleas- ure of angling. The authors whom Lyons ■ quotes rim from the O 3 'XJ < venerable Izaak Walton ("...'tis not all of fishing to fish.") to the irreverent Ed Zern ("Fishermen are born honest, but they get over it.") and include several Montanans, such as Thomas McGuane ("Young anglers love new rivers the way they love the rest of their lives. Time doesn't seem to be of the essence and somewhere in the system is what they are looking for.") This book will entertain anyone who fishes and thinks about fishing. You can quote us on that. Inventing Montana: Dispatches from the Madison Valley Ted Leeson. Skyhorse Publish- ing, 256 pp. $24.95 Most books written about Mon- tana are by native residents or immigrants who've put down roots here for good. Ted Leeson is neither. He lives and works in Corvalis, Oregon. Every summer for the past two decades, he and a group of close friends return to an old ranch house overlooking the Madison River and spend a month fishing, reading, and con- versing, as well as marveling at the surrounding landscape. "What roots I have here, if they can be said to exist at all, run no deeper than those of a potted plant," he writes in Inventing Montana. Yet from his perspective as a longtime visitor, Leeson sees Montana dif- ferendy. Because his time here is so short, Leeson's impressions and interpretations become more acute. To be sure, he admits, his experience here is limited and selective. "At the same time," he adds, "while skimming the cream from a pail of fresh milk may not qualify you as an expert in dairy farming, the cream itself is per- fecdy authentic and your appreci- ation of it genuine. There is a version of knowing that comes with extreme loyalty." Wildlife in American Art: Masterworks from the National Museum of Wildlife Art Adam Duncan Harris. University of Oklahoma Press, 287 pp. $35 Wildlife art often gets panned by critics as not being "artistic." But anyone who has visited the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming, surely understands that wildlife paint- ers and sculptors often tran- scend mere documentation to convey ideas and emotions about wild animals, natural his- tory, wilderness, and the rela- tionship between humans and the natural world. In other words: art. Wildlife in American Art in- cludes more than 125 full-color illustrations that highlight the entire range of the museum's collection over two and a half centuries, up to modern interpre- tations of wildlife by Andy Warhol and Robert Kuhn. The book also examines the history of wildlife art in America in a series of essays by Adam Duncan Harris, the museum's curator. He charts the tradition of depicting America's faima, which began as early as 2500 BC, with small bird sculptures made of native rock by Great Lakes region Indian tribes, and still thrives today. Theodore Roosevelt: Hunter-Conservationist R. L Wilson. Boone & Crockett Club, 295 pp. $39.95 Ken Burns's documentary The National Parks on PBS last spring and Timothy Egan's highly acclaimed book The Big Bum: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America have stirred pub- lic interest in the nation's irre- pressible 26th president. Theodore Roosevelt accom- plished much during his remarkable life — writing more than a dozen books, surviving an assassination attempt, and winning the Nobel Peace Prize — but his greatest legacy is conservation. He played a sig- nificant role in creating 150 national forests, five national parks, and 18 national monu- ments, conserving 230 million acres across the United States. That conservation ethic, as detailed by R. L. Wilson in his richly illustrated biography Theodore Roosevelt: Hunter- Comervationist, grew from Roos- 3 8 November-December ibio • (A^^p.mt.gcn'/tntoutdoors RECOMMENDED READING I THEODORE ROOSEVSI.T HnNTBB-OOirSBSTATIOinST evelt's love of hunting and wilderness. Many Americans continue to grapple with the seeming paradox of a hunter who loves wildlife. Roosevelt killed thousands of animals in his lifetime. Yet he helped pro- tect and conserve lands that sus- tain millions of wild creatures in perpetuity. Wilson's book, which won a gold medal for biography from the Independent Book Publishers Association, captures Roosevelt's joy of life and con- cern for the world while docu- menting a lifetime of hunting across the United States and his famous safari in Africa. Great Plains: America's Lingering Wild Michael Forsberg. The University of Chicago Press. 256 pp. $45 Draw a line from Shelby to Great Falls to Billings. All of Montana to the east — nearly two-thirds of the state — is part of the Northern Great Plains ecosystem. Interestingly, most Montana tourism promotions and coffee- table books depict the state as a series ol sparkling trout rivers flanked bv snowcapped peaks. The fact that far more of" Montana is in the Great Plains than the Rockv Mountains makes Great Plains important reading and viewing for those wanting to fully understand the Treasure State. Michael Forsberg, a Nebraska photographer published regularly in National Geographic, loves the prairie's minimalist landscape. His book is filled with lyrical images of a mostly horizontal environment, where people, wildlife, and landscapes are shaped by wind and weather. Adding to the reader's under- standing of the vast region are thoughtful essays by geographer David Wishart, poet Ted Kooset, and writer-rancher Dan O'Brien. How Sportsmen Saved the World: The Unsung Conservation Efforts of Hunters and Anglers £. Donnall Thomas Jr. Lyons Press, 240 pp. $24.95 You may not know it Irom reading books and magazines produced on the East and West coasts, but the modern environ- mental and conservation move- ments grew — and continue to prosper — from work by hunters and anglers to protect wild places. In How Sportsmen Saved the World, Lewistown physi- cian, part-time Alaskan hunt- ing guide, and acclaimed outdoors writer E. Donnall Thomas Jr. details the history of the American conservation movement. Fie begins with how market hunting nearly wiped out many North American big game populations. Fie then documents efforts by early hunter-conservationists such as George Bird Grinnell and Theodore Roosevelt to pass leg- islation to protect land and reg- ulate hunting. Thomas also devotes much attention to life- long hunter Aldo Leopold, who popularized the concept of ecology, helped establish The Wilderness Society and The Wildlife Society, and created in A Sand County Almanac com- pelling and enduring argu- ments for conserving land, water, and wildness. Thomas ends by summarizing how hunters continue to anchor wildlife conservation through what wildlife biolo- gists are now calling the North American Wildlife Conservation Model. The North American model is based on seven princi- ples, such as maintain- ing wildlife as a public tesource, allowing all citizens an equal right to hunt, and conserv- ing wildlife according to both scientific prin- ciples and democratic principles ol law. Writes Thomas, "As applied in the United States and Canada, [these seven principles] have given us healthy, free-ranging, unfettered populations of wildlife unequaled am'where else in the world." Wild Horses of the World Moira C. Harris. Octopus Books, 176 pp. $24.99 This captivating natural histon,' book includes chapters on the American mustang, Australian brumby, Mongolia Przewaslksi horse, and the ponies of Europe and the British Isles. ^ @e "3 •?o So •2 o < THE INATIONAL PARKS DAYTON DUNCAN KEN BURNS ii IJANA OUTDOORS INDEX l^j&i^Oiit^s: I Montana OutxlootS LEAVE NO TRACE -Prospecfing ""x -Small Streams JMontana Outdoors ■^-4 3 \.-^ *»i ItlilrTag ^ •lit »c.-tr.