Montana 2017- Saturday 23rd

Last day of the hunt! Finished the Montana trip with a bang! Andrew harvested his first ever Antelope with his bow this evening. The ground blind strategy finally worked and he made a great shot on a "speed goat" !

Stephanie got a great pic of a mule deer doe and fawns on a ridge line. She is quite the photographer.

I finished up my hunt this evening as well and passed up several small bucks holding out for the big boys that never came into bow range. That's bow hunting...I did get a pic of a young buck at 14 yards. Maybe next trip ???😊😊😊

Thanks for following along on the 2017 Montana Adventure

Montana 2017- Friday 22 evening update

Snow did not slow the Howell boys down as we hunted almost all day. I deer hunted this morning and had several small mule deer bucks at very close range. The had a delicious breakfast of biscuits, mule deer tenderloin, and eggs and cheese. Then we went of antelope hunting mid day. Andrew got a shot at 92 yards but missed low. 😓...that's just antelope hunting. This evening I elk hunted again and got relatively close to116 yards but no shot opportunities. It has pretty much lightly snowed all day
 Cold hunt but still a great day¡

Montana 2017 - Friday Morning - 22

Woke up to cold and snow at 530am this morning. You can't kill one while at the house so geared up and headed out into a beautiful snowy hunt. Had no shots on shooter bucks but had 3 fork horn mulies at 5 yards ..it was tempting this late in the hunt but becided to hold out for a while longer. Maybe this evening will bring better opportunity. Mule fork horn in first pic at another 80 yards near ridge abou middle of the picture.

Montana 2017- Tuesday 19

Catching up a few pics that we took while scouting the area just to the east of where we are staying. We are both carring bear pepper spray and a side arm while Hunting. Andrew encountered a 400 ib black bear on Monday. 

Andrew is carrying a Ruger Blackhawk 44mag, Stephanie was carrying a s&w mp 40, and I was carrying my Ruger LC9 9mm , all loaded with +p buffalo bore

Montana 2017- Thursday 21

Another day bow hunting in Montana. 😊😊 Morning started out rain and chilly 38°, not to bad until about 9 when the bottom dropped out ..saw a few small bucks this morning but no shooters in the crowd. After a late breakfast thanks to andrew and stephanie we went antelope hunting for a few hours then Andrew and Stephanie went fishing while I continued pursuing elk and deer. Got very close again tonight and yes I have proof this time both video and still of the elk. Unfortunately they were just out of bow range at 115 yards. A little to far for a poke with the stick and string. Still a Happy hunting day all the way around. Feel blessed to be here with family and friends that are dear to me. Oh..and the weather has gone from bad to worse for Hunting...33° rain snow mix right now with low tonight of 29 and a winter weather advisory till noon tomorrow. We'll see how it is in the morning.

Montana 2017- Wednesday 20

Catching up from yesterday with the video of Andrews shot at the Mule deer. Stephanie did a great job capturing the moment with her phone. Andrew got a "little" excited after the shot but then again that is what its all about! If you bow hunt you know that feeling.

Montana 2017- Wednesday 20

I decided to hunt elk again tonight up on some higher ground. No elk came through but I could glass over alfalfa meadow and at one point there were 55 whitetails in the field including 11 bucks ..one shooter 10 point and 2 nice 8 pointers. May switch to deer hunting soon ! 😊

Snow on the distant peaks made for an awesome view while waiting on a bugle or two  from the elk. My legs are sore from packing and hiking but  have huge smile on my face celebrating a successful hunt today.  

Andrew and his gf Stephanie had a awesome hunt this morning. I was hunting higher ground about 500 ft in elevation above Andrew and could see it all coming together from about 1/2 mile away. Saw him come to full draw and release the arrow and the deer take off. Stephanie was sitting with Andrew and got a great video of the shot on the iPhone. May try to post it later on. We were 1 mile into Lewis and Clark National forest so it was nice to go in light and come out heavy with a rack on a pack. Andrew got the honors of the rack on his pack and I got the front quarter, neck and rear quarter on my pack, Stephanie got the tenderloin and heart, Andrew got the other half quarters and the loins. The Howells are on it now .. hopefully tomorrow a similar result for me. Great hunt!

Montana 2017- Wednesday 20

Beautiful morning in Montana. Even more beautiful to watch Andrew arrow a really nice 3x3 mule deer at 30 yards. 1st Brown is down in MT ..ok actually greyish but we're on the board.

Montana 2017- Monday

More antelope, deer, and elk hunting. Mark hunted elk up high in the morning while Andrew deer hunted on the national Forest in Happy jack gulch.
We had a great day..! No harvest yet but memories of the hunt will last a lifetime. I called in 2 bull elk to 43 yards ..to bad I only have a cow elk tag.

Montana 2017- Tuesday 19

Morning started out rain and cold . I missed a cow elk at 65 yards last night (arrow hit a limb)😓 Morning hunt was a busy due to the weather but cleared up and we went up in National goredt to glass see what was around. Good day of hunting but no harvest yet. Saving the best gor later we hope.

Breakfast was really lunch of Montana sage sausage

Mother nature's artistry at work ..the twisted juniiper skeleton could tell lots of stories I am sure. 

Montana 2017 - Sunday 17

Ok catch up time . Gonna post lots of pics so be ready for one beautiful scenery! 😊Mule deer doe's up close

d first antelope stalk for today. Made it to 150 yards

before getting busted. Beautiful start to a beautiful day of hunting.

Montana 2017- Sunday 9-17

Montana sunset on the Boulder River

Montana 2017- Saturday

So the rest of the story as Paul Harvey would say. After lunch  on antelope stalk was 125 yrds from herd ..went to nock arrow and half of my rest was gone. Yes broken and gone who knows where. Trip to town and a few phone calls later and located bow shop at Yellowstone Gifts and Sports in Livingston MT. Their bow tech Sid was super helpful in selection, installation, and tuning my new QAD drop away and hopefully mark Howell bomb proof rest. Huge sigh of relief when the job was done and even made it back to big timber for one final stalk in the fading light. Sid may not see this but he was an answer to a ferverent prayer for help. God works in mysterious ways and miracles do happen every day. Whew ..saved my hunt for sure today and tomorrow and going forward. Thank you SID!!

Then came home to a home cooked meal by Stephinie and Aunt Ann. Chicken, baked potatoes, roasted squash, salad,  and chocolate chip cookies and chocolate ice cream. LIFE IS GOOD!!!😊😊😊Thanks ladies ..you rock. Fuel for the hunt.

Montana 2017- Saturday

Day started out cold 32 with snow and rain till about 10:30. Yes we still hunted..brrrr chasing antelope. Hunted north of Columbus MT on a walk in access property (14,000 acres)= lots of driving and walking/ stalking. Spotted 11 different herds of antelope made 7 unsecessful stalks but saw a lot of animals relatively close ..ie 200 yards or so. Andrew 1st stalk put him 100 yards from 2 antelope bucks but getting that last 30 yards he got busted. Also had a stalk on a nice 3x4 mule deer ..got to 125 yards the bedded does busted us. 
After a quick bite of lunch midday we hunted a ranch near big timber. 2 herds of antelope ..one had 29 in it other had 17. Andrew had brief encounter at 50yrds w one herd buck but it busted him drawing bow. All in all a great day. Snow on the peaks north of town is beautiful. More to come tomorrow!