Ken Barrett's Fast Facts
For The TRCP's Life in the Open

Montana Whitetails with Bill Geer Fast Facts Sheet

Location: Fishtail, Montana – Fishtail is a small town located approximately halfway between Billings and Bozeman, Montana, south of Interstate 90.

Access: We were hunting on a private ranch at the invitation of the owner. We often forget that access can sometimes be obtained simply by asking. I asked and the owner said yes. The ranch we hunted backed up to National Forest land.

Best time to go: I always like to hunt whitetails in the rut, and we were there just as it kicked off in November. Montana’s rifle season for deer starts in late October and runs five consecutive weeks. Please go to www.fwp.state.mt.us for more information.

License availability: Montana residents can buy a deer tag over the counter; non-residents must apply. Warning: getting a non-resident deer license is difficult; you’re best chance is to apply for a combination elk & deer license.  Your other best bet is to book with an outfitter, who can guarantee you a license if you book early on, well before the March 15 deadline.

Recommended equipment: Regarding clothing, my best advice is to be prepared. I have hunted deer in shirt-sleeves, and I’ve been cold in long-johns and heavy wool. Montana’s weather is notoriously extreme. Any standard deer rifle and load is a good choice; be prepared to take shots from 30 yards to 300 yards, depending on the cover you hunt in. Montana requires you wear a minimum of 400 square inches of hunter orange. Good binoculars and boots are always a plus. Carry a daypack with basic survival gear, just in case.

Costs: For Montana residents, like residents in most states, whitetail hunting is a real bargain, especially if you hunt publicly accessible lands or gain permission to hunt private lands. For the non-resident, the biggest stumbling block is obtaining a license. To learn the specifics please go the www.fwpstate.mt.us. Montana only issues a total of 17,000 non-resident licenses each year. Once you obtain one, there are an almost endless number of places to hunt from National Forests to nine million acres of Block Management lands (private lands open to the public).  Here in Montana, it’s still possible to obtain permission to hunt by simply asking.

Tips & Commentary: Montana has three distinct areas for whitetail hunting: a mixture of agricultural lands and river bottom (found mostly in eastern Montana) a mixture of agricultural lands, riparian and forest (found mostly in the central and western Montana) and big woods (found mostly in the Northwestern area of the state.) Take your pick they are all good. Many Montana hunters focus on mule deer, and with the state’s huge size and low population, many whitetails get to grow-up and attain the age of 5 or more. We kill a lot of 140, 150, 160 class whitetail bucks, some even bigger, each year in Montana. I was with a buddy when he rattled in and killed a 165 class buck on public lands.  My cousin’s son took a 144 class buck on public lands last season, and my son killed a 130 class buck up behind my house, again, on public lands. Get yourself a Montana deer license and give it a try; I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

Special thanks go to:

Swarovski Optik
Bill Geer

Kansas Quail with Howard Vincent Fast Facts Sheet

Location: Fort Riley, Kansas. Fort Riley is located approximately 140 miles west of Kansas City just north of Interstate 70.

Access: As unbelievable as it may seem, much of Ft. Riley, America’s warfighting center, is open to public hunting. Sure you will have to spend a little time checking in, clearing your guns and showing your ID, but it’s a small inconvenience to pay for a unique hunting experience. Note: If you have rented a vehicle, be sure to have the rental agreement with you or else you won’t get in.

Best time to go: Kansas has a long bird season, check with its Dept of Wildlife & Parks for dates. Hunting for prairie chickens is much more productive early in the season; the same can be true of quail and pheasant hunting. I went late in the season, in January.  If I go again, I’ll be there right after pheasant season opens, so I can hunt all three species, before they have been educated by other hunters.

License availability: You can purchase a non-resident license over-the-counter at a number of outlets in the area or online at www.kdwp.state.ks.us.  Non-resident licenses cost $75.

Recommended equipment: I’d take any shotgun that you shoot well, but I recommend you use as light a one as you own, because you’re going to be doing a lot of walking. Be sure to take along extra water for yourself and the dogs. Since you can, and most probably will, encounter prairie chickens and pheasants in addition to quail, you may want to carry some size 6 loads in addition to 7 loads and 8 loads.  I use a double-barreled gun and usually carry 7 in the open choked barrel and 6 in the more tightly choked barrel. Good walking boots are also a must.

Costs: It all depends on how far you have to travel. I would not make a trip just to hunt Fort Riley, but would include it on a Kansas or Midwest bird hunting itinerary. It makes for a most interesting and enjoyable day or two of hunting. On the other hand, if I lived within easy driving distance, I would spend the time to learn about it and explore its large and diverse covers.

Tips & Commentary: While it may seem strange that America’s warfighting center is open to public hunting, it speaks volumes about the openness of our society and the Deptment of Defense’s commitment to managing its lands for fish and wildlife. Fort Riley is but one out of many DOD facilities across the country open to the hunting and fishing public. To learn more, go to the Net and type in the military installation or Dept. of Defense property you wish to explore along with the word hunting and/or fishing and hit search. There’s a whole world of access to explore out there!

Special thanks go to:

Howard Vincent
Dave Nomsen
Herb Abel
Jim Wooley
Barth Crouch
Cherrie Nolden
Major G. Brent Cummings
Cortona Shotguns
CC. Filson Co.