TRCP’s Montana program manager mentors young hunters while enjoying the public lands of the Lolo National Forest
It was still one-half hour until shooting light, but my friend Tim, my daughter Ella, her two friends, and I could clearly see down to Rock Creek, deep in the Lolo National Forest of Montana. It was mid-October, and another youth deer hunting season would soon begin. Ella’s 7mm-08 rifle rested on the rocks at the cliff’s edge, pointing safely towards the river bottom below as we waited for daylight, and hopefully, for deer to appear.
The girls whispered and giggled about the past youth seasons already under their belt. Each of them had already taken multiple deer and were gaining confidence each time they entered the woods. The girls sipped hot chocolate, while Tim and I talked quietly about how much we’ve enjoyed this hunt over the years and how thankful we are for the plentiful public land in Montana that has helped us usher in this next generation of hunters.
For the past six years, we’ve taken our kiddos and a few of their friends on this annual youth deer hunt. Our sons are now self-sufficient hunters, who happened to be together even higher on the cliff to help locate distant deer invisible to us. We worked out hand signals so they could assist from afar. Tim and I were pleased at how the older boys were taking it upon themselves to help the girls with their hunt. Further upstream were other friends, consisting of two adults and two youth hunters. At sunrise, the boys should be able to see the hunter orange dots from both of our groups and everything in between.
Dawn arrived quickly and so did the action. We could see the boys excitedly signaling “buck” by sticking several fingers off the top of their heads. They were pointing far away and in the direction of the other group. They were also signaling “many deer around” by waving hands with multiple fingers raised. The girls grew quiet, and Ella snapped behind the rifle.
Tim saw the first deer coming.
“Three deer along the river,” he said.
They were barely out of range, and Ella had them in her scope as they marched closer to our location. A distant gunshot sounded, and the boys waived excitedly. Ella’s lead doe stopped, now within range and broadside.
“I’m on her, Dad. Can I shoot?” Ella asked.
“Yes, pick a spot at the shoulder’s crease and just squeeze the trigger straight back,” I said.
The dampened report of Ella’s suppressed rifle sounded, and the doe jumped high, ran a circle and then fell dead in plain sight. The other two deer milled around but didn’t leave.
“Athena, see if you can trade places with Ella and get a good shot on a second deer,” I said.
Ella moved away from the gun and Athena took her place. I helped chamber another cartridge. The deer was closer now, less than 100 yards, but at a steep downward angle when Athena had it solidly in her sights. Her shot was good and behind the shoulder. The deer collapsed on the spot. We unloaded the rifle and congratulated the successful hunters.
The boys came down from their post and we learned that Ava, one of the other youth hunters from our other group, harvested a nice buck with the lone gunshot we heard earlier. With three deer down in the first hour of light, this year’s youth deer hunting camp was already a roaring success!
The Lolo National Forest stretches across 2 million acres of western Montana. This landscape offers vital habitat for elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, moose, and invaluable, intact cold-water systems home to native fish like bull trout and Westslope cutthroat as well as wild rainbow, brown, and brook trout. These millions of acres support commercial opportunities that provide thousands of jobs in local communities, as well as innumerable recreation opportunities such as the youth deer hunting camp described above.
As with all National Forests, land management plans must be updated periodically, and the Lolo’s has not been revised in over two decades. In that time, new challenges have arisen that must be addressed, including increased outdoor recreation, the growing presence of noxious weeds, and the impacts of decades of fire suppression combined with hotter, drier weather.
Currently, the Lolo is in the process of revising its land management plans and engaged hunters and anglers will have upcoming opportunities to speak up for a successful planning outcome that conserves important big game and fisheries habitats. A top priority for TRCP is to ensure the Lolo recognizes that in the decades since the existing forest plans were finalized, several important big game migrations and winter ranges for elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep in western Montana have been identified.
The Forest Service must incorporate the latest science, utilize the best-available conservation tools, and prioritize coordination with other stakeholders to safeguard big game corridors and winter range as the agency initiates the forest plan revision process for these public lands. This will guarantee quality places to hunt and fish for future generations.
Learn more about TRCP and the Lolo National Forest HERE.
Stay tuned to TRCP channels or go to the Lolo National Forest Plan Revision Site to learn how to participate in this important plan revision.
Photo credits: Ryan Chapin
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