Morning, May 2, 2009

[Mt_Sourdough]

Good Morning Everybody,
   The sun is out.  The air is warming up already at 9 AM.  Today, we are all loading up in the family grocery getter and heading up into the hills with some rifles and getting after some gophers and some paper.
   Last night we rode up in the hills with the kids.  We brought along some bikes.  When we arrived at a great viewing spot, we let the kids out.  They hopped on the bikes and rode down hill through the mountain valley and back into town (about 12 miles). 
   Their mom and I hung out and watched elk.  Herds are really splintering up now.  In the last week, we have watched one herd go from about 30 head to a dozen spread out groups of 2 or 3 now.  The mulies are moving up and splintering as well.  Whitetails are finally looking like they should. 
   On our way home, we picked the kids up at the edge of town.  At home they were quiet and they zonked out fast.
   Yesterday, the kids mom and I rode our bikes up the Rattlesnake up into zone 2.  Zone 2 is where it becomes legal to hunt in the Rattlesnake.  Motorized transportation is prohibited in the Rattlesnake Recreation area and of course prohibited up where it turns into Wilderness area.  There are some who hike up and hunt.  Some ride horses, but most who hunt up there (not a lot) do it on bicycle.  Yesterday, we were passed by some bear hunters. Beaucoup bears and cats up there.   Bicycling sure changes how one looks at areas to hunt.  You can reach areas that are rarely hunted.  I havent done it yet, but I cant wait to strap a deer over my bike and then ride down the mountain on top of a deer.  Just hope I dont wreck and get gored by a dead deer.
   I will have to put an extra orange vest over the anters as to not get myself shot.
  I gotta get our Antelope apps in soon.
  Well, these people are getting ancey to go, so you all have a great Montana day and we'll see ya around the bend.

[Double D]

Good morning Montanan, MT_Sourdough, dpe, Southpaw, Forster, Atlaw, pab1, newstart2k, Skunk, kitchawan kid, lurker, CJ, Bilmac,thxmrgarand, Syncerus, Mcwoodduck, Brennemanj83, Old Shooter,TY22, Canon6, burntmuch, Grimjim, CJ, Bilmac, rparsons934 wis_sharpshooter and BBF.

It's 12 degrees with bright clear blue skies.  Today is going to be be a melter.  Water will be going in the ground.

I built some stencils yesterday for the two shoots I'll be putting on this summer.

Here is one for the Cannon shoot.



We have several Cannon makers who have expressed interest in coming to the cannon shoot and I am encouraging them to bring wares for sale.




 

[Cottonwood]

Good morning everyone, it sure is a very nice day out today.

Think I will go hit some gophers today 

[Mt_Sourdough]

Hello again
  I just got back from our family outing.  We went out to the Beavertail area for some shooting and a picnic.  I brought 4 different rifles.
  My gopher season officially got underway today as I elimintated a couple of those greasy vermin.  I also got to shoot some of the hand-me-down ol' 265 gr remington corelocts.  They sure kick a lot less than the Hornady's.  I was using paper plates for targets and I found it difficult at first to really focus on the target.  It is because the paper plate is white and the front bead is also white(as it appears when looking down the rifle at it).  In the perspective of my sight picture, the front bead is as big as the 10 inch plate at 100 yards.  The bead has a more creamy shade of white so that is how I was able to eventually get it focused.  I drew in a red circle on the plate, but at 100 yards it wasnt even visible.  I persisted and was able to finish with a sub 1 inch 3 shot group at 100 yards. 
  The oldest son, Austin 13, also fired the 444 today for his first time.  I took your advice and had him shoot it standing up at 20 yards.  He put his first two shots in the bulseye and he was very excited and proud.  A nice change from the last time with the 30-30.  He quickly developed a fondness for the 444 and wanted to keep shooting it.  I guess I am not the only person that loves my 444 now.

[dpe.ahoy]

That's some good shooting the boy did.  My 15 year old boy likes my 444P, but the 20 and 23 year olds won't shoot it again.  Each their own, I guess.  Just back from an overnighter camp trip for one of my muzzleloader clubs, I was the only one there!  One other guy went out Fri. night and no one was there so he left.  With a family of 10 and 5 extra house guests, I enjoyed the time alone with the birds.  Lots of turkeys, pheasants and lots of water fowl, Sat was great but at 6:00am this morning, it was raining, didn't quit till I tore down camp and people started showing up for the club meeting.  Set the tent up in the back yard to dry, the kids will enjoy that.  Gonna have to get my little .32 cal muzzleloader out again to play with.  Might have to use that for fall turkey.  By the way, HAPPY SUNDAY!.  DP