Great Divide Fly Shop has been closed for almost a month. The guns were sighted in, hunting clothes dusted off, and hiking boots broken back in. This year has been a fantastic hunting season so far, even though the snow has not hit hard yet. The elk and ducks have been on the move and we have been capitalizing and filling the freezer slowly but surely. I was lucky enough to get a hunting trip in early to eastern Montana for antelope with our good friend Josh Bush. 30 minutes into the hunt this happened…
The trip was a success with a couple speed goats, including this sexy beast, a couple mule deer, and a turkey. When we arrived back in Wise River it was time to switch to Elk. Another good friend of ours showed up to hunt this area for a couple weeks. On the second day out we spotted a bull sneaking below us on a low ridge. As he went around a corner out of sight we made our move and tried to cut him off. As I waited in the trees I heard rocks rolling and branches breaking below me. I moved to get a better look and spotted the bull trying to climb up a slope about 300 yards across the draw. One shot, his knees wobbled and down he went. Not a big bull, but a great start to filling the freezer. The pack out was hard, but short enough to make in one trip. One down, one to go.
With one elk down and processed we have been hitting the ducks as well. The cold temps have pushed many of the northern ducks down south. They have been packing the ponds and rivers, making for great jump shooting. Duck poppers for days…
The Andros connection has a great group this year and we are excited to get to the warm weather. We still have spots available in the beginning of March if anyone is interested in some warm weather, fantastic folks, and of course, amazing fishing. Al is taking off next week to prepare and get some well deserved down time before we show up in January!
Good luck to all the hunters out there and remember, if there is lead in the air, there is hope!