Guest Profile 
The Montana Wildlife Federation supports keeping two sections of quality wildlife habitat in the south Crazy Mountains that sit along Rock Creek in public ownership. These lands have public access to them and offer incredible sporting opportunities. These lands are too special as wildlife habitat to give up. Read our letter to the Custer-Gallatin National Forest over the proposed South Crazies land exchange here, and tell the Forest Service to keep sections 4 and 8 along Rock Creek.
The continents birds are disappearing at an alarming rate according to a new study in the journal Science. In the United States and Canada, bird populations have declined by 29 percent since 1970. That is a total loss of nearly three billion birds. The most loss has been seen in grasslands, boreal forests, and western forests, exactly what makes up the entirety of the state of Montana. Grasslands have suffered the most, losing a total of 717 million birds since 1970. The key culprit for these dramatic loses is habitat loss, closely followed by the use of pesticides.
This study shows just how much we do not know about our changing climate. These staggering numbers and percentages surprised scientists throughout the world. According to the article in the journal Science, “Extinction begins with loss in abundance of individuals that can result in compositional and functional changes of ecosystems” and that is exactly what we are seeing today.
This is why the Montana Wildlife Federation’s attempt to certify the city of Billings and other cities throughout Montana as community wildlife habitats is more important than ever. With the decline of habitat throughout North America, it is still possible to make essential habitat in your own backyard or on your deck. Providing habitat for birds is easier than it sounds. All you need is food, a birdhouse, and a source of water. It is quite simple to build your own birdhouse or purchase one at a local store. Bird feeders and bird food including suet are great for birds, especially through winter. Creating a wildlife habitat in your own yard is a great way to take this issue into your own hands and do what you can to help mitigate the destruction of bird habitat and the staggering decline of bird populations.
The Garden for Wildlife Program encourages community spaces, businesses, and at-home gardens to become certified wildlife habitats. In order for a garden to become certified, it must have food, water, cover, places to raise young, and it must use sustainable practices. One of the many sustainable practices that can be used is the avoidance of the use of herbicides and pesticides, which is the second-largest cause of bird population decline.
Our grassland ecosystem here in Billings is on the brink of collapse, and so are many ecosystems throughout Montana and the world. Making a wildlife habitat in your backyard is a visible step you can take to help make a difference in our community, our state, and our world.
Check here for more information about certifying your garden.
References
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2019/09/18/science.aaw1313
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/science/bird-populations-america-canada.html
Read a powerful short story about hunting in the Lewistown Planning Area written by MWF member Eric Wendt from Billings, MT
The Missouri Breaks has a special place in my heart. This area, with miles and miles of breaks, coulees, cottonwood draws, sagebrush, and short-grass prairie was instrumental in forming my view of what hunting in Montana involves. The Breaks, which include thousands of acres of undeveloped, wild, and public land along the Missouri River corridor is under the Lewistown Resource Management Plan (RMP) from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Lewistown RMP encompasses a stunning, intact river-to-prairie ecosystem that holds some of the best big game populations in the world. Big game needs big country, and this area has it.
I drew my first antlerless elk tag in this area when I was 14. My experience in the breaks includes gumbo, lots of greasy mud that can make for a long trip if you aren’t careful. On the drive in I had to hop out of the truck multiple times to turn in the hubs to engage the four-wheel drive, luckily for us, we made it to camp in one piece. On opening day we woke up at 5 am, even with the heater on in the camper I could see my breath. After a steaming bowl of oatmeal, my first of many elk hunts began. Years later the details blur together a bit, but it seemed like we hiked up more hills than down. We saw elk two coulees over and put the sneak on them. By the time we were in shooting position, the elk had disappeared in the topographic maze. I did not mind, the beautiful immense landscape with the big sky overhead were making the hike worth it.
Around 4 pm we decided to head back towards camp. We came across a stand of willows in a bottom where we could hear movement and bugling. My hunting mentor, Mike, positioned himself on a hill at the end of the willows and signaled for me to walk through the middle. I did not come from a hunting family so my hunting experience was extremely limited. This was the first time I was on my own. Being an avid reader, I had come across the term “buck fever” and told myself that this would not happen to me. Boy was I wrong. I was shaking like a lone leaf in a Big Timber wind storm. As I weaved in-between the willows I came upon a clearing. Forty yards away five cows and a bull were stock still staring at me. I fumbled my .270 into position, the world froze. And I squeezed the trigger. The world came rushing back in an instant. My cow stumbled but was looking like it could run forever. The next thing I knew I was viewing the world through my scope and it was slow again. The second shot rang true and as I looked up and there she was on the ground. I cannot describe the feeling adequately beyond it was intense and awe-inspiring and like I was in a daze. Through the haze I heard Mike shouting, asking if one was down. He showed up some point later and proceeded to show me how to dress her. We went back to the truck and grabbed our “game cart,” really an old rusted out wheelbarrow. It took us about four exhausting hours to get her back to the truck. I doubt I have ever slept so well.
I was able to draw the same tag in the following years and had similar luck. After that, I went to college out of state and was unable to make it home to hunt. Now, three unsuccessful elk seasons since graduation, I realize how spoiled I was in my youth with amazing places to elk hunt. I am grateful for my first few seasons hunting when I was able to fill my deer, elk, and antelope tags and gain confidence as a hunter. It is our duty to provide these same hunting opportunities to the next generation. I would not be the hunter I am today without the Missouri Breaks. The wild character of this landscape and our big healthy populations of big game is the reason why so many people choose to live, visit and hunt here. Elk, deer and other wildlife need wide open, quiet spaces, native range flora, and healthy watersheds. The BLM must prioritize those needs in their plan, to ensure that hunters, young and old, have the same quality habitat to chase game that I did.
The Lewistown RMP comment deadline has passed, but the final RMP and EIS will be coming out in the next few months. We are yet again going to need everyone’s help during the protest period that follows the release of the final plans. Stay tuned and be ready to get involved.
The first time I really had the opportunity to watch a flock of turkeys was in the fall when I wasn’t turkey hunting, but deer hunting. I was hunkered down and passing the time when my partner Ryan and I saw this flock come ambling by, attempting to navigate their way across dead trees and other obstacles. Watching them follow one another in a line, like ants on a log, was amusing. They would follow the bird in front of them regardless of the hazard that awaited them! One by one they would slip, fall over, or hop their way across deadfall in effort to keep pace with the others.
This year I jumped at the opportunity to try spring turkey hunting in Montana. I’d been turkey hunting once before with a hunting mentor in Nebraska but to no avail. In fact, if memory serves, that long weekend we finally gave up and went fishing instead. However, this time I was going out with a more experienced hunter, my partner’s dad, Jim. Jim and Ryan have learned over the years that while I may not enjoy early alarms, I am however highly motivated by coffee, pastries, and the prospect of game.
We traveled up a drainage where turkeys have successfully been taken for years by people I trusted, so I was hopeful but not expectant. Most mornings started by driving to various high points and overlooks to stop and call for gobblers, trying to locate an active Tom or Jake. If we heard one, the plan was to simply start walking in that direction while occasionally calling. This repeated for several mornings in a row and as someone who has come to enjoy hunting because it gets me out in the woods, all the driving made me a bit uneasy at first, but after a short while, I loved it! As a novice turkey hunter with little confidence to offer direction it was very helpful to get hear a large number of gobblers in a relatively short amount of time while seeing lots of country. It wasn’t long before I started gaining traction.
I began making the necessary connections between terrain and habitat, and the likelihood of hearing a bird. I started remembering certain landmarks where it seemed like the same gobbler was hanging out. Jim, who was unmistakably the superior turkey caller, would work the box call while I waited eagerly. Anxiously waiting to hear a turkey gobble back and sprinting off in their direction became addictive and I suspect will be my new favorite springtime activity.
One morning, a bird who didn’t sound too far away gobbled, quickly followed by another gobble. It was clear they were both heading in our direction but from either side. As I quickly set up my shotgun and aimed at where I thought the gobbler should appear, the second bird suddenly went silent. I thought if one stopped, I’ll wager the other bird bails on us too and that something spooked them or they spotted us. Finally, as the bird finally came into view, I had to stifle my laugh. He strutted and turned and puffed out his chest generating a muffled fit of laughter. Luckily, as a person at least half committed to being successful and fully committed to not angering my hunting partners I kept still. Unfortunately, he was just over the property line where we didn’t have permission and he refused to cross the fence. A close call and lots of fun, but nothing in the bag.
After hiking around the same hills I’d now traversed for several mornings, we heard a gobbler and started up a pretty steep hill. Once I settled under a tree, I spotted a Tom from way across a clearing and once again I stifled a snigger. I whisper-laughed, “Ryan! There’s a turkey…and he’s running straight at us. No seriously! There’s another one. And some hens! Get ready.” While I got ready and the Tom trod closer, I never had more than a brief headshot, far too brief to feel comfortable. Quickly, he moved into Ryan’s viewshed and a shot went off.
When we returned to the truck, Jim was beaming with excitement expecting to see a long-beard slung over one of our shoulders but we came bearing only the tale. Now, this story isn’t about Ryan’s near-miss that day but my overall experience. Nor is it a reflection on my hunting guides’ abilities. To be fair, you can only lead a horse to water. I learned many lessons this spring, solidifying that it’s always good to get outside because you never know what you’ll find. I’d rather be in the woods in the early morning and miss than never experience turkey hunting at all.
Although I was fruitless in bringing home the turkey bacon, I did find gratification in the woods. I heard Sandhill cranes, annoyed some squirrels who returned the favor, startled elk, and most importantly, called a gobbler to within range. However, Jim was still grinning. He’d found a dirty crumpled old $20 bill while picking up cans. He looked at us, laughed, and declared “Who says recycling doesn’t pay?”
by Naomi Alhadeff.
Montanans share a broad consensus that we need better elk management to address game damage, provide more hunting opportunity to more people and to get ahead of potential diseases. Please take this brief survey to help us understand what tools will help us achieve better elk management and retain our strong hunting heritage.
This is an important time for elk hunters in Montana, as we have completed three years of large-scale “shoulder seasons” and are currently undergoing a review of those seasons. At the same time, the threats to our elk herds are pressing, including their distribution on the landscape, diseases including brucellosis and Chronic Wasting Disease, and other pressures. We need all hunters engaged and speaking up to make a difference in what elk hunting looks like in the future.
Please take this survey and help the Montana Wildlife Federation understand how hunters can help us work with landowners and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to improve elk management.
Jeff Lukas is a passionate conservationist who has been fishing and hunting his entire life. Whether it’s floating a small stream chasing trout, pursuing elk in the high country, or waiting in a blind for ducks to set their wings, Jeff is always trying to bring more people afield to show them what we are trying to protect. He loves being in the arena, and he will never shy away from conversations about the beautiful and unique corners of Big Sky country.
