Safari Club International – Montana Chapter

Improving Shooter/Spotter Communication

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 19:43:20 GMT

My hunting partner and I have kicked this idea around for quite some time, and it has serious merit.

I get to shaking my head at the long-drawn-out communication that often occurs between spotters and shooters. Not only is the dialog long, but it is also confusing to the shooter and poor performance in the field is pretty much guaranteed!

When Ernie Bishop and I shot the WTRC shoot in Wyoming, we had great dialog and our performance was evident, taking 2nd place two years in a row at this difficult cross-country shoot.

But, as the saying goes: "THERE is ALWAYS room for IMPROVEMENT."

So, grab a cold one from the fridge and listen up!

For those of you who have been to my shooting school, you will remember the SHOOTER READY, SPOTTER READY technique that we teach. It works pretty well and is easy enough to teach. However, it takes most students a couple of days to get it down. They always want to ADD UNNECESSARY WORDS to the dialog: Boy Jonas, that was really close, I'd just come over a bit more and let's try-er again. You'll git-er this time. Aaarg!

The dialog does nothing for the shooter, it wastes time, and is confusing as hell! What's close? How much is a bit more? Am I out vertically or horizontally? You get the picture!

The NEW SYSTEM we've developed is far simpler and very concise. ( As the KIWI's would say) Let's have a "GO" at it.

Let's begin by identifying the players. The Spotter is called ALPHA, the Shooter is called BRAVO, Hold is called CHARLIE and DELTA is the word for FIRE. Using the phonetic alphabet makes it very simple; there are no confusing words that interrupt the shooting sequence.

Once the target is identified (more on this in another article) the spotter calls out ALPHA; when the shooter is on the target he calls BRAVO. Both spotter and shooter are now on target. The spotter's job is to call the wind and let the shooter know when to fire. CHARLIE is the word for "HOLD," and as the desired wind approaches he can say CHARLIE CHARLIE (prepping the shooter to get ready). When the wind is perfect DELTA is uttered and the shooter FIRES.

Here it is in real-time:

ALPHA... BRAVO... CHARLIE... CHARLIE-CHARLIE...DELTA!

Upon impact, the spotter simply calls the correction NEEDED to hit the "X", not the amount the shooter missed by. There should be NO confusion as to what needs to be put in the rifle.

UP/DOWN 2-MOA, LEFT/RIGHT .5 MOA. Always call the correction in MINUTES or a FRACTION of a MINUTE. There is a bit of leeway here in how the correction can be done. The shooter remains on the rifle after firing the shot and CYCLES THE BOLT. When he is back on target he calls BRAVO (letting the spotter know he has acquired the target and is ready for any necessary correction, or whether it is necessary to shoot again). The spotter should know the "CLICK VALUE" of the shooter's scope (i.e., .250 or .5 MOA, or whatever?).

He can call the correction in MINUTES (allowing the shooter to do the math, converting minutes to "clicks") Or, the spotter can do the MATH and the shooter just counts/feels the tactile clicks in his/her scope to make the required correction. The latter is the better choice IMHO. While keeping the target in the scope, the shooter feels the "tactile clicks" and repeats the correction back to the spotter.

Keep in mind the shooter stays on target and SHOULD KNOW the direction (clockwise/counterclockwise) his/her dials turn to elevate and adjust wind without breaking stock weld to look at the dials.

Are You Cleaning Too Often?

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 19:39:34 GMT

Determining your Cleaning Interval

Bolt Manipulation Video

msd143@live.com (Mandi davenport) — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:43:25 GMT

Light Versus Heavy, the Debate Continues!

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:39:26 GMT

What is the ideal weight for a hunting rifle?

The argument of LIGHT V/S HEAVY in hunting rifles is alive and well around the campfire. For those of you who own a HOLLAND SIGNATURE SERIES RIFLE, you know that I do not build fly-weight rifles. YES, I understand they are a pleasure to carry in the field, but, IMHO that is about where it ends. Having a bit of weight in a rifle can be quite advantageous when the moment of truth arrives. After all, why do we carry a rifle? When game is spotted the idea is to kill it as quickly and humanely as possible. Heavier rifles seem to do the job a bit better, as the shooter will/can shoot them better in the field. For example, a lightweight rifle can be more difficult to hold steady when you are winded; light rifles recoil more, making the shooter more susceptible to flinching; table manners behind a light rifle are much more critical, and demand utter perfection when making long shots. Lastly, pencil-weight barrels often heat up quickly and point-of-impact moves considerably from shot to shot due to stress in the barrel. Years back, I had a student with a famous maker rifle and a pencil barrel in 300 Weatherby, between the recoil and point-of-impact shift, he had a hard time keeping 3 shots on a piece of paper. Lovely to carry, but difficult to hit anything with.

What is an ideal weight you may ask? Using today's technology, stocks, barrels, mounts, scopes etc. a finished weight no less than 8.5-9.0 lbs should be considered. Adding an additional 1-2 pounds is not a bad idea either. Most of my personal hunting rifles are 10 plus pounds and I've lugged them all over the world from sea level to 10,000 feet. When it came time to shoot, I NEVER REGRETTED HAVING A HEAVY RIFLE!

Taking a step back in time, early buffalo hunters carried heavy rifles, 15 plus pounds were not uncommon. Take your dad's old Mauser, Springfield, or Eddystone rifle from the 1950s and put it on the scale. Whelen, O'Connor, Keith, Bell, Page, Selous, and Roosevelt carried wood and steel in the field and never complained. Of course, this was an era without snowflakes. Add a few more ounces of protein to your diet and tote a heavier rifle. When game is spotted the results will be to your liking, don't forget to SMILE in the photo!

Dealing With Dangerous Game!

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:30:43 GMT

How to take proper caution when dealing with a four-legged critter that can send you to the pearly gates.

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Bipod Deployment Video

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:26:26 GMT

Take a minute to watch the proper method to deploy your bi-pod in the field

This YOUTUBE clip will give you the skills to succeed when the moment of TRUTH arrives.

DO YOU NEED A MAGNUM?

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 15:16:31 GMT

Will the latest and greatest magnum really kill more effectively than present day choices?

As a custom rifle builder, I get dozens of calls a month with individuals wanting me to build them the latest wonder-magnum featured on the cover of some gun rag. Typically, it’s some gun scribe who is extolling the virtues of the new cartridge and how it kills more effectively than present-day choices. Bull elk, distant mule deer, and far-away exotics don’t stand a chance when shot with this wicked new development. Blistering muzzle velocities, zero hold-over to the next zip code coupled with BC approaching .999.

Who wouldn’t rejoice at the chance to own one of these hot-rods? Well, it’s time for a cold shower to clear your head. A keyboard is a great tool when it comes to seducing the public to purchase cars, guns, motorcycles, lingerie, and more. Just grab the phone as operators are standing by to take your call!

Writers often quote cartridges of a given diameter, foot-pounds of energy, sectional density, muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficient, hydrostatic-shock factors, and weight retention in a complex formula that supposedly equates to lethality. Killing big game animals is not as difficult as some would have you believe.

Just crunch the numbers and fork over the Franklins. Amazing to say the least.

The animals we hunt, eat and hang on the wall are all mammals. They all have a brain, spinal column, heart, lungs, and liver that function to keep them alive.

Setting aside all the hype, we only need to destroy one of the organs listed above to claim our dinner or trophy. Yes, it’s that EASY…. Keep in mind these organs are fragile and not coated in layers of Kevlar or protected by bullet-proof ceramic panels as some would suggest.

So, it all boils down to shot placement and organ destruction. Yep, that’s it! Let’s examine the function of these organs. The heart pumps the blood, the lungs process the oxygen, the spinal column and brain enable skeletal function, the liver (think of it as the oil filter in your car/truck) processes the blood pumped by the heart. Unscrew the oil filter from your vehicle and see how far you go.

Remove any one of these organs from the equation and death occurs in short order. Our Alumni African Hunts have proved this out over 800 times on big game animals more tenacious than their North American counterparts. A quick humane death is the result of organ destruction, not muscle/tissue damage. Yes, they may ultimately die, but can suffer for days or weeks before doing so.

This warthog was shot with a 375 H&H MAGNUM by another client 2- weeks prior to my arrival. The shot, as you can see, was above the lungs and below the spine. The wound was caked in mud which stopped the bleeding. He was alive and well, motoring around the savannah until a single bullet from my 6.5 Creedmoor stopped him in his tracks. So much for the cliche: Hit 'em anywhere with a MAGNUM and he's dead...

Off-the-charts ballistic performance comes at a price that few want to accept/recognize. RECOIL! Yes, that 6-letter word that no real man will ever bow down to. Yet when we head to the range and watch people shoot, RECOIL does indeed affect their performance. If we fail to destroy any of the organs mentioned above, the results can be a long chase or, in the worst-case scenario, a LOST animal.

In the grand scheme of things, it does not require a lot of horsepower to get the job done. The 22 rim-fire and 30-30 have probably harvested more deer than all the magnums combined. When we compare all the parameters (muzzle velocity, foot-lbs. of energy, BC, sectional density, and hydrostatic shock), the 22 lr. and 30-30 are not particularly impressive. Yet, if we take a 40-grain pill and hit the brain or perforate the heart, it’s game over. For those of you who have been to my classroom, there is a Euro mount of 400 lb. gemsbuck that I dispatched with a single 22 lr. round at 65 yards in the Kalahari years ago. A 150 gr. flat-nosed 30-30 bullet at 2100 fps in the lungs will stop anything shy of T-Rex. On the other hand, a 200 gr. wonder-bullet at 3400 fps that misses its mark will leave you hungry and cold at the end of the day.

In the post-mortem interview, not one game animal has guessed the muzzle velocity within 200 fps, or the ballistic coefficient of the bullet. Don’t get hung up on stats, it’s a waste of time and dollars. Dead is DEAD!

Bottom line. Choose a cartridge that you can shoot well, understand anatomy and target any of the aforementioned organs for destruction and say good-bye to TAG SOUP!

Impressive stats and keyboard strokes never put a steak on my table, only my ability behind the rifle is what made the difference.

Snow and Safe Sex

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 15:05:52 GMT

Hunting in the snow has its challenges and here are a few tips to keep in mind...

Footwear. When the temps drop to the point of snow, keeping your feet warm is paramount. Well-insulated boots are a must; I like felt liners in mine and good socks. Never wear cotton socks when the mercury drops. The BEST socks on the planet come from ALPACA of MONTANA. These are Alpaca wool socks that keep your toes frostbite free.

Good Gloves. Our toes and fingers are the first things that get cold when we tackle the "white stuff". While there are hundreds of gloves on the market, there are few that are really designed for the outdoors and especially hunting. They are bulky, seldom water/snowproof and, more often than not, our hands still get COLD. I recently purchased a set of gloves by GIVE-R GLOVES that I'm really impressed with. They feature a leather outer shell and a waterproof membrane. They make a set of mitts as well that should work amazing well if you are a stand hunter. They are a bit pricey. However, when you think you are about to lose your trigger finger to FROSTBITE, they are worth every penny spent.

Head Gear. We lose a lot of heat through our head and around our neck. A WOOL hat is best and don't forget a scarf to seal off your neck. It's worth noting when dealing with the COLD to pace yourself on the hunt. There is no point in over-exerting oneself and perspiring. This can be a big mistake should you spend a night in the woods. Pace yourself and open that zipper or top button to cool down gradually and don't get overheated.

Last, but not least, the SEX PART YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

Stalking in the snow can be hazardous in more ways than one. Much like having unprotected sex, it can land you in the ER if you are not prepared. Protecting the muzzle is of utmost importance in snowy weather conditions. Some folks wrap the muzzle in electrical tap. Not a good idea IMHO and certainly not recommended in the S___ DEPT. A far better solution is to use a barrel condom (latex kids balloons work best, and saves embarrassment at the checkout counter) and secure it with a rubber band over the barrel. When stalking in the snow it is very easy to dip the barrel in the snow if you are not careful. Shooting a bullet down the barrel with a bore obstruction can be hazardous to your health and should be avoided at all costs.

The air column in the bore is compressed upon firing and this blows the balloon away prior to the bullet exiting the muzzle.

A barrel condom is the SAFE EFFECTIVE way to combat a STD.

Something to CHEW On?

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 14:58:47 GMT

Taking dangerous game seriously...

I'm amazed that so few hunters take dangerous game seriously when in the field. Whether it is cape buffalo in AFRICA, grizzly bears in North America, or any of the great cats from around the world. The laissez-faire attitude that it won't happen to me seems to be the norm.

WHAT YOU DO NEXT!

Unless the hunter is quite skilled, he should stay behind and let the guide PH do the follow-up. A nimrod can ONLY ADD to the problem should things go upside down.

No matter how GOOD you THINK YOU ARE, things can go wrong. (Murphy's Law comes to mind). WHAT YOU DO NEXT, Is of the utmost importance.

Bird Hunting Hawaii: Immigrants from Nepal

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 18:55:00 GMT

by David Bryer

Hawaii is a popular vacation destination, and many have been fortunate to have xperienced one, or all the islands through big game fishing, snorkeling, diving, sunset cruise, sunbathing, kayaking and so many other adventures. With a multitude of choices, people don’t think to research the hunting opportunities available.

My wife and I (and kids) have traveled there several times, but our itinerary is usually different from most vacationers. Bird hunting is my passion and if a bird hunting adventure can be found, my wife claims I will find it. Surprisingly, the Hawaiian Islands offer many opportunities on the six main islands of Kaua’i, O’ahu, Maui, Moloka’i, Lana’i and Hawaii. Some of these islands are simply public areas with no guide service available. It is best to look on State of Hawaii’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) website to educate yourself about each island’s possibilities.

Maui has excellent bird hunting behind pointing dogs and was my first experience hunting the Hawaiian Islands. Growing up in Nebraska where it can be miserably cold pheasant hunting, it was awesome hunting in shorts and a t-shirt through thick vegetation among the lava tubes. And after a great day hunting, what a treat to grill ringneck and blue pheasant by the beach at our condo.

In my research, I have read that Moloka’i has excellent guided bird hunting and I plan to experience that island one of these days. However, my wife and I love the Big Island (Hawaii) and it seems to be where we gravitate for a beach break. She is my buddy and comes along on my hunts to take photos, hike and explore. Getting up early to save a lounge chair by the pool pales in comparison to driving to a remote spot to meet our guide for the day.

We always look forward to getting away from the tourist parts of the islands and gain a completely different perspective of the topography, people, climates and scenery. We have hunted a couple of times before on Hawaii and I have harvested Japanese quail, valley quail, black francolin, Erkle’s francolin and blue pheasant on other ranches. On those previous trips, my goal was always a Kalij pheasant and I did see a couple of them soaring among the trees, but a decent shot never presented itself. Our most recent trip was opening day 2018, November 3. I’m always researching new places and read about Kealia Ranch, which boasted a high success rate. Of course I had to try again.

Most people are not familiar with the Kalij pheasant. In 1962 the Kalij pheasant, a native of Nepal, was released on the Big Island. They not only survived, they flourished. The Kalij pheasant, lophura leucomelana leucomelana, is limited to subtropical pine and moist temperate rainforest. The Hawaiian locals refer to them as the jungle pheasant. This is the only place in the world that you can hunt the Kalij.

Jon Sabati was our guide at Kealia Ranch. This is a working cattle ranch and is beautifully managed. The ranch is divided into paddocks and the cattle are rotated so while one paddock would looked almost manicured,

another was extremely overgrown. I was impressed that nothing was overgrazed, thus ensuring the entire ranch had great habitat. Just a heads up, this means a lot of gates to open! Jon has been with the ranch for many years and is a very knowledgeable hunting guide. He is passionate about Hawaii’s land, animals and the people who reside there. A native Hawaiian, Jon cares about his homeland and making sure the hunting tradition continues with good habitat and healthy populations of game. He is currently the president of the local Wild Turkey Federation, a chapter he started. We personally saw many turkeys, bulls and boar on the ranch where Rio Grande turkey, wild boar, mouflon, Vancouver bull, Black Hawaiian sheep and feral goats are hunted as well.

My wife found an Airbnb two blocks from downtown Kona. This turned out to be the perfect location to get on the main road to go hunting as well as an easy walk to downtown shops and restaurants.

The first morning we had a 10 to 15-minute drive to meet Jon at a McDonald’s along one of the main highways circling the island. Kealia Ranch is in the upper elevation almost directly above Kona. After following him to the ranch, he quickly took care of the license and loaded up the Toyota Tacoma to start uphill.

I can’t tell you how happy I was we didn’t have to hike those steep ranch roads. I have a new appreciation for the Tacoma! As we climbed, we went through a couple different climates. The first change of scenery was obvious, dense jungle habitat. The vegetation is so thick and damp that it is almost impossible to hike. As we crawled along on the road, we were looking into the jungle for Kalij. Unlike other hunts in Hawaii, dogs are not used. Most of the time Kalij are on the road and disappear into the jungle when they see the truck.

Jon’s trained eye spotted a couple of males just off the road. Getting out of the truck and ready to shoot without spooking the birds is very difficult. It was not easy to contain my excitement and be stealthy and just focus on the birds. The first male busted and I shot it, flushing the second, which I proceeded to miss.

Oh well, I finally had my Kalij. What a beautiful bird! I feel very fortunate to not only have seen them in the wild, but also have the opportunity to challenge my shotgun skills against such a formidable bird. They are smart and fly swiftly through dense forest. There are only quick windows of opportunity to make a shot between trees. I enjoy competing in sporting clays and FITASC and those hours spent practicing really pay off in a hunt like this.

After the jungle portion of our climb, the highest elevation is a drier climate with open grasslands broken up with groupings of trees.

We got out and hiked a bit. Jon and I flushed two groups of francolin and harvested two females. The male Erkle’s francolin are significantly larger than the females but look identical. Therefore, when they flush it is hard to distinguish. Fortunately, they have flourished so much in Hawaii that males and females are fair game.

Back in the truck we traversed the ranch roads, looking for birds, all the while having a view of the ocean. Seriously. You have to stop and really absorb the surroundings and let it sink in! It really is a new adventure pheasant hunting in Hawaii, walking on lava rock through thick vegetation, sudden rain, sunshine, cool, hot, ocean views and all of it can happen in an hour’s time.

The next day, Jon and I excitedly chatted about the hunt ahead, as we drove seemingly straight up. I’m not going to lie, it’s mostly just driving around trying to spot birds and at first I was disappointed. My wife and I were looking forward to hiking like in our past hunts. But when I saw the vegetation and tried walking a short distance, I was perfectly happy in the passenger seat and Eileen on her perch in the backseat. Once again Jon spotted hidden birds and I shot two more Kalij, a male and a female. I have to mention the difficulty finding the bird you just hit, watch it fall and think you know where it landed. With jungle vegetation, finding the harvested bird is as challenging as finding a live one. Watching Jon follow a trail of feathers to a dead bird in dense brush was amazing. He has serious tracking skills.

As we crept along the ranch roads, I replayed a great hunt in my head as the day was winding down. Assuming we are headed back toward our rental car, we realized Jon was determined that I would get my limit. Jon had complemented me several times on my shooting skills and felt I could be one of the few to limit out. Apparently, many times a hunter doesn’t get a limit, due to the inability to hit the quickly moving Kalij, not from lack of birds. Of course with a compliment like that, who’s going to call it a day? So, we continued. He was definitely not worried about getting back at exactly 5:00 and wanted make sure I had the best possible day hunting.

The ground is so uneven with lava rock and plants so thick that seeing these birds is actually surprising. When habitat is this fabulous, there is no question the amount of unseen birds is staggering. About an hour left in our hunting day and we were crawling along the ranch road. My wife had been quiet in the back seat taking photos and enjoying the scenery when she suddenly blurted out she saw a Kalij.

Claiming she noticed a red spot a couple feet off the road, she looked down as we drove by and there was a Kalij pheasant. Wait, what? Did she see something I missed? I glanced back and sure enough, in a hole next to a grass-covered lava rock he was watching us with his head ducked down. Nice catch! Jon continued up the road a bit so we didn’t spook him. We quietly got out of the Tacoma and quickly moved toward the bird’s location. It worked as he was still there, but busted out of hiding when he saw us walking back. I lined up my fading shot and filled my three-bird limit. This was an unmatched bird hunting experience.

These pheasants have thrived in the Big Island habitat. Jon explained that Kalij don’t congregate in large groups. They are territorial and spread out, which probably contributed to their success. They are smart and fast and pose a great challenge for all avid bird hunters. Hunting with a 20-gauge made it more challenging, but assured the birds were in perfect condition for taxidermy. Jon is an excellent hunting guide and host. We laughed a lot and learned much in our two days. I highly recommend a hunt and my wife concurs. I finally accomplished outsmarting the Kalij, but I’m afraid that instead of checking it off my list, I may be hooked. I’m guessing we will be back and Eileen agrees. After all, it’s Hawaii!

Jan 31: Outfitters Night at the Elks

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 19:37:00 GMT

6:00 – 8:30 pm Friday, January 31st at the Elks Lodge
934 Lewis Ave. in Billings

Enjoy cocktails and appetizers while learning about some of SCI’s premier professional outfitters.

Montana SCI to Donate Bear Trap to Wildlife Services

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 18:45:00 GMT

The Montana Chapter of Safari Club International is proud to announce the lending /donation of a grizzly bear live trap to the U.S. Wildlife Service. The live trap will be used to help alleviate the rapidly increasing numbers of human/grizzly bear encounters over the past several years.

“One of the pillars of SCI’s foundation is wildlife conservation,” said Tex Janacek, President of the Montana SCI Chapter. “Grizzly bear/human encounters are escalating at a substantial rate, causing real problems for outdoor Montana residents and grizzly bears. Our goal with the donation of this culvert trap is to help reduce these conflicts.”

On May 13, 2019, during its annual Lobby Day on Capitol Hill, SCI members advocated support for two bills asking the Department of the Interior to reissue previous grizzly bear delisting orders. The bills, H.R. 1445 and S. 614, both titled the “Grizzly Bear State Management Act of 2019,” were introduced jointly by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in the House, and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) in the Senate earlier this year.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed delisting grizzly bears in 2016, but the issue has become bogged down by lawsuits,” said Joe Mancuso, public relations chair for Montana SCI. “As Montanans helping other Montanans, we hope this stop-gap solution will help reduce grizzly/human conflicts as well as the dangers and complications that arise from these encounters.”

Grizzly bears were listed as an endangered species in 1975. Since then, their population in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem has increased by 400 percent. With grizzly bears now wintering on prairie river banks in Montana, the number of human/bear conflicts has skyrocketed while agency budgets remain largely unchanged. This leaves the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks strapped for resources. As population numbers increase, top apex predators like grizzly bears compete for food sources in a fixed-size environment. The adolescent and post prime animals end up ranging farther and farther out on the prairie; and into garages, barns and backyards.

The live trap, called a culvert trap, is being made by Teton Welding of Choteau, Montana.

John Steuber is the Billings-based Montana Director and Supervisory Wildlife Biologist with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service. “The portability is what makes this trap so useful,” he said. “We can transport it to wherever it’s needed.” Steuben said his office will transfer each trapped bear to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and the Montana office of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Those offices will decide the final disposition of the bear, either euthanasia or relocation.

SCI Donates Kubota RTV and $3,900 to No Person Left Behind

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 20:59:00 GMT

The Montana chapter of Safari Club International has teamed up with Billings Kubota to donate an all-weather recreational terrain vehicle (RTV) and a check for $3,900 to No Person Left Behind Outdoors, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing hunting and other recreational opportunities to U.S. veterans awarded the Purple Heart Medal.

“We are grateful to all our veterans, and we’re excited to make this donation,” said Montana SCI Chapter President Tex Janecek. “This vehicle will help Purple Heart veterans gain access to Montana’s hunting areas and to have those enjoyable hunting experiences that we all love.”

The vehicle, a Kubota RTV-X1100C emblazoned with the SCI logo, is an enclosed, all-weather, two-person recreational terrain vehicle. Brian Cebull, a member of the Montana SCI board of directors, and his wife Amy are co-contributors to the donation, as is Billings Kubota.

In addition to the RTV, Montana SCI donated $3,900 to No Person Left Behind; the money was raised at the annual Montana SCI dinner and auction in March 2019. It will be used to fund a hunt in fall 2019 for two wounded veterans.

Hank Tuell, an event coordinator with No Person Left Behind Outdoors, is a 30-year Army veteran who flew MEDEVAC helicopters in Vietnam. He helps select the hunting candidates, and he accompanies them as a guide on their Montana adventures.

“A lot of these veterans are double- or even triple-amputees,” said Tuell, “Sometimes they think their hunting days are behind them. When we take them out to get a mule deer or an elk, they really get excited. Some of them have never hunted any game that big.”

Tuell usually coordinates three or four No Person Left Behind hunts each year. The hunts take place in the Fishtail/Nye area, and also on private land near Hardin. The veterans can be from any U.S. state. Each hunter spends a day on the shooting range and then four days hunting. Almost all the meals and lodging are provided via donations to No Person Left Behind and licenses and permits are obtained through the MFWP wounded veterans program .

Each veteran goes hunting with one of the NPLB volunteer guides , plus a couple of support people who take care of medical and logistical issues. Tuell said the Kubota RTV’s enclosed cabin will make a difference in the comfort level for the hunters. “Amputees will often have issues with extreme temperatures,” he said. “The enclosed cabin will help us keep them comfortable and in good health.”

The Purple Heart Medal is awarded to U.S. military personnel wounded or killed in action against an enemy of the United States. The No Person Left Behind Outdoors website is www.nplboutdoors.org . The Montana Chapter of Safari Club International is one of 180 SCI chapters in the US and around the world. SCI is a not-for-profit organization of hunters whose primary missions are to protect the freedom to hunt and to promote wildlife conservation.

NEW in ’19! Hunter Information Service

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 16:14:00 GMT

SCI recently launched the Hunter Information Service as a new benefit available to all SCI members at no additional cost. Here’s a breakdown of what the Hunter Information Service can do for you:

Provide reliable, actionable hunting-related information to help you:

Online Reference Library provides information on:

Hunter Hotline provides a call-in and email service to answer questions about:

How to use the service:

To access your benefits, visit the SCI website at www.safariclub.org and login with your username and password. Then click on About Us and check out Hunter Information Service for North American Hunting and International Hunting . The Hunter Information Service will be implemented in stages, so be sure to visit the site often to find the latest additions.

Need help? Call SCI’s Hunter Hotline at 800-997-0179 or 520-798-4859. Or sent an email to HunterHotline@safariclub.org

The Hunter Information Service is not a booking agency, concierge service or legal service. It is an information service designed to assist you with your hunting research and travel.

The Hunter Information Service is included in your SCI membership. Try it today!

Share With Us on Facebook!

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 21:31:00 GMT

Click, follow and join our SCI Montana Chapter Facebook Page . It’s a great place to: