It is the other sport that you do with skis strapped to your feet. The snow was SICK! Even Mikey liked it. It is called cross-country skiing. You tour on skis. No lift required. Seriously. No, I am not shitting you.

Finally Published

Believe it or not, someone actually published my rantings and ravings. Click on the title above and it will link you there. Thank you Queen City News (Helena is the Queen City) This is pretty much the same as the Miles article without "disparaging" (bite me Doc), but I had to cut the editorial in half, had to sign my name to it, and had to put a picture of my face with it. Guess it won't be me knocking on doors asking hunting permission for a while. Anyway, have had some mixed reviews and really hoped the Missoula Independent would have printed it too, but it does not appear on their website. just trying to stir the pot.

Stream Access (This one's going to the papers)

Dear Editor:

My name is Miles Davis C*leman and I was born in a pink, single-wide trailer just outside of Frenchtown, Montana. My dad bought me because I was the first one of the entire Labrador litter to inspect and eventually nibble on the head of the drake mallard that was hung in the pen by a bungee cord. I am not a big fan of intelligent design, but the first smell and then taste of that mallard was a little bit of heaven that I’m not sure Darwin could explain.

I am now 11 years old (77 in dog years), epileptic, slightly incontinent, mostly blind, mostly deaf, my dad will tell you that I have a squeaking problem and I have had six months to live for the last seven years. This is my favorite time of year. It is waterfowl hunting season. My dad told me last hunting season that it was my last, so I bit him. I can still hear the blast of the gun go off, I can still see the enticing splash in the water, and I live for retrieving birds.

The reason why I now feel the need to express some disdain is because a few weekends ago we were waterfowl hunting on the Missouri River. My dad was in the process of picking up the decoys when he was approached by an individual in a white cowboy hat and Wranglers. The cowboy told us we were trespassing, that the land we were hunting on was leased to an outfitter, and people had to pay to hunt there. My dad, with a sharp tinge of angst in his voice, told the individual that we were hunting below the ordinary high water mark, therefore were not trespassing, and we certainly did not have to pay anyone to hunt on the Missouri River. Then my dad asked the individual if he had ever heard of the Montana Stream Access Law or the Montana Constitution.

After a bit of discussion and disagreement, the individual said that he was going to call the game warden. My dad’s response was that he would love to speak with a game warden. In the end, my dad called the game warden who verified that it was completely legal for us to be waterfowl hunting within the ordinary high water marks of the river. I found it a bit disparaging that a hunting outfitter did not have a working knowledge of hunting laws. He must have been taught hunting laws by the same instructor that teaches river and fishing etiquette to outfitters.

Considering the increase in trophy homes along Montana rivers and the prison like fences that are getting constructed across them, I believe hunters, fisherman, and all people who recreate on rivers should be informed of the Montana Constitution and the Montana Stream Access Laws.

The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks website provides the following summary: “Under the Montana Stream Access Law, the public may use rivers and streams for recreational purposes up to the ordinary high-water marks. Although the law gives recreationists the right to use rivers and streams for water-related recreation, it does not allow them to enter posted lands bordering those streams or to cross private lands to gain access to streams.”

The Montana Constitution provides the basis for the Stream Access Law. Article IX, Section 3 of the Constitution states, “All surface, underground, flood, and atmospheric waters within the boundaries of the state are the property of the state for the use of its people and are subject to appropriation for beneficial uses as provided by law.”

Although the following section was not added to the Montana Constitution until 2004, I believe it is applicable to and strengthens the Stream Access Law. Article IX, Section 7 of the Constitution states, “The opportunity to harvest wild fish and wild game animals is a heritage that shall forever be preserved to the individual citizens of the state and does not create a right to trespass on private property or diminution of other private rights.”

The Montana Stream Access Law, which is located in Section 23-2-302(1), Montana Code Annotated, provides that all surface waters that are capable of recreational use may be so used by the public without regard to the ownership of the land underlying the waters.

There is a lot more to the Stream Access Law than what is stated above and there are a lot of exceptions, so before you flex your legal rights, I strongly recommend you get on the internet or go to the library and read the entire law. Interestingly enough, you can’t find it on the FWP website. Here is one link to it: http://data.opi.state.mt.us/bills/mca_toc/23_2.htm

Please keep in mind that residents of Montana have to keep a close watch to ensure that the politicians are working for all Montanan’s recreational access needs and not catering to the whims or should I say whines of the wealthy nonresident landowners or the outfitters who are trying to cash in on our resources. In the last legislative session, Republican legislators tried to pass two Bills that would have impeded or revoked Montanan’s ability/right to recreate on state waters. Thankfully, Democrats were able to kill these two Bills before they became law.

House Bill 129 was sponsored by Joan Anderson, a Republican from Fromberg, which would have provided landowners the ability to petition FWP to enforce no shooting zones around their trophy, river front homes. What were you really trying to do here Representative Anderson? There are currently laws in place that prohibit hunters from shooting in an unsafe manner around houses. I don’t mean to sound cynical, but it’s my understanding that people have been hunting, fishing and trapping on Montana Rivers and streams long before there were homes along them. If people do not like hunting near their property, then maybe they should not have moved out of city limits.

House Bill 260 was sponsored by William Jones, a Republican from Bigfork, which would have made all non-motorized boat owners that use state owned river accesses pay an annual fee to license each one of their watercraft. Why don’t you tell us how you really feel about all those kayakers on the Mad Mile, Representative Jones? Considering we had to wait for three different outfitter groups to launch their rafts on the Clark Fork River this summer and had an outfitter race past our boat to get to a prime fishing hole on the Missouri, it would seem that Montanans should not be the ones to incur extra costs to use a river access. Maybe the people that are causing the overcrowding and making money off of these state owned sites should be the ones to pay the fees.

It certainly appears from these two Republican sponsored and supported Bills that Republicans are not working for the average Montanan. I know that my dad can’t afford a house on a river and, even without having to pay annual per boat licensing fee, has to save up money to recreate on rivers on the weekend. I just hope that the Democrat Legislators continue to fight for recreational access so that my dad, people like him and other retrievers will know the joy that comes from recreating on Montana Rivers and streams.

How the C-mans spent the Holidays

Festivus rules:
1. Festivus Feast
2. Airing of Greviances
3. Feats of Strength
4. Festivus ends when the head of the household is pinned.



It took three of us to get him down, plus the Doo had to blind side him, but we got 'er done. It is sad when a good thing ends, but thank god it is over, my liver is the size of a basketball. On to New Years!

Middle Fork

Well I finally got some pics from Silvio from our MF trip. There is also one of Silvio creekin somewhere in Cali. Just so all you bastards know, I'm in LA, it's Xmas eve and it was 80 degrees today! Merry Christmas!

Yeah.........it's cured.

Got's me a stiffy.


F@*kin' cold round heeyah.

Bad Politics

As my husband always says, the Dems should fight and die on the issue of hunting, fishing, public access. Maybe they heard you, dear.

Max and Brian are standing up for YOUR access by opposing a completely bullshit addition to a budget reconciliation bill currently being considered by OUR Senators. These "Miscellaneous Amendments Relating to Mining" would allow the federal government to sell of public lands in order to make some quick cash and reenergize mining in the West. This makes sense at first, but when you read further into it, it is bad, really bad. First of all, it will lift a moratorium (all hail Clinton) on allowing companies or individuals to patent or buy a mining claim on public land, under the 1872 Mining Act. There is no requirement that these patents have mineral verification and it does not mean that these patents can not be turned around and sold to developers for resorts, golf courses or for subdivisions. Essentially cock blocking thousands, nay millions of acres of public access. They did raise the price of the mining patents from a $2.50 per acre to $1,000 per acre. That is a good price considering the locations of many of these mining claims (pristine forests).

Western governors are banding together to get this piece of crap removed from deficitecit bill and save our public lands for the public. But hey, if it passes, can I borrow $100,000 from anyone?

What can you do? E-Mail Max and say "thanks" for stiking up for Montana's best interests by eliminating Subtitle B from H.R.4241.

Call up Brian and tell him how much you appreciate him.

And if you still feel spicy, get Conrad on the horn and tell him that you are going to start voting for Democrats if he doesn't stick up for access to public lands. Oh and while you are at it, tell him to give Abramoff's money back.

You could try getting a hold of Denny to tell him disappointednted you are in him for voting for this kind of crap, but I am afraid it will be to no avail.

"GIT ER DONE"

The terd photo was tough to look at, and was offending my wife, so I went for something more inspirational...

Everybody always gives me crap about being a planner, but it is getting to be that time of year again. Come December 1, it is Lottery Season and for the love of God, Buddha, the Goddess, or whoever else you pray to, someone please get a stinking Selway permit, or a lower water Middle Fork permit so we can embrace the fishing and maybe even remove our hands from the oars to take a sip of beer every once in a while.

Anyway, here is the link to the permit application information http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/recreation/4rivers/index.shtml fill one out and send it in. Remember, you can’t win if you don’t play.

By the way, nice buck Zach! I am not sure how many of you are aware, but I got a Middle Fork Permit for over Memorial Day. Last years trip was great, but I sure as hell do not want to be the TL for a 20+ person trip. So come April, I will post a blog and then the first 10 nonrefundable deposits that I receive will be the folks that are going. Five nights and most likely five boats. Coincidence, I think not.

Zach's Redemption

Zach hunted 51 days and 20 minutes
for this bruiser.













He took two weeks off during elk rut, and had a spike camp at 7500 ft.













We had a blast on the front this week. Five hunters, seven whiteys, four gallons of booze- well...you get the idea.

5-point whitetail

this buck came clear across from the cottonwood trees in the background
to within 225 yds.
artie

Mikey's Bday

This is Mikey's little bday buck. It was a great morning up the Blackfoot.

















Look........there's one! Best damn hunting blind I ever sat in! Thanks Steve!!!

Hntn

We rolled out of the inversion at about 5:15, not that the fog cleared but at least it didn't stink. Our new radio station was playing some Marley, things boded well. The Bonner truck stop was busy as a hive. Fluorescent lights gave an '80's sci-fi glow to the camo-and-blaze-orange clad fellas. Some poop juice in our mugs, we headed up 200 to location X in a little red Toyota that managed to stay upright.

Paddling a canoe across a black river on a foggy morning is fun. Kinda like ice skating with your eyes shut. Zach and I climbed the frozen bank, scrambling a bit on the frozen mud, and headed west on the frozen logging road.

The high pressure cycle plaguing us has turned the snow to not-so-sneaky crust. We were about as quiet as a fuckin' herd of elephants as we made the mile or so to the bottom of the draw we wanted to hunt. Since we both had A tags in our pockets, we decided to split up so there wouldn't be any bickering over who would shoot, not that we ever have before.

Blah blah blah, long day, no damn deer. At about 3, I decided I had better get my ass to a good spot to sit for the evening. Running down a snowy ridge with a gun is something your mother would probably advise against. About 1800 vert and two miles later I plopped down in my spot sweating my ass off. Oh well. I could see about 40 acres of sparsely timbered hillside above the river and I could hear even the squirrels walking on the crunchy snow.

The first buck was a biggun'. I heard him and turned to put him in my scope. He was weaving in and out of the thicker timber uphill from me, unaware of my sweaty self. The second time I saw him I put up, but he was still moving. I looked over my scope, saw him again and looked back into a foggy scope I had just managed to breath into. Damnit, he was gone.

Three, literally three, minutes later I heard another one, downhill from me this time.

Now as an aside, because I can already hear the shit I'm gonna get for this, I've had a cursed hunting season. Wrecked truck, bad schedule, battling elk, the works, so I had determined in the interest of feeding myself to shoot whatever the hell I could. So piss off Mikey.


Anyway, the whitetail spika was feeding at a slow pace. I rolled onto my side but couldn't get the butt onto my shoulder. Fuck it, I shot anyway. Yup, missed. Nice eh? Well young deer being just that, he didn't go anywhere, but looked around in confusion. This time I was standing and shot off hand. Zipped him dead nuts. He took off running and waiving his truce flag for the last time. When he hit the ponderosa head on, it sounded like two bolling balls clocking together. I raised an eyebrow at how hard he hit the damn thing. When I got down there, I saw he had snapped one of his cute little horns off on the trunk and it was sticking straight out of the tree. Doingoingoing, cartoon style.

Easy drag, easier paddle, short wait for an unsuccessful and downtrodden Zach and we were headed back through the pea soup to Zoo town. Sorry no pics, but here's one of our Gorge weekend. Thought it might help warm some folks up this turkey day.

Suburban Elk Conflict

Suburban Elk Conflict (read the whole story)

Tyler Maxwell shot his six-point bull elk Monday morning on Bureau of Land Management property on Saddle Mountain near Montana City.
But the sound of Maxwell's early morning shot also resonated through the home of Tim Plaska, whose 18-month-old grandson was eating breakfast about 50 yards away from where Maxwell took his shot. Plaska, who believed it was illegal to fire a high-powered rifle within a quarter mile of a house, called game wardens. What Plaska found out surprised him. There is no restriction, and it was a legal kill, Plaska said. In fact, Maxwell followed all the basic safety procedures in taking down the elk on public property, according to game warden Mike Ottman with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Obviously, when a gun goes off in close proximity to houses, people will be startled, Ottman said. But I followed their footprints (in the new-fallen snow) and where he shot and the direction he shot wasn't an issue. I went up there to make sure everything was done properly, and it was. It's completely legal on BLM land, and that's it in a nutshell.

Still, as more homeowners move into outlying subdivisions touted as “bordering public land,” the residents are surprised sometimes when elk and deer hunters show up close to their homes during the five-week big game hunting season in the fall. . .

“… The larger issue here is when you get into situations of the historic range and development encroaches, what do you do?”

Don't get me wrong, I am NOT a hunting advocate, but if you want to live in the country you had better get ready for some wildlife, you had better get ready for guns. People, living in these subdivisions is DIFFERENT than living in the city. The roads are dusty, your neighbor's cows smell like shit, their ATVs are dusty, and when you live next to public land, there may be hunting. Working in Enforcement, I wished that I could have sent the Code of the West out to people like Mr. Plaska.

I do feel for the guy though, you have to live with the hope that hunters are responsible and safe. Then you read about things like this. This dude's horses and mule were shot and quartered - with what they think was a chainsaw. They suspect idiot hunters. Not ALL hunters are idiots, but there are a lot of idiots out there and some of them have high powered rifles, just ask E.C. about his good buddy George. What, an IQ test prior to buying bullets? Afterall, guns don't kill people, bullets do.

Deer steaks in the duck blind.

It is good to be a state employee

Mikey, be prepared to get super bitter, because my new state job is so awesome. And I got a raise.

Hiking in the Cabinet Wilderness looking for pyrite and silver deposits on quartz.














My "summer home" on the Frohner mine near Park Lake outside of Helena.














Contimplating my attendance at USC (it is a bar). I wonder if they require the GRE?














Like I said, it is good to be me.