Troy with GC hunting calls did it again!

[flystrait]

I just received official word that Troy bugled a bull in for his wife this morning and she was able to connect on a 5x5!

It's amazing Troy has called in 2 bulls in the last two weekends so late in the year when most of us including me would not think that the odds would be very good.

Outstanding job Troy

[WapitiTalk1]

Sweet. Way to go Troy!

[JohnFitzgerald]

He texted me the picture. Nice solid bull.

[Glacier Country]

Here are some pictures of the Bulls my wife and I shot over the last 2 weekends. I bugled mine in on October 19th, the 2nd to last day of the Montana Archery season! We then geared up for the Montana Rifle season opening day on October 26th. We were trying to decide if we should travel across the state to some better hunting units, but decided to just stay closer to home and have Deb take her rifle for a walk. The harvest success rate near home is less than 5%. Well, I did know where a couple of bulls were living, but so do a lot other guys. Opening day I knew there would be hordes of other hunters looking for the bulls I knew about. Well it all worked out and this time Deb got to actually use her rifle, not just take it for a walk!

This is the Bull that I Bugled in for my wife, Deb on Opening Day of the Montana Rifle season! I used just about everything on this bull. I had called this bull in 2 weeks previous during bow season. I started with a Watermelon, switched to an Orange Enrager and a High Heel Hottie. He liked that but some other hunters drove by him, luckily didn't see or hear him in the timber. Whew!! The bull moved off however and we lost him for almost an hour.I even used 2 different bugle tubes.I(I didn't want as many hunters to hear us!) I got him to answer again with a Troy's Secret Weapon and the hunt was on again. I then just stuck with the Secret Weapon because he really responded to that call.
I could have called him in with any of the diaphragms though. I just tried a little bit of everything on this one for fun!
This is a Montana Public land DIY hunt. This bull has heard just about every call on the market. I know 2 weeks ago 4 different pickup loads of guys were hunting these elk! What a great day in Montana!

[BrentLaBere]

That's awesome, Congratulations on two nice elk!

[ElkNut1]

Congrats you two, very nicely done!

ElkNut1

[Glacier Country]

Thanks guys, We are just elated to have both gotten elk! Deb doesn't get to hunt very much.With kids in sports she maybe gets to hunt 1 day a weekend that I'm in town during bow season. We have a short break before basketball starts. With such low odds of getting one here we are just super happy!!
Here is a chart that shows how grim it is here anymore, but the chart doesn't tell the whole story. If the chart went back to the say 1980 you would see the wildlife numbers and harvest numbers exponentially higher. The MT FWP can say what they want and make excuse after excuse but there are a small combo of factors that contribute to the decline. It should be pretty obvious looking at the chart that Human hunters are not taking very many game animals here anymore! But Why? High predator numbers are a huge factor IMO. We have 62 documented wolf packs in region 1. How many wolves are in each pack. Well of course that varies but Fwp says average of 7. They said that about a local pack in Kila that was killing a ranchers cows. The feds came in with a Black hawk helicopter and killed 29 over a 2 day period. So no one really knows. but definitely higher than the numbers MT FWP tells you!
Also our Mountain lion and bear numbers are very high as well. Each wolf and Mountain lion MUST eat 1 deer a week just to survive. So just a little 3rd grade math shows the predator impact. Wolves don't just kill to eat as some might have you believe. Sad to see what has happened here since the 1980's!
Check out this link to the harvest chart in Region 1 over the weekend. Look at how much area it covers on a map! most of the roads are gated off. so hunters are still concentrated to certain spots.

http://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2013/10/r ... etail-deer

[Triplebhunters]

Congrats troy and deb. very nice.

[Glacier Country]

Congrats troy and deb. very nice.

Thanks Triple B. I read the story, of your elk hunt. Cool Hunt. Congrats on your bull.

[>>>---WW---->]

Troy, I got a kick out of your link to Montanaoutdoors. Danny Moore has more deer in his back yard than some of those stations were reporting. LOL!

Does he still have the little archery shop at his house?

Congrats on both the bulls

[Glacier Country]

Troy, I got a kick out of your link to Montanaoutdoors. Danny Moore has more deer in his back yard than some of those stations were reporting. LOL!

Does he still have the little archery shop at his house?

Congrats on both the bulls

Thanks Bill.
No, Dan is not really doing that out of his house anymore. He pretty much retired from the whole bow shop thing. Now he really is into the politics of the sport and lobbying in Helena.I remember shooting 3d at his place a few years ago and you would have to wait for the deer to move out of the way to shoot at the 3d targets. I'll bet there are fewer out there now though. I was out hunting the other day and saw 3 deer. One was 200 yards from my house.The other 2 were 300 yards from a house crossing the road. The wolves have pushed the deer into town and our backyards for safety. Ask Dan He will tell you the same thing.There was a youth hunt last week and a guy at work was asking some of us where to take his son for any little buck. Somebody said, downtown Whitefish. We all kinda laughed but that is where the deer are at now. Just Sad compared to what it used to be.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Troy - I'm buying a plain ticket to Montana so you can call in a 3rd! LOL

[Glacier Country]

Hurry John,I'm taking my buddy Zane to try to get the one.
I have a few spots that I would try, but am afraid I will call in more grizzlies than elk!
It amazes me, how many guys leave their elk calls at home or in the truck this time of the year. Not me! I'll still be packing mine. Next I'm going to look for a wolf. I hope to call them in again, they are just really hard to get a shot at in the thick stuff we have here.

[Swede]

Nice bulls Troy. Congratulations.

[Glacier Country]

Thanks Swede. I'm going with a buddy tomorrow to see if we can call in another one. Crossing my fingers. It should be fun either way.

[WapitiTalk1]

Good luck Troy. Looks like it's getting a bit wintry there.

[Wapiti]

Congrats to you both !!

[Glacier Country]

Travis, Thanks You. How did you guys do? I hope you all had a good season.
RJ, Rain and Sleet this morning. Only saw 2 deer . Didn't hear any Elk calling or Wolves howling. Not much moving here this morning! Oh well next time.