(Journal Page 3, continued from Page 2)
May 30 Day, 17
This is a very special day as Mike, Scott, Idaho's number one guide comes to instruct the firearms class. We practice shooting the 44 mag. And 300 Winchester mag. Shot placement, big game anatomy, positioning of clients, are taught.
Back to score big game trophies such as elk, deer, antelope, goat, sheep, bear, moose and lion using the Boone and Crocket methods.
He prepared a slide show to explain where and how each species are hunted, and the techniques for a successful stalk on game. A Quiz
A very special and informative day all enjoy. Mike has guided from Idaho to Alaska, a very knowledgeable person, a lot can be learned from him.
May31 Day, 18
Today students learned how to ride bareback. This really teaches balance and timing with your horse. This is always fun and a good day for pictures and lots of laughs.
After lunch all are taught how to breakdown and rebuild a pack saddle making all the necessary repairs. This evening a student caught two 3 lb. rainbows in the Beaverhead river.
June 1 Day, 19
This day we backpack into some very rough country looking for Mountain Goats. The Pioneer range has a good number of goats. Here we can spend time field judging and learning how to tell Billy's from the Nannies. Something very important to a guide and in someplaces to controlling and preserving the population. A very special day.
June 2 Day, 20
Review packing skills and gather gear, groceries, and tack for our 6 day pack trip. Can't wait.
June 3 Day, 21
Sunday is your day off.
June 4 Day, 22
Everyone is excited to get packed up and head for the mountains. Catch and load stock, tack, gear, groceries, to head into beautiful country. This is where all learned skills will be put to practical use. Evening hike out of camp to high ridge to glass Elk.
June 5 Day, 23
Daylight graze stock. Three students go back to trial head to pack in more feed. Others go scout for new camp site, see new country, goats, elk, deer, maybe a bear. Awesome scenery.
Nothing better than to set around a campfire visiting, talking, about the next days adventures. The stars are brilliant, life is good, bellies full a nice bed roll to crawl into.
June 6 Day, 24
We’ll graze horses early, then saddle stock after breakfast, break down camp and pack up and head for our next campsite. After camp is set up, horses fed, we eat a dutch oven cooked supper, tonight is spaghetti night.
We’re glassing a family of moose from our point, a cow, two yearlings, and a new calf. At about the 10,000 ft. level we also spot a mountain goat grazing on a mountainside. As we’re returning to camp we see a bull elk silhouette himself on a ridge, what sights to see.
June 7 Day, 25
After grazing stock and breakfast we ride to a spot about 9000 ft., then we hike from there to a high ridge to glass. From this ridge in Southwestern MT we can see the Grand Teton Mtns. in Wyoming, some 200 + miles away. Awesome sight.
We return to camp, eat lunch, and the fun continues, we hunt buffalo skulls that are over 100 years. Old. We find four, plus bear skulls, deer and elk sheds, and ancient Big I-Torn sheep skulls. This evening were glassing elk from the ridge discussing stalking techniques.
June 8 Day, 26
We take care of the stock as they always come first. Today we break camp and pack to move to a new campsite. We find one with good grass and water for the horses. After camp is set up and stock fed. We go exploring, we’re having a great time, the rain starts then turns to snow, we’re still looking for treasures and having a good time.
We return to camp, build a big fire and cook a dutch oven stew with homemade bread, hot coffee, cocoa, desert, delicious.