Glasgow Hunter Learns the Ropes of Hunting in NE Montana

As a new hunter to Northeast Montana this season, Cory Mottice readily admits there has been a slight learning curve to navigating and getting a feel for the land. It has been more of an exploratory season for him, traveling all over the northeastern part of the state and discovering different areas. This past weekend Mottice, along with his cousin Josh Lenart, who is visiting from Utah, were able to navigate and explore together, calling their weekend hunting excursion a success, even with well-below zero temperatures.

Mottice grew up hunting in Northeast Ohio, and has been participating in the sport for as long as he can remember. Using hand-me-down gear from his family, a purchase that needed to be added to his collection was a rifle. Prior to moving out West, he only had a shotgun and knew that wouldn't cut it. "We are not allowed to use rifles in Ohio, or in many of the other states I've lived in," said Mottice. Having the opportunity to live and hunt in Pennsylvania, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arizona, Mottice has had many opportunities and experiences with different hunting environments.

"Whitetail deer is my favorite animal to hunt. But hunting mule deer is an entirely different experience. You can generally hunt whitetails by sitting in a tree stand or blind. You need to spot and stalk mule deer, which leads to hiking many miles to try and get the big one. It's certainly a big learning curve," said Mottice. He also enjoys hunting everything from dove, pheasant, turkey and elk.

Currently living in Glasgow, Mottice is a lead forecaster for the National Weather Service and he credits hunting for his love of meteorology. "I realized that the movement and behavior of deer was greatly affected by weather conditions. I started studying how weather affects the deer, which eventually led me to becoming a meteorologist," said Mottice. The area's ample opportunities for hunting and fishing were motivating factors in moving to the "Middle of Nowhere."

So far this season Mottice has only been able to harvest a whitetail doe, but is hoping for one more before season end to fill the freezer. "Hunting is a constant learning experience. Every time you head out hunting, you never know exactly what to expect, which is part of the fun."