Hi-Line Hunt

Living in Valley County, a hub for hunters and outdoor activities, it can be easy to forget that not everyone ventures out with a rifle or shotgun to put food on their own table. I am one of those with extremely limited exposure to the hunting community. So when a press release from Hi-Line Sportsmen crossed our news desk in pre-covid times announcing a new hunter mentoring program geared towards youth, but open to everyone, I thought it would make a fantastic story.

I emailed Andrew McKean, asking to be notified of any kids who took advantage of the new program so that the Courier could cover it. McKean wrote back saying that while he thought that was a fantastic idea, it might be better if I myself went through the program for a story.

Sensing a challenge, I took him up on his offer because if one is nervous about trying a new venture, why not dive right in with the man who literally wrote the book on hunting?

It took over a year for our schedules to coalesce. This fall, eager to expand the outdoors portion of my Sports & Outdoors section, I set about exploring the world of hunting under McKean's tutelage.

The first step in my journey was to sit in on a Fish, Wildlife & Parks' hunter education class. Sitting in on the initial day of a week's long course geared towards youth, I knew there was much to learn, but also that I would be taking full advantage of the benefits of age that afford me grandfather status, which means I would not have to show completion of the full course.

However just one afternoon in the class offered a wealth of information and knowledge imparted by local and experienced sportsmen such as McKean, Marc Kloker and Tim Zabrocki. McKean's portion of the class focused on the ethics of hunting, a presage for my hunt. The classes offered by FWP host a wealth of knowledge and information for new hunters, young and old, and should I continue as a hunter, I plan to take the full course at some point in the future.

Before venturing out into the wilds of northeastern Montana, McKean dug into his gear collection and outfitted me with matching camouflage pants and jacket, a knife, binoculars and a range finder. With the addition of an orange vest on the day of the hunt, my hunter cosplay was complete.

Next on the agenda to prepare for field time, was target practice. Years had passed since I had fired a rifle and as I would be using a borrowed weapon, I wanted some time at the range to reacquaint myself with firing a gun. Now, I am a decent shot having spent a summer several years ago target shooting in preparation for a deer tag I never bought. On Oct. 29, McKean and I skipped the .22 and went straight to the 6.5 Creedmoor, a nice rifle for beginners. A few quick rounds at 50, 100 and 200 yards and my mentor and myself expressed confidence in my fitness for the field.

The day of the hunt turned out to be Nov. 2. We met at McKean's and walked his land to the neighboring state land while he imparted his knowledge and experiences in the field: the wind in the face, the beginning of rutting season, the draws where mule deer can be found, the slow creep up the crest of the hill so as not to spook any potential targets on the other side.

After just a couple of hills, my mentor spotted two bucks across a draw. The two bucks were too close together for a clear shot on either without risking the other so we settled down out of sight. While he coached me on the belly crawl up the hill and setting up the rifle, the two bucks bedded down. We prepared to wait for them to rise and clear the way for a clean shot.

My eye was glued to the scope, not wanting to miss my chance. But as the minutes passed, my eyes began to strain and I worried I might soon begin seeing a Magic Eye sailboat rather than the buck I wanted. Slowly I backed off the rifle and took a look around me.

While scanning the rest of the draw, I saw two hunters creeping up the draw towards the bucks I was sighted in on. Turning to McKean, I brought his attention to the other two, with a clear question of how to handle the situation. The scenario turned out to be a new one for him as well as we quickly, and quietly, made a plan. McKean advised me to take the shot if it presented itself, which it would as the approach of the other hunters would surely flush the deer out. I stayed at the ready while McKean backed down the hill and attempted to grab the attention of our newfound friends.

As I watched my two bucks, I could see "mine" looking in our direction as McKean whistled in his attempts, while the second buck was looking in the direction of the other two hunters. I could feel what I had been told to look for: the deer preparing to bolt.

My buck stood. I took the shot. In one of those experiences when several moments coalesce into one impossible memory, I saw the deer drop where he was, the other hunters' heads' whip up to our location, and McKean asking who took the shot.

Jubilant, I exclaimed, "I did. That was my shot. I got it!"

After a short visit with our would-be rivals, out-of-state hunters from Michigan, we made our way across the draw to my first buck. Up close, he proved to be quite the specimen: a large non-typical stag with some beautiful velvet with a layer of fat unusual for early November. The shot was clean, near to perfect, probably due to my not having too much time to overthink it in the moment.

I found it difficult to not smile which made posing for the obligatory photos quite easy. Even the business of dressing the animal – which was handled by McKean, though I will be on my own on the next one – could not shake my exhilaration. With the animal properly tagged, we headed back for the Polaris side-by-side for extraction.

In keeping with what had already proven to be a nearly perfect hunt, we were able to park on his land near to my deer which minimized the amount the distance we had to drag that huge carcass. As we heaved it onto the back of the side-by-side, I made a verbal note to maybe select a smaller animal on the next hunt.

We took my harvested deer back to the McKean place where we hung it to cure for a few days before I next got my hands dirty. A delightful dinner featuring mule deer was prepared by Lih-Ah Yang and during the meal, she brought up testing Chronic Wasting Disease. While mule deer are not as susceptible to the disease as whitetails, we erred on the side of caution. The head was removed and I reported to FWP the following morning for sampling. Fortunately, the results came back negative several days later.

Since I had killed the animal, I also wanted to butcher it myself, to not be removed from any part of the experience. After a few days, I reported back to McKean's for the next lesson as student hunter: skinning and butchering. My side of the skinning went slightly slower than the master's side of the animal, but I came away confident I could manage on my own and with enough time. Before heading out to work the cows, McKean gave me a quick lesson on removing the backstraps and left me to it. I managed to remove the choice cuts without removing any of my own skin.

For my next lesson, we quartered the deer and McKean walked me through the process of butchering and wrapping the meat for the freezer. Under his instruction, I found myself quite confident in my butchering ability making my way through a front and rear quarter. Back at home and on my own with the remaining two quarters, I put my lessons into practice and stocked my freezer with venison. While I did well enough for me, the employees at Hi-Line Meats can rest easy knowing I am not here to take their jobs.

To celebrate my first buck and continue the experience of "firsts" I turned my deer head over to Landon Holte, "THE guy for skull/European mounts." My velvet will be the first he has worked with, but since this is a story of firsts and new experiences, I entrusted my trophy to him. As of press time, it is still being prepared, but I am eyeing up wall space in my apartment for proud display.

The next few days I felt like a minor celebrity in town as the local fraternity of hunters welcomed me to their ranks with congratulations and discussion over the value of making the first of "first hunts" series. There is much to discover and experience in our part of the country, even for a native such as myself. And since I have never mastered the shotgun, bird hunting may top my to-do list next season.

For now, I find myself with an amazing experience, another deer tag to fill before this season ends (tentative plans were in motion at press time – check future editions of the Courier to see if I had any more luck) and a freezer full of venison.

My first experiences grilling tenderloin medallions and preparing two roasts have been extremely rewarding. There is nothing like the feeling of sitting down to a home cooked meal knowing that you yourself put that meat on the table. For anyone considering hunting, I recommend it for this moment alone.

Hunters, please send your favorite recipes for venison to [email protected]. At the risk of turning into my mother, I'll make my way through your contributions and share my results in future editions of the paper.

To the non- or inexperienced hunters who are interested in the Hi-Line Sportsmen's Mentoring Program, I cannot recommend this highly enough. As McKean noted, asking for help or guidance in undertaking a new venture is the bravest and most difficult step. Hi-Line Sportsmen make this easy for beginners with a number of experienced mentors who can guide you through the hunting process from beginning to end. More information can be found on the group's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1225094827523138