It appears I'm in the minority

I saw few other hunters this season.

But it appears I’m in the minority.

Apparently there were so many hunters from Washington up on Frenchman Creek this fall that even they were complaining about all the hunters from that state.

In most places with good hunting the locals seldom embrace the non-resident hunters. We’re very possessive about our favorite haunts and like to keep them to ourselves.

In Phillips County where I live it’s a bit more extreme. It’s not just the sight of out-of-state hunters that rankles us, but anyone from another county in Montana is just as unwelcome.

However, that hardly stops the influx. From the opening of big game season in October until the season ends on the Sunday following Thanksgiving, non-resident hunters flock here.

It comes as no surprise. I moved here 16 years ago because of the hunting.

And while this season has been anything but stellar for me as far as harvest, I’ve had broad expanses of country all to myself. It’s hard to ask for more.

I struck up a conversation last week at a gas station with a local guy who had a couple of Labradors in the back of his truck.

“Finding any birds?” I asked.

“I quit hunting,” he replied. “Too many non-residents.”

He went on to tell me about access site parking lots filled with rigs from Washington, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

“They’re all hunting deer down south,” he added. “And all the big deer are up north.”

I suppose that’s why I haven’t seen many hunters this fall. I spend most of my time hunting somewhere in the middle.

The Missouri Breaks at the southern end of the county has a long history of producing big bull elk and big deer. The locals know hunting in the Breaks isn’t what it used to be, but its reputation remains a draw.

Same thing with Frenchman’s. Known for the trophy mule deer it produced in the past, word got out that it was the place to be, even though by then it was not.

I long ago quit hunting rumors. I prefer to be surprised. Hunting a spot with a good reputation only sets you up for disappointment and a hard time finding a place to park.

Parker Heinlein is at [email protected]