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I am a passionate bowhunter and love talking gear. While discussing gear is fun, I also recognize that budgets are tight, and articles like this can be overwhelming.  My approach to acquiring equipment is a gradual process that has taken years to execute. I shop sales and look for deals. My favorite gift is gift cards (hint, hint). I borrow items I’m missing from friends and use that time to determine whether I need that item. No matter what your budget, the most important thing is that you can have incredible experiences in the field. Make that your priority, and let the acquisition of gear follow.

The Hierarchy of Gear

Everyone has a “hierarchy of gear.” This hierarchy is the list of things that you need when you go hunting in order of necessity. Everyone’s list looks a little different, but we all have one. Knowing your hierarchy of gear will help you decide what equipment you need to add to your system and when to add it. My top five items that I need, in order of importance, are:

1. Weapon
2. Boots
3. Pack
4. Optics
5. Clothes

Boots

In my hierarchy of essential gear, boots are second only to my weapon. My boots of choice are the Crispi Idaho II GTX. They are reliable, do it all boot that performs whether you’re chasing elk through the mountains or hiking to a tree stand along a river bottom. If your feet are wet, blistered, and hurting, you will have a hard time enjoying your hunt. If you’re tight on funds, I recommend looking for an uninsulated boot that you can wear during the archery season and add an extra sock to during the rifle season. You should also be aware that you don’t need to buy “hunting” boots. Most hiking and mountaineering boots will work equally well for a hunt and can then be multi-purposed for your other adventures.

Back Pack

The third item in my gear hierarchy is my pack. For me, the ideal pack is one that can be used as a daypack or as a multi-day pack. Whatever backpack you choose, make sure that it can handle the weight of a pack out. I look for packs with an internal frame and an external load shelf to handle packing out harvested meat. I use the Sky 5900 from Stone Glacier, an expedition pack that can convert down into a daypack. Stone Glacier is a Montana company who’s products are made in the USA. They also give back to conservation and have supported MWF. If you’re looking for a less expensive option, check out ALPS Outdoorz or the King’s Camo Mountain Top 2200. You can also use a regular backpacking pack, but bring something to line the inside or be prepared to wash it should you need to pack out meat.

Optics

If you can’t find game, it’s hard to hunt. Optics give the hunter an advantage when it comes to spotting wildlife. I spend a TON of time glassing, but I still like to keep my optics simple. Because of the light, run, and gun style of hunting that I practice, I don’t use a spotting scope. I also don’t care about seeing the animal in great detail. I just need to know is it an elk and is it a cow or bull. For me, 10×42 binoculars do everything I need in the field. I use the Maven Optics 10×42 due to their combination of sleek design and superior glass.

Clothes

My first season hunting, I had roofing boots, double knee Carhartts, and cotton shirts. My clothing options have come a long way since those days. Whether one believes that camouflage is needed or not, having comfortable clothes while hunting makes a big difference. I use synthetics that are breathable and durable. I have been adding in some merino wool products in strategic situations. 

I’ve tried most major hunting lines, and there are pros and cons to each. If you have the funds, I would recommend Sitka Gear. They are a Montana company that gives back to conservation and makes fantastic products. If your budget is tighter, you can pick up some very usable Realtree, synthetic camo from your local Walmart or sporting goods store. Between those two options, there is a spectrum of options that will also work. DON’T let your clothes hold you back. There are many options out there that won’t break the bank, and most outdoor clothing is good enough with which to start hunting. My one rule is to avoid cotton due to its tendency to absorb moisture and cause chafing.

You can download my full gear list HERE. I use an excel form that Brady Miller from goHunt.com developed. This sheet is a good starting point and checklist for you to use as you plan your next adventure. Download the file and adjust it to fit your needs. If you have any questions about hunting gear, contact MWF Program and Partnership Director Marcus Strange at mstrange@mtwf.org. 

I have long said my dream job is to be a naturalist. Yet for many years, my outdoor recreation style was speedster. I was always looking to travel quickly and get a good workout. Then, in my late 20’s, I started hunting. I learned I had to move or sit quietly to have any hope of seeing animals before I spooked them. I began to appreciate slowing down and paying attention.

Outdoor Education

I have always loved outdoor exploration. As I paid more attention, my fascination with the complexities, interactions, and beauty of the natural world increased. Still, being a naturalist seemed about as likely as riding the range—a romantic, historical enterprise. Fast forward about a decade, and I stumbled across the Montana Natural History Center website. I found they offer and administer a course and certification called Master Naturalist. The focus of the program is to increase knowledge of Montana natural history and develop a corps of citizens dedicated to conservation education and service. It seemed too good to be true.

I researched further and found additional course options throughout the state, including Bozeman, Helena, Billings, Glacier National Park, and Swan Valley. Some condensed the 40-ish hours of instruction into one week, while others had weekly meetings over the course of several months. At the time, there were no options nearby, so I took a week of vacation time and attended the course in Missoula.

I loved it! We spent some time in the classroom investigating skull characteristics and insect orders. The bulk of our time was in the field though, watching, identifying, exploring, and sketching in our notebooks. The level of instruction was geared toward the layperson, matching my favorite definition of natural history:

“The study of the whole natural world, especially as concerned with observation rather than experiment, and presented in popular rather than academic form.”

Master Naturalist

Now that I’m a Master Naturalist (how cool does that sound?), I enjoy the outdoors even more. I like the opportunity to share knowledge with others and contribute to citizen science. To maintain certification, I annually complete 20 hours of volunteer service, plus attend 8 hours of continuing education. I refer to the Montana Natural History Center’s website for clarifying information and resources.

With COVID-19 we all have been forced to slow down. In some ways that’s a good thing. It’s worth taking the time to appreciate our surroundings. We can develop a sense of connection that extends beyond the human world…and develop relationships with our fellow Montanans too.

By Megan Martinez

MWF is strongly supportive of the proposed reintroduction of American martens (M. americana or M. caurina) to the Little Belts Mountains of central Montana. With the previous extirpation of this species from island mountain ranges across the west, it is imperative that we take the necessary actions to restore martens to their
historic range. This action directly follows the objective to “increase species diversity and facilitate marten range expansion back into the mountains of central Montana” as stated by the Fish & Wildlife Commission in 2014.

As stated in the draft environmental assessment (EA), there is significant quality marten habitat found throughout the Little Belt Mountains as well as adjacent mountain ranges. However, this species is notoriously poor at dispersing across unsuitable habitat, and therefore it is unlikely natural recolonization will occur. Thankfully there is a precedent for success in translocation and reintroduction attempts, such as this effort, as seen in other successful marten reintroductions in similar mountain ranges. We at MWF would like to thank
Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks (FWP) for following the examples set in similar reintroductions across the west when developing the procedures in this draft EA.

MWF commends FWP for taking the initiative to restore the historic biodiversity found in central Montana. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and voice support for this project. If you have any questions, please contact Eric Clewis, our Western Montana Field Coordinator, at (832) 444-6976 or eclewis@mtwf.org.

Today the Bureau of Land Management announced it had finalized the Lewistown Resource Management Plan (RMP) that will prioritize oil and gas speculation over all other uses and threaten wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and sporting traditions in Montana. The Lewistown plan encompasses 651,200 surface acres and 1.2 million acres of subsurface acres. The new plan, which will govern how the land will be managed for the next 20 years, would allow oil and gas leasing on 95% of the Lewistown area, which contains some of the finest hunting grounds in the world. 

“The Bureau of Land Management has reversed years of collaborative, on-the-ground work by conservationists, ranchers, hunters, anglers, and community leaders to protect important wildlife habitat and world-class hunting areas in the Lewistown area,” said Alec Underwood, federal conservation campaigns director at the Montana Wildlife Federation. “Today’s decision shows that this administration has chosen to ignore the concerns of public land users and the protections necessary to ensure the health and vitality of these lands for generations to come. Instead, the administration has left the vast majority of these lands open to speculative oil and gas leasing.”

“This is another example of why William Perry Pendley is unfit to lead the agency that manages more than 245 million acres of public land. Pendley, who has long believed that public lands should be sold off, has rejected what Montanans have asked for and is now advocating to hand them over to oil and gas companies at below-market prices,” said Tracy Stone-Manning, associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation. “These are lands that belong to all Americans. It is not balanced use to prioritize 95% of these lands for oil and gas interests.” 

For years, the Montana Wildlife Federation has worked with numerous stakeholders in Montana to draft Lewistown management plans, which would protect habitat for elk, deer, pronghorn and other wildlife and would maintain the world-renowned big game hunting which supports local communities across the region. In 2015, hunting for elk alone generated more than $3.8 million dollars in consumer spending which benefited the local economy.

Today’s press release from the Bureau of Land Management also announced it had also finalized the Missoula Resource Management Plan. That plan increases grazing and timber harvest and strips protections for areas of critical environmental concern.

It is with great excitement that we announce the introduction of legislation by Senator Jon Tester, calling for the permanent protection of the Badger-Two Medicine as a Cultural Heritage Area.

As you know, the Badger is one of the wildest, most wildlife-rich regions of the continental United States and is the only part of the Rocky Mountain Front that hasn’t been

legislatively protected. The Badger provides hunters and anglers with a truly wild, backcountry experience. The watersheds provide critical habitat for native trout, and for time immemorial, hunters have been coming to the region to pursue elk, mountain goat, and moose. The next generation should have the same opportunity hunters and anglers of the past have had to experience this special place. 

The permanent protection proposal for the Badger is an important step toward ensuring that traditional land-uses are protected. The Cultural Heritage Area designation will: 

1. Protect and enhance public access, wildlife, and habitat. Hunting and angling opportunities will remain unchanged.
2. Celebrate and safeguard cultural and traditional uses of the area and guarantee Blackfeet’s existing treaty rights will be honored.
3. Establish a formal Tribal consultation with the U.S. Forest Service, allowing the Blackfeet Nation to contribute to future management decisions.
4. Create a diverse citizen advisory group made up of tribal and non-tribal stakeholders, to help the U.S. Forest Service develop long-term management guidelines for the area.
5. Provide job opportunities to conduct trail maintenance and other contracted forest work.
6. Continue non-commercial timber harvest for forest health, wildfire response, and private property protection.
7. Preservation of headwater streams that are an important source of clean water for agricultural operations and communities both on and off the reservation.

Not only is this proposal the right thing to do, but it also ensures continued economic growth in Montana, where hunters and anglers contribute more than $1 billion annually to the state economy. It is time to ensure a future of certainty for the Blackfeet, this treasured landscape, and hunters, and anglers from all walks of life who care deeply for the Badger. While some places may change, hunters and anglers agree that some places are too special to be compromised.

Thanks for all you do for conservation, hunting, and fishing. You now have a unique and historic opportunity to help protect the Badger-Two Medicine forever, preserving hunting and angling traditions and opportunities for unborn generations. To lend your support, visit  www.protectthebadger.org and take action today! If you have any questions, contact MWF Program and Partnership Director, Marcus Strange, at mstrange@mtwf.org.