News - Montana Wildlife Federation

Turning Back Time: Making Your Own Primitive Archery Equipment

August 2, 2021November 29, 2017 by Guest Profile

In a world where advances in hunting technology seem to be never ending, some of us are experimenting with going in the opposite direction. A small but dedicated group of Montana’s archery enthusiasts are learning and applying skills to make their own primitive archery equipment. There is both challenge and satisfaction in creating our own archery equipment similar to those used by our native Americans and early European ancestors.

Last summer, some volunteers from Traditional Bowhunters of Montana (TBM) organized its first Montana Selfbow Jamboree held near Three Forks. Along with some skilled Montana bow-makers, volunteers from Missouri, Oklahoma, and other states came to help at least 50 of us less skilled or total newcomers in selfbow making. A selfbow is the simplest bow of just a stick of wood fashioned into a bow and an accompanying string. While most of us chose to use the extremely tough osage orange wood native to Midwest, other native Montana woods such as pacific yew, juniper, chokecherry, and serviceberry have been used successfully.

After a selfbow is completed, it can become a goal to use it successfully to harvest an animal. In that case, the next step is fashioning arrows and arrowheads. To replicate Native American equipment, creating a straight shaft from a shrub shoot may be the most challenging step. Straight, rather straight shoots or branches from rose, chokecherry, red osier dogwood need to be cut and dried for months. Once dried, they can be stripped of bark and further straightened by bending over heat. Then notches for fitting onto the string and to accept the points are cut and fletching is attached using sinew from elk or deer hamstring tendons. Again, to be authentic, wing primary feathers from wild birds need to be obtained and modified to be fletching. Legally obtainable feathers can be gathered from your harvested geese or turkeys. Arrowheads can be fashioned from numerous kinds of rock (obsidian, chert, flint) or can be shaped from bone or even hardened wood.

Broadheads made from sharpened bone on arrow shafts from chokecherry shoots.

Making your own primitive archery equipment helps acquire knowledge of using Montana’s plants and animals, as well as giving us a better understanding of how our ancestors were able to develop their hunting tools from materials found in their surroundings. The hunting experience is greatly extended in the lengthy process of making your own equipment and potentially using it to harvest an animal.

Hunting with a primitive bow and arrows also requires the ultimate in getting close to your quarry. A twenty yard shot is likely the furthest most of us would feel comfortable with our primitive equipment. However, some of us love the challenge of self-limiting our hunting effectiveness, forcing us to fully utilize our hunting skills to have close encounters with Montana’s wildlife.

Editor’s Note: This fall, Greg Munther completed his decades long quest of harvesting a big game animal with self-made primitive archery equipment.

MWF Speaks Up for the Smith River

August 24, 2020November 16, 2017 by Alec Underwood

Today, the Montana Wildlife Federation sent in formal comments on the environmental impact statement scoping process for the Black Butte Copper Project, a proposed mine in the headwaters of the Smith River. In our letter, MWF explained how the mine is “a threat to the Smith River watershed, its fishery, recreationists and the local outdoor economy.”

Winding its way through rangelands and its iconic canyon, the Smith River gives recreationists an experience that they will never forget, not to mention some amazing fishing. Bringing $10 million to the local economy each year, the Smith is a serious economic driver, employing guides, outfitters, and supporting other small businesses. For all of these reasons, it’s easy to see why the Smith is held as one of Montana’s greatest treasures.

You can read MWF’s full comment letter here.

Crucial Companions: The Herds and the Bird

August 2, 2021November 13, 2017 by Marcus Strange

When snow blankets vegetation in the foothills and mountains, big game animals like mule deer, elk and pronghorn depend on sagebrush lands, the same habitat that sustains greater sage-grouse. Wildlife biologists point out that healthy habitat is key for healthy wildlife populations. For sportsmen and women who roam sagebrush country each fall, the connection between sage-grouse and other wildlife is clear. They know what’s good for the bird is good for the herd. That’s why they want to conserve sage-grouse and their habitat.

Sage-grouse used to number in the tens of millions across the West, but now number an estimated 200,000 to a half-million. Sage-grouse are seen as a bellwether species for the health of sagebrush lands. And sage-grouse conservation plans developed by the states, Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service with input from locals on the ground are the way forward for Western big game.

Sage Grouse. Photos by Bob Wick, BLM — Sage Grouse by Bob Wick, BLM

But the fate of all the work and collaboration that went into the plans is uncertain as the Trump administration considers major changes. These plans helped convince the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that sage-grouse didn’t need to be added to the endangered species list. Failure to move forward with the conservation efforts could lead to the very outcome the plans were intended to avoid – a listing of the bird and the restrictions that come with it. Governor Bullock and other Western governors have said wholesale changes to the conservation plans aren’t needed and have voiced support for focusing on sage-grouse habitat to rebuild the bird’s population

The Bureau of Land Management is collecting public comment on the sage-grouse conservation plans until December 1st. It is important that they hear from sportsmen and women from around the West. Tell them that they should give the plans a chance to work. Go to: nwf.org/beherdforthebird to take action.

Take Action Now to Protect the Smith River!

August 2, 2021November 3, 2017 by Guest Profile

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of floating the Smith River, then you know that it is a truly amazing place. Winding its way through rangelands and its iconic canyon, this river gives recreationists an experience that they will never forget, not to mention some amazing fishing. ringing $10 million to the local economy each year, the Smith is a serious economic driver, employing guides, outfitters, and supporting other small businesses. For all of these reasons, it’s easy to see why the Smith is held as one of Montana’s greatest treasures.

Over the past few years the area has been eyed by those seeking a different kind of treasure; copper. Foreign mining company Tintina Resources has submitted their draft mining permit for the Black Butte Copper Project. This proposed mine would be located in the headwaters of Sheep Creek, a major tributary of the Smith.

Last Monday evening, MWF joined other conservation groups at a public scoping meeting in Great Falls put on by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). This was the first of four meetings held by the agency as part of the process in developing the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project. Over thirty individuals spoke at the meeting, the majority of whom were opposed to the potential negative impacts of the proposed mine.

MWF’s Western Field Representative Alec Underwood outlined the potential impacts to Sheep Creek and the considerations the DEQ should make going forward in the EIS process. “The DEQ should be especially stringent toward any risks to water quantity or quality in the

Sheep Creek drainage”, Underwood said, noting the importance of the creek as a fish spawning tributary and for providing a large percentage of the flow to the Smith River during low water flows. “Dewatering or contamination from mining processes in Sheep creek would likely have detrimental effects on not only fish, but recreational users who float the river during low water.”

In addition to the potential direct impacts of the mine, Underwood and others spoke about the potential for expansion of other mining operations in the area, citing the over 500 additional mining claims in close proximity to the proposed mine.

Now is the time to take action and attend the remaining public scoping meeting in Livingston. For the sake of the Smith River and to all those who will enjoy it in the future, speak up now and let the DEQ know that the Black Butte Copper Project is simply not worth the risk.

For information on the remaining meetings or how to comment on the proposed project, please visit

http://deq.mt.gov/Public/PressRelease/scoping-meetings-held-for-environmental-impact-statement-of-proposed-mine.

Hunters Crucial for Wildlife Management

August 2, 2021October 24, 2017 by Marcus Strange

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Montana hunters have been giving a great deal of attention to elk in recent years, and for good reason. This year the statewide elk population is estimated at 176,000, an all-time high. We have more than 80 hunting districts where elk are over the targeted “objective” population established by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which is developed in consultation with landowners based on their tolerances for elk.

The discussion goes on and on about what to do to better manage wildlife. Shoulder seasons that span roughly six months long, second elk tags for cows only and cow elk hunting for all five weeks on a general license – all of these are thrown out as solutions to our elk population and distribution issues. But one method is time-tested, and proven, to lead to sound wildlife management – putting public hunters on the ground to hunt public elk.

A prime example is an area just south of Dillon in Hunting District 325, where FWP struggled for years to manage the elk herd. The adjoining public lands had fewer and fewer elk in them, but the center pivot hayfields on one ranch in the area was overrun with hundreds of elk. Sometimes close to a 1,000 elk were on the ranch, and the landowner charged a fee for elk hunting, both cows and bulls. But finally, after nearly a decade, even the landowner had enough when hundreds more elk showed up, further damaging crops and fences. The rancher three years ago started to allow public hunters.

The response was overwhelming. People were happy to show up and kill a cow elk. Some would drive from all over Montana. And because the landowner was allowing public hunters during the general season, the property qualified for a game damage hunt that started early and ran late. People would take vacation days to come kill an elk, and last season they killed more than 300 elk, according to the area FWP biologist. Two large, adjoining ranches cooperated as well, although they had been allowing hunters for several years.

It helped not only with population control, but also elk distribution. Hunters reported seeing dramatically more elk in the Blacktail Mountains, which are public land and offer good elk hunting. And after three seasons, far fewer elk are showing up on the fields. In fact, this season they have yet to call a hunter off the game damage roster.

At the same time, the hunting district’s population remains healthy. But those elk are in different places, with far more on public land and accessible to public hunters.

The bottom line is that hunters have to be part of the solution to these issues of elk overabundance. It’s not a big mystery. We’ve known it for years. Now it’s time to start the constructive conversations with landowners in other parts of the state struggling to manage their wildlife, and craft some access solutions that benefit landowners, hunters and wildlife.

Nick Gevock is the Conservation Director for the Montana Wildlife Federation.

Jeff Lukas

Conservation Director