Waterfowl season should open with a bang this Saturday. Reports for this year’s season are good. Shooting time will be a half-hour before sunrise Saturday. In our time zone, which is Zone 1 on Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks official sunrise/sunset charts, that’s 7:08 a.m.
Hunters on the Flathead Indian Reservation will have to wait till sunrise at 7:38 a.m. to start shooting. You are invited to join the “Montana Outdoor Radio Show” crew as we broadcast from a goose blind somewhere in the Mission Valley. Our host for the annual broadcast will once again be Jaye Johnson of Charlo. Johnson has the dubious job of finding a place for us to hunt. The job is a tough one because you not only have to find land to hunt, but we also hope that the location where we set up the goose blind on Saturday morning will also deliver some geese.
As goose hunters know, there are many factors that come into play when planning a successful hunt. Luck is a main ingredient, of course, but when you throw in a live radio broadcast it makes it that much more difficult. We sign off our statewide broadcast at 8 a.m. and since we will be hunting on the Flathead Reservation, it will leave only 22 minutes for the geese to come into our blind for an on-air shoot.
You can listen in Saturday from 6 to 8 a.m. in Missoula on KGVO 1290 AM, Hamilton on KLYQ 1240 AM, Polson on KERR 750 AM and Kalispell on KJJR 880 AM. If you are also hunting geese and ducks Saturday morning, we would love to hear from you. To be a part of our broadcast, just call in from your cell phone during the show. The toll-free number is 1-800-568-5309.
The fun continues for bird hunters as next weekend will mark the opening of pheasant season. It opens Saturday, Oct. 10. The day after that, on Sunday, Oct. 11, rifle hunters will enjoy the opening of antelope season in Montana.
Most antelope hunters head east, so remember to wash the undercarriage of your vehicle before going on your trip. For many landowners east of the mountains, the “4” license plates have knapweed written all over them and some will insist that you take care of that maintenance on your vehicle before they let you on their land. While you are at it, make sure you let the spare tire down and wash that area under your pickup as well.
Anglers won’t be left out of some fun this time of the year – Fall Mack Days kicks off Friday.
The derby will be held every Friday through Sunday through Nov. 15. It is sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Most successful anglers find the lake trout in spawning mode as they head for shallower water this time of the year. For tips on where and how to fish, call Dick Zimmer at 675-0068 or Matt McCombs at 261-6980. To enter, go to www.mackdays.com.
