“The waiting is the hardest part!”, as Tom Petty sang. If you wait for the perfect day to go fishing, or hunting, then plan on a lot of waiting and getting skunked.
Montana is a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors. The only problem is that in 15 minutes, the weather changes and we need to adapt. We can get snow during every month. Years ago, I was tent camping at Madison Junction in Yellowstone Park on my August 8th birthday. When we awoke, there was 7 inches of snow! The tent nearly caved in from the weight. “What the heck?”
Weather is part of the challenge when fishing or hunting. It is simply part of the equation. Adapt, adjust, prepare, and enjoy. Find a way to have a good time despite the challenge.
“Be Prepared” is the motto of the Boy Scouts. One January, the Gallatin Valley District had their camporee. Montana Boy Scouts camp every month of the year. During this camporee, it was minus 42 degrees!!! We camped atop a ski area where the sun hit the earth for about 15 minutes a day. Damn cold!
Boy Scouts are not wussies. That evening, I ventured back to my truck to grab a second sleeping bag and was on my way back up the ski slope to be near my troop. When I looked at the giant snow drift that was along the slope, it was all lit up! The Scouts had made snow shelters inside the drifts and lit candles. When I looked inside to check on my boys, they were lounging in their underwear in the minus 42 degrees temperature. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade.
We all work hard so we can play hard. What is the point in having vacation time if you never use it? Fishing and hunting are about the adventure. Anyone and everyone will go out when the weather is nice. They are called “Tourists”. Real Mountain Men, and Women, tough it out and have fun while they embrace the outdoors. If you snooze, you lose!
Don’t wait, just do it!
Montana Grant
For more Montana Grant, visit his blog at www.montanagrantfishing.com.
