Well yesterday was supposed to be a "Bird Hunting" kind of day. September 1st is the traditional opener of the Grouse Season, and my partner and I had seen so many Grouse on our various Moose and Elk scouting trips this fall that a "Grouse Hunt" was in order!
Little did we know it would turn into an excellent Varmint Safari as well!
To start the venture we left at 0600 hours yesterday morning. Sunrise was at 0646 hours and as the county road turned a little rough we slowed down. A natural grass pasture was just full of Whitetailed Deer at this point! There were at least 40 Bucks in this field full of at least 200 Deer!
3 or 4 of them were SHOOTERS to say the least!
This ranch alllows only Doe Hunting or, big bucks for a Buck tag! Oh well they are fun to see anyway!
Then we got into Antelope country and finally I had to quit stopping at every herd to check out the Bucks. We were just loosing to much time. The last cultivated field we were to pass on that road had two excellent Mule Deer Bucks in it.
We stopped - for these dandies!
We passed a remote forest service campground (free of charge) that appeared to have some "competition" (other Grouse Hunters!) in it.
But they were still in bed!
LOL!
Just a half mile past the campground a Coyote makes the mistake of stopping for a look back at us.
My partners 223 bowls him over!
My shot next - I call!
It wasn't another half mile and a lone Sage Grouse is spotted.
Hank (the VarmintDog) and I get out and get after this now hiding Grouse.
A load of 3#'s brings him down on what I swear was a 45 to 50 yard shot! But he's still able to run! Hank is on him quickly though and our first Grouse is brought to bag. He's on ice in a minute and away we go.
Next, two Coyotes are seen Hunting in OUR Sage Grouse flats! We nearly get a shot at them! But not quite! I was beginning to wish I had brought one of my 204's instead of my new 17 Remington! Range considerations is the source of my worry.
Next up its a hike for Forest Grouse. The highlight here was a clsoe encounter of the Bull Elk kind! He was so close his bugle (and some subsequent "chortles") were offensively loud! Goosebump making noises these.
The archery season for these big bruisers opened today (September 2nd!) but I gave up archery Hunting Elk a few years back when MASSIVE Forest Fires destroyed the areas I had Hunted Elk in for the previous 20 years!
My partner is up for the next Grouse shot but a Ruffed Grouse falls victim to my 870 as it flies past me offering no shot to my compadre.
More Elk are spotted and I feel a little guilty shooting in this HUGE high mountain basin full of Elk. The archery boys will be there soon I thought to myself and the noise of our Hunting may spook some Elk.
Much Bear sign is spotted and I wonder what a 2 3/4" 12 gauge load of # 4's will do to a Bear? I have switched to the number 4's for the close up shooting in the forest.
The high mountain springs are running like they haven't in 8 years! The "normal" snow pack from last winter has got springs going that have been dry for a long time!
We retreat back to the VarmintMobile at the trailhead for an early lunch.
We decide to change basins and on the way out we see 4 Moose (two of which were nice Bulls!).
My partner misses the next Coyote opportunity and I am thinking to myself "what are the Coyotes doing out this late in the day"?
They are, I conclude, the young of the year and they are fending for themsleves now and HUNGRY due to lack of Hunting expertise???
I get my next Grouse out of a flock of 6 Sage Grouse. Henry the VarmintDog is on this Grouse in a flash.
Nice retrieve I say.
He looks at me and says (with his eyes) "treat please"!
Okay, okay.
I think to myself of all the Sage Grouse I have shot over the decades I think this is only the second time I have "limited" on them.
These Grouse are so big I usually stop at one for the day.
We are on the road again when I spot a Badger waddling across some natural grass.
My partner gets set up and dings him with two shots from his 223. He was "running" was his excuse for using two shots.
No excuses need be offered my way I tell him.
I've Hunted Badgers before and they are capable of carrying a lot of lead.
We go by a cliff that has some Rcok Chucks living there but they all make it to their dens before we could get set up.
Someone has wised up my Rock Chucks I profess!
"I" had not shot there so far this season.
Another Badger is spotted and I race out of the VarmintMobile and set up just as he dives down a den!
I wait but he does not resurface.
Dang, I curse, two Badgers in one day is "good medicine" for this time of year!
We had not gone another mile when I spot another Badger!
I am quick to set up this time and hit him broadside through the heart/lung area with the 25 grain Bergers (17 Remington - Model 700 BDL with Zeiss 3x9 variable). He's DRT (like Ground Hog Devastation says "dead right there"!).
I debate whether to have this thin furred 2 year oldish male Badger mounted or rugged. His hair is to thin I decide.
Off we go for some more Grousing (Varminting) my partner is shooting a 223 that I once owned. To make a long story short a third friend of ours had begged me to pass along the super deal I had gotten on this Remington 700 VLS to him. After weeks of pestering I sold it to him but made him promise to sell it back to me if he ever sold it.
So much for promises!
Less than a year later he traded it to our other friend for a gall darned Bow-Flex exercise machine!
Anyway I am miffed that "my own" Rifle is being used by this ingrate of a partner I am now Hunting with.
Such is life.
Two Jack Rabbits are mortified with this 223 before we stop for pie at Jans Cafe!
If you are ever on I-15 in SW Montana (exit 12? - at Lima) be sure and stop at Jans Cafe for pie!
My favorite is the Caramel Apple! Oohhh- weee!
Its lips smacking good!
I am in a hurry to get home and clean my Grouse and be there when one of the VarmintSons was due to arrive back from college for the long holiday weekend, so we head north.
ANOTHER Badger is seen from the freeway! The only thing I can think of is the Ground Squirrels are deep in their burrows for summer hibernation and the Badgers are also having tough "diggins" for their lunches!
Just another wonderful attribute of Montanas!
You go Grouse Hunting and that works out good but you also have an amazing Varmint Hunt at the same time!
Again, I implore all who love the outdoors and Hunting, especially Varmint Hunting, to pack up and move to Big Sky Country!
Long live Montana!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Hey VG:The badgers around here are really active killed one last week 60yds w/204 contender right between the eyes never moved not big but decent fur.We were in the bosses truck looking for some cows and spotted a monster badger who got in his hole about20yds from us and hissed and glared at us we had no firearm,but I will get him eventually.
Birds are abundant killed some ruffies.Lots of huns but there must have been three hatches all different sizes most to small to shoot but will make for good late season hunting.
I am putting together a rem.700 204,what are your thoughts on a Nikon buckmaster mildot w/side adj.4.5x14 on it as there is one reasonably priced in the clasified section?I have never owned a mildot.w/regards

Gophershooter: I am in the same boat as you with regards to the Mil Dot type scopes - I am such an old dyed in the wool Du-plex kinda guy I hesitate to try anything else.
I have never owned a mildot reticle scope that I mounted on one of my Rifles. i have shot several that my friends own though.
And I have begun buying Nikon scopes of late and own three of the 65.x20 models. Two have their fine Du-plex reticles and the third has the fine crosshairs and fine dot reticle. All these work well for me. I have only had one out in inclement weather (zero degrees!) and it held up fine.
I have not had a chance to use or own a 4.5x14 Nikon myself, so I actually am not much use to you on this purchase advice wise. I have some 4.5x14 Leupolds and love them for Big Game and Coyoting!
I feel your 204 can use ALL the scope power you can strap to it if you are gonna exclusively Hunt Colony Varmints with it! If you are gonna do a lot of Coyote Hunting and night calling for Fox, Bobcat and Coyotes the 4.5x14 would be a better bet AND the mildot arrangement might work better under spotlighting conditions as well!
Best of luck on your new project AND on getting that double chubby Badger!
My 204's are scoped with a Nikon 6.5x20 variable, a Leupold 8.5x25 variable and a Sightron 6x24 variable - I have killed some Coyotes with my 204's but the 4.5x14 might be a better bet if this is gonna take up a higher percentage of your efforts afield with the new 204!
More later.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I like VG have lots of Duplex scopes. But a few years back I did pickup a couple of Mil Dot scopes a nightforce and a Burris Signature. I find that they really work well for me on Colony Varmints. But all of my calling/carry rifles still are wearing the Duplex type scopes. I feel that acquiring a target real quickly dealing with the Mil Dots is to time consuming so I haven't went there. Maybe I'm just to old to change?

VG sometime in the not to distant future I'm hoping to have some of that pie at Jan's Cafe.

what do you think of that Sightron VG?