Home > Questbook -------------------------------- The Questbook (not the Guestbook) --------------------------------
		The whole point of the questbook is to keep track of places I have gone. So what you'll see is a date or time period, then a location or locations, then finally, a brief summary of what I did and/or what I found. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3/22/06 Warland Creek - Libby, MT Scott, Stephanie, Joey and I hooked up the trailer and the canoe and headed out to the camp spot. We had plenty of firewood because there were slashpiles around. It helped release the inner pyro in all of us. lol. Anyway, we did some canoeing on the reservoir. The water was glass, so that made it really nice. Drank a lot of Dr. Pepper and ate lots of steak. It was a good time. It was great to have Scott around again. Found some coyote bones. Only kept a skull and a few jaw bones. 3/11/06 Secret Cave Spot - Libby, MT Jess and I headed up the road, but soon came to a point where we couldn't drive any further. I thought I remembered a shorter way to get to the caves, but I was very wrong. We hiked forever along the wrong ridge, but finally made it to the caves. At least the snow was hard enough to walk on. The caves were awesome. On the way back I found a nice 4 point whitetail shed. Saw a bunch of deer. And hiked a long way. 2/18/06 Westerner Creek - Lolo, MT I decided to take Jerek up Lolo but we went up a different drainage. We stopped at an old spur road and hiked up it. We found some awesome rock formations and climbed up on some of them. Half expected to see bighorn sheep up there. Anyway we got out of there, because it looked like a snow storm was gonna be coming through. We drove down the main road for a ways stopping on the points to look at the awesome view of Lolo Peak. Anyway, eventually got tired of driving around, and fuel tank was emptying fast. Didn't see or find anything. 2/11/06 Secret Hunting Spot - Lolo, MT Jess Shotsberger came down for the weekend. We took a different way than I normally go, up a long draw to the top of the ridge. We found the remains of a 2-point whitetail displayed in a weird fashion on a stump. Anyway, we were shed hunting along the top of the ridge, then decided to cut down and back over to my normal spot. Hung out at the lookout for a bit, then shed hunted down the other side of the main hill. Then headed back to my truck. We saw about 8 elk, and a bunch of deer. I found a 2-pt Whitetail antler. 2/7/06 Secret Hunting Spot - Lolo, MT I decided to head out after class. IT felt good to stretch my legs climbing up the steep south facing slopes. Once again, I saw TONS of elk and deer tracks and tons of coyote tracks too. I was cresting a hill and scared up at least two large animals, probably elk. I heard them take off before I could see them. They must have caught my scent. I sat up at the old lookout for a while staring into the Wilderness. It had been a long time since I was able to get out in the woods and act like any other animal for a while. I followed random game trails until I ended up back at the road and eventually to my truck. Didn't find anything. Saw a few whitetails on the drive out.  A very nice day. 1/21/06 Deep Creek - Libby, MT I was feeling really closed in after being a few days out of surgery. I needed to get out and breathe some fresh air. So I went limping behind the gate and followed some x-country ski tracks. I felt pretty vulnerable not being able to run or jump, especially in Deep Creek, reknowned mountain lion country. I decided to do some minor shed hunting. Trudging through the snow was kinda tough after having a bone graft from my hip. On my way back to the road, I found myself starting to sink through the snow on a hidden pond. It hurt to move that fast to get out of the potential soaking. But soon enough I made it back to the suburban and drove home. It kinda sucked but it felt good to get out. 11/25/05 Secret Hunting Spot - Libby, MT Joey and I hiked up the ridge along the south side. We started at the gate. We spooked a few deer at a water hole and heard them calling to each other after that. A yearling came really close, and didn't even really know we were there (or at least she didn't care). Anyway, we trudged on and came into some sweet openings at the very top of the ridge. It looks like a great spot to hang out and wait for elk and deer. There were water holes everywhere up there. We continued on up the ridge and came across a recent gutpile from a deer that had been shot. Found it because of the ravens. I spooked up a buck and a doe in another open spot. They got away. We decided top get to the very top of the ridge again and make our way back down to my truck. We heard a few critters running away from us in the thick forest. We got turned around and were heading the wrong way. That was the first time that has happened to me in a long time. Anyway, we made it down to the truck and went home. 11/5/05 Secret Hunting Spot - Lolo, MT I had to cure my boredom, so I headed up the drainage looking to reach the state line. Snow covered the road after the first 2 miles. The road had been driven quite a bit so the tire tracks were icy. When I was going up, I came within inches of hitting a hunter in a Ford Explorer. A quick reminder of winter driving hazards. Neither of us were going fast either, it was just super slick. Anyway, I turned around, when I got into about a foot of snow. I drove down and went grouse hunting off the side of the road at a pullout. Didn't see anything. I drove on, then decided to hike up a small ridge. The ground was covered with a sparse forest and grass. I headed up and stumbled upon 7 elk (6 cows and a spike). I didn't know they were there and they didn't know I was there. But I smelled them because I was downwind. Anyway I was within 30 yrds by the time I noticed them. I watched them for about 5 minutes, then they must have caught my scent. They took off. I explored the mountain, and found some sweet hunting spots with animal sign everywhere. This will be my last resort hunting spot. I also saw a whitetail doe. Anyway, it was an exciting day. 10/23/05 Flatiron Mt. - Libby/Yaak, MT I was gonna wake up early to get a good start up the mountain to see if I couldn't cross some elk. (today was the opening day of rifle season.) My alarm didn't go off, but I was able to still get up to the trailhead at first light. I didn't see much for animals. 5 grouse and a rabbit. I met a hunter up on the hill and talked with him for a while about bow hunting. Also saw two other guys up there. I was up in the sun and clear sky, while the valley looked like a lake (it was filled to the brim with fog and clouds). Got back home at 13:00. 10/15/05 Graves Creek/Petty Creek - Missoula/Lolo, MT I headed out towards Lolo Pass, then hooked north and made my way up Graves creek. At the pass, I took a road west that ran along a ridge. I was mainly seeing if I could find any elk, just to see if they were there. Didn't see any elk., but man that ridge is burnt to a crisp! Its all wide open. There was no browse either, so that explained no elk. I got back on the main road and headed north again. Towards the end of the road, I saw 5 big horn sheep up on the cliffs. It was pretty cool. I got tired of driving today, probably because I was dehydrated and starving. We have been eating pretty much nothing but wild game at our house. We get a whole antelope dropped off tomorrow, so that will be cool. But the malnutrition was giving me a headache and stuff so I headed home early. I came out be Alberton and made my way back to Missoula. 10/14//05 Edith Pk - Missoula, MT I headed back up on Edith to grouse hunt, call in elk and get some pictures. Well, I didn't get any grouse, I never called in any elk. But I did take some pictures of the sunset from the peak. It was an alright one. I got a few good pictures out of it. I got back late. 10/7-9/05 Glacier National Park, MT I headed north with the Student Recreation Association to visit the park. We camped on the Hungry Horse Reservoir at Lost Johnny Point. We stayed up late the first night. The nest morning we headed into the park and hiked up to Snyder Lake. The mountains were amazing! I can see why so many people flock there. We hung out at the lake and lounged on the footbridge. Then we went and got some huckleberry milkshakes in Hungry Horse. Then back to camp. Stayed up late again with a raging campfire. The next morning we packed up and drove back to Missoula. We saw 2 goats at the lake, but besides that...no wildlife. 10/2/05 Mills Creek - Missoula, MT I headed up the drainage hunting for grouse. I flushed one out but never got a shot. I drove over a pass into the Native Reservation and ended up in Arlee. Didn't see any wildlife, just that one grouse. 9/23/05 Edith Pk. - Missoula, MT I headed out after class to see what I could see. I started heading for the "Largest Pine in Montana" and whatever the area south of Alberton would hold. But a wrong turn onto the frontage road had me heading north on the Nine Mile Road. I passed the station and decided that I would try to reach the lookout tower that can be seen from town on Edith Pk. It took a while to get up to the top of the ridge, but once I got up there...man it was cool! I really like the open beargrass and small subalpine fir slopes. I saw a few grouse but I forgot my gun. The weather changed and it turned from light rain to a light snow. But pressed on, looking for the lookout. Once I got into the vacinity, it was snowing so hard I could hardly see 50ft in front of me. I came to the end of the road. I hiked up onto this knob and found the base to an old lookout and a dog's grave. "Haudie" was the name. Anyway, standing on that high knob in the wind and snow I really felt like a mountain man up in the hills in the worst of weather. Even though I enjoyed the comfort of the heater in my truck on the way up. But still no luck finding the real lookout. I ended up going on one more road, and one more short hike to the top of another knob. Navigating on foot is really hard when you can't even see a rock's throw in front of ya. Let alone trying to find something. Well that last little jaunt took me to the top of Edith Pk., but no lookout was to be found. Standing on that peak in the snowstorm was amazing. All I could see was the ground I was standing on, and a few trees fading off into the near distance. Everything else was pure white. Almost like I was standing on an island in a sea. The wind was brutal and I was glad that I wasn't staying up there for long. But having long hair helped in keeping my ears and neck warm. I got back to the warmth of my truck; snow stuck to my hat, hair and beard. It was awesome. Saw about 20 turkeys, 3 grouse and lots of deer. Didn't find anything including the lookout. Definitely gonna go back up there again. 9/11/05 Miller Creek/West Fork Schwartz Creek - Missoula, MT I finally decided to start my truck and go somewhere that I couldn't walk to. I headed up the road and just went exploring in my truck. I got out and walked a little on the way up the ridge I was on. I ended up doing about 60 backroad miles. Didn't find anything or see any wildlife. 8/23/05 Leigh Lake - Libby, MT Joey and I headed up to the lake after a morning of orthodontics in Kalispell. We were quickly reminded of how steep that trail is. Its funny how after a season of building trails you realize how bad other trails are. Anyway, we decided to get to the north side of the lake. But we made a wrong turn on a cairned trail that led nowhere. So we bushwacked and came upon 3 mountain goats at very close range. We found the trail and started picking berries (barberries, thimbleberries, and huckleberries). We saw another goat when we were right at the lake. We headed out of the mountains just before a severe rainstorm hit. On the way out I spooked another goat when I came around a corner and it was 10ft away. We watched it walk straight up this piece of slick rock. It was amazing to see the power of those little animals. So we saw 5 goats total. It was a fun afternoon trip. 4/10/05 Axtel Bridge/Gallatin River - Bozeman, MT Brady and I headed out to the river to go explore downstream more. Not much happened. I found a 2 point antler. We had to crawl through some REALLY thick brush to find antlers but it was still pretty cool. Didn't see any wildlife. 4/07/05 Moser Creek - Bozeman, MT I drove up to Moser for a quick little photo shoot. The roads were pretty much melted off which made it easier driving than last time I was up there. Anyway, I needed a pic with some pine trees in the background and those mountains are the closest trees. The pic turned out awesome. After a couple pics I took on the Triple Tree Trail yesterday, my roomate suggested that I do a trail crew pic. So here is the finished product in the link. PICTURE. Home > Questbook