Hunting for Bass is included

Here's a video of Bruce catching a large bass on Fish Fry Lake! This could be You! Maybe without the sound-effects....

Largemouth bass have taken over as the apex fish predator on Fish Fry Lake, a 6.5-acre fishing pond that's likely the most productive wild fishery in Montana.  It's on the Joy of Hunting preserve and we invite you to pack a rod and some rubber worms or rapalas when you feel like a break from hunting or you've bagged your limit.

Seven hunters and 19 birds

'Twas the day before Christmas Eve and a deep snow had fallen over the earth.  The pheasants had returned from surrounding lands to hunker down in our cattails and Russian olives, venturing out into the barley and wheat fields for sustenance then returning to the draws and river bottoms with full crops.  For all the roosters that succumbed to our hunt, dozens flew away, making for the best pheasant hunting we have had all year!

Snow is a boon.  Winter hunts can be incredibly productive.  Vigorous walking keeps the hands warm and the mind sharp.  The birds are incredibly beautiful as they burst into the snowy background, undulating to safety (most of them).  Hen numbers are high, rooster numbers are high.  We are grateful.

Butt, Belly, Beak... bang!

Here's Anne having a spontaneous moment when she spies a dummy pheasant on the back porch and uses it as a training aid.  

"Butt, belly, beak / bang" is a way of teaching the Swing Through style of shooting, favored by many hunters.  If you use it like a mantra, it also helps you avoid rushing your shot.

We also teach other shooting styles, such as Sustained Lead.

Cleaning a pheasant like an expert

Andrea shows how it's done....

Good form vs Breaking targets

Students have to learn to mount the gun "Gun Down, Safety On" before taking to the field.  Eric and Danice learn the bio-mechanics of a proper gun mount and don't get any credit for clays broken with poor form!