Crossbow battle not over; more on the horizon

Aug 31, 2021 - Update: Senator Molnar pulled some strings to get his case reopened today after the initial dismissal on 29 August. Molnar and crew will receive an emergency hearing today 8/31 at 1:30 PM. TBM is currently working quickly to find a solution to this unexpected turn of events

Aug 31, 2021 - Traditional Bowhunters of Montana (TBM), a 501c3 dedicated to advancing traditional bowhunting values in Montana, is monitoring a lawsuit filed at the Russell Smith Federal Courthouse in Missoula, MT on August 24th. The plaintiffs, including state senator Brad Molnar (R - Laurel), contend that Montana violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not allowing them to use crossbows (which are not legal archery equipment) during the Montana archery-only season. In addition, the plaintiffs requested injunctive relief to allow them to use crossbows during the 2021 archery-only season.

The case was dismissed on August 29th by district judge Dana Christensen.

Molnar recently failed during the 2021 legislative session to get a bill passed that would allow crossbows into Montana’s archery season. TBM, along with the Montana Bowhunters Association, Montana Wildlife Federation, and the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, led the fight against Molnar’s misguided legislation and were able to ultimately defeat the bill in the waning days of the legislative session.

Montana FWP already offers reasonable accommodation for disabled bow hunters in the form of the Permit to Modify Archery Equipment (PTMAE). The PTMAE allows archers with a documented disability to modify a vertical bow outside of the legal definition of archery equipment to accommodate their disability. Often the accommodations are custom solutions designed for a specific individual's disability. To date, nearly 650 hunters have taken advantage of the PTMAE and had great success in doing so.

In an alarming show of its intentions. Montana FWP, in its response to the filing, noted: 

“The Fish and Wildlife Commission, which is the body with the authority to set restrictions regarding archery equipment … is already in the process of considering the Plaintiff’s requests and has set the matter for its October 28, 2021 meeting … FWP concedes that because of the timing of the requests, it will not be able to act prior to the 2021 archery season, and without injunctive relief the Plaintiffs would miss the opportunity to hunt in the manner in which they have requested for this season. Therefore, FWP is not opposed to the Court granting injunctive relief.”

The federal district judge dismissed the plea by Sen. Molnar and his co-plaintiffs are looking to lobby the FWP commission to include crossbows in the archery-only season. TBM hopes the Fish and Wildlife Commission will act in the best interest of Montana bowhunters and deny the plaintiffs’ request.

Contact the Traditional Bowhunters of Montana at tradbowmontana@gmail.com.

Planning your hunting meals for a drought

As Montana and much of the western United States continues to see unprecedented fire danger, most Traditional Bowhunters of Montana members are anxiously awaiting the upcoming hunting seasons. Windswept and extremely dry prairie await us as we dream of slowly and meticulously working our way through the sagebrush with the hopes of drawing back and letting an arrow fly at a mature pronghorn buck. 

While preparing your checklist for your late summer and fall hunting camps, it is more important than ever to keep the dry conditions in mind. For those of you that like to enjoy a meal in the field it may be time to revisit what your menu may look like, both back at camp as well as for a day afield. With dry conditions continuing, it is not a good idea to use a camp stove or personal stove, so we ask that until conditions improve that you leave the Jetboil and dehydrated meals at home and consider some of these other options.

Breakfast

While I personally have done away with caffeine, I know many of you cannot get going for the day without a little jolt from a hot cup of coffee. There are plenty of alternatives that don’t require a boiling cup of water including caffeinated protein bars, chocolate coated espresso beans, energy “goo” and much more. You can round out your complete breakfast with either fresh or dried fruit, granola bars and if you have a cooler available to you can replace your hot oatmeal with overnight oats, no cooking required

Field Meals

After spending long hours chasing bugles or putting a long stalk on a bedded muley, we can all use a good meal to prepare us for the rest of the day’s hunt. Something that will put a pep in your step and carry through back to camp. Instead of firing up your backpacking stove to heat up some water for your Mountain House look for some other creative options that don't require a flame.

My go to protein punch in the fall is a hard salami sandwich made with taco size flour tortillas, cheese of your choice and then mayo and mustard packets. I will throw in a length of hard salami separately or some homemade elk jerky for snacking as well. Other common items include tins of fish such as sardines in mustard sauce, smoked baby clams or packets of flavored tuna. I have also been known to carry SPAM, vienna sausages as well as a variety of dried fruits and nuts.

Back at camp

When the day comes to an end a hearty warm meal back at camp can be a fantastic reward. Along with all the great stuff you can take out into the field that does not require a flame, there are plenty of options. Canned soups and noodle dishes can be easily eaten without heating them up, all the ingredients are already cooked through and are safe as is. Preparing things like a meatloaf or picking up a bucket of fried chicken from the grocery store can easily be left in a cooler and enjoyed straight away. 

If you really must heat something up there is another way instead of using a flame. Invest in a solar shower and you will find yourself with tremendously hot water if you return to camp shortly after the sun has gone down. While not fool-proof it can at least give you a fighting chance. Most solar showers hold about 5 gallons of water and consist of a black side and a clear side. When left in the sun throughout the day they can reach what seems like near boiling temperatures. This water can be used to heat up a can of soup or a meal that is stored in a zip lock bag. Get creative with it and you can enjoy a great warm meal without ever starting a fire.

In the end, it is incumbent on us to be responsible stewards of the land and in times of drought and severe fire potential that may mean making some sacrifices. Avoid using flames while you are out enjoying the hunt and you can be sure that you have done your part to limit your impact on the landscape and that everything will be there for another day.

2021 Traditional Bowhunters of Montana Summer Shoot Recap

What a weekend! We just concluded the 2021 Traditional Bowhunters of Montana Summer Shoot and membership meeting this past weekend and what a time we had! There were lots of laughs, great camaraderie and a chance to catch up with friends that we may not have seen in a while. We wanted to thank everyone that helped setup and tear down the shoot, everyone that participated as well as. If you were not able to make it, know that you were missed and that we look forward to seeing you this winter at Chico.

A quick summary of the shoot

• A money clip was lost at the shoot, if you found it please contact us at tradbowmontana@gmail.com

• A pair of a prescription bifocal sunglasses were found on the lower course, if these belong to you please let us know

• During the member meeting we held elections to fill 3 spots (2 new board member positions and Jamie White’s first term had expired). Please welcome the new board members! 

  • Jamie White was elected to his second term, Congratulations Jamie! 

  • Garrett Sereday of the Gallatin Valley was elected to one of the new board positions

  • William Spahr of Great Falls was elected to on of the new board positions

• Along with our two 3D courses, we also had a 3.5 mile, 14 hole archery golf course setup! We offered prizes for three different categories, Best score, Closest to the pin and longest drive, the winners will receive gift certificates from The Footed Shaft! The winners are

  • Best Score: Barry Sluder (42!)

  • Closest to the pin: Walt Francis

  • Longest Drive: TBD: (we are waiting to get the stake out of the trailer after the shoot was cleaned up!)

• After dinner was done we auctioned off a couple of our older targets and then had a little fun with a long distance shoot. The winner of this year’s long distance shoot, for the second year in a row was Tim Johnson, congratulations Tim! Tim won one dozen custom cedar arrows from Dane Rider.

• Traditional Bowhunters of Montana is looking to generate revenue by applying for a custom license plate with the State of Montana. The first step to that is coming up with eye-catching artwork, we are inviting any members that are interested in designing artwork to submit artwork before the 2022 Winter Banquet. For more information please contact us a tradbowmontana@gmail.com

• We have formed a committee of members and board members that are exploring the possibility of hosting a youth camp next summer, where members would be able to participate as counselors, teaching woodsmanship, ethics and much more about the life we live to youth. If you are interested in participating in this exploratory committee please reach out to Paul Kemper and William Spahr.

• MEGA Membership Drive. This past legislative session made it abundantly clear that there is power in numbers. This past fight against the crossgun went down to the wire and we expect a tougher fight in 2023. With that knowledge, we have decided to make it a goal to increase our membership to 500! We are currently sitting just below 200 members. To help incentivize this, we are running a membership drive. There is a prize package for new members that has everything you need to get started including a Hurst bow, custom cedar arrows and all kinds of great gear. In addition to the new member package, there is a package for existing members as well. All they have to do is refer a new member and they will be entered to win a $950 gift certificate towards a Black Widow bow.

• Lastly, and probably the biggest development of the weekend. After a lengthy and robust discussion, membership unanimously voted to join the Montana Bowhunting Coalition (MBC). The MBC is a coalition of Traditional Bowhunters of Montana, Montana Wildlife Federation, Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and the Montana Bowhunters Association. This coalition will be working to promote and elevate the profile of the Permit To Modify Archery Equipment, work with the Fish & Wildlife Commission to ensure that crossbows are not considered a viable option during the archery season and lastly to work together to go on offense during this 2023 legislative session. If you have questions about the MBC please reach out at tradbowmontana@gmail.com, additional information will also be available on the website.