Ready to pack into the Hilgards. Wall tent, stove, etc., mantied and packed on our saddle horses. We'll walk in leading the horses and then have our horses to ride during the hunt.

Sheep hunting in the Hilgard Mountains. Southwest Montana.

The rifle is a pre-64 Model 70 Winchester in .264 Winchester Magnum caliber. Mighty fine rifle for those long-range shots in the mountains!

Inside the camp wall tent. Note the 6 inch foam pad on the cot. Makes for lots of insulation underneath when sleeping in sub-zero temperatures.

Mighty fine moose for a bowhunter.

When the animal is down, the fun is over and the work begins--a LOT of work between here and the freezer!

Mountain Goat.

Pope and Young Certificate

The sign says: "Road closed to motorized public use to minimize disturbance to grizzly bears and elk. Gallatin N.F."

I used blue fletching on my arrows to make them easier to find. Nothing is blue in the high mountains during the winter.

Black bear paw. Note the extended claws. Black bears can retract their claws; grizzly bears cannot.

Black Butte, Montana. Coldest place I ever spent the night. Parked my truck near the bottom one night and slept in the truck bed in my sleeping bag. Next morning there was a coyote frozen to the right front wheel with his leg hiked up...

Boone and Crockett Certificate

Wall tent on the shore of Sailor Lake in the Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana.

A mountain horse all regulated out. (As in "...a well regulated militia," meaning well equipped, i.e., according to regulations.) His name is Bud.

Campfire when packing in on horses.

Campfire when camping from vehicles. Yeah--we had a chainsaw...

Wall tent at night.

Campstove.

View from top of Shedhorn Mountain near Big Sky, Montana.

Another view from top of Shedhorn Mountain near Big Sky, Montana.

I wonder what killed this elk? Hunter? Griz? Old age? Fight with another elk? The high country is a mighty tough place to survive.

Do you have trouble finding bull moose? Here are six--count 'em--six in one herd!

Sphynx Mountain near Ennis, Montana. You can't get the "top rock" 'cause it's on my mantle at home.

John Onstad, former sheriff of Gallatin County, Montana. One of the finest, most honorable, men I have ever known and also a darned fine hunter.

Phil Williams with a nice elk thinking, "My, what great fun."

Phil Williams thinking, "This is more work than I thought."

Phil Williams thinking, "I got up before midnight, loaded all my gear into the truck, loaded the horses and tack, drove two hundred miles, saddled the horses, rode 10 miles in sub-zero temperatures, shot this animal, field-dressed, quartered, and loaded it onto the horses, led the horses back to the trailhead, and now I have to drive back home, butcher, wrap, and freeze the meat." Were it worth it, Pilgrim? Been there and done that.

Another mountain camp.

Minnie shot this trophy moose with a pre-64 Winchester Model 70, .270 Winchester caliber.

This moose was the Montana State Archery record for a while. It has been bested now.

A fine shiras moose in his natural habitat.

Once I would stalk these guys with a bow and arrow with a rubber "thumper" tip. But no longer--a bit dangerous and also against the law.