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November 22, 2009 in Outdoors

Paddling option

Low-budget bird hunters go with the flow for access to hot spots
Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
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Tags: bird hunting canoeing hunting Missouri River outdoors

Billy Hildebrand’s golden retriever enjoyed the rest between islands during a canoeing and hunting trip on the Missouri River in Montana. But the dog didn’t want to miss any of the scenery as they paddled downstream.
(Full-size photo) (All photos)

Our hopes were quickly confirmed as we beached our canoes on an island soon after launching on the Missouri River near Fort Benton. We’d removed our lifejackets, readied the dogs and were just loading shells into our shotguns when the first rooster pheasant of the day flushed within range from the shoreline willows.

“That’s a good start, even if I wasn’t ready,” said Bob St.Pierre, a Pheasants Forever official visiting Montana last week.

Finding a productive place to hunt upland birds in Montana isn’t as easy as it was years ago, before large ranches were selling as recreational property …

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