[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Only sissies like Don Thomas use two ski poles when hunting #51068

Now the title of this thread certainly caught my eye! Little known fact: in addition to some Spanish and French, I speak fluent Norwegian. The main text begins: “I am learning to ski with one pole so that someday I can use two, like Montana bowhunter Don Thomas.”

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Blood Trails #28862

Perfectly good question, Preston. I don’t know the answer, and think it would be impossible to prove scientifically one way or the other. We are dealing with the statistics of small numbers. Bowhunter A shoots a deer with Broadhead B, gets a good blood trial, and decides Broached B is great. He does it again, and he’s proved it. Real proof, if possible at all, would require a study that would be both ethically and socially unacceptable. So, let’s just shoot the heads we have confidence in based on experience. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Recipes #18013

I heartily endorse the idea of not throwing away any part of an animal that can be turned into food. For a variety of reasons, Lori and I almost always butcher our own game. (Exception: early season elk when the carcass has to get into a meat cooler quickly–we don’t have one.) We simply take all the bones and boil them down into game stock. Chop them up so they will fit into the biggest pot you have, clean out the bottom of the refrigerator (celery, onions, carrots), cover with water, and simmer open to the air, constantly reducing the volume. Add herbs (bay leaf,thyme) according to taste, but don’t add salt and pepper until the very end (easy to add, but impossible to subtract). Strain, cool, place in portion-size Zip-lock bags, then freeze. These will form the base for soups, stews, and sauces for a long time to come. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Blood Trails #62098

I’m glad everything worked out. Since it seems to be my time to cause controversy, I will offer a few thoughts based on experience with hundreds of follow-ups. Many factors influence the quality of a blood trail. Species–heavily furred animals like bears leave poor blood trials, unless they’ve been hit in the wrong spot. Anatomy–lungs are not vascular organs, and a perfect double-lung hit that kills cleanly can leave a poor blood trail. The position (or absence) of an exit wound. Overall, broadhead design isn’t that important, save for the ability to penetrate and create the latter. Lots of folks are making too much of blood during a tracking job, IMHO. A stricken animal leaves lots of sign that has nothing to do with blood, which often serves as nothing but confirmation that you are following the right track. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Ducks, Politics and Money #15364

Since the topic involves me I don’t want to dominate the discussion, but I will make a few points. The DU responses quoted are the same because this is the computer generated reply DU created to deal with the torrent of criticism they are receiving. Their staff isn’t big enough to reply personally. I acknowledge that the tone of my Outside Bozeman article was harsh. Sometimes you write to entertain, sometimes to amuse, sometimes to inform. In this case, I was writing to mobilize a response to a serious situation, which required me to use a style that would demand attention. It worked. I think it is difficult for people outside Montana to understand the local reaction to the out-of-state attack on our stream access laws, but you better, because it’s coming soon to a river near you. And I will point out that I actually said that Kennedy was ARGUABLY the most hated man in Montana. I chose my words carefully, and I stand by them. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Ducks, Politics and Money #49540

Hello all, and thanks for your support. Sorry I didn’t chime in earlier, but the last two days have been insane. (Why did this have to happen during the whitetail rut?) DU is stonewalling as expected, but they are taking a terrific beating thanks to concerned sportsmen like you all over the country. This is not about me or my job. It is about transparency and integrity in the boardrooms of organizations like DU and freedom of the press. I will keep you posted. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Personal conservation #16949

Excellent points, and Preston’s views mirror my own. State wildlife departments face an impossible task in that regulations have to be broad enough to be comprehensible and enforceable even though game population status often varies wildly even within a relatively small area. In such cases, hunters need to cut them some slack while exercising good judgement, which may well be more restrictive than what the law allows. And concepts such as “quality deer” and “management bucks” are largely irrelevant distractions we can do without. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Getting in shape #50591

The older I get, the more I realize that it’s better to do a little something all the time than to train intensively in bursts. I don’t enjoy exercising indoors. Fortunately, I live in the country and participate in a wide range of enjoyable activities daily in addition to hunting and fishing. Scouting, training my dogs, wildlife photography–it doesn’t matter as long as i’m pushing myself when I do it. Tackling steep terrain regularly is really helpful and counts more than covering a given number of miles. I don’t worry about upper body strength except for a few specific exercises directed at a damaged shoulder. Legs and cardio fitness are what count. If I can’t think of anything better to do, I run a couple miles through the hills around my house. So far, so good. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: White Whitetail #12647

I have seen two piebald deer in my life. Neat critters, but nothing compared to what came through the woods at us while I was calling moose for Lori when she drew a Montana moose tag a few years back—a true albino moose, with pink eyes and not a fleck of pigment in its coat. It looked like a thousand-pound Easter bunny. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Lets go Moose Hunting #12642

I got to go to Stockholm in 1990 when my father won the Nobel Prize in Medicine. The King of Sweden is a bit of an introvert who doesn’t like to talk about much other than hunting, so they placed my mother beside him at the big banquet and the two of them told hunting stories for hours. More moose are harvested in Sweden every year than in Alaska. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: "Holy" Ground #12640

Two places in Alaska—an unnamed valley on the North Slope of the Brooks Range and the Moose John River on the west side of the Alaska Range. Both are pure magic, irrespective of what you shoot or don’t shoot. Also, our old cabin on the west side of Cook Inlet, although that involved duck hunting and retrievers more than big game. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: fires… #37338

Washington State is getting hit the hardest. Drove back from Seattle last week and we could hardly breathe, friends are having homes threatened but so far no loses among people I know. Air quality has been bad in central Montana but rain yesterday helped. Lots of local closures, but nothing state-wide. Check with FWP online.

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Can You, or Cant You? #34597

This is the winter of our discantant.

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Things That Might Bite #35557

The list keeps growing. Lori and I just got back from doing some work on our new house in Arizona. First night, she finds a scorpion in the shower. Next day, I find a black widow on the porch. I’m going back to Alaska. At least the bears are easy to see. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Boots #35550

A quick thought from all those years of medicine… A lot of things can cause pain in the forefoot, footwear being one of them. Changing boots is a good place to start, but if that doesn’t do the trick consider a medical evaluation. Neuromas, neuropathy, the list goes on… Don

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