Montana - Last Hoorah

[ClemsonJosh]

I’ve been hanging around for a couple years since moving to Spokane area from S.C., but haven’t posted much.  I’ve enjoyed the forum and the banter.

Long story short -  we found out our 5yo lab has cancer that’s spread a couple months ago.  My goal was to get to hunt him a few more times if he was feeling up to it and started planning on hunting with him in Montana. First reason is that it is an early season and second is that it’s always been on my list to shoot ducks in Montana. The dog is doing pretty good right now and I’ve taken the first two weeks of Oct off work.  My wife got her hunting license to see the dog work and my Dad is going to fly out to hunt with me for a couple days.

Does anyone have any tips on W. Montana?  I plan on dragging my boat over next weekend to do some scouting around to see what stuff looks like in person vs the maps.  Not looking for specific spots or anything just some pointers from folks who have done it before (I.e. xxx wma is a zoo opening week - avoid, or this bay is full of grass and unhuntable, etc.).  Shoot me a PM if that’s better and not to name specific areas on the web.

I generally like to avoid crowds and hunt away from other folks. Even if that means a little more effort. Normally hunt by myself, but will have my wife and Dad for a couple of these hunts. I’ve got a 17’ alum boat and blind with prop outboard but am not rigid about hunting out of the boat. 

Anyways, I’d appreciate any tips. And if not, I’m still going to cherish this time with my dog, wife, and old man.

Riggs below. Cheers to good dogs. And Go Tigers.



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[cougforester]

No advice from me, just a bummer to hear about your bud having cancer at 5. My chocolate lab just turned 4 and I have no idea what I'd do if that happened.

Hopefully someone will be able to help you out and get him some more birds.

[Karl Blanchard]

I don't have a ton of insight. Ive been around Missoula early and also late season and there are always birds out on the Lee Metcalf wildlife refuge.  Im not versed in waterfowl regs there though so couldn't tell you anything more specific. Usually some birds on the upper Missouri as well.

[huntnfmly]

Great looking dog sorry for what you guys are going thru with him

[callturner]

Go north of Great Falls to Freeze Out, Lots of water. Ducks can be good. Don't try to wade, you may die in the mud. You can hunt off the dikes or out of a boat No gas motors I believe.

[HaydenHunter]

So sorry to hear about your dog. 

Montana has two flyways, Central and Pacific, with different season dates and regs.  Western MT is in the Pacific Flyway.  I recommend that you maybe join The Duck Hunters Refuge Forums at https://www.refugeforums.com/forums/.  Go on the Montana state forum and ask your question.  There are some good guys on there that might be willing to help a person in your situation. 

Have fun on the trip.

[pcal]

 This might help your dog.Look up mycancerstory.rocks.In there Joe will tell you how he's still alive after being given a death sentence with small cell lung cancer back in '16. Fenbendazole the dog wormer kills cancer by starving it to death.There are studies that prove it works listed on that website.It works for many types of cancer. I took it for 6 months(Safe-Guard) for skin cancer.I erupted with sores in a number of sites that I didn't know were cancerous.They all healed up leaving no scars.Good luck on your dog.He's too young to leave you and your family. I might mention that vitamin E is important to take with it.The website can only be read in Google Chrome.A higher dose than 222mgs per day  might be needed and not just 3 days on 4 days off as Joe used in your dogs case.I found it interesting that it was a vet alumni from his college who told him about it after reading Joe's goodbyes on their website.Doctors have know about it for decades but I digress:Read his story and my all means follow the latest update on treatment that is recommended by him and others who have beat cancer.

[Chesterdog]

I really appreciate your post.  I graduated from U of Montana 15 years ago and duck hunted countless sloughs around Missoula and Stevensville, but always on private land.  I'll put out some feelers for you, but it's been a long time, so I wouldn't expect much.  I wish I had public land suggestions, but the people in Missoula are so friendly, we always got walk-in hunting access permission from the parents of fellow students.  My heart goes out to you and your family.  I'm in a similar boat.  My 8.5 year old chocolate lab developed a limp 4 months ago and after a slew of tests and an MRI, they recently diagnosed him with nerve damage or an emerging tumor on the nerve root in his neck.  We're trying everything we can, but his hunting career looks to be about over unless we can get some improvement.  I was hoping to get my lab in a layout blind for a similar last hoorah during the early September Wa. goose season this year, but the wildfire smoke took that option away.  Please update your post after your hunt.  Thanks also to the others who posted on this thread for their suggestions.

[ClemsonJosh]

I realized I never updated this post. Riggs and I opened our duck season in Montana this year. To say that it was special is a bit of an understatement. Lots of firsts on this trip. Wife’s first duck. Dad’s first time in Montana. My first time taking two weeks off work. We drove the tuck and boat a bunch of miles, met a nice fellow who gave us some great pointers, and Riggs picked up some ducks.  Then I hopped on a plane and picked up a puppy off his sister.

Riggs is still kicking albeit with a couple more ailments and a little slower than he used to be. He got his own steak at his retirement dinner at the end of duck season this year. We never expected for him to still be here and we may have a week or two or a month or two left left, but just enjoying and appreciating the time we’ve got.

Thanks for the kind words and the couple of messages I received. Here are a couple of pictures.







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[highside74]

What a good looking dog!

[Blacktail135]

 Good looking boy! Sorry to hear about this. They just don’t live long enough, even when healthy. Just love him like I’m sure he loves you guys! Mine will be 11 in a few days and I know my turn will be coming too soon....she gets more snacks,rubs,rides and decipline passes these days than before. If people could love like a good dog can we’d all be better off!

[bornhunter]

Wow. That second photo is magazine quality. Great looking dog.

[HaydenHunter]

Riggs is a good looking dog, as is the puppy. 

I left you a reply on your thread over on the Refuge Forums.

[RobinHoodlum]

Appreciate seeing your really nice pics. Your Montana trip sounds like a good way for you and family to spend quality time in the field with Riggs

Sorry to hear and see what you're going through with him. With this trip, your pics, and this story,
 you have honored him in the best way that you can in my opinion.