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Hunting at Montana whitetails is not a once in a lifetime experience……at least I hope not. When I was trying to book a hunt last year, I was probably in the same boat that almost everyone else is in when trying to select an outfitter. Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury to travel multiple times in the same year to hunt. Therefore, choosing the right outfitter is of utmost importance, because I only get one shot to invest my year of planning, and funding. That being said, I did what many others probably do. I spent hours upon hours doing internet searches, looking at websites, calling outfitters, calling all the references, ordering brochures, and investigating photos and references like some sort of forensic detective. When I came across Montana whitetails, the thing that stood out most was the number or repeat clients….and not just one time repeats, there are clients that have been back 6 and 9 years in a row. As a guy that has been self employed, that kind of repeat business is a very comforting aspect that indicates a well run operation. In fact it was a reference that made me decide to go with Montana whitetails. After speaking with Dave D’aloise (the face of Montana whitetails), I knew this was where I was heading, because honestly, no one goes to a bad outfitter for 9 consecutive years. In the months to follow, I probably drove Keith to the point of insanity, with endless phone calls, and constant questions. Every time I called I was greeted with helpful answers, a friendly personality, and all the information I needed to settle my anxiety about booking a hunt in a new place.
Upon arrival to Montana, I was certainly not disappointed. Keith’s right hand man, Rob, met me at the airport, and we immediately struck up conversation like we’d known each other for years. I was welcomed in camp by Keith, and a group of hunters that are probably among the friendliest group of guys I’ve yet met. Although, personally, when hunting, the quality of the hunt is by far the most important aspect and lodging is a distant second. I wouldn’t mind spending a week in a tent, living off of potato chips if the hunting was good. That being said, the lodging and hunting were both outstanding. The lodging is Keith’s personal home, which admittedly made me a little apprehensive at first about touching or disturbing anything. However, within about a half hour, I quickly realized that I was in a very relaxed environment that almost feels like a home away from home. It didn’t really seem like a house full of clients and a guide….it was more like a group of friends that were just hanging out and hunting for a week. I must also mention Betty…she is the patron saint of delicious food. Betty is this really nice lady that cooks better than your grandma. She comes every night and makes some of the best dinners you will ever eat…if I’m not mistaken, I believe she even takes requests. In fact, she is probably worth half of the hunt value alone…so if you are booking for antelope, just think of it as a $900 trip with great food.
I have been a very dedicated hunter for nearly as long as I can remember. When I say dedicated, what I mean is borderline unhealthy. I may one day miss the birth of my own child depending on rut activity during that week. The thing about serious hunters is that they typically immediately recognize other serious hunters. I can honestly say that Keith and Rob are probably the best 2 hunters I’ve run across. When you hunt at Montana whitetails, you’re guide is not just a guide that is simply there to shuffle hunters in and out and turn a profit. These guys are every bit as serious, ethical, and dedicated hunters as you are. They are also every bit as determined to give you opportunities at game as you are to get those opportunities. In fact, I’m not sure how this is possible, but I’m convinced that Keith only slept somewhere around 25 minutes the whole week I was there. He scouts all day while hunters are afield, and stays up all night with aerial photos and information gathered from hunters to plan for the next day. He is like the Greg House of hunting.
Oh yes….I did actually do some hunting while I was out there as well. As far as the hunt quality, I can’t imagine how you could have any better experience. Every single person that was there the week I was, got AT LEAST their target animal. A few of them even took advantage of the diversity of game and took home multiple trophies. Keith could verify the count that week, but it was something like, 2 antelope, 4 whitetail bucks, a massive bull elk, a mule deer buck, and a B&C class whitetail doe, not to mention a few record book trout and several passes on Boo Boo (the friendly camp bear). After arriving at Montana whitetails and speaking with Rob and Keith, it was immediately clear to me, that they were very good at what they did, and I was just going to go wherever they told me to go and do whatever they told me to do, as my odds were better that way. In fact, the best advice I could give another hunter heading out there, is to simply trust the guides and do whatever they suggest…trust me, they will put you where you need to be.
My hunt was supposed to begin on a Sunday. I arrived mid morning Saturday, after 8 hours of travel, and 2 hours of sleep. I was excited to get started, and mentioned hunting that Saturday afternoon. To my pleasant surprise, they were willing to accommodate my school girl-like excitement and let me go. I hunted that afternoon in a blind and saw several antelope in the distance, as well as 6 good bucks within 100 yards (still just a touch out of bow range). The next morning I was like a kid on Christmas morning and couldn’t wait to get back out. Keith told me that antelope will often times move all day, so I opted to stay in my blind from daylight until dark. I saw antelope in the distance that just never quite worked my way. Trusting Keith and Rob’s knowledge I remained there, for 15 hours, scanning the open fields and becoming very familiar with the inside of my blind. I had a small buck come right by the blind early and gave him a pass…he later fell victim to the deadly wrath of Gibo. The rest of the day was pretty quiet in close proximity to the blind. Finally just before dark, I had a good buck come right by the blind…he just kind of appeared out of nowhere and was right on me. When I turned to position myself for a shot he heard my pants drag against my seat (which was a block target….shockingly comfortable though), and decided to leave. I was pretty frustrated with myself, as I just knew I may have blown my only opportunity for the week…(on day 1.5…that’s how my pessimistic mind works). I was also on the borderline of starvation at this point….I prefer to eat very light when hunting, because…well…you know…it heightens your predatory instincts. I’m sure there’s no scientific backing to that statement, but it’s a good theory. So after 15 hours on one sandwich, munching on the sage bush that was in my blind and contemplating the palatability of a lacrosse alpha burly, I was thrilled to find that Rob and Keith were looking out for me…when they picked me up, there was a small pile of snack foods with my name all over it. Monday morning I headed back to the same spot and informed the Rob that I didn’t want to be picked up until dark again. I settled in and began preparing for another long day…belongings were organized, food and water rationed…I was ready to go. The first hour or so passed by nicely as I saw a handful of deer come right by the blind, which struck me as odd, as I was in the middle of a giant prairie, without a tree for miles…..being from the Midwest, that’s not the sort of habitat I expect to find deer in. Shortly after the deer left, the second best antelope buck I’d yet seen appeared from the same direction. It was quite a sight really, seeing him standing on a hill in the morning sun. He began to approach my blind, and I was determined to not have a repeat of the previous day, so I drew back when he was still a good 5 minutes from reaching me. After what seemed like an eternity he walked into my shooting lane and sprang a leak. I was so excited that my message on Keith’s answering machine telling him I got one, probably didn’t even sound like it was in English (possibly more Ukrainian). There I was…a guy from southern Indiana; standing in a field in Montana, surrounded by mountains, looking at my antelope buck…it was surreal. It was like killing my first deer…I was so excited I couldn’t shut up when Rob arrived; he probably contemplated hitting me with a large blunt object just to shut me up. I say that…but he seemed almost as excited about it as I was.
I still had a few days left so I asked about calling coyotes out there (one of my favorite pastimes)….Keith said sure…he told me where to go, and even let me borrow his gun. Like I said, this isn’t your typical outfitter…more just like a group of guys you are friends with. I did call one in, but didn’t shoot, as I was covered up in Elk, and with an elk hunter in camp, I decided not to scatter the herd. I can’t say as though I’ve ever been covered up in bugling elk when I was out calling coyotes before….it was awesome…there were 40 of them out there and at least 6 were bulls. It was the first time I’d ever seen elk in the wild, and was more than happy to let the coyote live as a trade off for watching all these elk. It was truly an amazing sight. After spending a little time trout fishing, and helping some guys recover game, I learned that I could purchase a whitetail doe tag over the counter. I got my tag, and Keith took me out at no extra charge to doe hunt. He even took a ladder stand and set it up that afternoon in a high traffic doe area, just for my one evening of doe hunting….you can’t ask for better accommodations than that. I killed my doe pretty early in the evening, and then just hung my bow up and watched. I am used to deer hunting in Indiana and assumed that doe was likely all that would pass by…maybe one or two more at the most. I was wrong. I had 17 different does walk under my stand that evening, and saw every bit of 100 deer in the field behind me…one of which was a really good looking buck. In fact, I saw more whitetail deer that week than I’ve ever seen in my life….they are everywhere out there. It almost gets to the point where you barely even turn your head and look when you see a group of 50. Had I been a rifle hunter, I believe I could have shot one of every animal you can book a hunt for while I was out there….and I was just antelope hunting and chasing a few coyotes…I wasn’t even attempting to approach other game. I’ve never seen any place like it.
Montana Whitetails is the only place I’ve ever gone and hunted and had a desire to return to every year. Usually after I hunt somewhere, I’m ready to hunt somewhere else the next opportunity I get. However, after hunting with Keith and Rob, I have intentions of returning every year that I possibly can, starting next year. These guys are great to be around, they are outstanding guides, and their sense of humor is unmatched by any other outfitter I’ve seen. They do an outstanding job of getting everyone several opportunities at game, they make you feel right at home, and they put forth more effort than I’ve ever seen when it comes to making sure people are where they need to be. This was definitely a hunt that I’ll remember fondly for the rest of my life, and honestly, even if I were to come home empty handed it would still have been the best hunting experiences (possibly overall experiences) of my life.
Aaron Kitzman
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