DEADLINE APPROACHING-GET YOUR HUNTING LICENSE NOW!!!
Posted by JB on March 2, 2013 at 6:25 pm | Last modified: March 2, 2013 8:29 pmMontana has a March 15th Deadline for Hunting Licenses. Before applying on-line, please check with us for availability and reserve your hunt week. 800-313-HUNT. We will continue to take a limited amount of hunters based on a first-come, first serve basis.
Last season we hunted both public & private land and had nearly a *70% success rate, on the wildest elk in North America with 100% Opportunity!
ALL OF OUR CLIENTS SAW ELK EVERY DAY OF THEIR HUNT
THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT ANYTHING-Our clients rated our meals, lodging, guides and entire program as one of the highest quality fair chase hunts available in the country!
“JB & his professional staff, make each moment of your time at Dome Mountain unforgettable-They’ve brought “Fair Chase” back to the hunting world and raised the bar for Professionally Outfitted Big Game Hunts!”-Hunter comment
Current Openings 2013 Elk Hunting Season:
Week I: 10/26-10/30: (mild weather, Elk in Rut, limited pressure)
Week II: 11/6 -11-10; (fair weather, Elk vocal, Elk begin moving-Mule Deer Closes)
Week III: 11/17-11/21 (Colder, chance of snow, Yellowstone migration can begin)
Week IV: 11/27-12/1 (Latest Elk Season in 10 years, Big Bulls, Montana winter)
AREA 313 (Dome Mountain) Now Requires a Special Permit-If you plan to hunt on the East side of the Yellowstone river from Gardiner, Montana North in AREA 313 this fall, don’t forget to check “313-40″ during the application process. please go to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and complete an on-line application. Click here.
These permits are “unlimited”, so you’re likely to get one if you make the draw. Non-residents will also have an opportunity for surplus after March 15th, however based on our current bookings and industry sentiment, don’t be surprised if there aren’t any tags left
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- One of the last remaining migrations in the world. Elk from Yellowstone Park seek food and refuge on Dome Mountain Ranch
over. Most folks are taking advantage of the deadline and returning to Montana to hunt big game this season.
WOLF HUNTS: Recently Montana’s new Governor signed into effect new hunting opportunities for non-native Canadian Grey Wolves. If you have interest in adding a wolf tag to your adventure on the mountain with us-please apply on-line. There will be no extra charge during your Elk hunt. Special Wolf Hunts will also be available later this winter.
According to Montana’s FWP, the “Slip & Slide” pack numbers of Wolves have been reduced to 3. These wolves have been seen on the ranch and are mangy younger wolves. Let’s just hope that they are not spreading Parvo everywhere!
2013 Season Outlook & Current Scouting Report:
We’ve had a mild winter so far, but have good moisture levels. Large herds of Elk are enjoying the solitude of Dome Mountain. Dome Mountain Ranch is located at the culmination of a 15,000 year old migration trail from Yellowstone National Park. These Elk will stay on Dome Mountain and in the surrounding wilderness areas well into the spring, some may never return to Yellowstone Park and as a result, become a new “resident herd”.
One of the last remaining migrations in the world. Elk from Yellowstone Park seek food and refuge on Dome Mountain Ranch
A recent trip to Red Mountain Camp revealed no Wolf tracks, which I thought was really odd since they’d all but had a trail beat down to the dirt through the hunting season. I was certain they’d had a den in the drainage below the black timber, however upon some investigation the only thing I found was a distinct oder of cat urine and a hiding spot for one massive white tail buck!
I did see a good number of elk in the flats and basins enjoying the open wind-swept slopes. As usual they were mostly on the side of Dome Mountain no doubt seeking out more grass than areas on national forest that have been heavily grazed by domestic livestock.
We should be in the makings for a great season. A mild winter should allow better survival and healthier calf crop. Less fences on the ranch should give prey better opportunities, less wolves will account for 30 or 40 more calves surviving and less hunters next season will be the icing on the cake! Not to mention, all of our best guides will be returning with another year of experience under their belts and even higher hopes. They are all extremely excited for the coming season!
*70% of our clients from 2013 season harvested Bull elk. We cannot hunt cows in our area, therefore, other places may show higher success rates, but if we could harvest cows, we’d likely be 100% successful!
See You on the Mountain!
JB Klyap, Outfitter #7843
Tags: elk hunting applications for montana, elk hunting license, montana draw tags, montana hunting license, montana spcial permit area 313, season openings | Categories: 2012 SEASON DATES & RATES, Booking an Elk Hunt, Montana Elk Hunting, montana guided elk hunts, Montana Hunts | Comments (0) | PermalinkWeek Two and Two Fers! Dome Mountain Elk Hunting Report
Posted by JB on November 4, 2012 at 7:13 pm | Last modified: November 4, 2012 7:13 pmIf it’s possible to get a “moon burn”, then there’s going to be a few funny looking tan lines later this week.
- A Dome Mountain hunter finds a treasured part of the mountain’s hunting history in the form of a small game point of Obsidian.
“I’ve seen more elk in 2 days here and the last 3 guided hunts I’ve been on”.
“You certainly changed my mind about an Outfitted hunts. This is the best time I’ve ever had.”
“I just want to make sure you realize what a great staff you have. Incredible guides!”
The second week of elk camp at Dome Mountain Ranch was extremely adventurous and not without several interesting moments! Everyone worked hard and had decent opportunities all week. Mild weather combined with the bright full moon did make things challenging, but that’s why we call it hunting.
This week, everyone sincerely expressed their appreciation for wide open spaces and this rare privilege of the hunt that we are all able to share. Never a day was there a complaint about the weather, the wind, the wildness and for that matter; even rank horses got a free pass from contempt. We had a group of diligent hunters who were always there where they needed to be, and for some, luck paid big, while for others, in spite of putting forth commendable efforts, elk dimply went the other way, and that’s elk hunting. “The mountain has its own ways”. 
We’ll See You on the Mountain!
The week began with snow high in the hills. As temperatures warmed up, snow began to melt and bunch grasses came back from their dormant stage for a few days. This allowed the high mountain elk chow to become more palatable and as a result opened up more of the mountain for both cover and food. However, elk continued to frequent the popular areas we all love to hunt.
Every day was a good one and each proved to provide opportunities, but closing the deal was often a difference of mere minutes since elk spent most of the day bedded up tight and had no reason to seek additional food or water. So, if you’re joining up in the next few weeks, the game may have gotten a little wiser, but the good news is, they’re still here.
Montana Elk Hunting Report-Dome Mountain Ranch-Opening Week
Posted by admin on October 27, 2012 at 9:11 pm | Last modified: October 27, 2012 9:11 pm
A hunter contemplates his next move on Dome Mountain Ranch.
An epic week of Elk hunting with nearly 100% success! According to our guests from last week, it was 110% satisfying!
A successful hunter from Pennsylvania taking a moment to lock in a memory or two.
Although we’d been seeing good elk numbers during our scouting missions, every day brought new surprises in the form of lots of elk and lots of shooter bulls.
The weather changed nearly every day and sometimes several times a day. It could start out cold and snowy and end up sunny and warm. It was all about staying dry and layers for this week!
Rikki Bobbi took two new clients to one of my favorite spots on the Hervit flat in the Beartooths.
Both Travis and Aaron were extremely happy to be back in the U.S.A.-as pilots in Saudi Arabia (where they say gas is 37 cents a gallon).
These guys decided to get as from away from things and ended up pulling off a “two-fer”. That’s two bulls in one day! I think they all had some good MOJO going, especially when the eldest guide (most experienced too) chose to go the furthest on the map!
Meanwhile, Dirty Kirty took a little walk with two pals from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. After a horse threw a shoe, they had not choice but to burn some shoe leather. Just below Bennie’s Hole they were able to knock down a nice Montana bull.
It's a team effort here at Dome Mountain Ranch-there's nothing like helping a pal pack out an elk-on your back!
This also provided Mikey and Tiny some well deserved time afield as they helped them drag off the bounty!
Needless to say, opening day was very eventful! We were fortunate to have so many opportunities in so many different places. This may signal a change that our elk are changing habits in order to survive amongst increasing predator numbers. On the other hand, it’s hard to gauge how the hunting is on other areas of public land.
A return client and another "Pennsyltucky" fella, finds more success on Dome Mountain Ranch.
The week continued to provide what seemed like at least daily opportunities. I would wager that every client on the mountain had at least one opportunity and certainly was able to see elk on a daily basis.
"Eight miles High"...Jerry posing with his son Justin after a long, steep hike to tag Justin's first Montana bull.
Dan had the pleasure of guiding a return client and his son. According to Jerry, the end result was something like this…”I wanted to see my son shoot a bull elk, and I did…I’m eight miles high right now!”. That’s some good stuff. Both were able to harvest exceptional bulls and somehow had found a way to make this year’s hunt even better than the last!
Everyone hunted hard right up until the last tick of legal shooting light on the last day. While we may not have ended up perfect, I’m certain that everyone did their best and got the most out of their Montana elk hunting experience that they possibly could-there certainly weren’t many days for sitting on the couch and watching TV. It was nice to get away from the distractions.
We’re gearing up for week two with cooler temperatures and snow that looks like it will stick around in the hills for a bit. We’ll see you on the mountain!
Tags: elk report week one 2012, hunting report opening week | Categories: elk hunting outfitter, fair chase elk hunting, Hunter Ethics, Montana Elk Hunting, montana guided elk hunts, Montana Hunts | Comments (0) | PermalinkOpening Day of Rifle Countdown-”Lotsa Elk on the Mountain!”
Posted by JB on October 12, 2012 at 6:20 pm | Last modified: October 12, 2012 6:20 pmWe recently did some filming via a really cool remote control helicopter. We were able to g footage of about 200 Elk moving up the mountain from the pivot fields. Lots of bugling and whiney cows. We counted a dozen or so legal bulls. What an exciting morning!
If you’ve not purchased your wolf tag, please do so by visiting https://app.mt.gov/Als/Index You’ll be able to print out your temporary tag, however it is best if you have it mailed to Dome Mountain Ranch at 2017 US Highway 89 South, Emigrant, Montana. There is no additional fee to harvest a wolf and you’ll be doing great things to reduce these illegally introduced non-native Wolves to our area.
We had some fun fishing the lakes as well and caught what is arguably one of the biggest Browns I’ve ever seen in the net. My friend Greg Faye and I were leisurely stripping a bugger and just like we’d hoped Greg latched onto what he claimed was a “WALLY”. This big brown came in at 28 inches in length with 16 inch girth, an estimated weight of 13 pounds. That’s a hog of a fish! And, we got it all on video! The photo below is just a teaser!
A record book Brown Trout from Thelma's Lake on Dome Mountain Ranch.
In spite of all the negative publicity about “the wolves eating all our elk”, fact is, they must have missed a few, as there’s plenty of elk to go around on Dome Mountain. It’s just pretty tough to shoot them from a vehicle or ATV. That’s why we’ll continue to take great pride in continuing the great tradition of fair chase.
Next week at this time we’ll all be making plans, debating contingency plans, discussing the “what ifs” and hoping that we’ll all be safe the next morning as we pursue North America’s wildest big game animal. In the end, like with most years, we’ll recognize that with even the most well-laid plans, things just happen. Especially on opening day. Once the madness of opening day passes, then so begins the real hunting. We’re all looking forward to it.
Now is the time when we’ll go through last minute preparations, from gear to work schedules. There’s a certain comfort that comes prior to the hunt when the hunter feels as prepared as one could be. While I’d rather be lucky than good anyday, I’d still rather be prepared than not.
Safety will always be first and foremost in our camp. In this business, we’ll often have clients join us or run into folks in the field who unfortunately do not come from a hunting background, let alone a family which grew up with guns in hand. Therefore, we have to be especially careful of those who have tried to learn to hunt from television shows. Safety is simple. Don’t get caught up in all the excitement. It doesn’t go over well on our mountain.
With that said, we’ll see you all on the mountain soon. In the meantime. Get organized and get ready for some “Montana Time”.
JB Klyap, Outfitter #7843
Dome Mountain Ranch, LLC
Categories: fair chase elk hunting, Montana Elk Hunting | Comments (0) | Permalink“Feelin’ it. Passionate Calls of the Wild.” by J.B. Klyap
Posted by JB on October 5, 2012 at 3:36 am | Last modified: October 5, 2012 4:22 amI’m still trying to figure out where the summer went. Seems even though we fished a lot, it still wasn’t enough. As of tonight, we’re dealing with temps in the teens. Just a few days ago I was wet-wading and sweating from catching so many Whitefish! Now, I’m doing my best to shift into hunting mode whether I want to or not. Two true loves are tough to handle.
Hunting has a way of overtaking some of our lives whether we like it or not. Work, family, and other important things get set aside for a bit, yet thought about a lot. I’m glad to know I’m not alone.
Today, at work on the ranch I got pretty excited when I saw lighter colored fur up on the mountain. Although I was too far away to hear it, I knew by the way the big bull craned his neck that he just lit up the forest.
I couldn’t help but feel sorry for this fella, as well as the silly cows who were following him. Just a couple weeks ago I had an arrow knocked and watched in amazement as one of several Wolves stared me down and barked in my direction well within in rifle range, but well out of bow range. I’m pretty sure they at least heard that passionate call of the wild.
I looked a little lower at something I assumed were Mule Deer, and just 50 yards from me was a smaller bull with a few cows. He kind of had that look on his face like he got lucky last night, but he sure didn’t have an answer back for that big boy up on the ridges in the gold tinted Quakies.
Truth is, there’ve been a lot of elk around, but just like any other secret, it’s never good to talk about it in small towns. Especially when you’re talking about one of the most famous mountains in Paradise Valley. I actually have been seeing a lot for the last two months, (and, I’ve got friends who like to call me now and then when they’re driving by on their way to work).
I noticed some wallow action right close to the far wheel line down near the benchs. We’d been soaking this rough field and someone decided to get muddy. ”
The face of Dome Mountain continues to look awe inspiring. Especially as the evening sun settles over the Gallatins. I was thinking about how many times I’ve walked, rode, slid and stumbled up and down her over the years. Lots of good memories came back. Loads of good memories.
“Blackies Hollow” is a spot everyone loves to talk about. 
I do my best to keep it as a haven. Those who do decide that “they can sneak up on anything” and walk down into Blackie’s dark, cold, slippery, steep, rocky, muddy, and did I mention dark? All the time dark. Wet and slippery, steepness that’s just a few degrees off straight up! Elk do fine in here, they’re footing simply works better than ours, and most predators.
This place will always evoke some special memories. It’s where I guided a hunter to the first elk killed with a bow in a “coon’s age”. Then realized how much fun packing anything out of here can be! I also realized that was 14 seasons ago. My first season ever as the outfitter here. We’ve sure had some fun in the meantime.
Blackies Hollow is also where I’ll think about “Junior” for a long time to come. Gary Hagga Jr. It was his 18th birthday. Hunting was tough and everyone knew it. We’d not had much luck all week, but Junior wasn’t ready to give up and his Dad knew I would never give up.
That day we hunted the whole way to the top of Dome, came out around the Pinion Pine, spooked some cows, then we left them settle in loop down around us. With them, they brought a nice Montana bull.
Junior’s shot was lethal, but not perfect. We had good blood, but darkness fell. We decided to head back to camp and give the bull a chance to lay down and hopefully bleed out. Besides that, the bull had dropped off down into “Hervit’s Hell”. Not even a place I wanted to be in the daylight. There’s a pile of truck sized boulders in here nearly 100 yards deep and 500 yards long. An easy place to lose stuff.
The next day Gary Sr. joined us. We endeded up chasing that bull all day, we figured all said about 10 miles of up’s and downs. We did eventually kill that bull at the heart of Blackies. It died on a pile of dead fall that took three of us two hours with ropes, saws and sweat to move into even a suitable position to begin field dressing.
We packed that whole thing out that night because, if I remember Junior’s words correctly…”I’m never coming back to this &%^$ #($@(*) ^)((__)#@ nasty place again, let’s drag it out now!”
Junior and many of his friends and family hunted with us over the last 10 years. He left us this past Mother’s Day because of an ATV accident. Those of us who spent even a little bit of time with Junior remember him well. I simply had the rare pleasure of knowing him better and longer, than anyone else who’s walked these hills other than his Mom and Dad.
Gary Sr., Ladona and Jr. enjoying the spoils. We'll see you on the mountain Jr.
I’m dedicating this season to Junior. I hope we all have the chance to have the fun I had with that kid! Most of all. He had the right attitude. Keep shooting Junior!
Time to put more wood on the fire. Keep checking back, and my apologies for being slack. There’s been a lot going on, and those of you who know me, know that I’ll tell you that whole story…maybe even a couple times. Good luck and God Bless! I’ll look forward to hearing from you all and sharing Dome Mountain Ranch again!
With faith and passion!
JB Klyap, Montana Outfitter #7843
Categories: fair chase elk hunting, Montana Elk Hunting | Comments (0) | Permalink“Have Fun Today”-Three Simple Words to Remember.
Posted by JB on November 29, 2011 at 1:16 am | Last modified: November 29, 2011 1:16 amAbove the entrance to Dome Mountain lodge hangs a wooden sign which I hand-routed years ago. On the front are the words “Welcome to Dome Mountain Ranch” but, it’s the words on the back that stick with most folks. This is the side we all see each morning before leaving the lodge to head out to the mountain to play.
An elk hunter takes a break on Dome Mountain Ranch during the last week of the rifle season.
I was stumped about what to write on the reverse side, so I asked the owner of the ranch. Without hesitation he suggested the words “Have Fun Today”, simple yet powerful. Although few who walk under this gate need the reminder, however, it serves as a testament to our credo here at Dome Mountain. Those three words just might have become our new motto.
We’ve been chasing Elk now for about 3 months straight-that’s a lot of 18 hour days, but well worth it when we’re so appreciated by our clients.
No one has missed a day. No one got hurt, sick, pregnant and no one proposed marriage (almost doesn’t count here either). These are all things that can sure mess up a hunting season. Fortunately, we’re a group of focused trubadours.
Some of our clients even missed a few days of school, but I’ll bet you a free hunt they’re probably students at the top of their class. As an X-school teacher I’m well qualified to know when someone is learning something that will serve them for the rest of their lives. It’s certainly a bigger lesson than driving to the grocery store and there’s always room for real conservationists, not extreme-confused enviromentalists.
The last week of the season was tough. Some dues were paid and some bleeding, sweating and puking were a part of the program. We were joined by all return clients. We had a father and son who’d bow hunted with us, our pal Mike who’s a local boy from Montana and Buzz from Hawaii-all gentlemen with endless amounts of integrity and a true passion for the hunt and wild places. We couldn’t ask for more ideal clients. The hunting world couldn’t ask for better examples. We’ll be looking forward to sharing the mountain with all of them next season.
A Montana resident enjoys another successful elk hunt on the rugged face of Dome Mountain
There weren’t any easy kills this week. Most of the elk stayed up high, which we didn’t mind since this kept them safe from road hunters. Besides that, it was nice to have the mountain to ourselves.
The new guide Mikey(nickname pending) scored early with Mike C. high up on the ridges of the Harvit Flat. He showed his youth by dragging the entire elk down the face in the dark whole! Mike C showed his wisdom by getting the heck out of the way.
Art and Osiris enjoyed their first Fair Chase elk on the same day. Osiris braved the high country with Que-Tip (Dan) and spent an entire day trying to pick off one lone bull surrounded by over 100 cows.
Dome Mountain Elk Hunting guide Dan Pikar celebrates with Osiris on his first ever Montana elk-that will save some trips to the grocery store!
That’s a lot of eyes, ears and noses to fool, but they did it. Of course, Osiris is something special. Art was able to watch the entire show from the tower shack in between playing checkers alone. He did share with me that he won every game.
Here's one client who'll agree that the work really begins after an elk is on the ground!
At 16 Osi is well on his way to becoming as pure a hunter as they come. However, I don’t know if he should keep eating the raw heart of his kills.
Dome Mountain Elk Hunting Guide Dan Pikar closing out a great season with one last pack job!
These actions may be a result of watching too much Jeremiah Johnson, then again, wild game meat hasn’t been known to cause any bad reactions in humans. I’m sure he’ll have fun when he gets back to school and debates with his lackey environmental science teacher from southern California.
After their celebration in “The Crack”, he and Dan slid the bounty down the face as well. Osiris still had enough energy to do some summer saults!
On our way up the mountain to retrieve Art and the ponies, we ran across a lone bull above the Aspen patch by the Alpine House. Art made an exceptional shot and two more follow up shots.
Dan, Kurty, Mikey and Art volunteered to retrieve the elk that night. They’ll be feeling that pain for a while, but they got it out without complaint and to no one’s surprise-they had fun! If there’s one thing I can say about this crew-they don’t even know how to whine.
Dome Mountain hunting guides Dan, Dirty Kirty and Mike displaying what keeping the faith is all about.
Since Buzz shared expensive wine and cigars with me nearly every night I’ve chosen to let him tell his own story. As always, his wisdom adds to our knowledge. The comment of the week-“It all looks the same on a plate!” Nicely done Buzz-and I’ll be enjoying that last cigar in my hot tub with some $7.00 dollar a bottle wine…saving money for our trip to surf with you!
Big Horn Sheep working out a disagreement over a woman.
In the end, we had 100% opportunity and some truly hardcore fair chase elk hunting. There were no ATV’s, no fancy gadgetry, just pure Montana elk hunting. We’re going to keep it that way. By the sounds of it, the general public didn’t have very good success. On nearly every morning some wing-nut drove through the Daily hay fields and pushed a couple hundred elk right into our laps.
Montana road hunters assisting anti-hunter's in their cause
This is sad for the guys who walk in and do their best to hunt hard only to have someone ruin it for them. We’ll work on making this area better public hunting in the future, but if folks still think “access” means with motorized vehicles, we’ll continue to use their poor tactics in our favor (and make fun of them). You can bet we’ll be on the front lines of any battles for motorized access! (Montana’s hunting regulations don’t say it’s illegal to shoot an ATV)
A nice bull elk taken on Dome Mountain Ranch during the final week of the general rifle season.
Now that we’ll be going into hibernation mode we’ll be working on our new promotional video, so be sure to check back often. In addition, I’ll be adjusting the blog to make it more user-friendly, with more photos, videos and a search options.
It’s time to book your 2012 hunt. In order to be fair, we will continue to offer openings on a first-come-first-serve basis with a cut off of 6 clients per week.
If you’re a return client, please take advantage of our gratitude by locking in your dates with only a $500.00 deposit. The license application process will begin soon. Although there were 800 tags left over from last season, that doesn’t mean the same will occur this year.
2012 GENERAL RIFLE SEASON DATES
Week I: October 20th-October 24th
Week II: October 30th-November 3rd
Week III: November 11th-November 15th
Week IV: November 21st-November 25th
Until next time…thanks for reading and we’ll see you on the mountain!
Outfitter Jim “JB” Klyap, #7843
Dome Mountain Ranch 800-313-4868
Tags: hunting report 11/27/11, Youth hunts | Categories: fair chase elk hunting, Hunter Ethics, Montana Elk Hunting, montana guided elk hunts, Montana Hunts, Uncategorized | Comments (0) | PermalinkElk Hunting Testimonials=”A +++”
Posted by JB on November 16, 2011 at 9:54 pm | Last modified: November 16, 2011 9:54 pmElk Hunting Testimonials; Week II-Words worth sharing.
JB,
I am still smiling all day. Had a great time in Montana. Definitely got the experience I was hoping for and your part of the country is stunningly beautiful. I took plenty of photos but they just don’t do justice to the real thing. I do hope to figure out a way to return someday. If not for a hunt, at least for a visit.
I took my son and went to deer camp for opening weekend of whitetail (rifle) here in Vermont this Saturday and Sunday and turns out one of my good friends is Charlie Hafner who is on your emailing list and he had recognized the pictures of my hunt from your Nov 8 blog. He brought it all printed out. We have been friends since college days and been going to our deer camp for opening weekend (that Charlies’s family owns) for over 30 years now. His son, Scott, and my son Jeffrey are developing into the next generation of that tradition. Very cool. Scotty was the only one in camp of 8 guys that brought in a deer this weekend. Charlie said he has been researching for a while and been on your email list for 6 or 8 months. He’s undecided about elk in Montana or a Canadian deer or moose hunt but I gave him the A++++ recommendation for DMR.
I talked to the Yellowstone Game Processor today and they are shipping my order on Weds. The day I left I forgot to collect a package of tenderloin that Rick had put in the freezer at the ranch for me to take in my luggage. If that could get to the processor to ship with the rest I would appreciate it but if that is not convenient please offer it to the crew to share with my thanks and compliments.
Good luck with the rest of your season. If you hear from Rick I hope he’s hitting long and straight.
Hello Jim,
I just wanted to drop a line and thank you and your staff for a great job, well done. From the start to the finish, everything was excellent. The accomidations, food, guides, stock, etc., were all very good. I am looking forward to another hunt with you in the future. I have several people that have expressed interest to me in bringing them along. I will keep you informed. Thanks again for a great job; please pass it on. I will be contacting you in the near future.
Sincerely,
Jerry L. Stoner
Tags: Compliments, Hunting References, References, Testimonials | Categories: Booking an Elk Hunt, Choosing between a rifle hunt or archery hunt, Client Testimonials, Controversial Issues, elk hunting outfitter, fair chase elk hunting, Hunter Ethics, Montana Elk Hunting | Comments (0) | Permalink110% Success-Dome Mountain Elk Hunting Report, November 8, 2011
Posted by JB on November 9, 2011 at 1:15 am | Last modified: November 9, 2011 1:15 am
- Being an elk hunting guide isn’t for everyone, especially on Dome Mountain. It takes some guts, grit and gumption!
- Many extreme sportsman’s groups in the western states blame rich landowners and anti-hunters for posting their property to hunting. Fact is, research shows it’s because of disrespectful slob hunters.
Action started a day early with some entertainment from some local road hunters who shot a bull and wounded a cow which the Dome Mountain boys helped load into the game warden’s truck. While tickets were issued, it’s often disheartening because of the lightness of the fines. Most of the cost of the tickets will go to processing the meat for the food bank and although hunting privileges will be revoked for a year, history has shown that they’ll be back at it again.
The biggest threat to hunting isn’t anti-hunters; it’s those who set a bad example. I think most true hunters and conservationists would agree that the fines for game violations deserve higher penalties. Instead of $125.00 how about $5,000.00? So, the next time you see a “NO HUNTING” sign, don’t blame the landowner, blame a slob hunter.
I feel sorry for most of these guys because they’ve probably never hunted without being in site of or earshot of vehicles or some other form of human interruption. I guess that’s good though, otherwise our backcountry wouldn’t be quite as beautiful, and the bears probably wouldn’t like how they taste.
It can happen at any time, and for this lucky hunter it happened pretty quick!
We had four new hunters this week, normally we have return clients every week. Opening day of week 2 started out with a bang as one of our hunters took his first bull elk just minutes into the hunt. Elk continue to move back and forth across the river and we were fortunate to catch them on our side on this morning.
With weather still on the mild side and an abundance of food many elk continue to stay up high and bask in the sunshine. This has made predicting them very difficult. In addition, the local wolf pack continues to terrorize the herds often displacing them several miles in one night. However, we were still into elk every day of the hunt. As weather patterns begin to change and we head into more winter-like days food supply will dwindle and more elk will move on to the mountain. Our second week actually ended up being more successful than opening week.
Once the morning’s excitement passed, the boys headed out for the evening plan to the high country and they weren’t to be disappointed. Later that day we harvested another nice Montana bull. While they say a photo tells a thousands words, then a hunting picture definitely has even more to say. Photos rarely do the whole story justice. There’s the adventure of riding horses through the mountains, often in total darkness, the hours of solitude free of wordly distractions and of course, the deliberations on making the right moves and when not to move at all. For many, it’s definitely more than a thousand words! As a matter of fact…see what this Elk had to say before becoming dinner.
Sneaking up on a herd of bedded elk is never easy. Many folks who don’t hunt think that the hunter has an advantage because he can shoot from 300 yards or more. This just isn’t the case. Elk in our country are on high alert all the time. The introduction of Canadian wolves has forced them to be ever-watchful. They have senses that are so much more suited to living in the wild than us two leggers. With large ears that can rotate and hear an unnatural sound miles away and noses that can whif a hunter from unbelieveable distances, it’s never an easy task. 
Rick and Tom crawled around in wet snow and unfriendly Prickly Pears for nearly 6 hours until an opportunity presented itself. With a good rest and shooting confidence another bull was on the ground. The guide and hunter field dressed the animal and prepared it for the long, cold night, returning to dinner quite late, tired but feeling very good!
The hunting part can be tough, the shooting part is usually pretty easy, whereas the packing out part can have a whole new set of challenges.
It’s one thing to drive an ATV through a field and hook a rope around an animal, it’s another to cape, quarter and then safely pack 400 pounds of slippery critter on another animal, another animal that sometimes doesn’t feel like carrying anything. After some skiijouring and Mule skinning, and on-site therapy from Kirty…
Seasoned Montana hunting guide "Dirty Kirty" demonstrates the usefulness of an Elk hide.
the boys had it figured out and brought home some tasty chow and the hunter’s quarry. Again, everyone was feeling the hurt that a good elk hunt can provide. Len’s cooking as always helped everyone fall asleep early!
At this point, it seemed like things couldn’t get any better. As the boys headed up the hill again to retrieve another elk a new problem presented itself.
Most Mule deer taken on the ranch are down lower in the flats, however on this particular day one decided to show up in between the elk to be packed out and the hunters. It didn’t take long for them to decide how to save another trip up the mountain.
A true mountain Mule deer harvested on public lands near Dome Mountain Ranch.
Tom made a good shot and downed the deer less than a hundred yards from where his elk lie-talk about efficiency in the field.
Fortunately for the pack crew they’d decided to bring Joker the mule out for the day. Joker has probably seen more elk country than all of us put together. This is his retirement season, after this year he’ll probably be getting brushed and loved on by some sweet little kid and not have to work too hard at all. He’s as fine a mule as they come and has been rumored to fend off both a Mountain lion and Wolf from his pals. We’re going to miss the fun Joker has provided over the years…we might just have to keep him!
Joker the famous Mule with veteran guide "Ricki-Bobbi" and his client. Packing one of the big flat!
With nearly all our tags filled the fun was far from over. Mark’s father Chuck had the lucky ticket in his pocket after allowing Mark to take his elk on opening day, just like most good Dads! Although in his mid-70′s, Chuck wasn’t slowing down a bit. Kirty and the hunters located some elk coming from the north down low at first light. Choosing not to take an easy shot in site of the road, they doubled back and looped on the elk catching them just at the base of the mountain. Chuck made a great shot and filled his elk tag, thus completing the hunting adventure for the week.
The week went by fast and as usual, there’s much more to tell, but we’ll save those stories for next week’s time around the dinner table. Even though all the hunters had filled their tags, the hunting wasn’t done for the week. Dan and I had improved our blow gun skills to the point that we’d each harvested two trophy mice in the lodge.
Thanks again to all the clients, guides and my wife Lennae for creating another unforgettable week of elk hunting adventure at Dome Mountain Ranch. Of course we’re looking forward to next week already! It sounds like mild weather, but that’s okay. We are trying to forget the winter we had last season.
Book your 2012 Hunt Today-800-313-4868
See You on the Mountain!
Outfitter JB Klyap
Tags: domemountainoutfitters, elk hunter, elk hunting, fun hunts in montana, good hunters, great western hunts, hunting dome mountain, jb klyap, outfitter jim klyap, quality outfitters, the best outfit for hunting, trophy elk photos | Categories: Client Testimonials, elk hunting outfitter, Montana Elk Hunting, montana guided elk hunts, Uncategorized | Comments (0) | Permalink“What Makes a Good Client”-JB Klyap; Bugle Magazine ( Remember…”mean people suck”)
Posted by JB on October 23, 2011 at 5:32 pm | Last modified: October 4, 2012 7:19 pm
Always trust your guide!
With desperate urgency Joe confessed he’d never “gone” in the woods. I quickly gave him a crash course in backcountry restroom etiquette. Joe confidently returned minutes later with a smiling face and admitted to a “liberating experience”. With that I gave him a pat on the back and felt the soft lump between his shoulder blades. Joe hadn’t quite unbuttoned his bibs far enough and a new lesson was learned via the inconveniences of Elk hunting.
While there’s always lots of input on choosing good outfitters, what then makes a good client? Choose your hunt carefully, do your homework, call references. If you booked your hunt after a few beers at a sports show because you liked some guy’s hat, your mouth may have written a check your body can’t cash. Be certain you feel confident that the hunt you booked is one in which you’ll have a great time regardless of the end result, you should have no reservations and realistic expectations. There are never any guarantees.
Good clients prepare for their hunt by preparing well. There’s no special gadgetry that will help you become a better hunter, save your money and put it into yourself. If you don’t plan to get in shape, be honest with the outfitter and he may be able to accommodate, but if you can’t walk a few miles at 8,000 feet you might not be ready for a true fair-chase elk hunt.
Keep safety in mind at all times. You’d be surprised how many guides have had a loaded gun waived in their face, or heard the hiss and wallop of 300 grain bullets at the wrong end of the wallop. Any personal displays or lack of safety and respect for the hunt will have you feeling like a loner most of the week. Ask yourself, when’s the last time you’ve sat around the dinner table with 8 strangers who all had guns?
When it comes to the business of elk hunting, the customer isn’t always right. Let the guide do the thinking, you worry about the hunting and pay attention. A good guide will find a way to get in rhythm with your abilities and use both to your advantage. The only wrong way to hunt elk is not being out there. Don’t be that guy. A good rule of thumb is to mirror the actions of your guide in the field with each step and maintain a willing and positive attitude throughout your hunt. Give the guide a chance, his mind works differently than yours. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to make sure you two get to know one another as soon as possible, long before you step foot on Elk dirt, because there might not be much time, things can happen during the first minute of your hunt, right up to the last tick of hunt commencement light. Expect to be humbled, but not outhunted. It’s not a competition.
“No Whiners” is still a common saying in Montana, however times have changed and some Outfitters will go to great lengths to make your hunt as “easy” as possible. In choosing an easy hunt, you might be robbing yourself of a great adventure. An in tune guide can read you, he won’t want to push you too hard, he wants you to have a good time. While there are some things an operation can’t control; a good client will at least give them the opportunity to correct the things they can.
Always remember to relax, don’t put pressure on yourself plan to go home with nothing more than memories, and don’t give up. As the hunt progresses your glass should become fuller. You’ll need to define your own idea of success or just plan to have a good time and enjoy the hunt; the rest will work itself out. Finally, when that opportunity presents itself, don’t miss it!
Categories: Booking an Elk Hunt, Choosing between a rifle hunt or archery hunt, Client Testimonials, Controversial Issues, elk hunting outfitter, fair chase elk hunting, Hunter Ethics, Montana Elk Hunting, montana guided elk hunts, Montana Hunts | Comments (0) | Permalink2012 Hunting Dates & Schedule-Dome Mountain Ranch
Posted by JB on at 4:02 pm | Last modified: January 20, 2012 5:04 am
There is no substitute for an authentic-traditional fair-chase Montana Elk hunt.
2011 Season Rates available until December 1st, 2011. Choice dates are accepted on a first come-first serve basis-no exceptions.
Archery:Our archery dates are scheduled to coincide as close to the rut as possible based on previous years observations. Over the past several seasons mild weather with temps in the 90’s has often hung with us until well after mid-September. This being the case, our elk usually become most active towards the tail end of the general archery season, therefore we schedule accordingly. We fill one week at a time and will not open an additional week unless bookings require.
WEEK ONE ARCHERY: October 8th to 12th
Rifle (Mule Deer Available during week I and II only)
Five full hunt days, travel days on each end.
Over the 5 week rifle season we hunt 4 of these weeks which allow rest time for the areas we hunt. This is also takes away the question of “which week is best?” Dome Mountain Ranch is arguably the last contiguous parcel of private lands close to Yellowstone Park managed primarily for Elk and other wildlife. Small groups also create a more enjoyable and successful outcome of the hunt.
Week I: October 20th-October 24th
Week II: October 30th-November 3rd
Week III: November 11th-November 15th
Week IV: November 21st-November 25th
A 50% deposit is required to secure hunt dates. Refunds are available if client is unsuccessful in drawing licenses after proper submissions to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. All other refunds will be handled on a case by case basis. In most situations if a hunter cancels his or her hunt after a certain amount of time, it is the client’s responsibility to fill this void with another client; otherwise deposits are retained by Dome Mountain Ranch, LLC.
To book your hunt, please call us toll free at 800-313-4868. Due to the unpredictability with bookings, all above openings are subject to change without notice. A single week is often filled with one phone call.
License Application Available here- https://app.mt.gov/Als/Index
*Dates may be subject to change, but are based on historic schedules by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks-therefore; the above dates have an extremely high probability of remaining consistent.
“See You on the Mountain!”
Outfitter JB Klyap, #7843