Montana

[petey]

Boots are a definate yes. Don't scrimp on those and buy them as soon as you can to break in over the summer. I'd suggest something with a bob-sole, b/c as soon as you step off the road it's almost verticle. You'll find tons of switchbacks and driving in low-4x4 just to save your breaks.

I buy the best I can afford. I fmoney is an issue, then one pair I highly recommend is the Cabela's brand Iron Ridge (all leather) They are a 10" boot, 800 gram and super light. I beleve these are based off of a Wolverine model but much cheaper running around $99. Paying anything less and you're probably asking for blisters, heavy boots, or falling on your rear a lot. Another "cheaper" good boot to look at is the cabelas outfitter series but these are heavier thatn the Iron Ridge.

If you have the chance to compare this with something like a Rocky Bear Claw you'll be amazed at the difference in weight a lone. Believe me, you'll put on the miles and the extra few onces you aren't hauling will be a blessing at the end of the day.

Buy the way, I own Wolverines, Rocky's, Timberland, Danner, and my choice on a Colorado elk hunt a couple years ago were the Iron Ridge as my primary and wolverines as my backups.

Quite honestly most of the deer I saw were on the low-lands near fields, and would come out just the same as back home in early morning and late evening. The super big bucks, though....well I'd run into them in some real nasty drainages, hidden parks, and places where you can tell not too many people tred. Just as a heads up, I ran into plenty of cat sign (mt lion) and even found a 5x5 mule deer in a kill tree hanging about 6 ft off the ground in a drainage once. Pretty neat actually, but it made me watch my back too.

It is two different worlds, and looking at Wayne's pictures to can tell I'm not BS'ing you. I have plenty of stories to tell about that area, heck I almost wish I were going now.