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56 | JANUARY 15, 2014 OUTDOORS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

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OUT OF BOUNDS Rob Breeding

Notes From the Border, Part II

W
E ALL FIND THOSE O’Conner described Coues white-tailed
places on the planet that speak deer as possibly the most diicult big

to us. Montana is that way for game animal on the continent due to its
many. The now over-used clich́, “Last wariness and the tough terrain.
#1 STATION MORNINGS
Best Place,” nails it. This place means Coues (correctly pronounced “cows,”
so much more to those who live and play though most folks say “coos”) look just
here. It is a sort of spiritual home.
like the whitetail that roam the North-
I’ve moved around a bit in my life, in- ern Rockies, except they’re half the size.
cluding two separate moves to Montana Bucks rarely exceed 100 pounds; does

KOFIRADIO.COM
– my now annual move back to the state 60. It’s rare to see these deer when out
for the summer not included.
hunting quail. When spooked, they look
*EASTLAN FALL 2013 M-F 6AM-10AM ADULTS 18+ CUME
Moving around comes with pros and like big yellow Labs with antlers bound-
cons. I’ve been able to get to know a vari- ing out across the grassland.
{{
ety of places, but none with the intimacy It’s more common to spot Coues
Truby’s Daily Specials of a life-long resident. I’ve come to terms along the roads, transixed in your head-
with this trade of, as it’s too late to undo lights as you drive back to camp.
the last 25 years of moving around.
There’s also the Gould’s turkey, the
5 - 6:30 APŔ SKI SLICE & PINT $5
• THURSDAY Of all the places I’ve lived, the one largest subspecies in North America.
• RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED that continues to linger with a reso- Gould’s resemble Merriam’s turkey, only
PINT NIGHT ALL NIGHT
TAKE OUT AVAILABLE
nance nearly as strong as that Montana with longer, taller legs. The species is
• FRIDAY •
Mojo is Arizona. I lived in Flagstaf for rare north of the border, but plentiful in
STEAKS, PASTAS, SEAFOOD, six years, and was able to play and travel Old Mexico. Arizona has been actively
FISH & CHIPS, BURGERS AND CHEF’S NIGHTLY across the state. Ultimately, I fell in love working on a restoration program. It’s
HOMEMADE CLAM CHOWDER
with the southeast corner of Arizona. fairly common now to spot Gould’s on
• SUNDAY •
SPECIALS
ALL YOU CAN EAT SPAGHETTI WITH It’s Mearns’ quail country, and I am ob- the hillsides around camp, or at least
WORLD CLASS BRICK OVEN PIZZA
sessed with it.
hear them. The reintroduction program
HOMEMADE MEATBALLS & If you’ve visited Arizona, but haven’t has been successful enough that limited
GARLIC TOAST
traveled far from the usual tourist desti- hunts are now allowed.
nations, this country may surprise you. But the animal I’ve never encoun- Open hursday hru Monday 5 - Close • Happy Hour
As you drive south from Tucson you gain tered along the border, but someday Starts At 4 On Friday• Closed Tuesday & Wednesday
elevation. Mearns’ hang out in canyons hope to, is the jaguar. These big cats {406} 892-8708
along the border in country roughly may have once roamed as far north as

5,000 feet high. This part of the state the Grand Canyon, but are now only an
is also far enough south and east that occasional visitor to Arizona. The irst
it gets a kiss of moisture every summer contemporary sighting of a jaguar in the
from monsoon rains traveling inland United States was a big cat treed by a lion
from the Gulf of Mexico. The elevation hunter’s dogs more than a decade ago.
and consistent rain change the country, Since then, motion sensitive cameras
and as you drive south from Tucson the scattered about the Sky Island moun-
Saguaros of the Sonoran Desert give way
tain ranges have captured images of ad-
to Oak-bunchgrass savanna. It really ditional jaguars, the only cat in Western
doesn’t look like Arizona anymore. The Hemisphere that roars.
closest equivalent I can think of is the I don’t think there’s any chance I’ll
central coast of California.
ever see one of these cats in the wild. I’ve
The country provides habitat for a va- only spotted a mountain lion in the ield
riety of wildlife that’s found only in the once, and those cats are everywhere.
borderlands. Mearns’ are what draw me. But maybe one night, while I’m sitting

These quail are grassland specialists, around a campire sucking the last bit of
and hold tighter for pointing dogs than quail meat from its fragile bones, I’ll get
any other game bird in North America.
to hear that roar of in the distance.
There are other oddities along the Maybe not last or best, but the bor-
border. Celebrated big game writer Jack
derlands are a place well worth visiting.

FOR ALL THE REASONS

WE LOVE LIVING IN

THE FLATHEAD VALLEY

d Valley
Learn more about moving to the Flathea