MONTANA ADVENTURE AT
DOUBLE-D OUTFITTING
By Ken Sorensen
Picture: Brian Bachman (on the right) shows a nice Montana Pronghorn Antelope to guide Craig Schell, owner of Double D Outfitting. Bachman is the President of North American Bear Foundation.
Picture: The Double D Lodge, a circular log structure, is shown in the next picture. You can contact Craig at Double D Outfitting, Ph: 406-635-4896
Lead In: I jumped at the chance to go hunting with Craig Schell at Double-D Outfitting, when I found that my application had been drawn for a Montana Pronghorn Antelope tag.
Double-D Outfitting is headquartered out of Terry, Montana and is owned by Craig Schell. Craig is a caricature of the west and has been around wildlife and horses all his life—he’s thoroughly vested in the habits and lore of the prairie and the mountains. Craig has worked as a cowboy on many of the ranches around Terry, and has outfitted pack-hunting trips north of Yellowstone. He knows his way around a horse, whether he’s riding it or it’s carrying a pack saddle. He also seems to know everyone for 200 miles around Terry! You can expect to be adopted by the residents of Terry, Montana if you hunt with Craig!
Headquartered in a circular log structure, Double-D is at the same time homey and rustic. There is over 80,000 acres of land in Craig’s concession, and he makes this a comfortable hunt. The food was great, and the hunters stay in the lodge each night. This is not a big hunting outfit—Craig runs it alone. He 2 hunters there on my trip, and this 2X1 arrangement allows him to give a great deal of personal attention to each hunter. There is an intensity--that comes with the need to get out and find game with all that acreage--but it’s also a nice place to just spend time, relax and reflect. Craig runs Antelope hunts, then White Tail and Mule Deer, from November into December. He caters to a high number of repeat customers—a tribute to Craig’s experience, hunting style and skill as a host. You can learn a lot from Craig, not to mention the other hunter--probably highly experienced as well.
Hunting with me at Double D last November was Ron Lundberg. This was Ron’s second hunt with Craig, and he hails from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Ron had purchased a hunt with Double D at a Safari Club dinner and he was highly experienced in both hunting and outfitters. Ron was looking for a big antelope—and he and Craig scoured every nook and cranny, conducting numerous stalks, looking for that big one. You could tell by the banter and humor that they genuinely liked being together. Ron said that Craig was one of the best guides he had hunted with—high praise, indeed! That’s important, because for a first time hunter, your guide can be everything—can make the hunt the marvelous event of a lifetime or a so-so-also-ran. I learned, from Ron, that smaller outfitters like Double-D are often the best places to hunt because they had a tremendous stake in building relationships with their hunters because for the most part their advertizing is word of mouth. They depend on the repeat business.
It’s important that a hunter like me, new to this open-country game, watch and learn from his betters. I noticed that Craig and Ron each had one piece of critical equipment in common—and they each swore independently that would make or break the day. Each one had a pair of Swarovski 10X50 binoculars! And they carried them in a harness so they didn’t flop around during movement. Now I have a set of pretty good binoculars, but no comparison to the Swarovski. I’m going to have to get a pair of those!
I thoroughly enjoyed my Montana hunting trip, and I encourage you to consider applying for a license. It’s a drawing, and if you’re not drawn you get a preference point for next year. I’d recommend a guide on a first hunt. I’ll say a little more about seasons and licenses in my next article. Meanwhile, good hunting!