January 2026
Multi-Species Hunting | Montana
Story By: Eric Burdette
The fall of 2024 kicked off with my usual over-the-counter tags for deer, elk, bear, and wolf, setting the stage for an unforgettable hunting season in southwest Montana. Alongside a nice whitetail and a unique elk, I achieved a rare feat: a license-year predator trifecta—harvesting a bear, a wolf, and a mountain lion. Each hunt was a story of persistence, luck, and the thrill of the chase, shared with good friends and exceptional dogs.
My first adventure began in September while bowhunting. I encountered a large black bear sow I had known since 2021, when I first saw her with three cubs. That year, her protective nature was clear, marked by a scarred face and a left ear nearly torn off. I had run-ins with her each fall, some intense due to her fierce maternal instincts. By 2024, she was alone, her cubs grown. When rifle season opened, I waited for her on the second evening. She emerged just before legal shooting hours ended, and I took a shoulder shot that looked solid through my phone scope. She bolted into heavy cover as if unhit, leaving no blood trail. Disappointed, I decided to return at first light.
My neighbor Brice, one of southwest Montana’s best houndsmen, joined me with his dogs. They led us 75 yards into a thick, nasty draw where we found her. At check-in, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks estimated she was over 20 years old, her teeth worn from a long life in the wild. Harvesting such a seasoned bear felt like a nod to her resilience and our shared history.
Later that fall, while elk hunting, I noticed cows acting skittish. A pack of wolves was trailing them. As I moved closer, I stumbled across a cow elk killed the previous day, completely consumed. I had passed through that exact spot 24 hours earlier, amazed at how quickly the pack had devoured it. Cresting a steep rock outcrop, I spotted seven or eight wolves—mostly black—crossing a fence onto a ranch where hunting was off-limits. I rushed a downhill shot and missed, scattering the pack in every direction. I sat and waited, catching fleeting glimpses of wolves but no clear shot. After 30 minutes, a large black wolf stepped out, searching for the others. I steadied my rifle and made a clean shot. At check-in, FWP confirmed he was a three-year-old male, collared the previous May. The weight of his collar and the thrill of the moment made this harvest unforgettable.
The final piece of my trifecta was a mountain lion, a pursuit inspired by Brice. I often care for his hounds, Lynx and Ruby, when he’s away. For years, he urged me to hunt lions with him to see his dogs work. I hesitated, recalling a lion hunt 23 years ago that nearly wore me out chasing dogs through rough terrain. Brice assured me modern GPS collars made it different, and he challenged me to join him in pursuing the same license-year predator trifecta he had achieved—a rare accomplishment. We teamed up with his friend Cody, a 24-year-old learning the ropes of running hounds, and began hunting in December when conditions were ideal for finding cat tracks.
Over six days across three months, we treed five different lions, witnessing incredible dog work. On March 15, 2025, we caught a mature tom. I harvested him with a rifle my late brother had been building before his passing from cancer. He never got to use it, but I felt him watching, savoring every moment. At nearly 62, I was grateful for Brice, 33, and Cody’s patience as I moved slower to the tree. Their skill and camaraderie made the hunt special.
Completing the 2024 predator trifecta—bear, wolf, and lion—alongside a whitetail and elk was a milestone I’ll never forget. Thanks to Brice’s expertise, Cody’s enthusiasm, and the hard work of Lynx and Ruby, this season will live on in stories told around the campfire for years to come.