FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE November 15, 2007
Contact: Carillon Steorts – Information Desk – 406-247-2943
THE FAMILY THAT HUNTS TOGETHER. . . .
Neither rain, snow, gumbo, or hard prairie winds can keep the Stiff family from hitting the road on weekends during the big game season and bagging enough game to feed this hungry family of five (three of them teenagers).
If you don’t know them, the Stiff family is comprised of Dianne Stiff, Office Manager in the Billings-based Region 5 Fish, Wildlife & Parks office; her husband, Rich, a professor at the tribal college in Lame Deer, and formerly the high mountain lakes fisheries biologist with the agency; and filling out the rest of the family is Jonathan, age 16, Carrie Jo, 14 and Rikki Rae, 13. All are outstanding Hunter Ed graduates. Rikki Rae is a hunter education junior instructor.
Last year, Jonathan, Carrie Jo, Rikki Rae, Rich and Dianne drew and filled a total of seven deer tags and an antelope license. This year’s tally, so far, stands at 8 deer, 3 antelope. Jonathan still has an unfilled special permit for elk, so the hunting might not be over yet.
The family hunts alternately in the prairies of southeastern Montana and at a family ranch outside Lewistown, nestled along the Big Snowy Mountains. This year, in addition to 3 antelope and 3 mule deer does, each member of the family (known collectively as the "Lucky Stiffs") harvested a whitetail buck on the ranch property. All bucks were harvested on the same weekend. "I wasn’t even going to bother getting a deer this year," Dianne said. "I just wanted to be up there with all the kids and help them get theirs. I walked up on the ridge and looked over the hills, and I don’t remember seeing a more beautiful day than it was on Sunday. When I came back down, there was a perfect buck just waiting for me."
Dianne’s buck, a 4-point, had a 22" antler spread. Jonathan and Rikki Rae both got 4-point bucks, Rich a 5-point, and Carrie Jo got a little spike. "They make the best eating," she said.
In addition to all the hard work the family does hunting, shooting, loading and unloading, the Stiffs also cut and wrap all their own game, and Rich, a taxidermist in his "spare time," does whatever mounts the family may want. Dianne sports several trophy walls in her office at Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
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