The first morning of our hunt dawned crisp and clear, and with the pit-of-the-stomach excitement that feels at once so good and yet so worrying.

He bent double and pushed down the next to the bottom strand of barbed-wire. As he did so, he used his free hand to lift first one, then the other, shell pocket of his game vest over the pointed wire.

Fifty years ago, Jack O’Connor published a story in Outdoor Life magazine in which he recounted a tale of overconfidence, bad weather and missed opportunities.

Guides are always sensitive to their hunter’s feelings. The best Guides, like Tim and Larry, always aim to build up the hunter’s self esteem thereby increasing the hunter’s confidence.

Larry’s grin widened as he reviewed the facts about the “Bear Crick Montana Testicle Festival”.