Precision, Power, and a 20-Pound Rifle on Opening Day

Precision, Power, and a 20-Pound Rifle on Opening Day

November 5, 2025 by Angela Montana
Hunt in Montana App

Some people dabble on opening day, while others wouldn’t even think of heading out that morning. My friend Aarron Watrous seems to go big every single time he hunts, and this year’s opener of the general season was no exception. Aarron was my hunting, trapping, and fishing buddy for a couple of years back in the day, and he was there for some of my biggest milestones…my first muley, my first public land whitey, my first field dressing lesson, some awesome beaver trapping…so I have a pretty good idea what kind of person he is.

While he was hunting near Helena with a buddy, Aarron dropped a very nice bull at 800 yards with his custom-built .338 Lapua, and the bull didn’t even make it 20 yards before hitting the dirt. Precision at its finest, and honestly, I’m not even remotely surprised.

Then came the workout…a seven-mile hike, lugging both the elk and Aaron’s 20-pound rifle. Because an easy hunt near a road is just not his style. lol

But seriously, a huge congratulations to Aarron and his buddy for kicking off the season like absolute legends. And to everyone else, congrats on your filled tags so far, and good luck chasing down the rest of those critters this season!