Waldo Newton: Montana Bowhunting Pioneer

MONTANA BOWHUNTING  PIONEER Waldo Newton was born 1907 at Big Fork, Flathead Montana. He attended schools in Helena Montana and after graduating he took a Job with the Geological Survey, and the Forest Service. 

In 1929 he married and together they ran a ranch south of Helena. In 1959 they sold the ranch an moved into town and opened a electrical shop. Some years later 

Waldo went to working in the logging industry around Flathead and Lincoln before moving to Swan Lake where his wife and him opened a resort. Years went by and they sold the resort and moved to Flathead Montana where he passed away in 1996 from cancer. 

Waldo wore many hats over his life and his complete biography just isn't on paper. He had been a trapper, packer, cowboy, writer, painter, boxer, outdoorsman, and most of all a pioneer in Montana bowhunting. Along with friends they started the first bowhunting club in Helena, Montana. Through his life he took almost every game animal Montana had to offer with his bow. His greatest love was the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area to roam with his bow.

In 1949 Waldo and his son "Jimmie" were hunting moose in the swamp land of the big hole Basin Montana. It was their first time hunting moose by bow and they knew nothing about moose hunting. 

The second day they made a stalk on a bull but it was a immature bull and it caught sight of them leaving the area in a hurry. Seven days went by and they finally made a successful stalk on the Moose in the picture. They covered over 300 yards where Waldo than sent three arrows at 50 yards hitting the moose. Waldo was using a Bear Archery 57lb Grizzly bow, his arrows were made by Hugh Rich, and tipped with a Ace broadhead. 

The moose ran thirty yards and expired. Standing over the moose Jimmie told his dad, "Gee Dad, that was swell, I bet Art Young couldn't have done better" 

The two packed out the head and loins, than as they were resting a Elk hunter with pack horses came along and jumped in to help them pack out the rest of their moose meat by horses.