Outdoors

News from MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks KALISPELL — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is opening a public scoping period for a potential project that would place approximately 113,951 acres of timberland in northwest Montana under a conservation easement and protect working lands, public recreation access, and wildlife habitat. FWP is working with The Trust for Public Land and landowners SPP Montana, LLC and Green Diamond Resource Company on the potential easement around the Thompson Chain of Lakes in Lincoln, Flathead, and Sanders counties. If approved, FWP would hold the conservation easement while SPP and Green Diamond would maintain ownership of the land. The easement ...

News from MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks KALISPELL — The group responsible for developing Montana’s new trapper education program is meeting on Friday, Feb. 11, in Polson.  The meeting will start at 9 a.m. at the Red Lion Inn & Suites, 209 Ridgewater Drive. Members of the public a...

News from Montana FWP HELENA – As elk populations continue to be a concern across the state, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is convening a citizens advisory group to address the future of elk management. The 12-member group will be tasked with developing new and creative ideas and recommendati...

News from MT FWP MONTANA — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on a draft environmental assessment on a proposal for the annual release of pen-raised ring-necked pheasants on suitable state lands. FWP has administered a pheasant release program since 1987, which has inv...

News from MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks HELENA — With over a month remaining, this season’s wolf harvest is on par with past seasons in the state of Montana. As of today, 166 wolves have been harvested during the current hunting and trapping seasons, a number similar to that of previous year...

News from DNRC HELENA — Damaging floods caused by ice jams are a fact of life in winter along many Montana rivers and streams. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation reminds residents to be observant and prepared for flooding conditions as cold temperatures increase the threa...

News from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation MISSOULA — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and U.S. Forest Service worked with a willing landowner to conserve two private inholdings of wildlife habitat and conveyed them to the Lolo National Forest. The 1,040-acre transaction took place just west of ...

News from MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks KALISPELL — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is moving forward with plans to improve management of public recreation on its Flathead Lake island properties, including Bird, Cedar, Douglas, and Goose islands.  FWP manages the four islands as Wildlif...

News from MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks KALISPELL — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is proposing to construct an erosion control structure along the north shore of Flathead Lake at Somers Beach State Park. The proposed structure is similar to those installed at other eroding sites along the ...

I went to Polson Bay out in front of Kwatuknuk (4-7 inches of ice) and caught two 14-pound mackinaws.  Lake Mary Ronan (sloppy on the ice; 250 yards out and be careful, ice thickness at a guess is 4-6 inches) is giving up perch. East Bay is frozen over solid with 3-4 inches, lots of snow on the ic...