Silver stream - On Alaskan creek, anglers reel in nary a steelhead, plenty of salmon
“Such a man has come to fish, and I love to see Nature carried out in him.”

Hunt down, but opportunities remain
The general hunting season for deer and elk in Montana came to a close Sunday, with the exception of some season extensions in hunting regions 3 and 6.

Casserole a new way to make pronghorn
I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for new ways to prepare game.

Father, son hunters find great, wide open out east
By the time we crossed the bridge over the Missouri River in downtown Fort Benton and headed for the foothills of the Highwood Mountains, Sander was looking at new country.

Outdoors Briefs
Thursday, Decemver 4, 2008

Where the wild things are - Mapping quest highlights 'bread-and-butter’ places of hunters and anglers
Everyone knows the best place to hunt elk in Montana: Noname Ridge. And fishing? Try Cantfindit Creek.

New Montana map book brings blue competition to red stalwart
Montana’s been a red state for years, but now it’s showing shades of blue.

Hills get steeper and miles longer on wrong side of 60
I have noticed lately that my steps are slower when it comes to climbing around in the mountains looking for elk. After 60 years, the hills are steeper and the miles longer, especially on those days when the winds swirl, the snow blows sideways, and the midday light of November is sucked from the sky.

Thanksgiving weekend traditional final big-game hunt
Today is Thanksgiving and aside from being a great day to eat a bunch of roast turkey, it kicks off a number of events for folks around Montana.

Outdoors Briefs
Thursday, November 27, 2008

BULLS for the BOYS - Twin brothers from Missoula bag elk at nearly same time
Jackson and Connor Ottman plop down in unison on the overstuffed leather sofa that sits in the family room of their University Area home.

Fallen leaves bring memories of fun, signal start of winter
“I had forgotten about all the leaves over here.”

Researcher: Whitebark pine faces variety of threats
BILLINGS - There’s a perfect storm building that threatens the existence of one of the northern Rocky Mountains’ unique pine trees, the whitebark pine.

Divide lands biathlon course in court
HELENA - Critics of a plan to develop a military biathlon course on U.S. Forest Service land about 15 miles west of Helena have filed a lawsuit charging the agency gave scant attention to the project’s effect on wildlife.

Venison sausage recipe ideal for sandwiches, pizza
Many times people would like to make their own sausage. Most of the time it can be too time consuming and labor intensive, especially if you want to stuff casings. With this recipe, you can make Italian sausage in small amounts and use it to make sandwiches or as pizza toppings. I give you Venison Italian Sausage.

Yellowstone raises snowmobile limit
BILLINGS - Yellowstone National Park abruptly dropped plans to sharply reduce the number of snowmobiles allowed this winter, drawing a quick backlash from conservationists who want fewer of the machines.

Mild weather slows harvest of deer, elk and waterfowl
Mild weather the past few days in western Montana has been great for attending football games. The recent nice weather even presented an opportunity to hang Christmas tree lights outside on my trees Sunday.

Outdoors Briefs
Thursday, November 20, 2008

Middle Fork faces - Kalispell author looks at people who pioneered remote, wild river
KALISPELL - Mostly in whispers, often in echoes, rarely in shouts, this wild country speaks to John Fraley, because he knows how to listen.

Good hunting partner can make day in the field
For all the private pleasures associated with big-game hunting - the joy and freedom of being in wild places, the physical challenges imposed by terrain and the elements, and the satisfaction mixed with melancholy that comes from a good stalk and a clean kill - chasing deer and elk also has a very social element for me. There is great pleasure in sharing the experience.

Roll up tougher cuts of venison in freezer
By now, I’m sure many of you have venison in your freezer.

Overcast, rainy weather lending hunters a hand
The hunting success stories keep coming in every week and they’re gathering steam.

Outdoors Briefs
Thursday, November 13, 2008

Judge says peer wrong to toss park snowmobile plan
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - A federal judge in Wyoming said a judge in Washington, D.C., was wrong to reject the government’s snowmobile plan for Yellowstone National Park, but said he doesn’t have the power to revoke or alter the decision.

Study by UM grad student finds elevated lead in griz
JACKSON, Wyo. - Preliminary results of a study by a University of Montana graduate student suggest that lead bullets may be poisoning grizzly bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem.

Waiting for wapiti - Longtime Billings hunter fills tag every year with patience, knowledge
BILLINGS - When it comes to elk, Jim Lowe seems to have an extra sense, a wapiti radar.

Despite downturn, hunting industry outlook healthy
PIERRE, S.D. - Have gun, will travel - even if the economy’s shot.

Access to private land a gift - treat it as such
For those first few hunting trips back when I was a kid, I remember well how my father would wake up my brother Sandy and me in the otherworldly darkness, long before we would have gotten up to do our paper routes. As it happened on those special occasions, our mother and little brother Steve would be getting up a couple of hours later to deliver our papers.

For pheasants, head to Fort Peck
Last week was our time to head to Wolf Point for the annual pheasant hunt. I always look forward to this trip to the northeast part of the state for many reasons.

Outdoors Briefs
Thursday, November 6, 2008