Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on a draft management plan and environmental assessment for three popular Upper Missouri River reservoirs -- Canyon Ferry, Hauser and Holter.

A wildfire at Holter Lake has forced state wildlife officials to close the Beartooth Wildlife Management Area until further notice.

A new law encourages nonresident college students to hunt in Montana.
Senate Bill 185, passed by the 2009 Montana Legislature, makes nonresident full-time college students eligible for a discounted big game combination license.

Adjustments to releases at the big Missouri River dams will be made this month to start positioning the reservoirs for hydropower generation this winter and to capture the runoff from melting snow on the plains and in the mountains next spring.

Glacier National Park officials are learning more about the loss of a park visitor Saturday, August 22, 2009, in a fatal fall.

By far, the summer fishery is the most popular. So why are some years good fishing and some years poor? Well, it mostly depends on storms in spring.

Volunteers are needed to help with the Lower Clark Fork River cleanup on Saturday, Aug. 29. Participants should meet at Cyr Fishing Access Site (FAS) at 9 a.m. to coordinate cleanup assignments.

Belgrade angler Warren Halpin was on his first walleye fishing trip when he caught this 34-inch, 16-pound, 7-ounce walleye from Canyon Ferry Reservoir Monday while fishing with Tommy Satre.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking comment on the state's first-ever Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep conservation strategy, which will guide management of the prized big game species for the next 10 years.

Elk and elk hunting opportunities are plentiful across the U.S. and Canada, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has just released its annual roundup of hunt forecasts for 27 states and provinces, newly posted at www.rmef.org.

Over-the-counter Montana antelope and Deer B licenses, surplus deer B, elk and antelope hunting licenses and permits will go on sale Aug. 10.

Glacier National Park is pleased to announce that a major search for a missing kayaker on Lake McDonald, a 13-year-old St. Paul, Minnesota resident, resulted in the successful rescue of the boy at about 6:15 PM on Tuesday, August 4th.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has intervened in a federal lawsuit aimed at turning back a recent decision to remove gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains from the federal list of endangered species.

Hunters have until July 30 to purchase chances for elk, deer, bison, antelope and mountain lion SuperTag hunting licenses.

Although the Milltown Dam is gone, small sections of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers in the area where the dam once stood remain closed to fishing, floating and other recreation.

David Risley, a 30-year veteran of Ohio's state wildlife agency, will guide Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' new Fish and Wildlife Division, FWP Director Joe Maurier announced.

State parks officials are warning Smith River floaters to leave the rafts and drift boats at home.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks recently awarded more than $300,000 in grants to enhance shooting-range facilities in several communities. FWP administered the shooting range grants program since 1989 using funds generated by hunting license sales.

Montana's Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission set the state's first regulated wolf hunting season quota at 75 wolves Wednesday leading officials to say the historic decision represents a victory for wildlife conservation in Montana and for the often maligned federal Endangered Species Act.

Hunters interested in taking part in any game-damage hunting opportunities on private land this year must register online by July 15 with Montana Fish, Wildlife and  Parks.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks seeks public comments on two draft environmental assessments for proposed improvements at Lewis and Clark Caverns and Black Sandy State Parks.

A grizzly bear that spent several weeks traveling down the Teton River was captured Tuesday night in a snare at the confluence of the Teton and Marias rivers near Loma.

Jeffreys Landing Fishing Access Site on the Stillwater River northeast of Absarokee will officially open during a ceremony Friday morning, June 26.

Current elevation for the lake is 2219.3, + 0.3 foot from a week ago.

The 16th annual Fishing Without Barriers Day on Flathead Lake came off successfully today with the highest attendance ever. At least 95 anglers with disabilities caught about 100 lake trout ranging from a few pounds to about 15 pounds in weight.

The turkey vultures have returned to Makoshika State Park in Glendive just in time for the park's annual Buzzard Day celebration set for Saturday, June 13.
Governor Brian Schweitzer will speak at the opening of the park's newly redesigned visitor center and museum at 1 p.m.

The recent success of pallid sturgeon stocking in the Missouri River has more anglers catching this endangered fish species. That means anglers need to know the difference between pallids and their cousins, shovelnose sturgeon, which are legal to keep.

With Montana's paddlefish harvest quota expected to be reached, the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission agreed today to close the 2009 paddlefish harvest season on the Yellowstone River and the Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 9 p.m.

Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever announce Jon Lee of Missoula, Montana and Dick Bell of Omaha, Nebraska have been elected as new members to the organization's National Board of Directors.

With Montana's paddlefish harvest quota expected to be reached soon, the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission agreed Wednesday to close the 2009 paddlefish harvest season on the Upper Missouri River from Fort Benton to Fort Peck Dam at 9 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2009.

The 16th annual Fishing Without Barriers Day will be held on Flathead Lake on Thursday, June 18. Anglers with disabilities are hosted for free fishing trips on charter boats and other boats provided by volunteers.

With the recent federal delisting of the Rocky Mountain gray wolf in Montana, state wildlife officials said that a weekly online report will continue to chronicle Montana's wolf management efforts.

With the dwindling number of walleyes and surplus number of eggs, we have pulled our trap nets for the 2009 walleye spawning season with a final tally of 131 million eggs.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will host a free, public open house with tours, refreshments and activities at its international headquarters on Saturday, May 16.

Since the last spawn, we have collected an additional 35 million walleye eggs to add to the kitty. This will give us close to 100 million walleye eggs total as of  Sunday. Currently, the Fort Peck and Miles City fish hatcheries both should have around 50 million each.

Lots of anglers hit the water during the 6th weekend of 2009 Spring Mack Days. Total lake trout entries in the 21 day event are now at 10,960. Anglers entered a total of 1,597 entries over the weekend.

A 3-year old bull moose that had been frequenting the Whitefish Lake Golf Course since January was captured Friday and released above Whitefish Lake.

Great fishing weather made the fourth weekend of 2009 Spring Mack Days the most successful weekend so far in the seven weekend event. Turning in three 50-fish daily limits moved 16-year-old Stephen Naethe, of Pablo, to the top of the leaders in the fishing event.

The deadlines to apply for FWPs special license drawings are May 1 for bison, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat; and June 1 for elk, deer and antelope. 
The May 1 deadline for bison is new this year.

Get ready for a day packed full of activities as the State 2008 Walleyes Unlimited banquet will be April 4th at the Valley Event Center in Glasgow. The Montana Outdoor Radio Show will be there.

Montana walleye pro Dale Gilbert will be presenting free in-store fishing seminars in Kalispell and Lewistown in coming weeks.

About 500 wolves now inhabit Montana, equally distributed between the states northern and southern areas, according to the 2008 annual wolf conservation and management report released today by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

Montanas spring black bear hunting season opens April 15. Black bear hunting licenses purchased after April 14 can only be used for the fall black bear season. Only one black bear license is issued to an individual each year.

Have you ever wondered what bears do when we cant see them?  If so, plan to join Jeff Stetz, a US Geological Survey wildlife biologist stationed at Glacier National Park, for a "Brown Bag" presentation entitled "What do Bears Really Do in the Woods?"

This will conclude our fishing reports for the ice fishing season. All area reservoirs have unsafe ice conditions. However, rainbow fishing will be picking up along shorelines as the water temperatures warm up. We will resume out fishing reports once our summer creel starts up, which is usually around early May.

Eric Tullett of Kalispell will now share the Montana angling state record for the diminutive pygmy whitefish. Tullett caught the .23-pound (that's 3.7 ounces) pygmy on a glow hook and maggot while ice fishing on Bitterroot Lake on March 17.

Jeff Knudsons death touched so very many people.  It always does when the death is of a 14-year-old.  Thats too young for someone to die.  Life is supposed to be starting not ending.  But in this case, the loss seemed especially deep.

Missoula's Hellgate Hunters and Anglers, the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association and the Montana Game Wardens Association are chartering a bus to Helena on Thursday, Mar. 19, so people can attend the Senate Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee hearing on House Bill 190, The Bridge Access Bill.

The race is on. Spring Mack Days began March 13th and continues on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, until April 26th.  Youth angler Stephen Naethe of Pablo leads with 123 lake trout entered.  Bob Orsua of Mo Fish Charters caught the biggest lake trout ever with a 43-inch, 33-pound lake trout.

Rick and Penney Oncken, of Missoula, Mont., have received the highest honor given by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.  The award honors contributions of lasting significance to the benefit of elk, other wildlife and their habitat across North America.

Amateur and professional elk callers from four states Arizona, California, Oregon and Utah were crowned new world champions as the  Leupold/Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation World Elk Calling Championships concluded March 7 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's announcement on Friday that wolves would again be delisted in Idaho and Montana drew a roar of approval from a banquet crowd attending the annual convention of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.  It also produced groans from Wyomingites whose state was omitted from the decision.

Montanas spring turkey gobbler season begins April 11. Hunters who wish to hunt in a special spring turkey permit area must apply by March 12 online at the FWP site or through FWP offices.

Montana wildlife officials praised Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar's announcement Friday that affirmed the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in January to remove gray wolves from the list of threatened and endangered species in Montana, Idaho, and parts of Utah, Washington, Oregon. Wolves in western Great Lakes will also be delisted, but wolves will remain a protected species in Wyoming, Salazar said.

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It's time to begin thinking about your Spring Mack Days fishing strategies. The event on Flathead Lake will begin March 13th and end April 26th and will again be held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

The third meeting of the workgroup aiming to develop fish-management plan recommendations for three popular Upper Missouri River reservoirs is set for Friday, March 6, in Helena.

Almost daily, officials with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game receive reports from concerned anglers complaining about illegal and unethical fishing behavior.

Montana now offers online bowhunter education for anyone 18 years and older. Although a lot of the coursework is completed online, students must take a field test to receive their certification card.

Four Browning men were each fined $1,020 in Teton County court recently for trespass, hunting without a license and illegal possession of unlawfully taken wildlife and had their hunting, fishing and trapping privileges revoked for 10 years.

Open water areas on the north end of Canyon Ferry should also start producing rainbow trout action pretty soon.  Ice is getting bad near river inlet and along some shore areas. 

Ice fishing reports have been very spotty, ranging from fair to poor which is pretty normal for this time of year. My 20-year-old son Harry and some buddies ice fished at Georgetown Lake on Monday......

Fishing reports from local anglers heading to Idaho for steelhead have been excellent, especially down on the Clearwater River at Orofino. So I decided it might be a good time to make some phone calls to some of the Idaho outfitters......