Good afternoon, Montanans (and visitors!) and welcome to mud season! Roads and trails on the B-D are a sloppy, soupy, mess and they will be until nighttime temps rise.
Far beneath the surface the soil is still frozen. Moisture from melting snow can’t be fully absorbed as it is later in the season. This pattern contributes to spring flooding and the associated hazards as well as erosion, falling rock, and thick mud.
Forest visitors should be prepared for slick, and varied conditions on FS roads. Remember, forest roads are not maintained for heavy traffic, however our roads crew of 9 works hard to keep them in operable condition. Please don’t hesitate to contact a District Office if you come across any safety or road hazards due to the spring melt.
It is wise to carry a shovel in your vehicle just in case you need to dig out of a sticky situation; strategic rock placement can also help when the tires are spinning. As always, avoid any off-road motor vehicle use. Moist soil conditions can lead to compaction and rutting which in turn hamper nutrient uptake. A little dirt never hurt but might require additional planning. So, head on out there and enjoy springtime forest activities just don’t forget to leave your boots at the door.
Guest Writer: Mandalyn Child, Resource Assistant, BDNF
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Featured

Montana Ice Fishing Tournaments

Topics
Hunt in Montana

Yellowstone and Spring Creeks Fishing Report 12.11.25

Dec-13-25 by Angela Montana

It Is Holiday Trout Season, and Here Is How to Score in Paradise Valley Right Now!

Montana Outdoor Podcast

New Episodes Every Saturday!

Want More Fish This Season? Start With Watching This MT Podcast Episode on YouTube..

Dec-13-25 by Angela Montana

STOP Scrolling — The Montana Outdoor Podcast Just Dropped GOLD…PURE ICE FISHING GOLD! Watch it now on YouTube!

Unlocking the Ice — A MT Outdoor Podcast Sneak Peek With Don Wilkins

Dec-12-25 by Angela Montana

How does Don Wilkins catch king salmon through the ice? Find out here…

Northwest Montana Ice Fishing Preview [MONTANA OUTDOOR PODCAST]

Dec-09-25 by montanaoutdoor

Downrigger reviews several lakes, explaining which are best for certain species (e.g. trout, perch, other common ice-fishing catches in Montana) […]

Guess Who’s Talking on the Montana Outdoor Podcast…

Dec-06-25 by Angela Montana

The next episode drops a bombshell from a Montana fishing icon — and trust us, you’ll want to hear it…

MT Outdoor Podcast: Meet the Wizards Behind Montana’s Unspawnable Salmon

Nov-29-25 by Angela Montana

They can’t spawn….they only live for three years. So, how are there new kings every season?

MT Outdoor Podcast–A Masterclass in Ice Fishing (You’ll Actually Use)

Nov-22-25 by Angela Montana

This MT Outdoor Podcast episode turns ice fishing from mysterious to ridiculously doable…


Montana Tourney Trail

Montana Fishing Reports

Outdoor How-To

DIY Smoker: Filing Cabinet Turned Pitmaster

Oct-28-25 by Angela Montana

Don’t throw that old filing cabinet away…give it a new gig!

DIY: McFishing Rod…That Works

Oct-18-25 by Angela Montana

Proof you don’t need fancy gear to make the perfect catch…

How To Clean and Fillet Fresh-Caught Salmon

Sep-16-25 by Angela Montana

Check out these tips on how to clean and fillet your salmon!

MT Wildlife

Some Elk Have Attitude

Dec-11-25 by Angela Montana

When the road says go, but the elk say no…

A Predator in the Powder

Dec-10-25 by Angela Montana

This Bobcat Forgot It Was a Predator for 5 Seconds — The Footage Is Gold!

Viral Stories

Montana (Helena) Team Wins $500,000 in Cabo Fishing Tournament

Nov-05-25 by montanaoutdoor

A group of Montana anglers just proved that Big Sky Country breeds world-class fishermen — even in saltwater. Team Grey […]

Very Rare Footage of Wolverine Hunting Deer in Montana

Oct-19-25 by Angela Montana

Rare footage captures a wolverine hunting near Montana’s Ajax Mountain…

Bear’s Journey from Montana to the Savanna

Aug-15-25 by Angela Montana

From Montana’s peaks to Africa’s plains, this pup’s next job is guarding the herd to spare the fastest cat alive…

A Bison’s Final Steps at YNP’s Grand Prismatic Spring

Jun-23-25 by Angela Montana

Onlookers horrified at a bison took one wrong step into Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring…

Cow moose, 2 calves dead after encounter with angler

Jun-19-25 by Moosetrack Megan

On the morning of June 14, 2025, Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel received a report that a cow moose had been shot in a confrontation with an angler on the North Tongue River in the Bighorn National Forest near Bear Lodge Resort. When game wardens responded, they found the moose deceased from her injuries.

Montana FWP

Learn the Ropes, Set the Traps, Make Your Mark

Dec-11-25 by Angela Montana

No trapping experience? No problem. Montana’s apprentice program teaches you everything you need to know…

Wild Game Recipes

Cooking with Kokanee Quinn: Venison Shank Soup

Dec-13-25 by Angela Montana

Shank you very much to Kokanee Quinn for finding this phenomenal recipe!