BRETT FRENCH | bfrench@billingsgazette.com Interest in a once-controversial program that gives free elk tags to landowners to encourage them to allow public […]
Jack Atcheson Jr., a pioneering outfitter in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, emphasizes low-impact hunting while advocating for bighorn sheep conservation, reflecting over 50 years of dedication and global experience.
Water levels in Bighorn, Boysen, and Buffalo Bill reservoirs are significantly low due to a dry winter, impacting boating and fishing. Predictions indicate reduced runoff and earlier peak snowpack, affecting recreational access.
Low water levels on Montana’s Bighorn River threaten trout spawning, despite healthy fish populations. Experts call for action to preserve habitats as drought risks increase and fishing restrictions may be implemented.
Flathead County in Montana is projected to grow by nearly 30% by 2040, increasing pressure on outdoor recreation areas. Public lands drive this growth, highlighting the need for improved access and facilities across the state.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is focusing on preserving streamflows to combat rising river temperatures, employing water leasing to support Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations amidst significant environmental challenges.
A proposal to donate an 82-acre island in the Yellowstone River to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks aims to preserve its wildlife habitat, named Pine Siskin fishing access site, for public benefit.
A Wyoming study indicates that mule deer populations are declining due to habitat loss, climate change, and other stressors, with current estimates dropping significantly since their peak in 1991.
An avalanche investigation says a Feb. 22 slide in Idaho buried a Minnesota father and his 21-year-old son just 15 feet apart, creating overlapping transceiver signals that complicated the rescue. The incident unfolded in Carrot Canyon near West Yellowstone during “considerable” avalanche danger above 8,000 feet, with multiple slides triggered on the same slope.
Montana’s Block Management Program is seeing far more demand even as enrolled private-land acres shrink. FWP is surveying landowners—and considering new incentives and outreach—to ease crowding and rebuild access.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is expanding hunter education support by hiring seven regional education technicians, even as youth participation faces headwinds from overscheduled kids, two-income parents, and volunteer instructors. The technicians will help backstop the required firearm safety program for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1985.
A new bypass channel allows fish to navigate around Intake Diversion Dam, significantly increasing walleye populations in the Lower Yellowstone River and enhancing local fishing experiences over the last four years.
