You searched for brett french - Page 3 of 3

Brett French reports: Tracking a historic explorer

Red Lodge photographer and videographer Leslie Hittmeier was hired to work on an unusual trip this year: trying to find […]

Yellowstone seeks bison reduction to stay within goals

Yellowstone aims to cut its bison herd to keep the population within park management goals… read more from Brett French here…

Montana FWP access programs face budget, staffing challenges

Montana’s wildly successful hunter access program is straining under its own weight, as soaring demand collides with stagnant staffing and outdated funding rules. Read more from Brett French here…

Want to be a Yellowstone backcountry ranger? Read this first

Yellowstone backcountry ranger Kimberly Lewis shares the gritty realities and soul-stirring rewards of protecting America’s first national park. More from Brett French here..

Paddler’s paradise: Yellowstone National Park’s Shoshone Lake

Paddle into Yellowstone’s hidden gem—Shoshone Lake—where dragonflies dance over warm geyser-fed creeks and the wilderness drowns out the modern world. More from Brett French here:

Endangered pallid sturgeon successfully spawn in Missouri River

Two female pallid sturgeon spawned below Fort Peck Dam this summer—now researchers are racing to see if their tiny offspring survived…More from Brett French here…

Weird tales from Wyoming wardens

From meth-fueled fishing fugitives to overloaded freezers of trout, Wyoming Game and Fish wardens had no shortage of strange cases in 2024… More from Brett French here.

Madison River island being restored to help fish

State biologists are rebuilding a vanishing island on the lower Madison in hopes of bringing back the trout. Read more from Brett French here…

State lands near Gallatin County dump closed to shooting

Recreational shooting will be banned on three state land tracts near Logan starting July 15 after leaseholders raised safety concerns.. read more from Brett French here.

Yellowstone River users locked out as negotiations on access drag on

Montana’s fishing season is in full swing—but one popular Yellowstone River spot is still off-limits… Read more from Brett French here.

Fish and Wildlife Commission OKs Elk Hunting Access deals

Some hunters and commissioners are raising red flags over Montana’s Elk Hunting Access program, saying it promises exclusive access but often delivers crowded conditions — all while landowners stack benefits from multiple state programs. Read more from Brett French…

Gated road blocks route to BLM’s Seven Blackfoot WSA

A controversial gate on a rugged Montana road has cut off public access to thousands of acres of wildlands… Read more from Brett French here.

A perfect storm of problems for popular Boulder River road

Two counties, one busted road, and a whole lot of finger-pointing… Read more from Brett French here.

Coming to water near you: A tiger in the creel

Montana’s fish scene is about to get a bold new stripe. Read more from Brett French here….

Legislature passes bills for upland hunters, habitat, access

Montana hunters may soon get a 10-day head start on their feathered foes—before the out-of-staters flock in. Read more from Brett French here…

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks eyes more fall turkey hunts

With turkey numbers booming in parts of Eastern Montana, FWP is eyeing a fall hunt comeback to help landowners—and thin the flocks. Read more from Brett French here…

Trout Unlimited work improves cutthroat trout habitat

A once-golden creek is being reshaped—not for fortune this time, but for the future. Read more from Brett French here…

Dude ranch’s history, 1930 film unearthed after family research

When city slickers traded skylines for sawtooths, one dude ranch adventure in 1930 captured all the grit, grace, and goofy glory of Montana’s wild side on film. Here’s more from Brett French….

Bill would protect ‘furry friends’ by requiring signs when trapping FWP lands

House Bill 436 aims to protect Montana’s ‘furry friends’ by requiring signs at FWP access points where trapping is conducted—helping recreationists make safer choices for their pets. Read more from Brett French here..

Bill would raise nonresident base license to boost hunter access funding

Will a proposed fee hike for nonresident hunters boost public access—or drive them away? Read more from Brett French…

Bill would increase private fish pond license fees to $600

Montana’s private fish ponds may seem like small fry compared to our famous rivers, but they’ve sparked a big debate. Read more from Brett French.

Daniel Stahle, Courtesy photo Analysis of subfossil whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) wood beneath a melting ice patch in the Yellowstone region indicates that a mature forest grew above treeline between 5,950-5,440 calendar year before present when the temperatures were similar to 20th century conditions and cooler than present.

Ancient trees reveal possible futures for Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Frozen in time: Ancient trees preserved in a Beartooth ice patch for 5,000 years are revealing secrets about past climates—and what they mean for our warming future. Read more from Brett French…

How social media negatively impacts Glacier National Park

Social media is reshaping Glacier National Park—and sometimes putting rescuers in danger as visitors chase the perfect post…

FWP’s Justin Gude, RMEF conservation chief answer elk habitat, predation questions

Despite more elk roaming Montana than ever before, one hunter’s three-day search in the Crazies turns up nothing but tracks, questions…and a lingering elk curse…

Lavina-area sage grouse habitat easement OK’d

Montana officials approved a $1.2 million easement to protect 4,417 acres of prime sage grouse habitat north of Lavina, balancing the cost against dwindling conservation funds and rising development pressures.

Anchor Ranch has been at center of access disputes

At the crossroads of wilderness and ownership, Anchor Ranch has become ground zero in a battle over who gets in—and who gets kept out.

It was a short season for some backcountry bighorn hunters

Montana’s backcountry bighorn sheep hunt in the Gallatin-Yellowstone district lasted just two days before the quota was filled, leaving more than 100 hopeful hunters sidelined…

Fish and Wildlife Commission Oks more than 122,300 acres of easements

Montana’s newest conservation easements show how ranchers, hunters, and wildlife can all share the same ground — and win.

OnX map identifies BLM acres for potential disposal

One map, 6.08 million acres flagged, and a federal agency tapping the brakes…

Montana native new leader of Red Lodge Mountain ski area

Montana native Jean Mikulas returns home to lead the ski area into its next chapter.”

How should mule deer be managed? Public weighs in with ideas

Facing a steep decline in mule deer numbers, Montana wildlife officials are drafting a new plan that weighs disease, predators, habitat loss, and hunting limits — with passionate public input shaping the debate….

Legislation puts limits on helicopter, plane, drone use

A new Montana law aims to protect fair chase hunting by cracking down on helicopters and drones that disrupt wildlife and give hunters an unfair advantage.

Bighorn bill prompted choices: auction or lottery?

BRETT FRENCH | bfrench@billingsgazette.com When it comes to raising money for moose and bighorn sheep conservation in Montana, is it […]

The Yellowstone is a river in transition

When a sleepy stream surges 30-fold overnight and jet boats can’t float in spring, Montana’s rivers are telling a story—and it’s one we can’t ignore…

Numerous studies examine wild sheep for answers to die-off events

The bighorns of the Missouri Breaks once thrived—now, scientists are scrambling to find out why they’re gone…

400 Yellowstone bison removed through hunt, slaughter, quarantine this season

As Montana sues over Yellowstone’s bison plan, hundreds of buffalo are shipped to slaughter—while others dodge traps, lawyers, and horses in a bureaucratic stampede.

Selling landlocked state parcels to lessees proposed in Montana water bill

A controversial Montana bill could put 1.25 million acres of state land up for sale—along with its water rights—sparking debates over access, revenue, and the future of public lands.

Ticks carrying Lyme disease may have infiltrated Montana; found on bird dog

Tick Trouble…Could Lyme-Carrying Deer Ticks Be Creeping into Montana?

Montana hunters request study in hopes of easing crowding

Montana hunters aim to ‘track’ solutions to overcrowding with new study request.

Lawmaker sponsors resolution supporting federal land transfer to states

Montana’s public lands are back in the political crosshairs, with a new push to transfer federal lands to state control—reviving an old battle that could reshape access, management, and the future of our wild places…

Is forever too long? Landowners tell Montana lawmakers to butt out of property decisions

BRETT FRENCH bfrench@billingsgazette.com To make something perpetual is everlasting and permanent — so a long, long time. When it comes to […]

FWP conservation easement in Fergus County stalls amid confusion, miscommunication

After months of miscommunication and delays, the Fergus County Commission gave the green light to the Stafford Ferry Conservation Easement, ending a saga of confusion and setting the stage for better access to Montana’s wildlands—proving that collaboration can still win the day.

Search results for: “brett french”