NORDIC SKIING -- Mount Spokane State Park's snowcat groomer is set to roll on the 30-mile nordic skiing trail system starting Thursday night, park manager Steve Christensen said. A snowmobile groomer has been used to pack many of the trails and a good base is…
WILDLIFE SCIENCE -- A Kettle Falls-area polar bear scientist is one of 29 leading conservationists internationally who are in contention for next year’s $100,000 Indianapolis Prize. Steven Amstrup moved to Stevens County about a year ago when he retired from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska…
FISHERIES -- Officials north of the border had reason to suspect viruses in Pacific salmon a decade ago, but kept it under their tukes. Sen. Maria Cantwell this week is calling for stronger communication between American and Canadian officials following the disclosure that Canada failed…
PUBLIC LANDS -- Five new members were named today to the Bureau of Land Management’s Coeur d’Alene District citizen-based Resource Advisory Council. The announcement was just released by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. The appointees will serve a three-year term and advise the BLM…
HUNTING -- It ain't over 'til it's over, as the saying goes. The whitetail rut might be winding down in some areas, but it's still a positive factor for hunters who have tagged big bucks in the past couple of days. Bowhunters in eastern Washington's…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Volunteers with skills to travel deep into the backcountry on skis or snowshoes are being trained for monitoring bait stations involved in an Idaho-Montana wolverine research project. Wolverines are a backcountry-loving secretive member of the weasel family protected by the Endangered Species…
WILDLIFE WATCHING – A week can make a big difference in the numbers of bald eagles gathering for their annual feast of spawning kokanee at Lake Coeur d’Alene. On Tuesday, the season's second weekly eagle count at Wolf Lodge Bay tallied a whopping 76 bald…
PREDATORS -- A quote to consider regarding the status of wolf control in Montana: "Most hunters say 'I'm just not going to put aside my deer and elk season for wolves.' So it will be interesting to see if anybody shows up and if they'll…
HUNTING -- Idaho's 2012 licenses, tags and permits go on sale Thursday, with sales of the popular nonresident Selway B elk tags starting at 9 a.m. .Nonresident hunters can buy their licenses and tags at Fish and Game offices, any license vendor, or by credit…
A 75-year-old lawyer who fought private property rights battles alongside Idaho U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth and her Nevada rancher husband Wayne Hage in the 1990s is still cultivating the Sagebrush Rebellion’s roots and earning handsome speaking fees from conservative audiences across the West. Associated Press…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday a proposal to designate 375,562 acres of critical habitat in North Idaho and northeastern Washington for southern Selkirk Mountains woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), which are protected under the Endangered Species Act. The action…
HUNTING– The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is accepting letters of interest through Dec. 18 for membership on the department’s Master Hunter Advisory Group. Four positions are open on the 15-member volunteer group, which advises the state on issues affecting the department’s Master Hunter…
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT -- After four years of development, extensive public review -- and lingering controversy -- the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider adopting a plan for managing wolves as they re-establish breeding packs on the east side of the state. The commission, currently…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Despite considerable controversy over the proposed Washington Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, it's likely to be approved this weekend by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. Read my previous blog post for links and details. The major point of contention is the…
BOATING - New restrictions on motorized boating went into effect last weekend on Missoula area rivers, including parts of the Clark Fork, Bitterroot and Blackfoot. On the Clark Fork, motorized travel is prohibited year-round through Missoula, from the old Milltown Reservoir area to just above…
WATERFOWL -- She’s back! A wood duck once again is bringing the “White Christmas” spirit to Riverfront park. The mystery has been solved about the wood duck bringing a white Christmas spirit to Riverfront Park. Some speculated it was an albino, others suggested the duck…
PREDATORS -- A southwestern Montana sportsman’s group is hoping to encourage wolf hunting in the Bitterroot Valley by holding a drawing for a rifle from among the names of those who successfully bag a wolf in December. Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association President Tony…
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT -- At a public meeting today, Ferry County Commissioners remained neutral on a proposal to repeal selective gear fishing regulations and allow bait fishing and barbed hooks in a portion of the Kettle River. The proposal, which stems from the Kettle River Advisory…
PUBLIC LANDS -- The Idaho Panhandle, Kootenai and Lolo National Forests have adopted standards for motorized access within the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones in a two year effort prompted by a 2006 court decision. The Grizzly Bear Access Amendment makes no changes…
PUBLIC LANDS -- A public open house meeting is scheduled Tuesday in Grangeville to help the public understand a new proposal in the controversial Upper Lochsa Land Exchange involving national forest and private timberlands in Idaho. The new proposal to protect timberlands west of Lolo…
View Snowy Owls in the Upper US, 2011-12 in a larger map BIRDWATCHING -- Inland Northwest birders have been buzzing this month about the early arrival of snowy owls as they migrate from the arctic to northern Washington and new places in North Idaho. This…
WINTER SPORTS -- Once again, fifth-grade students are being treated like royalty at Inland Northwest ski resorts, with free skiing and other discounts. The Fifth Grade Ski or Ride Free Passport, costs $20, entitles students to three free lift tickets at each of the participating…
ICE CLIMBING -- A climber suffers serious injuries while ice climbing in Wyoming. Feel the pain with him and the helplessness of his partner as they focus on getting to safety. Would you have done anything differently? Would you have made it?
OUTDOOR TRAVEL -- I'm having a difficult time deciding which of these free programs I'll check out on Monday evening: Bicycling under the Midnight Sun on Norway’s Lofoten Islands, program by Chuck and Wendy Huber for the Spokane Mountaineers, Monday, 7 p.m. at Mountain Gear…
NATURE -- Mount Rainier National Park ranks as “possibly the most flowery place in the world,” according to a recently published book that picks the 50 best wildflower spots in the world. The book, “Wildflower Wonders: The 50 Best Wildflower Sites in the World,” was…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
| Nov. 2011 | ||||
| 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
| 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
| 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
| 15 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| 09 | 08 | 07 | 06 | 05 |
| 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 |
