HUNTING -- A poor huckleberry year generally translates into good hunting for black bears that expose themselves more as they search lower and farther for food to fatten for winter. Jim Hayden, Idaho Fish and Game regional wildlife manager in Coeur d'Alene, recently did an…
SALMON FISHING -- Citing concerns about the effect the Pebble Mine in Alaska could have on wild salmon,Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, told the Seattle Times she plans to ask the Environmental Protection Agency to consider using the Clean Water Act to stop the mine on…
HUNTING -- See 12 pages of updates and tips for hunters heading into the field for the 2011 hunting seasons in our annual hunting section, coming in the Thursday paper and online at spokesman.com/outdoors.
Archery Elk Hunt with Montana Guide services from Bob Legasa on Vimeo. HUNTING -- North Idaho bowhunter Bob Legasa followed some hunting guides into the Gardner, Mont., area to bugle in elk. First came a young cow, then a bull that would stand out in…
FISHERIES -- Pink salmon have set a record for wandering into the Columbia River and upstream over Bonneville Dam. The spectacle has left fisheries biologists scratching their heads, since they don't know of any resident pink salmon populations in the Columbia Basin. Also known as…
TRAILS -- Several local groups are joining the Washington Trails Association to upgrade Spokane-area trails this month. Most of the work parties are on weekends, but there's a project set for Thursday at Mount Spokane. Read on to for details about all the September projects,…
PREDATORS -- The British Columbia government has declared open season on wolves in the Cariboo region to benefit cattle ranchers, a move that critics contend is unjustifiable and based on politics, not science. Under new wildlife regulations, there is no closed season and no bag…
WILDLIFE – Northwest Alloys land near Addy, Wash., has a hand in feeding elk wintering at the Oak Creek Wildlife Area near Yakima. For the fourth consecutive year, the Alcoa subsidiary is allowing local farmers to harvest alfalfa from fields adjacent to its curtailed magnesium…
PUBLIC LANDS -- With scattered fires burning throughout the region, hunters and campgers should call ahead to Forest Service offices before heading out to national forests this week. One friend planning a trip to Montana's Bitterroot Valley had to revise his plans when he called…
BICYCLING -- Learn the basics of biking etiquette, safety concerns, biking techniques and recommended equipment in a free mountain biking clinic starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at REI in Spokane. Store staff also will discuss basic bike repairs and maintenance and resources for…
OUTDOOR FITNESS -- A new event, the Wild Moose Chase Trail Run, debuts Sept. 24 at Mount Spokane State Park, with 5k, 10k and 25k courses start from Selkirk Lodge. The event is organized by Eastern Washington University physical therapy students. "We think this race…
LAKES -- Avista Utilities and the Corps of Engineers are beginning fall drawdowns that change the look of the lakes and rivers downstream. •Lake Coeur d’Alene’s annual drawdown began Tuesday to gradually take the summer level of 2,128 feet down to 2,127 by the end…
RIVERS – Last September, for the first time in 27 years, the Pend Oreille River's Metaline Falls were exposed as workers lowered the reservoir behind Boundary Dam for dam maintenance. Starting this week, the falls will roar again as Seattle City Light workers continue the…
CLIMATE CHANGE -- Driven by an unprecedented meltdown across much of the Canadian North, the planet's Arctic ice cover has retreated this summer to its second-smallest extent in the 30-year satellite era — and may yet shrink beyond the record-setting thaw that alarmed scientists around…
HIKING -- From Sept. 19-22, hikers on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail No. 2000 just north of I-90 can expect delays of one or two hours while crews work to remove a large log jam and reconstruct the trail. The project area is 3½…
SALMON FISHING -- Starting Wednesday (Sept. 14), Washington anglers will get their first chance to catch summer chinook salmon in the tailrace of the hydroelectric powerhouse operated by the Chelan County Public Utility District in Chelan. “This opening will test whether we can conduct a…
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS -- Three grizzly bears have been captured and fitted with radio collars in Yellowstone National Park to help investigators determine which bear might be responsible for last month's mauling death of a Michigan man. Park spokesman Al Nash said Wednesday that two adult…
TARGET SHOOTING -- Boy Scouts will be benefitting next week from the enthusiasm competitive shotgun shooters have for vaporizing clay targets. The fourth annual Boy Scout Sporting Clays Tournament, set for Friday (Sept. 16) at Double Barrel Ranch southeast of Spokane already has signed up…
PREDATORS — As hunters have begun shooting gray wolves in the first weeks of the wolf hunting seasons in Idaho and Montana, wildlife advocates are once again urging a federal appeals panel to restore endangered species protections for wolves. The Alliance for the Wild Rockies,…
HIKING -- Sorry I've been a bit out of touch this week. My wife, Meredith, and I had to focus on what we were doing: Above Lake O'Hara, Yoho National Park, British Columbia. If you've been waffling on whether to go backpacking into the high…
NATIONAL FORESTS -- Restrictions on campfires, smoking and use of chain saws have kicked in at most of the region's national forests. Hot, dry weather will continue through the weekend as firefighters work to contain forest fires caused by lightning strikes. See the latest on…
LAKES -- Avista began the annual fall drawdown of Lake Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday. The lake will be gradually lowered approximately a foot from full pool by the end of September, and an additional 1½ feet per month thereafter until reaching its winter level. Property…
STEELHEAD FISHING -- The surge of steelhead moving up the Snake River over Lower Granite Dam slowed down dramatically as the flow and spill of cool water into the Clearwater River was reduced upstream out of Dworshak Dam this week. But significantly more fish have…
LAKES -- Bonner County commissioners approved a 14-lot subdivision at the north end of Priest Lake on Wednesday despite a torrent of objections from neighboring landowners, their attorneys and two environmental groups, according the the Bonner County Daily Bee. The board’s votes followed a public…
RIVER RUNNING -- The U.S. Forest Service is planning to upgrade facilities at four Lochsa River access points in the next year. Site #1 Fish Creek Boat Launch: Work includes addition of stairs on the north side of the existing launch. Stair shall be similar…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
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