FISHING -- Idaho Falls angler Steve Micek landed an 11.8-pound coho from the Clearwater River on Sunday, Nov. 9, to set an Idaho state record for ocean-run coho salmon. The catch tops the record set last month as Idaho's first designated coho season kicked off…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- A special cruise boat is being reserved for veterans, military personnel and their families for a tour on Lake Coeur d'Alene on Nov. 29 to view the annual congregation of bald eagles that come to feast on spawning kokanee. The yearly event…
FISHING -- Comment are due on Dec. 1 for a proposed a rule that would require anglers to keep all hatchery steelhead they catch on most of southeastern Washington, including the Grande Ronde with the exception of the first 2.5 miles up from the mouth.…
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT -- The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to buy more 4-0 Ranch land along the Grande Ronde River and updated rules for work that impacts state waters during a meeting last week in Olympia. The commission approved the purchase of 2,005 acres…
BIG GAME -- Wolves likely have played a bigger role in the serious decline of northeast Minnesota’s moose population than originally believed, and there’s no evidence yet that climate change has been a major factor, according to a new analysis by renowned Minnesota wolf researcher…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- As researchers perfect the methods of placing tiny numbered bands on the legs of hummingbirds, the diminutive birds have been revealing new information about their lives. For instance: Hummingbirds can live longer than 10 years as opposed to the two or three…
FISHING -- A 62-year-old western Montana man was struck and killed by a falling tree while fishing on the Bitterroot River on Sunday. Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman says high winds moved through the southern Bitterroot Valley and officers received reports of trees down across…
HUNTING -- A few Idaho archers will get a chance to improve public safety by filling their deer tags within the city limits of Sandpoint. City and county officials have approved a request from Sandpoint Airport staff to allow a deer hunt within city limits…
HUNTING -- I know some excellent, law-abiding Washington hunters who've made the mistake of shooting a bull elk that wasn't a legal 'true spike." They took their lumps and turned over the meat -- after a lot of hard work for nothing -- to Washington…
FISHING -- Mark Potter is all smiles about his recent steelhead fishing trip with his father-in-law on the Grande Ronde River. The two were fishing with guide John Sullivan and they caught-and-released eight wild steelhead plus two hatchery keepers to extend the fun to the…
WINTERSPORTS -- A ski movie that examines skiing as a way of life, offering a glimpse into the journey of self-discovery that every skier takes -- is coming to Spokane Thursday, Nov. 13. Days of My Youth will be screened at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday…
PUBLIC LANDS -- The Discover Pass is not required on vehicles at Washington State Parks on Tuesday, the final free day of 2014 as the parks observer Veterans Day. The “free days” are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass, a $30 annual…
GEOLOGY -- Fasten your seat belts geology buffs, a geologist will present a free program this week that uses technology, personal aircraft and video footage to "fly" viewers over the Ice Age Floods from Lake Missoula to Wallula Gap. Tom Tabbert will use his "flying…
FISHING -- The Little Spokane River often doesn't get a lot of respect from local anglers who travel far and wide to catch a fish. But Scott Carter of Spokane bowed to the Spokane River tributary today after landing this big rainbow. The fish reportedly…
RIVERS -- The Washington Department of Ecology's proposal to set a minimum allowable flow of 850 cfs is causing a stir among river users. The Center for Environmental Law & Policy is encouraging paddlers and anglers to review the proposal and comment on the state's…
FISHING – Spokesman-Review Outdoors editor Rich Landers will present a program, Trails to Trout, at the annual meeting of the Panhandle Trout Unlimited Chapter Thursday, Nov. 13, at Di Luna’s on Cedar in Sandpoint. Cocktail/bragging hour starts at 5:30 followed by dinner off Di Luna’s…
HUNTING ETHICS -- The best hunters I know are an honor to the sport from the field to the street. They hunt with dedication and precision, get the job done, give honor to their quarry by treating it with respect. The members of SEAL Team…
PUBLIC LANDS -- They've captured some spectacular hunting country near the Snowy Mountains. They arrive in their personal jets. They're used to getting what they want. They're not a great fit in Montana, but what the heck when you have that much money to spend.…
OUTGROUPS – Inland Northwest outdoors groups have drummed up some good stuff for their monthly free programs. Among this week’s offerings are: • Trans-America touring and local bicycling programs will be discussed by three speakers, 6:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 10, at Riverview Retirement Center, 2117…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- The weather presented only one brief opportunity for good tracking conditions through fresh snow during the nine-day Washington modern firearms elk hunting season that ended on Sunday. Fresh snow is to hunters what the pages of a book are to voracious readers.…
FISHING -- The fishing season for coho salmon -- both hatchery and wild fish -- is being extended to Nov. 16 in the “middle” Yakima River, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says. The season extension is for the section of river from the…
HIKING -- The Dishman Hills Conservancy and Spokane Mountaineers plan to complete a new stretch of trail this weekend linking conservancy lands with the Glenrose Conservation Futures Area managed by Spokane County. The Cliffs Trail needs another 500 feet of new construction to finish up…
UPDATED 1 p.m. with quotes from WDFW enforcement chief. A hunter who took a shot at a gray wolf after being virtually surrounded by a pack in northeastern Washington on Oct. 30 has been cleared of any wrongdoing by Washington Fish and Wildlife police who…
FISHING -- Prized spring chinook returning from the ocean to the Columbia River Basin are likely being killed by seals and sea lions between the estuary and Bonneville Dam in alarming numbers, according to research by NOAA Fisheries. Although the findings are preliminary, the latest…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.