PREDATORS -- Today is the 20th anniversary of the reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park -- a day celebrated and denounced ever since. On January 12, 1995, eight wolves from Alberta were relocated to Yellowstone National Park by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Professional photographer Ron Smith will give a free presentation on Wednesday, Jan. 14, on tips for photographing birds. The program, sponsored by the Spokane Audubon Society, starts at 7:30 p.m. at Riverview Retirement Community, 2117 E. N. Crescent Ave. Social gathering starts...
Ben Orkin of Portland and Harrison Rea of Georgia, paddling separately, launched on the Colorado River on Jan. 7 for an attempt at setting a record: The seasoned Colorado River guides wanted to be the fastest non-motorized boaters to traverse the Grand Canyon from 277...
HUNTING -- Idaho’s bighorn sheep auction tag sold for $100,000 to an online bidder at the national Wild Sheep Foundation Sheep Show in Reno Saturday night -- the fifth-highest winning bid since the program started in 1988. This permit is valid for use in all…
FISHING – U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, has been named co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus for the 114th Congress alongside Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia. The sportsman’s advocacy group of elected officials says it works with Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation to advance the agenda of…
HUNTING – Discounts on nonresident tags for large predators in some units offered last will be continued through 2015, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission says. The discounts will apply to black bear, mountain lion and wolf tags. Black bear and mountain lion tags will…
WATERSPORTS -- While most of the Wanapum reservoir on the Columbia River reopened for public use last week, two boat launches and some shorelines owned by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in the upper basin will remain closed until spring, department officials say.…
Winterfest at Mount Spokane on Sunday, sponsored by Spokane Nordic, was a huge success in introducing people to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, new products and skijoring with dogs. It was a fabulous day on the mountain for young and old, as these photos suggest.
WINTERSPORTS -- The fifth-annual Ferry County Rail Trail Ski Day was a huge success on Saturday at Curlew with nearly 90 people showing up, many of them taking their first shot at cross-country skiing. The event is sponsored by the Ferry County Rail Trail Partners....
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT -- Dr. Jim Unsworth, deputy director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, was chosen today as the director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. He replaces the retiring Phil Anderson. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to select...
HUNTING -- Hunters with an extra 100 grand or so burning a hole in their pockets may want to get into the bidding for a 2015 Idaho bighorn sheep tag. The auction begins Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. Pacific Time, with online bidders starting...
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Here's my humble observation regarding the dueling outdoor advertising campaigns of wolf "education" in the Spokane area: When taking a stand at the far extreme of an issue for shock value, you leave a lot of room for the other side to...
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Today's weekly winter survey of Lake Coeur d'Alene bald eagles -- possibly the last of the season -- tallied 93 eagles at Wolf Lodge Bay feasting on spawning kokanee. U.S. Bureau of Land Management wildlife biologist Carrie Hugo counted 87 adults, 5...
WINTERSPORTS -- The downhill ski resort operator at Mount Spokane State Park says it will ask the Washington Legislature for $2.23 million to update state-owned base area facilities. “At a time when ski destinations are investing in significant upgrades to capture market share, we’re working...
HIKING -- Shawn Forry if Midpines, Calif., and Justin Lichter of Truckee, Calif., are attempting to be the first to complete a documented thru-hike of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail during winter. Having started in Canada in late October, they're near Lake Tahoe this week,…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Is it time to capture the moment for the monarch? USFWS to consider protection of Monarch butterfly With the number of monarch butterflies decreasing nearly 90 percent over the past two decades despite international agreements and farmer-training programs to protect the migratory…
SURVIVAL -- In the span of a week, a snowmobiler near the Montana-Idaho line and another sledder hundreds of miles south in Utah became stuck -- and each had to endure two cold nights in the winter wild before being rescued. Both of them made…
WINTERSPORTS -- Inland Northwest ski and snowboard resorts are promoting a delicious slate of events and offers this week: 49 Degrees North: This weekend is an introduction to and celebration of all the winter activities available at 49° North during WinterSportsFest. In conjunction with the…
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT -- The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled on Saturday to select one name from candidates being considered to succeed retiring Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Phil Anderson. The agenda also calls for adopting new sportfishing rules during the meeting set...
WINTERSPORTS -- Backcountry basics tell us that heavy snowfall followed by significant warming spells increased avalanche danger for backcountry travelers. The last Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center forecast was Jan. 2, when conditions were relatively stable and the avalanche danger was rated at Level 2. The...
RIVERS -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced it will proceed with a controversial plan to dredge sediment in the lower Snake River on or about Jan. 12, as a result of a favorable ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Western…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Scientists are trying to figure out what’s behind the deaths of seabirds that have been found by the hundreds along the Pacific Coast since October. Mass die-offs of the small, white-bellied gray birds known as Cassin’s auklets have been reported from British...
PUBLIC LANDS -- Debate continues over another collision of two actions of Congress -- the 1972 Mining Act and the 1964 Wilderness Act. There could be a way to keep gold mine out of Idaho wilderness The 1964 Wilderness Act contains a compromise provision that...
FISHING -- Although this week's thaw is cause for caution, the recent cold snap paved the way for ice fishing. Anglers should check regulations closely not only for general winter rules and bag restrictions but also for rules that may vary from water to water...
PUBLIC LANDS -- The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness based in North Idaho and Western Montana is celebrating the group's 10th anniversary on a high note this month. Recent passage of the Montana Heritage Act indicates that Congress is able — and even somewhat willing...
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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