WILDFIRES -- The Kaniksu Complex fires, which include the Tower Fire, at more than 16,000 acres, and six smaller fires between the Pend Oreille River in Washington east toward Idaho has expanded to 18,500 acres, but Priest Lake-area businesses are open and so is Highway...
WILDFIRES -- Due to the increasing number of wildfires in the area and concern for public safety, state and federal agencies have issued a temporary emergency wildfire closure for all public lands north of I-90, south of Forest Road 332, east of Highway 95 and...
FISHING -- Anglers fishing in the Buoy 10 area near the mouth of the Columbia River will be required to release any chinook salmon they catch after Friday, Aug. 28, the Washington Fish and Wildlife says. Following a week of record catch rates and angler…
WILDFIRES -- The Flathead County Sheriff ordered a mandatory evacuation of Essex, Montana, and the surrounding area on Thursday because of increased activity on the Sheep Fire in the Thompson Complex fires near Glacier National Park. Highway 2 is closed today between mileposts 176.8 and...
WILDFIRES -- The Porcupine Bay campground and boat ramp area have been closed today because of wildfire activity, National Park Service officials say. That means most of the boat access sites on the 150-mile long recreation area behind Grand Coulee Dam are closed, with notable...
WILDFIRES -- The lower portion of one of Idaho's signature wilderness river rafting areas has been engulfed in smoke and danger from a fire that's blown up today on the Lower Salmon River upstream from Riggins. Rafting groups are being evacuated, as S-R reporter Betsy...
WILDLIFE -- A 25 year-old male grizzly bear that had been breaking into buildings in search of food was euthanized Monday by Idaho Fish and Game Department biologists. The grizzly bear had previously been captured as part of routine scientific monitoring, so its age and…
WILDFIRES -- Check ahead and be careful when selecting a place to hunt, hike or boat in the next few weeks. I provide key links to agency wildfire updates that include information about some of the vast land closures in today's Outdoors story: Wildfires block...
FISHING -- The Idaho Governor’s Cup is coming up on Sept. 10-12 in Sun Valley. South Fork Lodge is posting info about ticket and package options here, reminding participants and their families that the event is more than a charity golf tournament involving fly fishing,...
WILDFIRES -- Much of the 1.1-million-acre Colville National Forest is off-limits to public access under six fire-related temporary closures, including the Vulcan closure posted today. The closures restrict popular northeastern Washington forest areas for hunting, hiking and other recreation -- including most of the Salmo-Priest...
HUNTING -- As early hunting seasons are starting to open, everybody's puckered up about the wildfires that are burning in the region and the dry conditions vulnerable to even more blowups. Rightfully so. But the calls to curtail hunting seasons are not reasonable. Access closures...
OUTDOOR MEDIA -- The Denver Post, based in one of the country's top outdoor markets, has ended the tradition of featuring a hunting-fishing columnist. The Post isn't the first newspaper in a major outdoors market to make this decision. The Seattle Times hasn't covered hunting...
PUBLIC LANDS -- Tips on exploring Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area’s camping, paddling, fishing, climbing, swimming as well as the history, ecology and other activities will be presented tonight, 7 p.m., at the Spokane REI store. The program is one in a series of Find...
MOUNTAIN BIKING -- Certified mountain biking coaches from Evergreen East cycling club are offering a wide range of mountain bike skills classes starting this weekend into October at Camp Sekani near Upriver Dam. A fundamentals class is set for Sunday, Aug. 30, followed by a…
HUNTING -- Last week’s 2015 Cabela’s Waterfowl Classic Calling Contests attracted contestants from as far away as 1,000 miles to strut their stuff on the Post Falls stage. No word on whether geese and ducks were flocking to the site, too. But no one would...
WILDFIRES -- The video below is a Google Earth virtual fly-through of most wildfires burning in Eastern Washington, updated through noon today, Aug. 24. The fires are having a growing impact on closing public road and trail access to private and public lands throughout the...
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- The Oregon wolf, OR-7, first explored the landscape in California in 2011-2012 and now the first settlers have moved into Siskiyou County. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife released remote camera images last week as evidence of five gray wolf pups...
FISHING -- "The fall chinook fishery in the Hanford Reach is off to a slow start as is typical for this fishery," reports Paul Hoffarth, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in the Tri-Cities. But more salmon are on their way up the Columbia.…
POACHING -- The public is being asked to help solve the killing of three buck deer in a disgusting spree-poaching case near Reardan. The three whitetail bucks, their nearly fully grown antlers still in velvet, were poached during the night of Aug. 10 at the intersection of...
PUBLIC LANDS – A state wildlife officer is on the trail of the slob who dumped a large amount of trash at a popular Spokane County fishing lake. Now it’s time for the public to step up and help. Curt Wood, Washington Department of Fish…
HUNTING -- Nearly 300 deer and 150 elk controlled hunt tags not issued during the recent second drawing for deer, elk, antelope and black bear will go on sale first come, first served on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 9 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Leftover tags…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- This video of a black bear sow with FIVE cubs seeking relief from summer heat is worth enduring the entry commercial for a few minutes of wildlife observation. Momma bear immediately recognizes the cool water haven in a New Jersey family's backyard,…
FISHING -- Montana is lifting drought-related fishing restrictions on the rest of the Clark Fork River this weekend a week after Washington officials added hoot-owl restrictions to some streams. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will lift fishing restrictions Saturday, Aug. 22, on the upper Clark…
HUNTING -- A petition by several environmental organizations to rescind increased harvest levels for cougars in areas of the state with confirmed wolf packs was rescinded today. Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissioners voted 7-1 to reject an immediate revocation of the new harvest guidelines, but...
FISHING -- Starting Monday, Aug. 24, anglers participating in the popular Buoy 10 fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River will be required to release any chinook salmon with an intact adipose fin that strikes their lures. A new rule, approved today by state…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.