OUTPADDLE – Two new twists highlight the 2012 Spokane River Canoe Classic: a later date and a category for stand up paddle boards to go along with canoes and kayaks that run the river. The annual event will launch a colorful flotilla in a mass…
FISHING — A mere ounce separated the top three rainbows caught Saturday in the first Sprague Lake Trout Derby. Despite a nasty day of wind and rain, 202 anglers participated. Many anglers went home with fish, but the one with the largest trout also bagged…
RIVERS -- Starting July 10, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will charge $150 to process the state permit required for construction projects in and around state waters. The permit, called a hydraulic project approval (HPA), has been issued to the public at no…
BACKPACKING -- The U.S. Forest Service says it’s changing from a voluntary permit system to requiring permits in the popular Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness in western Montana. Wilderness rangers say a growing number of visitors to the area have been ignoring filling out voluntary permits and disregarding…
FISHING – Everybody with a yen to go fishing benefits from a Fathers Day gift from the Montana legislature. For the second year, Montanan is celebrating Father's Day by waiving the fishing license requirements on June 16 and 17. All other fishing regulations apply. See…
The Colville Tribes’ “Wolf Trapping Team” has captured and collared two gray wolves in two days at a remote location on the Colville Reservation, Colville Business Council Chairman Michael O. Finley announced Friday.
WILDLIFE -- Western Montana wildlife photographers Jaime and Lisa Johnson have been monitoring fox dens in their daily pursuit of outdoor images this spring. Here's a journal post from Jaime regarding their latest encounter with the new crop of red foxes. Funny, last night we…
CONSERVATION – Duck Unlimited will hold its annual Guns, Gear and Beer fundraising event starting at 6 p.m. June 16 at The Condon Barn, 4801 S. Coleman Lane in Spoakne. Cost: $40, includes steak dinner, beverages and DU Membership Info: Dave Cote 939-5351; Mike Condon…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Here's a glimpse of what was going last month on in dens scattered around the country in a small portion of the wolf's historic range. In this case, a newly born Mexican crop of wolf pups is being raised in captivity to…
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS -- A fly fisher who accidentally spooked a cow and calf moose from their bed while moving through the brush along the Little North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River had a tense encounter for 20 minutes the other day. He was able…
STATE PARKS -- Should the State Parks system operate more like an enterprise-based hospitality industry, a public conservation asset based mostly on grant and tax funding – or perhaps a system of parks freely standing as community non-profit entities? What do people love about their…
WILDLIFE -- The Lands Council based in Spokane is getting more press about its efforts to reintroduce beavers in select areas to restore watersheds naturally. A recent story in The Atlantic magazine mentions TLC Beaver Solution project in relationship to national beaver restoration efforts that…
TRAILS -- Conservation groups throughout the region are scheduling guided group hikes to introduce outdoor enthusiasts to choice wild areas throughout the region. Following are some of the upcoming options with links to see the many hikes on each group’s summer schedule. Columbia Highlands June…
FISHING -- A prize totaling $500 awaits the angler who catches the biggest trout Saturday (June 9) during the first Sprague Lake Trout Derby. Fishermen have boated some huge rainbows out of the 1,840-acre lake since it was rehabilitated in 2007. The derby gives them…
OFF-ROADING -- The popular Fish Lake Trail #419, located 15 miles south of Hoodoo Pass, near the Idaho-Montana state line, has closed temporarily to motorized traffic, Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest officials announced today. Wet conditions forced the closure to prevent motor vehicles from causing damage…
CONSERVATION -- Local trail-user groups and conservationists are celebrating the major funding efforts of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program with a reception 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., TONIGHT (June 6) at the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council Auditorium, 6116 N Market. The state-funded organization works to leverage…
OUTDOOR WEATHER -- It's June 6, 2012, and the folks at Schwetizer Mountain Resort above Sandpoint are reporting ... SNOW. Check out the mountain's video weather report about a twist that's keeping huckleberry blossoms in their buds.
OUTDOOR SPORTS -- Learn the basics of great outdoor activities this summer -- sailing, kayaking, climbing, and stand-up paddleboarding-- in reasonably priced skills clinics organized by Outdoor Pursuits of North Idaho College. The clinics are being offered all summer at the NIC Beach on Lake…
Spokane-area fly fishers have lured the 2012 International Fly Fishing Fair to Spokane on July 12-14, offering a packed conference featuring fly tying and fly casting workshops, programs, expert speakers and a screening of flicks compiled from the International Fly Fishing Film Festival. The event…
FISHING– Saturday is Free Fishing Day in Idaho and Washington will double the pleasure on both Saturday and Sunday -- no fishing license required. Idaho is organizing 11 clinics Saturday in the Panhandle geared to helping people try the sport, starting 7 a.m.-11 a.m. at…
Whitewater rafters go with the flow RIVER RUNNING – If you want expert advice on the reliable periods to find sufficient flows in area whitewater rivers, check out the ROW Adventures trip schedule. After all, they’ve been rafting area rivers for more than three decades.…
HUNTING -- Ouch. The first week of June is prime time for the first hatch of pheasant chicks in southeastern Washington. Once again, it's being greeted by rain and cold weather, which is a sentence to death by hypothermia for the young birds. Quail and…
FLY FISHING -- Aquatic insects were oblivious to the Monday afternoon weather forecasts for severe thunder storms. The caddis hatch on the Spokane River downstream from Spokane's downtown was suffocating in some areas around 7 p.m. At least two fly fishers were observed casting to…
PADDLING -- The date for the Spokane River Canoe Classic is different this year -- June 30 instead of Fathers Day weekend -- to assure lower flows will keep the event on the river. In some recent years, the Mountain Gear organizers have had to…
FALCONRY – Montana’s first nonresident falconry collection season has opened through March 31 when falconers can collect chicks from the nest. But the number of participants is strictly limited. Montana approved the nonresident capture provision because some Montana falconers wanted reciprocity with other states. The…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
