BICYCLING -- The annuam Methow Valley Fall Mountain Bike Festival is next weekend, packed with activities from ranging from races and good exercise sitting backto watch films. Check out the entire schedule at the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association's festival website. Read on for info…
HUNTING -- While I'm still bowing my head in sympathy for the hunter and the family of the hunter who was killed by a grizzly bear in the remote far northwestern corner of Montana on Friday, I'm also shaking it back and forth now that…
FISHING -- This post and photo from Northwest fishing icon Buzz Ramsey: While fishing the Deschutes with guide Bob Toman, ODFW NW Regional Manager Chris Wheaton landed a double, a summer steelhead and smallmouth bass, while casting a single FAT Fish plug in the half…
HUNTING -- Hunters have a seven-month season to kill two wolves in Idaho, but Boise's Stan Burt did it in about two minutes, according to Roger Phillips of the Idaho Statesman Near McCall of the second day of Idaho's wolf hunt, Burt said he howled…
HUNTING -- A grizzly bear killed a hunter in Montana near the border of Boundary County, Idaho, today before another hunter fatally shot the bear, S-R police reporter Mehgann Cuniff reports. Officials from the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Fish and Game, the U.S. Fish…
HUNTING -- Handicapped hunters in the Inland Northwest are making inroads to decent hunting opportunities on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests as well the Colville National Forest and two timberland companies. Deadlines are approaching to sign up for several of the opportunities to drive motorized…
La Niña, which contributed to extreme weather around the globe during the first half of 2011, has re-emerged in the tropical Pacific Ocean and is forecast to gradually strengthen and continue into winter. Forecasters with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center have upgraded last month’s La Niña…
WILDERNESS -- A notable Oregon destination, the Minam River Lodge in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, has changed hands. The Oregonian reports that Barnes Ellis of Portland has bought the last operating wilderness lodge in eastern Oregon. The lodge dates to about 1950. It has a…
PREDATORS -- Idaho wolf trapping rules require trappers complete a wolf trapper class before they can buy a wolf trapping tag. Idaho Fish and Game Department regional officies are making a list of people interested in taking the courses, which will be scheduled, probably in…
NATURAL HISTORY -- Geologists with decades of experience studying the region's landscape will present a weeknight lecture followed by a guided bus tour focused on the Ice Age Floods next month, sponsored by the Cheney-Spokane Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute. Sign up in…
FISHING -- A portion of the popular St. Regis Road (Forest Highway 50) with access to the St. Joe River will continue to be closed through Monday noon for culvert replacement in the Bear Springs and Float Creek Area. That means anglers headed for the…
POACHING -- An Island City, Oregon father and son were arrested last week by Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division troopers following an investigation into the unlawful taking of two bull elk in the Wenaha Wildlife Management Unit in northeast Oregon. The Wenaha Unit…
PUBLIC LANDS -- As the Idaho Panhandle National Forests gear up to revise their forest management plansfor the next 15-20 years, conservationists are sizing up the potential impacts on recreation and wilderness. Brad Smith of the Idaho Conservation League will give a presentation about the…
FISHING -- The recent heat wave didn't kill the fishing for triploid rainbows at Lake Rufus Woods. Anton Jones of Darrell & Dad's Family Guide Service reports catchig fish trolling flies behind a Mack’s Lures Smile Blade or an action disk by Wigglefin.com or even…
WATERFOWL HUNTING -- The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider a petition to allow use of battery-powered spinning-wing decoys for hunting during a special conference call meeting Friday, 8:30 a.m. This didn't come up at the recent meeting the Fish and Wildlife Department had…
DEER HUNTING -- Hot weather and a brief cooling trend followed by record or near-record hot weather greeted archery hunters out for the opening of whitetail hunting seasons the past week in western states. Then came the full moon: Deer activity really slowed for hunters.…
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is offering a unique opportunity see the view and drive across the top of Dworshak Dam – the tallest, straight axis, vertical, concrete dam in the United States – on Saturday (Sept. 17), from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.…
PUBLIC LANDS -- The national Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 aimed at stopping lawbreakers who disturb public land, water and wildlife on motor vehicles such as ATVs. “All-terrain vehicles are popular and powerful tools, with a valid place…
FISHING– Anglers will have to clear off the lower portion of the White Salmon River in southwest Washington for 12 hours on Saturday (Sept. 17) to allow an interagency clean-up team to remove derelict boats, camping gear and other debris before Condit Dam is breached…
HUNTING -- What do you think? Is a hunter spending his money wisely investing in soaps and clothing billed to mask human scent from the discriminating noses of deer and elk? I'll tell you what I think in my Thursday outdoors column. Check it out,…
HUNTING -- Fires burning in Idaho’s backcountry have state and federal land managers to close roads and trails in some areas, including the Idaho Panhandle.raised concerns about public safety and hunter access. Those closures may affect access to some hunting units. Idaho Fish and Game…
PUBLIC LANDS -- Recreation is being curtailed as fire fighters are getting a handle on the 640-acre Birthday fire, which is burning on the Crest of the Selkirk Mountans northeast of Priest Lake and about 20 air miles northwest of Bonners Ferry. The fire is…
SKYWATCHING -- Sunsets filtered through wildfire smoke and a harvest moon looming full and huge on the horizon have made for great skywatching this week. Fall is full in the air, with this year’s equinox creeping up on Friday, Sept. 23. Here's a recent story…
HUNTING -- Fall wild turkey hunting seasons open Thursday (Sept. 15) in Idaho and Sept. 24 in select Eastern Washington units. Other hunts will follow soon. Read on for the long list of details for Idaho hunts, including the youth waterfowl season (Sept. 24-25) and…
HUNTING -- The birds of the year will be larger and the hunting dogs will have less chance of heat stroke and rattlesnake encounters when Idaho's partridge and quail seasons open this fall. The Idaho seasons open Oct. 1 -- that's two weeks later than…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
