OLYMPIA -- Legislation to merge the Washington’s parks and wildlife agencies into a new Department of Fish, Wildlife and Recreation was approved Monday by the Senate Natural Resources and Marine Waters Committee, but not before compromises were made. Allen Thomas of the Vancouver Columbian reports…
HUNTING – Idaho Fish and Game biologists just released a preview of proposed changes for Idaho Panhandle big-game hunting rules. They will be presented to sportsmen for their comments the week of March 7 at public meetings still to be scheduled. Statewide season proposals for…
MOUNTAINEERING -- Records aren't often set by being safe and rational, but a Mount McKinley climber can bask in the glory of being alive. After 22 days of climbing last month, Minnesota mountaineer Lonnie Dupre turned back from his attempt to make the first January…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Blue Mountains elk winter in the low open canyon slopes of Oregon, and the recent-arrival gray wolves figured that out fast. These wolves made themselves at home on the open slopes in northeastern Oregon near Pendleton, where they've been feeding on elk,…
OUTDOOR POLITICS -- Two Associated Press news stories this week out of the Montana Legislature give sportsmen reason to pause and wonder if these are the healthiest approaches to the issues. Republicans enthused by Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s recent tough talk on wolves are getting…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Another report on tundra swans in the region, this one coming from Warren Current in the Colville area: "Yesterday afternoon I saw seven tundra swans along the shoreline of Lake Roosevelt just south of Colville Flats (Highway 25). Other species in the…
WINTER SPORTS -- A Saturday trek to the top of Scotchman Peak gave three backcountry skiers a heavenly if not gusty view of Lake Pend Oreille. Jake Ostman, Jacob Styler and Michael Lucid -- along with their canine companions Coco and Mojo -- skinned up…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
