PREDATORS -- Should states that hunt wolves consider protecting wolves wearing radio or GPS collars attached by researchers? Idaho rewrites the definition of what constitutes a breeding pair of wolves Because so many radio-collared wolves have been killed in Idaho, the state is having trouble…
WILDLIFE -- Who will Idaho wildlife managers irk this week as they try to manage wolves and elk throughout the state? Idaho Fish, Game walks narrow path to balance elk, wolves Wolves and elk have complicated the work of the Idaho Department of Fish and…
HUNTING -- Charlie Decker, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, will be the featured speaker at the annual Great Outdoors Day event, Saturday, Jan. 18, which runs 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lake City Community Church, 6000 N. Ramsey Rd. in Coeur d’Alene. Decker, a…
FISHING – Although there’s still work to be done, Lake Pend Oreille's troubled traditional fisheries continued their revival with a huge rebound in 2013. On Wednesday, Feb. 19th , Idaho Fish and Game will present the most current information about the status of the Pend…
PUBLIC LANDS -- Slow-moving fires are planned for about 1,150 acres of U.S. Bureau of Land Management scablands southwest of Spokane near Fishtrap Lake starting this week to boost wildlife habitat and reduce the chance of intense wild fires during summer and fall. The Spokane…
FISHING -- Following is a fishing regulations tip for the season from the Idaho Fish and Game Department. ASK IDAHO FISH AND GAME: ICE FISHING RULES Q. Are there special rules for ice fishing? A. Yes. Ice fishing rules are slightly different than general fishing…
Ski areas confront boom of free-heeled freeloaders Backcountry Film Festival coming to Spkane, CdA Avalanche threat not apparent to victim RVs kick off outdoor show season Field reports: Free entry offered to parks, refuges Bald eagle gathering fades at Lake CdA Landers: Jurisdictional dispute puts…
WINTER SPORTS -- While much of the West suffers for lack of snow, Montana is flush with powder. An AP news story today notes that the state has an above-normal snowpack already this year -- good news for river runners planning their spring. But for…
FISHING -- The number of record-setting fish caught in Washington during 2013 just increased last week as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed a new bullhead record. Yellow bullhead, 2.06 pounds, measuring 14.5 inches long and 10 inches in girth, caught Sept. 8,…
PUBLIC LANDS -- A group that's been a watchdog over the spectacular Sawtooth Mountains in central Idaho is wary of elevating the national status of the area. Sawtooth Society wary about proposed Idaho national monument The Sawtooth Society has been involved with Sawtooth National Recreation…
HUNTING -- Eastern Washington's pheasant season ended Sunday in a weekend of winds gusting to 70 mph at the top of the 49 Degrees North ski area where they toppled a cell phone tower. I figured I had a better shot at chukars in the…
WINTER SPORTS -- Looking for a winter trek to a somewhat cozy room with a view: Here's a photo my daughter emailed to me from her recent backcountry ski trek to Winchester Lookout near Bellingham. That's Mount Baker in the background. Not a bad backdrop,…
WINTER SPORTS -- Friends of the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center are sponsoring an avalanche education scholarship in memory of Doug Abromeit, a Sandpoint native who was instrumental in starting the National Avalanche Center. Abromeit died last fall. ” We will send one student a year…
WINTER SPORTS -- Gather your skis, skins and headlamp for and evening of food, climbing and downhilling under the stars at Mount Spokane on Jan. 24. Mountain Gear is sponsoring Nachtspektakel (pronounced knocked-shpeck-tockle), a traditional European-style ski event that bonds people through the sport of…
FLY FISHING -- Slots are still open for some of the fly tying classes set for the second half of January at Silver Bow Fly Shop , 13210 E Indiana, in Spokane Valley. Pre-register: (509) 924-9998 Beyond the Basics Fly Tying What: Learn flies and…
2013 Winter Wildlands Alliance Back Country Film Festival Trailer from Backcountry Film Festival on Vimeo. WINTER SPORTS -- The annual Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival is coming to Spokane and Coeur d'Alene courtesy of several local outdoor groups. The lineup featuring all or portions…
WINTER SPORTS -- The weather gods aren't smiling on nordic skiers today. Here's the latest from Sandpoint. Sorry for the late notice. We were TRYING to be optimistic but... DARN RAIN!! THE W3 WESTERN WINTER WARM-UP IS CANCELLED FOR TOMORROW, SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 @ The…
PREDATORS -- Idaho officials are still confronting public concern over efforts to curb predation, including eliminating two wolf packs, in order to bring back once-prized wilderness elk herds from extreme low levels. Pro-wolf groups have filed a lawsuit in the attempt to stop the wolf…
HUNTING -- The Eastern Washington pheasant hunting season closes Sunday. With the weekend forecast calling for winds gusting to 48 mph, I'm guessing the birds will be running like lighting and flying the speed of sound. Good luck.
LAND FORMS — A modern pest may be the answer to an ancient geological land form, according to a California geology professor who says he’s solved one of the enduring geological mysteries of the Pacific Northwest. Emmanuel “Manny” Gabet, a geomorphologist at San Jose State…
FISHING -- Anglers new to winter trolling for trout at Lake Roosevelt should take five-minutes to view a video produced by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Chris Donley, the agency's inland fisheries manager and a Spokane County native, offers general guidelines to help…
PUBLIC LANDS -- Idaho is about halfway through its two-year investigation on whether it should try to take over federal lands within the state. Opinions vary dramatically on how much it would cost the state if it was able to pull this off. State residents…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- The number of bald eagles is thinning out at Lake Coeur d'Alene's Wolf Lodge Bay area where the national symbols gather each year to feast on spawning kokanee. After peaking at 217 two weeks ago, the number of eagles counted today by…
WINTER SPORTS -- Great report just posted from Lookout Pass: ...With all the snow this week and more to come, it seems like Lookout Pass is the place to be. We received over 12 inches in the last 48 hours and the forecast is predicting…
PUBLIC LANDS -- My column today regarding the murky jurisdictional differences sport fishermen must navigate on and around Lake Roosevelt is just a glimpse at years of posturing that's likely to go on for many more years. That's the way it is with boundary disputes…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.