OUTDOORS PROGRAMS – Outdoors-related free programs of note this week include: Indomitable Hellcat – program on Rosalie Edge and the Founding of Hawk Mountain Raptor Sanctuary for Coeur d’Alene Audubon Society, 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Lutheran Church of the Master, 4800 Ramsey Rd. Riverside...
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- The ever-growing number of web cameras monitoring our world is giving us rare glimpses of wildlife in action, as well as most everything else in the world. The photo above of a snowy owl was captured by a traffic cam over Highway…
OUTDOOR JOBS -- The National Park Service Pacific West Region has posted more than 200 seasonal job openings on the federal employment site, USA Jobs. The openings include a variety of positions, from backcountry rangers to entrance fee collectors. The jobs are available at multiple...
PUBLIC LANDS -- As he's watched the events unfolding at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge over the past week, David Houghton, president of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, has been especially struck by the irony of protesters using an American flag obscuring the refuge welcome sign.…
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT -- Backcountry values and modern wildlife management are clashing in Idaho, as wilderness advocates filed a lawsuit Thursday to stop an Idaho Department of Fish and Game plan to land helicopters in the Frank Church Wilderness Area during an elk study this winter.…
SNOQUALMIE PASS – Winter weather is trying to make up for the not-so-cold shoulder it gave the North Cascades last season. Following the snowiest December on record, snow continues to pile up, creating dicey conditions in some areas for backcountry travelers. Temporary closures of Interstate…
OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY – Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge has announced a contest seeking photos from amateur photographers showcasing the wildlife and habitats found on the refuge. Photos must be made from Nov. 1, 2015 through Oct. 31, 2016. The winning photo will be featured on the…
WILDLIFE -- After destroying a shocking number of bears habituated to camping food along the Smith River in recent years, Montana and federal officials finally are requiring floaters to be bear aware. Smith River float permits in Montana now include new regulations The application period...
WINTER SPORTS -- The Lookout Pass Free Ski School starts its 76th year on Jan. 9 for kids ages 6-17. The resort's professional instructors are being joined by Ski School volunteers to ensure that each kid gets started on the road to skiing and snowboarding…
PREDATORS -- Five conservation groups filed a petition Tuesday requesting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to continue monitoring northern Rocky Mountains gray wolves for another five years. The existing monitoring program, which is required by the Endangered Species Act after protections are removed for…
WINTERSPORTS -- The Ferry County Rail Trail is being groomed for the sixth annual Ski Day, featuring free gear to try for cross-country skiing, instructions and other activities. The base of operations will be Saturday, Jan. 9, at the Kiwanis Road Trailhead at the north…
OUTGOING – Active outdoor winter pursuits have a way of getting people out of the house – and making practitioners hungry. But which activities burn the most calories? The following activities are listed with the number of calories burned per hour. The first number is...
WILDLIFE -- Even in the vast expanse of Yellowstone National Park, there's not enough room for all the bison, especially in winter when snow drives many of them to lower elevations, across the boundaries and into Montana livestock country. Park managers are planning what's being…
THREATENED SPECIES -- Wildlife managers are taking baby steps toward allowing special hunts for grizzly bears should they be removed from threatened species protections this year. It's not as though humans aren't killing grizzlies even under their protected status. At least 59 grizzlies were killed…
WINTERSPORTS -- Inland Northwest resorts are involved in the World's Largest Ski and Snowboard Lesson scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday in an attempt to make the Guinness Book of World Records. Lessons at two resorts will be offered for FREE while the lessons will cost…
TRAILS -- Winter trails and snowshoeing routes in the region were at their wintry best over the New Year holiday. This week's new snow will "refresh" the scenery. Following is a report on Mineral Ridge Trail in the Wolf Lodge Bay area of Lake Coeur...
OUTDOORS EDUCATION -- Instead of pumping so much time and money into exams, our schools should focus more on well-being and encouraging children to connect with the natural world. That's the message from Ben Fogle in a piece he wrote for The Guardain. ‘I don’t…
FISHING -- A tip of the frozen cap goes to the ice fisherman who left a note Saturday to alert rescuers that he was OK after breaking through the ice on Lower Twin Lakes. At about 2 p.m, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Dive Rescue Team…
WINTERSPORTS -- Simple pleasures can be groomed by simple muscle-powered grit and determination, as winter cyclists are discovering during this cold snap on a powder-snow trail groomed by Dave Dutro of Idaho Panhandle Fat Bikers. I went out to Saltese Uplands Conservation area on Wednesday...
OUTDOORS -- The most-viewed post on my Outdoors Blog in 2015 – indeed, the top originally written post by any of the newspaper bloggers -- was an April Fools Day post entitled “Huckleberry picking to be banned in Idaho Panhandle Forests.” For those of you...
WINTERSPORTS -- A free program on animal tracks in the snow will be presented by biologist Jenny Taylor at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5, at Avondale Golf Club, 10745 N. Avondale Loop Rd. in Hayden Lake, sponsored by Panhandle Ski and Snowshoe Club. Info: (208)…
FISHING -- Idaho's ice fishing rules are similar to regulations covering to the rest of the year. For example, as of Jan. 1, a 2016 fishing license is required for anglers age 14 and older. And as always, it must be on your person when...
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Some locals brought in the New Year by snowshoeing, others by braving the frigid Spokane River waters on catarafts. But Tim O'Brien of Cheney continued his tradition of a Jan. 1 birding tour to see how many species he could find. Here's…
WATERSPORTS -- They call it "Only Fools Float on the First," an annual tradition upheld by hard-core members of the Northwest Whitewater Association and the Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club. For the record, there are still a few fools left. "With the morning temperature hovering…
WINTERSPORTS -- Nearly 40 snowshoers joined leader Holly Weiler for a First Day Hike to the top of Mount Spokane today in a New Years Day 2016 event promoted by Washington State Parks. Spectacular.
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
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