Out & About: Wolves up, down in state reports

OUTNUMBERED – Montana’s wolf population increased 8 percent in 2010 while Idaho’s decreased 16 percent, according to reports released Friday by state agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Idaho’s decline is at least partly due to the difficulty of monitoring wolves in remote areas of central Idaho, federal officials said, noting that overall the Northern Rockies wolves likely have increased as they have annually since their mid-1990s reintroduction.

Montana reports a minimum of 566 wolves at the end of 2010, an increase of 8 percent compared with an 18 percent increase in 2008.

Idaho documented a minimum of 705 wolves in 87 packs at the end of 2010 along with 22 border packs shared with Montana, Wyoming and Washington.

For 2009, Idaho reported a minimum population of 843 wolves in 94 packs along with 20 border packs.

Dates vary for fishing license

OUTBUY – Anglers soon will need new fishing licenses in Washington where the 2010-2011 licenses expire on March 31.

• Idaho’s new license requirement kicked in Jan. 1.

• Montana has required new fishing licenses since March 1.

In Washington, be careful not to throw away old licenses too soon.   If you buy your new Washington fishing license on March 25, you’ll need to carry the old license through the end of the month.

The new license is not valid until April 1.

Fishing to close on Spokane River

OUTRULE – A fishing closure to protect spawning fish in the Spokane River kicks in this week:

• The lower river from the upstream boundary of Plese Flats upstream to the Monroe Street Dam will close Wednesday until June 1.

• The upper river from Upriver Dam to the state line closes Wednesday to the first Saturday in June.

Washington Fish and Wildlife police said they will patrol the river.

Backcountry films rescheduled at GU

OUTSEE – The Backcountry Film Festival that was postponed because of a snowstorm that closed school buildings in February has been rescheduled for Friday, 6:30 p.m., at Gonzaga University’s Jepsen Center.

Purchase tickets at the door or at commerce.cashnet.com/ guoutdoors.

All-nighter for good cause

OUTSKI – The “24 Hours of Schweitzer” downhill ski marathon is set for April 1-2 at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Participants ski solo or as teams to rack up the vertical for bragging rights and as a benefit for cystinosis research.

Anyone can buy tickets to the post-ski dinner and auction, $35.

Info: (208) 610-2131; www.24hoursfor hank.org.

Tribes in wake of Ice Age floods

What: “In the Wake of the Flood,” a free presentation on how the region’s Indian tribes led fur traders along trails that naturally followed landforms scoured by Ice Age Floods.

Who: Author-historian Jack Nisbet and geology professor Gene Kiver.

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Spokane Community College, Lair Auditorium.