Archive for the ‘Hunting’ Category
Hunters Beware: Two Grizzlies Spotted on Sun River near Simms, Fort Shaw
By BRUCE AUCHLY - Two separate grizzly bear sightings since Sunday near the Sun River west of Great Falls have prompted state wildlife officials to alert homeowners and hunters in the area.... more
Fall is Here in Montana
By BRUCE AUCHLY - Fall is a welcome assault on the senses. We see it, hear it and smell it. For those who hunt, or wait for cooler water to fish again, there's not other season like it.... more
The Third Week in September
It's the autumnal equinox, which some equate with death. But for hunters, anglers, and hikers, the third week of September is a time to anticipate, to delight in, to anxiously await. ... more
Heads You Lose
By ROB BREEDING - I’ve got an elk head on the wall. I should say “had” an elk head on the wall. It’s been in storage for the last year. It will be back up on the wall soon, once I get situated in my new... more
No-Wait Nonresident Deer Hunting Licenses Going Fast
F.Y.I. - With fewer than 300 no-wait nonresidents deer combo hunting licenses left for sale out-of-state hunters still hoping to trek to Montana this fall need to move fast.... more
Hunters Must Expect to See Bears
With Montana's upland game bird season opening Sept.1—and the bow hunting season set to open Sept. 7—remember that hunters will soon be sharing the landscape with bears.... more
White-tailed Deer, Elk Harvest Up on Rocky Mountain Front
By BRUCE AUCHLY - Hunters on the Rocky Mountain Front took home more elk and white-tailed deer than average but fewer mule deer during the general big game season, which ended Nov. 25.... more
Elk, Whitetail Harvest Up, Mule Deer Below Average on Rocky Mountain Front
By BRUCE AUCHLY - Elk and white-tailed deer harvest numbers continue above average, while the mule deer harvest is down on the Rocky Mountain Front.... more
Avoid These 10 Common Hunting Mistakes
By BRUCE AUCHLY - Here are 10 problem areas, courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks game wardens, that hunters seem to stumble over year after year:... more
Bear Spray: Carry It and Know How to Use It
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and Jack Hanna tell why it's important to carry bear spray and know how to use it this hunting season.... more
FWP Offers New Improved Montana Hunt Planner Map
The Montana Hunter Planner just got rejuvenated—right in time for Montana's primetime hunting seasons. The new, improved Montana Hunt Planner is an interactive search and now combines a one-stop mapping servi... more
Hunting Access: Ask Early, Don’t Wait
It is Montana law that hunters obtain landowner permission to hunt on all private land. Here are a few tips that could improve your chances to secure permission.... more
North Central Montana Deer and Elk Hunting Outlook
By BRUCE AUCHLY - The news for big game this fall in north central Montana is decidedly mixed. Elk and white-tailed deer numbers are solid. However, that’s generally not the case for antelope and mule deer. ... more
The Itch to Hunt in Western Montana
By BRUCE AUCHLY - The itch starts about this time of year. The itch to be in the field, trying to bugle in an elk, following a dog along a coulee on a hunt for Hungarian partridge, scouting an antelope buck as ... more
It’s Skwala Season on the Bitterroot River
By BRYCE MCLEAN - It's a special time of year to fish in Montana. When you look through snowflakes to see a 22-inch brown come up for a dry fly, you'll know what I mean.... more
Missoula Story of the Week: Wolf Hunting in Montana
By TOM DIDDEL - A recap of this week's most talked-about story in Missoula. This week, it's wolf hunting in Montana and the controversy that surrounds it.... more
Between the Sporting Seasons
By BRUCE AUCHLY - Most outdoor enthusiasts are in the doldrums right now, wondering what to do between seasons and how to keep from going crazy.... more
Missoula Bucks Lightening their Loads
By PAUL QUENEAU - February is antler-shedding month for many whitetails and mule deer around western Montana. ... more
Fly Fishing Film Tour This Friday at the Wilma
By BRYCE MCLEAN - The Fly Fishing Film Tour is this Friday at the Wilma!... more
Don’t Underestimate Fishing in Winter in Montana
By BRYCE MCLEAN - People often underestimate winter fishing in Montana. Sure, you might go 4 days without catching a fish, but on the fifth day, you might catch the biggest trout of your life. ... more
Elk Hunting in Montana: A Bit of History
By BRUCE AUCHLY - Thanks to conservation efforts, there are now roughly 150,000 elk ranging in Montana. Whether or not you got your elk, these are the good old days of elk hunting.... more
River to Table: A “Blast and Cast” Trout and Duck Harvest
By BRYCE MCLEAN and MATT DEVLIN - As big game season comes to an end, we find ourselves looking for other ways to spend our weekends. Fortunately, fishing season lives on and duck season still has two months to... more
How to Lose a Staring Contest with an Elk
By PAUL QUENEAU - Montana’s rifle hunting season is over, my freezer sits empty, but I’m more grateful than ever for this place that I live.... more
Hunting for Clarity on Thanksgiving Break
By CLAY SPRINGMEYER - Whether you're in Missoula or not, if you live or have ever lived in Montana, count yourself lucky. 20 years of Big Sky Country have taught me to be thankful.... more
Paul Queneau Showcases Missoula’s Stunning Fall Foliage
Paul Queneau sent us so many gorgeous fall color photos for his post, Missoula's Fall Colors: The Best Ever?, that we couldn't resist putting them all in one big gallery for you to enjoy.... more
Montana’s 2011 Elk Season Outlook
Montana's general elk season is Oct. 22 – Nov. 27 and Montana’s elk hunters should experience some good hunting this year, especially in parts of western and central Montana.... more
Avoid Common Violations by Remembering These Montana Hunting Regulations
BY MFWP. Before heading to the field for Montana’s big game season opener on Saturday, Oct. 22, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials ask that hunters avoid common violations by remembering these tips:... more
Missoula’s Bucks are Ready to Rumble
By PAUL QUENEAU A tension is mounting around Missoula. Look any direction from town and you may likely see gangs of mule and whitetail deer bucks growing increasingly at odds. Turbulent. Agitated. A month... more
Confessions of a Desert Diva
11/12 Blog by Verina Palmer Martin. I really hate to admit it, but I’m not the same Montana girl my daddy raised. More precisely, I’m not the tomboy he took camping, hunting, fishing and competitive trapsho... more
How to Get in Hunting Shape
10/26 Blog by 'Captain Catchem' Mark Ward. You have no idea how fast a herd of elk can explode in the opposite direction when they get a whiff of my liniment on the second day of the hunting season. As to askin... more
2011 Hunting Checklist
10/17 Blog by "Captain Catchem" Mark Ward. The opening day for the 2010 Montana deer and elk general rifle season is fast approaching on Saturday, October 23. Antelope season already started on October 9. If yo... more
No Place Like Missoula in the Fall
Blog by "Captain Catchem" Mark Ward. When someone from out-of-state thinks about Montana’s unique scenery,... more
Living with Wildlife
Residing in Western Montana means learning to live with wildlife. In Missoula, that often includes sharing your yard with birds, raccoons, skunks, deer, black bears, and even mountain lions. The Montana Depa... more
Take a Hike
The seemingly endless hiking and backpacking opportunities in and around Missoula offer thousands of miles of trails in wilderness areas, Forest Service lands, and BLM lands. Information on hiking in the bac... more